Hustlin' Divas (21 page)

Raising his Glock, Python and the rest of the set shout back, “UNTIL THE WORLD BLOWS!”

Python squeezes off two rounds into the center of Tyga's forehead, sweeping him off his feet. The thick plastic does very little to soften the sound of Tyga's body hitting the concrete floor.

“Oh shit. Oh shit,” Datwon moans, tears splashing down his face.

“You know, I'm actually going to miss that nigga,” Python says remorsefully, and then turns to face his cousin. “You know, Aunt Peaches was right. It just takes one bad apple to spoil a whole bunch. I should've gotten rid of your ass a while ago.”

Datwon keeps shaking his head. “P-please.”

“All right. Pick this nigga up.”

The crew rush Datwon, untying him and pulling him from the chair.

“LET ME GO! PYTHON, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!”

“Nigga, stop all that hollering.” Python grabs the chair Tyga was sitting in and pops a squat to enjoy the show.

“C'mon, Python. We're family, man!”

“Somebody tape that muthafucka's mouth.”

Killa Kyle reaches over me and grabs a roll of duct tape. “I got it!” He rushes over eagerly.

Python finally sees me and smiles. “Yo, baby. C'mon over here.”

He waves me over. I hesitate only because of Damien uncoiling in the aquarium behind him. I can deal with most of Python's pets, but that muthafucka scares me.

“Don't worry. Damien is going to stay where he is.” He laughs.

I force my legs to move, stopping only briefly to hop over Tyga's body. “What's going on, baby?” I ask, even though I heard enough to figure out all the missing pieces.

Python brushes a kiss against my right temple. “I'm just tying up some loose ends.” He smiles. “I like what you did to your hair.” He touches my soft wavy curls and then returns his attention back to the business at hand.

“PYTHON, NO! PLEASE!” Datwon screams.

Killa Kyle slaps a wide strip of tape across Datwon's mouth while the other guys tie his legs and hands together.

Python sits back down and pulls me into his lap. “This should be a good show.”

I feel Python's dick harden as he watches the unfolding drama. The top of the aquarium is removed, and Damien's head lifts as if he senses the possibility of freedom. Next, two men grab Datwon's feet and two grab his arms and lift him like a stuffed pig ready for slow roasting.

“Hmumpt mummmph,” Datwon muffles through his taped mouth.

“Drop his ass in there,” Python says.

The brothers lower Datwon halfway, release him, and then scramble to put the top back on the aquarium before standing back to watch the show.

Damien wastes no time uncoiling from the corner and slithering over Datwon's squirming body. In less than a minute, he wraps his muscular body around Datwon and starts to squeeze.

I sit transfixed. I'm both horrified and fascinated at the same time. Watching Damien work, I can see his muscles move like a wave beneath his scaly skin.

Python locks gazes with his cousin as he screams behind his duct tape. Datwon kicks and bucks while his dark complexion turns a rich burgundy, then cranberry, and finally an ugly eggplant. A few seconds later, his body goes still.

The entire warehouse falls silent. A lot of the brothers just shake and hang their heads.

“All species feed off one another in order to survive,” Python whispers.

I glance over at him, curious.

“This is what happens when muthafuckas try to cross me,” he says as if reading my mind. “Family or no.” He smiles and glances back at me. “Remember that. You don't let nobody punk you out.”

Our eyes lock.

“Now what brings you down here?”

Suddenly it doesn't seem to be the best time to bother him about my issues with him fuckin' Yolanda's retarded ass. There's no telling what he'll say or do right now. “Nothing. I…just wanted to see you. You've been so busy lately.”

He nods. “I'm always about my paper. You know that.” His black gaze rakes over me while his hard-on still presses against the curve of my ass. “I've been meaning to ask you: How's your sister doing?”

The question is like a steel fist to my gut. “F-fine. Why do you ask?”

He shrugs, but his gaze never loses its intensity. “Just curious.” He reaches up and brushes my hair back from my shoulders. “You got to be careful with these young kids today. Sometimes they fall in with the wrong crowd, you know?”

My heart races. “Not Ta'Shara. She's a good girl.”

Python nods, licking his lips as he brushes a finger across my breasts. “Well, you can never be too sure. Good girls turn bad all the time.” He pinches my nipple. “You should know that.”

Oh, God. He knows.

I
take another look at my busted mouth in the bathroom mirror. “Aaaargh! I can't fuckin' stand that bitch!” I throw the curling iron, and it hits a weak spot in the glass. The damn thing explodes as if I just unloaded an AK-47 into it. I gasp and jump back.

Baby Thug leans against the door frame, crossing her arms and shaking her head. “What the fuck did you think was going to happen? LeShelle ain't no punk. Did you think she was just going to let you play her in front of the other Queen Gs?”

“I ain't no punk either. And she ain't gonna be the head bitch for long.” I storm out of the bathroom and brush past Baby.

“And just
how
do you know that?” Baby asks snidely. “Just because you're about to have that ugly nigga's kid?”

“Baby!”

“What?”

“Watch your mouth. That's our leader you're talking about.”

“So? His ass is still ugly as fuck. He knows it, his momma knows it, and any damn body else who takes one look at him knows it,” Baby says, marching behind me toward the bedroom. “And just because you're going to drop his seed don't mean that he's getting ready to kick LeShelle to the curb and make you wifey. Open your eyes. You're just his fuckin' jump-off—and you ain't the only one. That nigga got bitches all over the goddamn city, and all of them know how to fall back and give LeShelle her proper respect.”

I whirl around. “Well, thanks a lot,
buddy
. With friends like you, I sure as hell don't need any enemies.”

“If you didn't have a friend like me, then that bitch would've pistol-whipped you into the middle of next week.” Baby shakes her head. “You're in over your head, and you don't even know it. Now you got me on that bitch's radar, and frankly I don't fuckin' appreciate it.”

My eyes mist. “So…what? You want to run out on me again? Is that it?” I shrug my shoulders and sweep my arm toward the door. “Go! See if I give a fuck. I don't need you. I've been doing fine all by myself.” It would've been more convincing if my busted bottom lip hadn't started quivering.

Baby cocks her head and stares at me.

“Y-you knew I've been trying to land someone high up in the set—and now I got the head muthafucka in charge and you wanna throw salt in my game like all those other haters?” I sniff. “You're just like the other bitches just wanting to throw shade.”

“You also used to want to get your kids back, but I don't hear you talking about that shit anymore. Instead, you're about to pop out another lil crumb-snatcher you can't afford to feed.”

“Python is breaking me off,” I say, giving Baby my back as I go sit on the bed. “He's gonna take care of me. Watch and see.”
Sniff
. “He's already spending more time with me than LeShelle, and he's been talking about getting me an apartment.” I reach up and remove the silk scarf from my neck and toss it aside.

“WHAT. THE. FUCK?” Baby launches across the room and roughly inspects my bruised neck. “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?”

I pull away. “Nothing. It's no big deal.”

“No big deal?” Baby stares at me as if I've lost my mind. “Is that nigga beating on you?”

“No. Don't be ridiculous!” I roll her eyes. “It's nothing like that.”

“Don't fuckin' lie to me.” Baby's voice tightens with anger. “If that grimy muthafucka is hurting you, he ain't got to worry about Fat Ace's ass no more, because I'll rock-a-bye that nasty-looking muthafucka
myself.
”

I stand from the bed and fold my arms. “He's not hurting me. We just like to play it rough when we're fuckin', that's all.”

“Rough?” Baby reaches for my neck again, but I dodge her touch. “Damn, Yo-Yo. You letting that nigga choke you out? What the fuck?”

I shrug again. “It's no big deal. He really gets into it. I mean, he fuckin' comes like nobody I've ever seen.” I laugh but it sounds like a misfired weapon, so I turn away again.

Baby just stands there not really knowing what to say.

“You watch. Python's gonna leave that bitch and make me wifey. Then all those bitches will have to bow down to my ass. The one they used to call retard and Lemonhead. I'm going to be the head bitch in charge.”
Sniff
. “You watch and see.” Tears bum-rush my eyes and splash down my face. “These bitches are going to respect me.”

I don't hear Baby move up behind me, but I melt when my best friend wraps her arms around me and pulls me close. The next thing I know, I'm sobbing and blubbering against Baby's collarbone. It's more than just my face and mouth that's busted; it feels as if something much deeper is going on. I put up a good front, but there's shit about Python and all those creepy-ass snakes and his violent sex practices that scares the hell out of me.

“Shhhh. Don't cry. Everything is going to be all right,” Baby assures me awkwardly.

I know my girl isn't normally the comforting type, but at the moment I'll take what I can get. I've missed my friend, more than I want to admit. Who knows what could've happened if Baby Thug hadn't shown up when she did.

“It's all right,” Baby whispers. “You know I'll always have your back.”

I hear the truth behind her words, and then I feel Baby's soft but persistent lips press against my bruised ones. I don't immediately react. Then when my body starts to tingle, my thoughts slow and I find myself kissing her back. It's like a click inside my head, and for this one moment in time, everything feels
right.

The way Baby caresses my body makes me feel both loved and desirable. I've never felt this way with any man. Ever. Now curious, I allow Baby to unbutton my shirt and unsnap my bra. My reward is Baby's strong but slender fingers spreading over my full breasts and squeezing their softness.

We ease down onto the bed. I stare at Baby like I'm truly seeing her for the first time. Even then I'm not sure what I'm seeing or feeling, for that matter. Baby is a petite woman with pretty brown eyes and long curly lashes, and her thick hair is cornrowed in neat, straight lines. Her subtle masculinity comes from her firm body, muscled arms, and thuggish attitude, which right now is turning me on.

Baby keeps her gaze level as she lowers her head and then sucks one of my erect nipples into her mouth. I gasp and moan when her tongue dances around my breasts. Encouraged by my reaction, Baby reaches down and peels my jeans and panties off my hips.

“Oh my God, Baby. I don't—”

“Shhhh. Just relax and enjoy, sweetheart,” Baby urges, and then turns her attention to the other exposed breast. “Let me show you how I feel about you. Let me love you.” She goes back to sucking and squeezing my breasts.

I run my hand along Baby's braided hair. I try to hold on to her, but the absence of a broad chest and thick waist slowly starts to pull me out of the fantasy that she's trying to create for me. I feel her slender fingers skim up my open thighs and then brush against my neatly groomed pussy. I quiver, deliciously so, while conflicting emotions flood my senses and a new wave of tears leak from my eyes.

This is wrong. This is wrong …but it feels so good.

Baby slips her index finger in between the lips of my swollen pussy and then swishes it around my slippery clit. Slowly, she inches down my body, planting small kisses as she goes.

This isn't right.

Baby pulls open my pussy and curls her long tongue beneath the base of my clit.

“No. No. Stop.” I sit up. “I can't do this.”

“What?” Baby looks up, confused.

I roll away and snatch my panties up off the floor. “I'm sorry. B-but I can't. It's not that…that I don't have feelings for you. I do. But I can't love you the way you want me to.”

“Let me get this straight,” Baby says, her voice hardening. “You can fuck somebody else's
man,
but you can't fuck me? You can let that grimy freak choke you out, but you can't lay with a bitch who cares for you—who fights for you? Is that what you're saying?”

“Don't say it like that.” I hang my head.

“How the fuck should I say it?” Baby hops off the bed. “I ain't good enough for you? Just fuckin' say it! You can't be happy unless someone is using and abusing you? Is that how you get off?”

“Stop it! Just stop it!” I toss up my hands. “It's not like that. I'm just…I'm—”

“You're just what, bitch?”

“I'M NOT FUCKIN' GAY!” I storm away from her, pressing my forehead against the palm of my hand. “No matter how much you wish I was or whatever, I just don't get down like that.”

“Bitch, I just had my hand in your
wet
pussy! Don't tell me you weren't feeling me. You're just stuck on stupid. You always have been. Whether it's sucking nigga's dicks for Lemonheads or thinking a nigga like Python is gonna upgrade some chicken head just because he put a baby on you. If that was the muthafuckin' case, how come none of those other baby daddies didn't wife you?
Think.
” She taps her temple. “Only a retarded muthafucka would keep doin' the same thing over and over again and expect different results.”

“Is that why you keep running behind me sniffing my ass?” I explode. “
Your
retarded ass thinks that I'm just going to magically turn into a muthafuckin' dyke so we can fuck with fake dicks and slurp down pussy juice?”

Baby cocks back a fist, but then catches herself before she sends the muthafucka flying.

“Whatcha wanna do? Hit me?” I glare. “Guess that don't make you no different from the rest of them niggas after all. Does it?” To my surprise, Baby's eyes gloss with restrained tears.
Never,
in all the years that I've known Baby, have I
ever
seen the girl cry. That shit just didn't happen. Baby is too strong, hardheaded, and rough around the edges to let anyone catch her slipping. “Baby, I—”

“Squash it.” Baby relaxes her fist and holds up her hands. “I'm ghost.” She turns for the door. “You're on your own.” She storms out. “Peace.”

I try to process what just happened. It feels like someone has just carved out my heart. What did I just do? “Baby!” I chase after her. “Please don't leave. I'm sorry.” I race down the hall in just a pair of yellow panties. I hear the front door bang shut, and I speed up out the door. “Baby, come back! Baby!”

Baby Thug has already hopped into her blue Impala and is peeling away from the front curb.

“BABY!” I pay no mind to the lil niggas milling about, even as they laugh and point at my damn near naked ass. “BABY, COME BACK!”

In a rare and surprising move, my momma rushes out of the house and grabs my arm. “Girl, what the hell is wrong with you?” She drags me back toward the house. “Get your stupid ass in the house!”

“BABY!” I sob. “DON'T GO!”