CHAPTER FOURTEEN

TASHA

 

“Ya’ll gotta get out of here with this shit,” somebody said behind me, as I gut punched Crystal over and over. She may have been smaller than me but she was strong as fuck and needed a few blows to go down. I know this is wrong but at this moment she not my sister. For real I got more love for a nigga on the street than I do for her right now. I just killed somebody on a count of her having another gun that she purchased from Asian Lucy the other night without telling me. I remembered her talking to her that night on a side convo but I had no idea she was buying a weapon until this situation with Denise.

 

If you asked me she probably been planning on robbing Hollywood for the longest and I’m just finding out now. I’m done with my sister and tired of her selfish shit.

 

“I can’t have this in my establishment,” Keith said looking between us. “So the both of you have to go outside and cool off or you won’t be allowed back in here. Ever. Even for those documents you need.” He looked at me.

 

I didn’t respond. Instead I slapped Crystal one more time sending her flying onto the dirty floor. When she got up she tried to hit me back but I shoved her into the bouncer who walked up behind us.

 

“That’s it, I’m sorry, Tasha, but I can’t have this shit in my club,” Keith said firmly. He looked at the bouncer. “Aye, Joe launch these two out for awhile. Hopefully they’ll cool off.”

 

I don’t know how he did it but Joe managed to lift us off of our feet, before tossing us out into the front of the club. But it doesn’t stop us from goin’ at each other once more.

 

We shoving and pushing each other until Crystal finally said, “Why you leaving?” Leaning on her knees she said, “Why you wanna walk out on me like this?”

 

“Fuck you talking ‘bout now?” I shoved her again and she slammed into a black BMW. “Why do you keep asking me the same things repeatedly?” I wiped the sweat off my face. “Anyway, I’m not trying to hear none of that right now. I’m tired of your recklessness, Crystal.” I pointed at her. “I can truly say that I’m done.”

 

“Am I that bad?” She asked ignoring my questions. “Am I that awful that you would want to leave me forever?”

 

I’m breathing heavily as I throw myself on the curb next to the car Crystal is leaning on. “It’s not my responsibility to take care of you no more.” I rubbed the knot I felt popping up on my forehead and looked up at her. “My leaving don’t have nothing to do with you. I told you that a million times and I don’t understand why you don’t get it.” I paused. “I’m just in love.”

 

“Then why it feel like it’s my fault? We had plans for the future and now I feel like nothing I say will convince you not to go.”

 

“Because it won’t. I don’t know what else to say, Crystal,” I shook my head slowly. “What I suggest is this though…you gotta stop fucking these nasty ass bitches out here. Getting burned and all that. As pretty as you are you in the back getting top from a skank like a nigga.” I paused. “I got a girl, Crystal. Can’t you understand that shit? This is making me crazy because I keep telling you the same thing.”

 

“I do have someone.”

 

“But you don’t care about her like I care about mine.” I paused. “So you can’t compare the two.”

 

“Man this is off plan.” She ran her hand down her face. “Way off and nothing good is gonna come of this.”

 

I shook my head. “Why you asking me this now?”

 

“Because I feel that I’m about to lose you forever.”

 

I stood up. I’m still mad so it’s hard for me to look her directly in the eyes. “Crystal, you gotta know that no matter what happens you’ll always have me in your life. But we adults now and we gotta go after our own dreams. It don’t mean you’ll lose me though. But the shit you doing these days making me feel like you don’t give a fuck ‘bout nobody but yourself.”

 

“I fucked up didn’t I?”

 

I looked around and stepped closer so that only she could hear my words. “We got a woman in the trunk of a car, Crystal,” I whispered. “The wife of a well known trap nigga who knows who we are. You can’t get more fucked up than this if you tried.” I backed up a little. “I actually killed somebody tonight. And you have no idea all the thoughts I got goin’ on in my mind right now. The guilt alone is enough to put me into panic mode. But that’s not goin’ to help anything so I gotta be strong for me and you. But I’ll never be happy again when this shit is over, Crystal. I’ll never feel safe either.” I pointed at her. “And I got you to blame for this shit.”

 

She lowered her head and I could see tears roll down her face until her hair fell alongside her jawline. “This is so crazy.”

 

I tried to touch her to give her a hug. “Just get the fuck off me!” She paused. “Don’t put your fucking hands on me period.”

 

I raised my hands in the air and backed up. “What’s wrong with you now? I thought we was talking.”

 

“It don’t even matter.” She wiped her tears away. “Let’s just go because I gotta get out of here.”

 

****

Inside The Club

 

Keith, the club’s owner, was on the phone behind the bar looking at Tasha and Crystal outside of the club acting like kids. Although the music was loud, it wasn’t stopping him from doing what he was about to do. Snitch. “Hey, man, ain’t you looking for the Burton girls?”

 

“You know the answer to that already,” Hollywood said on the other end of the phone. “So you telling me something I wanna hear or are you wasting my time?”

 

“They down here. At my club.”

 

There was a moment of long silence. “If you can keep them there I got ten large waiting for you.” He paused. “That’s a promise.”

 

“Fuck,” he paused. “I should’ve hit you first.”

 

“What you saying?”

 

“I threw them out a minute ago but with that kinda pay day on the table, trust me, I’ll think of something.”

 

“Good, because I’m sending somebody right now to collect them bitches.”