Chapter Eighteen
Week Two
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As Pop stepped out his Benz he immediately didn't like the looks of the dark streets. “Yo, hurry up,” Pop told Nika as he checked the pistol in his waist, making sure the gun didn't protrude.
Ever since the hit on Tito hadn't gone through as planned, Pop had been very paranoid, especially when he was with Nika, because he knew if anything happened to her because of him, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.
“Is everything all right, baby?” Nika asked, noticing that the look on Pop's face was a look of worry.
“Yeah, everything is cool,” Pop answered quickly, looking in the opposite direction. Nika knew something was wrong, but she left the issue alone because she knew Pop had a lot on his mind, and the last thing she wanted was Pop to not have a clear mind, so close to them leaving the city that never sleeps.
“Yo, let me get a table for two,” Pop said as the nice waitress escorted him and Nika to their table.
“Here you go,” the waitress said, handing the couple two menus as they took their seats.
“I'll be back to take your order in a second,” the waitress said, giving Pop a sexy look before she disappeared in the kitchen.
“You know that bitch or something?” Nika asked snaking her neck.
“Come on, don't start that bullshit tonight, we came to have a good time, so let's just enjoy ourselves,” Pop said, not wanting Nika to mess up the night.
“Well that bitch better act like she got some mu'fuckin' sense when she come back this way,” Nika said, sucking her teeth.
“Calm down, baby, let's just talk about what we going to do for these kids, and have a good time,” Pop said, trying to change the subject. “I was thinking about opening up an after-school center or something like that. What you think about that, baby?”
“That sounds cool but if you do that then you probably going to have to do that in Miami instead of New York,” Nika suggested.
“Yeah, you right,” he agreed.
“Baby, your idea sounds great,” Nika said, placing her hand on top of Pop's hand. Before she could say another word the waitress reappeared at the table.
“Y'all ready to order yet? she huffed.
“Yeah, let me get a steak, some French fries, and a bottle of champagne,” Pop said, handing the waitress back the menu.
“And will you be having anything?” the waitress asked, rolling her eyes at Nika.
“Yeah, I'll have a chicken breast, some yellow rice, and a salad, thank you,” Nika said, looking the waitress up and down as she handed her back the menu. The waitress gave Nika one last dirty look before she disappeared back into the kitchen. “If this bitch looks at you like that one more time I'm going to slap the shit out of her,” Nika said sharply.
“Now you bugging, just chill the fuck out, it's not even that serious,” Pop said, trying to defuse the situation before it got out of hand.
“It is that serious, because if it was reversed you would be acting a damn fool and you know it,” Nika said cutting her eyes at him.
“Not true at all,” he countered smoothly.
“I glad you think everything is so funny,” Nika said, nodding her head.
“Babes, I'm not even laughing,” he pleaded.
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“Okay, y'all enjoy the meal and if there's anything I can get for you just holla, and I do mean anything!” the waitress said, making sure she dragged out the word.
“Get the fuck up out of here!” Nika said as she tossed her drink in the waitress's face.
“Bitch, you must be crazy,” the waitress barked as she began to take off her earrings. Before the waitress could retaliate another male waiter had come and grabbed her.
“Bitch, you lucky he's holding me back,” the waitress said, desperately try to get loose.
“You better hold that bitch back if you care about her,” Nika said, removing a small razor blade from her purse.
“Come on, come on, it's time to go 'cause you don't know how to act,” Pop said escorting his woman out of the restaurant. “Baby, you overreacted back there, that lady was just doing her job.”
“Yeah, and I was just doing my job, too,” Nika shot back, giving Pop a look that could kill.
Instead of engaging in an argument, Pop just remained silent âcause he knew if the tables had been turned he would have reacted the same way. For the whole walk to the car Pop was quiet as a mouseâthe only thing on his mind was how good the makeup sex was going to be.
“Damn, baby, how long you going to be mad for?” Pop asked with a smirk on his face.
“I'm glad you think everything is so funny,” Nika said as her and Pop continued to walk to the car.
“Baby, I'm sorry,” he said as he hugged her in the middle of the street.
Meanwhile, across the street, Tito sat in the passenger seat of the stolen Acura while his main flunky sat in the driver's seat.
“You sure this the restaurant they in?” Tito asked, running out of patience.
“Yeah, my man just called me and said he saw Pop go up in there with some chick,” the Mack answered.
“How reliable is your source?” Tito asked, getting frustrated.
“There that nigga go, right there,” the Mack said, pointing at Pop and Nika exiting the restaurant. Once Tito spotted Pop his eyes quickly got as big as peppermint balls. He swiftly pulled his P89 from his waistband and cocked it back.
“You want me to pull up or you wanna take him on foot?” the Mack asked with his .45 sitting on his lap.
“Nah, I'm taking this one on foot. I need him to see my face, Tito said as he slowly slid out of the passenger seat of the Acura. “I want you to pull up down the block and walk down just in case that bitch-ass nigga try to run,” Tito ordered as he pulled the strings down on his hoodie while he proceeded to cross the street.
“I'ma make it up to you when we get home,” Pop said as he draped his arm around Nika's neck. “Plus you know I only got eyes for you,” he told her.
“I bet you tell all the ladies that,” Nika said as she spun around so she could come out of Pop's arms. When she spun around she saw a hooded man carrying something shiny in his hand.
“Baby, watch out!” Nika screamed as she tried to pull Pop into the street and out of the gunman's line of fire.
“Fuck you doing?” Pop said, confused. By the time he realized what was going on he felt something hot and powerful pierce through his shoulder. The impact from the bullet caused Pop to spin around and fall on top of the hood of a parked car. Nika quickly dragged him off the hood of the car onto the concrete as the next two bullets left big dents on the hood of the car and sent other car alarms off.
Once Pop felt the warm blood running down his arm he knew exactly what time it was. “Yo, get down,” he yelled as he pulled out his 9 mm, aimed it up at the sky, and let off two shots.
Pow, pow!
Those two shots were just to keep Tito at bay and to give Pop a second to get his thoughts together. “Come on let's go!” Pop said as he and Nika ran at a low, hunched-down squat as they ran down the line of parked cars. Pop's heart was beating a thousand miles per second, not âcause he was scared but because he didn't want anything to happen to Nika 'cause of him. Once Pop reached the end of the block he thought he was out of harm's way until he saw another hooded man holding something in his hand. Pop quickly raised his 9 mm and sent three shots in the man's direction.
The flunky managed to dodge all the bullets and returned four shots of his own. One of the bullets exploded in a car window right above Nika's head, causing shattered glass to rain down on top of her head. Straight ahead the flunky contin-ued popping shots the whole time, still walking forward. Not knowing what else to do, Pop quickly sprang up from behind the parked car, firing. One shot found a home in Tito's thigh. The impact from the shot caused Tito to stumble backward and he crashed into a parked car, not before letting off a shot of his own. The bullet grazed Pop's neck, causing him to drop down to one knee.
Once the flunky saw Pop drop to a knee he was about to go in for the kill, until he heard the sound of more than one siren.
“Fuck!” the flunky huffed as he ran over to Tito's aid. “Come on we gotta get the fuck out of here!” he yelled as he placed Tito's arm around his neck and help escort him back to the stolen Acura.
“Oh my God, baby, are you okay?” Nika asked as she picked Pop's 9 mm up from the ground and stuck it in her bag before the cops arrived.
“You all right?” Pop asked weakly.
“Yeah, I'm fine just got some glass stuck in my foot,” she answered with a smile.
“You too good to me,” Pop said as he watched a swarm of cop cars pull up, followed by an ambulance.
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“Yo, we going to have to come back on this nigga twice as hard, but we have to be smart at the same time,” Fresh said, speaking to a roomful of his soldiers. “Any suggestions on how we can get rid of this cocksucker Tito without attracting too much attention?” Fresh asked, leaning back in his chair.
“There's no way you can kill a loud nigga quiet,” Rusty stated, taking a pause. “We just going to have to go out and find this mu'fucka old-school style.”
“Yeah, I think you right,” Fresh agreed. “Fuck it, we going old school on this mu'fucka. Rusty, I want you to pay his moms a little visit, don't hurt her too bad, just make sure she delivers our message, the rest of y'all niggas hit them streets, and try to find that clown,” Fresh ordered, ending the meeting.
Once everybody was gone Rusty locked the door, before he began to talk. “We going to have to make a strong statement 'cause you know the streets is talking, this mu'fucka Tito running around taking over niggas'blocks, and doing a whole bunch of other shit, in the streets he's looking like Mr. Untouchable.”
“Yeah, that's why I want you to pay his moms a visit,” Fresh said quickly. “Like I told you, make sure she delivers our message to him,” he said, winking at Rusty.
“Say no more, I'm going to get on that right now,” Rusty said as he made his exit.
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Pop sat laid up in the hospital waiting for his nurse to bring him his discharge papers. “Damn, this shit is taking forever.”
“Have patience, baby,” Nika said, sitting right by Pop's side.
“As soon as I get out the first person I'm going to see is Tito,” he said with anger in his voice.
“No, baby, that shit is over with,” Nika told him.
“What if you would of got shot the other night?”
“But I didn't get shot, baby,” Nika pointed out. “The shit is over with so let's just move on with our lives. You need to just be happy you are still alive.”
“I been trying to let it go but I just can't,” Pop said, shaking his head. “I didn't start this beef, but I'm definitely going to finish it.”
Nika just shook her head. “You got the world in your hands and you about to throw it all away for what? Some stupid-ass jail nigga that won't make it to live past next year. You smarter then that, Pop.”
“This nigga got me laying up in a hospital bed and you want me to just let it go?”
“Pop!” Nika said, grabbing his face. “Let it go, baby, it's not worth it. He shot you and you shot him back that's it it's over with.”
“You know what, baby?” Pop began. “You are absolutely right, this shit is not even worth it.” Just as he was about to give Nika a kiss, the Chinese detective busted in his room.
“Can we help you?” Nika asked with an attitude.
“Just can't stay out of trouble can you?” The detective said, shaking his head.
“What do you want?” Nika asked in a uninterested tone.
“I just need to ask your boyfriend a few questions,” the Chinese detective said, turning to face Pop. “Who shot you?”
“A yo, my man,” Pop huffed. “I done already told the other cop what happened earlier already.”
“Well, now you can tell me,” the detective said as he pulled out his pen and pad.
“Listen, just like I told your friend, we was at a restaurant, I had a few drinks. As soon as we came out the restaurant somebody was having a shoot-out and we got caught up in the middle of it,” Pop lied effortlessly.
“Did you happen to see one of the shooter's faces? the detective asked.
“Nah, the shit happened mad fast,” Pop told him.
“I know you lying, you little shit,” the Chinese detective said, getting all up in Pop's face. “You play in fire long enough and you going to get burned,” he said as he turned on his heels and stormed out of the room.