No Matter What

by Nicole Jackson

  Hearing Mix get loud, Nunnie felt that it was time to intervene, as she approached the door. “Okay, Maizun, that’s enough talking,” she insisted, as she grabbed his shoulder. “We got neighbors, and you got enough legal woes as it is.”

  “Yeah, my nigga,” Lickz added, as he stepped up. “This is where you lay your head. Don’t go there unless you really got to.”

  Stepping back a tad, Trigga was able to find an angle to see who was talking behind Mix. He instantly became infuriated when he recognized the nigga who was sitting on the passenger’s side of Dreka’s car earlier that day. Without a second thought, he lifted his leg and delivered a hard kick, which pushed the door fully open, and knocked Mix back.

  Enraged, Trigga rushed into the townhouse, quickly zeroing in on Dreka. Not armed to defend herself, she attempted to make a run for it. Within seconds he’d snatched her up. However, before he could throw a slug, Lickz caught him from the back, piecing him up left and right. Soon, Mix joined in on the action, popping Trigga in the mouth.

  Dreka scrambled to get out of the line of fire. She then helped Tink and Nunnie frantically move around the furniture to avoid any damages, while the men brutally went at it.

  “What the fuck?” Tink grumbled, as they all witnessed Lickz place Trigga in a chokehold. It was like something right out of a horror movie. Lickz’s mind had seemingly ventured somewhere far out there, as he literally lifted Trigga off his feet, and had him drooling out the mouth.

  Judging by the way Trigga was kicking his feet it was obvious that he couldn’t breathe. When his eyes began rolling into the back of his head, even Mix knew that this was going too far.

  “Lickz, my nigga, let him go,” Mix tapped Lickz’s shoulder. “Come on, dog. You can’t catch a body like this,” he attempted to reason, letting him know that this wasn’t the time nor place.

  Seemingly snapping out of his trance, Lickz released Trigga, and his body slumped to the floor. Weakly, Trigga rolled onto his back, while gasping for air.

  Dreka stood with her chest heaving up and down. Her mind was really having trouble processing all the chaos. Trigga was one of the most violent men she’d ever encountered to the point where he’d probably changed her forever, and Lickz had handled the man like he was a ragdoll. Dreka had never seen someone with so much rage in them…outside of herself. And strangely she’d never felt more connected to a man. That within itself was scaring the living shit out of her.

  Towering above Trigga with his pistol at his side, Lickz kicked him in the ribcage. “Get your bitch ass up,” he commanded. “And get the fuck out. And if Dreka ever tells me that you came near her again…I’ma peel your fucking top back, nigga. That’s on me.”

  Left with little to no dignity, Trigga crawled to his feet, before limping out of the townhouse. Without a doubt, everybody knew that he was a shooter, so he could always come back, but he knew that when they started making guns, they just didn’t make his. So, if and when he decided to come back, he’d have to be ready to die behind the cause, and he wasn’t sure if this was the cause worth risking his life over.

  Chapter 24

  Dreka rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Oh my God, please make it stop.”

  Her little sister was in her own home so there wasn’t much she could say, but Nunnie and Mix were clearly two damn characters. Dreka had never seen anything like it. The two never seemed to get tired of the other’s company, as they’d become locked into their own worlds.

  Clad in boy shorts and a sports bra, Nunnie was having a real twerk session in the middle of the living room, as Mix animatedly rained dollar bills all over her. The craziest part was that they carried on with no shame, like they didn’t have both Tink and Dreka lounging in the living room.

  Moneybagg Yo blasted from their wireless speakers. “What you doin’ girl with all that ass? Let me touch it (let me feel). She say it’s mine, so I smack it when I fuck it (uh-uh). Freak in the bed but innocent in public. (wishy-washy) She be hearin’ I ain’t shit, but still she love me…”

  “Aye,” Nunnie wagged her tongue, before rapping, and rolling her hips. “Water, Fiji, hold his chin while he eat it. Fuck me in the mirror ‘cause he know his bitch conceited. Possessive with that pussy, he say I can never leave ‘im. Bitch, I better not catch lookin’ at my nigga and I mean it!” she bent over, making her ass clap.

  Tink leaned into Dreka. “I cannot take this bitch.”

  “At all,” Dreka pursed her lips, just as someone rang the doorbell. “I wonder who that is.”

  Tink cut her eyes at her. “Bitch, quit it. You know what it is. Since we been sleeping over here that nigga come through every night around the same time. So, stop playing crazy. Your scary ass need to just go over his house and chill, instead of posting up in Maizie’s room.”

  “Whatever,” Dreka gave her the finger, before scooting off the couch. Sauntering over to the door, she opened it right up, knowing exactly who was standing out there.

  “’Sup?” Lickz greeted her, as he handed her the Whataburger food she’d requested.

  “Thank you,” she smirked, as he stepped into the townhouse.

  “Aye,” he spoke to everyone.

  Nunnie and Mix merely offered him head nods, as they’d gotten used to his nightly visits, and felt no need to stop their current festivities.

  “What’s up, Pretty Ricky?” Tink teased. Since she’d known Lickz she’d always tease him about his wickedly handsome features. He was a lean, tall, caramel dream that all their friends used to lust over. Seemingly, his whole life he’d been getting to the money, so his name always rang bells, and merely being linked to him was a compliment.

  Lickz smiled, before following Dreka to the back. They wandered into Maizie’s room, and copped squats on the full-sized bed she’d personally bought and placed in there.

  Lickz chuckled. “You got a nigga on some lil’ kid shit, man. In this little ass bed, bringing you fast food and shit. When you gon jump off the porch?”

  Dreka shrugged, as she bit into her burger. “I told you, eventually you’ll get bored and move on to the next bitch.”

  He furrowed his brows. “So, that’s your goal? To force a nigga to lose interest?”

  “I just keep telling you that I aint on nothing, right now. I mean, I know you got other prospects. Don’t let me hold you.”

  He allowed his head to fall back. “This shit crazy. I spend all my time coming over here, trying to convince you to give a nigga a shot. You won’t even do that. Why you so fucking difficult?”

  Dreka sat staring at him.

  “What? Why you looking at a nigga like that?”

  “I been wanting to ask you this for a minute.”

  “What’s that?”

  “What was going through your mind with you choked Trigga like that? I mean, you’d swear that nigga had slapped your mama or some shit.”

  He chuckled. “You funny.”

  “No for real. I wanna know.”

  He tucked his lips into his mouth. “Okay, so you wanna know why I did what I did. Keeping it real, the whole time I was talking to you, I knew it was something that you wasn’t saying. I mean, as tough as you are, Dreka, the whole hood got several of you walking around. Yall get out there, cause you have to. But at the end of the day, you still a woman. A man will always naturally be stronger. And sometimes when the wrong type of nigga gets ahold of a strong-willed chick, he feels like he gotta break her down. Mentally…and physically. If she think she’s tough, then he knocks her out like she’s a nigga. If she picks up a weapon, then he picks up a gun. Anything to show her that he’s in control. And I could tell…that nigga done knocked a lot of the fight out of you. As hard as you feel you are, you got tired of fighting a grown ass nigga, so you started staying away from your own crib. I was piecing all this together through our conversations, even though you never actually said that. But it finally all made sense when he showed up on this doorstep. I could see it in your eyes, when you knew he was outside. Your demeanor w
as calm, but your eyes told it all. And that shit had me heated. He really struck fear in your heart, and I wanted that nigga to know what that shit felt like. So, I was zoned out, and treated him.”

  For a few moments, the room fell silent, until Lickz spoke up. “Now, what’s up? You asked a question and just go mute. Cat got your tongue?”

  She shook her head, as she placed her food on the dresser beside the bed. “No, it’s not that.”

  “Then what is it?” he asked gently.

  She gulped. “I never knew that I was that see-through.”

  “I never said that. It’s just that when I really started paying attention, I could really see you. You know, outside of the hood and all the noise. I can relate to some of the shit you internalize, and I get why you come off so stiff. That’s how you protect yourself. You don’t let people in. Shit, you probably didn’t let that nigga in…at least not like he wanted you to. And that frustrated him. Then he probably used his fist to communicate, cause that’s all some dumb niggas know.”

  She lightly laughed.

  He smiled. “What’s funny?”

  “This shit is weird. You get kicks out of analyzing people and walking around in their heads?”

  “Nah,” he denied. “It aint like that. Usually, Ion even care enough to think that deep. But when I’m interested in something, I study it.” he shrugged. “It’s in my nature.”

  “Uh-uh,” she shook her head. “I can’t fuck with you.”

  He lifted his chin. “Why not?”

  “You like a different breed a nigga. Like some shit that gets in your blood stream. Have bitches on some unhealthy shit.”

  “Oh, that’s what it is,” he chuckled. “You scared. You think the dick’s addictive. Well, stop playing and just find out. Shit might not even be what it’s cracked up to be. Then you can put your mind to rest.”

  She giggled. “You a real fucking clown. Using that lame ass reverse psychology.”

  “Nah, I’m just keeping it a hunnid. You talk that big shit, but now I’m seeing that it’s all fluff. You aint walking that walk.”

  Sucking her teeth, Dreka stood up in the bed. While glowering down at him, she removed her long sleeping tee. Lickz stared up at her, as she wore nothing but panties. Going from slim to thick, her body was tight as she had thick thighs, and feminine abs in her stomach. Her perky breasts sat up with no support. Without a doubt, she was fine, and she know it. However, Lickz knew that her issues weren’t physical.

  “Come here.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her down. “You know I was just fucking with you, right?”

  She frowned in confusion. “Fucking with me about what?”

  “About you being scared of the dick. Ion think for a second that you’d have a problem handling me, but that aint what I’m after. I want you to know that, regardless of what happens after this.”

  Her eyes traveled down to the bulge in his pants. “Listen, I get what you’re saying. I know enough to know that you aint been hanging around just because you want to fuck. Somebody like you don’t have to try this hard, if that’s all you’re after. I know that much.”

  He squinted. “So, why you be giving a nigga a hard time?”

  She giggled. “Because like you said…I’m difficult.”

  “Well, we gon have to break you out of that,” he huskily breathed, as he cuffed her boob. Leaning his head in he drew a taut nipple into his mouth.

  Dreka squirmed as bit, before reaching over to unbuckle his Louis Vuttion belt. She then reached into his boxers, pulling damage out. Her eyes unintentionally brightened when she saw how long and thick he was. Eagerly, she sat up, and pulled his jeans and boxers completely down, and off. Gripping her panties, he peeled them off her ass.

  With Lickz now palming both of her breasts, Dreka straddled him. Lowering her body, she kissed his lips, while he gripped her hips, lifting her ass, so that he could slide inside of her. Immediately, he felt her clit pulsate.

  He slid his tongue into her mouth, while her clit continuously thumped, while he’d barely delivered two pumps. “You cumming?” he lightly chuckled.

  Breaking their kiss, Dreka buried her face in the crook of his neck, as she nodded.

  He rubbed her ass, as he thrusted deeply within her. “What you hiding your face for?”

  “Cause,” she whined.

  “Cause what?” he pumped in and out of her.

  “Cause,” she gritted, already on the verge of another orgasm. “I came too fast.”

  “Nu-uh,” he shook his head, as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. “You just aint been fucked right. Been letting the wrong spirits in you. When it’s right that body gon have a mind of its own. That pussy just responding to me. That’s it.”

  Deciding to face her fears, she lifted her head, and locked eyes with him. “How you know?”

  “Cause I fucked around and nutted too,” he confessed with a chuckle. “But I’m a soldier. I just kept going.”

  Resting her head on his chest, Dreka laughed heartily. For the first time in her life, she felt safe with a man, but where they’d go from there, only time would tell.

  ***

  Sitting on the patio smoking a blunt, Mix was chilling solo, scrolling through Instagram. Since getting his legal affairs in order somewhat, he’d been back on the scene, using his accounts, after over a year. Not surprising, he and Nunnie had several dick riders, swearing that they were the relationship goals, when some of the same people were talking down the year before.

  Of course, Save had family that would occasionally have something slick to say, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle.

  “What the fuck?” he grumbled to himself, as he received a DM from a very familiar face from his past. A past that he thought that he’d left behind for good.

  Arizona huh? Arizona looks a lot like Houston these days. Now I see why they say social media is powerful. I moved out here trying to get myself together and ended running into some people from Fifth Ward at the club I work at. They know this nigga named Mix. At least that’s what they called you. Shit I was beginning to think that even your name was a lie. Nigga the stories we could’ve exchanged…if I was dirty like that. Anyway, I found you on the explorer page, posing with YoungNunnie_theprettyone. Her and that baby that looks just like you. Funny how you never mentioned that you had a child. Now I just feel like you had every intention of using me. But thing is…I got some shit on you that could put you under the jail. So, you should be more careful about who you decide to shit on

  After reading the message, Mix felt like he’d been threatened, and he’d dealt with Cat enough to know that you don’t take her threats idly.

  “Fuck,” he vented, as he scrolled to her unsaved number in his phone and called her.

  “Oh, so, even though you got me blocked, you can still call me from this number, huh?” Cat went in, as soon as she picked up the phone.

  “And hello to you too.”

  “Whatever, nigga.”

  “Yeah, but, what’s up, though? Why you sent that crazy ass DM my way?”

  “What chu mean? I been hitting you up left and right, lately, cause I been going through it. All the while I’m thinking that you aint doing too much better, but I end up seeing that you out here really living. That’s a slap in the face, after I put my life on the line for you, night after night. I did that shit, because I thought that you was fucking with me. But you aint even reached out to see if I was skrate or nothing. So, yeah, fuck-nigga, I got a problem with that. And it’s beef out here.”

  “Beef? What the fuck that mean?”

  “However you wanna take it. Aint no bitch or nigga safe on the streets when they beefing with Cat. You know that.”

  He sighed heavily. “Say, main, you talking crazy, right now. So, I’ma let this reckless shit slide, cause clearly you in your feelings.”

  “Nah, nigga, you aint seen me in my feelings,” she claimed.

  Recognizing an emotional female when he heard one, Mix kept a leveled head
. “Look, obviously, we aint getting nowhere over this phone, so pull up in Fifth Ward on Brewster. Let me holler at you in person.”

  Hearing that he wanted to see her changed Cat’s entire attitude. “Okay. When?”

  “Give me like a hour. But aye…”

  “What?”

  “You better be there.”

  “Boy, I’m coming,” she responded, trying to conceal her excitement.

  “Alright, bet.” He ended the call, just as Nunnie stepped outside with Maizie in her arms.

  “Who was you just talking to?”

  Tucking his lips into his mouth, Mix looked back at her, wondering how much or if anything he should tell her.

  Chapter 25

  Unbeknownst to Nunnie, Mix had used ten thousand of his own money, and given it to Lickz to flip on cocaine. Within two weeks Lickz came back with twenty grand. Mix used ten of that to purchase a used Escalade, while reinvesting the rest. Yes, he could probably quadruple his money if he was actually hustling himself, but he wasn’t going headfirst back into the streets while he still had open cases pending. Especially when he didn’t have to.

  So, Mix was definitely silently making money moves, but that didn’t mean that he was completely satisfied. His charges with Save had already been lowered to aggravated assault, and the lawyer was going hard, trying to get the charges downgraded again. The possibility of probation was still on the table, but there’d been no talk of penitentiary time. Still there was the case with Levi’s bitch ass. It was a felony assault and the charge carried a few years sentence with it. That’s why after thinking about it, he realized that keeping in touch with Cat wasn’t the worst thing. Eliminating his problems had always been her area of expertise.

  Leaning up against his truck in front of the corner store on Brewster, Mix watched Cat pull into the lot. She was driving an older Impala, letting him know that her finances probably weren’t up to par, and that would be his angle.