The Face That Launched A Thousand Bullets (The Cartel Publications Presents) (39 page)

“I figured I’d speed the next day up till today. So you gonna stop playin’ games and roll wit me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Okay how about this. I’ma ask you three questions. If you answer yes to all of them you have to go with me okay?”

She nodded yes.

“Is the one who hurt you from Baltimore?”

“Yes.”

“Are you lonely?”

“Yes.”

“Were you thinking about me before I showed up?”

She smiled.

He opened the door.

“Get inside. It’s safe in here.”

She looked around to be sure nobody saw her. And suddenly not caring anymore, she jumped in. What did she have to lose?

“What’s your name?” she said as she fell into the butter leather seats. “Shelton.”

The Kings of 295

The House Strip Club

T
he Kings of 295 occupied the entire right side of the Penthouse strip club in DC. They had huge stacks of money on the table and the peeled it off based on the shawty who was doing her thing the best. Management tried everything in their power to get the girls to remain focused on
all
the customers in the club, but it was next to impossible. The Kings were throwing money everywhere. Two strippers had already gotten into a fight trying to get the King’s attention.

“So you know we can’t find the nigga Charms right?” Cray asked as he smoked a black and mild and watched a stripper with the body of a Goddess work the floor. “We searched high and low for yo and can’t find him nowhere. And he still on our blocks.”

“This nigga gettin’ on my last fuckin’ nerves.” Nyzon said sipping his Hennessy.

“Exactly. He see we ain’t backin’ down but yo don’t give a fuck. He ready to die for them blocks.”

The rest of the crew sat around them as they enjoyed the view. They’d spent so much time together that it was no longer about DC versus Bmore. It was about loyalty and money.

“He may be willing to die but I know he got a weak spot. We all do.”

“Not me,” Cray offered. “Ain’t nothin’ weak about me.”

“Let’s hope no one will ever prove it.”

“I got an idea though. I’ma send a message this time that he won’t forget. I might need some fire from the DC fam if things get out of hand but I’ma let you know.”

“Cool. So you still havin’ that joint for your cousin who’s gettin’ off lock?”

“Yeah…And I’ma be killin’ they asses when I come through the spot.”

“Me too. I’ma show you Bmore niggas how DC do it.”

“Yeah whateva, man. You just betta not fake. I know you been keepin’ time with some broad ‘round my way.” Cray laughed. “But it’s gonna be mad pussy there that night so you got to get up wit her lada.”

“Oh I’ma be there. And for real I neva thought about gettin’ wit no Bmore chick before now. Shawty fire! The only thing is, she fuckin’ wit some nigga and they live together. But if she don’t give a fuck, I don’t either.”

“Aw shit now these DC niggas gonna start migrating’ up north tryin’ to get at our bitches.”

“His loss. A nigga couldn’t pull my bitch if he wanted to. She so green she think I’m God.” Cray laughed. “That’s how you got to treat these females.”

Nyzon nodded in agreement. “You right about that. And what he don’t know won’t hurt him.”

Cray laughed before saying, “True dat! Anyway, she ain’t as cold as my girl.” He threw three hundred dollar bills on the dance floor. “Trust.”

“I wouldn’t know cause you don’t bring your girl out. I been at your crib how many times and I still haven’t seen her?”

“I know. She in college and shit so she be busy. But she’ll be at the party.”

“You mean we finally get to meet the queen of Bmore?” Nyzon joked.

“Finally.”

They were just getting into convo when a dude walked quickly in Royala’s direction with what looked like a gun in his hand. Nyzon’s eyes zoomed toward her and saw that she was so enveloped into the dancers, that she didn’t see him coming.

Right before Nyzon could pull out his piece, dude sent a bullet spiraling in Royala’s direction. Cray and Nyzon realizing what was going on, went for their heat but they were too late. All accept Jinx. Jinx hit him in the arm once and Cooks popped him in the shoulders. When he fell they walked up on him and fired more bullets into his body.

It was pure pandemonium as bystanders fought to get out of the club, safely. One of the strippers got so scared she fell off the pole and flat on her ass.

Royala’s eyes were too sizes too big when she saw her life flash before her eyes. They quickly noticed it was the same dude at the club the other night. The only difference was, he wasn’t running his mouth anymore. His mouth and eyes were shut.

The drama, although unnecessary, drew them even closer together.

Monesha and Gabriella

Feelin’ Used

G
abriella sat in a tub full of cold water crying her eyes out. No matter what she did, she couldn’t make Monesha love her. She was dead set on getting back with Nyzon despite their family ties. All she wanted was to make her happy, and take care of her. But Monesha wasn’t having it.

When she heard four knocks at the door, she wiped her face with a cold washcloth and said, “Come in.”

Monesha came strutting in the bathroom dressed to go out as she busied herself with her makeup in the mirror. She was clueless that Gabriella had spent two hours crying in a tub full of cold water nor did she care.

“Gab, can you do me a favor?”

“What’s up?”

“Nyzon coming by to drop some money off and to pick up Ryan.”

“And?”

“I want you to get the money for me and get Ryan dressed.”

She said touching up her blush. Ever since she had the baby, her body filled out so her sex appeal was off the chain.

“And don’t let him short change me either. It should be three thousand.”

“A’ight.”

She looked up at her hoping she’d say something else like, ‘And when I get back we’ll work on us.’ But it never happened.

“Where are you going?”

“Gab, please! We already been through this. Don’t try to clock this pussy cause you can’t. Now are you gonna do it or not?”

“You know I will.”

Figuring Gabriella could be trouble she sat on the edge of the tub and looked down at her.

“Do this for me, and I’ll eat your pussy so good tonight, you’ll have to call off of work for weeks.”

The thought turned her on but she’d said that before and sometimes, she wouldn’t have sex with her. And if she did, it didn’t feel as sensual as she promised.

“Don’t worry about what the fuck I tell Ny. Just do what I ask and I’ll talk to you later.”

When she left out the bathroom door she sat alone with Envy, Hurt, and Pain as her accomplices. They told her things she knew she shouldn’t listen to, but what else could she do? Monesha had been playing games with her heart for years. So she left her no other choice than to get mad and get even.

Later

Nyzon sat in the living room waiting for his son to come out. It disgusted him that Monesha had plasma TV’s in every room in her apartment courtesy of him. Not to mention all of her furniture was expensive and shipped from out of the country.

He waited five minutes for Gabriella to get Ryan dressed so he could take him. And every time he looked at Gabriella, he felt like knocking her out because he never got over that it was her that set him up. At the same time, had it not been for her, he would’ve never known his family.

When Nyzon saw Ryan he smiled. He didn’t say anything but he was making plans to get him away from Monesha’s money hungry ass. He just had to tell Cooks the deal first.

“I thought you wasn’t comin’.” She said handing him the baby. “Monesha said you shoulda been here over an hour ago.”

While she was talking, he peeped his gear and noticed he wasn’t wearing shit he brought him.

“Where’s the clothes I got for him?”

“You got to ask Monesha that shit!”

“I ain’t got to ask her nothin’! You the one who got him dressed. Look at this bummy shit ya’ll got my son in.”

“Nyzon, don’t come at me with no shit! All I did was put the clothes on him she set out. If you got a problem take it up wit Monesha.”

“Both of ya’ll some bum, bitches!”

Nyzon was so angry he forgot his kid was in his arms.

“I’m a bitch?!” Gabriella pointed at herself and through her hands on her hips.

“You heard what the fuck I said, cunt! Ya’ll up in here snackin’ on each other’s pussies and got my kid out here fucked up! I’m sick of this shit!”

“Played? Fuck you talkin’ bout?”

Gabriella smiled a little although she really didn’t want to put Monesha out there. She knew the moment she opened her mouth, it would be really over between them. It was obvious after all this time that she still couldn’t see past Nyzon.

“He ain’t yours, Ny!” She let out a sigh. “Monesha been runnin’ game on you ever since she found out you liked me. She got pregnant just to trap you, but he ain’t even your baby.”

Nyzon’s nose stung a little as he listened to the coldhearted truth. He looked at the baby in his arms carefully. His eyes. His little nose and even his lips. Nothing about him said he was his son.

“Gabriella, if you’re playin’ wit me, you’re as good as dead. I put that on everything.”

“Ny, I’m not playin’. He’s not your baby. Look at him! Look at him good! The proof is there.”

She went from gangster to crybaby in seconds. Tears streamed down her face as she told it all and Nyzon rubbed the sides of his head to ease the headache.

“There’s more Nyzon.”

He looked up at her evilly.

“She’s not your blood cousin. Your aunt Jackie married her father after Monesha was born. She was gonna tell you until you told her if she wasn’t related to you, it still wouldn’t make a difference. And that ya’ll couldn’t be together.”

“I’m not! She decided to blackmail you instead. She never knew her mother and that’s why your aunt still looks out for her even though she divorced her father.”

Nyzon thought about when he was in the kitchen and his aunt said Monesha was
like a daughter
to her. And Monesha said, I am your daughter.