Welfare Wifeys (36 page)

Soda felt like shit for the things he had said to Animal. “Damn, I gotta apologize to my nigga. I didn’t mean no disrespect.” Soda started after Animal, but Chip stopped him.

“He’ll be okay, but it’s too soon to invade his space. Let him be for a few and everything will be cool,” Chip told him.

“Chip, I spend damn near every day with Animal when we’re in Texas so how do you know so much shit about him that I don’t?”

“Because Animal just makes music with you. He actually talks to me,” Chip told him and went back to enjoying his drink.

Animal hunkered over the bar nursing a Grey Goose with pomegranate juice, sulking. A few groupies pressed him but Animal shooed them away like flies, preferring his own company when he was upset about something. He hadn’t meant to react so harshly to Soda’s statement but the drugs had him in his feelings.

“Is this seat taken?” a feminine voice called from behind him.

“Beat it, shorty,” Animal said without looking up from his glass. To his irritation she took the seat anyway.

“What are you hard of hearing?” Animal spun around and found Kelly’s pretty face staring back at him.

• • •

“Party over here, party over here,” Jada sang as she danced through the crowd. The room was swollen with people and everyone seemed to be having a good time except for Gucci. She twirled over to her cousin and tried to engage her in a bump contest but she was nonreceptive. “Girl, what’s up with you, you still tripping off Animal and shorty? If you want we can find that bitch right now and pound her out.”

“Now that’s probably the first thing we could ever agree on since knowing each other.” Boots gave her a high-five.

“Cool it, Cagney and Lacey. I told y’all that I don’t wanna make a scene until I’m ready to be the star. Besides, my beef ain’t with ol’ girl, it’s with Animal,” Gucci said.

“Well, my beef is about to be with one of these clumsy bitches if they don’t learn how to walk. These muthafuckas are killing my toes,” Boots said, stepping out of the way of a passing group of girls.

“Well since we ain’t kicking nobody’s ass let’s go to the bar and collect our comp bottle, I’m ready to get my swerve on,” Jada said and led the pack toward the bar.

Gucci walked with her click to the crowded bar, careful not to be spotted by one of Animal’s people before she was able to get the drop on him. Over in the corner she spotted the girl with the platinum wig freak dancing with some dude. She was still tight at the girl for trying to stunt on them, but she wasn’t as tight because at least she wasn’t dancing with Animal. Gucci had swept the club twice and there was still no sign of him.

The bar was just as much a zoo as the rest of the club, if not more so because everyone was trying to get a drink. Jada managed to push a hole open near the bar wide enough for all three of the girls to squeeze into. Gucci claimed her bottle of champagne and tricked off on a bottle of Hennessy for her girls. She placed her back against the bar while she sipped her drink and continued to scan the crowd for her man.

“What’s up, baby? You wanna dance?” A dude sporting a dry curl and a fake-looking gold chain approached Jada.

Jada looked him up and down. “Does it look like I’m trying to be out there dancing in these heels.” She held her leg up. “Kick rocks, son.”

“Tramp-ass bitch,” the dude mumbled as he stalked away.

“Ya mama’s a tramp,” Boots called after him.

Gucci shook her head. “Some of these niggaz are just like vultures.”

“And some of the niggaz ain’t no better,” Jada directed Gucci’s attention to the end of the bar where Animal was chatting it up with the Spanish girl she had seen outside in the Dereon dress. “Gucci, I know you said you didn’t want to cause a scene, but I’ve had about enough of this shit.” Jada took her earrings off and began working on the straps to her boots.

“Fuck it, let’s make a movie,” Gucci said, holding back the tears. She stormed toward Animal getting angrier by the step as she watched the Spanish girl paw him like she wanted to fuck him right there. They had made it to within a few feet of them when she heard Boots’s loud voice behind her.

“Bitch, why don’t you watch where you’re walking!” Boots was screaming in the face of a girl who was a few inches taller than her.

“Goddammit, Boots!” Gucci started, making her way back to Boots who seemed to get more hyped the closer she got. Gucci knew how it was going to play out and unfortunately she got there too late to stop it.

By the time security made it over, Boots and the girl had their hands locked around each other’s throats and both their shirts were ripped. Titties and weave hair flew in every direction as a crowd of spectators cheered them on. In no time security had Boots and the other girl off their feet and on their way to the exit. When Gucci tried to explain who she was and that Boots was with her
they threw her out too. The last thing she saw before she was tossed on the street like common trash was the girl kissing Animal on the cheek.

Animal was almost speechless looking at Kelly in her very short Dereon dress that left so little to the imagination.

“I’ve never been good at taking directions unless it’s in the heat of the moment,” Kelly joked. “So why are you over here all by yourself looking like you just lost your best friend?”

“Just taking a break from the camera,” Animal said.

“I don’t know why. The camera loves you! I saw you out there flicking it up with them chicks.”

“So what, you’re watching me now?”

Kelly placed the straw of her drink seductively between her lips and took a sip. “A good huntress always stalks her prey before she moves in for the kill.”

“You’re gonna get both of us killed if you keep dangling temptation in front of me, Kelly. My girl is real possessive over what belongs to her.”

Kelly rolled her eyes. “Damn, it ain’t like I wanna keep you. I’m just trying to borrow you for a second.”

“You don’t quit, do you?”

“Nope, not when my mind is set on something I want,” Kelly declared. “Animal, don’t make it more serious than what it is. All I wanna do is fuck you then you can go back home to ya shorty, what’s good?”

Animal thought on it for a very long moment. Kelly was by far one of the baddest chicks he had ever had offered to him, but in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but to think how Gucci would feel if she ever found out. At the end of the day he knew he had to do the right thing, even if he didn’t want to. “I appreciate the offer, but ain’t nothing popping, sis.”

Kelly gave him a look somewhere between shock and disappointment. “Damn, that must be one special lady for you to pass on all this.” She took Animal’s hand and ran it from her breasts to her thighs.

“She is,” he said, letting his hand linger on her thigh a little longer than it needed to. A commotion coming from the other side of the club drew both of their attention. From the fake hair flying around Animal already knew what was going on. “Girl fight,” he said with a smirk.

“I better get over there and make sure it ain’t none of my bitches getting it in,” Kelly slid off the bar. “Not for nothing, Animal, you’re a real sweetheart.” She kissed him on the cheek. “When you get home you make sure you tell that lady of yours how lucky she is.”

“I will,” he said, watching her walk away.

Animal could’ve kicked himself for not at least getting some head from Kelly, but he knew it was the devil enforcing the thought in his head. Kelly was a bad chick but she would only be around for a moment, whereas Gucci would be there for a lifetime.

Animal pulled out his cell to text her when the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood up, alerting him of danger. He instinctively reached for his gun and remembered that he had left it in his car and they had all rode in with Don B. in the Maybachs, which might prove to be a costly error if things got ugly. His eyes swept through the club in search of the threat and when he saw Rico barreling down on him with some of his boys a huge lump formed in his throat.

“Well, well, if it ain’t the little boy who calls himself playing grown man’s games,” Rico said with a smug grin. Mud and Dirt flanked him wearing expressions that said they wished Animal would try something. “I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

“Well, you’ve found me so what’s popping?” Animal stood up. He knew he was outnumbered and outgunned, but he was a G with it and wouldn’t be intimidated by any odds.

“You talk a lot of shit for a nigga who could get his wig pushed back within a matter of seconds if Rico gives the word.” Mud stepped up. The way he kept his hand lingering near his belt Animal knew he was strapped.

“I don’t see no gag over ya man’s mouth, make it do what it do,” Animal said bravely. Mud went to draw his gun but Rico stayed his hand.

“You know,” Rico began, “it was genius on your part to beat Lee within an inch of his life and put the idea in his head that I did it, but you had to know that I’m too caked up for them bum-ass charges to have stuck so I’m gonna assume it was a ploy to separate me and Changa, right?” Animal shrugged. “And since I haven’t heard from
Ras in a few days I’m gonna assume he’s dead, right?” Again Animal shrugged. Rico laughed. “You know when my men first started getting knocked off I thought I was dealing with a whole crew, but had I known it was cockroach ass I’d have stepped on you a long time ago. You were stupid to think you could win a war against me.”

Animal sized his opponents up. “Rico, this ain’t about no war. This is about me mounting your head on a wall for you having Tech killed. You got all the guns and all the soldiers but I got all the heart, so if you and these goons came in here to try and intimidate me then it was a wasted trip. Niggaz like me wake up expecting to die, so if you wanna rock then let’s get it.” Animal broke a beer bottle on the bar and squared off to do battle with Rico and his crew.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Don B. pushed through the crowd followed by Devil with about five or six more of the homeys on their heels.

“Well if it ain’t the famous Don B.,” Rico greeted him with a smile. “I don’t see you much since you stopped buying coke from me.”

Don B. didn’t miss the sarcasm in his voice. “I push a different kind of product now, Rico. But what I wanna know is why you and ya mans got my lil homey hemmed up like this?”

“Ain’t nothing but a little unfinished street business between old friends.” Rico was speaking to Don B. but looking at Animal.

“Well, street business needs to stay on the street. If y’all wanna have a good time then it’s bottles on me all night, but if y’all came in here to act up I’m gonna have to ask you to leave. I don’t want no problems in my club, fam,” Don B. told Rico and his boys.

Rico measured his words. He may have had more power than Don B. on the streets but in the club with the police and security presence he knew he had no wins. “You got it, big man.” Rico backed up. “Animal, I’m gonna see you on the streets.”

“I’ll see you before you see me,” Animal shot back.

“Animal, what the fuck was that all about?” Don B. asked once Rico and his boys had left.

Animal tried to downplay it. “Nothing, it was a small thing.”

“Don’t give me that. If you’ve managed to get into a beef with Rico I’d hardly call it a small thing. In case you didn’t get the memo Rico is one of Shai’s capos.”

“Fuck him and Shai. Every man bleeds the same,” Animal spat.

“See, now you’re just talking stupid. Dawg, I thought we agreed that once we got this music thing popping you were off the streets?” Don B. reminded him.

“I am off the streets, Don.”

“Then what was that thing with you and Rico?”

Animal hesitated. “It’s complicated.”

“Animal, that’s not a good enough answer. If you don’t tell me what’s going on then I can’t help you.”

“I don’t recall asking for your help with this, Don,” Animal snapped.

“Don’t come at me all sideways like I’m the enemy, lil homey.” Don B. raised his hands in surrender. “Look, we ain’t even gotta talk about this right now. It’s a party and we should all be having fun, smell me? After we leave here me, Chip, and some of the other guys are going to the studio to lay some tracks. Try to stay out of trouble until then.” Then Don B. walked in one direction while Animal went in the other.

“Dude, where are you going?” Chip caught up with him.

“To arm myself. If Rico and his hos come back I’m gonna be prepared this time,” Animal told him, working his way through the crowd. Chip finally managed to get him to stop completely when they reached the exit.

“Animal, don’t put yourself in harm’s way. If something is gonna go down then let security handle it, that’s what we pay them for.”

Animal gave his friend a serious look. “Chip, you ain’t from what I’m from so I don’t expect you to understand. In the battlefield you can’t trust anybody with your life, you can trust yourself.”

Animal left it at that and hit the exit.

• • •

Animal took a minute to look around and make sure the coast was clear before stepping from the safety of the club’s security. Rico wising up to him being the one murdering his people happened a little sooner than he expected but he knew it was bound to happen. All this meant was that the gloves were off and it was kill on sight.

He made hurried steps up the block toward Amsterdam Avenue where he planned on hopping in a livery cab and going to retrieve his gun and his car. As he neared the top of the dark block he heard footsteps behind him. Animal waited until the footsteps were close and spun around with his fists balled up. They wouldn’t do him much good against a gun, but they were all he had to defend himself.

“Be easy, Rocky Balboa.” Mimi threw her hands up.

“Mimi, you know better than to run up on me like that. What are you doing out here, you should be inside,” Animal scolded her.

“You know I had to make sure everything was okay. I saw you having a real heated discussion with those dudes in there and I wanted to make sure you didn’t need me to watch your back.” She flashed the handle of the little pistol she had in her purse.

“I’m good, killer.” He smiled. “But seriously though, you should get back inside the club where it’s safe. Something might go down out here tonight.” Animal looked around nervously. It was the first time Mimi had ever seen him rattled about anything.