Hardhearted

by Sherrod Tunstall

  Once he was out of the hospital, the first place he went was to an old abandoned warehouse near railroad tracks. He cleared the dusty trash cans and pulled out a huge green bean can. Once he opened it and saw his stash of $10,000, plus a few dime bags, he couldn’t wait to get back to St. Louis to sell them and get a connect.

  Once Swag was done pushing out the last piece of shit from his system, he wiped himself real good. He flushed the toilet and went back to the sink to wash his hands and look at his reflection. “Damn.” He thought about how disappointed he was in himself, but mainly how he disappointed Nana with the dumb decisions he made in his life.

  “Swag, Swag!” shouted Mz. Chocolate as she tapped him on his shoulder.

  Swag had stopped reminiscing over his past as he looked at Mz. Chocolate’s naked reflection in the big mirror, not noticing she came into the bathroom. He could feel his manhood getting hard again. “What, ma?”

  “Damn, daddy, mi wake up wanting to feel sum more of dat yello banana beefcake inna mi, but yuh did gaan,” Mz. Chocolate said, wrapping her arms around his waist. She licked his back like it were her favorite butter pecan ice cream. “Yuh tire of mi already, daddy?”

  She reached inside his boxers and jerked his snake. He was turned on as he leaned back on her. “Shit!” he laughed.

  Yet again, Swag started to forget about his problems. All he wanted was some of that Jamaican sweetness. He turned around and picked her up. She laughed.

  “Come on, baby. You ready for some more of this long banana beefcake in your pudding, ma?”

  “Yuh kno it, daddy. Dis pussy dripping fi dat hood,” Mz. Chocolate replied while licking Swag’s ear.

  They moved to the bed and got ready for round five.

  Oh, Lord, give me strength, Swag thought with a smile on his face.

  Chapter 6

  The Journey Begins

  After a few days in the ship, the fellas, Paco, and his gang were having the best time of their lives, partying every day and night with King’s girls turning them out with moves they had never seen in America. But Swag, unlike Tyler and Travis, knew once they arrived in Costa Rica, playtime would be over. Swag knew the underworld lifestyle too well. Hell, he lived it most of his life. One minute, it was caviar and champagne. Next, it would be bloodshed and bodies popping up.

  The ship’s horn blew and woke up everyone who was still drunk or high from the night before. But Swag and Mz. Chocolate were still knocked out. Mz. Chocolate had put her chocolate heroin on Swag, and that’ll knock anyone out. But the horn got even louder and finally got their attention.

  “Damn, what is it now?” shouted a sleepy Swag while rubbing his eyes.

  Mz. Chocolate shook her head. She was still a little tipsy. Before she said anything, the door to their suite flew wide open. One of King’s muscular bodyguards stood in the doorway in a three-piece black suit. Swag and Mz. Chocolate reached for the sheets to cover their naked bodies.

  “Damn, bruh, what’s up?” Swag yelled, horrified.

  “Yeah, Blood, yaah crazy man. Yuh nuh kno there’s a uhman present inna di room?”

  Blood, the henchman, laughed while looking at Mz. Chocolate with his brown puppy dog eyes. “Damn, Desiree, chill with that shit. I know every part of yo’ sexy ass. You ain’t got nothing to hide.” Blood licked his lips. He glanced over at Swag with a smirk on his face.

  At first, Swag let Blood’s words get him. Mz. Chocolate, or Desiree, was treating Swag like he was hers. In Swag’s mind, she was. But he had to remember it was her job to make him feel that way. She was just a high-priced whore that was a drug used to drain his system slowly.

  Blood focused on Swag. “Dude, get your ass dressed. King wants you and the guys on the lower level in fifteen minutes. You hear me?”

  “Yeah, Bigfoot. I mean, Blood,” Swag said sarcastically.

  Swag knew that Blood was a big dude and didn’t want to tango with him, not yet anyway.

  Blood twisted his lips at Swag and looked back at Desiree. “And you, sexy, you stay here. The crew is going to be in here to fix you up. You have an appointment with one of your regulars in L.A., and you know how demanding this dude is.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Desiree said, getting out of bed.

  Swag looked at her curves, and her sexiness started to make his jock hard again. He needed some more of that chocolate heroin in him, but Blood snapped his fingers in Swag’s face to interrupt his thoughts.

  “What, dude?”

  “Ten minutes. And if I were you, I’d hurry. The king don’t like waiting.”

  Blood and Swag stared at each other for a moment, until Blood left and closed the door behind him. Swag got out of bed to stretch. He scratched his stomach before looking for his clothes. After he put his dirty clothes back on, he glanced over at Desiree. She was sitting on the recliner with her legs wide open as a cigarette dangled from her mouth. She lit the cigarette and took a long drag. While looking at Swag, she whistled smoke in his direction.

  “Bowy, yuh betta hurry up an’ get ready before Blood comes back up inna here again.”

  “Man, fuck Blood.” He laughed as he walked over to her. He dropped to his knees in front of her. “So, when can we hook up again?”

  Desiree laughed. “Bowy, yah couldn’t afford dis gud pussy. Wah mi been giving yuh di laas few days a dosage of mi gud shit. Mi ongle gi my shit up to real bosses.”

  Swag smirked. “Oh, really? And wah boss yah talk ’bout, man?” Swag imitated her Jamaican accent.

  Desiree took another puff of her cigarette and blew the smoke out. She waved her hand at Swag. “Bowy, nuh get smart or mi wi ave Blood inna here suh fast, it’ll mek yuh head speed.” She lightly smacked him on his cheek and then sauntered over to the messy bed. “Now, one of mi biggest bosses tis here. He cum from Los Angeles. Just sey him a hip-hop icon. Him rapped inna one of di notorious rap groups inna history. Him a Grammy award–winning produca. Him owns one of di biggest labels inna di music game, an di biggie him a billionaire,” Desiree said, smiling. “Now, yuh cyn beat dat?”

  “Damn,” said Swag knowing exactly who Desiree was talking about. It was one of his all-time favorite rappers. Swag must have played his solo debut album over and over again as a kid. He just couldn’t believe celebrities like that still paid for some ass, and they were married pricks at that. He wanted to know more about the celebs Desiree had in her chocolate web. But before he could get more info, he heard a loud voice yell, “Swag! Bring yo’ high yellow ass on!”

  Swag was annoyed as he looked at Desiree. “Well, thanks for a great few days. You really relaxed me and helped me take my mind off things.”

  Desiree planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Get yuh ass outta here before Blood kills yuh.”

  Swag left the room, knowing that what she’d said was a possibility.

  * * *

  Nearly everyone made their way off the ship. It was indeed a beautiful and sunny day in San José, Costa Rica. Limousines awaited some people, and as Swag was about to get into the limo with the twins, Blood tapped his shoulder.

  “What’s up, bruh?” Swag asked.

  “Come with me now.” Blood walked off, and Swag followed.

  They passed by Paco, who gave Swag a dirty look and mumbled underneath his breath, “Puta nigger.” Then Blood opened the door to a white limo. Swag stood for a moment, not knowing what was going to happen. He thought maybe some dudes were in there waiting to beat the shit out of him. Or even worse, the FBI was waiting for him. After all, he was a fugitive on the run from the law.

  “Get yo’ ass in there, bruh,” Blood said, shoving him inside.

  Swag’s face twisted, and his voice went up a notch. “I’m moving, but you don’t have to put your fucking hands on me.”

  Without saying another word, Blood grunted and slammed the door shut. Swag looked at King, who sat across from him. She looked just as sexy as he remembered. Her long hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her makeup was on like artwork. Baby was show
ing all body in a pink, one-shoulder, side-spliced short dress with her legs crossed and showcasing her black spiked pumps. She wore diamonds on her neck, ears, wrists, and ankles. Her perfectly manicured nails were painted gold, and a broad smile graced on her face.

  Swag cleared his throat. Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. The limousine took off, and Swag could see Blood on the passenger’s side.

  As the limo drove down the street, Swag couldn’t get over how breathtaking King was. He was nervous in her presence. He knew this chick was deadly, but at the same time, it was a turn-on for him.

  King, on the other hand, noticed the woody in his pants. It made her nipples hard. She uncrossed her legs and crossed them again as her goodies started to throb. She looked at Swag, who was still sweating bullets. It was hot in San José, but King knew Swag’s heatwave was coming from inside the limo.

  Swag stared at her for a moment before looking out the window and admiring the beauty of San José. He saw the Plaza de la Cultura and the beautiful San José skyline with the mountains in the background.

  King cleared her throat. She could sense that Swag was trying to ignore her. “Swag, sweetie, come sit next to me.” She patted the empty seat.

  Swag shifted his head toward her. “What, ma’am?”

  She laughed and held her chest. “None of that ‘ma’am’ stuff. You American men with this ‘ma’am’ stuff.” She patted the empty seat again. “Come sit next to me.”

  Swag took a deep breath as he glanced at Blood, who kept turning around to look at him.

  “What the hell are you looking at me for? Boss lady wants you, not me. Now get your ass over there ’cause she don’t like to wait.” He opened up his suit jacket to show off his gun.

  Swag ignored Blood and looked over at King, who motioned for him to come her way. He eased over to the seat next to her. His heart started beating faster. He didn’t know what to expect.

  King lightly touched Swag’s shoulder. He jumped like she put a bullet in him. Both of them laughed.

  “Do I make you nervous?” King asked as she rubbed his thigh.

  Swag cleared his throat and attempted to get into his macho mode. His inner “I fear no man but God” dope dealer self came into play. He relaxed and popped his collar.

  “Nah, ma, nothing scares me.”

  King continued to rub his shaky thigh. “Relax, baby. How about some champagne to calm your nerves?”

  Before he could answer, she moved over to the minibar, poured two glasses of 1990 Dom Pérignon, and topped them off with a strawberry. She gave Swag a glass and raised the other in her hand. “To us and our business.”

  Swag didn’t want any drama, so he lifted his glass too. “To us and our business.”

  They took a sip.

  “Mm,” Swag said, admiring the taste of the champagne. “Damn, this shit taste good.”

  King removed the strawberry and sucked on the tip like she was sucking on a nipple. She then took a bite of it before putting it back in the glass. Her little gesture made Swag erect. He quickly downed most of the champagne before setting the glass aside. He could feel the champagne taking full effect.

  “What’s your real name?” King asked with a serious look in her eyes. His name was rarely something anyone had asked him, and he was caught completely off guard.

  “What did you say?”

  King twisted her lips but laughed it off. “Usually, I get pissed off for having to repeat myself. If you didn’t hear me the first time, this limousine would be full of blood. But since you’re so cute, I’ll let it slide . . . this time. Just remember that for future references, I don’t like to repeat myself.” She placed her hand back on his thigh. “Now, what’s your government name?”

  Swag remembered from the documentary she meant business, and when she asked a question, it was wise to answer quickly.

  “Solomon.”

  “Solomon. I like it.”

  Swag chuckled. “I guess.”

  They both reached for their glasses to take another sip of the champagne.

  “Solomon is such a dignified name. Why screw it up by giving yourself a stupid American tag name? You know that in the Bible, Solomon was a king and a very wise man. I see so much potential in you as Solomon rather than . . . Swag. I only surround myself with bosses, not wannabe thugs.”

  Swag couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He never ever let anyone disrespect his tag name or his street cred back at home.

  “From now on, I’ll be calling you Solomon,” King said. “My Solomon. Now that you are with me, I need a real man to help me grow my kingdom. Not some fake-ass dude thinking he’s the godfather or a John Gotti wannabe.” King touched his hand.

  Swag stayed focused on her beautiful green eyes that looked like a field of green grass you could run through. It wasn’t long before he felt unbearable pain in his hand. At first, he thought she’d cut something off like she did Travis’s finger. He quickly yanked his hand from her grasp. He looked at his hand, thanking God he still had it. Blood, however, was seeping from a cut. With tightened fists, he angrily looked at King, who smiled. There were no signs of remorse as she showed off the switchblade that she used to slice Swag’s hand.

  “Damn, King. Shit! What was that for?” Swag had so much fire in his eyes. He was ready to charge at her. Deep down, he wanted to take his bloody fist and punch her in the face. His thoughts, however, went nowhere, especially since Blood was now aiming a gun at him.

  “Homeboy,” Blood said, imitating Swag’s voice, “I’d put that fist down real quick if I were you.”

  King addressed Blood. “Baby, put that gun away. He’ll be just fine.”

  Blood was hesitant while still holding the gun. He didn’t want anyone or anything to hurt his king. He had been her loyal right hand from day one. Blood never took his eyes off Swag. His intuition was telling him not to trust Swag—not one bit. To him, Swag just rubbed him the wrong way since seeing him on that ship. He didn’t like him, and he felt that King was becoming very reckless lately by picking her play toys.

  “Now!” King shouted while looking at Blood with daggers in her eyes. She was ready to cut him open like a fish.

  Blood sighed. He was ready to taste Swag’s blood.

  Swag didn’t care about their little beef. He was concerned about his hand.

  “Just in case you haven’t noticed, my hand is still bleeding. What was this shit for?”

  King laughed while looking at the switchblade. She looked like a vampire waiting for her next feeding. She took the tip of her manicured index fingernail and ran it across the blade. Afterward, she put her finger on the tip of her tongue to taste the blood. She smiled as if she were tasting honey.

  Swag kept a straight face, trying to show that he wasn’t pissed. However, he wanted to show his real look of disgust, but his stomach started to hurt.

  “Mm, your blood tastes divine, Solomon. My Solomon,” King smiled wickedly. She looked down at his bleeding hand. “Oh, I’m sorry about that.” King took his hand and kissed it. She even licked off some of the blood and kissed it at the same time. “Damn, your blood is good.”

  To Swag’s surprise, she didn’t have a spot of blood on her perfectly made-up face.

  “Oh, don’t worry,” she said. “Once we get to my location, I’ll take care of that for you. But in the meantime,” King snapped her fingers.

  That was Blood’s signal to get out his handkerchief and give it to Swag.

  “Thanks,” Swag said, then nodded.

  He wrapped his hand with the handkerchief and applied pressure.

  “I cleansed you,” King said. “I just took the blood of Swag out, and you’re soon going to be reborn, Solomon. It’s just one more thing to make your cleansing complete.”

  Swag looked at his wrapped hand, then at King. “And what does that mean?”

  She took the tip of the switchblade on her middle finger and pricked it. A little blood was on her finger. She put her middle finger by his lips and lo
oked at him with lust in her eyes. “Drink, baby.”

  Swag examined the blood drop on her finger. “Seriously? You can’t be serious.”

  King laughed. “Drink, baby. Don’t worry. I don’t have any diseases or anything. I get a checkup every three months, so I’m clean. How else am I supposed to run an empire?” She lowered her other hand to rub his thigh and touch his manhood. “Now, drink.”

  “Eww,” he groaned. Unable to deny her request, he put her bloody finger in his mouth and sucked it.

  King continued to massage Swag’s manhood and enjoyed her finger in his mouth. Swag imagined that her fingers were her diamond vagina, the documentary said she was known for.

  “Shit, ma, I’m ’bout to come,” Swag moaned with his mouth wide. “Aah . . .” He ejaculated in his pants. “Shit, girl.” He sucked her finger one more time until she removed it from his mouth. “Damn, girl, you wild. Yo’ hand game is out of this world.”

  King smiled. “I know, and by drinking my blood, you are all mine.”

  Her comment totally fucked up Swag’s natural high. He just realized he’d sucked King’s bloody finger. He wanted to spit it up and vomit, but after that bomb-ass hand game, he was confused. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing to her, so all he said was, “Yeah, baby. I’m all yours.” Swag knew that was what she wanted to hear.

  King patted his thigh. “Good boy.”

  Blood looked at Swag like he was shit on the back of his shoe. He hated him for sure, and all he could think about were his plans to get rid of him for good.