“Hi, Alexis. Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Putting on my sweet voice, I was always kind and loving to Voodo’s only daughter. Although I hated his ghetto-ass, trifling baby mama, I wouldn’t dare take it out on his five-year-old. Having smooth chocolate skin, puffy cheeks when she smiled, and a shimmer in her eye, she favored Voodo and not Miss Ratchet Yolanda, and I was glad.
“Yes, Miss Moni.” She smiled, showing a little mouthful of yellow teeth, a sign that Yolanda hadn’t touched her teeth with even a hint of Colgate. “Can I have a cheese sandwich?”
It was hard to keep myself from frowning. I never spoke negatively of her mother around her, because that wasn’t my place. However, Yolanda didn’t deserve to be a mom, in my opinion. I didn’t even know what Voodo was attracted to for him to lie up and bust nuts in her. Yet and still they made a beautiful little girl, so I always made it my business to doll her up and treat her like the princess she deserved to be treated as. Yolanda rarely combed her hair. She fed her Ramen noodles each time her stomach grumbled, and the money Voodo would give her to dress Alexis like a baby diva, she spent on herself. I truly felt bad for Alexis.
Voodo was a man, so he wasn’t prepared to be a full-time dad. But as his soulmate, I allowed my mother’s intuition to kick in, and I picked up whatever responsibility I could. You couldn’t love a man without loving his child. So I loved both him and Alexis unconditionally. “Let’s get you some bacon, toast with grape jelly, and a bowl of grits to sit on your stomach. If you’re still hungry after that, I’ll get you a cheese sandwich, too.” I smiled, seeing her smile.
“Okay, Miss Moni. Can I come in the kitchen with you?”
“Sure you can, baby.” I put my hand out so she felt more than welcome. Smelling the weed burning from Voodo’s session, I didn’t even bother taking a break for a few pulls. His daughter needed nurturing, plus I could tell she loved being around me. And truth be told, I liked being loving to her. Alexis was too sweet and innocent for all the grown, roughneck shit going on around her.
I cooked her breakfast, gave her a bath, combed her hair up in pretty ponytails, and dressed her in all pink so she’d resemble a baby doll. When I was done, I sat her in front of the TV to watch cartoons so I could get dolled up too. Whether Voodo eagerly agreed or not, all three of us were going on a shopping spree and to lunch, and then Alexis and I would get our nails done. I might’ve not had kids of my own or wanted any, but spending time with his daughter was a good compromise.
Voodo
“What up, doe? Is everything good on your end?”
“Ain’t nothing but slow motion this way. I already know what tip you’re on, but niggas ain’t gonna be checking heavy for that shit, dude. His ass was a goner when he signed his name up for the police payroll,” Jerell chuckled into the phone.
“Say word.” I agreed with Jerell’s rationale about Felix’s final unfortunate circumstances. When he chose to be a mark buster, he should’ve gone into hiding. You couldn’t fuck with a nigga’s livelihood then walk around like it was nothing. “Keep ya ears open and make sure you silence any bird trying to chirp,” I spoke in code. Jerell was a villain, so he knew that meant dead any nigga on sight if they wanted to bring any heat our way. Just like me, he was married to crime.
“That goes without saying. I’m about to get my big ass up, grab some breakfast, and get at one of them strippers from last night to see what’s up. I’ll get at you later.”
“Shit, I wish I could still be moving at my own pace. Yolanda’s ass came through here trying to break the door down with Alexis. Me and Moni are already up and making moves,” I sighed. “But get at me, ace. One.” Ending the call with Jerell, I set my phone back on the nightstand, then I made sure my pistol was loaded and ready just in case any heat came our way. I was doubtful, but it would’ve been an amateur move for me not to be prepared.
The money we’d swiped from Felix last night was more than worth the risk. Hell, if I could, I’d have taken all the credit for killing him and his crew, because I hated a snitch to the depth of me. I’d never touched that nigga, so he should’ve never come for me.
After hearing the news reporter give her version of what she assumed happened, I flicked the TV off without worry. Even the police could go down behind my gun smoke if they wanted to come for me and Moni behind his murder. Fuck people who went against the grain. Fuck the law. And fuck peace if it came down to it. Like Tupac rapped, “All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend.” In my case, that was my rider, Moni.
Two Years Ago
“Damn that was a rush.” She was hyper like a schoolgirl as I drove the stolen vehicle away from the restaurant I’d just robbed.
“You’re a trip, girl.” I shook my head, still in disbelief of myself. “Do you talk yourself into being an accomplice all the time, or was this a first for you?”
She giggled before replying. “I’ve never robbed actual people before. I usually stick to shoplifting so I can stay fly. But naw, I don’t work with a partner.”
“Then what the hell made you so cocky back there? You do know your pretty face can be identified.” I hit her with some knowledge she might’ve not considered. See, I’d already become a menace to Detroit. Since leaving ol’ boy in his own puddle of blood at the car wash, I’d been on a robbing spree. I went for small businesses, legal moneymakers who were on the wrong side of town unprepared, and young dope runners who got too cocky by staying out way past curfew. The cash I’d been bringing in over the last few months was more than enough to keep Yolanda off my back and for me to live like a man. It sure beat out slanging dope on the corner.
“Sometimes you’ve gotta say fuck it and go for the thrill. And hell, I’d rather be hitting a lick than getting my lick stolen.” She kept it real. “You can do one of two things: turn me down, or be attracted to the feistiness I have.”
“That’s real talk, ma. I like the way you think.”
“And I like the way you operate.” She looked up at me flirtatiously.
“How old are you? Do you know what you’re getting yourself into by running with a nigga with a resume like mine?”
“I just turned twenty-one, but my mental is way older. And nope, I don’t know for certain, but I’m game to find out. If you’re down to take me for the ride, I’m down to ride out.”
She didn’t have to say another word. From that moment on, she’d been the one riding shotgun with me.
Present Day
“Bring your fine ass over here, girl, and give me a kiss,” I greeted Moni once she finally came back into our bedroom. I smelled her cooking for my daughter. I saw her playing with her while she gave her a bath, and I even heard my baby girl say she looked like a princess once Moni got done combing her hair. It was essential for me to let my wifey know how lucky I was to have her on my team. If it weren’t for Moni, Alexis wouldn’t know how a mother’s love was supposed to feel.
Yolanda was the typical nightmare every man experienced with a hood-rat baby mama. Of course, she was a brick house, stacked with breasts, a big booty, and a tight waist. But what accompanied that body couldn’t be faded. She was rude, trifling, and always looking to use our daughter as a payout. When I didn’t drop bills on demand into her outstretched hand, she was threatening to call the cops on me. If it weren’t for me loving Alexis to death, I would’ve wished our relationship never occurred. The only thing beneficial she did besides give birth to my baby girl was give me the juice to go into work two years ago, which ended in me robbing a nigga, hence my life today.
Waltzing over and laying a big, juicy one on my lips, Moni slipped her tongue inside of my mouth then pounced on my lap. “Is that all you want? Alexis is all into cartoons, so if you want a quickie, we can get freaky right quick,” she purred, always eager to please.
“Slip that robe off and push those panties to the side,” I spoke like a true bad boy. I couldn’t deny her juices even if I wanted to. Moni was addictive. She was the all-around package, the perfect prototype f
or any hood nigga looking for a down-ass chick who’d cook, clean, and live a life of crime. Since finding her, I hadn’t thought about stepping out even once. Sure, I eye fucked pretty girls and tricked out cash at the strip club, but Moni would never have to worry about anything other than being my number one.
“Oooh, daddy, give it to me good,” she moaned as I gripped her plump cheeks while puffing on a fat Kush blunt at the same time. The more she ground up and down on me, the harder I pounded her so we’d both bust fat nuts.
“Take a few hits off this, girl.” I passed her our only drug of choice.
Watching her hit the blunt was a turn-on. I wasn’t the type of dude who hated for his girl to smoke. Matter of fact, I loved the thuggish qualities she had. We could blow weed plus blow niggas’ heads off together. Moni and I were a perfect link. It was us versus everybody. Once she’d finished taking her hits, I took total control so I could pound her juiciness with my stroke. It was time to give her the business for real. Flipping her over, I spread her booty cheeks then ground into her until she screamed my name. With one hand on her waist and the other holding the blunt, I got even more turned on by how her pussy creamed on my rod. She didn’t even have to say it. I knew I was the best man she’d ever had.
Alexis was still consumed with television, so me and Moni took a shower together then got dressed for our day. We still needed to converse about last night and how we’d handle things if trouble came our way behind smoking Felix and his boys, but for now, neither of us mentioned it. We were too busy being in love and showing Alexis how a family was supposed to be. Plus, I’d already gotten with Jerell for him to keep his eyes and ears open.
“Listen up, Voodo, I don’t want to hear you complaining while I’m tearing the mall up. We have more than enough money from last night for me to feel comfortable shopping in every store all through Great Lakes,” Moni said, sounding like the typical spoiled woman.
“Just hurry up and get dressed. You won’t hear me utter one complaint. It’s gonna feel good buying the mall out for my girls with someone else’s dough.” I might’ve been a criminal, but I was putty in both Alexis’s and Moni’s hands. If they wanted to shop, I’d shop. There ain’t nothing like feeling like a top dog for taking care of the jewels in my life. Sliding on a fresh outfit and a pair of Red Bottom sneakers, I left Moni to finish getting ready so we could hit the streets.
Chapter Four
Voodo
“Daddy! Moni did my hair. Do I look pretty?” Alexis ran and jumped in my arms with the widest smile ever. I swore her innocence warmed my heart. It was hard to believe a dude of my caliber created something so exquisite.
“You’re absolutely gorgeous, baby. Are you ready to go get some new clothes, shoes, and your nails done with Moni? We’re all about to go out for a few hours before your mom comes back to pick you up.”
“I don’t wanna go back home with Mommy. I want to stay with you,” she whined. At only five, my precious baby knew her mom was nothing worth being around.
“You don’t think Mommy will be sad if you don’t live with her?” Questioning her to see how she felt and how much she truly knew, I could tell Alexis took after me when it came to picking up on a person’s demeanor. Yolanda couldn’t fool me, and she for sure wasn’t fooling our daughter.
“Mommy has a boyfriend. All I do is watch TV in my room and play with my toys alone. She never takes me to Chuck E. Cheese’s or to get my nails done like Moni does, either. I have fun with you, Daddy.” Her truth broke me down.
“Daddy will see about letting you spend the night. I have fun with you too, baby love.” I gave her a big hug. I couldn’t tell her there was no way Yolanda would let me have her full-time, and that no judge in America would give a dude with a rap sheet like mine custody of a kid. All I could do was try my best at making her happy while she was with me and attempt to keep Yolanda financially straight so she could provide. I was glad I had Moni riding for me now. That way I’d never have to deal with a hood rat like my baby’s mom again.
It might’ve still been early, but folks in the hood stayed up on their grind. Whether it was chasing a rock or the almighty dollar, every day was a struggle to survive and maintain. That meant every second was accounted for, being that their mentality was to get it how they lived. Stepping on the porch with my girls close behind, I took in my surroundings to make sure there wasn’t anything out of place. Since my life consisted of crime, I stayed watching my back and being prepared for the worse. Rarely did cats test me, because they were well aware of my thug pedigree, but I never wanted to be caught slipping off my game.
“What up, Voodo? I see you’re looking casket sharp and shit,” a dude from around the way said, giving me props.
“I’ve always gotta keep it crisp.” I gave him dap, then continued to keep it moving. Usually, I’d kick it with folks from the hood, but Moni was giving me the eye not to keep her waiting. She was eager to burn miles through the mall. Of course, my lady always came first, so it was time-out for hood shenanigans for now.
“Y’all heard about Felix the Snitch? That nigga and his crew are no longer factors,” he said, dropping the bomb I’d been seeing all over the news.
“It was only a matter of time someone took him out of the game with the bad reputation he made for himself.” I shook my head. “Maybe he’ll do right by either the demons he’s living with in hell or the angels watching over us all in heaven.”
“Word up,” he replied. “The real nigga suffering is ol’ dude who gave him some cash to cop a heavy package. That’s his fault, though, for letting Felix sit on the cash instead of getting his product immediately.”
“We all have faults, my dude. I ain’t the one to judge.” It was crucial for me to keep my responses short. I didn’t know what team this dude was playing for, since he was so willingly giving up tidbits of information.
“I feel you, Voodo. Anyway, get at me when you and your family get back. Maybe we can get a card game going or something.”
“Fa’sho, we’ll link up.” I bid him a farewell and then climbed into the truck beside Moni.
“Damn, these niggas stay thirsty for a story,” Moni spoke, reading my mind.
“No doubt. You know some of these lazy muthafuckas would work for the news station themselves if they could pass a piss test. I’ma fa’sho get at ol’ boy later, though. By the time we get back, he ought to have more than a mouthful. But right now, it’s officially family time.” Leaning back in the passenger seat while Moni whipped through traffic, I wiped my mind clear and cancelled everything that was weighing heavy on my shoulders, so I could give her and Alexis the world.
We hit up a mall located about thirty-five minutes outside of Detroit. It hosted many outlet stores, a sea-life aquarium, restaurants, and even a movie theater. I was able to show my little family a wonderful day. They were all smiles as we tore the mall up for hours, spending part of the stolen cash swiped from Felix. It felt kind of foreign to not be shoplifting the finer things in life we desired, since that’s usually how Moni and I got down. But I was feeling it nonetheless. There wasn’t a single store that didn’t get a taste of our attention. I even got Alexis a small pair of diamond earrings, which I hoped Yolanda wouldn’t pawn, and I treated both of my ladies to lunch. We might’ve been crooks, Moni and I, but we were like Mr. and Mrs. Claus this day. It was truly Christmas in the summertime.
Once we left, I found the closest toy store so Alexis could go crazy on her daddy’s pockets even more. Whatever doll, Power Wheels, playhouse, or toy caught her eye I purchased without question. I didn’t rob niggas only to keep me and Moni fresh from head to toe but for Alexis to have the world. With bright and sparkling eyes, she’d never grow up thinking her daddy didn’t care about her happiness.
“Pay the ticket so I can grab this call.” I handed Moni a stack of bills then made a move to the truck for privacy. “What up, my nigga? What’s the word?”
He cut straight to the point. “Are you at the crib or still
shooting moves with the fam? I need to holler at you.”
“We’re still out making moves, so keep it brief. I’m listening.” I didn’t want to cut family time with Moni and Alexis short, but that was totally dependent on what Jerell was about to say.
“Ol’ boy who Felix was working with ain’t taking lightly coming up dry without a package. He’s put the word out about putting a ticket on whoever’s responsible.” That meant that the guy Felix took the money from in exchange for dope wanted whoever killed Felix delivered to his doorstep. He didn’t care about Felix personally. He was just feeling salty about not having his cash or any product. I didn’t blame him, but I wasn’t about to make amends. I was a robber, not a saint.
“He’ll get caught slipping, and hopefully it’s sooner rather than later, ya feel me?” Jerell knew that I meant we’d have to body his ass too. When it came to casualties or my life, I always chose to be put on a pedestal.
“No doubt. Get at me once you’re back around the way.”
“Fa’sho, my dude.” I ended the call just as my girls climbed into the truck. I knew Moni could tell there was drama lingering from the look she cut me, but she chose to hold off on questioning me. To ease her mind and give her a little comfort, I returned the stare, speaking volumes with my eyes. She knew we’d kick it when the time was right.
Moni
Whatever information Voodo was holding out on, I knew he wasn’t gonna hold out long before sharing it with me. He was probably trying to process it to see how it should be played out. Instead of grilling him, I played my position and continued with our family day. There was still one stop left to make, and I wasn’t about to miss out on a manicure and pedicure.
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