“I-I—I’m p-pregnant,” she sobbed.
He leaned back on his knees and scanned her body, especially her stomach. “You’re pregnant?” he whispered, still looking at her stomach. “Damn.” He remained frozen in place. Finally, he drew a line from her chest down over her stomach. “You got pregnant quick, girl. When did you find out?” He was talking more to himself than to her. He was very much surprised by this revelation and felt as if he was going into shock.
“Let me up, Briggen.” She wouldn’t look him in the face.
“When did you find out?”
“My first day of my orientation. They gave us all a physical.”
“So . . . why are you crying, Shan?”
“Why am I crying, Briggen?” she asked incredulously.
“Yeah, why are you crying?” he wanted to know. In his eyes he saw no reason that she should be shedding tears because she was pregnant by him. Shit, after all he was Briggen.
“This is embarrassing for me. Now get from over me, Briggen. Let me up.”
She pushed him off her, got up, stormed into the bathroom and locked the door. She grabbed his robe off the hook and put it on. She stood in front of the mirror and was not happy with the person staring back at her. The person in the mirror looked a mess. Her eyes were red and swollen, her nose was runny and puffy. The person in the mirror was asking, “How could you do this again?” She turned on the cold water and splashed it onto her face. The person in the mirror was extremely disappointed. This was a replay of the drama that she had just weeks ago narrowly escaped.
She squeezed her eyes tight when she heard Briggen tap on the door.
“Shan, open the door.” He turned the doorknob. She wet a washcloth and dabbed at her face.
“Give me a minute, Briggen.”
He turned the doorknob loose and repeatedly beat his forehead against the door. “Pregnant,” he mumbled. This was all-new territory for him. None of the chicks he was with were trying to get pregnant. Their focus was on stacking that dough and he was cool with that. Children? As far as he was concerned, a child wasn’t supposed to come until later on. Now he could truly forget about fixing his relationship with Forever. Even if Forever didn’t want Shan anymore, with him getting her pregnant, he knew that Forever would be like it’s the principle of the whole thing. He was kicking himself for not being more careful. This would be the first and the last time that he would slip up like this.
He heard the lock release and backed up. The door came open and Shan walked right past him and headed over to the window. The heavy rains were still pounding against them. She hugged herself as she tried to formulate her words.
Briggen stepped up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist. His gaze was fixed on the rain as well.
“What have I gotten myself into? I didn’t plan this. How—”
“Shhhh. Listen to me, baby, let’s just take this one day at a time. Can we do that?” He placed a soft kiss on her neck. “One day at a time. I know this caught you off guard, hell it caught me off guard too. This is very, very new to me.”
“I don’t know what to do, Briggen.”
“We’ll figure it out. It’s no rush. Let’s get some more sleep and maybe we can start hashing it out tomorrow. Plus, I’m supposed to go look at this spot that Markeeta found for a beauty salon. I want you to come with me. I want the shop to be yours.”
“You what?”
“I’m offering you a business, Shan. A chance to stack some dough.”
“Oh, so now you’re revealing your true motives. You’re ready to lure me in and lump me in with the rest of your bitches! What’s in it for you?”
“You know what’s in it for me. I gotta wash my money. It ain’t like you won’t be eating nice off the arrangement.”
“I’m not like the rest of them hoes, money is not my number one motivator.” She waved him off. “I’m going to bed. I’ll be in the guest room.” He stood there and watched her storm out.
What? No she didn’t just storm out like she’s starring on one of them damn soap operas. Shit, this is going to be harder than I thought. And hell, money motivates all them other hoes. Why she gotta be different? Briggen was talking to himself.
Peanut had memorized the license plate of the Range Rover. He lay back for a half hour before driving off and remembering the address where the Range Rover had pulled up into the driveway and parked. “Nigga, where the fuck you been?” Skye snapped at Forever.
“I’m in transit. I’m out here in redneck Oklahoma City.”
“In transit! They movin’ you? I thought you had pull up in that muhfucka. What happened yo?”
“It’s a long story. I just found out that they sendin’ me to Milan, Michigan. As soon as I get situated you gotta come through; it’s important. I’ll be in touch. And keep this line open.”
“Yo, nigga, hold up. I got some shit you need to hear.”
“Make it quick. They gettin’ ready to count.”
“Your boy, Peanut, I’ve been watching him and he been fuckin’ wifey, man.”
As Forever’s heart unraveled it felt as if it were going to pound through his chest. He was finally getting the news that he had been dreading. “Is this fact or rumor, maine?”
“Nigga you know I ain’t one to come at you with no fuckin’ bitch-ass rumors. I told you I’ve been watchin’ the nigga. I caught them out at Applebee’s and I followed them home and he left the crib about three. I thought they was going to fuck in the doorway, the way they were all over one another.”
“Aiight, man.” Forever had heard enough. He was crushed.
Skye hung up feeling some kinda way because he had had to break that news to Forever. He couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be locked up and have your shorty walk away from you and leave you for dead. Forever definitely had drama, but Forever was no longer his focus as he zoned in on the honey getting out of the candy-apple-red Corvette. Skye and every other male in the detail shop were drooling. Some were being slick, while others were just outright lusting and making loud and lewd remarks.
The honey apparently had heard enough. “Y’all niggas act like y’all never seen a beautiful lady before,” Janay snapped as she made her way into the shop.
“Aww, bitch! You ain’t all of that. Take yo’ black ass on in there,” a tall lanky, freckle-faced thug yelled out. The two guys with him folded over in laughter.
Janay stuck her head back out the door and said, “If you see a bitch, then smack a bitch, you yellow-ass punk.”
That got a series of oohs and aahs from the customers and workers standing around.
“Youngin, leave that lady alone. She come here all the time,” said the bald old-timer who kept the front of the shop cleaned up and presentable.
“Fuck you, old man! Mind yo’ business,” the freckle-faced thug spat before he hawked up a wad of phlegm and spit it on him.
“That’s a damn shame,” a lady with a McDonald’s uniform sighed as she watched the old man wipe the phlegm off his shirt while mumbling obscenities. The only ones laughing were Freckles and his two boys. Everyone else was looking on in disgust.
Skye lay in the cut with his cap down low, checking out everything as he fingered his Glock. He watched as the men shined up his Vette and wiped Armor All on the tires.
“I’ma make that bitch swallow my nutsack, watch,” Freckles taunted.
The attendant who was working on freckle-face’s ride whistled and held up his keys. “Here you go, maine.”
“Rus, go park my shit. I’ma wait on this bitch,” Freckles ordered. “And tip that nigga. I’ma get you back,” he lied.
“Maine, fuck that bitch! Sharonda and ’em waiting on us,” Rus reminded him.
“Nigga, this shit ain’t gonna take long.” Freckle-face went to the front door and peeked in. “See, here she come now.”
Everyone’s attention, especially Skye’s, went to the tall, fine, bodacious and chocolate Janay coming out the door. The attendant was calling Skye but h
e brushed him off.
Freckles hauled off and smacked her dead across the face. “I see a bitch so I’m smackin’ a bitch,” he gritted on a stunned Janay. “Now whatchu got to say?” he based up, as he got all up in her face.
“I ain’t got shit to say. I let my pistol do the muthafuckin’ talkin’.” She whipped out her pistol and aimed it at his face.
“Nooooo!” Skye yelled out, and a shot rang as he pounced on Janay. Everyone in the parking lot ran and ducked for cover.
“That bitch aimed at me,” Freckles cried in disbelief.
“Aimed? She shot at you!” Rus yelled. “C’mon, man, let’s get the fuck outta here.”
DunDee, the owner, came running out.
“Y’all got five minutes before the po-leece get here. I told y’all hoodlums before, don’t bring dem guns ’round my ’stablishment. This a place of bidness. If anybody gonna be shootin’ it’s gonna be me!” his southern baritone voice bellowed throughout the parking lot.
“You all right?” Skye looked Janay over.
“Hell no. Thanks to you, I missed,” she seethed.
“Put your piece away and get outta here. Is that punk-ass nigga worth you takin’ residency in the penitentiary? You got any kids? Trust me, my girl is in the penitentiary. You don’t want to be there. Especially for no bullshit.” Skye was trying to get her to think logically.
“That punk muthafucka put his hands on me! My damn daddy don’t even do that.” She was so mad her face was feeling hot as the tears streamed down her cheeks.
He took her by her elbow and led her to her ride. “C’mon, we need to get out of here.”
“Damn it! I didn’t even get his license plate. I gotta go after him.” She was now shaking. The attendant gave her the keys and they fell to the ground.
“Calm down, Miss Lady. You ain’t in no shape to go after nobody. Don’t worry about them. I can find them for you. Get in.” He helped her into the car. “We need to get out of here before the po-po comes.” He could have sworn that he saw steam come out of her nose.
He jogged over to his ride and noticed that all eyes were on them. He jumped in and pulled off behind her. He followed behind her until she pulled into a mini shopping complex. She parked her ride and rolled down the window and watched him get out. He was driving a Vette exactly like hers, except his was money-green.
“Yo, you gonna have me catch a case. We drivin’ the same whips and shit. I know they think we are partners in crime,” he joked as he checked her out.
“I’m Janay. Who are you? And you’re not from here. New York?”
“Yeah, that’s who I be and where I’m from.” Big Choppa’s other daughter. Damn, I’m the shit when it comes to being at the right place at the right time. Melky ain’t gonna believe this one.
“Well, New York, I wish you would have let me pop that nigga.”
Damn this bitch is gangsta. “You need to chill out, Ma. You’re allowing anger to overcome any and all rational thoughts.” He went around to the passenger’s side, and she unlocked then opened the door. He got in and pulled out a blunt.
“Who are you? The po-po?” she asked.
“The po-po?”
“Yeah, I mean you just appeared out of nowhere. Like you were following me.”
“Hell nah, I’m not five-o! I was there getting my car detailed before you pulled up. Plus don’t you think I would have locked yo’ ass up for possession of a firearm or for tryna kill somebody or some shit like that?”
She giggled. “Okay, nigga, I get your point. So since you ain’t the po-po, fire that up then. I think I need a drink too. I still can’t believe that nigga violated me like that,” Janay vented and was still shocked as they sat in the car, smoking and talking for the next hour. New York was her kind of nigga.
Nyla was curled up on her love seat with the phone pressed to her ear. She was waiting on the operator to put the call from Forever through. Peanut was stretched out on the sofa across from her, snoring. She was actually feelin’ him. He was slowly but surely winning her heart.
“Hey, Forever, how are you?”
“Hey, Forever, how are you?” he mocked. “Bitch, you got a lot of fuckin’ nerve. You fuckin’ that nigga all up in my house? You got my daughter around this nigga? I never thought you would go out like this. I ain’t gonna lie, you hurt me, Nyla.” Forever felt that he had totally lost control of everything.
“Hold up. I know you didn’t call me a bitch!”
“Nyla, I didn’t stutter.”
“You the bitch! Okay, yeah, I’m a bitch. But it’s Ms. Bitch to you, nigga. Anyway, what yo’ punk ass want callin’ my house? You want to dish out the bullshit, but I bet you can’t take it.”
Forever laughed like a madman. “Bitch, I’ma talk real calm. What? You bumped your head on that nigga’s balls while you were sucking his dick? Because all of a sudden you talkin’ real greasy to a nigga. And what house do you have? That’s my fuckin’ house you’re in, bitch!”
“Punk nigga, please! I earned every brick, nook and cranny in this muthafucka. Just because you ain’t got no in-house prison pussy you call yourself checkin’ me? What, you can’t get no dick neither?” They went back and forth.
“Real talk. I ain’t even tryna go there with you. Do you. ’Cause I’ma shine when I get home.”
“Good for you. However, you need to keep in mind that I am not your enemy. We still have a daughter together. Just because I’ve decided to move on doesn’t mean that we have to be enemies and disrespect each other.” Nyla couldn’t believe he had called her out of her name and was talking to her as if she wasn’t shit. That hurt. He was losing his fuckin’ mind as far as she was concerned.
“And as far as the enemy is concerned, you dumb ho, you sleepin’ with the enemy! So keep fuckin’ that lame-ass nigga, Peanut. I’ll be to see both of y’all when I touch down. Oh, cat got your tongue? Yeah, you fuckin’ the enemy. I know all about Peanut. Obviously you don’t. But I ain’t mad at you for keepin’ it in the family. Shan’s baby will be a part of our family, bitch. And since you are fuckin’ her brother that makes you auntie.” He started laughing.
Nyla’s mouth was wide open. She had jumped off the love seat and headed upstairs. She couldn’t chance Peanut hearing this conversation.
“What did you just say?”
“You heard me. Shan and Peanut are brother and sister.”
“Who?”
“The bitch who says she’s pregnant by me and the lame-ass nigga that you are fuckin’ all up in my house are sister and brother.”
“What?” Her head started spinning.
“You keepin’ the shit all in the family,” he brazenly stated.
Nyla fell to her knees.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Born quietly opened the door to Shadee’s hospital room. He was pissy drunk, and even though he had a visitor’s pass he was sneaking in. Shadee was still in the ICU and remained hooked up to a breathing machine. Along with the heart monitor those were the only sounds in the room. Born, in his drunkenness, leaned up against the rolling tray table beside the bed. His weight caused it to roll away from the bed, and Born fell backward onto his ass.
Several seconds later a nurse rushed in and alarm was evident on her face. She was confused when she saw Born struggling to get up off the floor.
“Are you okay? What happened?” The nurse grabbed Born by the arm and helped him up.
“Why y’all makin’ my uncle suffer like this?” he slurred. “He’s already dead, why y’all doin’ him like this?”
She could see his fiery red eyes tearing up. “Sir, I can’t answer that but if you would like for me to page the on-call resident I will.”
“Nah, nah.” He waved her off. “Just leave me alone with my uncle, yo.”
She checked Shadee’s IV and the rest of the equipment before slipping out.
Born clumsily managed to get seated in a chair next to the bed. “Yo, Unc, we gotta talk. I don’t even know how to bring this up. Fuck it!
” He pounded his chest. “You hurt me, man. I saw some shit and I heard some shit and it fucked me up. You was never on no homo shit. That wasn’t you, maine. But Janay . . .” He choked up and tried to continue. “Janay said she caught you and Doc . . . ungh.” He jumped up, ran into the bathroom and threw up, almost missing the toilet. He grabbed some paper towels, wet them with cold water, wiped his face and then rinsed out his mouth. “Fuck!” He punched the wall.
He made it back to the chair, falling into it. “Why you go out like this, Unc? And you got that package? Why you ain’t go out like a real G? You was like a father to me. I looked up to you. You fooled me, nigga. I thought you practiced what you preached. You was supposed to be a man of your word. You still my uncle though. Yeah, fag, AIDS-infected and all. I got your back. I took care of Big Freddie’s sick ass and made them muhfuckas pull all them DVDs. Nobody will see you with the dogs, so don’t worry. That nigga is toast. I’ll catch him in hell. But not before I catch up with Doc’s bitch ass. Ya girlfriend or boyfriend, whatever the fuck he is, I don’t want him spreading the word that y’all was doin’ that thang thang. Plus he done fucked us out of seven birds. So you already know he was canceled. Trust me, he gettin’ ready to lay with the worms. I’ma make sure of that.”
Born took a good look at Shadee. He actually looked like a dead mummy to him.
The nurse who had helped him up earlier stuck her head in and said, “Visiting hours are over, young man.”
Born stood up, looked down at his uncle and said, “I can’t front no more. Just the sight of you makes me sick to my stomach.” He then pulled out a syringe and stuck the needle in between Shadee’s big toe and the one next to it. “I wasn’t going to do this, but I changed my mind. Ain’t no sense in chancing you getting better and walking around here like a dead man. I figured I might as well take you outta ya misery.” Born stumbled out of the room.
Janay and Crystal were in Big Choppa’s kitchen cooking their father’s dinner. They were making sure to talk low enough that Big Choppa couldn’t hear them. They were acting like schoolgirls. Crystal was still seeing Skye, and Skye and Janay would kick it over the phone except that he told her that his name was New York.
Payback With Ya Life Page 15