“I got you,” Treasure assured me. She was sitting next to me on the couch watching my sadness with so much sympathy. “Vegas and I got you. You know that.”
I smacked my lips, frowning. “I am grown with a child. I should be able to have myself,” I groaned. “Fuck this! I don’t care what Ross says. I need to go to school, get a job, or something.”
“Well,” Treasure sang sadly. Her eyes drifted away from mine as if she couldn’t bear to look at me. “I gotta to tell you something that you need to know.”
“What?” I asked cautiously.
“I hate to tell you this because it is only going to make you feel worse. But you’re my girl, and I want you to be prepared because Ross is going to flip out—”
“What? Tell me,” I urged.
“Uncle Vinny doesn’t want to work with Ross anymore.”
I groaned. “Fuuuuck.”
“He said Ross has too much heat on him.”
“Shit!” I sighed and rested my head back on the couch.
Things were falling apart uncontrollably. I thought that dealing with Ross’ cheating was heartbreaking, but no, this was heartbreaking. This felt like my life was going backwards like I would end up back on the streets begging for food and loose change.
“So, he’s only going to work solely with Vegas?” I asked.
She nodded slowly as if she was scared to answer me. “Yeah.”
“Well, that’s good for you. Means your man is going to be making more money.” I managed a smile.
Treasure was blushing. “He actually took me to Vinny’s mansion with him.”
My smile got wider. “Whaaaat?”
Treasure smiled from ear to ear. I knew this was like a dream come true for her. Treasure wasn’t the housewife-type of chick. She was the cook the coke and bag it type of ride or die female. She loved that gangsta shit.
“You should have heard the things he told me that night.” She looked off into space with a glow that told me she was reliving the moment. “He wants so much for us, and I almost fucked that all up over that dumb-ass.”
“So, you done fucking around?”
“Yeah.” When I looked at her as if I didn’t believe her, she decided to be real with me and her damn self. “Well, I wanna be. Shit, if I’m gonna fuck around on my man with somebody, it should at least be an upgrade. I definitely ain’t on shit right now, though. These dudes ain’t worth what my man is offering me.” I flinched, and she instantly told me, “Sorry, girl.”
“No, you right. They aren’t worth it.”
She looked so sad for me. She was pouting and everything. “Heaven, Mello’s feelings were just hurt. He didn’t mean what he said.”
“But he still lashed out and said it. Just like when Ross lashes out and hits me. Clearly, I come off as a punk-ass bitch to these dudes.” I was getting teary-eyed. God, I couldn’t believe Mello had said those things to me. He had made me feel so stupid and naïve. I expected that type of treatment from Ross, but I never expected it from Mello. That was because he was my friend. We had a different connection. But I guess my radar was off, because he didn’t care about me enough to think about me when he was calling the police on Ross.
“I think he set Ross up.”
Treasure’s eyes bucked, and she just stared at me. The way she was looking at me was odd, as if she didn’t know what to say. But I could understand her confusion. I would have never thought that Mello was that type of person either.
“I know; crazy, right?” I said.
“Yeeeeah. That’s crazy,” Treasure said slowly. “What makes you think something like that?”
“When I finally talked to Ross Friday, he told me Mello had to be the one who had set him up. No one knew that he was keeping his stash at April’s house, not even me. Then he called me right after he got bailed out and told me that April said that Mello was just there upset that his mother was still associating herself with Ross and his business. I mean…” I sighed deeply before I went on. “He was pissed at me for ignoring him, and he damn near hates Ross. He was so mad that I had run back to Ross that day that he told me how he felt about me. You think he would do something like that?”
Treasure just shrugged like she was speechless.
Right then, my phone rang. I leaned over to look at it on the end table. Seeing who it was, I groaned, “Speak of the devil.”
I didn’t know whether I should answer or not. Like a fool, I was hoping that he was calling to apologize and beg for us to be friends again. But now that I knew that he had snitched on Ross, we definitely would never get back the friendship we had.
“You gonna answer?” I hadn’t even realized that Treasure had leaned over to see who I was staring at calling me.
“Fuck no. He set Ross up. He’s petty as hell.”
Treasure sucked her teeth, frowning in frustration. “You don’t know that for sure. He might have hated Ross, but he wouldn’t do you like that.”
I groaned again before I answered and put it on speaker. I didn't feel like repeating our conversation to Treasure.
“Hello?” I answered dryly. I was not trying to hide how irritated and pissed off I was.
“What’s up?” He wasn't trying to hide how irritated he was either.
“You tell me,” I said with more attitude rising in my voice.
With a long sigh, he told me, “I just wanted to apologize for the things I said to you. I was wrong. I have no idea what you go through at the crib and I should have been smart enough to know it had to be some shit if you ended up fucking with me. You were wrong about one thing, though. I’m nothing like my father.” I rolled my eyes. He was fucking obsessed with Ross. “I rock with you unconditionally. It’s been that way for two years now. When I said I was feeling you, that wasn’t just to get the pussy. But since I care about you so much, I shouldn't have said those things to you regardless.”
Treasure’s eyes bucked at me when I was quiet for too long. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and asked him, “So, that’s why you set your father up?”
I watched as Treasure’s eyes fell out of her face.
“What?” Ross spat. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Don’t play stupid. Ross told me that you were mad at your mother about him keeping his stash at her crib. You were that mad at me for ignoring you that you would send your father to jail? You phony as hell; laying up with me, knowing you were setting him up. He could be locked up for a long time. That charge can give him twenty years.”
Treasure sat next to me with her head in hands, just shaking it. I didn't care how she felt, though. I wasn’t about to let him sit on this phone being phony with me.
Mello’s voice was calm as he said, “Wow, shorty… You ain't gotta worry about me no more. I’m outta your life, Heaven. I’m done. Take care, sweetheart,” and then the line went dead.
Mello
I had known the day Heaven left my house that I had to be done with her. But after Vegas told me that Ross had been whooping her ass, I felt like shit for the things I had said to her. I then knew the meaning behind her tears. I just wanted to apologize to shorty and move on. But after she accused me of being a snitch, I knew it was a definite wrap for us. Heaven was too far gone in the head for Ross to see a real man or a real friend when she saw one.
Now, she was dead to me.
This hadn’t been a part of my fantasy at all, all the times I daydreamed about her.
A day later, after hanging up on her, I was still boiling with anger. And to add to the bullshit, now, this nigga was at my door.
“What’s up?” I quickly assessed the situation, looking at his hands to see if he had a gun or not.
Ross looked surprised at my demeanor and attitude towards him as he said, “I need to talk to you.”
“About?” I hadn’t moved to let him in. I stood my ground and put my hands in my pockets. He might have donated his sperm to make me, but this motherfucker had never treated me like his son. So, there was no telling what
he was on since he thought I’d set him up.
Ross stood on the stoop glaring at me with this questioning squint in his eyes. He was sizing me up, and I was sizing his ass up too. If this motherfucka wanted to scrap, I was more than ready. I had years of pent-up anger to take out on his ass.
Finally, he asked, “You hate me that much?”
“I don’t know what type of goofy shit you and my mother on, but I ain’t no fucking snitch. I don’t even care about you enough to give a fuck if you in jail or not. I ain’t no snake like you.”
“Snake? Everything thing I did and every move I made took care of you and your mother, boy.”
“Yeah? Including killing Heaven’s sister?”
His face balled up, looking at me like I was talking none sense. “Fuck is you talkin’ ‘bout, boy? Divine is—”
“I ain’t talking about Divine. I’m talking about Angel, Caesar's woman.” I leaned against the doorframe and watched with a little humor as he tried to figure this all out.
At first, Ross was lost. I could see him thinking back, trying to put two and two together. So, I helped him out. “You know how close I am to Heaven. She mentioned her sister, Angel, the other day. She got killed along with her boyfriend, Caesar, on the e-way in a drive-by.”
I didn’t like my father for how he treated me, but I most definitely didn’t like myself for being so thirsty for a father when I was young that I jumped the few times that he called for me. One night a few years ago, I was riding with him. I heard him and his man talking about finding somebody named Caesar. They rode around looking for him all night. I was in the backseat on my phone, just happy that I was spending time with my father. I was starting to get in the streets myself, so I knew what it was, and I wasn’t scared of what might take place once they found this Caesar dude.
They did eventually find him. They rode right up on him leaving his crib with his girl. They followed his ride until they hit the e-way. I saw the gun when my father grabbed it from under his seat. I didn’t even close my eyes as he leaned out of the passenger’s side and started to light that truck up.
I watched as the realization finally hit Ross. All that tough shit was out the door when he realized he had killed his wife’s sister.
I laughed, sarcastically, happy to fuck his head up. “Don’t worry, Pops. Your secret is safe with me.” Then I stepped back and slammed the door in his face.
Two Months Later…
22
Mello
“Daddy, I like these!”
I grabbed the Jordan Barons from TJ with a frown. “These old, man.”
“But I like them, Daddyyyyy,” he whined.
I smiled at the pout on his face. “A’ight, man,” I told him, playfully muffing him. “Stop whining like a girl. You know I don’t like that shit—”
“But you gonna get ‘em for him anyway,” Paris muttered through her teeth with a smile.
“Yeah, I am,” I said, laughing and Paris just shook her head. “You gettin’ these 13’s, too, though, dude,” I told TJ. “They slick.”
“Okay!” he told me happily. Then he took off, looking at the other gym shoes along the walls at the Kid’s Foot Locker.
I followed Paris as she walked over to the women’s gym shoes. “When are y'all heading back to Chicago?”
I was in Gainesville, Florida now. I had left the Chi two months ago. That month and a half I had spent in Chicago had shown me exactly why I had left in the first place. There was just too much drama there for me. Teyanna was bugging. I had seen people shot to death and mowed down right in front of me at that block party. Then, there was the back and forth with Heaven. Chicago hadn’t been shit but a headache. So, I brought my ass back to Florida and enrolled in school for the computer sciences master’s program.
Paris had brought TJ down to Florida about a week ago. She usually only stayed for the weekend. When she had arrived last Friday, I peeped how much luggage she had, but I didn’t think anything of it. But now it was Friday again, and she hadn’t said anything about needing to get to the airport.
“I… um…” She looked off as if she was too nervous to answer. “I was actually thinking about staying here.”
My head whipped towards her. “Word? Like for good? You wanna move to Florida?”
“I think so. I like it here. The weather is beautiful. I don’t hear any gunshots and sirens at night. I don’t have to worry about TJ’s safety while he’s outside playing. It’s so nice here. Every time I think about going back to Chicago, I get depressed. I haven't been outside since that block party. I'm too scared to even take TJ to the park. It seems like every day somebody I know gets killed. I'm tired of that city, and I can’t afford to move to a safer neighborhood. Plus, every time I talk about going home, TJ gets sad. He likes being around you all the time.”
I nodded slowly as I considered Paris moving down here.
She went on, trying to convince me. “I was thinking about looking for a job down here and maybe even starting school too.”
I definitely didn't mind being around my son fulltime. That would make living in Florida even better. The separation from my son had been the only downside to living down here.
“What do you think about that?” she asked. She looked up at me with so much hope in her eyes.
It was a light in her eyes as she stared into mine that I had been seeing the whole time she was in Florida. The first few times I saw it, I thought it was flirtation. But I'd talked myself out of believing that since she and I hadn't had any action like that between us since before I knew TJ even existed. Teyanna had always assumed that Paris wanted me, but she had always been nothing but respectful of my relationship and a co-parent. So, I figured she was just happy about being out of town and having a good time. But, now, the longer she gave me this flirtatious look, I was starting to think she was feeling me.
I bit my lip while looking down at her, and her stance became even friskier.
“Why you keep looking at me like that?” I asked her.
She shrugged with this bashful look on her face. “Maybe I like what I see.”
My thick eyebrow raised. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” she said with a more playful shrug this time. Then she just walked away.
I had never been one to deny how fine my baby mama was, but considering our past, I hadn't looked at her like I was now in a long time. When I left Chicago, I left all my potential pussy there too. It had been two months since I’d busted a nut. Watching the sway of Paris' hips as she strolled through the store, my dick was getting rock hard.
But I told my dick to listen to my common sense. After all the shenanigans that had unfolded in Chicago, I wasn't trying to be in a relationship. Paris and I shared a past that would make us more than just fuck buddies if I put my dick in her. Fuck buddies were all I was on at the moment, however. That short-lived love affair with Heaven had left me ready to stay clear of feelings for a long time. I needed to focus on getting this money, not getting in a relationship.
I hadn't spoken to Heaven since the day she accused me of snitching on my father. I was never going to speak to her again either. I couldn't be her friend knowing that her husband had killed her sister. That would be some phony-ass shit. And, even though she had pissed me the fuck off, I could never hurt her by telling her the truth, that her husband had killed her precious Angel. That would only put her in an even more fucked position. No matter what—the cheating, the abuse, the fact that he had killed Angel and Caesar—leaving Ross would put her, Sunshine, and Divine out on their asses. Had she left Ross when I was confessing my feelings for her, I could not have given her what he had. I was a broke, young dude with a fresh degree, looking for a job. There was no way I could take care of myself, let alone Heaven, her sister, and her child.
That was then, though. Even though Heaven and I were unfixable at this point, I was making moves to ensure that the next chick never had to choose another man over me because I couldn’t take care of her. I had taken Veg
as up on his offer and started to work with him as he built his organization separate from Ross. Even though I was in Florida now, it worked out perfect for Vegas because there was a port here where many of his gun shipments came into. I was in control of these shipments and the distribution of the guns to various states. I saved my first couple of payments from Vegas and then got some work from a drug connect through Uncle Vinny. I never wanted to be back in the streets, but selling drugs to these college white boys was nothing like serving in Chicago. I didn't have to deal with crack heads and stick-up boys that wanted to stick me for my money. I was just selling party drugs to these white boys, and shit that helped them cram all night while studying. I was getting this money so I wouldn't have to depend on another motherfucker for anything, while finally taking care of my family the way I've always wanted to.
Heaven
“That went well,” I told Ross, trying to sound encouraging.
Ross shrugged. He was still frowning as we walked out of the Cook County Building. So, I guess I hadn’t been encouraging enough.
“I guess,” he mumbled.
He grabbed my hand and led me down the concrete steps. I asked him, “What you mean, you guess? Your lawyer said he can possibly suppress the evidence. That would force the prosecution to drop the charges.”
“It's a shot in the dark. I mean it works in my favor that April never told them the guns were mine. But since I own the house that she lives in, they have pretty much tied me to it anyway.”
After Ross' arrest, we found out that the police had received an anonymous tip that guns were being sold out of April’s house. They had sat on the house and gotten surveillance of Ross going in and out. They had also searched Ross' vehicle that day and found a substantial amount of weapons in the trunk. The prosecution tried to get Ross to turn on his distributor, but he refused to do it. He was facing up to thirty years if convicted.
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