by Midnite Love
Started From the Top - Now I’m here
An Urban Tale Of Riches To Rags
Copyright © 2013 Lady Onyxx and Love Den Media Publishing
All rights are reserved. No parts of this book may be copied, transmitted, used or sold without the written permission of the Author Lady Onyxx or Love Den Media Publishing.
The only exceptions to this clause are E-Book Samples which are provided at various online retailers and from the Author and Love Den Media Publishing. Brief quotes may be used in reviews
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Introduction
Sonnet Banks was what some would consider to be hood royalty, everything from her 3,000 sq foot condo to her massive Hermes collection spelled luxury. She was also the ultimate backstabbing bitch and didn’t apologize for it. She will do whatever it takes to come up in the game, even if it means hurting those closest to her. Despite having the gold digging game on lock, Sonnet’s selfish ways soon get the best of her. Find out what happens when this ghetto princess goes from hood rich to a lowly street urchin fighting to survive on Skid Row. The question is does she deserve a come up? You decide.
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Chapter 1 -True Colors
“Can you as least move over so my ass don’t have to lay in the damn wet spot?” Sonnet griped as she playfully rolled Kenterris’s limp sweaty body to the left side of her king sized Serta mattress.
“Damn, can a nigga get some rest before round two?”
“Fuck you roll over.”
The couple shared a quick peck before Kenterris fell comatose from the massive load he’d just released.
I ain’t shit and I know it, Sonnet thought as she gazed upon the striking masculine frame that lay before her.
She knew that she was wrong as two left shoes for fucking her best friend’s man but as far as she was concerned she was entitled. Hell it wasn’t her fault that Cheron didn’t know what to do to keep a man faithful, especially one as fine as Kenterris.
He stood at an impressive 6feet 4inches tall, had smooth cocoa brown skin and a body that gave pro athletes a run for their money. The fact that he owned his own investment company didn’t hurt one bit either. In a slow year his company brought in six figures without batting an eye.
Despite Sonnet’s humble upbringing she had a taste for the finer things in life and Kenterris was just the man to give them to her. However aside from the Birkin bags and the red bottoms he threw in her direction on special occasions, she couldn’t seem to find a way to put the final nail in the coffin and have him to herself. Yeah he came through with a stack every so often, enough to cover her bills for a few months at a time, but she wanted more. She just needed to find a way to get him away from Cheron for good.
The corner of her mouth turned up in a sinister grin as she eased out of bed. After slipping on a beater and some boy shorts she tipped into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of iced tea. Kenterris had beat the pussy up so bad that she found herself easing down onto one of the pub chairs at the counter. She took a sip of the cold liquid and glanced at the clock on the microwave oven, which read 11:15.
Lemme see if this bitch up, she thought as she made a grab for the phone and dialed Lexi, her friend of 20 years and counting.
“Hello,” Lexi answered.
“Girl, wassup?”
“Shit, just got Quantez little ass down for the night. What you up too?”
“Just got off work,” Sonnet chirped sarcastically.
“Aww shit! Who you got over there hoe?”
“That ain’t none of yo damn business but just know that a bitch will have her car note and rent paid before his ass raises up outta here.”
The pair erupted in laughter before Sonnet went on to drop her knowledge on what needed to be done in her quest for digging for platinum, as well as how far along she was with her plan. The twenty seven year old beauty was so caught up in the conversation that she didn’t hear Kenterris arise to take a piss.
“Aye, where you at?” he asked as he staggered sleepily out of the bathroom.
“So, you put it on his ass like that?” Lexi asked.
“Hell yeah, I knocked his ass out cold. I will admit the dick is good, but you know these niggas ain’t no match for what I’m putting down.”
Is that so? Kenterris thought as he lingered in the hallway after hearing Sonnet’s voice coming from the kitchen.
“I gotta hand it to yo’ ass. You do know how to work a muthafucka over! I ain’t even mad.”
“Seriously, I mean I have to laugh my damn self at how easy it is to work these dumb bastids. When I’m finished with ole boy he won’t know what hit him. This shit is just the tip of the iceberg for what I have in store for his punk ass. After I get this loot tonight imma send his black ass packin’.”
“Yous a crazy hoe! You ain’t gon do the nigga like that is you girl?”
It took everything in Kenterris not to snatch this bitch up and choke the shit out of her greedy ass. And who the fuck was she talking to? He thought. It’s probably that ghetto bitch Lexi.
His heart raced as he continued to eavesdrop. He knew that Sonnet was a scandalous bitch but he had no idea to what extent. He knew they were both wrong for sneaking around behind Cheron’s back but he didn’t judge her too much on that subject, considering it takes two to tangle. He didn’t even mind tearing her sorry ass off every now and then since the pussy was good. And you know what they say; you got to pay to play, but this bitch was totally outta line.
“Trust me when I tell you, I got this nigga wrapped around my finger. I’m just going for the small shit right now. When it’s all said and done he’ll be handing over his black card and the keys to the Bugatti. It’s all about timing.
Sonnet pondered briefly in thought as she imagined herself one day becoming Mrs. Kenterris Davis Clark.
“Work yo’ magic boo, just make sure I’m invited to the wedding.”
“Invite? Bitch you gon’ be a bridesmaid.”
They once again shared laughter before being interrupted by the second line beeping in.
“Who the hell calling me this damn late?” Sonnet snapped before glancing at the caller ID to see that it was her younger brother Aviare.
“Girl this is Aviare, lemme call you back tomorrow.”
“Go head girl, I’ll talk to you later.”
Kenterris was frozen in his tracks. Despite seething beneath the surface he was shocked at the boldness with which she proclaimed her plot against him. His mind danced with the thought of walking away before he was discovered, but his legs were stiff. As far as he was concerned there was no need for a confrontation he had something better in store for this bitch.
“What is it Aviare? I know you want something.”
“Damn, hello to you too” he responded with an annoyed tone.
“Wassup, I can’t talk. I got company.”
“Aintee Maven wanna know if you picking us up tomorrow?”
“I knew it, for what?”
“You said you would give us ride to the market, remember?”
“Ain’t the busses running? Tell her I guess…. y’all act like my Lexus got a damn taxi sign on the roof. I hope y’all got some gas money.”
Kenterris had heard all that he could take. It was bad enough her leeching ass spent every waking hour trying to get over on niggas, but this hoe didn’t even give a damn about her own family.
“Why you gotta act like su
ch a bitch all the time Sonny? It ain’t like we wanna ask you for shit.”
“Boy you betta’ watch your damn mouth. I don’t know who the hell you think you talking to. I’ll be over there early tomorrow morning. Have y’all asses’ ready cause I ain’t waiting, bye.” With that she hung up before he could get another word in edgewise.
“Damn can I just live my life for once without these begging muthafuckas wanting some kind of damn handout?” She gulped down the rest of her drink then switched her focus back to Kenterris. “Lemme see if this nigga ready for me to put it on his ass again.”
After making sure that her Yorkie, Gucci had enough water in her dish she found her way back to the room. She saw that Kenterris was still knocked out or so she thought. Once she slid between the sheets she climbed on top of his flaccid dick and began grinding. In an attempt to get him back up she began kissing his neck before working her way down to his chest.
“Get off me” he grunted as he pushed her head away from his body mid-kiss.
“Come on baby wake up” she whispered while sliding down in a failed attempt to take him in her mouth. Instead he pushed her off and rolled over, leaving his ass in her face.
Damn I wish I had to fart right about now, he thought.
Sonnet smacked her lips and rolled her eyes, the nerve of this nigga!
“So, it’s like that?” she groaned while popping her head from under the covers.
“I gotta get my rest.”
“Aww momma done wore you out huh? Alright then, night boo.”
Once Sonnet dozed off Kenterris got up and proceeded to get dressed.
“You leaving already?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Yeah I’m out,” he responded dryly.
“So, was you gon’ still give me what we agreed on?”
He shook his head and laughed to himself. This bitch wake up with the quickness for that loot.
“I don’t have any cash on me right now.”
“But you promised. My rent is due tomorrow.” By now she was sitting up in the bed with her brows knitted in a frown.
“Get at me tomorrow, we’ll take care of it.” With that he slipped on his jacket and headed to the front door. “You don’t have to get up. I’ll see myself out.”
The next thing Sonnet knew she was sitting in the bed alone, and not a dime richer than before she let Kenterris drop by.
“I can’t believe I let this nigga tip his outta here without cashing me out. I gotta step my game up for real!”
*****
Chapter 2 – Thinner Than Water
“I tell you the truth, that niece of mine ain’t worth the space she takes up.” Aintee Maven shook her head in disgust before taking a swig of Yak from her flask.
“You always talking about that child, I know she can’t be that bad. You say she picking y’all up to go to the market,” Viv responded.
Viv and Maven had been friends for over thirty years. Viv always searched for the best in people no matter what the situation.
“Y’all my ass, I ain’t riding nowhere with that little stuck up heffa. She owe her brother that much, she don’t do a damn thing for that boy since they momma died. Hell she ain’t doing shit else but running up behind these niggas.”
“Girl you need to stop! That’s your sister’s child.”
“Please! Imma send Aviare with a list, cause Lawd knows if I go imma be done got my pressure up. So it’s best I stay here. Hang on a second Viv this is her beeping in.”
“Aviare! Get ready, Sonny said she would be here about 4:00 and you know she don’t like to wait.”
“Yeah so anyway, it ain’t like she punching nobody’s clock. Got all that education and ain’t doing shit with it. She was supposed to be here first thing this morning and here it is 3:00 in the damn afternoon and she still talking ‘bout she running late. We told her ain’t nothing to eat here and she still taking her merry ass time.”
“I hate that I don’t have a car. You know I would pick y’all up, or at least drop y’all some food off,” Viv responded with concern in her voice.
“I know you would honey. If this ole hip of mine wasn’t acting up I would take a chance on the bus, the stop is just so damn far away. We’ll be alright though.”
“Maven don’t even think about it! You know it’s too dangerous for you be out there in them streets.”
“I’m just talking girl you know I ain’t going nowhere ‘les I got a ride. They done shot up the liquor store down here at the corner two days ago. That’s the reason I ain’t sending that baby way cross town, talking ‘bout shopping. It’s just too much going on.” Maven stared out of her living room window at the abandoned house across the street. What was once considered prime property in her neighborhood had now become one of the worst eyesores in South Central, LA.
“I hear you chile; it’s bad over here too. Listen I gotta run. I’ll talk to you later.
“Alright Viv, I’ll talk to you later.”
*****
Chapter 3 – Get In Where You Fit In
The mist was thick in the air and the afternoon traffic had reduced itself to its usual rush hour crawl. Sonnet was having one of the worst days that she could remember in a long time. Not only did she have to drive to South Central, but also she was running late for her hair appointment and still had to pick Gucci up from the groomer. And to make matters worse, she hadn’t heard from Kenterris all day. Not only was he not answering her calls, he was sending her straight to voicemail.
Each time her phone rang she looked at the screen with the anticipation that it was him, but instead, each time it was Aviare. By now she was so annoyed that she was ignoring his calls altogether.
“Damn! Imma get to y’all when I’m done doing me!” She screamed as she threw her phone back in the console and zoned out at the red light. “That’s why I hate promising to do shit for them. They act like they can’t wait. Well they won’t see my ass till I’m done doing everything on my to do list. Talkin’ bout they hungry, peel a damn potato and leave me the fuck alone.”
Here’s somebody else begging, Sonnet thought as she shook her head at the homeless man standing on the side of the road. She pretended not to see him or his sign as she continued on her journey.
Once Sonnet arrived at the salon she was finally able to relax as the rush of warm water flooded her scalp. There was no way she was going to miss this appointment after all she went through to get there. Kenterris had temporarily blown the shine out of her candle but it was all good. She realized that he was a very busy man and that he would get back to her when he could.
Even though he had played her the night before on the money tip she always kept an ace in the hole. The “rent is due” would work on the next nigga in her roster just like it did every time with him. It was only a matter of placing a phone call or accidentally running into one of her niggas at the club. And although Kenterris was her main source of cash flow, he for damn sure wasn’t her only. That’s why she had to make sure that her shit was on point at all times. Sonnet took the game to the next level where most basic bitches fell behind, catching feelings for niggas and shit. There was no time for that. All she saw was dollar signs.
While the rest of these silly birds were out here falling for the okie doke, getting a meal at Red Lobster and a few cheap ass outfits at the mall, Sonnet was living in a 3,000 square foot condo, staying at the best hotels when she traveled, getting her bills paid, Chanel bags and her diamonds upgraded. Hell, even her dog Gucci wore nothing but Swarovski crystals around her neck and ate the finest gourmet dog food. For the life of her she couldn’t understand why people were broke when there was plenty of money in the streets to be made. Maybe that’s one of the reasons she didn’t feel much sympathy for her family.
True enough she and Aviare’s mother had passed from breast cancer and left them with barely two nickels to rub together, but what was she supposed to do about it? She was only 24 years old and had her whole life ahead of her when she died. Was she
supposed to take Aviare in? Besides Aintee Maven had stepped in and took over where momma left off. And it ain’t like Aviare wasn’t getting that social security check every month. And Aintee Maven had her disability and Granny’s retirement and social security. It wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t budget her shit and make it stretch.
As far as she was concerned she had to hustle for her shit so they should do the same. She was determined that they weren’t bringing her down to their level. If they wanted to live like hood rats so be it, but she wasn’t the one to be supplying them with handouts every week. It was time out for that bullshit.
Sonnet stepped out the salon feeling like a million dollars. She had her weave freshly tightened, brows threaded, and a fresh coat of polish on her hands and toes.
Before pulling out she admired her reflection in the rearview mirror as she played with her new do. She applied a fresh coat of Dior gloss and blotted the excess oil from her face. She had to admit to herself that she was beyond a dime. Her 30 inch sandy brown weave complimented her smooth café latte skin beautifully. The tousled waves cascaded over her shoulders while delicately framing her face. She had seductive bedroom eyes and a pair of full sexy lips that men couldn’t resist. When she wasn’t handing her business in the streets you could find her at the gym keeping her abs flat and her ass round and tight. She was the perfect package all rolled up into a petite 5’4 inch frame.
In the midst of her pamper session she had totally lost track of time. It was now going on 7:30 p.m. and she still needed to pick up Gucci and she still had to take her family to the damn market. This shit was truly for the birds. She had talked to Cheron and Lexi earlier and they had agreed to go out that night. She just needed to call them and make sure the plan was still a go. Operation make a million was about to be in full effect and she didn’t need anything putting a damper on her plans that evening.
“Cheron, wassup? We still hanging tonight or what?” Sonnet asked.