Hardhearted

by Sherrod Tunstall

  Everyone went to their respective cars. Blood escorted King to hers, and he looked at Swag and mouthed, “Punk ass.”

  Swag mean mugged him and mouthed, “Fuck you” before entering the limousine.

  Blood laughed.

  King entered the car, and Blood sat next to the driver. The limousine took off with the other cars following behind it.

  * * *

  In the Rolls-Royce, things were heated between King and Blood. He had a straight look on his face. King knew Blood was still mad as hell at her for licking Swag’s cheek. She laughed at him.

  “You can stop it now.”

  Blood was caught off guard by her comment. He took off his shades and replied, “Stop what?”

  “You heard what I said. Stop being so jealous of Solomon.”

  Blood rolled his eyes, but he was still in complete shock and amazement by her comment.

  “Jealous? Jealous of what? That stupid-ass American? King, please. You know me better than that.” Blood put his shades back on.

  “Look, I know you and Solomon are trying to see who has the biggest balls, but this is my show. And show him a little more respect, because he’s going to be with us a little bit longer.”

  “What! A little bit longer? What’s that supposed to mean? No fuckin’ way. What can he do? He can’t do none of the shit I can do. He will never ever be me.”

  King gave Blood a stern look. She hated when Blood compared himself or any other man to him. In King’s mind, no one will ever be compatible with him, or them, at that. King wanted to kill Blood for letting those words slip out of his mouth, but she was going to let it slide . . . for now. Today, she had a bigger score to settle.

  Blood took a deep breath and calmed down. “Look, King, I’m sorry, okay? I just don’t trust this man. He’s going to bring the whole operation down if we let him. Can’t you see that?”

  King didn’t agree with him. She hated to have negative vibes in her presence.

  “I hate him. It should be me and you ruling, side by side,” Blood said as he reached back and touched her hand. “Why can’t we be together? I love you, woman. If last night didn’t show anything, I don’t know what else will.”

  King looked at him in disbelief. She knew Blood had been in love with her since she was a child, but his request was pure nonsense.

  “Why, Blake Fernandez,” she said and touched his fresh, clean face with her other hand. “Blood, I wish I could say the same thing, but I gave up on that four-letter word a long time ago. I’m never giving my heart to anyone else, ever again. The only people that have 25 percent of my heart are my mother and Madam Lourd. Santana, eh, the mistake. I’m sorry . . . but not sorry. You’re just my right-hand man, and that’s all, okay? Just be that.”

  Blood’s heart had been stomped too many times by this woman. He had so many women ready to jump on his jock, but he gave his heart and soul to King Kia Costello. He couldn’t understand the hold she had on him. At times, he believed a witch put a spell on him that he couldn’t break. But even with King’s hurtful words, he was even more determined to make her his. In his eyes, King played this hardhearted bitch ready for blood. But he remembered when she was a sweet, innocent little girl thirsty for life. Blood knew deep down in King, that little girl was still in there. But until he could figure out a plan, he would continue to play her right-hand man.

  “Yes, King,” he said.

  King nodded. She looked out the window at her kingdom. People in the market were buying and selling goods. Kids played in the streets. She looked over at the beautiful ocean view and watched people swim. Her cell phone rang, so she pushed the talk button.

  “Are you coming?” a mysterious voice said.

  “Yes, I’m almost there.”

  “Hope I’m getting my money’s worth.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. It’s going to be worth every penny.”

  They both laughed.

  * * *

  The limousine and two Rolls-Royces arrived at the mansion and parked. The guys got out of the limo and stretched their legs. Then Josie got out and looked around. The Don herself came out with her gunman, and King went over to kiss her child.

  “My daughter,” she said.

  Within minutes, a white limousine pulled up and parked next to the black limousine. Swag looked at Tyler and Josie. They all wondered what was going on.

  Midnight, Blood, and King stood there like everything was perfectly normal. The limousine driver, an average-sized Arabian man, exited and opened the back door.

  Out came the Original Gangster of the Hernandez Cartel himself, Paco “PJ” Hernandez Sr. He defined sexy with a perfectly trimmed mustache and goatee. Dark shades covered his eyes, and he wore a brown Ermenegildo Zegna, solid wool, two-piece suit with matching loafers. He commanded attention, and the smell of money blew all around him. Getting out on the other side of the limo were two black bodybuilder dudes who would kill King and her gang with just one word from PJ. The last person to come out of the limo was PJ’s attorney, Manny Louis.

  Swag felt like he was in a scene from a good old gangsta movie. Both PJ and his posse walked close to King and company.

  King smiled. “Hola, Sr. Hernandez.”

  PJ laughed. “King, darling, you don’t know how you talking in Spanish turns me on.”

  King laughed and reached out to touch his face. PJ put his arms around her waist.

  “Damn, you look beautiful, mami.”

  Blood frowned. He wanted to slap the dog shit out of this man for touching his lady.

  PJ had both her ass cheeks in his big hands. “Damn, that soft phat ass.”

  King slightly pushed him back. “Damn, baby, you’re getting me hot. But passion can wait. First, let’s take care of business. Where’s the money?”

  PJ snapped his fingers. Manny presented a briefcase and held it up. PJ opened it. Inside were stacks and stacks of thousand-dollar bills. It was exactly $60 million in cold hard cash. That put a big Kool-Aid smile on King’s face.

  “All 60 mill that we agreed on. It’s all there. You wanna count it?” PJ asked sarcastically.

  King laughed. “No, that’s okay.”

  Manny closed the briefcase, and King snapped her fingers. Blood rushed over and took the briefcase from Manny. PJ held a stern look on his face.

  “So, is it done?”

  “You tell me.” King pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

  Someone quickly answered. King spoke in another language so that no one could understand. Then she hung up. Seconds later, the six girls from earlier came out of the mansion covered in blood from head to toe. Everyone except King and Blood was worried upon seeing them.

  “What the hell is this?” PJ shouted.

  King laughed. “You’ll see. Come on.”

  King strutted to the door and looked at her girls. One girl from Nigeria was covered in mostly blood and flesh. King and the chick lip-locked in an erotic way.

  The guys didn’t know whether to get turned on or grossed out. Josie, on the other hand, couldn’t believe what was happening. After the kiss, King winked at the lady and turned to everyone.

  “Come now!” She opened the front door wide and stepped inside.

  To PJ, what King had done better be worth the money. Once everyone was inside the mansion, they stood in total shock. Everything—from the ceiling, the walls, and the floors—was covered in blood.

  This is beyond a massacre, PJ thought while looking at the ghastly display. He thought King and her bloody ladies were insanely mad. Never had he, in his entire life in the crime world, seen anything like this shit. All he could do was shake his head in disbelief while walking around the room.

  King looked at him. “Well, was this your money’s worth?”

  Shit, this was more than my money’s worth. Shit. PJ looked down at a body cut in half, looking as if it had been dissected like a guinea pig. “Shit, baby, yeah.”

  Everyone was horrified, especially Swag.

  “This twisted—
”

  He halted his words when a feminine voice started screaming. Everyone looked back and saw it was Josie. She was scared to death after seeing not only blood and gore but also two heads cut off and three brains lying in blood puddles. It made her sick to her stomach. Josie ran over to the side of the room where there wasn’t much blood and started to vomit. In her almost 18 years, she’d never seen anything this gruesome.

  Swag rushed over to her and rubbed her back. “Baby girl, you okay?” He looked down and saw the green stuff Josie threw up. She stopped vomiting and started to breathe deeply.

  “You okay, ma?”

  Josie cleared her throat. “Not really, and I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Don’t be embarrassed. It happens to the best of us.” Swag saw beads of sweats on her forehead and gave her his handkerchief. “Here you go, ma.”

  Josie took it and wiped her forehead and the sides of her mouth. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime.”

  King didn’t like what she saw and was fuming inside.

  “Excuse me for one minute, PJ.” She strutted over to where Josie and Swag stood. “What’s going on here?”

  King was trying to keep herself together. Josie looked at her with so much fear in her eyes.

  “Mother, can I please leave and go back to the car? All this . . . is too much. I can’t . . .”

  Josie was scared shitless. King loved every minute of it and fed off her fears. She understood why she was scared, but for Josie to be the heir of her throne, she needed to have a backbone. King didn’t want no gutless chick sitting on her throne. She pulled Josie toward her and slapped the shit out of both cheeks.

  “Ouch!” Josie screamed and winced at King with gritted teeth.

  She couldn’t believe that King hit her the way she did. For the last few years that Josie lived with King, she had never laid a hand on her at all. The only kind of touch King ever gave her was a kiss or a hug.

  King grabbed Josie’s face and squeezed her cheeks. She spoke through gritted teeth. “Toughen up! This is the world we live in!” King motioned her hand to show her the display of the bloody area. “You are the heiress to my throne. Boss up! Grow up!” She released her cheeks and pointed her finger in Josie’s face. “Shit, you’ll be 18 in a few weeks. It’s time to get out of that fairy princess, unicorns, and Prince Charming shit. Happily ever after and true love don’t exist. Only power and respect rule the world!”

  A tear rolled down Josie’s face, but King wiped it off. “Toughen up, do you understand me? And don’t mess up your makeup.”

  Josie didn’t want to be hit anymore. She couldn’t find the words, so all she did was nod. King grabbed her arm.

  “Walk with me, my child.” She pulled her toward their special guests. She planned to keep Josie as far away from Swag as she could. The last thing she wanted Josie to do was to catch feelings for him.

  Swag was seething with anger and was on the verge of doing something that would’ve gotten him killed. His fist tightened. He couldn’t believe how cold that bitch King was. As she walked away with Josie, Swag released a deep sigh. King and Josie walked toward PJ, passing more blood, cut up body parts, water, and glass.

  Josie held her stomach as she smelled death in the air. PJ, on the other hand, ignored the disgusting display and was lost in Josie’s beauty. He smiled and flashed his pearly whites at her. “King, who is this charming young lady?”

  Josie had her head down, but King reached for her chin and lifted it. “Oh, this is my daughter, Josephine. Josephine, this is PJ, the head of the Hernandez Cartel. He’s a client we’re taking care of.”

  “Josephine . . . I love it.” PJ held out his hand.

  Josie looked at his hand for a moment. Since she didn’t budge, King pinched her arm.

  “Ouch!” Josie whined and looked over at King.

  “Girl, don’t be rude. Shake his hand.”

  Josie and PJ shook hands.

  “Mmm, you have very soft hands,” PJ complimented. “King, she’s just as beautiful as you are.”

  King smiled. Josie saw lust in PJ’s eyes, knowing he wanted more than just a handshake. He looked her up and down and laughed a little as he got back to business.

  “So, this little tour of a bloody massacre is nice. But where’s Paco?”

  King put a wicked smile on her face. “I thought you’d never ask.” She looked back at the tall, bloody female and spoke in her native tongue.

  The bloody woman came over their way. Once there, King asked in her language, “Where’s Paco?”

  The bloody woman motioned for everyone to follow her. The only thing everyone could wonder was what terror lay up ahead.

  * * *

  Upstairs in Paco’s room, the door was closed. PJ wanted to open the door, but King slapped his hand.

  “Don’t kill the suspense, PJ. You stay out here until I call for you.”

  PJ looked confused, not knowing if he could take any more of the Nightmare on Elm Street shit King had pulled.

  “Okay, I’ll wait.”

  “Blood, Solomon, and Josephine, come with me.”

  Blood opened the door as King, Swag, Josephine, and he walked in, closing the door behind them.

  In the room, there was only blood—no gore like it was downstairs. Just a few ripped sheets, pillows, and broken glass. King looked up. Paco was tied up bondage-style on the bed with a bucket on his head. He wasn’t aware of his surroundings. The only thing Paco was wearing was a pair of boxer briefs. His entire body was cut up, beaten up, and bloody all over.

  “Damn,” Blood said.

  “Yeah, my chicas really know how to slay a guy,” King said, standing there proudly.

  “You can say that again,” Swag said softly.

  King looked at him. “What was that, my little lovebug?”

  Swag was caught off guard. “Huh? Nothing.”

  King raised her brow and ignored his little comment. She looked back at Paco’s bucket-head body.

  “Josephine, take the bucket off.”

  Josie was scared. “I can’t.”

  King snapped at her. “I said, take the damn bucket off or meet these hands again. First lesson . . . never show any fear. Now, go!”

  Josie didn’t want to be slapped again, so she walked up to Paco’s tied up body. She looked back at everyone.

  “What are you waiting for? Go on!” King shouted.

  Josie took a deep breath before she removed the bucket from his head.

  Paco’s face was beaten and bruised badly. His lips and teeth were busted, and his handsome features were gone. He lifted his head and hollered. Josie screamed and ran to the other side of the room. King and Blood just laughed. Swag just shook his head.

  One of Paco’s eyes was closed shut. He looked at King with the good eye.

  “You bitch!” He tried to get loose, but it was no use. He breathed heavily. “How could you double-cross me? We were supposed to be business partners. How could you?” He lowered his head and thought about the crazy shit King’s girls did to his remaining crew. But the girls had spared him. He had no idea why. In Paco’s twisted mind, maybe King still wanted him for herself.

  “Oh, really?” King moved closer to him. She used her long, pointed index nail to cut into his face.

  “Aah . . . shit!” Paco jerked his face to the side before looking back at King. He gave her an evil glare. “What did I do to deserve this shit?”

  King laughed. “Oh, you don’t know?” She went into her purse and pulled out her tablet. She showed Paco the conversation he was having with his late boy, Landon. Paco’s jaw dropped, revealing the empty spaces in his mouth where his missing teeth had once been. He looked at the scene, knowing he was cold busted.

  King turned the tablet off. She smiled at him, knowing he was frightened. “What’s the matter, Paco? Cat got your tongue?”

  Paco was speechless, and King laughed sinisterly. “If you like that, you’re going to love this.” She looked at the door. “Come in.”
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  The door opened, and Midnight, Tyler, the two muscled men, Manny, and the real McCoy, PJ, came in the bedroom.

  Paco’s good eye widened. “Dad!”

  PJ smiled while looking at his bruised son. “Hello, you little shit!”

  Paco looked at King. “What in the hell is he doing here?” He looked at PJ. “Dad! Help me. Please!” Paco knew he sounded like a punk after wanting to kill his father. But at this moment, he didn’t have any other option. Also, Paco hoped that PJ would open up his heart to see that his little boy needed his daddy.

  “Oh, now, you need my help—but before, you wanted to assassinate me and tried to take over my organization, sí?”

  Paco was shocked that his father knew everything. He looked at King. “You snitchin’-ass bitch!”

  Everyone laughed.

  “No, no, no, she didn’t do a damn thing!” PJ shouted. He walked up to his son and grabbed Paco’s bloody neck. “For one, I’ve been on you for a while now.”

  Paco was shocked and could barely speak. “How?” Midnight stepped forward. “Look, man, you were supposed to be heir to the throne, but my loyalty is with PJ.”

  Paco was in so much disbelief. His heart was racing. “Midnight! You . . . You were my friend. Why, man, why?”

  “Look at you. You were losing control, and we had to stop you.”

  “Yeah, I paid King and Midnight to talk you into partnering with King’s organization. I knew you would take credit for it,” PJ said with a smirk.

  “Damn, you got played badly. You fake-ass Gotti,” Swag said.

  Paco looked at Swag out of the corner of his good eye. “Fuck you, nigger!”

  “What!” Swag tried to charge at Paco, but PJ’s bodyguards kept him back.

  King added her two cents. “I know you want to hurt him, Solomon, but you already had your taste of him.”

  “You got that right!” Tyler yelled at Paco. “Where my brother at? Where’s my brother?”

  King strutted over to Tyler and opened the tablet so she could show him the video.

  Tyler slapped his hand over his mouth. His whole body quivered as he watched. He couldn’t believe Travis was dead. The most disrespectable thing he saw was when Paco and his crew set his brother’s corpse on fire. His blood boiled. As tears streamed down his face, he started to hyperventilate. He couldn’t believe the dream he had the night before was a reality. All Tyler saw now was red.