A Kingpin's Obsession: Ajoni's Story (9 page)

When they are all gone, Raw swipes a hand down his face then turns back around. “For what it is worth, King, I thought your girl was sprung off your ass too after all y’all did in the warehouse that night, but that doesn’t mean she wants to come back here or be with you. All I’m asking is that you give her a choice, or we’re all going to wish you did later when this plan of yours goes south again. Shit, your boy just got done doing time for that quality piece of ass and I didn’t even hit that, but you know I wouldn’t go behind you anyway. I’m just saying consider the rest of us this time before you go all caveman and drag her to the basement by the hair and chain her up.”

Obviously, he is not trying to go down for my obsession again, and I do not want to either for that matter, but all my common sense seems to go right out the window whenever it comes to Ajoni. I still wonder to this day how the hell I managed to stay away from her until she turned eighteen.

“I’mma be honest with you, Raw. I don’t know what the hell I’m gonna do when I see her… but I gotta see her,” I admit as my old truck rolls past the opened door of my house. I walk around Raw, then onto the porch that is cold though it is in the direct path of the sunlight. I do not feel the winter breeze that has been blowing towards the front door since I got here either.

The Escalade turns into the circular driveway. I develop tunnel vision, seeing nothing but the silhouette in the passenger’s seat of the truck as it follows the curve of the driveway, then parks behind a heavily-tinted Camaro and Suburban sitting side by side on custom rims in front of the steps.

Raw walks around me and approaches the broad that came with him. He ushers her into the passenger side of the black Camaro trimmed in chrome, then he jogs around to the driver’s side. The Escalade sits idle behind the pearl white Suburban on twenty-six inch rims, waiting for the Camaro to pull away with a potential dead witness if the car saleswoman sees anything she should not before Raw can get her away from here.

As the Camaro cranks up quietly and peels tires out of the driveway, it takes every ounce of strength I have to keep from rushing the Escalade and dragging Ajoni’s ass out of it. I do not know if I am going to shove my tongue down her throat or wrap my hands around it. Suddenly, I am angry as hell; Ajoni split us up for eight long years because she could not keep her mouth shut like she was supposed to, but no man wants to appear desperate. I signal for the women to get out and come to me, still worrying about how I will react when Ajoni is standing in front of me.

The doors swing open on the truck. Lea steps out of the driver’s side and stops by the front bumper with a grin on her face. Nina walks around the back door she is getting out of, then opens the front passenger’s door with one hand. The sun reflects off of something in her other hand; a gun. She waves it at Ajoni, motioning for her to get out. My chest swells with blind rage; I seem to have even more incompetent motherfuckers bringing Ajoni to me than I did the last time.

Raw was right. I need to stop this shit before I get her hurt again or dead because motherfuckers are too loyal to me.

Ajoni gets out slowly, but stays concealed behind the door that is taller than she is. Before I can think of what to do next, my feet are already carrying me down the steps toward Nina, who cuts her eyes to me before they open wide in her face; she knows she is about to die.

“Nina,”
I yell on my way to her. “
Bitch, didn’t I tell you not to do something stupid around Ajoni
?
That means not pointing a gun and anything else at her!”

Nina looks down at the chrome nine in her hand, tosses it on the ground between us, and starts backing away. “King, I just wanted to make sure we didn’t have any problems out of her on the way back here. There are no bullets in the clip or chamber. I swear,” she explains, then puts her hands in praying form in front of her and drops to her knees in shredded jeans on the concrete.

“King, please, listen to me,” she begs, just as Ajoni steps around the truck’s door into the sunlight, pointing something at Nina.

I stop dead in my tracks, forgetting about Nina and everything else surrounding Ajoni. Somehow, she has gotten even more beautiful. Her face has rounded out from the perfect amount of weight gain. Her coat cannot hide the wider hips and thicker ass under it hugging her frame like a lover would.

God help her lover if she has one, because that motherfucker will never touch her again
, I think as a full-blown erection pushes against my jeans, and a liquid shoots from Ajoni’s hand into Nina’s face from her blind side.

“That’s for pointing a goddamn gun at me,” Ajoni spits. Nina gets hit directly in the eye with the spray, then she reacts by trying to cover her face with both hands and turn away, but it is too late. Whatever Ajoni is still spraying her with has already hit its target.

Nina falls down on her side and begins to scream while rubbing at her eyeballs. I stop in my tracks, after realizing Ajoni is macing Nina and making me proud as hell of her for defending herself. I should have remembered that she would do that when she got the chance, and that Lea would rush around the front end of the truck to come to Nina’s defense.

Before I can take a step forward and keep Lea from reaching Ajoni, Ajoni is already turning towards Lea to give her the same treatment that Nina just got. I start to laugh, startling Ajoni as Lea backs away before the spray hits her in the eyes, but just breathing in the spray’s mist will do the job too. Lea starts to cough like I knew she would before dropping to her knees while holding her throat in both hands.

Ajoni turns and aims the spray my way. The liquid thins in the air, and then runs out completely before it gets anywhere near me. She starts to shake the mace’s canister with a heated and determined look on her face. A tiny bead rebounds against the sides of the can concealed in her hand, then she aims the can my way again and presses the release button. Nothing happens. Ajoni repeats the shake and spray technique. Nothing happens again.

I cross my arms and start to laugh while waiting for her to figure out that the canister is on empty. Oddly, I find it even funnier that she was going to fuck me up too.

“Ajoni, you’re lucky the wind isn’t blowing in your direction or you’d be suffering from your own attack right now,” I mention casually, but keep my distance while taking shallow breaths in case the mace is still lingering in the air then stretch my hand out to her.

“Come to me, sweetheart, before you breathe that shit in and end up like these idiots.”

CHAPTER Eight

Ajoni

I stay right where I am, in between Nina moaning and rolling on the ground and Lea, who is coughing less and less. King must be out of his rabbit ass mind if he thinks I am coming anywhere near him after he had these bitches trick me here, but that does not mean that I do not want to go to him. Somehow, he has gotten even more gorgeous and muscular after eight years. Yet, he is the same man up to the same old shit, and I have someone that needs me back home more than he wants me in Mecca.

“Let me go home, King,” I plead angrily, pissed off that I played right into his hands again and that he was able to play me
again
.

He shakes his head and takes a step forward with different emotions changing in his face. They range from anger to frustration and everything in between, but he is going to have to come to grips with letting me go. I do not belong in Mecca anymore, and I am not staying here, no matter how gorgeous he is, but I will stay long enough for us to talk.

“Ajoni, come to me,” he demands quietly in a deep tone that ripples through me though he is standing several feet away. My left foot lifts up on its own. I realize what is happening and put it right back down where it was on the ground; his presence is messing with my body again, just like it did the last time.

“No King, I’m going home,” I say as my cell phone rings in my bag clutched in one hand down by my side. I lift the bag, about to retrieve the phone and answer just to let Seeri know that I am alright; but I am not alright, so I let it ring until it goes to voicemail. King frowns and takes another step forward.

“Who’s calling you, Ajoni?” he asks in a low growl. I do not respond.

“Ajoni,” he calls my name as a warning, “Who the fuck is calling you?”

“None of your business, now take me back to the airport or your ass will go right back to prison for pulling the same stunt that got your ass locked up the first time,” I threaten, hoping he will listen, and I don’t have to make history repeat itself.

Anjuwan may not have suffered from his absence, but I sure as hell did. I won’t make her suffer through my absence either, if King manages to keep me here any longer than I want to stay. Although, I will suffer even more if I have to make another deal with Larkin to get back to her—I never wanted King arrested and locked up, and hope to clear my conscious of that by telling him why he had to be. It then occurs to me that he should not be out of jail in the first place.

“How the hell did you get out anyway?”

He smiles while walking closer slowly, and making my stomach do somersaults. “Is that all I get? No hello? How ya doing, King, or it’s good to see you after all of these years?” he asks, as if we are long lost friends, or real lovers that lost touch. Admittedly, the latter fits our situation a lot better, and I have always wondered if the former is even possible with King’s neurotic ass.

“No, you don’t get that because once again, I’ve been setup by you when you could’ve called me up like everyone else does when they want something, and saved me the unnecessary flight and dramatics from your side chicks.” I cannot believe these women would go through all this trouble to get me here just for money or King. He or they made it impossible for them to do anything else somehow, and I do not want to stick around long enough to find out what that was.

He takes another step forward. A soft breeze brings his Aspen cologne to me, and I get the same old head rush while watching his mouth open to say, “So I could’ve hit you up on the phone and we would’ve made a date to chop it up for old times’ sake? Is that what you’re saying?”

Well of course that is not what I am saying and he knows it, so I do not say anything. King and I have never dated, and that phone call would have made me very suspicious—suspicious enough to pack up my family of three and run. I guess it is that best he brought me here this way then.

He begins to nod his head. “That’s what I thought, Ajoni. So how are you besides beautiful as ever?” His compliment sends a wave of heat through me, making my face burn until I am positive that it is beet red. I huff air, frustrated that he is not going to answer my question until we exchange pleasantries.

“I’m fine, King. How are you? Now answer the question. How did you get out?”

“I’m fine, just not as fine as you are, and I got out by walking out of the gate. Is that all you want to know?”

“Did you break out?”

He laughs out loud. “No, I’m on parole, but trust me I’m still doing the time, just not in prison.”

Lea looks back at him with red, watering eyes. “Hold the fuck up, King. Nina’s over there on the ground trying to dig her damn eyeballs out and needing an ambulance, and the only thing you’re worried about is explaining to that bitch why you got out two years early. We brought that bitch to you, remember? Now, you’re chunking us off for her?”

I start walking toward Lea, not above kicking a hoe while she is down. “I won’t be too many more of your bitches, Lea, Natalie, whatever the hell your name is.”

“Ajoni,”
King yells, stopping me in my tracks halfway to her. “Come to me, baby, and let me handle this. I don’t know if these stupid asses have more guns on them.” I do not know that either, and want to see my family again. Since I do not have any more mace to keep the women’s threat level low, I move towards King, who seems the less dangerous right now and big enough to stop a tank if it came my way. I keep a close eye on Lea, who is doing the same to me as I sidestep past her then grab for King’s outstretched hand. He pulls me behind him. Nina howls on the ground as if a fresh wave of pepper spray just hit her.

Lea looks at Nina then back at us. “You’re a cold motherfucker, King. I held you down for eight years after that hoe behind you damn near cost you everything.”

King bristles in front of me. “Lea, the only hoes around here are the ones that were fucking up my truck and tearing up Ajoni’s house. You act like you sent me your hard earned money while I was locked down, but I distinctly remember having mules drop cash off here to you so you could maintain everything. I see that you’ve maintained nothing but your habit, and that cocaine must’ve twisted your mind, so let me set you straight.
I
took care of you and your jump off while y’all took my kindness for weakness. Don’t make me rectify that shit because I’d feel so much fucking better if I dead both of you. I won’t even throw in your face how your dumb asses didn’t do what I told you to on the way over here, and how it’s both of your faults that Nina needs an ambulance.”

“My house?” I ask no one in particular, barely able to follow his conversation with Lea after he said they tore up
my house
.

Nina starts to yell that she cannot see.

King steps forward towards Lea, with rage rolling off of him in waves. “Now act like you give a damn about your bitch ass friend; get her off the ground, take her in the downstairs bathroom, and run some water in her eyes, then both of you get your shit from beside my front door. Put it all in that damn truck and haul it and your asses away from here before I change my mind about fucking up the both of you for disrespecting Ajoni’s house, and be glad I’m letting you leave here period.”

Why does he keep saying Ajoni’s house,
I think, as Lea crawls on all fours over to Nina then helps her up while cutting King and me wide open with her eyes imitating razors. When she turns around to climb the stairs, King turns on me. I step back from him, not sure how much of a threat he is to me now that Lea is out of his sight, while wishing I had not used up the entire can of pepper spray.

My phone rings in my bag again. I think about not answering, but do not want Seeri bringing Anjuwan in the middle of this shit storm in Mecca. I unzip the bag while keeping an eye on King, pull the phone out, and put it to my ear.

“Mama, I’m fine. Stay where you are.”

“Ajoni—”

I cut her off with, “Mama, listen to me. Stay where you are, please! I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

King’s eyes narrow on my face. His threat level rises. I take a step back.

Seeri shouts in my ear, “What’s going on, Ajoni?”

“You were right, Mama. I shouldn’t have come to Mecca, but I’m here now and have something to deal with.”

King cocks his head to the side as if he is trying to discern if I am really talking to my mother.

Seeri yells in my ear, “What, baby? What do you have to deal with?”

Another impossible decision descends on me; tell my mother why I am really in Mecca, or not tell her and risk her bringing Anjuwan here to find out for herself. I decide to tell her, so my daughter will continue to be safe.

“King is out, Mama. I’ll tell you about it when I get home. Just keep everyone away from here. Do you understand why I’m asking you not to come?”

Seeri starts to stutter as Anjuwan starts yelling in the background.

“
Mama
,” I shout into the earpiece, afraid that King will hear his daughter talking, start asking questions, and learn of her existence before I can tell him. “He won’t hurt me because you know I’m here. I just need to explain to him why he got ten years and… and about something else then I’m coming home. Okay?”

Seeri starts stuttering again, “I—I...oh god, you’re going to tell him about Anjuwan.”

“Yes Mama, they deserve to know.”

Seeri whispers something to Anjuwan before responding to me, “Ajoni, do you want me to tell Anjuwan so she is prepared?”

“Yes, Mama, I do not want to do this twice.” My hands start to shake badly-it is funny that they have not done that before now. That may be because I am not too sure that I am going to survive this come to Jesus meeting with King, let alone make it to the one I have to have with Anjuwan. King is going to fucking kill me.

“Okay but if I call in an hour, Ajoni, and you don’t answer, not only will I be coming to Mecca but I’m bringing the whole damn police department with me. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, Mama. One hour and I’ll answer.” If I can.

“Okay sweetheart, please baby, be careful,” she pleads with her voice cracking in-between her syllables.

“I will, Mama… and I love you both so much,” I say before I hang up.

King walks up to me as I put the phone back in my bag. “Who the fuck is ‘you both’, Ajoni? Who’s the nigga you’re fucking?”

My first instincts are to erase his jealousy, but before I can gather the courage to say ‘there is no nigga, unless that’s what you’re referring to your daughter as’, he repeats his questions and grows angrier. Watching him get madder only makes me clam up for self-preservation reasons. I want to live. A vein pops up in his temple and his jaw begins to clench and release. I decide maybe this is not the best time to tell him he is a father since he is already pissed.

He reaches down and seizes my elbow. “Fine, you can tell me in the house then.”

I snatch my arm out of his grip. “You have to be crazy if you think I’m going in that house with those bitches that just pointed a gun at me and you were probably fucking long before you fucked me.” Immediately, I want to take back my words; I sounded jealous, and I am.

“It doesn’t matter what you want, Ajoni! When you asked to join the Kings, you knew my word was law and you violated that!”

“And there it is,” I say belligerently. “I was wondering when you’d think that bullshit up and throw it in my face. A lot of good your rules did you since my father was using dope right under your nose.” And he is never going to forgive either of us for breaking his rules.

“What I’m thinking about is the promise you made to me but did not keep, Ajoni. Was that bullshit too? And I knew your pops was a fiend. I just let it slide to keep you from going through something else with your parents.”

“Well, thank you
King,
for not killing my father,” I snipe patronizingly. “But you put me in a position where I had to make that promise just to go home. I
never
wanted you to go to jail, but I had to choose between you and my family, and the woman that gave birth to me will always come before a kingpin with no future. I wanted a future.” No matter how much I love him, I need a future to raise our daughter.

King’s top lip curls up and he snarls, “And I intend on making you keep the promise you made before I went to prison, or else.”

“
Or else
,” I shriek. “King, dammit don’t do this! I came here to get my father off the drugs if I can, and I have someone depending on me! I can’t stay in Mecca with you!”

“I’ll take care of Seeri too,” he offers with no hesitation.

“I’m not talking about my mother. Seeri can take care of herself.” She will have to take care of Anjuwan too if King takes it upon himself to make good on that ‘or else’.

“Who is it then, Ajoni?”

I swallow deeply instead of answering him.

“Who, Ajoni, or I swear to God I’ll
—
”

“
My daughter,”
I blurt out, figuring I will die quicker if I do not tell him. “I have a daughter, King.”