“What’s wrong, Henry? Look like you wanna cry. This is gonna cost you. I mean . . . you made it harder on yourself with actin’ like a rabbit ’n’ all.”
“What’s harder than death?” I worked up the nerve to say as everything began to crystallize before me.
“The
way
you go out, motherfucker,” one of the Burger King Bunch mumbled. He was cleaning his nails as if bored.
“Whatcha got, Henry? Anything up in this apartment in a secret wall safe? Maybe some trust funds or bank accounts? Time’s up. Think hard, boy.” Kash pulled a chrome-plated memento from his waistband. It emerged, shining, against the backdrop of his ebony attire. My gun. Mine. The irony only appropriate, I suppose.
“I . . . turned my car in. Here. Take my watch. I . . . I can liquidate some things in here. Or you can just take what you want.”
As panicked as I was, I still had a brain. I figured the longer I kept talking, the better my chances were of surviving with maybe just being beaten into a coma. Sometimes people came out of them. Still a gambler, playing those long odds.
“Get up,” he said.
I didn’t have to be asked twice. My legs were falling asleep anyway. “Please. I don’t want to die. C’mon! We go back since high school! Please. Don’t do this, man.”
The rest laughed at the spectacle. “Punk,” came from the nail cleaner. Kash silenced them, my gun still being brandished in his hand.
“I asked you if you had something of value. Maybe make an effort to pay this shit down. You can’t think of anything?”
“I already told you what I had.” I undid my watch, extended it for him to take. Lupe snatched it instead. “Just give me one last chance.”
Six pairs of eyes cast votes in a blink, me in the center awaiting judgment. The rendering came unexpectedly.
Kash sighed. “You do have something of value.” I flinched in surprise. “The question is . . . are you willing to deal it . . . or get dealt?”
29
PUMPKIN
“Where are you?” I asked when he eventually answered. I didn’t like him keeping me waiting. Ruben the doorman was clearing his throat to get my attention, but I shooed him away. I put one finger in my ear so as to hear over the traffic on the street.
“At my place.”
“What are you doing there? I thought you were waiting things out at the hotel.”
“That’s all been solved. Why don’t you come by?”
“Can’t you pick me up?”
“No. I turned my car in. Catch a cab.”
Now he was getting chippy with me. If he was bad as Bianca claimed, then it fit. “Is something wrong with you? My sister told me about what happened.”
“I’m sorry about that,” he conceded. “Things were a little crazy. It’s all good now. Just come by. We’ll talk about it.”
I agreed to see him, letting him think everything was okay. The man, with his unpredictable nature, could’ve messed up everything for me. In reality, I was going to give him a piece of my mind, putting him on blast for frightening Bianca. Even if she couldn’t fathom my actions, I was protective of her.
A cab stopped without my even whistling, its driver doing that instead as he welcomed me into his dingy yellow transport. I entered cautiously, holding the sides of my skirt.
At Henry’s apartment, he plastered me with indifference instead of his usual adulation. Instead of rose petals, his demeanor displayed nothing but thorns. He wore a T-shirt and shorts, as if he’d just showered. I smelled the fresh shower gel lingering in the air.
He left the door open, simply walking away toward the kitchen bar.
I almost walked off, leaving him to his spiral.
His misplaced bitterness toward Tanner was eating him up. Don’t get me wrong. A lot of people had reason to hate Tanner, but his hatred was misguided. What the fuck. He got caught stealing. I’d have let him go too . . . if I were responsible and had ethics.
If.
Y’know . . . stupid shit.
“Want some?” He’d downgraded his Scotch for Wild Turkey, holding the Las Vegas shot glass up in a mock salute. The feeble little man wanted to spar.
“No. Nothing you’re offering looks appealing to me anymore,” I replied, glaring like the sun.
Burn, little man, burn.
“I’ve been hurt worse.” He chuckled, wagging his cast about like a fool.
Although he was showered and serviceable, his drooping eyes revealed it to be a ruse for my benefit. He wasn’t far removed from the bum described by Bianca. He showed signs of being beaten both physically and mentally, a man worse off than when we rescued each other. It was certain: We no longer shared a life raft. One of us was about to be pushed overboard for the sharks to swallow.
He was too close. He really should have left Bianca alone.
I came closer, knocking the shot glass from his hand. Whiskey doused his face as the glass flew skyward. It clanked off a wall. “What’s your problem, Henry? Why’d you come around my sister?” I screamed.
I didn’t expect him to break down so fast. His coolness shattered, he lashed out. “I needed some money,” he shouted.
“Huh? After what I gave you?”
“Yes. I messed up, like I always do. Didn’t realize it was coming from Tanner Coleman, though. Your fucking brother-in-law. Big surprise, Pumpkin. Thanks.”
There. He got it out.
“And? You planned on robbing him that night, Henry. I just did you one better. Now you have the nerve to be mad at me? When I tried helping you?”
“Help? Help? Maybe help yourself by fucking with my head, you crazy bitch.”
“You want to cast judgment? Well, I can too. You are spineless and soft. But worst of all . . . you’re weak, Henry. Help. Yeah, I was trying to help you. For real. But you’re too pathetic to realize it. Now . . . who’s the bitch?”
Applause rang out, startling me.
I was so angry that I’d let my guard down. I was the one swimming with sharks.
The two thugs from the Radisson came out of Henry’s bedroom. Two more had come in through the front door, blocking it.
What have you done?
my expression asked. He sat on the couch and sighed, afraid to look at me.
“Yeah, bitch. You’re right. Henry is pathetic,” the chocolate one crowed. “Pathetic enough to give you up.”
30
HENRY
N
o more.
No more broken bones and threats of pain or death. I took the offer made by Kash, a sure bet even to one with my unfortunate luck. When faced with the alternative, it came easily.
And all I had to do was give her up.
Not as easy as I thought.
I’m sorry, Pumpkin.
“Henry,” she called out as Kash and his crew shuffled toward us. I lowered my head, too embarrassed to face her.
“Henry ain’t who you need to be talking to. Your salvation lies in me,” Kash teased. He opened his arms as if she were to seek a hug from him.
“Fuck you,” she spat defiantly. Unafraid, yet troubled by what was registering, she quizzed me again. “Is this true? Did you set me up, Henry? I’m supposed to help bail your ass out again?”
She still wasn’t getting it. They didn’t know the money had come from her before. Kash liked what he saw that night at the Radisson.
She was to be the payoff.
I looked at her and spoke. “I . . . I’m so sorry,” I whimpered.
“No. Oh, no,” she repeated, shaking her head. The four of them closed in, their lust growing. One of the men removed his black sweatshirt over his head, exposing a soft, round gut. The other snickered at the sight, but began undoing his belt.
“Maybe if you give them some money they’ll back off, Pumpkin,” I blurted out in desperation.
“That was a onetime deal. Fuck them, and fuck you, Henry!”
“
Fuck us?
” Kash mocked, feigning indignation. They all laughed, hearty growls echoing off the burgundy walls. “Now we’re getting down to business.”
Lupe went to grab her by the arm. She slapped his hand hard enough to leave a mark. He backed off, deferring to Kash, although he clearly wanted to hit her.
“I like feisty. But it ain’t gonna save ya.”
Pumpkin did a quick spin, then backed up, moving away from the loose circle that had formed. Ever defiant, she assessed things, then did the unexpected.
Seeming suddenly resigned, she sighed. “Damn. You want me that bad? I should be flattered.”
Kash and the rest didn’t know what to say. Didn’t expect Pumpkin to back down. Now that she was less of a threat to them, the shirtless one with a gut began scurrying to get his jeans off.
She removed the sleeveless designer tee, the skin of her toned midriff exposed first, then her perfect breasts. Kash grunted approvingly. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout, baby.”
I watched, still afraid of doing something but also afraid of what was to come.
With a firm tug, she pulled the denim skirt off. It slid down her legs until she stood there in nothing but a thong and heels. I was never in more fear, yet equal awe.
There was an eerie pause.
“Who’s first? Don’t be shy now,” Pumpkin encouraged.
Two of Kash’s men got into a shoving match, each wanting to be the first to smash the pumpkin. They were almost to blows when Kash put an end to it.
“Get to the back of the line,” he ordered. “I’m taking this for a ride first.”
“Think you can handle the ride, Kash? Or am I gonna have you crying like Henry?”
They all laughed at the entertainment. She lied, though. I never cried.
“I ain’t a punk like Henry. Best believe.” Kash rubbed his hands together as if about to feast on prime rib. Pumpkin didn’t shrink away as he came closer. She just smiled. Ever dangerous and unpredictable.
He put his hands on her ass, taking a firm grip as he probably salivated. She swiveled her hips as he held on. He almost had a fit.
“Oh, shit,” he squealed. “Sorry, Henry, but we about to take this to the bedroom.”
The remaining three, Lupe included, began throwing their clothes off at his proclamation.
“Not without a kiss first.”
“Say what? I don’t do that kissin’ stuff. But don’t worry. Once I put this dick in you, you’ll forget about that.”
She folded her arms, pouting. She whipped her head about, sending her long black strands dancing. “No kiss . . . none of this.”
“I’ll kiss her! And that too!” Mr. Belly howled. Kash scowled at him.
The big man gave in, closing his eyes as he puckered. Amazing how easily she got men to act so childlike.
Pumpkin leaned over toward his lips, the whole room hinging on what was going to be a feeding frenzy. I was repulsed, wanting to turn away, but fixated as she . . .
Jabbed a thumb in his eye.
“Aaaaaaaaah!” Kash shrieked. As his hand went up, Pumpkin kneed him between the legs. He doubledover once his body realized what had just happened. I hadn’t grasped it, but she’d backed up to that particular spot on purpose. To her left was an antique vase on display. I’d bought it on vacation in Italy a few years ago. She was already pivoting toward it as Kash’s head dipped. In a fluid motion, she snatched it up and brought it smashing against the side of his head. As he fell down, Pumpkin assisted him with a shove, breaking into a full-on sprint for the front door.
“Bitch,” Kash screamed in a garbled manner.