Trust No Bitch 3: Deadly Alliance (21 page)

Kiam had a hard time sleeping that night. In a way he felt responsible for what had become of Isaiah. That was the hard part about the game; the way it decimated lives and crushed a muthafucka's future.

As he laid staring at the ceiling he realized a few of his mistakes. He had come home from prison trying to wife the game when in reality that bitch was worthy of nothing but a one night stand.
Smash the pussy and keep it moving.

Kiam wondered why Big Zo hadn't given him that advice. He had to know that the longer a nigga fucked with it, the harder he was going to fall. He sat up on the bed and looked out of the bars at two older men playing chess out in the day room with only a sliver of light illuminating the chessboard.

Kiam stood up and walked over to where they were playing and watched the game quietly. He loved chess and he was pretty good at it. Big Zo had been the best on compound when Kiam was there. In fact, he recalled, he had never beaten Big Zo a single time.

As he watched the men maneuver the pieces for command of the board, it occurred to him how every single piece would get sacrificed to save the king.

“Life is like a game of chess,” Big Zo had often said.

So who is the king?
Kiam asked himself.

The answer was crystal clear. Big Zo was. Or at least he considered himself to be. And Kiam would've been cool with that because in order to lead, a man had to first learn to follow. But as he thought back on everything he saw that Big Zo was leading him off of a cliff. And it had to be for some reason other than incompetence because if nothing else Big Zo was astute.

Muthafucka, you're whatever I want you to be.

Kiam chuckled. Had Pop really disrespected his gangsta like that? Nah, it could never be
Pop
anymore. From now on he was Big Zo.

“
Checkmate,” the older gentleman on Kiam's left called.

Kiam looked down at the board and saw that the other man's king was trapped.

That's what I gotta do,
Kiam told himself as he went and sat back down on his mattress. Locking him up was the worst thing they could have done because it had given him time to sit back and think.

If he ever touched freedom again he was going to move on his own command and show Big Zo who the true king was.

Muthafucka, you're whatever I want you to be.

He was going to make the old man eat his words.

Chapter 28

Tears And Treachery

K
iam
waited for the guard to remove his handcuffs then he walked to the booth, sat down and picked up the phone. JuJu and Lissha stood on the other side of the window side by side.

Lissha was looking like a star. Her hair was cut short and feathered in a sexy style that highlighted her cheekbones. Her waist length fur was open, showing off her perfect titties in a form-fitting top, and her jeans hugged her hips like they had been sculpted on her. Her jewels sparkled through the glass as brightly as her smile.

“Hi, love,” she mouthed.

Kiam hit her with a sexy wink and she widened her smile valiantly although it crushed her heart to see him on the wrong side of the window.

JuJu tapped his chest with his fist and stepped into the booth. Kiam returned the greeting in the same manner and waited for JuJu to sit down and pick up the receiver.

JuJu put the phone to his ear. “What it do, fam?” he asked.

“I'm good on this end. How are things out there?”

“Everything is everything, but you know I had to come through and let you hear that face to face.”

“I wouldn't expect nothin' less. How is your other half doing?” inquired Kiam.

JuJu's face brightened up. “Bay is lovely. She's out of town visiting her mother right now but she sends her love.”

“That's what's up,” replied Kiam. Then he told him about his visit from Isaiah.

JuJu sighed. “Damn, man, I don't know what to say.”

Kiam didn't either so he shifted the conversation to business and they spoke in code. JuJu explained that Riz refused to fuck with them until he was out.

Kiam told him in code to look for another connect for now, someone that he could trust.

“I got you, Boss,” replied JuJu, tapping his chest again. I'ma let you visit with your girl before time runs out.”

He looked over his shoulder at Lissha who was smiling from ear to ear. Turning back to Kiam, he said, “Til the grave, my nigga.”

“Ten toes down,” Kiam replied in salutation.

When Lissha accepted the phone from JuJu and sat down in the booth tears had already begun to cloud her eyes. Kiam looked at her and said, “I thought you was hard, ma. You're softer than a baby's ass."

“I hate to see you in there.” The floodgates opened and the tears poured down.

“I'll be home soon. These bitch ass muthafuckaz don't have shit on me. Dry those tears, baby girl, you know they can't hold a nigga like me down.”

Kiam's confidence made Lissha feel better. But if she could trade places with him she wouldn't hesitate, she told him.

“You already proved that,” he reminded her.

“And I'll do it again and again,” she said from the heart.

Kiam put two fingers to his lips then touched them to the glass. Lissha's heart fluttered as she did the same. “I love you so much, Kiam.”

“I know,” he said, flashing that cocky ass smile of his. “And I love you too, shorty.”

“Aww. You're going to make me start crying again.” Lissha covered her face with her hand.

Behind her JuJu mouthed to Kiam. “Nigga, you're Charmin.”

Kiam smiled. Then his expression turned serious. He asked Lissha if she had spoken to her father.

“Yeah, I talked with him the other day,” she replied dryly.

Kiam said, “When I come home things will be different with him and I. You're going to have to decide where your loyalty lies.” His eyes penetrated hers in an effort to read her heart.

Lissha put her hand up to the glass. “Baby my loyalty is to you. First, second and lastly. I will die for you, Kiam.” Her words came out sincere and steadfast.

Kiam put his hand up to hers. “That's my bitch,” he said.

“You better be knowing,” Lissha exclaimed proudly.

The announcement came over the speakers that visitation was now over. Lissha's eyes immediately teared up again.

“Stop crying and tell me something good before you go,” said Kiam.

“I love you so much, baby,” she cried as he rose up to leave.

Kiam whispered something into the receiver and Lissha's whole body heated up.

“I can't wait, baby.” She gushed.

He blew her a kiss and she watched with sadness as he walked back into the bowels of hell. When he was out of sight Lissha turned and walked into JuJu's arms. He hadn't always liked her but he had grown to respect her being official with Kiam. He knew he had to be there for her.

**********

Big Zo almost collapsed himself when he heard that Kiam had been arrested by the state for suspicion of the murders at the restaurant. That was the last thing he
needed to hear. His get out of jail free card was contingent upon the feds making a case against Kiam for the murders and other charges.

“Somebody fucked up,” Agent MacArthur told him. “The problem was that the feds had not told the local police that they were investigating Kiam in a multi-defendant case that was much bigger than the state could bring against him. We're working with the state authorities to let him out so that we can build a case against his entire organization, excluding your daughter, so that we can get his supplier and the others that you supplied information on.”

Big Zo looked across the desk at MacArthur with a scowl on his face. “All I know is that I've kept my word to you and it feels like I'm getting fucked with no Vaseline.”

“Don't worry,” the agent assured him. “We're more interested in building a multi indictment against the various organizations than we are of fucking you up your old ass.”

“I hope so.” Big Zo worried.

As he walked back to the cell block and headed up to his cell several inmates whispered to each other.

“I'm telling you, son,” a con named Jason said. “Big Zo is hotter than a muthafucka. Watch what I tell you, that nigga talking. When you look up, that bitch nigga will be back on the streets and another muthafucka will be in here doing
his
time.”

“Nah, Slim, Big Zo is one hunnid. He would never flip on a nigga,” his partner disputed.

“Mark my muthafuckin' words, a caged bird will only fly from side to side so many times before he starts trying to figure out how to open the lock,” Jason said, taking a seat on his bunk.

Unlike the others he was not willing to give a Big Zo the benefit of the doubt. He could smell a rat when it was in his presence.

Chapter 29

Phantom Of The Night

I
saiah
knew that the nigga he was hunting would underestimate him and eventually come out of hiding. He had searched everywhere leaving bodies in his wake. He was like a phantom; he would pop up and if a nigga didn't have the right answer he would push his shit back and fade into the darkness again.

When Isaiah wasn't hunting Chino, he was following one of the girls. Always moving in the shadows with a steady supply of coke in his pocket and weapons within his reach.

The other day he'd gotten lucky, a machete to the throat of the best friend of one of Chino's women had induced the proper answers. Isaiah had left the bitch mutilated anyway but at least she had served a purpose before leaving this earth, he reasoned as he stood in the darkness taking a bump of powder ever so often and watching the house across the street.

The temperatures had risen up in the high fifties as winter in the Midwest began to slowly release its grip on the climate. But Isaiah was still dressed like an Eskimo and he was sweating as if it was the middle of summer.

His eyes lit up and his blood filled with adrenaline when he saw the front door of the house across the street open and the suave figure step out into the night. He crouched down further in the darkness and retrieved his machete off of the ground.

Chino held his gun down by his side as he squinted his eyes and surveyed the block. It was a little after 3AM and his jump off's street was quiet but he remained on point. Kiam was in jail but JuJu wasn't and as quiet as it
was kept Chino respected that young nigga's murder game.

Chino's head was on a swivel as he moved to his truck and hit the remote to unlock his doors. Once he slid behind the wheel he placed his banger under his seat and started his ignition.

As soon as he pulled off he realized that something was wrong. “Fuck!” he spat, banging his hand on the steering wheel.

Chino pulled over to the curb, threw the truck in park and hopped out. One look and he saw that his shit had a gangsta lean. He walked around to the other side and noticed that both tires on that side were flat. He bent down and checked the front tire and came up cussing as he tried to figure out which bitch of his had slashed his muthafuckin’ tires.

As he stood up he heard someone running up behind him. On instinct his hand shot to his waist but it came out empty. He spun around and saw the ghost of a muthafucka that he had killed.

Isaiah eyes bulged out of his head and foam ran out of the corners of his mouth as he raised the machete over his head and brought it down across Chino's shoulder. It landed with a sickening crunch and Chino cried out like a banshee. He staggered back against the side of the truck and threw up his other arm to try to ward off the second blow.

“You can run but you can't hide, pretty muthafucka,” Isaiah gritted as he chopped Chino's arm off at the elbow with one powerful hack.

Chino cried out like a bitch, but his attacker was a bitch hater.

Blood poured from Chino's stub and he tried to run. Isaiah reached out and snatched him back by his ponytail slamming his head into the window of the truck. Whimpering, Chino looked into the eyes of a madman and screamed.

Isaiah raised the machete high in the air and brought it down with lightning speed. When it landed blood splashed all over the windows and the side of the truck. Chino's head dangled from side to side— held on to his neck by a flap of skin as his body slid down to the ground and landed against the truck in a seated position.

Porch lights came on and eyes peered through parted curtains but the darkness covered the grisly scene that was unfolding. Isaiah swung the machete once more and completely severed Chino's head from his body.

Laughing maniacally, Isaiah picked up the severed head and dashed through a yard to his car that was parked on the next street over. Inside his vehicle he placed Chino's head on the passenger seat and drove it home to add to his collection.

Chapter 30

Deep Regrets

B
ayonna
walked around her mother’s hospital bed straightening up. Her visits were few and far in between but when she came she made sure to clean her mother’s room from top to bottom and replace all of her gowns with new ones. Watching her mother slowly die always took a piece of her soul every time she came. She knew that it was only a matter of time before she would get that phone call.