Chapter Five
King woke up early the next morning and helped Lawanda get his kids ready for school. It seemed odd to him.
This is some family shit for real,
he thought as he helped his daughter, Tandy, tie up her tennis shoes. Tandy was seven years old and smarter than he was at her age. She smiled lovingly at her father and asked, “Can you come pick us up from school, Daddy? I like riding in your car. It goes so fast.”
“I don't think I'll be able to make it this afternoon, Tan, but I can take you to school if you want me to.”
“That's fine.”
“What about you, li'l boss? You want Daddy to take you to school too?” King asked his five-year-old son, Trevor Jr.
Trevor Jr. smiled and nodded his head.
“Well a'ight, then, you can go on and do you this mornin', Lawanda. I got these two for ya.”
“Good. That saves me some time. I have a few things that I can take care of before I go to work. Will I be blessed with your company anytime soon?” she asked as she led the kids into the dining room to eat their breakfast.
King followed them into the dining room and said, “It depends if I'm needed around the way. Give me a holla when you get off.”
She smiled and said, “Whatever.”
“Why you got that funny-ass grin on your face for?”
She laughed and said, “I was wondering if Shelia knew where you spent the night last night.”
He frowned and said, “Tippi don't be all in my mix like that. Why you on some messy shit this early in the mornin'?”
“You know damn well that girl is in love with you. I don't know why you be tryin' to fake it with me. It's written all over that he/she's face!” She laughed.
“You are real lucky that Tippi knows how I feel 'bout you 'cause those last two statements you made could get your ass hurt real bad if Tippi didn't care about me. So you need to back the fuck up and leave that shit alone.”
“How do you feel about me, King? I'm curious; you've never told me exactly.”
“Stop playin'. It's too early for this shit.” Before Lawanda could say something else slick he told his kids, “Come on, y'all, let's hit the road. We can stop by Stells and have breakfast there.” Tandy and her little brother got up from the table and followed their father.
Lawanda sat back in her seat and smiled as she watched him take their kids to school. She didn't know why she liked messing with King; she knew that it could be hazardous to her health if she chose to play too hard. But, for some reason, she enjoyed living on the edge with him. She wanted him to be her man full time, but she knew that King was not a man to be pressed. So, she continued to be patient and hoped her patience would pay off. She was determined not to lose him to that dyke bitch, Tippi
. I hate that bitch,
she thought as she sipped a cup of tea.
* * *
After having breakfast at Stells, King dropped off his children at school and went to his home out in the city of Edmond. After showering, he changed his clothes and was back inside of his car within thirty minutes. As he was driving toward the block he pulled out his cell phone and called Tippi.
“What's up?”
“Shit. 'Bout to hit the block. Have a nice evening with that dragon bitch?”
“Fuck you. Have you talked to Keko?”
“Nah, what's up?”
“I'll put you up on it when I hit the block. I'm on my way now.”
“A'ight. Did you enjoy yourself last night?” Tippi asked sarcastically.
King smiled and answered her question with one of his own. “Since you're in the mood for games this morning, I'll play. How was your night?”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
He started laughing. “Come on with that shit, Tippi. You got to know that I know everything 'bout those around me, especially you. I wouldn't be the King if I didn't.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“You still ain't told me what you meant by that question.”
“Girl, stop playin'!”
“I ain't playin', nigga, you are!” she stated angrily.
“Since you bein' all sensitive and thangs this mornin' I take it that Mondo didn't break you off properly last night, huh?”
“Fuck! You! Nigga!” Tippi yelled and hung up the phone.
King laughed and shook his head as he turned onto the highway.
By the time he made it to the block he saw that Tippi was in a real foul mood and that wasn't cool; someone could get hurt. He quickly stepped over to the trap where Tippi was standing with the tip of one of her sharp stiletto knives pointed directly at a crackhead.
“Nigga, I don't give a damn how much you spent last night. We don't do credit, so get the fuck on!” Tippi said in a deadly tone.
Before the crackhead could say something stupid and get himself cut, King stepped in between the two and said, “Come on with that, Tippi. Let him make it. It's too damn early for this shit.” King saw Tippi's angry glare and knew that this was going to be one hell of a long morning. He turned his back to her and faced the crackhead. “You need to go on and raise up outta here. Ain't no credit poppin' off.” The crackhead turned and left, mumbling about how much money he spent last night and how fucked up it was that they wouldn't give him any credit. The game was definitely a cold one.
King turned to Tippi. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“You already know the answer to that shit so why the fuck you askin'?”
Shaking his head from side to side, trying his best to make some kind of sense out of Tippi's actions, he said, “You on some way out shit this mornin', Tippi. Come on, let's take a ride.”
“I'm not tryin' to be ridin' with you right now.”
“I didn't hear myself ask you a gotdamn thang! You ain't got a fuckin' choice. Now bring yo' ass, Tippi!”
He left her standing there as he walked back toward his car. Tippi let him take about five or six steps before she began to follow him. Once she was inside of the car he said, “Listen, I don't like the fact that you have to get yours off with a square nigga. Fuck, any nigga for that matter. But it is what it is until our money is so long that that shit won't matter anymore. There's only one female other than you who's ever held my heart and you already know she's long gone. I've told you this shit over and over. I will not mix business with pleasure. I'm not goin' back to the pen for doin' some stupid shit that will jeopardize this money. We're finally in the position to make some serious paper and you're trippin' more and more! I won't let you fuck this up for us, Tippi. I can't. So you got to get a hold of ya feelings and this jealous shit you be on 'cause that shit is detrimental to all of our goals.”
Though Tippi was a stone-cold killer, she was putty in King's hands. Her heart belonged solely to him. “I can't help it, King. I mean, damn, I've been in love with you for years. It seems so fucked up that I can't even have the dick that I want when I want it! Then to have to accept you goin' over to that flabby-ass Lawanda's fucks me up even more. I understand the game plan and I know what's what. But you're not feelin' me and how I feel about this shit. This is like the second time around, King; how much more do I have to take?”
“Don't do that. Look, I feel you, but you have to put those feelings aside for this money and continue to run this shit like it's supposed to be run. You are a very important piece to all of this shit, but if you keep on I won't hesitate to replace your ass. Nothin' and no one will stop be from becoming one of the richest niggas that the streets of Oklahoma City has ever seen. So get with it, Tippi, or get to fuckin' steppin'. Real talk. This will be our last time speaking on this shit. Do you hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear yo' ass. But before we dead this, I got to know one thing.”
“What?”
“How long have you known about Mondo?”
He laughed and said, “Now you know damn well the King can't give up privileged information like that. I can't have my number one involved with anyone without havin' a full check made. Don't worry, though. I know that nigga is a square and knows nothin' 'bout you or what pops off with us. That's why I fell back and let you have your li'l boy toy. I won't front; that shit fucked me up at first. The love is real, Tip, so to say that I don't be gettin' jealous when you're with that nigga would be a straight lie. I accept it because of everything we've been through but, more importantly, this fuckin' money. Like I've promised you over and over, once we get this money and got mad cash stashed, I'm gon' take you somewhere and make crazy love to your sexy ass for days and days.”
“Make love? Sexy? Where are those words comin' from, King?”
He touched his heart and said, “From right here, girl, you know damn well I love your wild ass.”
Tippi felt herself about to become emotional and she didn't want to show the man she loved more than anything in this world that side of her. Not yet anyway. She regained her composure quickly and asked, “So what's up with this Keko shit you was gon' get at me with?”
King gave her a replay of the events that took place the night before on Thirty-ninth Street. Afterward he said, “It's been a minute since I had to murk a nigga. That shit was wild.”
Tippi grinned devilishly and said, “Gets the old juices flowin' though, huh? Nigga, you know you a killa, just like me. Don't let the money blind you to what you really are.”
“Nah, I know what it is and I know what it's gon' be. I'll do whatever for the sake of this money. You already know ain't nothin' soft 'bout the King.”
Tippi laughed and said, “G'on wit' that shit, nigga! Look, Cuddy and Boleg wants to holla at you about opening a spot out in Midwest City. They say they been checkin' it out for a minute now and they feel it'll be profitable.”
“Who's goin' to run their side of the north while they're out in Midwest City gettin' this shit jumped off?”
Tippi shrugged her shoulders. “I guess you'll find all of that out when you holla at them niggas.”
“Call them fools and tell them I said to meet us at Keko's spot on the northwest side.” While Tippi was doing as she was told, King was thinking about the profits that would come from opening a trap out in Midwest City.
Unchartered territory. Yeah, more money. The more the better.
* * *
Keko, Cuddy, Boleg, Tippi, and King were all seated in the back room of Keko's main trap over on Northwest Twenty-seventh Street. King smiled as he listened to Boleg and Cuddy as they told him their plans for Midwest City.
“My mans out that way tells me that it's all lovely. Them Midwest City niggas hate havin' to drive all of the way into the city to get work. It would be a plus for them to be able to have us on deck like that. Less risks for everybody,” Boleg said as he fired up a Black & Mild cigar.
“Yeah, plus them niggas be lovin' that water out that way. Them fools some straight sherm heads for real,” added Cuddy.
“What about the X? Did y'all check on that?” asked Tippi.
“Nah, we was more concerned with the yay and the water. We already know the bud gon' pop off. Everybody and they mama smokes trees. We wanted to get the main shit established first; then we'll bring the X into play,” said Boleg.
“That's straight, but who is goin' to run y'all shit out north while y'all are out in Midwest City?” asked King.
Cuddy smiled and said, “Dog, we got this. We've already put together a nice li'l plan. Check it: me and Boleg will take turns goin' back and forth out there. The north is basically runnin' itself anyway right now so it won't take much for us to keep this shit on and poppin'. If it does get too hectic we have a small crew already on deck once we get our feet all the way in. They'll take care of the day-to-day shit out in Midwest City.”
“That's cool. A'ight, roll with it and let's see how shit pops off,” King said as he stared at everyone in the room. “Anything else?”
“Yeah, I've been checkin' out some shit in Del City. I think we could set up shop over there, too,” said Keko.
“Midwest City, Del City . . . What, y'all tryin' to take over the entire state?” King asked with a smile on his face.
“You fuckin' right! Let's get this fuckin' money! It's still touch and go right now. I've been sendin' a few of my niggas out that way to check shit out for me. So far it looks promising. I'll get at you with more when and if I decide to make a power play over that way,” Keko said seriously.
“A'ight, then, get at me or Tippi if y'all need anything. Everything should be everything in a li'l while. We're about to head back to the block.”
“Tell that nigga Nutta I said to get at me. I know he's gon' want a part of this Midwest City thang,” Boleg said as he inhaled deeply on his Black & Mild.
“Gotcha,” Tippi said as they left the trap.
During the ride back to the block King received a phone call from Charlie. “How ya doing this morning, Mr. King?” asked Charlie.
“I'm good. All is good in my kingdom. What's up, Charlie?”
“I thought we'd get together this afternoon for lunch. I have a few things I'd like to discuss with you.”
“That's cool, 'cause your services are needed. I was just about to call you.”
“Good, that way we can kill two birds with one stone. How about some Red Lobster, say, one o'clock?”
“Which one? The one on the Northwest Expressway or the one out by Quail Springs Mall?”