The Face That Launched A Thousand Bullets (The Cartel Publications Presents) (31 page)

“The abortion.” He said still holding her.
“I’m not having an abortion.” She pushed away from him.
“Well you can’t keep it either.” He told her angrily. “So you might as well get that shit out ya head!”
“I’m having our baby, Nyzon, whether you want me to or not. So is it over now?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Monesha?!” he yelled grabbing her arms. “What the fuck you gonna tell people when they ask you who the father is?” He squeezed her arms harder. “This some bullshit! You shoulda neva came to my hotel room that night!”

“You wasn’t sayin’ that when you put your dick in my ass and mouth!”

“Monesha…people are gonna trip out if you have this baby. And what if it ain’t healthy? We cousins! We’re not supposed to be fuckin’ each other! You can’t do this!”

“I don’t care what people think!” she told him hitting his chest forcing him to release her. “I knew you before I found out you were my cousin. It’s hard for me to just shut my love off like that! But I’m glad to see you can.”

“Listen, none of that shit changes the fact that we’re still related.”

“I’m havin’ our baby, Nyzon!” she said getting in her car. “So get use to it. Cause you gonna be a daddy and you gonna be a daddy to my baby!” She backed her purple ford Taurus up, and pulled off.

“Monesha, wait!”
It was too late.
She was gone.

 

 

Crayland Bailor

Baltimore

A Soldier Above All

 

C
ray sat outside of his old house watching Tiara blow up his phone. It had only been a little over a month and already she was on it…and hard at that. He smiled when he realized that he hadn’t even put his game into full player mode. After the car game he ran on her, he showed up at her school to drop off another girl. Her heart dropped when he looked her dead in the eyes and didn’t speak. He had her just where he wanted her. Tucking his phone in his pocket, he proceeded up the steps leading to Melody’s.

Once at Melody’s door, he glanced over at his old house. He thought about his folks all the time but could never bring himself to reach out to them. What was done was done, and now they were on their own.

When he knocked on the door J-Swizz opened it and walked away.
I can’t stand this bitch ass nigga!
He thought when he walked into the half lit living room. The TV was on but the volume was down low. A worn out old red velvet couch sat against the wall and J-Swizz and Carolyn sat on it. He could tell they’d been arguing. Little did J-Swizz know but Jason had been all in that pussy.

“Where Melody at?” he asked stepping in front of the TV.

“In the back.” Cray smirked looking at the girl. “Now get out the way.”

“Make me, nigga.” It was obvious J-Swizz was showing off for his piece so he wanted to call him on it. Cray wanted a reason to put him on his back. He never did get over how he grabbed him up when he touched Melody’s car years ago.

“Whateva, man.”

Cray smirked. “That’s what I thought. Punk ass mothafucka.”

“We’ll see who’s laughin’ in a sec.” J-Swizz retaliated.

Cray didn’t know what that meant so he kept it moving.

“Yo, Melody. What you need man?” he asked knocking on his door once before opening it. He stumbled when he saw his father on his knees, asshole naked, sucking Melody’s dick.

When Cray turned around, he saw J-Swizz put his head down in laughter. The shame and embarrassment Cray felt was unparallel. He knew J-Swizz knew his father was in there but wanted to see his reaction.

“I thought I told you to tell him to wait out front!” Melody yelled.

“I forgot, man. I’m sorry.”

He felt a heat wave take over him as his piercing eyes fixated on his father. He was just about to pull out his weapon and shoot them both when he remembered. He was Crayland Bailor! A loaner and above all, a mothafuckin’ soldier! Why let his weak ass father come in the way of his fortune and his plan?

He looked at his father, strolled up to Melody and said, “What you want, man?”
They were shocked. Cray acted as if he’d seen nothing.
His father stood up, covered his own dick with one hand and touched Cray on the shoulder with the other. “I’m sorry, son.”

“Nigga, do you know me?!” He waited for him to say something displeasing so he could punish him.

Silence.

“Den get ya hands the fuck off of me!”

His father grabbed his pants and ran out the door. Cray heard stories of Melody going both ways but never had proof. Now he did.

“Man, it wasn’t how it looked.” Melody offered.
“Nigga, let’s get down to business.” Cray retaliated.
He didn’t want to be put in a position to discuss the matter. Because if he did, Melody wouldn’t like what he’d have to say.
“A’ight then.” Melody adjusted his clothes. “Give me five minutes.”

He left Cray alone with his thoughts as he walked to the bathroom. Cray allowed Melody the time he needed to get his self together, but trust and believe he’d never forget this shit. And neither would he.

 

 

Nyzon Peate

Bladensburg, Maryland

The Pact

 

N
yzon, Royala, Cooks and Simon jumped into his car to meet Cray at a secluded spot. It was quiet as they drove down the street. No one said it but everyone was thinking the same thing. Could Cray be trusted? And why the desolate place?

Once they pulled up to the address on the paper, near a railroad track, all they saw were warehouses.
“This is it.” Nyzon said looking at his crew.
“You sure about this?” Cooks asked in the passenger front seat.

“To be honest, I can’t call it. I mean, why would he try somethin’ when he ain’t got access to the connect? Plus he told us to come strapped.”

His trunk held their portion of the money for the weight. In total, they had half a million dollars on them, and Cray and his boys were supposed to come up with a half too. With all that cash, he didn’t want to bring up the possibility that Cray could be robbing them. It would put a damper on the evening.

“Are ya’ll wit me?”
Royala with her baseball cap pulled over her eyes said, “Fuck you think?”
Cooks and Simon nodded. They got out and walked to the door.

As instructed, Nyzon knocked on the steel door five times, waited ten seconds and knocked three more. The door opened and Cray was behind it.

“Glad you made it my, nigga.”

“What’s up wit the lights bein’ out in here?” Nyzon popped off.

He could barely see Cray’s face it was so dark. Dude was giving him the creeps for real. If something didn’t give in a few seconds, all of them were about to unload on his Baltimore ass.

“You’ll see in a minute.”

He led them to a larger room within the warehouse. There was one light in the ceiling, which moved a little from side to side, and Nyzon was able to see the rest of Cray’s crew. It would be the first time they met. Cray had three people with him but what really had Nyzon fucked up was the person hog tied on the floor, with a pillow case over his head.

“Hey, dude, you betta start talkin’.” Royala said slightly nervous at the scene. “Cause I ain’t sign up for no bullshit.”
Cray looked at Nyzon and than at Royala.
“A broad on your team? Cute.” He smirked rubbing his chin.

Royala aimed her 45 in his direction and on instinct, they all aimed at one another. Baltimore against DC in a closed space. If they were to fire on one another nobody would find their bodies for days. There was so much tension in the air it was hard to breathe. One wrong move and everything would be over.

“Aye, yo, I think we need to start all over.” Cray said looking at the weapons thrown up in the air like gang signs.
Nyzon with his heat pointed directly at Cray, told his crew to lower their weapons. They obeyed.
“What the fuck is goin’ on, young?” Nyzon asked.

“If we gonna unite,” Cray started, tucking his weapon in the back of his pants. “I need to know you got our backs, like we got yours.”

“We here ain’t we? So get to the point.” Cooks said focusing on the person squirming on the ground.
“Take the hood off.” Cray instructed Jason. When he did Melody was revealed, his face swollen from all the blows he’d endured.
“I’m not down for this shit.” Nyzon wasn’t feeling the murder game. All he wanted to do was get paid.

“This nigga can’t live if we gonna get the money we bought to make. We gonna have to put him to bed. We ain’t makin’ new blocks, we takin’ his!” He said pointing at him with the barrel of his gun. “This the only way, DC. He…CAN NOT…live! Besides, there’s no turning back now. This nigga gonna die whether you want him to or not. The only question is, are you with me?”

Nyzon thought for a second. Long and hard. He looked at Cooks, Simon and then Royala. They all gave him the nod of approval.
“So what’s your plan?” Nyzon asked Cray after gaining agreement from his squad.
“We bust his ass together. We trust, like you trust.” Cray replied.
Silence.
“If we do this, don’t ever test me again.”
“Never,” Cray said.
Without saying another word they all aimed, pointed and unloaded.
The pact was formed.

 

 

Tiara Cartier

5 Months Later

Too Young For The Game

 

T
iara leaned against the cold brick wall in the back of her school as she wiggled out of the Baby Phat outfit she wore, to put back on the boring blue jeans and white t-shirt set her father bought. The moment she got dressed and walked toward the front of the building, instead of seeing Kavon she saw Cray’s car. It was her birthday and Kavon said he’d be there to take her out. Still she could not have been more excited that Cray was there. Time with him was precious because sometimes he didn’t come around.

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