Crooked G's (21 page)

“I wish it was that simple. What I'm dealing with is way greater than that. But if that was the case, the man that would be holding me back is standing right in front of me.”

Eric's eyes twitched in regards to Shakita's sarcastic remark.

“Well. Since that's not the case,” Eric said, shunning off her notion as he continued. “Why are you here? If your problems can't bring you to work, how can I help you?”

“I need to ask you a favor. Better yet, I need you to help me with something. You're the only one I trust.”

“Before I agree to it, I need to know what it is first.”

“I have a lot of coins that I need you to change into bills for me.”

“Why don't you go to the bank and do it yourself?”

“I would but there's too many of them.”

“How many coins are we talking about?”

“About a hundred thousand dollars' worth.”

“How did you happen to run across that much money, Shakita?”

Shakita took a deep breath. “I don't know if you've been watching the news lately but—”

“You robbed that BERK van? That was you?” Eric asked, cutting her off and aware of what she was about to tell him.

“Yeah, that was me.”

“What the hell were you thinking, Shakita? If they catch you, do you know how much time you could get?”

“I knew the risk before I did it. When my back was up against the wall, I did what I had to do.”

“But you didn't have to rob a BERK van. The driver could have killed you. You're lucky to be alive, you know that?”

“The driver didn't have nothing to do with me still being alive. The money does. I already told you my life was on the line.”

“You're crazy,” Eric said as he stared into her overwrought eyes. He believed she was in trouble, but didn't think she would go to that extent of taking matters into her own hands.

“So can you help me?” Shakita asked him as he started to pace the room again.

“Do you know what you're asking me to do? You're asking me do be an accomplice to armed robbery. That's a serious, serious offense, Shakita. If I get caught, that'll jeopardize my business.”

Shakita looked at him audaciously after his foolish words escaped his mouth. “Jeopardize your business? Are you serious? You know what, Eric. You ain't no different from me. You might dress more professional and know how to put your words together a lot better than me, but other than that, we're the same. I might have to rob or steal to get mine, but that ain't no different from the whoring we do for you to take money from all these high-powered lawyers, and government officials that be up in here every day. Your whole business ain't nothing but a damn well-polished hoe house that sells pussy that ain't meant to be paid for. See, Eric, we are both
crooks
. I'm just not afraid to admit it.”

Eric couldn't believe that she'd called him out like that, yet there was no need in him denying the truth.

“You know what?” Eric said as he walked back over to her with tension in his eyes. “We might be the same in some ways, but I wouldn't put myself in a position where I might have to kill somebody over someone else's money. Now that's where your vision and my vision go astray.”

Shakita could tell by the way his nose flared that he was getting offended, which wasn't her intention. “Look, Eric. I didn't come here to bad-mouth what you do. I love working here. I only came by to ask for your help. If you can't help me, I understand. I'll find another way to get it done.”

Eric paced around the room again with his hands on his waist as he sighed deeply. Shakita always found a way to breach his strong exterior until she was able to eat away at his delicate heart. She was truly his Achilles' heel. Once again he was powerless against her.

“Okay. I'll do it but only this once. After this I won't adhere myself to another criminal act. Is that understood?”

“I got you. I will never ask you for something like this ever again. You have my word.”

“How soon do you want this to happen?”

“I'll give you my girl Latrice's number so you'll know whose number it is when she calls.” Shakita reached in her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with Latrice's number on it. “I'll have her call you to tell you where y'all can meet.”

“I guess this is the girl who pulled off the robbery with you?”

“Yeah, that's her. Be expecting a call from her tonight.”

“Will do.”

Shakita started to walk to the door and then stopped and looked at Eric. “Thanks again, Eric. What would I do without you?” she asked sincerely.

“That's a billion-dollar question,” Eric said, raising his eyebrows at her. Shakita smiled as her eyes became misty and hurried to turn away, so Eric wouldn't see her cry. Eric was the only one who never let her needs go unrequited no matter how severe or unvarying they became. No matter what course both of their lives went, he would forever be her only love. Even the love she had for Kam would never compare to how she felt for Eric.

Eric waited until Shakita got on the elevator before he walked over to the window. He was bothered at what he'd let happen and wish he would've handled the situation a different way. He put his hands over his face wondering what the hell he was about to get himself into. He continued to dwell on his current situation as his older brother, Danny, entered the room.

“Wow, I heard the whole conversation. You really got yourself in some shit with her now. Huh, bro?” Danny said, walking over to Eric as he turned around.

“What's new?” Eric said as he placed his hands in his pockets while shrugging his shoulders.

Danny shook his head. “You really got it bad for this girl. You weren't lying.”

“Dan, I don't understand what it is about her, man. I think about her all the time and when she comes around, I always give in to her. She's the only one that I let get the best of me and I don't know why.”

“Eric. I got to ask you, bro. If this girl makes you feel like no other, then why did you arrange for me to have sex with her? If she's the one that you spend most of your time thinking about, then why is she even part of your business here?”

Eric truly felt in his heart that Shakita would be the perfect woman for him, except she had too much of a fallen past. He wanted an
angel in his life and Shakita was everything but that. He loved her dearly, but was unable to secure a relationship between the two of them, that would stand the test of time without collapsing. He wished he could meet someone who closely resembled her in appearance, but was the exact opposite in nature. Eric looked at his brother and gave him the only answer that made sense to him. “I thought it would make me let go of her.”

S
hakita arrived at work and all the other employees talked about was the BERK van robbery. Shakita sat in the lounge while everybody gave their version of what really happened. Shakita heard one male coworker say that the robbers were really men dressed up like women and his cousin knew who they were. She heard a female coworker say that there were three women and not two, and one of them pistol-whipped the driver. She then heard another man say that the driver was in on it the whole time and had his two sisters help him steal the money. That's what he said everyone was saying in his neighborhood. Shakita thought that it was so funny to hear all these different stories and none of them were true. That only proved to Shakita even more that you couldn't believe everything you heard. Ninety percent of the time it's all bullshit.

Shakita had enough of hearing the foolish gossip and left the lounge, so she could start her shift. She ended up running into Reggie out in the hallway. This was the first time she'd seen him since their last interaction. Shakita noticed that Reggie didn't have on the smashed-up glasses like she thought he would, but instead, he was wearing contacts. He still looked ugly as hell and Shakita had to go fuck with him.

“What up, Reggie? I don't know what it is, but there's something that seems different about you. Did you get a haircut?”
Shakita asked sarcastically as she held her chin. Reggie gave her a stupid look. “No, that's not it. Did you get your braces taken out? No, you didn't have braces, did you? Oh! You're not wearing any glasses. I should have known.”

Reggie scowled showing Shakita he was irritated by her smart-ass comments but she didn't care and kept on going. “I'm so glad you decided to get contacts. Those dorky-ass frames did nothing for your face. You look a hell of a lot better.”

Reggie still declined not to respond knowing that she was the one that pulled off the robbery. He was convinced she was really crazy now and didn't want to say anything to piss her off again.

“Reggie. I just gave you a compliment. Aren't you gonna say thank you?” Shakita asked, grinning.

“Thanks,” he said meekly.

“I know you ain't got shit to say to me right now and I couldn't care less. And I'm not sorry for kicking you in your dick area and maybe fucking up your future kids. Your bitch ass had it coming.” Reggie didn't respond.

Shakita wasn't that mad at Reggie anymore for doing what he'd done to her now that she'd gotten the money on her own. She still needed to make sure he kept quiet about what he knew.

“You know I did that shit without you, right? If you know how to keep quiet, I'll give you something to keep your pockets full, ya dig?” Reggie slowly nodded his head, agreeing to her terms.

“Now don't do no snake shit 'cause you already know I'm a crazy bitch, and there's another one still out there just like me that you don't know about. So before you do something you'll regret, remember she knows what you look like. I'll see you when I see you, Reggie,” she said, walking off with a smile on her face after threatening him.

When Shakita walked away from him, Reggie looked confused
as hell as to how her collaborator had a photo of him. He then remembered the yearbook picture he'd taken three years ago. He had no choice now but to stick to his word.

Latrice drove Shakita's Explorer into Eric's oversized five-car garage, which was part of the guesthouse that sat behind his mansion in Fort Washington, Maryland. Latrice had only been to this wealthy Tantallon neighborhood once but dreamed of owning a mansion there one day. The garage door came down and Latrice turned the car off. Latrice was going to wait inside the car until Eric appeared. She'd never seen him, but Shakita assured her that she would definitely know him when she saw him. She told her that his overbearing good looks were too rare to go mistakenly unnoticed. This was something she had to see for herself.

Latrice saw two big men enter the garage from the guesthouse and walked toward her. She didn't think that neither one of them were that attractive and was hoping that one of them wasn't Eric. Latrice then looked back at the door, and saw the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. The way Latrice was gawking at him, she felt like she had her face pressed up against the window, trying to get the best view possible. Eric was too good to be true and she wanted to touch him to see if he were real. She didn't want to go after what was Shakita's, and wished there were two of them. Eric walked up to her window and waited for her to open the door.

“Hey, Latrice. I see you didn't have a problem finding me?” Eric said to the still dazed Latrice.

She blushed. “Yeah. It was pretty easy.”

“Good. So the coins are in the back?”

“Yeah. They're in big metal canisters.”

“No problem. Pop the trunk and we'll get them.”

Latrice unlocked the cargo area, so the two bulky men could
get the canisters out. The men cracked open each canister and dumped all the money into large rucksacks, and put them in the back of an Escalade. The two guys put the busted-up canisters back in Latrice's truck and closed the door. The garage door opened up and the two men rolled out in the Escalade.

“Are you in a hurry?” Eric asked her.

“No why?”

“Would you like to come in for a minute so we can talk?”

“Sure. Why not,” Latrice said, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to see what he was really like. As she got out the truck, and followed Eric's fine ass into his house, she made certain to keep her best friend in mind.

“Have a seat,” Eric said, directing her to a small black couch in the living room. Latrice took a seat and immediately got comfortable in her surroundings. “Would you care for something to drink?”

“Sure.”

“What would you like?”

“I'll drink anything. You can surprise me.”

“All right, I'll be right back.” Eric went into the kitchen while Latrice's eyes couldn't stop watching him. Shakita had told her she'd only seen him in suits, but today Eric was wearing a pair of light denim jeans, a white Ralph Lauren Purple Label polo shirt, and a pair of Louis Vuitton sneakers. Latrice loved the way his muscles bulged out of his chest and thought about rubbing her hands across his washboard stomach. Eric came back with her drink and she snapped out of her daze.

“I brought you some grape juice. Everybody loves that.” He smiled.

“You're right. Grape juice is one of my favorites,” she said, smiling back.

Eric took a seat on a black sofa that was across from her, while
Latrice wondered what he was drinking. “I see what you have in your glass is clear. What is it?”

“Some Cîroc,” he said as he took a sip.

“I guess you thought I wasn't a drinker, huh?”

“Oh, I'm sorry. I think it's unattractive to offer a lady alcohol the first time she's in your home. Unless she wants some, of course.”

“If you don't mind, I do.”

He then stood. “Okay. I have a full bar, so do you have any special request?”

“I would like some p.i.n.k. vodka, if you have it. If not, I'll take some Cîroc.”