All the kings men, p.8
All the Kings Men, page 8
Due to my time in and out of the hospital ward, I ended up being one of those niggas, especially when I threw myself in to my studies. Being what we called a ‘programmer’ came with additional perks, in which I used for my time with Miss Dani Martinez. Mama showed up in my world on my 21st birthday like a prime prize. I was battered and bloodied thanks to being molly-whopped and me holding my own in that shit.
A brotha was sent to the medic ward and the rest was history. She was a nurse, and every time I got hurt, she found her way to be the one to patch me up. At first, I wasn’t paying her any attention at all until one night, I was laid up half-sleep and healing from a fight. I knew she was in my area moving around, so I wasn’t tripping.
I didn’t have my guard up until I felt her hand on my dick, and she started stroking it talking about, “Let me heal you, Papi.”
My fist was ready to connect to her pretty brown face until I realized that she was dead serious. Once she dropped her head down, opened that hot mouth of hers and let me feel how moist it was inside, I knew that I had me something good. I had an escape from the bullshit inside. I had hit a gold mine.
I had ready-made pussy, that was the legit type that I wanted. She liked me because in her words, I was fucking beautiful, scars and all. Whenever she said that, my dick was always in her hand, with spit running down her plump lips. I knew she had some prison fantasy going on in her head. I felt like she chose me because I was fresh in the pen, young, and I guess I looked good to her.
Anyway, once she felt how that thang swelled in her throat, our fun was sealed. Shawty made sure that I had my HIV tests. Of course, I asked the same of her. I didn’t want any infected pussy, no matter how hard up I was for it. So, like a pro, she did the same for me, got condoms, then we found creative ways to fuck. From the storage room, to the empty rooms during the few times that I was on my way to my classes.
Miss Dani loved to bust that shit wide open whenever she was on schedule, and she’d always find ways for me to visit. I honestly can say that fucking Dani was one of the bests times in that shit-hole. That pussy moved me out of fucking like a little boy with no skill, to full-blown fucking like the grown ass man that I was. The skills I gained got her hooked, and eventually, it helped me twist her mind up so well that she was serving a purpose for me now that I was out of the pen.
“So, when are you coming to see me?” Dani asked while peering up at me from where I stood on the step of Pauletta’s restaurant.
My gaze was all on her ass, and tits, but I also clocked my uncle and brother in front of us with Tasha crossing the street to her car as if she was pissed or something.
“Nephew. We need to talk immediately,” I heard my uncle say in a hard tone.
I kept my cool.
“When you finish doing what I asked of you, Mami.” Brushing my fingers under her chin, I gave a rare smile and bit my lower lip. “Hmm…maybe tonight too. We’ll see. I got a busy schedule as you know. Like now…I need to talk to a man about my schedule for work and you need to take your pretty ass on, so I can work.”
My smile stayed soft, just how Dani liked it, while my mind reflected on the real purpose I was using her for.
“Nephew,” I heard my uncle repeat, this time at my side.
“I hear you very well, Unk Lo. I was just leaving here to meet with you actually,” I said otherwise I knew the old dude was going to wild out in some way and attempt to snatch me up.
“Sup, KD?” I added, clapping hands with my brother and bumping shoulders with him.
“What up, Mali?” Kadeem gave a similar smile that I had just given Dani. He leaned and ran his eyes over the honey curves of Dani’s body. “Damn. Might have to make a call to the baby mama. Because, damn!”
“We’ll talk again, Dani,” I said low, masking the laugh that almost escaped.
Dani stood near me. She seemed confused, but I watched her take in my big bro. Like if Dani had a dick, I knew that shit would be on ten.
I guess she caught my look because she backed up, giggling nervously, then walked away. “Bye.”
Her exit was extra as fuck, but the way that ass was clapping...shit.
“Explain,” KD demanded.
“Pen nurse. Got a thing for me, mostly my dick…but now her world is busted open, so I can already tell she’s sizing you up now too,” I said while rubbing my chin as Dani walked away. “Not sure how I like that.”
Too much information and too close to home. I turned and moved to look for Unk who had gone inside to grab a bag of food. KD was still watching Dani’s ass, mirroring my chin rub before snapping out of it and looking my way.
“First thing, before our uncle comes out. Keep your profile low,” KD stated. “Eyes are on you. Main one is walking around with his dick hard for Tasha, who happens to be protected behind a badge.”
Eyebrow raising, I felt myself bristle at my brother’s words. “Explain.”
A slight pain began in my neck and spread to my shoulders, causing me to widen my gait and cross my arms over my chest while I listened to my brother.
“Name is Chevy Duncan. His mother works as Tasha’s secretary, and he’s our local sheriff,” KD explained. “That nigga such a dick, his wife left his ass, and she was a fucking junkie. Imagine being such a horrible nigga that not even a junkie wants to be around you.”
My brother moved to lean against the side of building while talking to me from behind. Me, I was watching the streets, looking for anyone who might be watching us.
“Attributes,” I said while the sound of uncle’s voice got closer.
“Six-three, bald. Color of Uncle Lo,” KD explained. “Walks around like the nigga is trying to audition for the next Rock movie.”
“Who?” I said not quickly registering who he was talking about until it hit me. “Never mind.” I gave a taut laugh then cleared my throat. “Chevy Duncan. Is this the dude who almost hit you with his car?”
“Yeah. I was leaving Jojo’s hardware store, you remember it?”
“Two blocks over on the corner, yeah,” I said.
“Right. Still there. So, I was leaving out, crossing the street n’shit, when all of a sudden this blue Nissan comes outta nowhere and clips me. I knew immediately who it was because this bald motha-fucka had the nerve to have an Uber sticker on his ride. His old beefy breath having ass is the only one around here with a blue Nissan driving for Uber at that. Guess being a sheriff doesn’t pay enough.”
The salty way my brother was relaying what happened made me want to laugh but I kept it to myself.
“Why’d he do all that though?”
“He thinks me and Tasha fucked because we’re close and he’s pissed about that shit.” KD pushed from the wall and moved to head to the door. “Nigga’s been in love with Tasha for some years. Ask Uncle Lo.”
My nostrils flared. I remembered reading about this shit in my brother’s letter. I just never knew why my brother would get blow back from it. At the time, I thought it had to do with WSK and now I knew better.
“So, this nigga is stalking Tasha or something?” I asked keeping chill.
“In a way, yeah. He feels she’s his since they fucked,” KD said matter-of-factly.
“And you know that for a fact?” I asked, rubbing the back of my neck.
My brother’s silence drew my attention. I turned to look at him, to see him with a clenched jaw as his eyes glossed over in thought. His jaw was clenched in the familiar way mine does. The light breeze made his fro sway in the wind as his silence gave off a tense feel. When he managed to flex his fingers, I knew his thoughts. Something that also happened with me.
He then said, “How he acts, that’s the only guess I have for it right now, bro.”
Opening the door for Uncle Lo, we cut off our conversation, until I said, “Did you?’
KD glanced at me from the other side of our uncle. He took the plastic bag that had Styrofoam containers of food nestled in it. Just as he got ready to open his mouth, Unk Lo’s loud ass mouth interrupted our conversation.
“You pissed off Tasha and you didn’t show up for work, nephew,” he chastised. “You’re not doing good today.”
Confused, I tilted my head. “I didn’t think the PO would run as long as he did.”
“That’s not my problem, Malcolm. You need to start scheduling right.” Turning to me, Unk Lo ticked off with his fingers. “One misstep, one lapse of judgment, one reason for your PO, or these eyes around here, to blame you for anything, will mean you back in the clank, understood? All that is planned will be erased, so they might believe.”
“A’ight. I’ll do better, on my word.” My gaze went over the large building that housed several cargo vans and cargo trucks. “Maybe I can show that by you know…signing off for me to work your transport to Chattanooga?”
“Follow me to my office and I’ll set up your timecard.” Unk Lo said as he walked forward with his hands behind his back.
KD glanced at me. “This is the backway to the offices, but in the front is the customer area. We have moving supplies, boxes, dollies of various sizes, package wrapping, whatever.”
“I remember,” I said, still watching my brother. My mind was ticking. At least, I think it was. Right now, I didn’t want to open up that door to my emotions and thoughts about him and Tasha possibly having fucked.
We moved down a narrow hall, where to the left of me was a large walled window. I saw staff fixing up vans and trucks. I saw a few familiar faces working on engines, and others preparing to move out on various jobs. I knew in the building next to it was where the underworld to this business went down. So, yeah, I remembered. Nothing had changed from what I was seeing.
Finally, in the office, KD closed the door and I sat down at a huge oak desk covered in papers, an old Dell computer, and coffee mugs.
“I’m writing down your hours. Tell me your time you need, so I can make this legit,” Unk said. “I’ll have to submit this to your PO.”
“Hit me with next week then. Early so it’ll give me time to put distance and a different time stamp that don’t link to with what I gotta do while up there,” I explained.
“Since we favor one another, if you need me to walk around here like you made it back in time to keep up the look…”
I glanced at KD and gave a nod. “’Preciate it. That works, bruh.”
“Good. Now, what did you say to Tasha to upset her?” Unk Lo asked. No, more like demanded with how he leaned against his desk and glared at me.
“Nothing deep. I’m going to handle it,” I said, glancing back at my brother then to the clock on the wall.
I abruptly pushed back from the desk so hard that my chair made that sharp scratching noise, then stood. “I need to go handle one other thing and I’ll be back to work. On my word.”
Unk Lo’s jaw twitched. Leaning back in his seat, he folded his hands in front of him. “My work’s dedication is to keep balance in these streets. The justice you need, I need, too, but only if you keep the balance in the streets, that mean keeps your ass in check and don’t get sloppy. Understood?”
This bullshit. Chuckling low to myself, I stared at my uncle with the same fire he was giving me. I leaned on his desk with my fists clenched and rolled my shoulders before I spoke.
“Like a raven in the night, hunt unseen, unheard, to slit the throats of my enemies in their sleep and disappear like the phantom I was. You got nothing to worry about Unk. Nothing will come back to you.”
“That’s all I need to know. You learned well.” A smile spread across Unk Lo’s face. “Go handle your business. I got some fish to eat.”
With a curt nod, I headed to the door only to be stopped by KD. “Little bro, watch out for Chevy. And listen, we didn’t—”
“Get your ass on out of here,” Unk Lo spat, cutting KD off and moving papers around like they pissed him off. “Handle business so we can keep that steroid inhaling bastard off our asses. Shit. Young nigga acting like he just got his dick wet and don’t know how to act. Ain’t nothing more dangerous than a cop who got a root on his dick.”
KD chuckled but kept his attention on me. Jaw clenching, I stared into eyes that matched mine except the insanity in mine weren’t in his as much.
“I’ll figure it out through her, or you when you and I got the time, bruh,” was all I said, referring to our previous convo outside of Pauletta’s.
“Bye, Unk, I’ll make sure to handle the cop in a way that confuses him,” I added before heading out.
I needed to know if KD and Tasha had fucked while I was away, and I planned to get an answer. Until then, my fingers were twitching. I didn’t like the idea of this cop nigga watching our family because his nuts were heavy for Tasha. Shit. I didn’t like the idea of anyone coming at Tasha. That shit linked back to the days she was Jaded.
Darkness cloaked my mind. Hands in my pockets, feet stomping down the street in a hurry, my memories flickered back to Jaded. To when I met her in our secret spot, an old house down the block from our hangout spot. To when she looked me in the face and told me that she didn’t wanna be some nigga in the crew’s bitch. I had just turned sixteen then and sappy as it was, she had some cupcakes made by her mom lit up with candles. She set them down and paced back and forth in the room.
It was dark, with a few glowing candles and flashlights. My homie was pissed. Her eyes red. When I asked what happened, she wouldn’t tell me. I got in her face, and we started to fight about it. Next thing I knew, we were kissing. I pushed back from her because all I saw was my homie, she stepped forward and kissed me again and said, “If I’m going to have to fuck. Then I choose you. I won’t be forced, and I won’t have some old, dusty-ass bitch nigga take from me.”
When she said that, something clicked me, and I asked, “Who tried it?”
Again, she wouldn’t say. She just started pacing back and forth. She kicked a crate that held our makeshift survival kit.
I remembered all of that. Could feel the heat from the heater we stole and used in the room. Could smell the cake from the candles.
I asked her again, she said, “Fuck you. All you see is this tomboy. But them other niggas? Them other niggas only see pussy and tits that don’t disappear in my big shirts.”
Something in me broke right then. I remembered wanting to fight the world for the disrespect put on my homie.
When those tears turned to her pulling at her clothes, pulling at her hoodie, yanking at her cornrows, her rage said that she was ready to go to war. I stood there wanting to fight her demons for her. Was no way that I was letting my homie break down, so I didn’t.
My feet moved on their own. This was what she and I did when the world wouldn’t listen to two broken spirited kids. We battled with our mental demons. Yelled at the world. Then got back in the grime of the street. This was how she and I did our own type of counsel. And being who I was back then, was no way that I wouldn’t have my friend’s back. I walked up to Jaded and held her again.
I remembered it vividly.
The way she fit in my arms wasn’t like family or a little sister. This shit was different. She felt perfect in my arms. Always had, but I often ignored it.
Back then, in that moment, life was becoming different. I told her that I’d kill anyone who touched her. I begged her to tell me who tried her. After hearing the name, I left and set the house of the bastard who’d tried to harm her on fire.
She stood by my side, watching a wall of fire blaze in the black sky. That was our first kill, but I never counted it as that. Shit was called self-defense to me.
I remembered her taking my hand and us running in the night, back at our secret place.
The rage I felt that she had to protect her body from a threat so a nigga wouldn’t violate her, pumped through me. I trashed our place, yelling in anger for her.
“Nigga deserved all of that,” I roared while accidently kicking my birthday cupcakes on the floor.
“I hate him,” Jaded yelled with me, throwing stuff until we both got tired. Until we both fell on the floor laughing. At some point, shit shifted to something more, something deeper.
Yeah…I remembered. My body remembered too. The way our youthful anger connected, then turned into something that was needed just for her, at her request, and I ultimately gave it. No lie, I wanted it too. Our kiss was what made me realize that Jaded was a girl, a beautiful girl, and that Jaded was not only my homie, but now, she was mine and anyone who looked at her with any kind of disrespect would die by my hand.
I remembered…
Chapter 10: Uncle Lo
I waited until Mali had left the building before turning to KD. He was quietly sitting on the loveseat in my office eating a fish sandwich. I had to approach this topic carefully so not to send my nephew into a fit. It had taken me years to learn how to maneuver around his delicate sensibilities. I had to get this right or risk sending my nephew into a downward spiral.
He must have felt me watching him. He looked up at me and asked, “What?”
“Don’t lie to ya brother,” I said.
He frowned. “What?”
“Don’t lie to him. That’s why I stopped you. Broke into that last thing you was ‘bout to say. Now I don’t know what went on between you and baby girl, but I know when you about to lie. Don’t do it.”
He grunted, poking at his sandwich. “Wasn’t going to lie, not really.”
“Not really meant you was about to lie. The Mali that just walked out of prison a day ago ain’t the kind of man you wanna lie to, KD. He needs to be able to know he can trust people, because the minute he can’t, you become expendable.”
“It was—”
I held my hand up to stop him. “I don’t want to know and don’t need to know. All I care about is the two of you remaining tightknit like ya are. You understand me?”
