Hardhearted

by Sherrod Tunstall

  The elevator door opened, and Blood pushed Swag inside and made him hit the stainless steel wall hard, causing Swag to fall to the ground. Blood joined him inside and pulled Swag up by his collar. “I said, do you understand? Don’t touch Josephine!”

  “I heard you, man. Do you have to keep saying it?” Swag said, giving Blood cold eyes and twisting his lips.

  “You better put a smile on that face, pretty boy.”

  Swag ignored him.

  “Trust and believe, playboy, we goin’ have our time,” Blood pointed in Swag’s face.

  I’m looking forward to it, Swag thought and smiled at him wickedly.

  Chapter 10

  Home Sweet Home

  Swag and Blood arrived on the twelfth floor and kept going back and forth with each other. That was, until they saw King leaning against one of the three golden doors with a frown on her face.

  “Stop all the nonsense,” she said. “We have work to do.”

  “You lucky I listen to the boss,” Blood said as he backed out of Swag’s space.

  After Swag moved away from him, he looked at King, who had changed her look a little. She was now only wearing a bra and a white lace skirt. She took off her heels, and her long hair flowed down her back. Swag thought she could be a Victoria Secret’s model the way she looked.

  “Solomon, come to me.” She held out her hands.

  Swag was skeptical about King’s unpredictable ass. First, the girl cuts Travis’s finger off, sliced his hand open, and even drank his blood. He still couldn’t get that sick shit out of his mind, and he wondered where Travis and Tyler were. Like Brad, he didn’t know if he would see them again.

  As Swag approached King, she put her arms around him and licked his neck as if it were ice cream and bit his earlobe.

  In a weird way, what King did to him turned him on. She stopped hugging him and looked at his rough face and hand. She also looked at a bruise on his face where Blood had hit him. “My, my, my poor boy. I’ma get my peoples up here to take better care of that hand. The last thing you need is to get your hand infected.” She took his hand and sucked on every finger. Mainly, his middle finger that she eased in and out of her mouth. She also pecked the bruise on his face. “I’m sorry Blood played rough with you.”

  Swag didn’t believe her.

  “But when I say come, you need to come. Got it?” King ordered.

  “Got it,” Swag said dryly.

  King laughed, knowing she was now dealing with a hardheaded dude. But for now, she was going to let his dry-ass remark slide. In her mind, he was going to learn that she was nothing to fuck with. She ran Costa Rica, and what she said goes.

  “Now, this is your room.” She turned around and opened the door wide.

  They walked into the room, and Swag looked around at how nice it was. It was spacious and had a black and gold Victorian bed with white, Egyptian cotton sheets, and beautiful throw pillows on top. The walls were painted an eggshell color, and the carpet was a plush white. All of the furniture in the room, from the nightstands, lamps, and chairs, were black and gold—Versace inspired.

  “Solomon!” King shouted to get his attention. She then snapped her fingers. “Swag!”

  Swag responded, knowing she didn’t like to wait to be answered. After what he had been through today, he knew he was dealing with an even crazier motherfucker than he was used to. Swag was willing to do anything to stay in her good graces.

  “I’m sorry, King. I was just lost in the dopeness of this room.”

  “I’m glad that it meets your approval.” She stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, then started to rub his back.

  Again, Swag was both scared and turned on at the same time. He even started to get another woody in his pants, but unfortunately, he didn’t know if she intended to hurt him or use him for sexual pleasure.

  King loved the way Swag’s body felt next to hers, even though he was wearing his clothes. But the one thing she hated was he smelled like the ship they’d been on. King was so tired of seeing him in the same clothes. If it were up to her, Swag would be walking around butt-ass naked. She smiled at that thought, but she thought about her horny younger-men-loving mother. King loved her mother to death, but she would be damned if her mother messed with this gem. King didn’t know what between Swag and Josie was driving her crazy inside, but she wanted them both. Yes, she wanted her child sexually, but she was now focused on Swag, as well.

  “I love my men in nothing but the best.” She pointed to a golden closet. “There are clothes in there. I suggest you bathe because you smell. Also, I’ll have someone come in and take a look at your hand and face. Dinner is in two-and-a-half hours in the great room, and your attendance is required.” She kissed him on his cheek and then whispered in his ear. “Two-and-a-half hours. Not a minute later.” She smacked him on his butt, but before she headed to the door, Swag asked her a question.

  “Will my friends be joining us for dinner too? I’ve been wondering if they’re okay, and where they’re at.”

  “No worries,” King said. “They’re fine. As for you, I’ll see you later, sweet cheeks.” She blew him a kiss before leaving the room. Then she walked out, closing the door behind her.

  Swag didn’t like her answer, but he went over to the door and locked it. He took off his shirt and smelled it. It was sweaty and stinky. He tossed it on a chair, and needing to relax, he wished he’d had a blunt or some of that good old Brazilian cocaine. For now, his best bet was the Xanax in his pocket and a nap. He reached into his pocket to get a pill. After that, he sighed and flopped down on the bed. It felt so good, and the sheets were soft as clouds. He pulled one over his head, grabbed a pillow, and let the Xanax take effect.

  Chapter 11

  Paco’s New Plot

  When arriving at Escazú, a second canton in the province in San José, to a beautiful white mansion in an Exquisite Escazu Residence, everyone except for Paco was in awe. They’d never seen fly shit like this except in rap videos with a lot of video girls dancing around. Once the limousine was parked, Paco, Travis, Ike, Rock, Landon, Miguel, and Nash got out of the limo. The estate on the outside had a well-manicured lawn and beautiful white roses everywhere. The butler, a big dude looking like Lurch from the Addams Family, stood in the doorway and waved for everyone to come inside. It was almost identical to King’s Palace but on a much smaller scale. Paco was the only one who didn’t seem impressed. He was still bitter about what had happened to him.

  He remembered having his first meeting with King and their possible partnership to take down his father and the Hernandez Cartel. He also remembered the steamy sexy nights he and King had in the mansion. Those were the good days, but now, he had nothing to smile about.

  The butler invited everyone to find a room and get settled. As Paco headed to the main room, he remembered being in, on the way there, he couldn’t stop thinking about King’s and Midnight’s betrayal. None of the men he’d known for years had done a damn thing to help him, but the main person he thought for sure would have his back was Midnight.

  At that moment, Paco knew the glory days of being the Prince of Texas were officially over. He opened the door to the suite, and with so much confusion on his face, he sat on the edge of the bed. He kept thinking of who to blame for this mess. There was enough blame to go around, but all Paco could do was turn his anger to Swag. “Son of a bitch,” he mumbled.

  Feeling angry, he grunted, paced the room, and ripped his shirt. After tossing it aside, he examined his Adonis physique. He checked to see if he had some broken ribs, but luckily for Paco, nothing seemed broken, just swollen. He turned on the water in the sink and let it get warm. Once it was the right temperature, he took a bar of soap and rubbed it on his face. If he could somehow wash away all the dirt he’d done and go back to the person he used to be, he would have. But crime money was flowing within his family, and within one year of being in the family business, he made the Hernandez Cartel the top of the food chain—even more
than his father or grandfather ever had. With that significant accomplishment and drive, Paco Hernandez was going to be the Mexican version of John Gotti.

  He looked in the mirror and mouthed, “I fucked up.” He remembered the conversation he and his grandfather had when he decided to drop out of college and build the family business.

  “Little Paco, you need to go back to school. Fuck that basketball and cartel shit. Make something better out of yourself. Become a sports doctor, a lawyer, or even a sports agent.”

  “Naw, Papa, I’ma focus on my bread and making the family business number one.”

  As he wiped his face with a towel, Paco thought of how stupid he was for not taking his grandfather’s advice. He took a breath as he looked at himself again in the mirror. He still looked rough, but he was glad to be all alone and at peace for the time being.

  “Aah,” he moaned as he lay on the bed.

  He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to clear his mind. Just as he was about to relax, he heard the door crack open. He quickly opened his eyes, and when he reached into his pants pocket, he realized he didn’t have his gun or a knife.

  “Shit! I don’t need any more surprises today,” he whispered.

  He lifted his head, only to see his friend Landon. He was the pretty boy of Paco’s crew, a mixture of Mexican, African American, and Chinese. With a smooth butter complexion, slanted, dark brown eyes, and a lean muscular body, Landon had all the chicks back in Texas going crazy over him. Paco sighed from relief that it was only him.

  “Shit, man, don’t ever sneak in on me like that,” Paco said.

  Landon cocked his head back. “Damn, man. Chill out with that shit.” Landon came into the room wearing cargo shorts and a wife-beater. His left arm was covered with a Chinese dragon and a naked Mexican woman, showing honor to his Mexican and Chinese heritage. On his right arm were tattoos of his family. He sat beside Paco. “Just checking to see if you was cool, that’s all. You okay?”

  “Now, I know you ain’t ask me that question. I didn’t see you help me after getting my ass kicked by both Swag and Tyler or Travis, whichever twin lost a finger. And you have the nerve to ask if I’m okay? Hell no, I’m not okay! I’m pissed off with that bitch, King, but mainly that nigger, Swag. I want his blood so badly I can taste it.”

  Paco was so fired up that he balled up his fist. And without warning, he punched Landon right in his eye. Landon fell to the ground and covered his eye.

  “Damn, man.” He looked up at Paco. “What was that for? What in the hell is wrong with you?”

  Paco laughed and felt somewhat better. He didn’t mean to punch Landon, but he had to let out his frustrations. In his mind, he was pretending to hit Swag’s ass. Paco knew he needed some control back on his ship. He was only in Costa Rica for one reason, and that was to bring down his father so he could rule the Hernandez Cartel. But the first thing he had to do was put his boys back in check. Meaning that he should be the one thing they feared day and night. Paco got off the bed and stepped up to Landon.

  “That was for not having my back earlier. That punch was just an appetizer, but next time, you’ll get the main course if you betray me.” Paco pretended to slice his own throat. “Do you understand me?”

  Landon didn’t respond.

  “I said, do you hear me?” Paco shouted and slapped Landon’s face.

  He winced and hurried off the floor. “Yeah, I hear you.”

  “Good.” Paco walked away and sat back on the bed.

  With a mean mug on his face, Landon stood at a distance. He felt kind of bad for not helping Paco, and he also knew there would be consequences, sooner or later.

  “I apologize for not having your back, and it will never happen again. But what do we do now, P?”

  Paco looked at Landon with a devilish smile. “Bro, the first thing is to get back on King’s good side. Work out a plan to murder that bitch-ass father of mine, along with everyone associated with the Hernandez Cartel. Then I can finally collect what is mine. We need to figure out a way to get that bitch, King, alone, without that clown-ass Blood so I can snap that pretty little neck of hers. And other heads I want on silver platters are Travis, Tyler, and the big prizes, Swag and Midnight.”

  Landon curiously looked at him. “But why Midnight? He’s our boy. And why kill King? If it weren’t for her, we’d still be in that shithole back in Brazil.”

  Paco shook his head and laughed at Landon.

  “Landon, you’re so young and naïve, my homeboy. Of course, I know Midnight is my boy, but today, he showed his disloyalty to the future Hernandez Cartel and me. You see, just like you, he didn’t come to my defense. I would expect a young buck like you not to come to my defense, but Midnight? I knew that dude since we were kids, ever since his family came from Ghana with only three dollars to their name and no place to stay until my grandfather made Midnight’s father an employee and life member of the Hernandez Cartel. Midnight and his father signed their signatures in blood to this organization. They serve me, not that King bitch. So he has to die. And King! That bitch must die, even though the sex was damn good.”

  Landon laughed. “Damn, man, that crazy girl’s punany is that good?”

  Paco nodded. “Homes, that shit is better than a virgin’s and so tight. The taste was delicious, like butter pecan ice cream.”

  Landon laughed again. “You lucky bastard.”

  Landon couldn’t remember the last time he had a chick’s good-good like that, especially from those messy hoodrats back in Texas. “Why is it that all the psycho chicks are all beautiful and have that bomb-ass pussy?”

  Paco laughed, losing thought of his plans. To him, the answer to that question would always be a mystery. In his playboy days, he loved to mess with the crazy chicks or the ones with low self-esteem. He loved those days . . . until he’d met the love of his life, Raven. Thinking of her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo. It was a photo of him, his wifey, and their daughter. He smiled while looking at his family. He missed them so much. He’d thought about all the times he cheated on her, and Raven gave so much to him. Kind of how his father did his mother in the past.

  Paco’s smile turned into a frown. His thoughts went back to the reason why he was in Costa Rica.

  “Look,” he said to Landon, “fuck King, Midnight, and that bastard Swag. I’m going to get my revenge, and more blood than ever is going to be flowing in the waters of Costa Rica. It’s time to show the world who the real king is.”

  Landon nodded and agreed with his true boss.

  “Now, get outta here until I need you, my new lieutenant.”

  Landon was amazed. “Lieutenant?”

  “Yeah, like I told you, fuck Midnight! Now, get the fuck outta my room.”

  Landon left, excited about his new status. Paco relaxed and looked at the beautiful view of the sunset on the waters. He smiled. This shit will all be mine. First, the Hernandez Cartel, then the Bello Crime Family, and then the Leopard Clit. Like Julius Caesar once said, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

  Paco laughed hysterically about being the god of all the crime world with mofos bowing at his feet. “It’s game time, bitches.”

  Chapter 12

  Royal Treatment

  Deep into his nap, Swag started to feel peaceful, especially after the eventful day he’d had. He dreamt of being with his sons.

  They were in another country, in a big white house. They ran around the spacious backyard, and Li’l Swag giggled as he fell on the manicured green grass. Swag was holding Namond in his arms. All three of them looked dapper from head to toe. A woman exited the white house in a beautiful white wedding dress with a veil covering her face. Swag looked at the mystery bride with a curious look on his face. She was a little round in the stomach. He could tell she was expecting. She pointed to Swag and motioned for him to come to her. Swag smiled as he put Namond down and walked up to the lady in the wedding dress. She looked beautiful in her bridal gown, but he had to see who was behind the vei
l.

  Maybe it’s Zaria, he thought.

  Swag lifted the veil . . . only to see it was King. She was the last person he wanted to see, and a few seconds later, blood started to stream down her face.

  King laughed sinisterly. “Surprise!” She continued to laugh evilly.

  Soon, blood covered her entire wedding gown. Swag stepped back.

  He was so disgusted by this ordeal that he continued to back away from her. He looked at his boys, who were now bloody with cuts all over their faces.

  “Eww,” Swag said, frightened as he moved away from them.

  Li’l Swag began to laugh sinisterly as well.

  “Oh my God,” Swag replied with tears streaming down his face. He turned around to run away from everything but was cut off by high flames of fire. He looked back at King and his children, who continued to laugh at him.

  “Come join us,” King said in an evil voice, still laughing. “Welcome to my world.”

  Swag’s heart beat rapidly. He thought he had died and gone to hell.

  “Oh God,” Swag cried out and panicked. “Please, God. Please! Please!”

  A hand touched his shoulder.

  Swag shot up from his nightmare. He took a deep breath and noticed his body was soaked with sweat.

  Thank God that shit was all just a dream, he thought.

  He felt another tap on his shoulder, and when he turned around, he saw King standing there.

  “Aah!” He was still a little startled by her, especially after that dream.

  “Easy, easy, Solomon, darling. You just had a bad dream.” King went over to the nightstand to get him some whiskey and two aspirins.

  “What’s that?” he asked with a tight face.

  “Just take it. It’ll calm your nerves.” King gave him the pills.

  Swag took the pills and tossed back the whiskey. He cleared his throat and gave the glass back to King.