There's Levels To My Thug (3 page)

He yelled over the music at me.

“I was always taught not to speak to strangers Sir!”

I yelled back at him. We both started to laugh as I made my way to his 2016 all White Range Rover HSE with butter leather seats he even had our names stitched in the headrest. This man changed cars like he changed his briefs. He cut the music down as he started to pull off. 

“Hey, Babe I was thinking about some things that I need to change in my life not just for me but our family too. But you know for damn sure I don’t make any moves without your approval first.”

Dragon said with a kiss to my hand.

“Ok, Babe would you just tell me already shit!”

I said to him hesitantly.

“Look, Babe, I been doing some thinking and I’m not trying to live this lifestyle anymore after we’re done with this Darrin bullshit I’m done with the game. It’s been bugging me for real. Especially with us having a baby on the way now.  So I was thinking I’m going to finish off these 25 keys and be done with it you know out of sight out of mind. I’ve been looking at getting back into the fashion institute anyway. I really got back into it after you begged me to design your homecoming gown knowing I haven’t sketched in years. A Nigga still has a little bit of talent left.”

Dragon had to be doing some deep thinking because he went from selling pounds of weed on the corner to selling weight. And he hadn't talked about design school since when we first started dating. I actually met him through Tameka, my best friend. When we started at Berkeley together, she started to smoke marijuana like it was going out of style. I would be with her every time she grabbed an ounce of weed off him or I’d be in the room with her when he would come by our dorms.

“Wow, Babe I’m down for whatever you know I’m riding. But first things first I’ll be finished with Darrin ass by the end of this week I promise.”

I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, I sat my chair back and started our song over on full blast and started to sing to him. Dragon reached and grabbed my hand and kissed it. He pulled up to the parking garage at the New York–Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center he grabbed our ticket and parked. 

Dragon reached over and unbuckled my seat belt “Hold on for a second Babe” Dragon said as he got out the car. He walked over to my side and opened my door. That is what I loved most about him, he catered to me and never raised his voice. I used to make jokes all the time telling him to call his Momma up and tell her I said Thank you for raising such a Thug of a gentleman. We walked hand and hand, as usual, Dragon even carried my purse for me. As we reached the door, I could smell the glazed Krispy krème donuts the nurse at the front desk had. It seemed like she always had them sitting out waiting for me especially.

“Hey, Mrs. Jones how are you this afternoon?”

I asked her while reaching and grabbing a couple of donuts.

    “I’m good Miss Sunders. Take the box I bought them just for you, sweetie.”

Mrs. Jones replied with a smile.

I’ve known Mrs. Jones since the age of sixteen. I always had a thing for Krispy Kreme donuts. She used to make jokes saying

“Girl all those darn donuts are just going to them hips and that bottom of yours.”

Mrs. Jones took us straight to the room and took my weight and blood pressure. I had already put on 5lbs. Dragon laughed and said it was all in my bubble for an ass. Mrs. Jones excused herself out the room while I undressed and waited for the Dr. to come in to check me out. About five minutes later Dr. Jeffery knocked on the door and walked in. Dragon shook his hand.

“Hey, Doc I’ve been waiting patiently so let’s hear it.”

Dragon couldn’t wait to hear the baby.

“Ok well, then Savannah I’m not going to hold you up any longer so go ahead and lay back.” Dr. Jeffery said.

He squirted this cold ass gel on my stomach. As he started listening to the heartbeat, he looked up at Dragon and me and said

“Well pardon me. Do you hear that? That’s a double beat it seems as though you guys may be having twins. I’m going to set you up with an ultrasound right away just to be sure.”

We couldn’t believe it, going from having one baby to having two was a blessing. Of course, I was hoping for a boy and a girl so I could just be done with it but who knows. After our appointment, we went out to eat and then riding around looking at some houses that Dragon had already pulled up on Craigslist. Even if I wasn’t ready Dragon was, sure enough, going to make me ready. We ended up in Staten Island, NY looking at this beautiful 6 bedrooms 3.5 baths home. Dragon pulled up into the driveway and asked what I thought of the outside of the home. He said the home even had a pool in the backyard. Dragon stepped from the car after he unbuckled my seat belt. He walked around to the passenger side and opened my door.

“Babe, what are you doing? These people are going to call the cops on us.”

I said to him.

He looked at me and started laughing.

“Just get out the car scary,”

He said to me laughing as he stuck his hand out for me.

He walked me to the back of the home showing me the in ground pool along with a tennis & basketball court. There were sliding double glass doors leading into the kitchen. The home was completely empty with no window coverings so I could see straight thru. I put my hands up to the sliding doors so I could get a closer look. Dragon started to laugh while saying to me.

    “Babe you really like what you see so far?”

I responded quickly.

“Yes, babe I do. Are you kidding me?”

    When I looked up, he had a big smile on his face with a set of keys dangling them in his hands.

“Well go ahead in and take a closer look. I am glad I grabbed a 6 bedroom seeing as though it looks like we’re having two instead of one, plus all this Bullshit that’s going on with that cat Darrin. We need to be far out of sight and out of mind anyway.”

Dragon said while smiling at me I’ve never seen him so happy. Besides I didn’t think much about Darrin at all, I just needed him to give up theses cribs so I can be done with him. Doing the walk thru the home was already amazing but it had so much potential you could tell it had to be an old couple’s home. This home had all the old dark paneling on the walls and nasty ass drop ceilings which I detested. But with a woman’s touch, I don’t think I’m ever going to want to leave especially after it’s done.

Dragon already had the contractor en route to the home to meet us so we could get started with a walk thru with him. Dragon said before we knew it the babies would be here and he wanted them to come home to their own bedroom. I couldn’t be more thankful to have him in my life or a part of my world. I barely know my Daddy he only came around when he wanted some skins from my Momma.

Before Dragon I had all types of dumb ass boyfriends so to me Dragon was heaven sent. I was on cloud nine whenever he was around he made everything about he and I. He would do anything for me and as I would him. After meeting with the contractor and going over everything that we both wanted along with making sure that he also child proof all outlets etc. We even agreed on taking the finished basement and turning it into a Home office/Gym. We also discussed with the Contractor removing the dividing wall between the two rooms for the babies. No matter where we ended up in life we damn sure wasn’t selling this house ever. This would be forever our family home.

    We arrived at the dorms around 7 pm I was feeling a little edgy because Darrin had been blowing up my phone with calls and text messages since I got out of class. I kept sending him to voicemail. I even answered one of his messages letting him know I was busy and needed to talk later.

The last messaged I received from him said.

“I don’t like to be ignored SAVANNAH! I’ll be seeing you soon…”

I didn’t think to say anything to Dragon at first. I figured I could handle it on my own. Boy, I was wrong. I put my phone down on the charger.  I grabbed my shower bag, slipped on my shower shoes and headed to the bathroom. As soon as I stepped out of my room all I remember is being busted on the back of my head. Waking up in a dark room tied to a bedpost.

Dragon

Waking up the next morning something just didn’t feel right. I instantly reached over for my cell to call Savannah like I would do any other morning. Strangely she didn’t answer I tried her a couple more times before I made my way over to her dormitory to see what was up with her. I buzzed up to her dorm but didn’t receive an answer. I knew she should’ve been up there because her classes didn’t start until 1 o’clock this afternoon and it was only 7:45 am. We made plans last night after I dropped her off to have breakfast this morning.

I waited on the front steps 20 minutes before someone even came out the building that I somewhat recognized.

“Hey excuse me miss have you seen Savannah last night or even this morning?”

I asked one of the girls coming out the dorm.

“Yes, she left in a gold Souped up Saturn around 6 am.”

One of the other girls in the crowd yelled out as they walked passed me. This shit really didn’t feel right at all. The only person I knew with a gold Souped up Saturn is Darrin. Savannah and I had one rule. That is she’s not to go anywhere with him without notifying me. I hopped back into my ride and shot right down to Washington Heights where Darrin is known for hanging at down on 156
th
St. So I thought I’d lay low and keep an eye out for his Saturn or one of his trap boys. One way or another someone was going to lead me to Savannah. One thing everyone knows is Darrin’s car. I knew his stash house was somewhere in Manhattan which wasn’t too far from there so I figure I’ll follow his ass until I found my babe.

It was almost 8 pm and I was just about to pull out until one of Darrin trap boys sped passed me busting a u-turn and parked up. When he stepped out the car, he walked over to the house and went in. I could see a shadow in the car but couldn’t make out if it was Savannah or not. I crept up on the side of the car and this dumbass Nigga left the doors unlocked but there was no Savannah. Whatever the hurry was he must have forgotten to lock the car. I took it upon myself to do a once over on the car but it was nothing there that I wanted. I crept back over to my car and waited for this Nigga to come out so I could follow him.

    Almost three hours and forty-five minutes of driving around in circles following this Nigga around for nothing. This Nigga Darrin was nowhere to be found. I ended up following his trap boy to a house in Delaware but the address wasn’t one of the addresses Savannah had. I parked four houses down. About ten minutes later Darrin ass pulled up. Once inside the house, his trap boy came out fifteen minutes later. I hopped out my ride and cased the crib to see how many Nigga’s I would be up against. Luckily for me the house was quiet. The glare from the television made it a little easy for me to see into the living room. I scanned the living room. There was no one in sight, not even Savannah.

Trying to keep my cool all sorts of things started to race through my mind. As I stood there, I could hear a muffled noise coming from towards Darrin’s ride. The closer I got I could see a shadow in the backseat of the car. I jumped in front of the car with my 9mm drawn. I had so much rage in me trying to find my Babe that I didn’t realize it was her in the backseat. This motherfucker had my baby arms legs and mouth taped up and left her ass in the fucking backseat.

I cut the tape off her she kissed me and grabbed the gun off my hip and said.

“Babe this Nigga is out his fucking mind talking about taking over and taking you out. This is the cash spot babe and his ass is in there alone.”

Savannah gave me the head nod winked her eye and whispered

“Baby let’s go BLAST this Motherfucker!”

I guess whatever the rush was it must’ve been important because this Nigga forgot the keys in the door. Savannah and I crept in and sho enough this Nigga was in the Bathroom on the toilet taking a smash. I didn’t give that Nigga enough time to grab for his gun. I grabbed my 9mm from my waist and blasted his ass. I didn’t give two fucks about that Nigga. Come to find out word got out that Savannah was my Shorty and Darrin ass felt some sort of betrayal. Let’s just say this was a kidnapping that went wrong all on his behalf.  Savannah and I cleaned out the spot for all the cash and diamonds anything valuable. After chopping his ass up into pieces and separating them in different corners of the house, we made our way over to the car. I picked up my cell and sent the mass text out to my goons letting them know everything was a go. My plans were to get my girl back while taking this Nigga out all at the same time. Within fifteen minutes all Darrin traps were up in flames. By the time the fire department reaches any of them, it will all be ashes to ashes and dust to dust.

After cleaning her fingerprints off the inside of Darrin car, we walked over to the maxima with our two fucks giving. Wasn’t no way I could let this man live after robbing me and then so called trying to kidnap the love of my life. We made sure no one would be able to place Savannah or I at the scene of the crime or for that matter anywhere with Darrin. Knowing everything, he planned to do to me was actually being done to him.

*****

It was 5 months since that bullshit. I woke up this morning thanking God that I was able to wake up and kiss my Lady. With all that bullshit going on just almost a six months ago who knows where I’d be. All types of things went flowing thru my mind as I lay next to her.

Savannah’s graduation was coming up and I had something big in store for her. I restarted my classes back up at F.I.T. and everything was looking up for us. I’m due to graduate 3 months after the girls are due to be born. Shit they never locked anyone up for Darrin murder either. Thankfully Savannah and I had the home of our dreams and she was even offered a job after graduation where she did her internship. After I graduate, I was thinking of just going ahead and opening my own store up instead of selling my designs to some uptight suit-wearing dude. I never gave anyone a chance to turn me away, that’s why I do for self and the ones I love. 

It was hard keeping Savannah’s surprise party a surprise since we lived together now. But it was damn sure nice coming home to the aroma of some good ass food being whipped up in the kitchen by my Baby. Savannah always kept the music up while either cleaning cooking or for that matter when she’s in the shower. I tried to keep her off her feet as much as possible when she wasn’t in class being as though she was supposed to be on bed rest. That girl stayed busy if she wasn't doing school work she was thinking of things to change up around the crib. I had the 40/40 club already locked in for her surprise party. I even had folks coming in town that she hasn't seen in years. I even purchased my Babe a 2016 BMW 7 series. With the babies coming soon I definitely wanted to cop Savannah an engagement ring but wasn't too sure if I should get her a 15 karat or the 7 karat ring she keeps posting up all around the crib.

Savannah was never too much into materialistic things. I can't say that made me love her any less it actually made me want to do more for her. I sat up in the kitchen fixing her favorite breakfast dishes. I wanted her to see how much I appreciated her.  The kitchen looked like a madhouse. Bowls pans and ingredients all over the place. I fixed Savannah some sunny side up eggs, cheese grits, home fries and beef bacon. A brother even got down and made some homemade fritters and some fresh squeezed Orange Juice. I could hear Savannah up and about I hurried before giving her chance to ruining her breakfast in bed setup. Once I got everything on to her tray, I added 3 long stem roses to finish it off and walked into the bedroom.

"Good morning Boo figured you were hungry so I thought I'd make you breakfast in bed."

I said while placing the tray over her lap.

"Babe I been thinking about us moving to Philadelphia. You could open some stores there and I could look into some marketing companies. You know something new and a fresh start for all of us."

Savannah said with a smile as she sipped on her orange juice.

Surprised that she would even consider moving after all the money, we put into the crib but whatever makes my lady happy. Savannah put a lot of thought into this move. She had print outs of homes she'd researched on the internet. She even had some retail spaces printed out for me. Nevertheless, there were things I still needed to clear up here in New York. After everything is said and done. I needed to be free and clear of all ties in this drug game before moving.

I knew the surprise party was going to be over the top shit I don't think I'm going to be able to top this. I had less than 4 weeks to get both our families here without being caught. My right hand man does security for her favorite artist. I'm even trying to work that in some way. Shit all the things Savannah and I have been through she deserves the fucking world. I planned on giving Savannah the type of home I grew up in. I watched my Pop pull the red carpet out for my Mom even when he was mad. He’d say “Son when you know you have a good woman you do anything and everything to keep her happy. And when you think you’re right even when you’re wrong she’s always right”.