Thug Lovin' (27 page)

“I don’t want no trouble out of you, nigga.”

“All I said was shorty is fine.”

“Yeah, well, you heard what I said.”

“Man, I’m the oldest. Now get the fuck out and help shorty with her bags. I give the orders around here, lil’ punk,” Kyron
told Kaylin.

“Yeah, I got your punk.” Kaylin got out to place Tasha’s bags in the trunk. “What’s up, my nigga?” He picked her up and gave
her a hug.

“Thanks for allowing me to camp out.”

“Girl, don’t insult me like that. You know you can stay as long as you need to.”

“It’s only temporary until I get my own place.”

Kaylin laughed. “C’mon, Tasha, I know my boy ain’t fuck up that bad.”

“Yes, he did. But I don’t want to talk about that right now.”

“Okay, okay. Just let me know when you’re ready.” He closed the trunk and opened the front door for her. “Don’t be alarmed,
that’s just my ugly brother Kyron back there.”

“Yes, I’m the member of the family no one wants to talk about,” Kyron joked.

“What’s up, Kyron? Good to finally meet you and that’s not true. I’ve seen a few pictures and heard a little bit of conversation.”

“I hope you don’t believe everything you hear.”

Tasha decided not to comment on that as she buckled her seat belt.

Kaylin jumped into the driver’s seat and pulled off.

Everyone was silent. Kaylin was still in shock that his brother was home. Kyron was in shock that he was free. Tasha couldn’t
believe that she was back in New York and under these circumstances.

“Yo, shorty, it looks like we’re going to be neighbors.”

“Who is it?” Kyra rushed to the front door and snatched it open, ready to get into Marvin’s ass for leaving the rehab center.
It was Rick. He stood there in the doorway. They were staring at one another.

“You going to let me in, come out here, or what?”

“Rick, what’s up with you?” a startled Kyra asked. “You promised me that you wouldn’t come by the house.” Kyra was whispering.

“I’m just checking on you. You aiight? I wanted to see you.”

Kyra closed the door behind her and sat on the porch. “What’s up?”

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “How’s he doing? He’s been in there for a week now or two?”

“Rick, you know you don’t give a damn.”

“Nah, I don’t. I only give a damn about you and the baby. Can’t you get a babysitter and come see me later?”

“Now is not a good time, Rick. So what’s up? Why are you here?”

“Kyra, I’m telling you. Leave now. Pack up again and go. You should have left the last time. You were almost in your car,
Kyra.”

“You’ve been stalking me?”

He laughed. “No, I’m not crazy. They are watching him, Stephon, Trae and Charli. Y’all’s entire circle. You should have walked
away when you had the chance. You see what he’s been reduced to. He’s in a rehab, Kyra, and the people he runs with have been
under investigation for years.”

“So why are you telling me all of this? Whose side are you on?”

“My side. Shit, I learned the hard way, my side is the only side. If it wasn’t for Trae I wouldn’t be telling you this. He
reminds me so much of my little brother. It’s like Markie reincarnated. His mannerisms and gestures. His arrogance and cockiness.
He loves your family, Kyra, but he can’t save Marvin. You can’t save Marvin. Marvin is already gone.”

“This conversation is over, Detective Bryant.”

“Oh, so now I’m Detective Bryant? Why the fuck do you keep switching up on me?” He grabbed her arm.

“Don’t touch me,” she gritted.

“Okay look. Kyra, just leave. Take that beautiful daughter of yours and leave.”

“And go where?”

“With me. I have a place for the both of you.”

She snatched away from him and went into her house and locked the door.

*  *  *

Trae was just walking into the house when he heard Concita say, “Here comes Mr. Macklin now.” Concita handed Trae the phone.
“It’s your mother, Missus Macklin.”

“Tell her I’ll call her right back.” He tried to give her the phone back.

“No, no, I can’t. She very upset. You must talk to her. I take the children. Come with me, kids.”

Trae sighed before speaking. “Ma, I just walked into the house. Can I call you right back?”

“No, you cannot. Tell me why your wife is up here and you are way over there.”

“We had an argument, Ma, and you know how stubborn she is. She’s mad at me but give her time to cool off. She’ll be back in
a couple of days.” Trae listened as his mother relayed what he had said to his father.

“Trae.” His father had jumped on the phone.

“Shit,” Trae mumbled.

“Get up here and get your wife.”

“Pop, what you want me to do? Tie her up and put her on the plane? I don’t think they are going to allow that.”

“They? You got your own damn plane.”

“Let me give her a couple of days to cool off. Pop, we’ve been beefin’ a lot. I’ll be up there to get her.” Trae listened
again as his dad relayed what he had said to his mother, who jumped back on the phone.

“Two days, Trae. We are giving you two days. Then get up here and get your wife. The boys need their mother.” And she hung
up.

Trae felt in his back pocket for a blunt, went to see what he had stiff to drink but instead ended up heading for Spinners.

*  *  *

Kyra tossed and turned all night long. Altogether she may have gotten in two hours of sleep tops. It was no surprise to her
that she was wide awake at six-fifteen when her phone rang.

“Hello.”

“Kyra, it’s me. Come sign me outta here.” It was Marvin.

She sat up and swung her legs around the edge of the bed. “Is everything okay? What happened?”

“Naw, everything ain’t fuckin’ okay. Kyra, just come sign me the fuck outta here.” She didn’t have to guess that he was pissed.

“Marvin, you haven’t been in there two weeks. I knew you were going to pull this bullshit.” Kyra quickly decided to try and
reason with him. “Marvin, the worst part is over.”

“Man, dead that clinical-speech shit. I’m not yo damn patient. I don’t know why the fuck I agreed to come up in here. All
I did was snort a couple of lines. And you damn right it’s over, now come sign me the fuck out. Be here before I catch another
case up in here.” He slammed down the phone.

O
kay, shorty. Looks like we can help each other out. You around here moping around and until I get my license I need somebody
to drive me around.” Kyron was standing in front of Tasha with his muscled arms folded, looking like Kaylin’s twin. He had
Kaylin’s son Malik’s bedroom, it was adjacent to Tasha’s. Malik was at his mother’s and Kaylin and Angel were at their office.

“Drive you around? It’s only seven in the morning. Do I strike you as the help?” she snapped.

“Of course not. I was just offering you something to do to get your mind off of whatever it is got you stressing.”

“Like you don’t already know. And get out of my room.”

“It’s none of my business. I’m focused on doing me. It’s all about me right now. I know you can understand that. Look, shorty,
I need to make a few moves today. C’mon, drive me around. I’ll pay you.”

“Oh, so now I look like I need money? Nigga, I’m sure my nest egg is much larger than yours.” She walked away from him.

He followed behind her and couldn’t help but admire her ass. “Shorty, you know I wasn’t implying that. Aren’t you tired of
sitting around here? Look, I’m offering to pay you to do what y’all ladies love to do anyway, shop.”

“I thought you had moves to make? Here you are talking about shopping. And you may think I’m moping around but I have moves
to make as well. So don’t comment on shit you don’t know anything about.”

“Okay, okay. Damn, shorty, I apologize.”

Tasha went back into her bedroom and slammed the door.

He smiled and knocked.

She snatched it open. “What now?”

“Be ready in thirty minutes, shorty. I got you.”

After an hour of haggling with the staff Kyra was finally able to sign Marvin out. She was pissed off and frustrated as she
paced back and forth in the waiting area. Aisha was excited, jumping from foot to foot as she waited anxiously for her father
to come out.

Twenty more minutes passed and Marvin came barging through the double doors carrying his bag. He walked right past his wife
without saying a word. He swooped up Aisha and kissed her on the cheek. Kyra followed behind them, barely keeping up.

“Hello to you too.”

“Give me the keys,” he barked.

“Why are you so angry, Marvin? I should be the one pissed off. They are not giving us that money back.”

“Fuck that money. Give me the damn keys.” He held out his hand. She threw the keys at him and stomped in place.

He put Aisha in the backseat and as soon as he threw his bags in the trunk and slammed it shut he asked, “So you still fuckin’
Rick?”

It took a minute for his comment to register. “What? So this is what this is all about?” Kyra shrieked in disbelief. “I don’t
believe you, Marvin. You never cease to amaze me.”

“Answer me, Kyra. Are you still fuckin’ the nigga or what?”

“Marvin, fuck you. I don’t even want to be around you.” She went and got in the car.

He got in the car and told Aisha to put on her seat belt. As soon as he started the car he asked Kyra again, “So are you?”

“Marvin, dead that bullshit.”

“Come on, Kyra, I can handle it. Tell me.”

“You know what, let me the fuck out. I’d rather hitchhike than be in the same space as you.”

“He was over at the house, Kyra. Why was the nigga at my fuckin’ house?” he gritted, remembering Aisha was in the backseat.
His pride was hurt.

“What? You had niggas watchin’ me?”

“You fuckin’ the nigga in my house?”

“Who, Daddy?” Aisha asked, only to be ignored.

“Marvin, our family is on the brink of collapsing all because of your drug habit and you got people spying on me to see if
I’m bringing a nigga in the house? You asshole!” She swung at him, causing him to swerve in the lane and horns to beep. “Let
me out now!” Kyra screamed.

“So why was he at the house? You fuckin’ the nigga in our bed?”

“Who, Mommy? Daddy, no nigga was in our house.”

Kyra started laughing. “Marvin, you are so stupid. I’m not going to even stoop to your level of stupidity and answer you.”
When the car slowed for a stoplight, Kyra jumped out.

“Kyra, get back in here.” He put the car in park and jumped out to chase her, ignoring the honks and beeps. He ran and caught
up to her.

“Nigga, our daughter is in the car. And listen to how you are talking to me,” Kyra screamed at him.

“Get your ass back in the car.” He grabbed the back of her neck, squeezed tight, and forced her back to the car.

“Stop it, Marvin,” she screamed as she tried to break away. Onlookers were trying to see what was going on.

“You jump out again, I’ma fuck you up.” He pushed her into the front seat and slammed the door.

She started crying and now Aisha was crying. “I can’t do this anymore, Marvin. Look what we’ve been reduced to. Let’s go back
to Jersey. This was a bad move.” She was now talking to herself.

He jumped into the car on the last few words of her sentence. He didn’t even hear her as he pulled out of the screaming traffic
behind them. Something told her to drop Aisha over at Marva’s. She had a feeling that this was going to be ugly.

After about an hour and a half of prodding and promising, Kyron finally won and got Tasha to agree to drive him around. Now
they were standing in Kaylin’s driveway.

“Okay, Kyron, let’s set the rules. I’ll drive you around but do not ask me about my personal life and I won’t ask you about
yours. Even though you don’t have one since you’re just getting out of prison and all.”

“Oh, so shorty over here got jokes. You already accused me of being a broke-ass nigga, now you saying that I don’t have a
personal life. That’s ugly.” He threw her the keys to the S500. “Here, start earning your keep.”

She started the Benz up and it purred like a kitten. As she adjusted the mirrors and her seat she asked, “So where to?”

“First stop Motor Vehicles.”

Tasha mumbled, “Why did I volunteer my services? I must be bored to volunteer to sit up at some damn Motor Vehicles all day.”

“You don’t have anything else to do. Now drive. I got you, shorty.”

Marvin and Kyra had finally stopped arguing, only because Aisha wouldn’t stop crying. They rode the rest of the way home not
saying a word. When he pulled up in front of the house he didn’t turn the engine off.

Kyra looked over at him in disgust. “You’re not even going to come in and spend time with your daughter?”

“I’ll be back after my daughter goes to sleep. If I come in now, she is going to see me put my foot all up in yo ass. I don’t
want that. Let me go find this nigga Rick.”

“Yeah right. You gotta go find something all right. Your next hit. Marvin, don’t make me come and get you. This time I’m bringing
your daughter inside so that she can see what her father is doing to himself. I’m not hiding your ugly habit from her anymore.”

“Kyra, get out the car.”

She reached over and snatched the keys out of the ignition.

“Give me the damn keys, Kyra.” He went to snatch them back. As they tussled, Marvin, being the stronger of the two, ended
up with the keys. “I told you I’ll be back.”

“Fuck you, Marvin. I see that the urgency wasn’t you thinking that I was fuckin’ Rick in the house. The urgency was you wanting
to get high.”

“Shut your fuckin’ mouth, Kyra.”

“Go ahead and leave. When you look up again your daughter is going to be staring in your face and asking you why are you doing
this to us.” Kyra jumped out of the car and slammed the door. “C’mon, Aisha.” She snatched the back door open. Marvin pulled
out of the driveway and sped off.

*  *  *

By the end of the day Tasha was worn out and was beginning to look at Kyron in a whole different light. After Motor Vehicles
they stopped at his business attorneys’ office. Tasha sat in on their meeting and watched them cut and hand Kyron a check
for 2.3 million dollars as payment for a piece of property that he had sold. From there they made their way to the bank, his
Realtor’s office and then to an apartment building in Manhattan, where he was handed the keys to his apartment.