Chapter 7
The Next Day . . .
I’d only been home for a week, and already, I could see myself going right the fuck back.
This washed-up, Kodak Black looking motherfucka had pressed my ‘go’ button, and now I was on demon time.
Not too much made me set shit off. I’d usually settle any beef before it escalated, but when it came to Dinny, there was no negotiating.
My baby didn’t deserve to be disrespected, because her heart was too good.
She loved hard, cared for those who cared for her, and treated everyone with respect and kindness.
For that clown-ass bum to post nude photos of her was weak, whack, ignorant shit, and I was about to make his ass pay for that bitch-ass move.
I consoled her all night and got up extra early this morning to make her breakfast in bed. She hardly slept and didn’t want to eat, but I convinced her to put a little something on her stomach.
Now she was on the phone with her lawyer, trying to see if she could sue him for indecent exposure, while I made calls to Meeko and Killa to meet me on our old stomping grounds—the Westfield Projects.
After making the calls, I headed back upstairs to check on my baby. I traveled down the hall to our master suite and saw her sitting up in bed, still talking on the phone.
“No, I’m fine, Mom. My lawyer said I do have a case, so I’m just waiting for him to serve him with the papers.
It’s not even about his stupid money. I want him to go down for what he did .
. . I’m sorry you and Daddy had to hear about this.
” She wiped the tears from her eyes. I came around to her side of the bed and sat next to her.
“Mommy, I’m going to call you back in a minute.
Okay . . . I love you, too. Bye.” She hung up and looked at me with red-rimmed eyes.
I pushed the few strands of hair that were in her face back and kissed her lips. “Stop crying, baby. Seeing those tears are only going to make shit worse for him,” I told her.
She took my hand, interlacing our fingers. “I really don’t want you to go, Zi. Just let my lawyer handle this.”
I sighed. “Didn’t you say you trusted me?”
“I do.”
“Then trust me. I’m never leaving your side again.
You got a wedding to plan and babies to have.
That can’t happen if I’m out of the picture again, now, can it?
” I winked at her, and she gave me a soft smile.
“There’s the smile I’ve been waiting for.
I don’t want you to worry about shit, baby.
Give your burdens to me. Let me carry that shit while you remain light and free.
You hear me?” She nodded. “Nah, let me hear you say it.”
“I hear you, babe.”
“Good.” I pushed the blankets aside, seeing her in a tan Cami and cheeky panties. I stood, grabbed her legs, and pulled her down, then slid her panties off. “Let me ease your worries,” I said, then leaned down, flicking my tongue over her clit.
She gasped. “Ziooon.” She moaned, fingers digging into my scalp as her hips rolled.
I ate her until she came in my mouth. I kissed her lips, then went into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth.
When I came back out, she was knocked out as I smiled, kissed her forehead, then left out the door to meet up with Meeko and Killa to check me a clown-ass nigga.
I pulled up to the WP and drove through the complex.
Back in the day, we called it a jungle—the Wild, Wild West. A little homie on a bike rode beside me.
He couldn’t see me through the tint in my truck, so I rolled my window down so he’d know who I was.
I may have been off the streets for a while, but every person who lived in these projects knew who I was and what I was about, so when he saw my face, he saluted me and continued on his way.
I pulled in front of my old complex, parking next to Meeko’s truck, and put the truck in park.
I stepped out, seeing him and Killa talking to Johnnie John, the local drunk who lived on the second floor of Building B.
His drunk ass was still out here, telling lies and sob stories for a few dollars.
He used to be very valuable to me when I was dealing.
He saw it all and never hesitated to tell me everything that was going on around these projects.
I knew it was because he wanted money for his drink, but fair exchange wasn’t robbery.
“Fuck you still doing out here, Johnnie?”
“Awww!” He stood and did a whole 360 while stomping his feet in the process, looking like a drunk-ass chicken. “Zee Sully back like he never left! You looking clean, nephew!” he yelled, holding out his fist for a pound.
I chuckled and gave him a pound. “What’s good, man?”
“Not too much, youngblood. Just livin’, watchin’, and sippin’, ya heard.”
“This nigga,” Killa said, laughing. “Give us them keys, old head. And watch our whips.”
Johnnie went inside his pocket and pulled out his keys. “You know I got y’all. Take all the time ya need.”
“And yo’ shit bet not stank or be nasty in here,” Meeko told him.
“Now you know. I may be a drunk, but I ain’t no nasty one, ya heard!”
I shook my head and laughed as we made our way inside the building and up the rickety-ass stairs to apartment B4. When we got to the door, we all burst out laughing at the note he had taped to the door.
B4 you try me, try Jesus first.
“John a fool, bruh,” Killa said.
I chuckled. “Yeah, a smart fool, though. Them war vets be on one, so I know he got a couple guns up in this bitch, waiting on somebody to try him.”
Meek opened the door, and we stepped inside. Surprisingly, the apartment smelled like lavender, and it was as clean as these old, crusty-ass apartments could get. We all took seats at the card table, and I got right down to business.
“The fiancé has officially become a problem. He posted nude photos of Dinny last night, and now, her ass is all over the internet.”
“For real? Let me see,” Killa jested, but I shot him a look that told him I’d fuck him up. “I’m just playing, bruh. Calm down.”
“This ain’t a time to be joking, my nigga. Her fucking reputation is fucked up, and her body is exposed. We need to pay that nigga a visit today.”
“Have you seen the pictures?” Meeko asked.
“Nah, if I see that shit, I’m going back to jail. That’s on Yarina and Landon Sullivan. I can’t leave Dinny again, but I can’t not check this nigga.”
“So what are we doing? Kidnapping him for ransom? Pour a little bleach in his eyes? Shooting to injure? Or beating his ass?” Killa asked.
I shook my head. “For now, I just want to talk to him. If he gets out of line, I’m going with the last option. With him being high profile, we gotta move smart. I need him alone. You bring your laptop?” I asked Meeko.
He lifted it from the floor. “I did.”
“Find out where he lives and any information you can about his routine. I need this shit to me before we walk out of here.”
Meeko held his hand up. “No need. I already know where he lives. I also know he sends his guards home at the end of the night, around ten.”
“And how the fuck you know that?” Killa asked.
“Is Lauren not Jordin’s best friend? I dropped her off a couple times, and he never has any bodyguards after ten. He's in those condos downtown.”
“This nigga is a high-profile actor, living in a condo downtown?” I was really confused. “This ol’ Tubi-ass nigga. What the fuck was she thinking, fucking with him.”
“Apparently, she wasn’t thinking,” Killa said.
“I’m not waiting on his security. Them niggas pussy.
I know he only did that shit because I made his ass look bad on camera.
He called for me, so I’m gon’ answer. Let’s go.
” I stood from the table and headed for the door.
I knew it wouldn’t take long for me to figure out what I would do about that Kermit the Frog looking-ass nigga, but I wanted to be sure we got the drop on him before I made my move.
Since Meeko already knew where he lay his head, and we didn’t have to go searching, there was no need to sit too long.
Killa looked over at me as we walked out. “I got them thangs on me, just in case you want this shit to go another way.”
I chuckled. I swear this was the prime example of why he earned the name Killa. The nigga was never scared to drop a body any time or anywhere.
“You know I can’t be around them shits. If it has to go that way, then spin the block, but I’m sure this scary-ass nigga ain’t ’bout the life he be playing in the movies.”
“Facts. Let’s get it.” We walked down the stairs and back out of the building. I slid Johnnie his keys and a couple of bills, then hopped in my whip, following Meeko out of the complex.
It took us twenty minutes to get from the North End to downtown Detroit, where the newly built condos were located.
Meeko stopped in front of a complex and pointed to the condo across the street.
I could see two black trucks parked in front of his unit and two guards standing at his front door.
I whipped into the driveway as if I owned it and hurriedly hopped out.
I could see their hands reaching for their hips, but Meeko and Killa were already two steps ahead.
“Don’t even risk ya lives like that. Drop them shits on the ground,” Meeko told them.
“Listen. We’re just here to do our jobs,” one of them said.
“Fuck your job, homie. Drop the fucking guns, or I’m dropping you. You choose,” Killa warned. The two guards looked at one another and unholstered their guns, tossing them at Meeko and Killa’s feet.
I stepped up. “Ya bitch-ass boss in there?”
“Top floor. He has company,” the other one spoke up.
“Open the door,” I told him. He moved to the door, typed in a code, then stepped aside.
I walked inside the condo, immediately hearing girly giggles coming from somewhere on the bottom level.
I walked down the hall until I reached the living room, seeing him smiling in some chick’s face while she giggled at what I was sure was a corny-ass joke. When he saw me, he jumped up quickly.