Payback With Ya Life (21 page)

“Got some of dat fire, that’s what’s in the bag.”

“I see. Why don’t you roll up while I go change my clothes?”

“You look aiight to me.”

“I feel naked. You’re like one of the homies, not a nigga to be shaking my ass in front of.” She smiled at him and then headed for the stairs.

“Real funny,” he called after her. “You should get on at amateur night at the Apollo.”

“Maybe I will,” she yelled back down the steps. She headed to the guest bedroom where Crystal was and pounced on top of her.

“Bitch! What the fuck is the matter with you.” Crystal elbowed Janay off of her.

“New York is downstairs. Come on down,” Janay whispered.

“Hell naw. I’m tired, fuck a New York,” she answered groggily.

“We got an ounce of that sticky and a bottle of Krüg.” Janay snatched a pillow off the bed and hit her with it. “Party pooper. C’mon, Crystal.”

“Bitch, get the fuck outta here.”

“You in my house.” Janay went into her bedroom and threw on some sweats and a T-shirt. When she came back downstairs Skye was still rolling and had popped the bottle.

Janay grabbed a joint and sat down, then quickly bounced up and checked the door. “I thought I locked it,” she mumbled as she double-checked it and then went and snuggled up on her love seat.

“You comfortable, homie?” Skye joked.

“Ha, ha, ha, homie. I sure am.”

Crystal was now wide awake so she went to the bathroom. On her way back she heard laughter and paused at the top of the stairs for a few before jumping back in the bed. She lay there on her back wide-eyed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about how familiar that laugh sounded.

Skye’s phone rang. “What up?”

“Everything’s cool?” Melky asked.

“Not quite,” Skye told him.

“The door is open, right?”

“Not anymore, but I got it. Hit me back a little later, nigga,” Skye snapped.

“In fifteen? Let’s get this shit over with. I hope you ain’t in there tryna get no pussy!”

“Nigga, go ’head,” Skye said.

“Aiight. I’m just checkin’. Hit you back in fifteen.”

“Yeah, that’ll work.” Skye hung up.

“You gotta run?” Janay was checking him out.

“In a few, yeah.”

Crystal crept down the steps and peeked over the banister. “Unh-uh,” she gasped. She stole another glance at Skye and tiptoed back up the stairs.
What the fuck is he doing here?
She closed the bedroom door, opened it and then closed it back, unsure of what to do next. She finally sat down on the bed. “He is up to something.” She was now whispering. “Exactly what it is, I’ma find out.”

She picked up the phone and dialed Big Choppa.

“Why haven’t you touched your drink?” Janay asked him.

“Because.”

“Because what?” She took another gulp, looking over the top of her glass at Skye.

“Business. I’m here on business.” He picked up the bag off the floor and sat it on the couch. “I gotta eat, Ma.” He pulled out rope and duct tape.

When the meaning of a nigga having rope and duct tape registered with her she jumped up and screamed, “What the fuck—”

He shut her up with a punch in the mouth that knocked her backward, sending her flopping over the couch.

“You bitch-ass—”

He cut her off when he jumped on top of her, pinning her down to the floor with his knees. He pulled her head back and slapped some duct tape over her mouth, damn near snapping her neck in the process. She groaned as she unsuccessfully tried to wiggle free.

“Chill out, girl, I’m not here to hurt you. I just need you to come with me.” He put her arms behind her back. “We just want a little ransom money.” He duct-taped her wrists together and then tied the rope around them. “What you got here in the house?” As if on cue his cell rang. “Hold that thought,” he said to Janay and answered the phone. “Yo . . . she locked the door. I’m on her now. Give me about five minutes.” He hung up and made sure her wrists and mouth were secure.

“How much will Big Daddy Choppa give for his heiress?” He led her to the couch. “You ain’t got no shoes down here?” She didn’t make a sound or a move. “Oh, you calm as hell. I like that in you; you used to this shit, huh?” He went into his bag and pulled out some gloves. “Later for the shoes. Let’s take this ride while my boys go through the crib real quick.” He grabbed her by her hair and snatched her up.

“Muthafucka get your hands off my sister.” Crystal startled him.

“What?”
Shit
, Skye thought to himself.

The red dot was on his hand and as soon as he turned Janay loose, it was on his chest. “Pull that tape off of her mouth.” He hesitated and she fired a shot, hitting him in the chest. “See, nigga, you took too long.”

“Fuckin’ bitch!” Skye fell backward across the coffee table, causing it to crash onto the floor. His upper body was on the floor while his legs rested on top of the table base. Blood was beginning to seep out onto his shirt.

Crystal went over to Janay and pulled the tape off of her mouth.

“Oh my God. Oh my God,” Janay panted. “This nigga was getting ready to kidnap me. Fuckin’ animal!” she spat. “He has to be fuckin’ crazy. He just saw me body a nigga earlier. Untie me so I can shoot this muthafucka myself.”

“This is Skye, Janay,” Crystal cried out. “This nigga was a fuckin’ snake from the get-go. He told me his name was Skye and told you it was New York,” she rattled off as she struggled with one hand to untie Janay and had the gun in the other. “All the while his bitch ass was plottin’.”

“We gotta call Daddy. He is going to flip,” Janay told her sister.

“I did before I came downstairs, but he’s not answering. Shit, I can’t get this fuckin’ rope untied,” she snapped. “I’ma need a knife.” When she turned for the kitchen, Skye grabbed on to her leg, she screamed and the gun went off by mistake. She then aimed it at him, shooting him in the stomach and another one in the chest. The sisters stood frozen in place staring at him. When they heard a knock at the door they both jumped.

“Shit!” spat Janay. “That’s probably his partner.” Janay was trying to think fast when his cell phone rang.

“Open the door and we’ll shoot him too; we can’t leave no fucking witnesses.”

“Crystal, we already got a body on the floor.”

“He ain’t no witness. The muthafucka is dead. Open the door,” Crystal pressed. “Fuck it, I’ll open it.”

“Wait, bitch, untie me first.” Crystal ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife, came back and cut the rope and duct tape down the middle.

They heard knocking again.

“Give me the gun, Crystal. You snatch the door open and jump back.”

They marched to the front door. Crystal put her hand on the knob while Janay took a stance with the gun aimed.

“On three. One . . . two . . . three . . .”

Crystal snatched the door open and Janay yelled, “Don’t fuckin’ move!” They both were holding their breath, but exhaled once they realized no one was there. “Shit!” Janay hissed, then whispered, “Whoever it was is gone.”

“Mommy,” Marquis called out as he came down the steps rubbing his eyes. “Is my daddy here?”

Crystal slammed the door shut and locked it. Janay dropped the gun and ran toward Marquis.

“No, sweetie. Daddy isn’t here. You need to be in the bed, it is way past your bedtime.” Her trembling hands swooped him up.

“I want something to drink. Can I have some juice? What’s all that noise, Mommy?”

“Auntie Crystal had the TV up too loud. She will bring you some juice upstairs.” She hugged him tight as she took him back to his bedroom, praying that he was buying her story.

After they got him back to sleep it was almost two o’clock in the morning.

“Where the fuck is Daddy?” Janay cried. “He missin’ in action when we need him the most. Crazy shit is happening.”

“He’s nowhere to be found. We just got robbed, Janay, call the police.” Crystal wanted to get the entire fiasco over with . . . in a hurry.

“Bitch, this is the second time in months that a bullet-filled nigga lay in my living room. Fuck the police! I need my daddy. But first, we gotta get rid of this body.”

They had covered up Skye’s body with a sheet and blood had seeped through it. “Won’t he start stinking soon?” Crystal asked. “Plus I shot him, not you. Call the damn police.”

Janay ignored her. “Bitch, it’s almost two o’clock, we gotta move this body and dial Daddy again.”

Crystal sighed but did as she was told. “Hello,” an unfamiliar voice answered so she hung up.

Crystal had a puzzled look on her face. When she dialed it again that same voice answered. “Who is this?” Crystal snapped.

Janay snatched the phone from Crystal and spat, “Daddy got some hoochie over. Hello, put my father on the phone!”

“Daddy’s not available,” the male voice replied before hanging up.

Janay’s mind went to churning. She ran over to the window and peeked out. Sure enough, law enforcement was getting in position. There were DEA, FBI, ATF and the local police.

“Muthafuckas!” Janay screamed. “Of all the fuckin’ days!”

Crystal ran to the window and peeked out. “Shit!” She took off running with intentions of getting rid of the gun.

“Crys, we ain’t got nowhere to run. The bastards got the house surrounded. You might as well assume the position.”

Janay ran upstairs to put on some shoes, put some money in her pocket and call Miss Ida to come get Marquis.

“Crystal, get some clothes on. We are going to jail.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

F
orever Thompson, report to Mr. Moseby’s office. Forever Thompson, report to Mr. Moseby’s office.” Mr. Moseby’s voice boomed through the compound speakers.

Forever looked at his watch. “A quarter to eight? What the fuck he want with me?” Forever shrugged it off. “C’mon, niggas, let’s finish this hand.” He and his partner Rob were trying to dig themselves out of a fifty-point hole in their third game of spades. They were playing against J.T. and Flip, two well-known cheaters.

“Moseby is a lazy-ass unit manager. He only put in work if it’s absolutely necessary. So it must be important,” Hamilton, the nosy but respected old-timer, slipped in as he walked by the rowdy card game and kept it moving.

After finishing the card game Forever reluctantly got up and headed to his unit manager’s office. He was convinced that it was nothing but some bullshit. When he arrived at Mr. Moseby’s office he tapped on the door.

“C’mon in,” Mr. Moseby yelled out. He was a deacon of a church and always had gospel music or a sermon playing lightly in the background. “Have a seat, Mr. Thompson, and tell me your inmate number; better yet let me see your ID as well. You haven’t been here long, have you?”

“No, sir. I just got here.” Forever rattled off his inmate number as if he had an attitude and showed him his prison ID card.

“Okay, then, I’ll be releasing the correct Forever Thompson.”

“Yeah, eventually,” Forever joked, not really catching on to what Moseby was implying. “What can I do for you, Mr. Moseby?”

“Good news and always remember that God is great. Now tell me, does a Lieutenant Billups ring a bell?” Moseby grinned as if he were holding the winning lottery ticket.

“Of course, I saved his ass from gettin’ shanked to death and I got myself sliced in the process.” Forever lifted his shirt to show the scar.

“Well, does getting out of this institution tomorrow make that little ole scar a small price to pay?”

Forever’s heart dove to the bottom of his stomach. He moved to the edge of his seat. “What are you saying?”

“Your early release that you filed over two years ago finally came through. You’re outta here first thing in the morning. You saved an officer’s life. The Bureau of Prisons takes that kind of thing seriously. They may have screwed up and sent your paperwork to the wrong place”—he let out a hearty chuckle—“but they take saving one of their own very serious.”

“Man, do not play with me like this,” Forever gritted.

“I’m a man of God. I would not do that to you, young man.” He opened a folder. “Here is a copy of the order granting your immediate release. It is official. We got a lot of paperwork that needs to be signed, so let’s get started.”

Moseby slid the immediate release document over to Forever, who kept reading it over and over. The next two hours and the rest of the evening were all a surreal string of events to Forever.

Tonight was a big night at Briggen’s club. Some new hustler who went by the name of Cisco was celebrating his birthday. He had paid for Rich Boy and his crew to perform.

The club was definitely the place to be. Cisco must have really been makin’ noise in the streets. There were several BMF cats posted up, so money, drinks and weed were raining all night.

Briggen knew that he couldn’t have chosen a better night to go out with a big bang . . . literally. Everything was going as planned. Woo and damn near everybody else were toasted as he and Briggen watched the partygoers pour out of the club.

“Maine, let’s kill the last of this fifth,” Woo slurred as he held up a damn near empty bottle of Henny X.O to Briggen.

“Hell naw, I’m high enough and so are you. Yo’ ass look like you about to pass out, nigga. I’m probably gonna end up carrying yo’ ass up outta here.”

“I can walk. But shit, I gots to go to the bathroom.”

“Don’t piss on my floors, nigga!” Briggen teased. “As a matter of fact, I’ma go with yo’ drunk ass.”

Briggen stood up and Woo was still sitting. “Nigga, get up. What you gonna do, piss in the chair? Get yo’ drunk ass up!” Woo stood on wobbly legs and Briggen couldn’t help but laugh.

“Maine, I . . . am . . . fucked . . . up!” Woo slurred as he had to laugh at himself. “You would have thought it was my birthday.” Woo was cracking up at his own joke as he followed behind Briggen.

“Woo, did you see that fine honey Rat had on his arm?” Briggen held the men’s room door open for Woo as he thought of gettin’ with the chick. “I wonder if she got good credit
and
good pussy.”

“Yeah, you want me to h-hook you up?”

Briggen smirked. “Since when did I need your help to pull a bitch?”

“Awww, man,” Woo hiccuped. “That’s low. But she from New York. She fly. You prolly gonna need my help with dat.” He stumbled over to one of the urinals while Briggen went to the one next to him.

They both began pissing but Briggen turned toward Woo and began pissing all over his shoes and pants.

“Yo, Brig!” Woo yelled. “What the fuck, man!” Briggen put his dick in his pants while Woo was still taking a leak. “Brig! What the—” His eyes got big as saucers as Briggen pulled out an eight-inch Bowie special hunting knife and rammed it into his stomach.

“Ooooohh,” Woo screamed.

Briggen pulled it out and rammed him again. Woo appeared to be in shock. His mouth was wide open and his face was turning purple. Briggen yanked the knife out and stepped back. He watched as Woo grabbed his stomach with both hands as if he was trying to catch all of the blood that was seeping out. He went down on both knees while looking up at Briggen.

“W-why, dawg?” his voice croaked as Briggen plunged him again, twisted it, pulled it out and rammed it into him once more.

“Why? You know why, nigga. Because of your treachery.” Briggen pulled the knife out of his stomach and began stabbing his hands while slicing off several of his fingers. While laughing he said, “That was for your greed.”

Tears were streaming rapidly from Woo’s eyes. Blood was everywhere. He looked as if he was going to pass out.

Briggen, seeing that, said, “Unh-uh, nigga. I’m not finished with you yet.” He grabbed Woo’s jaw and held his tongue out. He then took the knife and cut out his tongue. “And that, my friend, is because you talk too much.”

Woo made some gurgling noises before falling flat on his face.

There was a knock on the bathroom door.

“Yo, Brig.” It was Silk.

He hawked and spat on Woo’s body before backing toward the door. “C’mon in, man. You right on time,” he said to Silk with disappointment evident in his voice. Woo had been his running partner for almost ten years. He wouldn’t have even dreamt of having to take him out.

Silk walked in and looked dead at the piece of Woo’s tongue laying on the floor. “Damn, Cuz, you butchered that nigga.”

“He got his just due. I want him to bleed and burn like the pig that he is. Make sure they torch this muthafucka down to the ground. I want this muthafucka to fry. Start right here with this nigga in this bathroom.”

“I need to get you out of here first. Let’s roll out.” He held the door open for Briggen and they glanced once more at Woo and were gone.

Forever still could not believe the turn of events. Here he was a free man, due to him being at the right place at the right time damn near two years ago. Fo’real, he had given up on getting the time off for that deed.

However, he wasn’t actually in rejoice mode. It was more like revenge mode. This was supposed to be a happy day. His loving wife and daughter were supposed to be picking him up and crying tears of thanks and joy. Instead, his homie Ronnie was having his family members meet him at the front gate. Ronnie knew both Briggen and Forever and wanted to know why Briggen wasn’t picking him up. He simply told him, “I want to surprise that nigga.”

Forever’s gaze fell on the white-on-white Ferrari Spider gliding up the road. Forever let out a long whistle as it cruised to a stop right in front of him. “Gotdamn!” He had to give the whip its props.

The window rolled down and a man’s voice said, “Forever, right?” even though a brown-skinned honey dip was looking in his face.

“Yeah, I’m Forever.”

The beauty in the front stepped out and two more honey dips stepped out the back, giggling. Forever felt as if he had died and gone to heaven.

“I’m Ronnie’s cousin Mason. This here is Ciarra.” He pointed at the tall chocolate sister with the short, fly haircut and perky breasts. She waved at him.

“That’s Neecy.” He pointed to the light brown honey with the cute round face. There wasn’t any doubt that she was mixed with something, plus she had ass for days. She waved as well. “And this one right here is Karmel.” He nodded to the sister with the sexy smile who was sitting in the front and obviously thought that she owned the world. “You can either ride in the front with me or in the back with the two of them.”

“Let me get in the back.” Forever wanted to cheese real big but managed to play it cool.

As soon as everyone got settled, the Spider whizzed to life. Forever kept saying to himself that he owed Ronnie big-time. He had no clue as to how much money these Detroit niggas were gettin’, and now they were showing him mad love. He could see why Brig had to camp out and set up shop down here.

Six hours later, Forever had a driver’s license, some fly gear and a heater, and had enjoyed a couple of blow jobs. He couldn’t have been happier. Now they were parked in front of Markeeta’s, waiting for her to come home. They were working on their second blunt and third bottle of Moët when she finally pulled up. When Mason saw who she was he said, “Man, that’s your people?”

“Yeah, that’s my little cousin.”

“She fine, man, I saw her before. But listen, you got my digits. If you need anything,
anything
at all, holla. I know you said you going back to Memphis tonight but if you decide to change your mind, get at me. We can continue this. I was just gettin’ started.” Ronnie had this huge grin on his face.

“I got the number and, yo, you gotta hook a nigga up with a rain check. If I don’t get back at you tonight, it will be soon. Believe that. Be sure to tell Ronnie I said good lookin’. He blessed a nigga real nice.” He gave Mason a pound, then whispered something in Neecy’s ear and headed for the house.

“Bye, Forever,” the other two girls sang. He winked at them and they both burst into giggles.

Forever rushed up the stairs, rang his cousin’s doorbell and started banging on the door as if he were the po-po. He smiled when he heard her fussing in the background.

“I
said
who the fuck is ringing my bell and banging on my door like they crazy!” She peeked through the peephole. “Who is that?”

“You know who I am. Girl, open the damn door!”

“Oh my God! My big cousin! Oh . . . mygod!” she squealed. “Tell me I’m not dreamin’.” She unlocked the door. “Forever! Boy, when did you get out?” She jumped into his arms, gave him a hug and rained kisses on his forehead and cheeks.

“Girl, what you been eatin’?” he teased her. “You need to get yo’ heavy ass down and cover that ass up.”

“Boy, I am grown and I ain’t covering up shit!” She pushed him back. “Let me look at you. What’s in the bags? When did you get out? How you get new clothes so fast?” she rattled off the questions back to back.

“I got out today. My peoples hooked me up. Cat named Ronnie and his cousin Mason. Mason said he be seeing you around.”

“Ronnie? Mason? I don’t know who you talking about.” She grabbed his arm. “Come on in. I just saw your brother yesterday. Why you ain’t tell nobody you were coming home, Cuz? We would have done it real big for you, Detroit-style. You know how we do it.”

“I wanted to surprise everybody. And I’m asking you to promise me you won’t say a word about me being out. Don’t tell nobody. I’ma sneak up on everybody. You got that?”

“I got you.” She could barely contain her excitement.

“You better have me. Y’all can throw me a party in a couple of days. This freedom snuck up on me unexpectedly.” She was following him as he walked around the house checking things out. “How long this house been in the family?”

“You older than me, you should know. Shit, I wasn’t even born when Mommy and Daddy bought this.”

“That’s a long time.” Forever took a moment to reminisce.

“Are you hungry? You wanna use the phone? Nigga, say something, you actin’ all strange and shit.”

“I just got outta prison. I’m shell-shocked. How the fuck you expect me to act? Plus, I am a little tipsy.”

“I see that. Ain’t even been out twenty-four hours and you already trying to get a dirty urine.”

Forever sank into the nearest chair. “So who is the broad my brother done got ahold of?”

Markeeta flopped down next to Forever. “Her name is Shan. He brung her from Memphis and he want both of us to run the beauty salon. He put her up in a boss crib, the whole nine. You know I got my cosmo license, right?”

“Of course. You only wrote and told me about ten times,” he teased.

She slapped his arm. “You stretchin’ the truth, nigga. Maybe nine but definitely not ten times.”

“Well, I got my license too. Let me hold one of your whips.”