Ruthless (36 page)

“Wait one goddamn minute, Miss Pasha, girl. You ain't about to finger-fuck me or…”

“And I
want
that nigga's dick,” I say, cutting into her sentence. “
Today
.”

“Nigga-boo,
boom-boom,
goddammit!” she hisses, swinging her bag from one hand to the other. “You ain't gettin' shit. You threaten me, then
think
I'ma just give you somethin'. Booga-coon,
boom
! What, you done sucked up all the live niggas' dicks out here that ya desperate ass gotta take to suckin' a dead nigga's frozen dick now?”

“You fuckin' bitch,” I jeer. “You're the one keeping the shit for a souvenir, so what does that say about you? I want. His. Dick, Booty.”

She smirks, planting a hand up on her hip. “Oh, no, sugah-boo.
I ain't givin' you shit. You want that dingaling. It's gonna cost you, sugah-boo. You gonna pay me for all my pain ‘n' goddamn sufferin' ‘n' for havin' me go almost a whole week wit'out gettin' my hair ‘n' nails did. And you ain't ever s'posed to let personal shit get in the way of business. Real bitches fight, tear each other up, then go out ‘n' get they drink on. But, noo. You wanna be an ole messy bitch, Miss Pasha, girl. So you ain't gettin' a goddamn thang from me 'til you do me right, goddammit.”

I smirk, glancing at my watch, then over her shoulder. “Suit yourself. Look, I have somewhere to be. But you might want to get your daughter home before she ends up missing with a
dick
in her mouth.”

“Say what?” She glances over her shoulder at Day'Asia standing over by a black Benz all grins and giggles talking to Fanny's twenty-two-year-old son who's clearly way too old for her hot ass. But I can tell his hormones and her big, juicy titties are getting the best of him. “Day'Asia!” she snaps, stamping her heel into the concrete. “Day'Asia!”

“Whaaat?!”

“Bitch,
don't you
whaaat
me! I tol' you to take ya black ass to the truck! Not be out here tryna get you no goddamn dingaling. Now don't have me get all ghetto ‘n' ugly out here on church property! Get yo' stank-ass in that damn truck ‘n' wait for me to get there, like I tol' you to do! You know I'm grievin' ‘n' you got me out here ready to turn up the gas on yo' ass. NOW get ya ass in that goddamn truck, Day'Asia! You muthafuckin' kids stay tryna do me. I can't even have a goddamn moment ‘n' come out to a damn funeral to grieve. And I tol' you…”

I don't stand around for this mess. By the time she finishes her tirade and turns back to me, I'm already at the truck, sliding into
the backseat with Mel shutting the door. He hops into the driver's seat and drives off. The last thing I see is Booty stepping out of her heels and storming over toward her daughter.

I shake my head, sighing. “Lamar, were your
peoples
able to handle that?”

“No doubt. It'll be at the spot when you get there tonight.”

I pull out my phone, then compose a text.
U MIGHT WANT 2 CHECK UR FREEZER WHEN U GET HOME.

These bitches gonna learn today. Don't fuck with me.

I press
SEND
just as an incoming call rings in. It's Stax. “Hey.”

“I need to see you. Now.” I tell him no.
“No?
Nah, man. I'm not tryna hear that, Pash. We need to talk.” I tell him I can't. Not now. Maybe later. “I'm not tryna hear that, either. You're not 'bout to play me to the back, like some crab, Pash. Make time for me.”

I blink. He isn't asking me. He's telling me. And the nigga's tone strikes a match to my clit, lighting a slow flame.

Damn him!

I press my thighs together, knowing if he comes to the hotel, we're going to end up fucking each other down into the springs. I can't let him and his good dick or the sweet throb in my wet pussy distract me.

“Pash, don't deny me, ma. You owe me this.”

I swallow back the memory, the taste, of him inside of me, and give in.

“But not at my hotel,” I quickly say, shifting in my seat, feeling heat shoot up my spine. “I'll meet you at Lincoln Park. We can walk and talk there.”

“Cool. I'll be there in twenty minutes.”

I smirk, shutting my phone off. I lean up in my seat and tap Mel on the shoulder, letting him know there's a change in plans. I scoot
back, laying my head back against the headrest, trying like hell to figure out when shit changed with me. And Stax. When did he get into my head and start chipping away at my thoughts? Was it after the second, or third, or fourth time I sucked his nut down into my mouth? Or did it happen right after he slid his dick into my pussy?

No. It happened the first time I
really
looked into his eyes. And saw him.

And me.

Ohgod, no!
Stax's purpose in my life has been served. Fucking him was more so for revenge than for pumping him for any more than what he'd already told me. So then why is my pussy smoking hot thinking about him?

I shake the answer out of my head. Bottom line, I can't ever be left alone with him again.

Hidden desires can sometimes cloud and conceal one's true intentions…

“Keep shit a hunnid, Pash. You know where Jasper is, don't you?”

I look away from him, closing my eyes. My heart tells me I can trust Stax, which makes me want to give him the truth. But my head is telling me some other shit; that his loyalty is to Jasper. Good dick or not, blood is always thicker than water. No matter what I think I see every time he looks at me, it'll never change shit.

He knew what Jasper planned to do to me and did nothing.

My silence is his invitation to continue.

“Pash, look at me, ma.” I don't. “I know what my fam put you through really fucked you up. And, word is bond, Pash. I'm fucked up over it, too. You already know that. I know he hurt you. And I know I hurt you, too, for letting him hurt you like that. That shit still fucks wit' me, Pash.”

“You already said all this,” I say, blinking back tears. I still don't look at him when I say this. I can't. “I
meant
what I said, Stax, when I said I'm trying to keep you safe.”

He sighs. “You don't have to worry 'bout me, Pash. I'm protected even when it looks like I'm not.” He blows out another breath. “Do what you gotta do, Pash, aiight. I already know what it is. And I'm not tryna take that from you. So handle your business. But I want his body when you're done.”

Now I am looking at him. I tilt my head. “Who said
anything
about a body?”

“C'mon, Pash. Who you think you talkin' to, ma? I see where this is goin'. First, my fam JT goes missin'.”

I give him an incredulous look.
“JT?
I didn't have anything to do with that. I didn't even know he was involved in what happened to me until
after
he went missing.”

His eyes stay locked on mine as if he's trying to catch any indication of deceit. There is none. He shakes his head, sighing. “This shit is crazy. Them retarded muhfuckas stay wildin' ‘n' doin' dumb shit. And I'm always the one cleanin' they shit up. Ain't no tellin' where that nigga is rottin'. So, you didn't have shit to do wit' JT's situation. But that nigga Legend, tortured then bodied. Felecia's head chopped off. Now Jasper's missin'. You see how this is all startin' to look?”

“Yeah, like they fucked over the
wrong
bitch.”

He smiles at me, shaking his head. “I used to tease that nigga Jasper when he'd be on his bullshit wit' you. I'd be like, ‘Yo, you know she's the Boogey Man's daughter, so you better quit sleepin' on her before you find ya ass hangin' upside down somewhere. That gutter grit is in her blood.' I kept warnin' his ass. Mmmph. Nigga ain't wanna believe me, though. Now look.” I blink. “What, you ain't think I knew who ya pops was? Anyone in the game knows who the infamous Ralphie Allen is. Ya pops was a real beast in these streets, Pash.” I nod knowingly. The man was treacherous if crossed. And wouldn't think twice about tossing gasoline up on someone, then setting them on fire.

“Real shit, Pash…” He pauses, shaking his head. “You're dangerous as fuck, ma. And I knew if you got pushed far enough that same beast would be awakened in you.” He rubs his hands over
his waves, then covers his face, before looking back at me. “I done got myself caught up in some shit wit' you, Pash. Fuck. I gotta stay away from you, man. And I'm tryin', Pash, real shit. But it's like…” He shakes his head. “You got this hold on me or some shit. I let you get all up in my head.”

I shift my eyes from his. I look down at the ground, over at the couple walking their dog, over toward the street…anywhere except at him.

“On my life, Pash, I meant e'ery word I said when I tol' you I'll never let Jasp hurt you, again. I put that on e'erything I love. Jasper's my blood, Pash. But the nigga been mad reckless for too long. Him, JT, Des…all them niggas.”

“What about Des?” I ask, practically easing up on the edge of the bench.

He lets out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. “Nah, nothin', yo. I'm tired, man. Those stash houses that somehow got raided, then burned down…”

My stomach lurches. “Yeah? What about them?”

“Those weren't Jasper's spots, Pash. He ran 'em. But they were a
few
of mine.” I blink. I catch the emphasis on a
few
. My eyes widen in disbelief. All these years I thought
he
worked for Jasper. Thought
he
was one of Jasper's henchmen. That Jasper was the one who put his family on. And Stax is the real top-dawg nigga.

I'm speechless.

“That was
your
work, wasn't it?” I shift my eyes. “You ain't gotta admit to it, Pash. I'm impressed.” He lets out a laugh. “You got that off, Pash. When the first three got hit, I thought it mighta been some snake niggas tryna muscle in on my flow. So I had cats sweepin' the streets 'cause niggas in the game always talkin'; someone always flossin' off a come up, or yappin' at the mouth tryna earn stripes
‘n' shit. But shit came back quiet. Then I thought maybe it was some outta-town muhfuckas, but that wasn't it, either. I was like, ‘Nah. Whoever's behind this shit is out for blood. The shit's real personal.' And I know I haven't shit on no one. But I still didn't connect
you
to them hits 'til Sunday night when you hit me up mad pressed for me to get at you.”

I shift my body on the bench. All of a sudden it's starting to get hot. I feel beads of sweat gliding down my back. Stax hasn't shifted his gaze from me once since he started talking. Nor has his tone changed.

God, I just want to poke his damn eyes out! And slap his beautiful face!
He's extremely calm. I don't know if I should jump up now and start running and screaming for my life, try to fast-talk my way out of him doing me in right here, or simply let him end it right here, right now.

“You sexed me up real right, Pash. Put it on me like no other. Had me creepin' outta ya suite mad early in the mornin' to only fire back up my phone to see mad missed calls ‘n' texts about two more of my spots gettin' hit ‘n' Jasper bein' MIA. Then I get greeted by Felecia's head propped up on a stake in my fam's yard. That's a lil' more than coincidence, feel me?”

I feel my chest tighten. My bang falls over my left eye. I toss my head, clearing my one-eyed view of him. “Look, Stax,” I say, preparing to stand. “I think we should wrap this up. I don't like where this is…”

He reaches for me. “Nah, chill. I'm not done. You owe me, Pash.” His brow arches. “Do you know how much paper ‘n' product I lost from those eight spots you had hit up tryna get at my fam, huh? Millions of dollars, Pash. You ‘n' Jasper cost me mad paper, aiight. But I ain't sweatin' that shit.”

I swallow. He's so calm that it's frightening me. My eyes dart around the park. “C'mon, Pash. I'm not gonna hurt you. Damn. I'd
never
hurt you, man. I tol' you, yo. You gotta special place in my heart.”

I pull in my bottom lip. My heart is beating heavy against my chest. I can hear its pounding in my ears. I feel myself getting dizzy. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. And when I open them, I ask, “Do you love me, Stax?”

It's the first time his gaze shifts from mine. He clears his throat, then narrows his eyes. “I want Jasp, Pash. Do what you gotta do wit' him, feel me. But when you finish, he's mine. He's my blood. And I want him.
Dead
or
alive
.”

He gives me a look that lets me know he's serious. This is a side of him I've never seen.

“Stax…”

“This isn't a negotiation, Pash. Until JT's body is found, my fam, none of us, have closure. I'm not lettin' another member of my fam go missin', Pash. Whatever happens, they,
we
, deserve closure; feel me?”

I slowly nod.

He stands, taking me by the hand and helping me up. “C'mon. Let me get you back to ya peoples.” An electric current shoots through me. “Them some real thorough cats you got on ya team, Pash.”

I look up at him. “Yeah, I know. I really lucked up.” He smiles at me. “What?”

“Nothin,' Pash.”

“No, say it.”

He stops walking and reaches for my hand again. “You're a beautiful woman, Pash. Don't let what Jasp ‘n' the rest of them grimy
muhfuckas did to you turn you into somethin' ugly, ma. That's not you, ma. Don't let them have ya shine, Pash. What they did was some real pussy-ass shit. But don't let that shit control you. Take back what they took from you. Do what you gotta do, then let it go.