Deceitful Hearts

by A'zayler

  “Man, y’all out here wilding. Let’s go so I can take her to the hospital.” Ollie pulled her hand and grabbed Aaliyah’s with the other. Phoenix snatched it away immediately.

  “You either go with me or her, but not both.”

  “Come on, Phoenix, not right now.” Ollie looked around at all the people who were standing around watching.

  Phoenix stood back on one leg and crossed her arms over her chest, letting him know she wasn’t playing. He looked at her long and hard before letting Aaliyah’s hand go.

  “Oliver?” Aaliyah said, sounding like a wounded animal.

  “Just go to the hospital. I’ll check you later.” Ollie was talking to Aaliyah, but he was still looking at Phoenix.

  Aaliyah was in the middle of making a scene when the police that Ollie had just punched walked over to them on unsteady feet with his gun drawn and pointed at Ollie. Without thinking and giving him a chance to shoot. Phoenix pulled her gun from behind her back and shot him in the chest.

  His body went backward as he staggered to the ground.

  She could hear the screaming and yelling around her, but she was in a zone. She looked at the man who looked to be choking on his own blood before pulling Ollie’s hand toward his car. They both took off running, with Kara right behind them. Neither of them were scared of being told on because the city already knew how the rocked. Nobody wanted to run the risk of receiving the same fate.

  “You think your little friend is going to tell?” Phoenix asked once they were in his car.

  Kara had run back to her car and told them she’d call them when she got home. Phoenix knew she left as fast as she did because she didn’t want to be around them just in case they got caught.

  “Phoenix, what is wrong with you? Why are you acting so reckless?”

  “I’m not. I just didn’t want him to shoot you. As far as Aaliyah goes, she started with me first.”

  “You have to calm down, girl. You just killed a fucking cop in broad daylight. Somebody is going to tell something.”

  “So what! I’ll kill everybody involved in the case if I get charged.”

  “It’s not that simple, Phoenix.”

  “Why it ain’t?”

  Ollie shook his head and turned his music up and headed for their home.

  *****

  Aaliyah sat in the cold interrogation room as she waited for her boss, Francisco, to come in. It had already been ten minutes and he still hadn’t come in yet. The longer she sat, the more time she had to think about what she was doing there. She had been living her life in Georgia with not one care in the world, but because of her family, she was back in unwanted drama.

  Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about her baby sister and how close they used to be. She had been dead for almost a year now and the wound was still fresh. Not a day went by that she didn’t think of her. Moments like this was the worst because she was always the rowdy one. She would have never allowed Phoenix to attack her the way she did today. Aaliyah wiped the lone tear that had just slid down her face. Right now was not the time. Once she’d gotten herself back together, she sat back in the chair and waited for the man to come back in.

  “What happened, Aaliyah?”

  “That little whore attacked me. What does it look like happened?”

  “It looks to me like you’re failing at your job. Miserably!”

  Aaliyah jumped when he raised his voice.

  “What the fuck do you want me to do?”

  “For starters, I want you to watch your fucking mouth when you’re speaking to me, and you can finish by doing your fucking job.”

  “I am. Everything is falling into place, just like we planned.”

  Francisco nodded his head.

  “Being with Oliver should get me where I need to be.”

  “Good. Now don’t let nothing this embarrassing happen again. Take some got damned boxing lessons or something.” Francisco exited the room after having made her feel like shit.

  Aaliyah gathered her things and headed for the door. The only thing she wanted to do now was get into the shower and lay up under a man, but clearly that wasn’t happening. Oliver had chosen to follow Phoenix home, and she hadn’t heard from him since. Once outside, Aaliyah hit the unlock button on her key fob and got into her pink Mercedes.

  It had been a gift from her father. Although she wasn’t too fond of him at the moment, her car reminded her why she loved him so much. The drive to her hotel was swift and she after the day she’d had, she was more than grateful. Cool air greeted her the moment she opened the door to her room. However, that was short lived. Her brother was sitting in the corner chair sleeping.

  Aaliyah kicked his foot. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to check on you. I haven’t talked to you since the day you got here. What the fuck happened to you? It looks like somebody put the paws on your ass.” He laughed when she rolled her eyes.

  “I don’t have time for your shit tonight. You see I’m fine, so you can leave now.”

  “Fine. I don’t want to sit here and look at your busted ass face anyway.” Her brother looked at her once more and laughed as he exited her room.

  Once he left, Aaliyah stripped down and continued to her shower. Blood stained clothes were sprawled across her floor as she stood naked in the mirror. How ironic was it that she’d gone to the salon to get her hair fixed, only to have it messed up even worse? Aaliyah rolled her eyes to the ceiling and got in the shower. Down the drain, went all of her problems from her day. Why she agreed to be a part of this scheme in the first place, she didn’t have one clue. Yes, all of it needed to happen, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a part of it any longer. Plotting the demise of the Zoo Crew was starting to wear her out.

  Aaliyah thought about her plans for a little longer before cutting off the water. Somewhat refreshed, she dried her body and got into bed naked as the day she’d entered the world. With her head pressed against the pillow and her mind prepared for dreamland, she closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.

  *****

  The constant beeping from her alarm clock combined with Ollie’s snoring was the reason Phoenix’s eyes were open and had no plans of closing any time soon. The irritating noise coming from them both was driving her insane. Normally Ollie’s snoring didn’t bother her, nor did the quiet beeping from her clock, but tonight was different. The beeping sounded like a car horn blaring directly into her eardrum, and Ollie’s snores could wake a stadium full of people in the middle of a Super Bowl game. Well, not really, but it felt like it. Phoenix’s mind was so clouded with problems that she didn’t have room for anything else, not even the minor noise making disturbances that she was sharing her space with.

  If she could just wrap her mind around the fact that Aaliyah had come in and shook things between her and Ollie, she just might be able to get some sleep. From the moment she’d met Ollie, she’d been his only distraction. The only person who held his attention. She enjoyed being the only female with a place in his heart. Let him tell it, he didn’t care about his mother the way he cared about her. The only thing he ever said about his past life was that he never wanted to go back because there was no reason to. Now she was starting to question that.

  The way he interacted with Aaliyah made her blood boil. After they’d left the salon earlier, he had laid into her. He fussed the entire ride home about her beating Aaliyah up. Shit, she deserved it. She had been fucking with her since she’d walked into the salon. It wasn’t the fact that Ollie was screaming on her about showing her ass in public, it was the reason behind it.

  For as long as she’d known him, Ollie had been her number one fan when it was time to put in work. He was always in her corner rooting her on to do something devilish. Ollie was front and center when it was time for her to get down. Hell, they did more shit together than they did apart, but now there was this bitch. Phoenix hated everything about her. From the way she talked to the way she wore her hair. Everything about this
ho was played. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

  She looked over at Ollie and got disgusted. He was lying there peacefully, and she was in turmoil because of his ass. Punching him in the mouth crossed her mind a few times, but she decided to chill. That wouldn’t do anything but start more mess between them than there already was. Phoenix scooted backward until her back was pressed against the headboard and hit her head on it lightly. This wasn’t her. She had never been the weak female. Ollie just brought it out of her. Not even Jamar had made her second guess her decision about quitting him, and he didn’t have any exes coming out of nowhere asking to get their asses beat every time she saw them.

  Bzzzz…Bzzzz…Bzzzz

  Phoenix looked around her room trying to find where the noise was coming from. Her eyes stopped on Ollie’s pants. It was his phone. She leaned over her nightstand and grabbed it from his pants pocket. The Caller ID told her that it was Tone. She started to answer it, but that was an argument waiting to happen. She didn’t feel like explaining why she was answering Ollie’s phone at two o clock in the morning. She was sure they all knew her and Ollie were feeling each other, but no conversation would be had. Not tonight at least.

  Phoenix shook Ollie awake and handed him his phone. “It’s Tone,”

  “You answer?”

  “Boy, no. Call him back.”

  Phoenix got out the bed and went to her dresser. Her feet were cold, and she needed to grab some socks. When she turned around, Ollie had his arm out motioning for her to come back and lay down. She padded back to the bed and rolled in as close to him as she could get. She could feel the vibrations from his voice as she lay on his chest.

  “What’s going on, bruh? Right now? Say no more.” Ollie hung up his phone and shifted in the bed.

  Phoenix lifted her head so he could move. “What’s going on?”

  “Some niggas just jumped on Tek. I told that nigga to stop hitting these small time spots solo. Niggas waiting to catch one of us slipping. We’re about to go check that shit out right now.”

  Phoenix got out of bed and went to her closet to grab some clothes.

  “Where you think you going?”

  “With y’all.”

  “No, Phoenix, you stay here. We got it.”

  Phoenix looked at Ollie like he was crazy. “In what lifetime? Nigga, y’all riding, then so am I, just like always.” She turned back around to the closet and finished sliding on her sweatpants.

  When she was finished getting dressed, she walked over to the door where he was standing. He was leaning on her door waiting. When she reached around him to grab the doorknob, he grabbed her wrist.

  “You’re the one I love… okay?”

  Phoenix looked at him, caught off guard by his admission.

  “There’s no need to fight for something you already have.”

  “And what is that?” Phoenix words came out in a such a feminine way, she hardly recognized it herself.

  “My heart… its yours. Remember that.” Ollie leaned down and kissed her lips. “Stop this shit. She ain’t got nothing on what I feel for you.”

  Phoenix wanted to say something, but she couldn’t. She was temporarily paralyzed by this moment. Her eyes searched his as he stared into her face. His eyes were hard and unwavering. With her hand in his, he opened her door and they headed for the stairs. They descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen to find Bear and Zino seated at the bar.

  They all exchanged glances, but nobody said anything. Bear looked at Phoenix and raised his eyebrows in a questioning manor, so she nodded her head to assure him everything was fine. He gave a slight nod back and looked away. Moments later, Tone came into the kitchen with his phone tucked between his ear and his shoulder, He was loading his gun while talking on the phone.

  “I’ll come through in a few hours. I got some business to handle first. You gon’ stay up for me?”

  That sentence told her all she needed to know. That couldn’t have been anybody but Kara. She was the only woman’s house he would go over. Any other freak he would take to a hotel. He didn’t trust anybody, so once he and Kara started kicking it and he started making trips to her house on the regular, it had bothered Phoenix for a minute. He was breaking too many rules for her, but who was she to stand in the way of happiness? He stayed on the phone with Kara for a few more minutes before hanging up. He looked at her as soon as he stuck the phone in his pocket.

  “Who told you that you were going?”

  “I told myself. Now let’s go.”

  Tone chuckled lightly and followed her out of the kitchen.

  They all rode in Tone’s black Suburban that they used whenever they were trying to be inconspicuous. Tone drove past the club that Tek had given him the address to and parked in the alley next to it. Movement in the truck was quick and quiet. No words were spoken as they loaded their guns and wrapped their bandannas around their faces. Phoenix had already pulled all of her hair into one braid down the back of her head so she was able to slide her Seminoles fitted cap on with no problem. She tied the red bandanna around her face and cocked her gun.

  Tone exited first with everyone else right behind him. Zino and Tone both had pump shotguns while she and Ollie carried Mac 11’s. Bear was behind them all with the AK. They were all crouched down as they made their way up the side of the building. They were getting ready to round the corner when Tone spotted Tek coming down the sidewalk. He was holding his side and limping. Phoenix rushed to him, trying to make sure he was good.

  “Why you holding your side like that?”

  “I got stabbed with something.”

  When Phoenix looked down she saw blood on his hands. She helped him the rest of the way to Tone.

  “Where did you park?”

  “Right across the street in front of the gas station.”

  “Shit. Bear run this nigga across the street to his whip,” Tone looked back at Tek. “Can you drive to the hospital?”

  “Yeah. I’m good. I’ll make it.”

  “Aight. Go, and I’ll send Phoenix up there to check on you when we finish here,”

  “Cool.” Tek walked toward Bear.

  “You said them niggas sitting in the back with black and white on, right?”

  Tek nodded just as Bear threw him over his shoulder.

  The crew waited for Bear to get back across the street before they headed back toward the club. The back door was closer, so they chose to enter there versus drawing attention to themselves by walking through the front. The club was so low budget, they didn’t even have security at the doors. It was way too easy to get inside. Women and busted ass drug dealers flooded the dump of a club. Tek had run the floor plan down to Tone so well he was able to lead the crew directly to the people who had jumped him. By the time they noticed what was going on it was too late.

  The crew followed their number one rule, shoot first and ask questions later. Shots rang out, shattering glass and walls in the process. People ran screaming as their intended targets caught bullets from every way they turned. Phoenix was letting shots fly from her gun with no mercy. This was the best she’d felt all day. Blood and bodies were flying everywhere. The crew’s firepower was untouchable. There were no outs.

  “Ol and Fe, clear this shit out!” Tone yelled as he, Bear, and Zino continued to fire shots.

  Phoenix and Ollie turned around and began shooting any and everywhere in the club. Innocent bodies were falling left and right. They’d just about cleared that entire room of the club when Phoenix looked over at Ollie. He looked so sexy busting his gun. The red bandanna covering his face looked perfect on his dark skin. Although Phoenix couldn’t see anything but his eyes, that was enough. Watching him exude so much power was turning her on in the worst way. As they moved to the front room of the club, she walked closer to him. With one arm, he pulled her close and looked down into her face.

  “You handling shit, Fe.”

  “So are you, baby. I feel like Bonnie and you’re my Clyde.” She
was smiling beneath her bandana.

  Ollie laughed at her before lifting his gun again. “Come on, silly girl.”

  He pushed the curtain separating the back of the club from the front with his foot and Phoenix stepped in front of him with her gun aimed. People ran and ducked behind tables, chairs, even the bar but that shit was dead. They weren’t sparing anybody tonight. Whoever hadn’t already made it out of there had missed their chance. Phoenix’s small body moved around the room shooting anything that moved. She felt invincible with her man behind her. She already knew whatever got past her, he was going to catch it. The entire ordeal felt like forever but in reality took no longer than five minutes. They were in and out. Phoenix couldn’t even begin to think about how many people they’d killed as they ran to Tone’s truck.

  Once they were all in, he peeled out of the parking lot in route to their house. The moment they got there all of the boys stripped placing their clothes in the laundry room while Phoenix went to her room. Once she’d showered and changed, she grabbed her keys and was right back out the door. She had to get to Tek.

  *****

  Jamar still couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. His mind wouldn’t comprehend what his eyes had just witnessed. One minute he and his boys were in the cut of a little afterhours spot chilling, and the next Phoenix and her crew were painting the building red with blood. Had he not been so close to the door, he probably would have contributed the newly painted walls.

  He took another swallow of the Monster energy drink he’d just purchased from the little store in the hospital. After one of his cousin’s workers had caught a bullet to the back, they had rushed him straight to the hospital. He had been in surgery for the past hour with no word on his condition. Jamar walked back into the waiting room and took a seat in the corner. He ran his hands over his face before looking around the room full of people. Everybody was waiting for somebody. The chairs and walls were crowded with people anticipating the word on their loved one.

  Jamar, on the other hand, was just ready to go home but he couldn’t. He was still in the process of proving his loyalty, so he had to stay put. His curious mind wanted to know what Phoenix was doing at this very moment. Although he knew he shouldn’t have, Jamar texted her.