Hittin' the Bricks: An Urban Erotic Tale (19 page)

E
va's red heels clacked on the concrete as she ran through the pissy alley. All kinds of bums and fiends were lurking in the shadows, but she didn't give a fuck. Right now her greatest threat was Fiyah. Somebody she had trusted with her life on many occasions. Somebody who was trying to fuck her life up right now.

As soon as she rounded the corner and came upon the brightly lit avenue she pulled out her cell phone. She was breathing so hard her fingers kept slipping and missing the digits.

“Hey baby” she said, trying to sound cool. “Change of plans. Can I chill at your crib tonight?”

Eva listened to the voice on the other end of the line.

“Cool. I can swing by there. Yeah, I'm straight, baby. I'ma hop in a cab. I'll be there in a few.”

Fifteen minutes later Eva was sitting in Harlem's Corner Pocket Poetry Café. It was a hip hop set known for smashing poetry and street- inspired spoken word. Mello's friend Speedy was emceeing on the stage and Eva paid her cover charge and got her hand stamped.

She was planning to just ease over and grab a spot against a back wall, but some of Mello's homeys spotted her and waved her over. Mello was up next on the mic and Speedy was just introducing him.

“I ain't got enough words in my vocabulary to describe this next cat up, so I'm just gonna let him get deep into his flow game and blast y'all asses with a lyrical smack down! Born and raised right here on the streets of Harlem, let's give it up for Ramel ‘Ice Mello’ Williams!”

Mello stepped up on the stage looking fine as fuck. His juicy- ass lips and muscular body had panties all over the room on soak. His skin was butterscotch smooth under the stage lights and his hairline was freshly shaped. As plenty of chicks sat around staring at her man, tongues hanging out and pussies dripping, Eva wanted to cry.

This muhfuckah was so good to her. So damn good. Never could she imagine that after all the grimy shit she'd done … all the lying and the stealing, the drugging and the hoeing … that a real live man like Mello would not only want her, but he would love her so good like he did. Eva felt safe with Mello. Not even thoughts of Rasheena could hurt her when she was in his arms. But still … Eva fought not to give in to that nagging feeling. That crushing guilt that told her that not only didn't she deserve to live a life with Mello, but she wasn't gonna get the chance to live it either.

She sat there cold and filled with dread and fear as her baby heated up the mic. Dudes clapped and yelled, and females hooted and screeched as Mello laid his philosophical game down in a way that everybody could feel it.

The crowd jumped to their feet and gave him big props when he was finished, while Eva just sat there trembling. She stared into his strong handsome face with tears in her eyes. Mello looked at Eva as he was leaving the stage, and blew her a kiss from his sexy lips.

She smiled slightly, then rose and made her way toward the hall before the line got too long for the single- stall ladies’ bathroom. Moments later, she was startled as Mello slid up next to her and whispered hotly in her ear.

“Hey shawty …”

She turned to him with a bright smile. “That was a real live piece,” she complimented him, even though she had been so deep in her pain that she'd barely heard a word he said. “You really put it down out there.”

“You liked it?” he asked, biting down on her earlobe and then grazing her collarbone with his tongue.

Eva held her head back to give him more access. “You know I did.” She allowed herself to enjoy his tongue for a quick moment, then she pulled away. “Baby we gotta talk.”

He nodded. “Yeah, you said something came up, right?”

Just then the bathroom door opened and a short thick sistah stepped out. Mello took Eva's hand and pulled her inside. He closed the door and locked it, then started kissing her neck again.

“Mello …” Eva breathed softly.

“Yeah.” He cupped her breast and rubbed her thick nipples. “Whassup?”

“It's Fiyah …”

Mello lifted her up and set her on the edge of the tiny sink. He pressed his hard body into hers and moaned as his dick leaked crystal drops of pre- cum in his boxers. There was an In-Sight advertisement on the wall behind Eva. On it was the cover from Noire's book
Candy Licker.
The poster also featured a short poem, and Mello began whispering it hotly in Eva's ear.

“Can I lick that candy girl? Come let me taste … the sticky part of your world …”

“He's been running with that cat Brody …”

Mello licked around the inside of her ear. “Lemme lick that candy … lick it till you sweat …”

Eva moaned. “They were locked up on Rikers together …”

Mello dropped his kiss down to her breast. He caught her stiff nipple between his teeth and swirled his tongue around it right through her shirt. “Make that sweetness overheat … get it as hot as it gets …”

He slid his hand down the back of her shorts and cupped her phatty ass cheek.

“Fiyah said dude saw me on a visit and started wanting me …”

Mello stabbed her in the stomach with his hard dick. His fingers dug their way toward her pussy. “I wanna be your candy licker …”

He unbuttoned the front of her shorts and tongue- fucked her mouth.

Eva moaned, then pulled away and whispered, “Fiyah made a deal with Brody, baby. Fiyah got some kinda hook- up in the joint, and as a trade off … Brody got me.”

Mello stopped suddenly. His body went cold.

“Fiyah tried to snatch me up and take me across town to Brody's crib. He said them cats ain't gonna stop until Brody collects what's due.”

Mello took a step back and stared at her. Eva's lipstick was smudged and her thong was showing through her unbuttoned shorts. Without a word, he turned away and slammed out the door.

Eva zipped her shorts and ran out behind him. She didn't catch up to him until they were outside on the street.

“Mello, wait!
Mello!”

He turned around, and the look on his face made her shake with fear.

“You fuckin’ playing with me?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” she yelled. “I didn't even do nothing!”

“So that's how your family rolls? Your own cousin tossin you off like a fuckin bird or a chicken? I'll
cancel his
fuckin’ ass …”

Eva ran behind him. “Mello,
wait!”

He turned again. “Wait, hell. You ain't nobody's fuckin’ property Eva. Not mine and not your weak- ass fuckin’ cousin's neither.”

“I know, baby. But a lot of stuff went down in the past that you don't know about!”

Mello smirked. “Like what, Eva? What the fuck don't I know that could make me swallow some shit like this?”

Eva breathed hard. There was no way in fuck she could tell him everything. Not everything. “It was my fault that Fiyah got knocked. He went to jail because of me. That gun was my business. If I hadn't passed it to him he wouldn'ta had it on him. My cousin took the fall and never even thought about snitching. He did it because he loves me.”

“I luh you and you don't see me trying to peddle your ass off to no maniac.”

“I know. But me and Fiyah were into a lot of stupid shit when we were younger. Both of us fucked up a lot. But when it
really counted Fiyah went down alone. When he coulda taken me down with him. I guess I do owe him something for that.”

Mello chuckled. “So what you expect me to do? Turn my back and let that niggah trick you off, and when Brody tosses you then I'm supposed to act like shit is all good and nothing happened?”

“No,” Eva cried out. “I ain't saying that! I just don't want my cousin to get hurt.”

“See that's where we different. I don't give a fuck
what
happens to his grimy ass.”

“Mello …” Eva moaned. “Baby please don't—”

“Sorry, Mami. Your cousin gets no respect over here. He rolled around on a bunk with Brody and now he gotta handle that shit. He shoulda took the dick- down in the joint. Instead he carried his debt out on the streets and dumped it in your lap. Let that bitch pay the costs like a real fuckin’ man!”

Eva sniffled. “And me? What about my ass? I gotta pay the costs for every shitty thing I did in my life too?”

Mello shook his head. “Nah, baby.” He reached into his pocket and took a key off his ring. “You, I got covered. Go to my crib and rest. I don't know about your cousin, but your shit is gonna be straight. Believe that.”

B
ricks was almost on fire by the time Mello and his boys arrived. He walked straight over to the VIP section where Brody was reigning supreme in his special booth, holding court with his crew.

Fiyah was sitting on Brody's left, and even from a distance Mello could see the little pussy was shook. Mello rolled straight up on him and smashed his bitch- ass without saying a word.

For the second time in one night Fiyah was on the receiving end of an ass- kicking. Mello came straight from the streets and beat him down with his bare hands. Brody's boys jumped like they wanted to make a move, but Brody checked them with one raised finger. Mello's goonies stood tall and on the ready too, and nigs on both sides were heavily strapped.

“Chill,” Brody said. He backed his cats up with a look. “Let this fool handle his.”

He nodded at Mello's crew, then kept on watching as Mello and Fiyah went at it in a brutal fashion. Tables were knocked over and drinks were spilled, but in the end Mello was standing on his feet like a winner, and Fiyah was fucked up and bleeding from his nose, and once again on the floor.

“You's a
pussy,
man!” Mello raged over him. “A straight- up bitch! You give a
fuck
about your fam ‘cause you too busy looking out for ya
self !”

Mello pulled his murderous gaze off of Fiyah and put it dead on King Brody. He held it there hard for a few seconds before raking it across the rest of Brody's crew.

“Fiyah …” Mello's words were directed at the man who was wheezing and rolling around on the floor, but he grilled Brody again with straight contempt. “Man I don't know how you gone get squared up with this grimy muhfuckah right here, but it ain't gone be through Eva.” He spit down at Fiyah and barked, “Both of y'all best stay the fuck away from her. Your weak ass ain't got the muscle to dish her off!”

Mello turned back to King Brody and made shit real clear. “I don't give a fuck what you offered this chump- bitch, or what he promised you. Eva don't belong to him. And she sure as fuck don't belong to you. She belongs to
me.
Anybody want her? Then step up on some of this shit right here and try to get her.”

Brody was amused like a muhfuh. He nodded at Mello with big respect in his eyes. He'd enjoyed the show and appreciated all the violent entertainment.

Daddy Dre ambled into the area. Fiyah was still rolling around on the floor holding his ribs. Dre gave him a disgusted look and persuaded Mello and his boys to go chill at the bar so he could treat them to some free drinks.

Fiyah struggled to stand as Mello walked away. His whole face felt like a mass of swollen meat. He touched his nose and lip and blood was all over his hands. He pulled himself up by the edge of the table, and tried to fall back into his booth seat again.

Brody checked that shit.

“Nah, muhfuckah,” he said, throwing out a straight arm and blocking him. “Stand ya fuckin’ ass up, homey. You can't be getting fucked up like that in public then think you gone cozy up next to me. It ain't happening.”

“He didn't fuck me up,” Fiyah muttered, humiliated.

Brody threw his head back and laughed. “Oh he fucked you up all right, ese. I know that kid real well. He's from the streets. You
better
watch ya back ‘cause Ice Mello ain't no fuckin’ joke. You gotta respect a cat who rolls up to handle his. It shows he's hardbody and got loyalty. A gangsta like that would never pass his fam off on no deal. He'd go down in the gutter fighting for her first.”

Brody's face got hard. All the laughter was gone.

“Here,” he said, reaching into his waistband. He tossed Fiyah a gat with a shiny silver handle. “Mello is holding a heavy tool and he ain't got no problem using it. You can believe that shit. Strap up, homey. And make sure that crazy niggah don't get you first.”

A
whole week had passed and Fiyah was still sore as fuck. The red lumps and bruises on his face had darkened to blue and his ribs still hurt bad if he moved the wrong way. Fresh from the shower, he came out the bathroom wrapped in a towel. He stepped into his room and checked out his face again before brushing his hair and getting dressed.

A lot of shit had gone down in a short amount of time but tonight was Friday and it was Fiyah's night to shine. That is, if he lived long enough. He walked out of his room and ran into Milena, who was coming out of the kitchen.

“You finally washed your ass and put on some clothes?”
his mother sneered, dragging on a cigarette. “You been hiding out in your room all week. You might as well get out there on the street and deal with your problems ‘cause you can't hide from them in here forever.”

“I wasn't hiding, Ma. I was writing. Creating shit. Working on my flow.”

“What you should be working on is a
job,
Fuego. Try that shit. You eat here and use up all my water and electricity. Where do you think I get the money to pay for all this shit? Huh? Where do I get it?”