Chapter 1
Jayden
It had been three weeks, and we hadn’t come close to finding Kaylin. We’d been by all of his hangout spots and his clubs. We even got at some his workers, and we hadn’t come up with anything. Not to mention that Mark’s girl Troy got shot by one of his sidepieces. Hell, we even tortured her ass before putting her to sleep, but she didn’t know shit.
It was gonna be hard to say good-bye to Mimi. I mean, I’d just met her and, yeah, I knew people may have felt some type of way because I met her and fell for her. Shit happens. A lot of people have one-night stands, some be together for three or four months and the next thing you know, they getting married and shit. Things like that happen. It’s life. I met Mimi, and I knew that she was the one for me. You can tell a person by the vibe that they send and her vibe was phenomenal and outstanding. I wanted her to be my one, and now that shit couldn’t happen. I guessed I’d have to chalk it up to life and that wasn’t okay with me. I was pissed off about the way it went down.
The thing about Mimi that got me was that you could tell from the beginning that homegirl was a boss. Even when she wore something as simple as a T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, she wore it well. The chick was just that bad. She became my A-one on day one, and I was going to end that bitch-ass nigga’s life for cutting hers short.
We’d been at the hospital all day with Troy. They were supposed to release her from the hospital today, and I was glad. Hospitals made me feel some type of way ever since I lost my mother and younger brother last year. I didn’t like going there because every time I went there, somebody died. The only time I’d been there for a pleasant experience was when my four-year-old son Cameron was born.
I was in need of a good blunt, so I went to the car to fire up the blunt that we had in the car. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I decided to call my li’l dog Chucky back in Virginia. I had left him in charge while I was gone and he was doing great so far, but I needed an update on how shit was going now. Last week we took a loss, and that shit ain’t sit well with me. I knew for a fact that it was some nigga in the crew, because I was never one to have the same routine for too long. I stayed switching my shit up for that purpose. That’s how I knew it was a setup within the crew. Let me find out who it was, and it would be game over. I didn’t play ’bout that shit. Not only did they take money out of my mouth, but they went against the grain. I made sure all my niggas ate good, so I knew there was no reason for them trying to be greedy. One thing was for sure: I would put an end to that nigga as soon as I found out who he was.
“Yo, what’s up, boss?” Chucky said, answering the phone.
“Ain’t shit, man. How’s everything going over there?” I asked, waiting to know if we had any more issues like last week.
“Everything is good right now. Shit is back to normal. Well, almost. I had to put ya boy Deuce in his place today.”
“Oh, yeah? What happened with that?”
“Man, that nigga was talking that slick shit. Talking ’bout we taking orders from a nigga who ain’t here. Nigga wanted to try to take over, talking ’bout we could take over your throne since we’re basically doing it right now. I had to check that nigga about his loyalty to the crew, ’cause that was some slick ho shit he was popping out his mouth.”
“Oh, yeah? Where he at now?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Man, you already know where that nigga at. I put that nigga in the basement with the dogs, where the rest of them disloyal-ass niggas go out.”
“What you plan on doing with him?”
“Nothing. I’m leaving that nigga there until you get back.”
“I’ma have Mark do that nigga in. You know he ain’t like him from the beginning,” I said, knowing Mark would enjoy fucking up Deuce’s ol’ bitch ass. “Is there anything else that I need to know?”
“Oh, yeah. Yo’ baby mama came here with Cam. I started to kick her in her ass.”
“What the fuck that bitch wanted?” I was annoyed. My baby mama Shelly was a real bitch. She wasn’t nothing but drama. That’s why I stopped fucking with that ho. She always wanted to make a scene when the shit wasn’t called for. She was ghetto as fuck, and if it weren’t for Cameron, I would’ve been had that ho missing.
“Man, she came over here looking for you and, when I told her that you wasn’t here, she made a scene. Talking ’bout she was going to call the police and have all of us arrested,” he said, sounding heated. I knew he was. Hell, if I were him, I’d be heated too if somebody had threatened to put me in jail.
“That bitch came ’round there stunting like that?” I asked, not believing Shelly’s stupid ass would fuck around like that, but then again, I didn’t know what that crazy bitch was capable of.
“Man, you already know who that ho is. I shouldn’t have to tell you that.”
“All right, man, I’ma handle her ass. Just make sure to keep them niggas in line and keep that paper flowing. I should be back real soon,” I said, while I spotted Mark walking in my direction.
“All right, man, I’ma hold it down until you get back, but don’t be long too soon. You know them niggas get big-headed when they don’t see your face around here.”
“Oh, trust, I already know how them niggas are. I’ll be down there sooner than you think.”
“All right, man, see you soon.”
“Bet,” I said, hanging up the phone. I took a toke from the blunt that I was puffing and just inhaled the weed, letting the smoke full my lungs up.
“Sup, man?” Mark said. He knew the only time that I acted like this was when some shit was going down or was about to go down. I didn’t say anything as I took another puff from the blunt before I passed it to him.
“Man, Chucky said he had to deal with ya boy Deuce today. Said that nigga on that bitch shit, talking ’bout taking over and shit,” I said, blowing the hair out of my mouth.
“Nah, man,” Mark said, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe it. “That nigga on that shit like that?”
“Apparently, that nigga is. But I got something for that nigga,” I added, taking the blunt out of his hand. I then gave him that, “Yeah, nigga, that’s yo’ work you ’bout to put in,” look.
“Hell yeah, nigga,” he stated, rubbing his hands together, with this crazy look in his eyes. That nigga lived for crazy shit like that, like killing was a game or something that he enjoyed doing.
“You know I’ma let you get at that nigga since you ain’t never liked his ass from the get-go. I just can’t believe that I trusted that nigga and considered his ass to be my li’l homie.”
“Man, I told you from the get-go that nigga wasn’t to be trusted, but that don’t mean that you have to fault yourself for trusting his snake ass. Nowadays snakes come in all forms and sizes. It’s really hard to spot one, especially if you done been cool with one for so long. I mean, you really have no way of knowing. You just have to believe people when they show you who they really are the first time.” Mark passed the blunt back to me. “But I’ma enjoy handling his bitch ass though.”
“I know you will. That’s why I’ma let you do it.”
“That’s what’s up.”
“I gotta do something with Shelly. That bitch over there threatening to call the police on our folk and shit. She gonna to make me hurt her ass.” I really didn’t know why I started fucking with her ass in the first place. If it weren’t for the fact that she had my son, some good pussy, and a fire-ass head game, I would’ve been cut her ass off.
“She over there tripping like that again?” he asked, shaking his head.
“Man, you already know how Shelly is when she don’t get what she wants.”
“I told to you to stop fucking with that girl from the beginning. I told you not to mess with her ass, because she wasn’t nothing but trouble. You ain’t wanna listen to me, and now you get to see that for yourself.” He repeated what he always said whenever I would say something about Shelly. He never did like her and, like he said, he had always warned me about her, but I was thinking with the wrong head and got myself trapped by a bitch with a fucked-up mind frame.
“I know, and I should’ve listened to you then, but I didn’t. Only good thing that girl ever did was when she gave birth to my damn child. Then, after that, she became even crazier and shit.” I sat silently for a moment, remembering what she did a couple of days after our son was born. “I can’t deal with all of this shit no more, man. I already have a lot on my plate.”
“What you wanna do about it then?”
“I don’t know. I’ma think about it,” I said, just as my phone started ringing. Looking at the caller ID, I saw that it was Shelly’s triflin’ ass calling me now. “Speak of the devil. What?” I answered with an attitude.
“Don’t ‘what’ me, nigga. Where the hell you at?” she screamed into my ear.
“Bitch, don’t be questioning me. What the fuck do you want?”
“Nigga, I don’t know what bitch got you feeling some type of way, but you better stop playing with me. When you coming home?”
“Bitch, is you stupid, simple, or just damn slow?” This loony ho either couldn’t or wouldn’t take a hint.
“I’m none of ’em, nigga. What I know is we ain’t over until I say we over, and if we were over, why did you come fuck me before you went on that little run?”
“Bitch, I fucked you because I was horny and you was there at the moment. That shit ain’t mean nothing else but a quick nut to me. I don’t want you, ma. It’s time to move on.”
“You must didn’t hear what I said, huh, boy?” she shouted, sounding like a crazy lady. “We ain’t over until I say that we’re over, nigga!”
“Shelly, I don’t know what part of ‘I don’t want you no more’ that you didn’t get, but hear me when I say this: stay away from Chucky and the rest of the crew. You threaten to put them niggas in jail one more time, you won’t like what happens. Next, stop calling me. If the shit don’t have anything to do with Cameron, then don’t call me. We’re done, over, finished. I don’t want you or ya pussy, so leave me the fuck alone. Yo’ ass ain’t nothing but trouble and drama. I ain’t got time for that type of shit anymore,” I yelled, hanging up the phone in her face.
I looked at Mark, who was just standing there laughing. “What’s so funny, nigga?”
“Hey, man, don’t chew my head off,” he said, throwing his hands up. “You know she’s going to be causing a lot of problems, since you done made it clear that you don’t want her no more, right?”
“Yeah. I know. I’ma handle her though,” I said, as my phone started ringing again. I didn’t have to look at my phone to know that it was Shelly calling back. I didn’t bother answering the phone. Her ass really didn’t get the point, but the minute I stepped foot back in VA, I was going to handle her.
“See what I’m saying? You gotta do something about her, man.”
“I will.” I cussed as my phone started ringing again. “Fuck this shit.” I powered my phone off because, if I didn’t, I knew Shelly would be ringing it all damn day.
“Don’t say nothing, man,” I warned, knowing Mark was about to say something. He always did.
“Hey, I wasn’t about to say nothing.” He smirked.
“Uh-huh, I bet. Come on, man, let’s go check on shorty.”
“All right, man, come on.”
As we made our way toward the hospital, I thought about what I was going to do with Shelly’s ass. Hell, if she weren’t my son’s mother, I wouldn’t have hesitated to kill her ass. I had Cam to think about though. I didn’t want him to grow up without a mother. If she would only just keep her ass still, then there wouldn’t have had to be no shit. I knew one thing though: if she continued to act the way that she was acting, I wouldn’t have no choice but to rock her ass to sleep.
Pushing that to the back of my mind, I started to prepare mentally for three things. First, I had to say my final good-byes to Mimi tomorrow. Next, I had to find her no-good-ass baby daddy, get Mimi’s kids to Troy safely, and put that nigga down for a dirt nap. Finally, I was going to take the state of Virginia by storm. When I returned, all them niggas were going to feel me.