Diamonds and Pearl (46 page)

Regardless of how angry Buda got at Diamonds, he still loved him like a brother, which was why what was happening between them hurt so much. He'd been noticing a gradual change in his friend as they hit more cities and made more money, but the changes had started to become more apparent when they were in Miami. It was supposed to be them against everybody else, but the more money they made, the more Diamonds became like the people they fed on. He was more enamored with the flash and the power than with the cash. No longer was it good enough to play the shadows, feasting on cities from the inside out until they were fat with cash. Diamonds was determined to make a name for himself, and he didn't care who or what he put at risk to do it. The others might've been content to sit by silently while Diamonds and his ever-growing ego pissed away everything they had built, but not Buda. He was loyal to Diamonds, but if he was unfit to lead them, Buda wouldn't hesitate to step up. Some might've called Buda's train of thought jealousy, but the way he saw it, he was protecting the interests of the crew.

After he left TJ's baby shower, Buda hopped in a taxi and headed back to Harlem. Mercedes had hit him up and told him to come by her place because she had a surprise for him. As they were talking, he could hear the muffled giggles of another female in the background. His heart filled with the hope that he might be finally going to get the threesome he had been practically begging her for.

Before going upstairs to her apartment, he stopped at the corner liquor store and grabbed a bottle of whiskey for himself and vodka for her. He was too anxious to wait for the elevator, so he bounded the stairs three at a time, all the way up to the sixth floor. With a trembling hand, he knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later the door opened, and Buda found his breath stolen.

Mercedes opened the door, wearing nothing more than a sheer robe and red pumps. Her face was flawlessly made-up, her lips painted a bright shade of crimson. Dark silver-dollar-sized nipples stood hard and erect behind the thin fabric, causing a stir in his crotch. “So, you gonna stand there gawking or come inside?”

*   *   *

Less than a minute later, Buda and Mercedes were in her bedroom going at it. His hands explored her body, paying special attention to her breasts. Using his thumbs, he flicked her nipples, making them stiffer than they already were. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and kissed her passionately on the lips. Mercedes's mouth tasted of cigarettes, liquor, and something else he wasn't familiar with, but he ignored it and kept letting his tongue explore her mouth. He had almost sucked all the breath from her lungs when Mercedes pulled away.

“Calm down, boo. We got all night.” Mercedes backed toward the bed.

“Fuck that. I been dreaming about this pussy all day.” Buda panted, following her as if he were hypnotized. He took his gun from his pants and set it on her dresser while he tried to get his belt undone.

“Is that right?” She slid back on the bed.

“Better believe it.” He finally got the belt loose.

“Then prove it.” She spread her legs and showed him her shaved nest.

Buda didn't even bother to take his pants all the way off. He pushed them down around her ankles and crawled up onto the bed. His thick, veiny, cock felt heavy in his hand as he guided it toward her pussy. When the tip touched her lips, he could feel that she was already soaking wet. He was about to take the plunge when she placed her hands on his chest to stop him.

“You know the rules.” Mercedes reached over to the nightstand and retrieved a condom.

“C'mon, baby. Let me feel that raw,” Buda pleaded.

“Nah, papi. You know I ain't going out like that. Either put the condom on or leave with blue balls,” she told him in the tone that said it wasn't up for negotiation.

“Fuck it,” Buda said angrily, and snatched the condom and rolled it on. Once she was satisfied, she allowed him to enter her pearly gates. The moment Buda slipped inside her, he let out a high-pitched sigh. Even with the condom standing between them, Mercedes's pussy felt like a warm summer day.

Mercedes placed her legs on Buda's shoulders and grabbed him around the wrists. She hiked her ass up and began sliding herself ever so slowly back and forth on his dick. From the way he was biting his lip, she knew it felt good to him, but little did he knew it was about to get even better.

Buda was hunched over Mercedes, just getting into his groove, when he felt the presence of someone behind him. He jumped out of the pussy and spun, dick swinging and fists drawn back, ready to strike. His hand immediately dropped to his side when he saw who it was.

The pictures he had seen of Zonnie hardly did her justice. She was wearing nothing more than a T-shirt and a pair of furry slippers, so he was able to really appreciate her curves. She had wide hips and thick thighs, but her stomach was as flat as a board. Her skin was the color of honeysuckle melon, her lips the color of rose petals. Alluring hazel eyes traveled the length of Buda's body and came to rest on his dick. She nodded in approval.

“What's this?” Buda asked, already knowing the answer and praying he was right.

“It's like I told you: I had a surprise for you,” Mercedes said with a mischievous smirk.

Zonnie stepped up and took his thick manhood in her hand. “So what's up? Is this a private party or can I join in?”

Buda lay back on the bed and prepared himself for the wild ride he was sure was coming. Mercedes lay across Buda, her ass hiked high in the air, while Zonnie positioned herself behind her. She buried her face in the crack of Mercedes's ass and began dragging her tongue from clit to booty.

The sight of Mercedes's eyes rolling into the back of her head as she was carted off into the throes of passion turned Buda the fuck on. He leaned up to try to kiss Mercedes, but she shoved him back down. He had been reduced to the role of spectator, at least for the moment.

When Zonnie was sated on Mercedes's juices, she gave her a playful slap on the ass, letting her know it was time to switch positions. Zonnie went high while Mercedes elected to go low. Zonnie pressed her lips over Buda's, allowing him to taste the woman they had been sharing. He wasn't sure which was sweeter, Mercedes's pussy or Zonnie's lips.

Feeling a pair of hot lips wrap around his dick jerked Buda up so fast that he and Zonnie almost butted heads. Mercedes was effortlessly taking him from tip to balls in and out of her throat, drooling down his shaft and inner thighs. Not to be outdone, Zonnie abandoned Buda's lips and moved south. As he lay, his head propped on a pillow, watching the two beautiful women fight over his cock, his chest swelled with pride. For the first time since he'd been in New York, he felt like a boss.

*   *   *

About an hour after the marathon sex session, Buda was snatched from his peaceful sleep by a sudden feeling of dread. He looked around the room and everything appeared normal, but there was no sign of either of the girls. When he ran his hand over the bedsheet next to him, the spot was still warm, meaning they hadn't been gone long.

He got up and started making his way toward the living room. As he drew closer to the living room, he could hear the soft sounds of voices and he smelled weed. It appeared the girls were trying to keep the partying going without him. They were probably talking shit about having fucked him into a coma. If they thought they were off the hook that easily, they were going to be surprised as shit when he popped up ass naked with a rock-hard dick, ready for round two. But when Buda rounded the corner, it was he who was in for a surprise.

He found the two girls sitting on the couch, passing a joint back and forth and drinking up the liquor he had brought, but they weren't alone. Wedged between them was a man Buda had become recently familiar with because of his dealings with Diamonds, but he looked nothing like the clown he seen earlier. He'd traded in his baggy jeans and do-rag for a pair of slacks and a cashmere sweater. Aside from his new clothes, there was something else different about him that Buda couldn't quite put his finger on.

“I'm surprised that thing still works, considering that young boy almost ripped it off,” Rolling said, looking at Buda's dick.

Buda turned to make a run for his gun, which he had left in the bedroom, and he ran smack into Born coming out of the bathroom. He was leveling a 9mm at Buda's face. “Good to see you again, playa.” He motioned for him to move back into the living room.

“I trust you remember Born, and I see you've already met my ladies.” He threw his arms around Zonnie and Mercedes. “Why don't you have a seat so we can chat for a minute?”

“Fuck you, nigga!” Buda spat.

Rolling gave Born a nod, and he cracked Buda upside the head with his gun so hard that it dropped him onto all fours.

“You know, it really doesn't have to be like this,” Rolling said coolly. “I was hoping we could chat without all the theatrics.”

Buda gave him an amused look. “Fuck we got to talk about? You think a new set of clothes makes you somebody? You still ain't shit but a yes-man!”

“Coming from a man who'd rather carry Diamonds's dirty laundry than try to go out and get his own, I know how much stock to put in your opinion, Buda,” Rolling mocked him.

Buda made an attempt to get up, but Born's gun at the back of his head reminded him of his current situation.

“I provided your boy Diamonds with a great opportunity,” Rolling continued, “and instead of showing a little appreciation, he treats me like some dog to kick around.”

“All you did was make the introduction. Doodles is the man holding the bag.”

“And who do you think it was that gave Doodles the bag in the first place?” Rolling questioned.

Buda gave a hearty laugh as if this were the funniest thing he'd ever heard. “So you expect me to believe that Doodles really works for you?”

Rolling laughed. “‘The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.' People tend to focus so much on my baby brother that they overlook the monster hiding in plain sight.” He got off the couch and came to stand before Buda, brandishing a large .357. “One of two things will go into your ear tonight, my friend. My proposal”—he put the gun to the side of Buda's head—“or a bullet.”

When Buda looked into Rolling's eyes, he realized what had been different about him other than his clothes. The ever-present fear normally in his eyes was now nowhere to be found. It was replaced by something darker and more sinister. He knew without question that Rolling had played them all.

“Don't look so surprised, Buda.” Rolling got up and began pacing in a tight circle around Buda. “You aren't the only one to fall for this sniveling middle-man routine. Goodness knows, I've had years to practice it while living in the exile my little brother imposed on me. What I learned during my time away is a man who is always taken as a joke is never seen as a threat until it's too late. You and your boys were proof of that.”

“So you did this deal with us just to pull this shit?” Buda motioned toward Born, who was still holding his gun to the back of Buda's head.

Rolling stopped his pacing and stood before Buda. “Just because I'm a snake doesn't mean I'm not a wise businessman. Doodles has been bringing in some nice change off the dope I've been having smuggled into Brooklyn, but his reach is …
local,
for lack of a better word. You boys haven't got those kids of hang-ups. I knew that if I brought your crew in at the rate you gobble up territory, and competition, it'd only be a matter of time before you bumped heads with Big Stone and did what I couldn't, and that's remove him from the equation so I can take back what he stole from me. Then your boy Diamonds had to go and fall for my niece and fucked everything up.” He extended his hand, and Born placed his 9mm in it.

“You mean the little brown-skinned thing he's been sniffing around is Big Stone's kid?” Buda was shocked. He'd known something was up with that girl from the moment he'd laid eyes on her.

“And now you understand why you find yourself ass naked and confused. See, with Diamonds seeing my niece, that kills any hopes I had on him going at my brother, at least so long as he's leading the crew. And that fucks up everything I was planning.” He placed his gun next to Buda's head. “The way I see it, I'm faced with two options: whack all you little muthafuckas for all the time and money I've already wasted”—he lowered the gun—“or me and you can come to some type of understanding.”

*   *   *

The sounds of WBLS hummed softly through the speakers of the SUV as Diamonds navigated his way south through Harlem. The quiet storm was jamming some of his favorite old-school cuts, and most of them all fit his mood.

The talk he'd had with Pearl had done wonders for his soul. He had known already who her father was, but he had no plans to tell her that. The fact that she had been up front with him about it said a lot about how she was built. His people might've felt like he was speeding by getting so caught up with her so quick, but Diamonds knew what he was doing. She was beautiful, intelligent, loyal, and connected. You didn't leave a woman like that blowing in the wind; you made her yours.

By the time Diamonds pulled into the garage of his building, he was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open. He had been going for days on little to no sleep, and couldn't wait to get upstairs and crash on his featherbed mattress. As he was waiting for the elevator that would take him up to his floor, he remembered that he'd never turned his phone back on from when he'd left Pearl. As soon as he did, he was immediately bombarded with alerts. He had five voice mails and a few text messages, most from Goldie and Hank wondering where the hell he was. He'd follow up with them in the morning. He was just about to slip the phone back into his pocket when he saw a text message from Wolf pop up. They always spoke on the phone or in person, never via text message. Curious, Diamonds opened the message. It only contained six words:
DON'T GO HOME UNTIL WE TALK
.