Chapter 9. Cisco
Fifteen years later
We pull up to the back of the two-story warehouse in my black mustang. I flash the lights twice and wait. The armed men on the roof signal twice with their flashlights for me to go inside.
“I’m not staying in the car again like some child,” Mya argues.
“Fine! When we go inside, stay quiet and don’t start shit.”
“I’ll try is the best I can give you.”
“Mya!” I bark.
“Okay. Damnnnnn.”
In all of my past pickups, I’m usually greeted by a fiery, short-tempered man named Tommy, but this time I spot a different but familiar face. Oscar is someone who brought me into this game. We used to go to high school together, but back then we were just acquaintances. Oscar”s family at the time were rumored to be involved with everything from drugs to heists to gun dealing, but I never asked him personal questions. At least not until long after graduation.
I bumped into Oscar outside a club. We ended up spending the whole night inside the place, vibing and talking. Oscar, after several drinks, told me he started up his own operation and was looking for a few good men. In just one night, I saw the way he lived, fast cars, lots of women and lots of cash being thrown around and I wanted in on whatever he was doing. Mya was not supposed to be a part of this, but she wanted in once she found out what I was up to. I originally had doubts, but Mya is a different breed. She lives for danger, cash, and fuckery.
I stand there waiting, arms crossed, all five-foot ten inches of me. My sandy brown hair just freshly cut and styled. My clothes are ironed to a crisp with the usual black-on-black color scheme. You couldn’t find me at night even if you wanted to.
“Nice to see you again, Cisco. You been downing steroids or what?”
We both bump fists.
“Naw. Just working out. Gotta look good for the ladies.” I grin.
His eyes instantly dart to Mya in the corner.
“What’s with Red over there? This isn’t a playground. How old is she?”
“She’s cool. That’s my little sister, Mya. She’s nineteen. She may look sweet but she’s the devil in disguise.”
“I had no idea you had a sister. I’m intrigued,” he says, while he watches Mya inspect the rifles.
We both look at her. She notices us staring and glares back. Oscar turns to me and raises his eyebrow at me.
“Is there a fucking problem?” she asks, as she strides over with her five-foot five-inch self. She’s dressed in tight blue jeans, a red crop top and some red, spiked high heels. Her hair dyed a bright red color my mother absolutely hates. Mya is unpredictable like a chihuahua. You look at her and think she’s cute, but then she rips your face off without a warning. She stands there and mad-dogs Oscar, waiting for his reply.
“Yeah. Pretty little girls shouldn’t play with weapons. They might hurt themselves.”
“The air…It smells of misogyny,” she fires back
Mya walks over and picks up a gun off the table, pulls back the slide, and aims it at the silhouette paper target on the wall. She then turns her head, closes her eyes and unloads almost every bullet straight into the target’s head. She fires one into the crotch for good measure and then when she’s done, she blows Oscar an angry kiss and then places the gun back on the table.
“Woooooah! Shit! Got us a goddamn gun princess.”
I shrug. “Like I said. In disguise.”
“I think I’m in love,” Oscar jokes.
Mya kicks over a chair nearby.
“Are you gonna give us this shit or fiddle with your dick all day?” she inquires with her hands on her hips.
Oscar and Mya stare at each other in silence in what feels like forever. He furrows his brows at her disrespect.
“Fine. Run me my money and then you two get the fuck out,” Oscar snaps.
I slide a wad of cash across the table to him. Oscar is too busy drinking in Mya. She’s now checking her cell phone and hasn’t even noticed him eye-fucking her. I clear my throat to get his attention. He looks down and quickly scoops up the cash. I begin to load up the guns in my two black duffle bags. When I’m done, I whistle toward Mya as a sign it’s time to leave. Oscar quickly grabs my arm and leans into me.
“Something wrong?” I inquire.
“Mya. What’s her deal? Is she single?”
I chuckle as I adjust the heavy bags in my hands. “No guy in his right mind would date her.”
“Maybe I’m up for the challenge.”
“She’s a box you do not want to open. Trust me on this one.”
At that moment Mya looks up from her phone at Oscar and they exchange some interesting yet uncomfortable faces. He bites his lower lip and tilts his head back. I roll my eyes.
“Are you looking at me like that because you want to fuck me or because you want to kill me? No. Don’t answer that. I like the suspense of not knowing what goes on in that gorilla brain of yours. Cisco, you done here? I’m bored.”
I grin at Oscar. “I told you not to open that box. There is nothing you want in there.”
He smirks.
“See you end of month, man,” I say as I catch up to Mya and we both start to walk toward the exit door.
“Hey, Hips! Eight o’clock. You and me. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Mya swings around hard and fast. I grit my teeth and prepare for the apocalypse as I turn around and watch the shit show about to start. She marches up to him and stops dead in front of him.
“Did you just fucking call me hips?”
He licks his lips, stares down at her actual hips and back up into her eyes.
“Yeah. Can you blame me for calling out your best asset?”
I might vomit in my mouth. Get me out of here.
Mya, of course, is unfazed by any of this bullshit. The girl operates on a cash mind only.
“My biggest asset is my mouth, and not in a way you’d like. I don’t give a shit about what body part of mine excites your dick. So, if you’re done playing Porno Pete here, I’m ready to go home and enjoy the rest of my day.”
He tries to hold back a smile as he looks over to me and then back to her.
“Let me feed that pretty mouth,” he pushes.
I make a disgusted face and drop the duffle bags on the floor.
“Are you deaf or just stupid?” she snaps back.
“How much?”
“I’m sorry?”
“How much for your time? Nothing sexual, I promise.” Oscar smiles.
She scoffs and shakes her head.
“You want to pay me for my time? Do I look like a hooker?”
He puts his hands up. “I said nothing sexual.”
“This is ridiculous.” She spins around and stares dead at me. I shrug. It’s her call. She spins around to Oscar. “Fine. Ten grand. Dinner in a public place, and no touching.”
He rubs his chin. “Twenty grand. Dinner at my place, and I’ll agree that I won’t touch you…until you want me to.”
I’m officially going to vomit now. I feel like I shouldn’t be listening to this.
“Bro. I’m literally standing right here. She’s my sister and this is wandering into really weird territory. We’re gonna leave now,” I finish. “Mya, lets go.”
“My apologies, Cisco…Fifty grand,” he says. “Respectfully.”
Shit! We both freeze in place.
“What the fuck is your problem? Who pays fifty grand for a dinner date and no ass?”
“I’m sorry. Is that still not enough for you, princess?” he smirks.
She starts groaning, erratically pacing and shaking her finger at him. I’m still stuck at the audacity of his offer.
“You’re insane. Certified crazy. You have a screw or two loose. I’m not playing anymore.”
She marches past me. Her face and her chest are red. I just side-eye and shake my head at Oscar while I pick up the bags and follow behind her.
“See you tonight, Hips,” he shouts.
Mya continues walking but flips him off.
“Mya. Fifty grand?” I whisper, as we walk out of the warehouse. “That’s wild.”
“He’s full of shit.”
“I don’t know, man. He’s got the money,” I say, as I pop the trunk.
“Yeah, but who the fuck would pay that? I’m bitchy and emotionally unavailable.”
“Maybe that’s his type.”
“Well, he’s not mine.”
I look over at her and make a face in disbelief as I load the guns into my trunk.
“Okay. He’s hot but he’s…annoying,” she says.
“Mya. Everyone in this industry is fucking annoying. If you want pleasant, go date a beekeeper,” I say, as I slam the trunk down.