Money & Love Don't Mix (15 page)

Authors: Ace Gucciano

Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #United States, #African American, #Romance, #Urban, #Genre Fiction

Chapter 18

Smoke and Dre were sitting on Smoke’s living room sofa smoking one cigarette after another trying to figure out how they were gonna break the news to Trouble. They had been up since early morning, and now it’s mid-day and they still haven’t come up with anything. Then out of nowhere Smoke got up from the sofa, stretched a little and said, “You son, fuck all dis sitting around acting all depressed shit, my fuckin’ door got kicked in.”

“So what you saying?”

“What I’m saying?!” Smoke restated as he began to pace the floor back and forth, “What I’m saying is, it is what it is we gone just have to let em’ know what happened. He’ll understand.” Dre remained silent for a minute letting it all soak in before replying, “Yeah, you’re right homie…I mean wat else can he say, shit, a muhfucka broke in yo’ crib and stole dat shit it ain’t like we’re lying.”

“Exactly! That’s what I was thinking,” said Smoke still pacing the floor, “Well since we on da’ same page and feel da’ same way let’s call em.”

“Naw homie, fuck callin’ em. We need to holla at em’ face to face, so let’s go!”

“Where we finna go?” said Dre.

“Shit we boutta head over to Miranda’s crib and let Trouble know what happened.”

“Well let’s go then, say no mo!” Dre responded, and they left the crib headed to Miranda’s place.

Chapter 19

Rude Boy and Trouble were exiting the expressway en route to Miranda’s crib and was about five minutes away with Trouble still in silence and mean mugging. However, moments later as Rude Boy came to a stop light he glanced up at his rearview mirror and noticed a black on black Impala SS with black tinted windows slowly pull up behind him.

A few seconds later the light turned green and by Miranda’s crib being on the opposite side of the street a few blocks down, Rude Boy slowly made a U-Turn staring at the Impala trying to see who this could be. But the tint made it impossible as the driver slowly began to make a U-Turn along with him.

Rude Boy continued driving, glancing up at his rearview every other second seeing if the Impala was following him still. Trouble’s sensed something was wrong with Rude Boy as he noticed him looking up at his rear view every other second as if he was paranoid so he blurted out.

“Yo! You a’ight my nigga?”

“Naw mon, I believe these monkey motherfuckas in dis black car behind me following us!!”

So Trouble turned around and looked out the back window and saw the black Impala SS they reminded him of the car of the two brothers had who they robbed as he began to believe that it was them following, but quickly pushed the thought away since he knew the beef with them was over the night he paid Smoke and Dre’s ransom.

As Rude Boy made a right turn onto Miranda’s block, who had the first house on the left, he noticed the black Impala still close up on them as he reached under his seat and grabbed his Mack .11 as he pulled into the driveway. Trouble saw Smoke and Dre walking towards her house when Rude Boy spoke to him.

“Yo my dude, I don’t’ know what’s going on, but I believe dem pussy motherfuckas trying to rob us! Reach under yo seat and grab dat!”

Trouble reached under the seat and grabbed a Uzi, looked at it, looked at Rude Boy a quick second, then got out making his way over to the Impala. Rude Boy got up after him and followed behind Trouble with his Mack .11 ready to shoot. Trouble crept down the driveway towards the vehicle with both hands in his pockets and the Uzi stuffed in the back of his trousers. He drew closer to the vehicle and suddenly the front passenger side window started lowering causing him to recognize the individual as one of the henchmen of the brothers they robbed.

“Ay Trouble!” hollered Smoke as he and Dre ran up to him causing him to take his attention away from the vehicle.

“What’s up!?” he hollered never taking his eyes off of the vehicle anymore.

“Yo! We need to holla at you!” Smoke uttered.

“Naw not right now. Dem fuckin’ migos dunn pulled up at da’ crib, now—”

“Fo’ what?” Dre interrupted reaching under his shirt and pulling out his .45 Smith and Wesson. “I thought da’ beef was ova!?”

“I did too, So wat da’ fuck dey here fo?” said Trouble as he, Rude Boy, Smoke and Dre all eyed the vehicle with their shooters in hand as all four doors of the Sedan came open. The four of them eyed the vehicle as the two henchmen quickly stepped out of the front seats, at the same time the brothers exited from the back seat. The four of them began to make their way up the driveway and so everyone except Rude Boy aimed their guns in their direction.

“Fuck y’all doin’ pullin’ up in my domain, I gave y’all what y’all wanted so—”

“We’re not after you or your compadres.”

“Yeah our beef with you guys is behind us amigo,” both brothers stated as the four of them stood in front of them. “But you guys need to watch da’ company you keep around y’all…Our beef is wit da’ punta of you have wit y’all…Now, where’s our money! You’ve been duckin’ and dodging us for months. Didn’t think we were gonna catch you huh punta!?”

“It’s not dat. I wasn’t tryna dodge y’all, I—I—”

“So where’s our money if you wasn’t tryin’ to dodge us?”

Rude Boy looked at Trouble sadly saying, “Yo, my dude, yo got de’ money ready fo’ me yet?”

Trouble looked at Smoke and Dre, “Aye did y’all make da’ transaction y’all was tellin’ me bout last nite?”

“Dat’s what we came to holla at you bout big bruh,” said Smoke.

“A’ight, holla at me, what’s up?”

Smoke shook his head, “Mannn, when we had shit lined up fo’ erry’thang you gave us to be sold today. But somebody kicked my door in last night while I was at da’ club when we got back to da’ crib I checked da’ closet but da’ bricks was gone!’

That moment, all hell broke loose as both henchmen drew down on Rude Boy while the two brothers harassed him for frontin’ out the same bricks that they fronted him. He quickly aimed his Mack .11 at the back of Trouble’s neck mad he fronted the same bricks to Smoke and Dre that he fronted him. Smoke and Dre had their guns aimed at Rude Boy in Trouble’s defense.

All the yelling went back and forth for a few minutes, Miranda opened her door and stood there in shock after hearing all the commotion going on from inside. Seeing the henchmen’s guns pointed at Rude Boy, Rude Boy’s pointed at the back of Trouble’s neck, then Smoke and Dre both aimed at Rude Boy. Before she could figure out what was going on and try to rectify the situation all she heard was loud banging noises from multiple shots being fired.

Pow! Pow! Pow!

Tatt-Tatt-Tatt-Tatt!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

To Be Continued…