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Action Jackson stood on the porch shirtless talking to a well-known freak from the neighborhood, while a few other goons sat on the porch playing spades.
The young lady admired the two chains that hung around his neck as he spoke. “That is unnecessary,” Lisa said, touching Action Jackson's chains.
“I worked hard to be able to wear this,” he told her.
“You ain't scared that somebody might try to rob you?” she asked.
“I'm willing to die for this.” Action Jackson looked down at his chains that hung around his neck. “Besides, I keep something that will make a nigga think twice about taking anything from me.” He nodded towards his SKS rifle that rested by his chair.
As Action Jackson stood on the porch talking to Lisa, he noticed an old-school car coasting down the street. Immediately he knew it was on. He quickly grabbed his SKS from the side of the chair as a loud series of gunshots rang out in broad daylight.
Kendu watched his bullets rip through several soldiers that stood on the porch. He waved his arms back and forth, trying to hit anything moving.
Warm blood splashed on Action Jackson's face as he saw Lisa laid out face down in the grass. Action Jackson jumped off the porch as he pressed the trigger on his assault rifle. The gun rattled in his hands as shells popped out the chamber back to back.
Kendu quickly took cover in the car as the bullets from Action Jackson's gun riddled and rocked the car. “Punch this shit!” he yelled out to the driver.
Action Jackson watched as the Chevy bent the corner. Immediately he ran to his car and tossed the SKS in the backseat as he hopped in the driver's seat and left the murder scene.
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Dirty Black sat in his office getting his drink on, in deep thought. Ever since him and Big Time started beefing, he had to shut down a few of his spots due to the heat coming from the police. The cops didn't mind drugs being sold in the black community, but when bodies started dropping, and people started getting killed, that's when it became a problem.
While Dirty Black poured himself another drink, he heard his cell phone ringing. He looked at the caller ID and saw that the caller had blocked their number. Usually he didn't answer private numbers, but this time he did. “Who this?” he answered.
“Wassup,” the voice on the other end spoke.
“Who is this?” Dirty Black asked again.
“Big Time. We need to talk.”
“About?”
“This war has got to stop,” Big Time said. “I'm losing too much money over this shit.”
“Well, you should've thought of that before you decided to play tough,” Dirty Black said coldly.
“Listen,” Big Time told him, “I know your pockets are taking a hit as well, so I'm inviting you to my restaurant for a sit-down. All of this killing has got to stop.”
“A sit-down?” Dirty Black didn't fully trust Big Time enough to have a sit-down with him yet, but he also knew that in order to keep the money raining in, this may have been the only option. “Text me the address, and I'll swing through.”
“Okay, we can meet up tomorrow night around nine
P.M.
,” Big Time said, ending the call.
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When Kendu walked in the house, he was shocked to see Diamond and Crystal sitting on the couch having a drink while they watched
The Real NBA Housewives.
“Hey, baby.” Crystal got up and hugged and kissed her man. “How was your day?”
“Long.” Kendu asked Diamond, “How you feeling today?”
Diamond replied with a smile. “Much better,”
“That's what I like to hear.”
Kendu poured himself a drink. Before he could even take a sip, he heard somebody knocking on the door.
Who the fuck could this be?
he thought as he walked over to the door and opened it. His good mood went straight out the window when he saw Perry standing on the other side of his door.
“What the fuck you want?”
“I'm here for your wife,” Perry said, looking Kendu in his eyes. “Now where is she?”
“Let me tell you something.” Kendu took a step closer. “Next time you ever knock on my door, you are going to get shot. Understand? I'm going to let you slide this time because I'm in a good mood.”
Kendu went to close the door, but Perry's boot stopped it from closing.
“I need to speak to Diamond now!”
Kendu quickly pulled his .45 from the small of his back and placed it underneath Perry's chin. “Nigga, what I just say? Get the fuck up outta here before I turn your head into velvet!” He shoved Perry out of his doorway.
“Diamond, I'm coming for you!” Perry yelled loud enough so Diamond could hear him. He smiled at Kendu, before turning and heading towards his car.
Kendu stood in the doorway until Perry's car was no longer in sight. “This clown gon' make me kill him,” Kendu said as he closed and locked the door behind him.
Diamond stood up. “I'm about to leave. I don't want to bring no trouble to y'all.”
“Fuck that! You don't have to go nowhere,” Kendu told her. “If that clown come back, Iâma shoot him out his fuckin' shoes.”
“I told y'all he was crazy,” Diamond said, a nervous look on her face. She knew how crazy Perry was and what he was capable of. She didn't have proof, but she had a strong feeling that he was the serial killer from the news. And the last thing she wanted was to be his next victim. “I don't trust him,” she said out loud.
“Tell you what,” Kendu said, pulling a small .380 from his pocket. “Here. I'll keep this in the house, just in case that clown tries to come back when I ain't home.” He sat it down on the counter.
“If he knows what's best, he better stay the fuck from around here.” Crystal finished off her drink. “'Cause I ain't got time to be playing with no psychos.”
“He acting like a psycho, until somebody knock him the fuck out!” Kendu said, and he disappeared upstairs so he could take a shower, hoping that would calm him down.
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Perry drove away with a smile on his face. Not only was he going to kill Diamond, but now Kendu and Crystal were added to the list.
He pulled up in his driveway and quickly turned the car off. Once he stepped foot inside his house, he made a beeline for the basement. He had to whip up something special for Diamond. Something that she nor the media would ever forget.
Chapter 19
Dirty Black parked his Navigator in the parking lot of Big Time's restaurant. A sit-down was the last thing he wanted, but money came first in his life, so he had to do what he had to do. “You ready?” he asked, looking over at Kendu, who sat in the passenger seat.
“Let's do it.” Kendu hopped out the truck.
Altogether, it was four of them heading inside Big Time's restaurant. As the foursome entered the restaurant, they were met by a huge six-foot-seven bodyguard.
“Nobody is allowed past this point without being searched,” the bodyguard's voice boomed.
“Fuck outta here!” Dirty Black looked the big man up and down. “You better tell that nigga Big Time to come out here before I air this whole shit out!”
The big bodyguard gave Dirty Black a mean look before he left and went to go get Big Time.
Big Time came bopping toward the front of the restauarnt. “Gentlemen,” he greeted them. “Glad y'all could make it. Right this way,” he said, escorting the foursome upstairs to a booth reserved for his VIP customers.
When they made it upstairs, already seated at the table was Action Jackson and Mousey, while another seven-foot bodyguard stood looking over everything.
Once everyone was seated, Big Time began. “Glad y'all could make it. I called y'all down here because all the killing has got to stop, if we want to continue to make any money.”
Kendu stared a hole through Big Time's face as he spoke. He so badly wanted to jump over the table and blow his brains all over the wall, but he had to keep his cool. He still hadn't forgot what Big Time did to him and couldn't wait until he got a chance for some payback.
“Listen,” Big Time continued, “we going to have to share real estate. Your peoples stay off our corners, and my people will stay off your corners. That's the only way this thing is going to work.”
“I don't know about this,” Dirty Black said, pouring himself a drink.
“What's not to know about it?” Big Time asked. “We both in this thing to make money, right? And the only way we going to continue to make money is if both sides chill.”
“My main man is laying up in the fuckin' hospital right now.” Dirty Black looked over at Action Jackson, who had a smirk on his face. “And I'm telling you right now you better wipe that fuckin' smirk off your face before I do it for you!” Dirty Black shot to his feet.
Action Jackson didn't even flinch as he stayed seated. “If you think that was something, you're going to love what I'm going to do to you,” he said.
“Do it now, you pussy!” Dirty Black's hand slipped down towards his waist.
That last comment caused Action Jackson to slowly rise to his feet. He reached for his waistband, but Big Time quickly stopped him. “Not in here.”
“Fuck this shit! We out.” Kendu draped his arm around Dirty Black's neck, and the foursome made their exit.
“Fuck!” Big Time cursed loudly.
“Fuck that punk-ass nigga!” Action Jackson said, waving him off. “Fuck them niggas! I ain't with all this sit-down shit anyway.”
Big Time shook his head. Now that his attempt had failed, it was only one thing left to do. “You want him?” He looked over at Action Jackson. “You got him.”
“About fuckin' time,” Action Jackson said with an attitude.
“Make it quick. The faster Dirty Black is out of the picture, the faster we can go back to getting this money.” Big Time sat back down at his table and poured himself a drink.
He'd tried to settle things the grown-up way, but that didn't work. And he knew Dirty Black wouldn't stop until one of them was dead. If everything went according to his plan, though, then it would be Dirty Black getting killed instead of him.
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Dirty Black drove in total silence until he finally arrived back at the spot. “Y'all niggas, go get some rest tonight, 'cause tomorrow it's on,” he announced.
Kendu knew the look he saw in Dirty Black's eyes. All the games were over now. Someone had to die, point-blank. “I'm out. Call me tomorrow.” He slapped five with Dirty Black then hopped in his car and headed home.
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Perry sat in a low-key car right across the street from Kendu's house. He had been staked out there all day just watching the house. He still couldn't believe that Diamond had got away from him before he got a chance to have his way with her. That right there was what ate at him the most. He felt as if she had used and outsmarted him.
As he continued to watched the house, he saw a Benz pull into the driveway, and out stepped Kendu. Just the sight of him made Perry's blood boil. He wanted to run down on him and murder him on sight, but he knew that in order to pull off his plan, he would have to wait for the perfect time. He had something real special for everyone who resided inside that house and couldn't wait until the perfect time to strike.
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Kendu walked in the house and saw Diamond laying across the couch half-naked, looking sexy. “What up?” he said coolly as he walked over to the fridge.
“How was your day?” Diamond got up and walked in the kitchen with him.
“It was a'ight. Where's Crystal?”
“She's upstairs sleeping. I don't think Jessica was feeling too good. I think her stomach was hurting.”
Kendu poured himself a glass of wine as he listened to what Diamond had to say.
“I want to thank you again for letting me stay here,” Diamond said. “Especially after how I acted the last time I was here.” She was embarrassed by her actions.
“It's all good.” Kendu sipped on his wine. “I wouldn't just let you be out on the streets like that. You are still technically my wife,” he reminded her.
Diamond smiled. “Are you hungry?”
“Nah, I just ate,” he lied, afraid that Crystal would come downstairs at any moment and make their conversation out to be more than it really was.
Diamond laughed as she shook her head. “You never was a good liar,” she said, digging in the cabinet and removing a frying pan.
Kendu sat on the stool as he sipped on his wine. He watched as Diamond worked her way around the kitchen that she knew so well, frying him some chicken.
The two ate fried chicken and sipped on wine until Kendu went upstairs and retired in the bed.