“Yo, nigga, come here real quick,” Rusty said pretending like he was out of breath. Once Bernard was close enough Rusty quickly raised the .380 and let off two shots. One landed in Bernard's neck while the other bullet found a home in the upper part of his chest. Rusty watched Bernard' s body hit the ground; the man's boot shook twice then he died. Rusty looked over both shoulders before stepping over the body and headed back inside the club.
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After the club, Fresh hopped in his Lexus and turned up his music. He grabbed the blunt from out of his ashtray and lit it as he pulled out of his parking spot. “This chick better be awake,” Fresh said to himself as he exited off the highway. Twenty minutes, later Fresh pulled into the empty parking spot. He stepped out his Lexus, feeling nice from the yak he had consumed earlier. As soon as Fresh' s foot touched the curb, he heard the clicking sound of a gun, and felt cold stainless steel on the back of his head.
“You already know what this is, fam,” the gunman said in a deep voice. His identity was hidden by a hoodie and a bandana tied around his face.
“Chill, fam, let me talk to you for a second,” Fresh said, attempting to turn around.
“Don' t do it to yourself, playboy,” the gunman said, pressing the burner deeper into the back of Fresh's head. “Fuck a talk,” he said as he held the gun to the back of Fresh's head with one hand and searched through his pockets with the other hand.
“You know I'm going to see you again, right?” Fresh said with a smile.
“Yeah, well, next time bring a gun so at least you can have a chance,” the gunman said as he hit Fresh in the back of his head with the gun knocking him out cold. Once the gunman saw that Fresh was knocked out he unlocked his Lexus, hopped in it, and pulled off leaving the hustler laid out in the middle of the street.
Three minutes later, Fresh woke up on the ground. “What the fuck,” he whispered, holding the back of his head. He sat up and slowly looked around and saw a mini-crowd. Fresh quickly stood up and walked over to the first girl he saw. “You saw anything?” he asked.
“I just saw a man wearing a hoodie hit you in the back of your head with something, then drive off in your car,” the woman answered honestly.
“You couldn't recognize who it was?” Fresh asked, still holding the back of his head.
“Nah, his face was all covered up,” the lady told him.
Vanessa stepped out of her building and saw a mini-crowd standing around Fresh. Immediately her heart sank as she jogged over to where Fresh stood. “Baby, are you okay, what happened?” She asked in a fast paced voice.
“I just got robbed,” Fresh said.
“Oh my God, are you okay, do you need me to take you to the hospital?”
“Nah, I'm good,” Fresh answered. “Mu'fucka snuck me from behind,” he said. Vanessa helped him to the building.
“You know I'm going to catch that fool, right?” Fresh said, refusing to let the situation die.
“I know you are, baby,” Vanessa replied, knowing that Fresh wouldn't rest until he caught the person who had done this to him.
Chapter Twelve
Pop sat in his crib watching
BET
when he heard his phone ringing.
“What up?” Pop said into his cell phone.
“I need to see you, Fresh said before hanging up the phone.
Pop walked up in the warehouse and his attitude immediately changed when he saw Tito. From the look on Tito's face, Pop could tell that he was drunk.
“Glad you could make it,” Fresh said as he passed the blunt to Rusty. “Yo, I need Tito, Pooh, and you to handle something for me.”
Pop didn't really want to work with Tito, but he had to do what he had to do.
“What we gotta do?” Pop asked.
“It's this new guy in town, Fresh paused so he could inhale the weed smoke. “He calls himself setting up shop on a few of my corners. Word on the street is he holding mad bricks ... I want those bricks and I need y'all to get them for me.”
“Don't you even worry. Shit, I'ma make sure I personally teach this fuckin' cocksucker a lesson,” Tito said, pounding on his chest. “You already know how I do,” he said loudly as he gave Rusty a pound.
Pop sighed loudly as he just shook his head.
“You got a problem over there, fam?” Tito asked, turning his gaze on Pop.
“No problem over here,” Pop said, throwing his hands up in surrender.
“That' s what the fuck I thought,” Tito countered.
“Y'all two niggas better chill the fuck out,” Fresh said. “All this money out here and y'all wanna be arguing like some bitches.” He paused. “Now this nigga bitch goes and gets her nails done every week at this place right here,” Fresh said, handing Tito a piece of paper with the address on it along with a photo of the woman. “Get to her and she'll lead y'all straight to him.”
“Say no more,” Tito said, stuffing the photo and piece of paper down in his back pocket. “Come on, let's be out,” he said as he exited the warehouse.
Pop knew he had to control his temper while out with Tito, knowing how ignorant and foolish the man could act. Pop slid in the passenger seat of Tito's gray Range Rover while Pooh climbed in the back.
“Yo, fam, don't be slamming my fuckin' door like that, B,” Tito complained. “Once you get you Range Rover then that's when you can start slamming doors, until then don't be slamming my shit,” Tito huffed as he looked for a CD. “Next time I'ma just smack the shit out you âcause I'm tired of talking to you.”
“Come on that shit ain't even that serious,” Pooh said from the backseat, trying to defuse the situation.
“It ain't that serious to you âcause it ain't your shit he slamming,” Tito said as he pulled out into traffic.
For the entire ride Pop didn't say a word; he just rode in silence, caught in his own thoughts. He couldn't stand Tito, and damn sure didn't want to work with him; it took everything in his power to not to punch him in his face. He just wanted to get the job over with and go home.
“Fuck you doing? You over there crying?” Tito said just to fuck with Pop.
“Yo, just shut up and drive, damn!” Pop sucked his teeth. “You always gotta be saying somethingâjust shut the fuck up.”
Tito immediately pulled the car over to the side of the road and hopped out. “Fuck you talking to like that? Get out the car and say that shit.”
“Come on let's get this shit over with,” Pop said and exhaled as he slid out the passenger seat.
“Yo, y'all niggas need to chill y'all attracting mad attention, and y'all know we riding dirty,” Pooh said, stepping in the middle of the two angry men. “Come on, Pop, get back in the truck and be the bigger man.”
“Nah, fuck that, I'm tired of this clown-ass nigga,” Pop said with his fist balled up.
Tito never took his eyes off of Pop. He wanted so badly to break his jaw, but he knew Pooh was right. “We'll handle this later,” Tito said with a smirk as he slid back in the driver's seat. All three men climbed back into the Range Rover as Tito pulled back out into the street.
Twenty minutes later Tito parked across the street from the nail shop that Fresh had given him the address to.
“A'ight, look, as soon as the bitch come out we going to follow the bitch to her crib, then make her talk,” Tito said, making it clear that he was in charge.
“Why don't we just catch her before she gets in her car, 'cause what if she don't go home?” Pop asked. “Then we gon' just be following her all around the town for nothing.”
“Why don't you just shut the fuck up,” Tito replied nastily. “We following the bitch and that's that.”
“Yeah, a'ight,” Pop sighed loudly. Seconds later they saw the girl they were looking for walk out of the nail shop.
“There go our girl right there,” Tito said, making the engine come to life.
“Damn, she got a fat ass,” Pooh said undressing the woman with his eyes.
“I still say we should just grab her now,” Pop said once again.
“Shut the fuck up,” Tito replied quickly as he made a U-turn and began to follow the woman. “Yeah, this nigga must be getting some money,” Tito said, referring to the Lexus the woman drove.
“Yeah, we know she can't afford that shit,” Pooh said from the backseat.
Twenty minutes later Tito watched the woman pull up into the driveway of a nice-looking house. “I'm about to pull up behind her; y'all go grab the bitch,” Tito ordered as he zoomed the Range Rover in the driveway right behind the woman's car. Immediately, Pooh and Pop hopped out.
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Tosha pulled up in her driveway and let the engine die. The only thing on her mind was a nap. She reached over and grabbed her Prada bag from off the passenger seat. Just as she was about to exit the car she saw a gray Range Rover pull up directly behind her. Tosha quickly panicked, thinking it was somebody coming to rob her. She quickly snatched the .380 that her man had given her from her purse. The first person she saw she shot.
Pow!
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Pooh quickly hopped out the Range Rover and ran over to the driver's door.
“Bitch, get the fuck up out the car!” he yelled as he snatched open the door. Just as he was about to grab a handful of the woman's hair he heard the shot, saw the flash, and felt the burning. The bullet ripped through Pooh's shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. Next in the line of fire was Pop. Tosha aimed her gun at Pop and pulled the trigger. Pop managed to duck right on time as the bullet grazed his upper back. He quickly pulled out his 9 mm and did an army roll to get out of harm's way.
Tosha hopped out of the Lexus and was about to run until she saw Tito in the driver's seat of the Range Rover smiling at her. She immediately raised her gun and emptied the clip into the windshield. Once she was out of bullets she quickly turned and tried to make a dash for her front door, but the four-inch heels she wore made it impossible to run fast.
Tito hopped out the Range Rover with his P89 already in his hand. He held it with two hands as he walked in a straight line and pulled the trigger twice. The first bullet missed, but the second one exploded in the back of Tosha s' leg, stopping her dead in her tracks.
“Dumb-ass bitch,” Tito huffed as he snatched the woman's Prada bag from off the ground and took out her keys. He quickly walked up to the front door and let himself in.
“I need an ambulance,” Tosha cried out in pain.
Tito didn't respond; instead, he just grabbed a handful of the woman's hair and dragged her inside the house. Pop helped Pooh inside the house before he shut the door.
“Get your ass up, bitch!” Tito growled as he pulled Tosha up off the floor by her hair. The woman stood on one leg, not putting any pressure on her wounded leg. “Your man Randy, where does he keep all his shit?” Tito asked, still holding Tosha by her hair.
“What shit are you talking about?” Tosha said, still concentrating on her wounded leg.
“Now this bitch wanna be playing games,” Tito mumbled as he quickly flipped Tosha on the counter by her hair. He dragged her across the whole counter. He cleaned the counter with her face, and then let her body hit the floor.
“Bitch, you must think it's a game,” Tito said as he grabbed a bottle of wine from off the top of the freezer and opened it with a corkscrew.
“Get up!” Tito snarled as he pulled Tosha back up on her one leg by her hair.
“You ready to talk now?” he asked, turning the wine bottle up to his lips.
“I don't know what's going on,” Tosha said in between sobs.
Tito laughed loudly before he viciously busted the wine bottle over the woman's head.
“Hey man, that's enough,” Pop stepped in. “If she knew anything she would of told us by now.”
“What's the matter, your stomach can't handle all this, or you don't have enough balls for this here businessâwhich one is it?” Tito asked.
“Listen,” Pop began calmly. “The bitch is already knocked out. Why don't we just sit here and wait until Randy comes home? It doesn't make sense to just keep on beating her.”
“Damn, nigga, you talking like this your bitch or something. Tito smiled as he turned around and stomped Tosha in her face with his Nike boot.
Pop just shook his head, walked over to the couch, and took a seat.
“Just shut the fuck up and take notes,” Tito said as he stripped the woman naked and placed her in a chair, where he began to tie her up.
“You done did all that you might as well rape her while you at it,” Pop said sarcastically.
“Fuck outta here,” Tito said as he spit in the woman's face. “I ain't never had to take no pussy in my life.”
“Fuck all that shit,” Pooh said, breathing heavily. “Y'all need to hurry up âcause I gotta get my arm checked out.”
“Suck it up, you big pussy,” Tito laughed. “They don't make ganstas like they used to I see.”
Tito's laughs came to a stop when Tosha began to come back around.
“Where am I and what's going on?” she mumbled, sounding drowsy.
“Today must be your lucky day, because I'm going to give you one more chance to tell me where the shit is,” Tito said as he picked up a can of gasoline from over in the corner, and began pouring it on top of Tosha' s head.
“No, please don't do thisâI swear to God I don't know nothing about nothing,” she whined as endless tears rolled down her face.
“Listen, lady, if you know anything you really need to tell us now before it's too late,” Pop said, leaning in close so the woman could hear him. “Tell us something, please.”
“I don't know anything about what Randy does, I swear,” Tosha told him. “Please don't do this,” she begged.
“I believe her,” Pop said, turning to face Tito. “What sense does it make to keep torturing her if she don't know shit?”
“You know what?” Tito paused. “I think you right, let's just wait until Randy get here.”
“Plus, then we might use her as bait when he gets here, you know?” Pop said as he turned around just in time to see Tito tossing a lit match on Tosha's head. The woman's body was quickly covered in flames.
Pop just looked on in amazement as he watched the woman scream as the fire burned her to death.
“What the fuck is you doing?” Pop yelled. “That shit wasn't even necessary.”
“Nigga, that bitch just tried to kill you outside,” Tito reminded him. “What is this bitch to you? Nothing, so shut the fuck up,” he said, answering his own question.
Pop was about to reply until her heard someone come through the front door. Before he could reach for his gun, Tito had already sent a shot through Randy's leg.
“We was waiting for you,” Tito said as he dragged Randy inside the house by his wrist. “Pat this mu'fucka down,” Tito ordered as he walked over to the kitchen and grabbed another chair and sat it in the middle of the floor.
Pop patted the man down and removed a 9 mm from the small of the man' s back.
“What the fuck y'all nigga want?” Randy asked.
“We want those bricks, cash, and whatever else you got,” Tito answered simply.
“I got four bricks and about $120,000 dollars,” Randy told it.
“So where it's at?” Tito asked.
“At my other crib downtown.”
Tito handed Randy a piece of paper and a pen. “Write down the address and if you wasting my time it's not gonna be pretty,” he said, nodding at Tosha' s body that was still in flames while she was still tied up to the chair.