Coca Kola - The Baddest Chick (5 page)

Noon arrived, and the judge called for everyone to take a lunch break. But food was the last thing on Kola’s mind. As the courtroom slowly cleared out, Kola remained seated in the pew trying to stay calm. The last one to exit the room, she went outside to smoke, like some of the others.

While taking a few pulls from her Newport, she rolled her eyes at some of the men steady gawking at her. And she constantly looked at the time.

The November wind pinched at her face with its hard gust, and the army of police, prosecutors, and district attorneys made her very nervous. She thought about her own fate and wondered when the day would come when she would find herself standing in front of a judge or jury.

She started chatting with a familiar face from the hood in front of the courts. Her friend Lateen, whom she had known since grade school, was in court for possession. If he couldn’t be found on the corners trying to get money, he would be most likely serving time in Rikers Island. Lateen was never a smart man, but Kola enjoyed his company from time to time. And he made her laugh, which was something she needed at the moment. As they both smoked cigarettes, Lateen started joking with her.

“Tight-ass prosecution tryin’ to charge me for a gram of crack and shit, knowing I seen that muthafucka on the block tryin’ to cop the other night,” Lateen stated.

“Uh-uh. Stop lying.”

“Shit, I’m serious. Nigga’s eyes red as shit right now. Tight-ass white boy gonna cop from me and then charge me. Pale-ass muthafucka high like a kite right now. You know the nigga gotta be high, wearing that tight-ass blue suit.”

“You silly, Lateen.”

Kola told him about Cross’ incident, and the two enjoyed a quick laugh. Then they walked back inside the courts. She readied herself for another long session of procedures, hearings, motions, and other boring bullshit. She moved to the back because the woman with the two kids was starting to get on her nerves.

Two hours later, Cross’ docket number was finally called.

“Docket numbers 448525685 and 449858954, Danny Thompson and Maurice Carter,” the court officer announced.

Kola perked up, her eyes fixed on the door the prisoners were coming through. Butterflies in her stomach, her eyes lit up with anticipation. It had been a little over forty-eight hours since she had received the phone call, and she didn’t get much sleep. Kola smiled upon seeing Cross escorted from the bullpen and into the courtroom, Edge right behind him, both men still in the clothes they had been arrested in.

Cross’ eyes looked red and tired, and Edge’s face displayed a stone-cold expression as the court officers led them in front of the judge. Right on cue, Cross’ lawyer, Meyers Mitchell, entered the courtroom wearing a gray Italian pinstripe suit, wing-tip shoes, and a Rolex around his wrist that screamed wealth. He immediately stood out from the court-appointed lawyers representing the poor and misguided. He had smooth tan skin, slick black hair, and a tongue sharper than a razor.

Meyers moved with confidence, and all eyes were on him as he sat his expensive leather briefcase on the table, buttoned up his suit jacket, and whispered something into Cross’ ear. Cross and Edge didn’t even bother to look back to see who was sitting in the courtroom for them.

The lanky, bushy-haired prosecutor spoke first. He already knew he had his hands full with Meyers. He opened up a manila envelope and peered up at the judge. “Your Honor,” he said, “the People request that the defendants be held without bail, pending a grand jury investigation.”

“On what grounds?” Meyers chimed.

“A loaded nine millimeter was found in the defendants’ truck—”

Meyers tore back by saying, “Your Honor, my clients’ civil rights were violated when the officers performed an illegal stop and search with no grounds at all. As you can see, this is my clients’ first serious offense, and I ask that bail be posted.”

There was a little back-and-forth argument from both sides, and Meyers clearly demonstrated he was the better attorney. He was articulate and witty, and the argument took only a few minutes before the judge posted bail at $25,000 for both defendants.

“Your Honor, my clients would like to post their bail right away,” Meyers Mitchell announced.

As the prosecutor let out a sigh of defeat, Meyers patted Cross on his back. Kola smiled and wanted to scream out, but she kept her composure. She thought Meyers Mitchell was worth every penny spent on him.

***

A few hours later, Kola was reunited with Cross and Edge. She hugged her man tight and kissed him passionately. She had the Escalade parked out front and was ready to chauffeur her man anywhere. The men jumped into the truck, and Kola hurried away from downtown Manhattan.

“I need a fuckin’ shower and some pussy,” Cross said.

Kola smiled, ready to oblige him.

When Kola merged onto the FDR, heading uptown, Cross asked her, “You took care of that thing with Eduardo?”

A quick nervousness overcame her. She didn’t want to tell him the truth right away, so she nodded. “Yeah, I got the ki’s at the house.”

“That’s my girl,” Cross responded with a proud smile.

Edge, who had been sitting quietly in the backseat, lit up a cigarette and said to Cross, “You wanna tell her about that thing we heard while in Central Booking.”

“What thing?” Kola asked.

Cross looked over at Kola. “Your sister is in the hospital with serious burns to her face. Some crackhead threw a cup of acid at her.”

“Karma’s a bitch, right?”

Edge and Cross looked surprised that she was so cold to her own flesh and blood.

Edge said, “Damn! It’s really like that between y’all?”

“I don’t give a fuck if Apple lives or dies,” Kola responded.

Edge took a pull from his cigarette. He chuckled. “You’s a cold-hearted bitch fo’ real, Kola. I see why Cross likes you.”

“Did you have anything to do with it?” Cross asked.

Kola cut her eyes at him. Her look already said she was insulted that he had to even ask. “How can you ask me that?”

“I was just asking.”

Kola didn’t answer him, but she didn’t deny the accusation either.

After dropping Edge off at his apartment in Harlem, Kola continued to drive without a hint of concern for Apple. She was more worried about telling Cross that she had arranged a new deal with Eduardo than her sister being in critical condition in Harlem Hospital.

***

Kola pulled into the circular driveway of their New Rochelle home and walked behind Cross into the dark house.

“I need a fuckin’ shower,” Cross said.

Kola took a deep breath. “Baby, we need to talk about something. It’s really important.”

“After I get out the shower,” Cross responded, stripping from his clothing as he headed for the bathroom.

Kola followed behind him. She didn’t know how to tell him the news. She thought about giving him some pussy first. Maybe it would be easier relaying the news about Eddie after he came and was more relaxed.

As Kola listened to the shower running, she stood outside the bathroom door biting her nails.
How do you tell the man you love that his connect doesn’t want to deal with him anymore but would rather deal directly with his woman?
Kola thought to herself. After lingering by the bathroom door for a moment, she decided to just come out with it and stop beating around the bush.

Kola went into the bedroom, removed a pack of Newports from her drawer, and lit up a cigarette. She stood by the window peering out at the cool, fall day and waited for Cross to finish with his shower.

Ten minutes later Cross walked into the bedroom glistening like a spring creek, a towel wrapped around his waist. She turned with a smile, admiring the way the water trickled down his chiseled abs and the bulge underneath the towel.

“C’mere, baby.”

Kola doused her cigarette and walked up to her man.

He wrapped his arms around her softness. “Mmm,” he moaned. “I need some of this right now.”

Kola grinned. “I bet you do.”

Cross moved his hands down her curves and grabbed her firm, juicy booty. He caressed and fondled her body, causing him to get an erection underneath the towel. He pressed his hard dick against Kola, who was thrilled and ready to fuck him, but she had to tell him the news first.

“You my heart fo’ real, Kola. I’m glad everything went smoothly wit’ Eddie. Where you put my shit?”

“In the room where you always have it.”

“I need to move that shit quick.”

Cross didn’t like to bring his work home, but under the circumstances, he had no other choice. He wanted to unload the ki’s at the stash house and cut it for street distribution as soon as possible. He kissed Kola fervently and was ready to undress her, but she pulled away from his hold.

Looking Cross in his eyes, she bluntly said, “I made a new deal with Eduardo.”

Cross couldn’t believe what he’d heard. He glared at Kola and shouted, “You did what?”

“Baby, it’s a better deal for us. I got the ki’s cheaper.”

Cross screamed, “Bitch, are you fuckin’ crazy? What the fuck is wrong wit’ you?”

Kola took a few steps back from him, fearing he would strike her.

Cross charged at her and slammed her into the bedroom wall, clutching her tight by the arms. “Are you fuckin’ stupid?”

“Baby, I had to,” she screamed back. “I fuckin’ had to!”

“I sent you there to do one fuckin’ thang, and you fuck me up! What kinda deal?”

Kola hesitated with her answer. She stared at an angry Cross, who was so close, she could feel the blood boiling in his veins. He gave her no room between them.

“I did what you told me to do, but Eduardo was upset with you for not showing up yourself.”

Cross barked, “I was locked up. He don’t fuckin’ understand that?”

“I tried to explain it to him, but he wasn’t listening. I got the ki’s for twelve-five.”

“At what risk?” Cross asked, knowing ki’s didn’t come that cheap.

Kola hated to reply, but she had no other choice. “We gotta move all twelve ki’s within seven days, or he’ll go up on the price to eighteen.”

Kola heard the sudden explosion as Cross put his fist through the wall behind her.

“Are you fuckin’ crazy!” he yelled. “What the fuck did you do that for? You just killed us. We’re barely moving the shit we get from him now.”

“Baby, we can do this. We can! All we gotta do is cut out the competition that’s in our way and get our old customers back.”

Cross stepped back and looked at her. “You ain’t nothin’ but a young fuckin’ bitch!”

Kola resented the statement. Her feelings were hurt.

“There’s more.”

“What the fuck else did you fuckin’ do?” he shouted.

Kola swallowed hard. “He only wants to deal with me, not you.”

Cross went berserk and charged at Kola again, slamming her against the wall with force, knocking the breath out of her. She screamed out. He was strong. Cross then punched a larger hole into the bedroom wall and shattered the plasma flat-screen by throwing it to the floor.

“Get Eddie on the fuckin’ phone,” he shouted out.

Kola reached for her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She quickly dialed Eduardo’s number. It rang twice, and before she could say hello, Cross snatched the phone from her hand and exclaimed, “Yeah, Eduardo?”

“It is me,” Eduardo answered coolly.

“It’s Cross. We need to fuckin’ talk.”

“Cross, lower your tongue toward me.”

“I’m sorry, but what’s this I hear about you striking up a new deal with my girl? I didn’t sanction that. You had no right, man.”

“Right? I have many rights. She was here for business, and you weren’t, plain and simple.”

“Man, I got locked up on a humble, some gun charge that ain’t gonna stick. You ain’t gotta worry, Eddie. I’m still the man.”

“I’m not worrying,” Eduardo replied nonchalantly, “but the situation has changed.”

“You can’t do this, man. I deal wit’ you, not my girl. You keep her out of this.”

“She’s smarter than you think. I like her. She’s to come to me, not you. That’s the new arrangement from now on.”

Cross couldn’t hold his temper as he marched around the bedroom with the phone glued to his ear. He glared over at Kola, ready to toss her through a window.

“This ain’t fuckin’ right, Eduardo. I’ve been dealing wit’ you for over a year now, and you wanna cut me the fuck out? This is fuckin’ bullshit!” Cross screamed.

“Watch your words, Cross. Now I suggest you hang up before I get upset.”

Cross wanted to kill him, but he knew it would be a huge mistake. Cross understood that if he were to lay one hand on Eduardo, there would be a mob of armed Colombians busting down his front door. Cross felt that his hands were tied.

After ending the call, his eyes cut into Kola with a fierce stare. He tossed her the phone and sarcastically said, “I guess you the boss now.”

Kola’s heart sank into her stomach. She hated to see her man so upset. She watched him take a seat on the edge of the bed and stare at the wall with a look of despair. He was hunched over, resting his elbows on his knees and cracking his knuckles.