Lost Boy, page 18
“Know that’s right, I wonder if they got any money?”
“Don’t know, but...look, I gotta go, okay. I’ll holler at you later.”
“Will you be able to make it over to my place? I’m horny!”
Q rubbed his crotch, he knew what it was. He wanted to see her, too. She was putting it on his ass pretty regular and he was whipped.
“Yeah, I’ll be there.” He hung up the phone and stuffed it in his pocket, looked both ways and dipped back down Baxter Street out of sight, totally oblivious to the eyes that followed closely behind him.
Sunshine spun her chair around and stared out the window. She knew if Hulie thought Q was involved then she damn sure knew he thought she was too. One thing was for sure if she knew that spot, he had in the closet was holding she would’ve got the money, but maybe he didn’t have it there. Maybe he didn’t have it at all. She banged her fist on the desk.
“Shit, I need to get this money! Put some pressure on his dumb-ass...or he’s just gonna have to go to Prison for a long fuckin’ time. Punk muthafucka, fuckin’ wit’ me. No...no, hell maybe Q might be of some use for me after-all. Instead of just being a stiff dick!” She smiled and spun back around. “I just might be able to make this work for me!”
Chapter Eleven
Cleo laid back on her bed counting the money she’d just stole from Hulie. She was feeling herself, she had a little over ten stacks. Plus, the money her brother was going to give her for the trip to Cheraw. If she was lucky, she figured Dirty-Red would also end up giving her a nice little chunk of change as well.
She was tickled to death as she rolled around her bed, playing with the money, knowing full well she could kick Hulie to the curb now and get herself a real playa, instead of some thug come-up like him. She stopped for a moment after she heard her mother call out her name, asking if she would be home for supper. Cleo opened the door and told her no. After all, she could afford to go out and eat now, easily. She did think about taking her moms out to dinner, but she knew her mother would only fuss about where she got the money and Cleo wasn’t in the mood for that. Maybe, once she returned from the country, she’d take her out then, and tell her that Diplite gave her some money.
Her moms was the type to pry, but she was also in straight denial too. People would continually tell her that her daughter was out there selling pussy on the streets. However, Cleo denied it promising that she was just dating different guys and exploring herself. Her pops, on the other hand, was hardly around. He stayed an active businessman and spent most of his time on the road. In all truth, he was out fuckin’ everything he could get his hands on. So, it was like father...like daughter as far as Cleo was concerned.
Her moms would just plain old gossip over the phone when he wasn’t home. Which was often, and every now and then when he was, she’d take a sip of Jack Daniels, then crawl into bed with him demanding a good fuck, telling him it was the one job he was good at. She thought more than once about getting a boy on the side, but the last time she made an attempt, Diplite found out about and beat the young man senseless. No one had seen or heard from the young man since, although Cleo’s mom couldn’t prove it, she swore her father had something to do with the young man’s sudden disappearance.
Cleo figured it would be a good of a time as any to go through her closet and see what she needed for the trip. Then a shopping spree would definitely be in order. She turned up her iPod, put on her headset and started dancing to an old school, funky ass, reggae beat. She grinded her hips into a frenzy as she threw out of the closet across her bed. She stopped suddenly when the door popped open.
“Cleo, baby, some guy’s downstairs at the door to see you,” Cleo’s mother said.
Cleo took the headset off and shot her mother a strange look. “See me?” she repeated. “Well, who is he? I wasn’t expecting no one!”
Cleo’s mother eye hustled the room and Cleo caught her scanning the place like a radar. She started for the bed where the money was scattered about, but Cleo rushed in front of her.
“What’s that all over the bed...money?” Cleo’s mother asked eyeing her sternly.
‘Damn!’ Cleo screamed aloud in her head. She made her mother head back toward the door and started rambling. “Just old crumpled up dollar bills. Me and some of my girls are going to a strip club.”
“Strip club?” her mother asked for clarification.
“Uh...yes!” Cleo knew she should’ve come up with a better response than that, but she had to keep it going now. “A male strip club. They just opened it in Columbia. Remember, I told you I was going out of town for a week or so? C’mon now you remember!”
Her mom looked at her like she was crazy. She knew her ass was lying, but denial kicked in again. “I think I remember you saying something about it,” she finally answered.
“And when I come back...” Cleo grabbed her mother by the hand, then walked her out to the stairs, but not before she closed her door behind them and locked it. “...one day I’ma take you there.”
“You always say stuff like that.”
“What? Oh no, you didn’t!” Cleo stepped back and looked her mother up and down. “The only reason I don’t take you out with me anywhere is because you look like my damn sister. I don’t need no comp!” That was the one that did it for her.
Mom-dukes giggled like a baby with candy and they bounced down the stairs arm in arm toward the door. Then Cleo’s mother cut off into the living room, feeling good and probably getting ready to call one of her girlfriends to talk shit about how young she still looked.
“As long as you ain’t with that dope dealer boy...what’s his name again?” Cleo’s mother asked.
“Ma his name is Hulie,” Cleo responded.
“Yeah, yeah...Hulie that shit. Sounds like some hoodlum to me. And how could I possibly forget that?” Cleo’s mother said sarcastically out of the side of her mouth.
Cleo waved her off as she dipped, straightened up her hair and answered the door. Her face frowned up when she saw who it was, then she stepped outside the door, looking over his shoulder at the old Bondo covered hooptie.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Cleo asked.
The slim built young man who was in his twenties was well dressed as he stood there, with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and the biggest cheese-eating smile she’d ever seen.
“Thought I’d stop by and give you these...” he said.
“Thought you’d stop by...what the fuck! Are you crazy?”
He looked at her twisted then sideways. “I thought after what went down. I told you I was feelin’ something for you.”
“Look, you got to leave. If we get seen together by my old man. Shit!” She started to escort him back to his car.
He stopped and said, “Okay, I tried the nice guy shit. Fuck that!” He threw the flowers to the ground. “No, you look, fuck that nigga, Hulie, he can get it, too. Right now, I’m feelin’ some sort of way about the way we got down...and to be straight up, I want some more. So, wassup?”
“Oh, hell no. You gots to pay for this pussy. Shit ain’t free!”
Her moms opened the door and started eye hustling again. “Everything alright?” she asked.
Cleo gave him the look and he smiled. He had her where he wanted her.
“Yes, ma’am, she just dropped the flowers I was giving her, and we were just about to go out back and find a uh...vase.” He cut his eyes at Cleo. “Right...sweetheart!”
Cleo sighed. “Uh, yeah, ma!” She bent over and picked up the flowers.
Cleo and the young man walked off toward the side of the house out of view, then they stopped.
“Look, I’m not tryin’ to take no pussy or nothing, a’ight. Just got out of prison and your brother called me to do the lick and fuck it. I needed the bread, but when I saw you...remember it was you who wanted to suck me and my man’s dick. I ain’t force you to do...”
“Okay...okay!” Cleo threw her hands up, knowing he was right. “What do you want? More money...because if you do, you have to deal with my brother.”
He pulled her by the arm and pushed her up against the house, then directed down the steps leading to the cellar. Once he got down there, he pulled his dick out.
“You know what it is. Now get your ass down here...tired of playin’ games!” he growled.
“What...oh hell no...” Cleo didn’t see the slap as it struck her hard across the mouth.
“Get down...ain’t got much time.”
Cleo got down on her knees and after stroking his dick she swallowed it in her mouth. The side of her face stung as he rubbed it softly, matching stroke for stroke as she sucked. Somehow, she had to get rid of him, quick. He was another Hulie in the making and she damn sure didn’t need that. She continued to suck him off as his head looked upward toward the sky and his eyes fluttered in ecstasy. He mumbled something to himself, saying something about love and shit, but a hard dick could make a man say or do anything.
In the meanwhile, all Cleo had to do was step back a little and she would have easily spotted her mom’s looking right dead at them. She watched as her baby girl sucked his dick, with one hand she wiped the window to get a better view and with the other, she started playing with her already fattened clit and masturbating. She wasn’t mad at Cleo, after-all she was just like her mother and father a stone- cold freak.
***
Diplite came up behind Dirty-Red as he pulled into the driveway. He didn’t get out of the, but he watched as he unlocked the chained linked fence and made his way to the door. Once it was opened, he waved at him to come in and Diplite was right behind him. Dirty-Red tossed his keys on the table and walked back out to his car, where the trunk was opened and wrestled with a big bag full of red party cups, then pointed and Diplite ran out and grabbed another bag full of chicken wings. He bought them in and asked was there anything else. Dirty-Red shook his head, grabbed his keys and opened his liquor closet and dragged out a keg. Diplite watched as he drug out three, after he was finished sat down across from him, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead.
“So, what’s up?” Dirty-Red asked. “You got things in order or what?”
“Yeah,” Diplite said as he walked around the counter and poured a cold one from the tap. “My sister’s ready to go.”
“Cool.”
“Oh yeah... by the way...”
“Now what? I can tell by your voice, there’s some bullshit coming wit’ it.” Dirty-Red smiled and reached out grabbing the mug Diplite passed him.
“My sister wants to...”
“Oh hell, knew it was sumptin’. What the fuck that crazy ass broad want now?”
“You know what it is, she feeling you like that.”
“Well.” He took a swig. “Tell the truth, she ain’t a bad chick, for real, but that cat she fucks wit’...Hulie. He’s a goddamned problem! Don’ know how you let her...”
“Whoa, hold up, cuz. I can’t make her do shit, she’s grown!”
“You right, she grown. She can make her own decisions and all that shit.” Dirty-Red got up after he spotted someone coming up through the back. “But, you gots to put her in a better position after all, so she can make better decisions kna-mean.”
Diplite shook his head, Dirty-Red was dead right. Hell, it would be a better situation if Cleo was Red’s girl. He needed a main squeeze anyway, but there was no more he could really trust. Cleo would fall right in line, long as she could make some money, shop and floss she was straight. Besides he and his people were tired of Hulie beating on her anyway. Who knew, maybe after this lick, if things went right, he’d finally get Cleo away from that no good, ass muthafucka.
****
When Dirty-Red came back, Nikki was right behind him dragging a large duffel bag. Diplite got up and hoisted it on his shoulders, then put it on the couch.
“There you go, damn girl, it’s heavy as hell,” Diplite complained.
“Coupla tings fa tha trip, that all. You spoke to your sista yet?”
“She just needs to know where you want to meet her?”
Nikki looked over at Dirty-Red.
“Guess, right yer’ be good,” Dirty-Red agreed.
Nikki pointed to the bag and said, “The money’s on top, it ain’t no full ninety-six, though. Short about s’ree, I had to pay for room and board.”
“That’s what’s up, it’s cool. Shit trust me flipping ninety grand is a good payday. Right, Dip?”
“Hell yuh!” Diplite said trying to open the top bag, but the zipper attached got caught.
Nikki came over and tugged on it. “Sometimes it gets stuck, you gotta fight with it.”
Diplite grabbed it and snatched until it popped up but not before Nikki jumped back and gasped. “Let me see that.”
“What?” Diplite said as he started pulling out stacks and counting them. “You talkin’ ‘bout the money?”
“No...” she pointed to his watch.
Dirty-Red grinned. “Yuh noticed that too...nice ass watch looks expensive!” Dirty-Red came closer and looked at it as it shined from the glitter off the diamonds. “Looks like a Rolex or something.”
Diplite shrugged it off. “Somebody gave it to me.”
“Who?” Nikki asked.
“Nobody important...somebody just gave it to me, okay.”
Nikki pushed him out of the way and started grabbing the money out of his hands, stuffing it back into the bag. Diplite tried to stop her by putting his hand on her arm.
Nikki spazzed on him. “Don’ touch me...ever!”
Diplite stepped back and looked over at Red, confusing the fuck out of both of them. Dirty-Red stepped closer to Nikki trying to figure her out. Nikki reached into her waistband. Dirty-Red could see the shine from the handle of the dagger she was gripping.
He immediately stopped her. “Hold up, Nikki. What the fuck is up?” Dirty-Red asked slowly backing away from her.
“The deal is off.” She started backing away, slowly dragging the bag towards the door. “And don’ try to stop me, or I swear...”
“Hold the fuck up, Nikki!” Dirty-Red raised his voice a notch. “What the fuck is going on...you flippin’ or what?”
“Sumptin’ ain’t right, hem know what!” Nikki pointed at Diplite. “That me goddamned...” She caught herself, thinking about what she was about to say and realized she couldn’t really accuse Diplite of anything. She had to find out more or at least where he’d gotten the watch from. It could just as well have been a crackhead, instead of one of the muthafuckas that robbed her that night. “Need a few more days, that’s all.”
“Few more days!” Diplite yelled. “Hell naw, we ready to roll now.”
She looked Red straight in the eyes, he knew something wasn’t right. He also knew it had something to do with the watch, but he figured she’d tell him something later. Right now, he had to just go with it. He couldn’t let this sweet a deal go.
“Okay, okay, but Nikki hear me out. Take some time to get whatever it is that’s fuckin’ wit’ you outta the way. Then it’s a done deal, a’ight.”
Nikki wouldn’t look at Diplite for hell. She had to set a trap, that’s if a trap wasn’t being set-up for her. She had to at least trust Red, he’d been straight up with her so far. The look in his eyes showed her was baffled. He didn’t know nuthin’.
“Okay...okay, a few days that all. Got me reasons...spect that.” She finally glanced over at Diplite and mean mugged the hell out of him.
“What the fuck did I do?” Diplite asked as he put up his hands.
Nikki walked over to him, ungripping the handled of her dagger and said, “Nothing...I hope!” She turned back towards Red. “I trust you to put the money up. You do that for me?”
Dirty-Red answered yes and asked Diplite to leave. “Yo’ man I’ll call you, a’ight.”
“What the fuck?” Diplite groaned.
Dirty-Red escorted him to the door and watched as he pulled off in his car. Then he closed the door and turned toward Nikki. “Had sumptin’ to do wit’ dat watch, right?”
“Yuh!”
“A’ight.” Dirty-Red pointed toward a seat and said, “Sit your ass down. You need to tell me sumptin’. Fuck the games, but straight up. Don’t put me in no bullshit. Now, what’s up with tha fuckin’ watch?”
Nikki sniffled as a tear gently ran down her face. Dirty-Red handed her a napkin. “That been me son’s watch. The muthafucka dat fucked me up dat night, snatch it from me house. He’s wearin’ it, he knows who did it, or hem might have had sumptin’ to do wit’ it. I can jus feel it!”
Dirty-Red sat down contemplating on what Nikki had just said, she was right. He’d been on that same shit before with a muthafucka so he could feel where she was comin’ from. He also knew for a fact Diplite was known for some sheisty shit and who knows he might have just as well been the one who set the whole thing up. He wouldn’t put it past him.
“Hmm, okay...okay, let’s give it a few days and I myself will try and find out about the watch. And...where he got it from, cool?”
“Okay!”
“But, Nikki, I swear this shit gonna cost...” He got up and walked over to the bar shaking his head. Nikki was right behind him, he was pissed, and she knew it.
“I’ll give you whatever you want.” She reached her hands around his waist in front of him and started rubbing his dick. “Anyting.”
Dirty-Red exhaled deeply, reached for her hand and stopped her. He wanted her, hell, she was chocolate mocha fine, but T-Black was cool with him, ever since he came into the hood. He couldn’t disrespect his peeps like that, even though he wanted that ass.
“You don’t owe me nuthin’ like that. Me and you’s bigger than that.” He turned around and hugged her, then kissed her softly on her cheek. “But...thanks for asking.” He pinched her ass, causing her frowned up face to smile
Dirty-Red was now feeling some sort of way about Diplite. Could he be trusted or what? What kinda game was he playing? Damn, he knew he had to watch his back now. Who else was watching, or tied up in all this?
