15. Chapter 15 #3
Nana smirked, fanning the cash. "I knew that would shut you up. But carry on, because Kandi is right! How the fuck did you not notice that girl been wanting you? The better question is... do you want her?"
Jade looked over at Nyah. Nyah looked right back at Jade. The tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a blade.
Jade let out a long, exhausted sigh, rubbing her temples. "This is too much. I need some time to think."
Nyah didn't argue, but I saw the look on my friend’s face. She placed herself in a vulnerable position, and felt so uncomfortable. She uncocked her piece, tucked it into her waistline, and said, "Alright, but I'm out."
Jade’s eyes snapped wide. "Where are you going?!"
"I'm giving you time to think," Nyah replied flatly.
"That don't mean you gotta leave!" Jade protested, her voice laced with panic.
Nyah raised an eyebrow, heading toward the door. "Well, I don't wanna get in the way of your thoughts, so I'mma be out. Nana, you want me to drop you back off?"
Nana gathered her cash, sliding it into her purse. "No thank you, gorgeous. Last time I got mixed up between two women, I ended up being the third one... and I ain't never gonna be nobody's second bitch again."
Kandi paused her Sharpie masterpiece mid-stroke. "PAUSE. You ain't never tell us about that!"
Nana waved her hand dismissively, taking a final sip of her drink. "Girl, that was back in the 80s. Everybody was doing it, it ain't nothing."
The dude passed out on the floor started to groan, waking up from his liquor coma. He blinked through the haze, and sat up slowly. He looked around at the room, then froze when he saw everyone looking at him.
Dame took one look at the drawn-on beard covering the man's face and bursted out laughing, holding his stomach.
The dude squinted, rubbing his head. "What the fuck you laughing at, Dame? Where the fuck you two been?!"
I stepped forward, looking down at him. "You need to be worried about what the fuck is on your face, we should be the least of your worries."
Nyah opened the front door, holding it for us, while Dame's homeboys dragged their marked-up friend off the floor. Nana announced she was leaving with us, grabbing Nyah’s arm to walk her to her car.
She wrapped her arm around the woman, whispering something that caused Nyah to smirk.
We all walked out of the together into the cool night air, leaving Jade standing in her living room, completely flushed and lost in her thoughts.
Kandi wasn’t far behind, throwing up the peace sign as she got in the car with Nyah.
Before we reached my SUV, Dame unlocked the doors. I climbed into the passenger seat as the exhaustion finally caught up to me.
Nana and Dame hopped in fifteen minutes later, as I was dozing off.
“Nana, we dropping you off at the palace or your playtoy’s house?”
"Neither," she said softly, "I need to make a quick stop before you drop me off. Come sit back here with your Nana."
***
My head was resting heavy against the back seat, and my eyelids kept drooping as the streetlights hummed past us.
Nana sat beside me, fanning herself with her fat stack of cash. I was fighting for my life just to stay up.
"I understand why you mad at my daughter," Nana said quietly. "She be doing too damn much. But you need to know... she will always have your best interest at heart."
I gave a silent, barely-there nod, agreeing with her in my spirit even if my pride wouldn't let me say the words out loud.
Nana cut her sharp eyes toward me, nudging my shoulder hard. "I need you to wake the hell up!"
I cut my eyes right back at her, slouching down deeper into the seat. "I'm tired..."
"Ain't nobody told your ass to stay awake like a crazy person!" Nana snapped, holding zero back. "Are you fucking dumb?! You know your brain will shut down if you keep doing that stupid-ass shit! You ain’t twenty no more, grow up."
A small smirk broke across my face, and I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. "Well... if I die from lack of sleep, you’ll probably bring me back to life."
"Oh, hush up," Nana grumbled, taking a sip from her travel cup. "You lucky I like your ass."
I closed my eyes, murmuring,"I think you mean love."
"Well, like you love to say, you’re my property," Nana shot back, stealing my own words. "Now sit up, I need your help!"
I grumbled loudly, forcing my body up straight in the back seat.
Dame interrupted us and said, “Uhh… You sure you want me to keep going this way?”
“Yes, my King. Move on forward to the destination and carry us poor damsels onward.”
I squinted. “Why are you talking like that?”
“Why you worried about it?”
I rolled my eyes and said, “Nana, I’m not about to fool with you.”
“Then don’t and wake the hell up.”
Up in the driver’s seat, Dame glanced into the rearview mirror, confused as he noticed the dark landmarks passing by. Through my squinted eyes, I saw how we were getting dangerously close to his father’s territory.
"I need you to bust this right and go in the back," Nana instructed from the back seat, pointing her wrinkled finger toward a secluded gravel road.
Dame squinted, taking the turn slowly. "Why are we making a stop on my tribal land?"
"Didn't I tell you not to be asking me no questions?" Nana barked.
"No," Dame mumbled.
"Well, I'm telling you now! Stop asking me questions. Me and Danni gotta do something real quick."
"What I gotta do?" I asked, looking out the window.
"We gotta go get some vindication," Nana said.
That word made my eyes snap wide open. I sat all the way up as the exhaustion burned out of my system like grease on a hot skillet.
Nana looked over at me. A sinister, wicked grin took over her face. "Yeah! I knew that would wake your ass up! Get the fuck up!"
Dame looked back at us, and genuine panic washed over his flushed face. "Nana... you know we can't be doing this. We can't go down there."
"Boy, hush!" Nana yelled, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Who the fuck gonna check me?! Matter of fact, who the fuck gonna check us, bitch?!"
Dame looked back at me, but I was on her side.
"Okay..." Nana muttered, squinting out the tinted window as we approached the dark pavilion behind King Eze’s primary land. She spotted a sleek foreign ride sitting under the canopy. "Ain't that your daddy's truck? And ain't that Brooklyn's car right next to it?"
Dame brought the truck to a slow roll. "Yeah..."
My blood hit an instant boiling point. I stood up inside the SUV, leaning forward between the front seats.
Nana nodded. "Yeah, that's what the fuck I thought. Danni, you still got your emergency lighter fluid?"
"Yes, I do," I said.
"Well, pull it out, bitch! Let's make a bonfire!" Nana giggled, unbuckling her seatbelt and pushing her door open before Dame could put the vehicle in park.
Dame stumbled out after us, still noticeably high. His hands were raised in disbelief. "Hey! We don't need to be doing shit! We got strict orders from the Elders—"
"FUCK THE ELDERS!" Nana and I screamed in unison.
"AND FUCK THE RULES!" I added, hopping out of the car.
Nana reached into the back seat, grabbed an unopened bottle of Patron, and unscrewed the cap.
"Pull out that lighter fluid!" Nana ordered.
I stepped to the rear of SUV, pressing the hidden release inside the right brake light.
The dark panel popped open, revealing my covert tactical stash.
I unzipped my black bag and pulled out a black aluminum canister that looked like a regular water bottle.
I unscrewed the cap, took a quick sniff, and caught the stench of heavy-duty accelerant.
"Drizzle it on that bitch," Nana cackled. She was happier than a motherfucker, prancing around Brooklyn’s sports car like a fairy godmother.
I started pouring the heavy fluid across the hood, windshield, and roof. The clear chemical was soaking the up the car paint.
Dame came stumbling up behind us, trying to remain quiet. "Wait—"
Nana’s foot caught a patch of gravel and she tripped.
"Hey, get the fuck up!" I said, stepping over to help her up. "What the fuck are you doing?!"
"Hold on, bitch, I lost my footing! But I'm right here with you!" Nana wheezed, recovering her balance. She reached up into her silver hair, pulling a freshly rolled, fat blunt.
Dame stared at her, wide-eyed. "That wasn't in the rotation!"
"I know," Nana smirked, pulling out a golden lighter. "Me and you about to take a trip like I told you we would."
Dame started smiling despite his panic. "When?"
"See, now you all in my business!" Nana shot back. "All you need to know is we taking a trip, so I got you, grandson, don't worry about it."
She licked the seam of the blunt, lit the end, took a heavy drag, and passed it straight to me. I took the blunt, pulled the sweet smoke deep into my lungs, and leaned my head back as the strain hit my brain. I passed it over to Dame.