My Hustler’s Keeper (3 page)

“I don’t know Joe. The crime happened inside the house.”

“Listen to me. Take her body and make it disappear. Call Juno. Him and his brother Frankie will know what to do,” he told a shaking Stephanie.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Stephanie said, grabbing my mother’s legs and dragging her out the front door without any care in the world.

“Don’t see. Just do it,” Joe said to her before closing and locking the front door.

“I’m going to prison. I’m going to prison,” Mary said, in a panicked tone.

“Everything will be okay.” Joe walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulder.

“You all will pay for this shit!” I yelled out to them, before going into my room but standing by the doorway to hear the rest of their conversation.

“What about Harmony?” Mary asked.

“Don’t worry about her. I now got her and Henry for life.”

“What about her brothers?”

“I’ll take care of them. Trust me baby, this will work. You did well. You did real good.”

I heard Joe and Mary talking and I knew right then and there I was trapped and wasn’t going to get out of this situation alive.

I slowly opened my eyes, from doing back down memory lane as I felt the raindrop tears start to fall from them. Reality always hit me like a ton of bricks, whenever I thought of my mother. I am alone in this world and there is nothing I could do about it but obey Joe’s orders.

I never made a wish for my birthday that night, but if I could go back and make one, I would have wished to meet the brothers my mother always talked about. Maybe they would have taken my family away from Joe’s painful and heartless ways?

My Hustler’s Keeper

-2-

SINCERE

I never chose this game. This game chose me. My life was mapped out and selling drugs for another nigga wasn’t apart of it. Shit, I could’ve easily got on considering who my folks is, but I wasn’t turning to go down that path until Daniel came into our dorm and sold me his wet dream, that I’m now paying for with my life.

I remember the first night I came into this heartless business with Joe. I was working at Wendy’s and attending NYU studying to get my business degree. I met Daniel my first year entering school and with that I entered a game where I can’t win even if I try ‘cause I’m always playing my cards wrong and losing.

Dragging myself deeper and deeper into hell’s kitchen, I’m burning up without a chance of getting out. If I’m not explaining it right to your acknowledgement, I’ll let you read about it for yourself.  

“Yo Sincere, aren’t you tired of working this bullshit ass job?” Daniel, my roommate, comes into the room and asks me.

I had just got off from working back-to-back shifts and I was mad tired. But I had a test to study for, and I knew sleep wasn’t going to be my best friend anytime soon.

“Shit, I’m always tired but it helps me. I’d rather keep work this job than selling drugs and risking getting caught like my parents any day.”

“Help you by doing what?” He gives me a questionable look.

“This shit isn’t gonna help you rise to the top,” he tells me.

The thing is I wasn’t trying to rise to the top. I just wanted to make my granny and li’l sister and parents proud. Yet I got sucked into his game of bullshit trying to play super-save-a-nigga when I wasn’t getting saved back.

“Man, I got one more final to take and I’m done with school. I’ll have my business’s degree and I’ll start my company. Shit, I’ve been in college since I was eighteen. I think I can handle a couple more months,” I explain to him.

“Then what? What’s going to happen after you get this shitty degree? I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. You’ll be back to where you started. You're twenty-three and don’t have a pot to piss in.”

I laugh at his quote of life. In reality he is the one who doesn’t have a pot to piss in.

“What’s the moral behind all this? And for the record you don’t have a pot to piss in. I have plenty, I keep telling you. You better look me up nigga. I’m well known around these streets.”

“We need to get some money. I’m tired of being broke. We need to make a quick come up,” he stresses to me.

“This
we
thing seems like it’s all about
you
.”

“Trust me Sincere, we’ll be set. My guy Honor tells me his cousin Henry’s pops is looking for some killers,” he informs me.

I laugh harder. That nigga Honor is cut throat to the bone. Anything that comes out of Honor’s lips spells death. That cat is related to the Santana family and everyone in the NYC knows Honor and his cousins don’t give you information unless it is something in it for them. And that is money, blood, or both.

My pops used to talk about Tone and his twin brother Twan all the time. He said he used to hustle with them back in the days when he was living in Chicago. Before he met my mother and decided to settle down and move to her hometown of NYC. If he was still alive, I know he’d laugh just as I am at Daniel, at how he’s too thirsty to make what he calls blood money.

“Look Daniel, Honor and his family aren’t anything to play with. I know; I used to hang with them back in Chicago. I came back here for a fresh start. I’m not trying to revisit my past. It isn’t anything pretty,” I explain.

“Bro, it’s a easy in and out job.”

“What that got to do with me? If I wanted to kill and sell drugs, I’d do it myself. Not work for another nigga. When I came to this school, I promised my granny and sister my hustling days were over. And I’m keeping that promise.”

“C’mon, Sincere, I need you with me. I need this money. Let’s just work with him for a few months. Then we’re gone like the wind. Easy in, easy out.”

“There’s not a such thing as a easy in, easy out.”

“C’mon, Sincere, I’m begging you. I need this money. And if I could do it without you I would. But I can’t,” Daniel voices.

The pit of my stomach is telling me to say ‘NO, you wanna get rich, handle that shit like a man yourself.’ But my dad always taught me to never turn your back on family, even if what they’re saying is wrong. You might just need them in the long run.

“How much is he charging?”

“From what I was told, $50,000 each per body we get rid of,” he explains to me.

“Damn, that ain’t shit. I can make a call to my granny and get double that right now. Stay in school kid. Education is the key to success,” I tell him, turning back to my desk, directing my attention to my homework.

“C’mon, Sincere, you say you got money and what you can do. But I don’t see shit. We can do three or four hits and be out,” he explains, jumping up and down with excitement.

“And the good news is, he wants to meet up with us today. C’mon, Sincere, It’s a win-win situation.”

“You’re too money hungry. This is why I’ll never show you what I’m really made of. But when is the meeting? I’d like to see you enter a world you can’t come out of. And don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I explain.

“Ten.”

“It’s already 9:30,” I tell him, looking at the clock on the wall.

“Well, we need to be moving,” he informs me, grabbing his jacket, and then turning his attention to the dorm door. He opens the door and waits for me in the hallway to walk out.

“We’re just going to check it out. I won’t make any decision until I know more about him,” I explain to him as I stand up, put my jacket back on, and then tuck my .45 behind me before making my way towards the door.

“Man, what the fuck you need a gun for?” he asks, looking at me as if I am a mad man.

“He wants us to kill for him, not look as if we’re there to kill him.”

“You never know what to expect,” I reply back, stepping out the room and locking our dorm door behind us.

Something is telling me to turn my black ass back around and stick to being the good boy I promised my family I’d be. But I can’t let Daniel do this alone. I know he will get ate up in a heartbeat. He is book smart, but street smart, he lacks that.

I’m not going to let my homie go out into the world to get killed knowing I could’ve been there to prevent it from happening. That is one of my pops’ codes of conduct to the street life. Never leave your friends hanging. I knew that street code would soon kick my ass. I know right from wrong and wrong from right, and I know this shit is wrong.

I park my car in front of an abandoned building in Brooklyn just a li’l after ten. I watch as Daniel rolls the windows down and then wipes the sweat that is dripping from his forehead.

“Man, if you’re this nervous, let’s turn back around.”

“We can’t,” he whispers, as if they are going to hear us.

“C’mon, don’t act brand new now. I thought you say you were tired of being broke? Wasn’t that the line you ran on me back at the dorm room? Now we’re here and you wanna bitch up. Let’s get this money.”

“They’re looking at us,” he says, shaking his head.

“Who? I don’t see shit,” I tell him, rolling down the window, and putting my head out the window.

“Look up at the window,” he continues to whisper.

“Man, you tripping. Let’s get this over with. He either wants us or he doesn’t, but we’re not going to find that out babysitting the car,” I tell him, stepping out the car and closing the door behind me.

“Wait!” I hear him yell as he rushes to follow behind me.

“These dudes ain’t no joke,” he tells me, grabbing my arm.

“If you let these niggas see you’re shaken up, it’s over D. Don’t be the prey. If you’re having second thought, get rid of it now,” I inform him, pulling away.

“I have never been the prey. Just ask my auntie’s boyfriend. And I’m not trying to be either. I just want some quick money.” He knocks on the door.

“We in and out in ten minutes flat.”

“I was about to tell you the same thing,” he says as the door flies open.

“Hi, I’m Harmony. How can I help you?” I watch as my Heaven sent stands at the doorway with one hand on her thick hips, sending a tingle throughout my manhood.

“You can help me by giving me your hand in marriage,” I boldly tell her, while I reach out to grab her hand and kiss her palm.

“By the way my name is Sincere,” I introduce myself.

“I’m not interested,” she replies back, giving me that ‘
don’t try to spit game at me’
look, as she yanks her hand and wipes away the kiss I had placed on it.

“Who you looking for Mr. Sincere?”

“Joe Jones,” Daniel jumps in.

“And what about Joe Jones?” she asks.

“We were told to meet him here.”

“Told by who?” she asks, placing her hands on her hips.

“Umm…” Daniel starts to stutters.

Damn, this nigga here. He is without a doubt about to become the fucking prey.

“Yo, we were told to meet Joe Jones here. Is he here?” I step closer towards her, sticking my head over her and looking inside.

“I’m not in a good mood Mr. Sincere. Please don’t get shot today. Now step the hell back and stand next to your friend,” she gives me that tough girl talk.

Damn, ma had my heart racing with excitement. I had to have her playing on my team.

“Again, who told you to come here? This is my place and I know damn well I didn’t invite you,” she says harshly.

“Henry,” he answers nervously.

“Henry what?”

“He…he told us to meet him here about a job interview,” Daniel stutters again.

Ma looks from me to Daniel and then starts laughing. After a while she stops and places her hands on her hips.

“What’s the joke? I need a good laugh too,” I say.

“So you guys are the new hit crew?” she asks, pointing.

“Maybe, maybe not. As he says we’re here for Joe.”

She starts to laugh again. Damn, if she wasn’t so damn fine I would’ve been turned my black ass around, got back into my car, and drove back to my dorm door and finished my work. But I have a yearning to get to close to her. And if stepping inside is the only way, then point me to my maker.

“I’ll eat you alive myself. But welcome,” she says smiling, and then moves out the way so that we can enter.

“Nah, ma, you might eat this nigga alive. But when it comes to me, I’ll fight ‘til the death,” I inform her, while grabbing her body and placing her into my embrace.

“So Harmony, when you’re ready to take those vows with me, just let a nigga know.” My eyes stare into hers, begging to be set free as if she is the only one that has the key to do so.

“Yeah, that’s what they all say,” she tells me.

Smiling, she eases her body from my grip and walks forwards to a closet, opens it up, and pulls out a double barrel shotgun.

Damn, ma is sexy and dangerous. Hell yeah, I have to make her my wife. I need a keeper on my team. And my soul is telling me she would be the perfect keeper for this hustler. My perfect hustler’s keeper, Yes, I need her.

“This right here is my favorite piece, and I’m telling the both of you now, get on my bad side and you won’t make it out this building alive. That especially goes for you Mr. Sincere. Now follow me,” she says, as she leads us into a room in the back.

“Damn, ma, your features remind me of Donna from
Friday After Next
. Perfect front and even perfect view in the back,” I voice, trying to make her notice a nigga’s conversation.

She might be strictly on business. But my head is on another form on business that I want her to pay close attention to.

“But between me and you. I’ll say you look better,” I continue to speak.

My big ego smiles, and I watch as her body turns around and faces me, giving me the attention I am craving.

“Why? ‘Cause I have an ass for niggas to look at?” she asks, giving me that same tough girl spark that made my dick hard.

“It ain’t even about the ass. But between me and you, you’re prettier than her by a long shot,” I voice back, looking her up and down.

I admire her perfect body, starting from her long dark hair to her Coca Cola frame. Damn, if she were a God, I’d worship the dirt she walked on and pray to her morning, noon, and night.

“Then what is it?” She places her hands on her hips, popping her chest out and smacking her hips while she uses the shotgun as a tool to lean on.

“The hoodness when you speak. I can tell you’re one of those down to ride for hers hood chicks. And that’s the kind of female I’m looking for.”

Daniel shoves me, but I give him that ‘don’t interrupt my flow’ look and continue to give the lovely Harmony my attention.

She smiles at me brightly, causing the butterflies in my stomach to form and start dancing with pride. Our eyes lock, waiting for each other to speak first. After a while she clears her throat, and what she does next takes me by complete surprise and catches me off guard.