Soul Ties, page 25
“So, there was nothing out of the ordinary that day?” Nina asked. She hoped Jade could give her some type of insight into this dreadful situation.
Jade nodded her head as she reached into her purse and pulled out a manila envelope. She slid the envelope across the glass table to Nina. “When Ty’Quan got back home, he told me about everything that went down in Miami. He never liked keeping things from me. He told me he spent the night with some bitch named Naomi. They had sex.” Jade dropped her head. “I’m like, why would you do this to me and why are you telling me this?” she cried.
Nina was all ears now. “And what did he say to you?”
“He said he had to do it for you and Chance. Apparently, the girl had some information he needed, but he wouldn’t tell me what. He said the less I knew, the better.” Jade shrugged her shoulders and took a deep breath. “The night he died, he was going to meet up with these new buyers. I told him not to go because I didn’t have a good feeling about it. Like always, he told me he had everything under control. Then he handed me two envelopes.
One for you, one for Chance. He said if anything ever happened to him, to make sure I gave it to you both. He kissed me, left, and that was the last time I saw him,” Jade said as a pool of tears streamed down her face.
Nina picked up the envelope and held it tightly in her hands. Did Quan know Yasmine was the Feds and came to Miami to get more information? What happened with him and Naomi? Who did he meet with that night? There were a million questions Nina wished she could ask her brother.
“I’m sorry, Jade. I promise you we’re going to find out who killed Quan,” Nina vowed as she slipped the envelope into her Chanel purse.
“Since he died, all of these females are trying to claim him. I can’t fight because I’m pregnant, and I can’t ask Ty’Quan because he’s dead. I just don’t know what to do,” Jade cried.
Nina moved across the living room to sit beside Jade. “You were the only woman to capture my brother’s heart. He never brought up a girl to me until he met you. Quan loved you, and he loved that blessing growing inside of you more than you’ll ever know. Those bitches can say what they want, but they never had him like you. Never did.” Nina put her finger under Jade’s chin and lifted her head up. “You can cry all you want, but don’t ever let anyone see you with your head down. When you’re ready, we’ll leave for the wake.”
Jade nodded, teary-eyed. “Thank you, Nina. I know he loved you very much, too. You lost him just like me.”
Nina blinked away tears as she smiled weakly. “I did.” She rubbed Jade’s back as she cried.
* * *
Black Ray Ban shades covered Chance’s face as he sat outside of the church where Quan’s wake took place. Nina was inside with Jada and the rest of the guests. He didn’t know how Nina was able to remain strong for everyone. Chance couldn’t even bring himself to see his brother’s lifeless body lying in the ten thousand–dollar casket he’d purchased. Instead, he was sitting in his rental car, facing blunts of Kush. A semi-automatic pistol rested in his lap. All he wanted to do was make the entire city rain with bullets until he found the niggas responsible for his brother’s death. A life for a life. But Chance knew none of that would bring his brother back, so he put it on pause. The streets would talk eventually.
“Tha Crossroads” by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony blared loudly from the speakers of the car. He choked on his blunt as he took a trip down memory lane. There was not a milestone in Chance’s life that he hadn’t conquered without Quan by his side. How could he go on with such an important figure in his life gone?
Summer 2011
The summer heat in Charlotte was blistering. It was one of the hottest days the city had seen in July. Drake’s latest hit blared from someone’s car as everyone from the apartment complex gathered at the pool party. All the hustlers, scammers, strippers, and groupies were in attendance. Chance brought everyone out to celebrate Nina’s nineteenth birthday.
A year ago, Nina had inherited her mother’s half-million-dollar life insurance settlement. She used the money to boss her life up, with Chance’s help, of course. At 18 years old, she opened her first Beautique. Plenty of women in the city despised Nina just for the fact that she was young, beautiful, and successful, but they really hated that she had Chance’s heart. No one ever tried her, though. They knew the consequences could be dire.
The celebration was also to welcome Quan home from doing a one-year bid for getting caught with a dirty gun. Chance missed his right hand, but he ran it up 365 days straight for his nigga. Now, he had finally touched his first million dollars. Today was reserved for turning up. No business would interfere with Chance showing Nina and Quan a good time.
Nina was poolside with her homegirl, Chanel, when Chance arrived with Quan. “Bro!” Nina exclaimed as she jumped up to hug Quan. “I missed you so much! Check you out.” Nina took a good look at Quan. He had put on some muscle weight, but he wore it well. “Feel good to be home, huh?”
“Damn right. I ain’t never going back to jail.” Quan nodded down to acknowledge Chanel. She always tried to flirt with him, but Quan never made a move. He had a certain type of woman he liked, and Chanel didn’t fit the description. She was beautiful, but just not his cup of tea. However, Quan didn’t know if it was because he hadn’t gotten pussy in a year, but Chanel was looking better than ever. He decided that he would finally give her a chance tonight.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Quan handed Nina a small, blue Tiffany’s box. A beautiful diamond tennis bracelet sat inside. “Happy birthday, sis. I couldn’t make your eighteenth, so I had to make it up to you.”
“Aww, you didn’t have to.” Nina kissed Quan’s cheeks lightly. “Thank you. Go ahead and enjoy yourself, bro. Chanel ain’t going anywhere.” Nina playfully nudged Chanel, letting Quan know she had peeped him checking Chanel out. “Chance been missing the fuck out of you. Maybe he won’t work so much now that you’re home.” Nina winked at him before turning her attention back to Chanel.
The next few hours, Quan and Chance kicked back and got drunk. For the first time in 365 days, Chance was able to let go and enjoy himself. He wasn’t worried about a nigga pulling up on hot shit because niggas knew better than trying Chance with Quan around, or vice versa.
“Yo, Chance, you my brother forever, nigga. I love you, man.” Quan spoke sincerely. The liquor was starting to get to him because he was getting emotional. “I got your back through whatever, with whoever. Family over everything.”
Chance laughed because he knew the Hennessy had Quan gone. “No doubt. You know it’s nothing but love for you. I never met a realer nigga.” Chance dapped Quan up and slyly placed a set of car keys in the palm of his hand. “Welcome home, my nigga.”
Quan looked down at the Mercedes Benz key fob in his hands. “Oh, this how we welcome niggas home now?” He smiled.
Chance nodded with a wide grin on his face. He felt like a proud dad at this moment. “That’s right. We stayed down until we came up. Now we all the way up, and we ain’t never going back to the bottom,” Chance modestly bragged.
He led Quan and Nina to the parking lot where Quan’s new cocaine white Benz sat. “That’s all you, bro. She’s paid for. Nina helped me pick it out, so I hope you like it.”
“Yeah, bro. I got my first foreign on my birthday last year. We had to get you right,” Nina noted.
Quan wiped his hands over his face in excitement. It had been a long time since he’d been behind the wheel of anybody’s car. He couldn’t wait to spin the block on this baby. “I appreciate it, bro. I’ma pay you back for this for sure.”
“Don’t insult me like that. This empire is just as much yours as mine. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you, bro. There’s nothing that I can give you to repay you for your loyalty. All I can do is continue to give you my loyalty, too. Family over everything, right?”
“Family over everything,” Quan repeated, solidifying their ten-plus-year bond. There was nothing that could come between them.
Nina couldn’t contain her happiness as she brought both men into an embrace. “Group hug,” she exclaimed playfully. “I don’t know where I would be without you two.” Emotion threatened to overcome her, but she didn’t want to ruin the moment. “Family forever,” she stated proudly.
“Family forever,” both men repeated.
* * *
A single tear slid down Chance’s face as he thumbed the Family Forever tattoo on the inside of his right forearm. It was a matching tattoo that he, Quan, and Nina had gotten years ago. It symbolized their unyielding loyalty to each other, always and forever. A light knock on his window brought Chance back to reality. Nina stood on the other side of the window. Chance turned the music down as he unlocked the door for his beautiful woman. She sighed as her body sank down into the plush leather of the car seats. Nina hadn’t slept in nearly two days. Exhaustion was written all over her face. The responsibility of planning a funeral weighed on her, yet her beauty still shone through.
“I need you in there with me.”
“I can’t see him like that.” Chance shook his head as he thought of Quan’s lifeless body lying in a casket. “That was the strongest nigga I know. How can I look at him like that, lifeless?” Chance was fighting an internal battle.
A part of him wanted to be there for Nina, and even Jade, to be that crutch of support that they needed. Then, a part of him still hadn’t accepted the fact that Quan was gone. Seeing his body would confirm one of Chance’s biggest fears.
Nina sighed heavily and took a deep breath. “Do you know how tiring it is being the one everyone is looking to for strength? I never asked for this, but I’ll proudly accept it because I loved the shit out of Quan. I think you’re afraid to face him because of the last encounter you had with him. It’s something you can never take back, and now it’s too late to apologize. You have to deal with it because I can’t do this alone anymore. Get your shit together, Chance!” Nina shook her head at him before slamming the car door and heading back into the wake.
Nina’s right, Chance thought as he looked down at the tattoo again. Chance groaned as he lifted his body out of the seat of his car and exited. His feet felt heavy as he took steps closer to the church. Heart racing, Chance swung the heavy church doors open. There were about thirty people gathered inside. Chance recognized most of the faces, but there were some he didn’t recognize. When his eyes met Nina’s, he saw a look of relief come over her face. She was drowning out there trying to keep everyone occupied.
“Ma, how are you?” Chance asked as he hugged Quan’s mother.
“Oh my God, Chance.” The lady cried into Chance’s chest. Lidia wasn’t the best mother to her son while he was younger, but Quan had forgiven her a long time ago. He loved his mother more than life, even when she neglected him as a child. “I’m glad you’re here. I haven’t seen you and Nina in years.”
“I’m sorry we had to see each other under these circumstances,” Chance stated genuinely. “I know Quan loved you more than the world.”
“I could say the same for you, baby. At least he did leave me a grandbaby.” Lidia nodded to a very pregnant Jade, who was wobbling in their direction.
“Chance,” she said as she held her hand out to him. “I’m Jade.”
Instead of shaking her hand, Chance bent down until his was face level with her six-month belly. “Hey, little one, it’s ya uncle. You’ll never have to worry about anything. Your mommy, your grandma, Auntie Nina, and I will make sure of that.” He planted a kiss on Jade’s stomach before standing up. He pulled her into a hug, sensing that it was something she needed. “You’re family, Jade. We never shake hands,” Chance said once he released the embrace.
Jade smiled as she realized how much of a family Quan had with Nina and Chance. He was lucky to have them in their child’s life. “He talked so much about you.” Jade’s voice cracked. “There’s something that he left me with that he wanted you and Nina to have.”
“What is it?” Nina inquired.
Jade pulled a thick manila envelope out of her Birkin bag. “He gave it to me the same night he died. He told me if anything ever happened to him, to make sure this made it into your hands. I’m not sure what’s inside it.”
“Thank you, Jade.” Chance took the envelope and tucked it on the inside of his suit.
* * *
The sun peeked through the curtains of their hotel suite. Chance and Nina rested in the middle of the bed. “You opened your envelope yet?” Chance inquired as he massaged Nina’s feet. It was tempting not to open his envelope and see what was in the contents. He thought maybe Nina could enlighten him on the contents of her own envelope. Chance wondered what his slain brother had up his sleeve.
Nina shook her head. She honestly didn’t want to open the envelope. Knowing Quan, someone would have to die shortly after revealing the information in the envelope. “I’m anxious to find out what’s inside, but I have to be mentally prepared. I’m opening mine after the funeral. What about you?”
“I’ll open it once I get back to Miami.” Chance traced his finger along Nina’s ankle. Thoughts were heavy on his mind tonight. The pain of losing Quan had opened the gates he put over his heart many years ago. There was not much that left Chance wondering what move to make next. He never let his emotions get too invested in situations. Nina was the only person who could penetrate his guarded heart. It was amazing how the ills of the world didn’t matter when he was next to her. After all these years of being together, he found a new way to fall in love with Nina every day. She was his sanctuary.
“I can’t believe he’s gone, yo.” Chance couldn’t believe he had to bury his brother the next morning.
Nina shook her head as her eyes lowered in sadness. “Me either,” she whispered softly as she rubbed Chance’s shoulders. “Looking at his body today, I—I wanted to break down. He was so strong. He was thorough. Seeing him like that fucked me up,” Nina admitted, laying her head on his chest.
Chance nodded. He knew exactly what Nina meant. In the wake, he couldn’t muster up the strength to look at Quan’s body. Just as he had inched closer to the casket earlier, his palms began sweating and his breathing became erratic. Lying in a casket was the last place Chance imagined seeing Quan. The situation was surreal.
“I couldn’t look,” he replied.
Chance didn’t notice that his hands were shaking. Nina took his hands in hers and firmly caressed them. “I can feel him. He’s still looking after us like he always has.” She gently massaged his hands. His nails were clean and cut down. It was something Nina had done for him since the beginning of their relationship. She chuckled at the memory of telling him she hated to see a man with dirty nails.
Bringing his hands to her face, she kissed them softly. “We’ll get through this together.”
Chance brought Nina into an embrace and kissed her forehead lightly. He followed the gesture up with a light kiss on the neck. That alone was enough to send electrifying shivers all throughout her body. He knew all the places that turned Nina on, even down to the smallest ones she thought he hadn’t picked up on. His strong hands danced along her waistline, making her womanhood drip in anticipation.
“You always got my back,” Chance whispered as he kissed her inner thigh. His hands gripped each of her thighs firmly, making Nina squirm in anticipation.
She licked her tongue out as she watched Chance’s manhood rise to attention. The illuminating light from the nightstand was reflecting just right on Nina and the gold satin robe she wore. He knew she was naked underneath the expensive garment, just how he liked it.
“I’ma always have your front.” Chance cupped Nina’s C-cups in his hands. Having a child had filled her breasts out perfectly. He exalted in the beauty of the grown woman before him. There were scars on her body that revealed trauma that she’d experienced in the past. He kissed every one of them gently. Nina was self-conscious about them, even though she never admitted it to Chance, but he knew. What Nina didn’t know was that Chance thought her body was a masterpiece that deserved his worship. Each one of her imperfections symbolized Nina’s strength in Chance’s eyes. She was a goddess, and she didn’t even realize it. A true queen. Without her, Chance wouldn’t have amassed half of the things he possessed in life. Most men think it’s a woman’s place to follow her man’s lead, when truly, it’s so much more powerful when your woman can lead right by your side.
“Without a doubt,” Nina responded as she leaned in for a kiss, taking the lead like a lioness in the wilderness. She playfully pushed Chance back on the bed as she straddled him. Looking him in the eyes, Nina positioned herself on top of his thickness and lowered herself down slowly. Up. Down. Up. Down. Throwing her head back in ecstasy, Nina found her rhythm instantly.
Chance bit his bottom lip and placed his hands on Nina’s hip. She grinned devilishly as she removed his hands and picked up her speed.
“Uh-uh, baby.” Teasing him turned her on. She knew it would only be so long before Chance flipped her over and took control the way that sent her climbing up walls.
“Damn.” Chance grunted as he admired the view. Seeing Nina bouncing up and down on him, titties jiggling, he was almost at his peak, but he never came without making sure Nina got hers first. That was law. In one swift motion, Chance wrapped his hand around Nina’s back and flipped her on her back. As he dug deeper inside, Nina scratched his back and grunted in pleasure. Just as he felt Nina’s pussy muscles contract around him, Chance bit down on Nina’s ear softly. “I’ma marry you,” he whispered, his hot breath against her ear.
* * *
Shaky hands gripped the thick envelope. Nina had been sitting in the same place for ten minutes outside the church. The little voice in her head urged her to discover the contents inside the envelope. It was the last thing Quan had left her. After a long night of sexing, Nina had found herself tossing and turning restlessly. As crazy as it sounded, she believed Quan was trying to send her a message.
