Long Live the Queen, page 21
“Precious, do you want a drink?” Sharita looked over at me. “You look a bit tired; a good strong drink would give you a boost.”
“Nah, I’m good, I just woke up early this morning. Had to get an early start, just so much to do, and the day don’t seem long enough.”
“Trust, I understand.” She smiled. “That’s why I had me two shots at noon.” She chuckled. I noticed she had been doing that a lot lately. She was always in a good mood, but she just seemed different.
“So, what’s up wit’ you? You have been in a sunshine mood all week. Singing, hell damn near dancing around here.” I teased. “Gone spit it out who is he?” I knew that had to be cause, a man.
“Who . . . me. Pffft.” She sucked her teeth. “I’m always in good spirits. I don’t need no man for that.” She laughed. “But girl, I ain’t gone lie, he is fine.”
“Humph . . . I knew it. Spill and don’t leave out no details.”
“Precious, his name is Justine. I met him at the gym like six months ago. We kinda been working out together, you know getting fit and having good company. Well, he finally asked me out. And yes, I went . . .” There was twinkle in her eye it was clear she had fallen hard. “I tell you he is special, and a good guy.”
“Okay, okay, I need more details before I decide that. Now . . . what does he do?”
“I knew you would ask that. He is a fire fighter. A captain I might add.”
“Really, a captain huh? I never met a real fireman in real life.” I chuckled. “That’s what’s up.”
“Precious, I think I really like him. He’s different from all the other thugs who are always trying to push up on me.” I was about to respond when the door opened. I was surprised, no one ever came by this time of day. We normally kept the door locked but I had forgot to lock it when I came in. It was dark in that area with the lights off so we couldn’t see until they stepped into the light. We still had some of the overhead lights off but enough to see once they were in the clearing. Finally, Shasha’s face appeared out of the dark.
“Oh, what’s up Shasha.” I spoke first.
Sharita grunted and said, “Girl, why you didn’t announce yo’ self-standing in the dark like that? Poppin’ up all random.”
“Why you scared or somethin’?” Shasha gawked at Sharita. But the look she gave her was not a friendly one. I thought it was odd, but quickly dismissed it. I knew they were not the best of acquaintances so a little stank attitudes towards each other was probably normal.
“You come in early to help out?” I snatched the conversation away from both of them.
Shasha’s eyes were still on Sharita. She pulled them away from her to me. “Something like that,” she said, then pulled a nine-millimeter out of thin air and pointed at us. At first, I almost laughed. Were we really staring down the barrel of a gun with the club promoter Shasha standing behind it?
“What the fuck is that? A toy gun?” Sharita said, her voice trembling.
“Oh, I guess you are scared.” Shasha smiled. “Bitch do I look like I carry toy guns?” Her tone said she was offended.
“Yo, Shasha wha’s going on?” I asked.
“Precious, just shut the FUCK UP!” This time she yelled and thrust the gun towards us with force.
“Aggh.” Sharita screamed out and her body sunk. “Please don’t point that thing at us. It might go off.”
“Sharita, please just shut up you don’t run shit today, okay. You can’t control this . . . and as for you, boss bitch.” Shasha put her eyes on me. “This empire of yours is about to go down.” Stunned, I watched as a guy appeared from behind the darkness with a gun also pointed at us.
“What the fuck,” I mouthed. What the was going on?
“You a bomb bitch, Shasha,” Sharita yelled. “Precious, I always knew this grimy bitch was shady. I knew it,” Sharita accused through clinched teeth.
Shasha just stared at Sharita but said nothing.
“Aye, who the fuck are you?” I looked past Shasha at the guy who was now standing just beyond her off to the side.
Shasha arm twitched as she looked from him then back at me. “Never mind who he is . . . just know he here to end you. Is that enough information?”
Boom. The loud banging like the doors were coming down startled all of us but Shasha never took her aim off Sharita and me. A second of silence and then a gun shot, and Mob stepped into the light.
“AGGHH, AGGHH!” The guy with Shasha fell to his knees blood was gushing out the back of his leg where Mob’s bullet landed like a water fountain. The pain that I was certain was intense caused him to squeeze his trigger, a bullet released from the chamber and flew past me. I watched in slow motion as that same bullet hit Sharita between the eyes. Somehow my body moved, and I grabbed her before her body dropped.
My heart skipped a beat as I watched the promise of life and love ripped from Sharita’s innocent body. I looked towards Mob as he stood over the unknown guy with two guns in his hands, one pointed at the guy the other at Shasha, he ordered her to drop her gun.
“MANE WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? WHO IS HE?” he demanded from the guy and Shasha at the same time. They were both quiet as the guy sat on the floor losing tons of blood and the color draining from his skin.
“I said who is he?” Mob’s gun’s aim moved from Shasha’s chest area to her face, at the same time I heard it as he allowed a bullet to slide into the chamber. This was her last chance to speak.
“He’s my boyfriend,” she finally admitted in a hurried tone. “Who the fuck sent you?” His gaze fell again from Shasha to her boyfriend back to Shasha. Once again remained quiet.
“Fuck this shit mane, I ain’t dying for nobody . . . tell em’ Shasha, go ahead, spill that shit.” He begged her his entire body shook as the loss of blood was taking its effect.
“Nigga fuck this bitch . . . you tell me?” Mob demanded.
“Mane, I promise I would, but I can’t.” He cried like a bitch. “I ain’t neva knew who this was for, she never told me. I’m just helping her. I was just supposed to come through help her tie up the bodies and once she shoots them, I was to set the bodies on fire . . . and then set the building on fire.” He added as if he almost forgot that bit of information.
The plan he shared shocked me. Who the fuck was Shasha . . . why the fuck was the bitch here to burn me? Who was my enemy? It couldn’t have been her because I didn’t know her from Adam at least I didn’t think I did.
Mob looked at Shasha I continued to hold on to Sharita’s lifeless body. “Bitch, you need to spill it before you lose a kneecap and an eyeball. Because this weak ass nigga you fuckin’ ain’t got no grime or grit.”
Shasha had snot and tears all over her face. And something told me that whoever she was holding out for was dear to her. She was ready to die to keep them safe. So, I decided to make it easy for her.
“Mob I’m not in the mood to deal with this shit, today. It’s light out for the both of them.” I gave my order. And at the exact same time both of Mob’s gun released a bullet from the chamber. The boyfriend’s bullet landed in the top of his head. And Shasha’s complementary bullet landed between her eyes. All for one.
Chapter 44
My body felt as light as feather as I entered my house. Thankfully Mob had shown up when he did. In the midst of talking to Sharita about her new love I had forgotten all about Mob, who was supposed to stop by the club to discuss collection because I had a few changes I needed to make for our upcoming pickup. It just so happened, he had showed up in the middle of Shasha’s plan and interrupted it. Mob said he knew something was up when he saw the unknown boyfriend entering with a visible in his hand. From that he locked loaded and got ready to intervene. And thankfully he had. But I still could not believe that Sharita had been killed. And I felt horrible about it. She was so young and had so much promise with her future ahead of her. And a piece of shit who never should have had a gun in his hand had shot her. And because of the situation in which she was killed we couldn’t return her to her family. The situation was unfortunate but far from finished because people like us didn’t deal with the law, we handled our own revenge. And cleaned up our own mess.
* * *
I made sure my house was on lockdown, and even secured my security gate which would let me know if somebody so much as stood outside it for more than a few seconds. Someone was out for my life, and they had sent the weakest link to get me. The joke was on them and so would blood be. I went to my room, sat on the bed, strolled through my contact history until I found Marlo’s name and touched it. His phone rang and went to voicemail. I threw the phone on my bed next to me.
Exhausted, I jumped in the shower so I could wash off the bullshit of the day and fell into bed. I was asleep in no time and the dreams started. Suddenly I bolted straight up in bed. I looked at the big screen tv on my wall which was on the tv guide channel, I saw the time: 2:14 AM displayed in the corner.
My thoughts quickly reverted to my dream, and I remembered it just as if it were yesterday where I had seen Shasha before. All that time she had been working for me at the club I had not once remembered her, never had she looked familiar to me. But suddenly I knew. It seemed like a lifetime ago but back when I worked at my dad’s dry cleaners after graduation. One day I was at work and Black who used to frequent the dry cleaners strolled in casually, with an arm full of clothes to drop off. While in the store he received a call from someone. I was off preparing his ticket, but I couldn’t help but overhear his conversation. He answered the phone and said, “I’m comin’ girl. Calm yo’ ass down.” I assumed it was one of his girlfriends rushing him, but after he ended the call, he called out to me because my back was turned to him. “Aye, just hold on to the ticket, I got my sister in the car, and she is a rush and shit.”
I turned to him and to say, “Okay.” But he was halfway out the front door before I could. I did notice sitting in his car, which was parked right in front of the dry cleaners by the door, a girl sat in the front seat of his SUV. That girl as I now recall was Shasha. A younger version but it was definitely her. How had I forgotten her face? How had I not remembered her when I next laid eyes on her in my club?
I reached to my right side and grabbed my cell phone. Again, I dialed Marlo’s number but once again I got no answer. Nor had he called me back from the last call I had put into him. He should have been back in the states but maybe something had come up in Peru that kept him longer. Things were known to go down like that and if that were the case, I also knew the connection in Peru could be not worth shit compared to the states. So, instead of dwelling on it I dialed Mob.
“I figured it out.” I told Mob he answered the phone on the first ring. I told him who Shasha was and how I knew.
“No fucking way.” Was Mob reply. “I know a lot of motherfuckers in LA, but I never knew that ugly ass nigga had a sister.”
“Well, he does, so check this out we got to handle this shit tonight. Now, Black has a beach house that he stays in at night with only two guards posted, one outside, and one on the inside. I will shoot you the address. I need you to come alone and meet me there in an hour. On the dot.” I instructed. I had made it my business a long time ago to know where Black slept because never had I trusted him. I was glad I did.
I jumped outta bed and dressed in record time, raced out to my car garage, pulled out the Range Rover, and balled to my destination. Mob and I arrived on schedule just as I had hoped. We both were booted up with guns complete with silencers. We scoped the scene and Black’s so-called security, which was weak and as I had expected from a bitch ass nigga.
Right outside there was a guard securing the garage. Mob quickly and quietly pumped him with two bullets putting him down for life. We then made our way through the opened garage door and just like that we were inside in his beach house. Easy as pie. I peeked around a corner that was off a small hallway from where we entered and there was the kitchen. And to my surprise Black was standing at the stove stirring something in a pot. I should have known his fat ass could cook.
I turned and winked at Mob and gestured for him to go find the other guard who should have been somewhere close by. There were two ways to enter the kitchen. Another wall separated the other side. I decided to go in from the other side which would give me a better drop on Black. I rounded the corner and could see like a living room type area. Black’s girlfriend popped up from nowhere. She froze in her tracks as she caught sight of me, and I saw the fear edged in her eyes as she recognized me.
Her lips attempted to move but I released two hot bullets from my chamber that opened her chest. The thud of her body meeting the floor caught Black’s attention. He turned around swiftly in the direction of the sound, to find me sitting at his island with a gun pointed at him.
A hot skillet in his now unsteady hand nearly hit the ground but he gripped it in time. The shock etched on face looked as though he had seen a ghost. Truth be told he had.
He looked so pitiful, in any other situation I would have laughed. Instead, I sucked my teeth and said, “anybody ever told you, that you are ugly as fuck when you shocked?” He looked as if he wanted to answer my question. I laughed. “Sit down right there.” I motioned with a nod of my head, to reference the other end of the island where I sat. He followed my directions, never taking his eyes from the gun, but he also never sat down.
“I thought you were dead,” he finally mouthed. “Where is Shasha?” He then asked.
“You tell me?” I followed up. “You a slick nigga you know that? I remembered who that bitch was. I just hate it took me so long and a dead employee. No, friend. But damn if I didn’t figure it out.”
“Where is Shasha?” He stared at me and asked the same question again.
“Nigga didn’t I tell you to sit yo’ ass down? Make this the last time I say it.” I waved the gun at him, and he sat. “Now tell me why?” I said.
He looked me square in the face. “Why you think? Because you were in my way, still is. Like a fucking cold I can’t shake.” He was blunt and I was glad for it. Nothing ever pleased me more than the real. “LA one of the most lucrative drug games in the US. It shouldn’t be run by no BITCH! Clearly, yo’ nigga El Guapo weak and can’t see that . . . but one nigga don’t stop no show.” He sucked his teeth. I waited. “See, I got his connection down in Spain, but they won’t want to fuck wit’ me because of you. And you run around LA like a queen on sitting on your FUCKIN’ THRONE!” He barked. “Nah, you in my way. And you got to go. Ain’t no other way.” He gritted his teeth at me.
“So, that’s yo’ conviction?” I was still calm.
“Damn right. See I tried to get yo’ attention the nice way. I shot up yo’ blocks . . . and killed that nigga Quavo. But still you ain’t distracted.” Now it all made sense the crazy shit that was going on.
“Nah, that shit you did is on some other shit that don’t include me. See you . . . you a greedy motherfucker.” I gave him facts.
He grinned at me and looked like the devil. “Yeah, that sissy dressing ass nigga said the same thing right before he was knocked into a nap.”
Marlo popped in my head. My heart skipped a beat. Before I can respond Black charged for a gun off the counter by the stove. As his hand touched it, I landed a bullet in the back of his shoulder blade.
“AGGHH!” He screamed and buckled to his knees, unable to grab the gun because of the pain.
Mob rounded the corner with the guard marching in front of him and Mob’s gun at the back of his head. The guard attempted to speak but Mob pulled the trigger, and a bullet opened the back of his head. We all watched as his body fell forward unto the floor.
“Where is Marlo?” I barked at Black. He was trying to hold his shoulder blade tight, blood was starting to smear his hand.
He smirked, “Close by.” He toyed with me.
I stood up and pointed my gun directly at his forehead. “The bullet that leaves this chamber will land directly between your eyes. Then your brains on this cheap ass flooring.”
“Where is Shasha?” He asked again. As if it were a bargain.
“You will get that little bitch when I get Marlo.” I hoped I was clear.
“A’ight I’ll take you to him.” I could see the desperation on his face. He loved his sister, but I wasn’t surprised because every monster had a soft spot.
“Don’t make me shoot you nigga by doing something stupid.” I warned him with my gun at his spine as we followed him into what looked like the basement.
My stomach contents nearly spilled out of my mouth as I noticed Marlo’s beaten and battered body tied up in a corner. I rushed to him. I was unsure if he was dead or alive. But as my hands touched his cold body, I knew. He was gone. The room spun, I stopped breathing. I had to close my eyes to gather my bearings. To reopen the passageways to my lungs. I breathed again but it was shallow.
“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SISTER!” Black’s voice boomed across the room.
I gazed up as Mob’s gun cracked him across the back of his head. “You better take some of that base out yo’ bitch ass voice.” I heard him lift the safety off his gun.
The hate I felt for Black was at an all-time high. My blood rushed to my brain. “You want that bitch . . . well you might have to dry her out first. I got that hoe soaking on chemicals to keep the ROT OF HER BODY DOWN!” I hoped my words tormented him.
“AGGGH!” He cried out like a wounded brute. “You killed my baby sister, my mother’s child, and she will never forgive me. You evil bitch.” The fight was knocked out his tone. He continued to sob. “I’ve been wanting to kill you . . . I shoulda killed you a long time ago . . . but it ain’t too late. I’m still gone body yo’ half-white ass. Or whatever the fuck you is,” he threatened.
“Precious, please let me pump this snake ass nigga full of lead?” Mob begged.
I didn’t answer Mob. Instead, I stood up and walked over to Black. “Nigga you still don’t get it. Death on your doorstep in the form of a BITCH!” I spat the words at him with so much venom my entire body shook. “And there ain’t shit you can do about it.”
