Thug Lovin' (28 page)

He led the way in. It smelled musty and it was dim. The long hallway led to the spacious living room, high ceilings, open
kitchen and two bedrooms.

“Shorty, how much will you charge me to decorate and furnish this?”

Ooooh.
Tasha squealed in delight on the inside.
This is going to be fun,
she said to herself, not wanting to reveal to Kyron her excitement. “I can’t answer that right now. Let me think about it.
When do you want me to start?”

“He handed her a key. I need you to start now.” He also handed her the black American Express card.

“Okay, am I on a baller’s budget?”

“Don’t worry about a budget. Just do what you got to do.”

“That’s what I’m talking about. So you are a Santos.”

“C’mon Aisha, you’re moving too slow.”

“Are we going to get my daddy?”

“Yes. Now hurry up and get dressed.”

It was a little past one in the morning and Kyra hadn’t seen or heard from Marvin since he had dropped her off in front of
the house that morning.

“Why we got to get my daddy in the dark? My teacher said we shouldn’t be out after dark.”

“I don’t care what your teacher said. You’re with me.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

Kyra went and found Marvin’s key to the safe with the gun stash. He thought that he had hidden it from Kyra but she knew exactly
where it was. After examining about four pieces, she liked the feel of the .45 so she stuffed it in her inside jacket pocket.

“Let’s go, Aisha.”

T
asha had only been in New York for a week but was missing the boys something awful. But each time she called to hear their
voices, the conversation would always go in the same direction.

“Trae, I called to speak to my babies, not to argue with you.”

“Who’s arguing? All I said was come home because if I have to come and get you and drag your ass back, I will.”

“And I already told you I’m filing for divorce, Trae.”

“You can file all you want but I’m not giving you a divorce.”

“It’s not up to you, Trae. It’s up to the courts.”

“That’s what you think. So are you going to come home on your own or do I have to come and get you?”

“Trae, leave me alone, okay? I need this space right now. Can I please talk to my children?”

He hung up the phone on her.

Aisha squeezed her mother’s hand as they stood at the door waiting for someone to open it. She had thought that her dad went
back in the hospital, not spending the night over at her cousin’s house. He was going to have to take her to Toys “R” Us for
this one. She was now eight years old and there were a few things, including some game cartridges, that she wanted to get.

Kyra banged on the door again. She could barely hear the footsteps over Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake.

“Who is it?” the voice drawled.

“I’m looking for Marvin.”

She heard mumbling and then giggles. That same voice drawled, “Marvin ain’t here.”

“Then why the fuck is his car out here?” Kyra snapped as she banged on the door. “Open the fuckin’ door. Tell him his wife
and his daughter is out here. When I tell him that you bitches wouldn’t open the door he is going to put his size elevens
up y’all’s ass!”

She heard silence, then the locks being turned, and then the door opened. Kyra said, “Isis, you was about to get fucked up.
You are playing with the wrong bitch tonight.”

Isis grinned. “Hi, Aisha.” Aisha waved at Isis, Marvin’s cousin. “Oh, you can’t talk?”

“Leave my daughter alone. Where is Marvin?”

“He’s in the back. You can leave Aisha with me.”

“No. I got her. But you, you need to leave that shit alone. It’s messing up your skin. You’re looking bad, Isis. Get it together.”

Aisha looked back at her cousin and then asked Kyra, “What shit does she need to leave alone?”

“Watch your mouth, Aisha. Drugs. Do you see how ugly she’s looking? She needs to leave drugs alone.”

“Yes. I can tell. Her face is dark and she’s so skinny just like a skeleton.”

“Exactly. Do you want to look pretty and healthy or ugly and skinny?”

“Pretty and healthy.”

“Well, never do drugs. And on top of that, drugs make you crazy, stupid, and it eats your brain cells. And watch your mouth.”

Aisha giggled as she squeezed her mother’s hand.

“It’s not funny. Do you understand what Mommy said about drugs?”

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Now we are going in this room with probably lots of drug users. I want you to pay close attention.” Her plan was to get in
and get Marvin out as quickly as possible.

“Is Daddy in there?”

“Yes he is. But we’re getting him and taking him home.”

“Is he using drugs or selling drugs?”

“After you check it out closely, I want you to tell me what you think he’s doing.” Kyra took a deep breath to prepare herself
for what was behind the door. She turned the doorknob.

Aisha’s eyes widened as she covered her nose. People were smoking out of pipes, smoking blunts, which she saw her mom and
dad do, and sticking needles in their arms. “Mommy, she’s sticking a needle in her arm.”

“I know, baby.”

“Daddy!” She broke away from Kyra and dived into Marvin’s lap.

He slowly came out of his nod and smiled. “Baby girl.” His voice was raspy.

“Chile, get that baby outta here,” a feen said to Kyra.

“Mind your fuckin’ business. And don’t be getting all close up on me.” Kyra pushed her backwards, causing her to fall into
the crew at the table splitting up some coke.

“Hey, hey! Bitch watch it,” the table tenants all yelled as they pushed her away.

“C’mon, Marvin.” Kyra helped him up, wrapping his arm around her neck. Aisha got on his other side. “Yeah, c’mon, Daddy.”

“Both my baby girls”—he nodded out, then his head popped up—“came to see me,” he finished the sentence.

“You are taking him home?” Isis asked as they walked past her.

“Yes, get the door for me. I’ll be back to get his truck tomorrow,” Kyra told her. “Don’t let nothing happen to it, Isis.”

“I gotchu, Cousin.”

“Where we going?” Marvin asked her.

“Home.” Kyra was trying to figure out what all Marvin had had, because the Marvin she knew was fully functional and alert
when he used heroin. She made a mental note to look into that.

“Daddy, can we go to Toys “R” Us tomorrow?”

He looked down at Aisha and smiled. “Of course we can.”

“Yaaay! You know what I want?”

“Aisha, open the car door and let’s get your father into the car.”

“I can get myself into the car. As a matter of fact, let me drive.”

“I don’t think so.” Kyra pushed him into the seat.

“I can drive.”

“No you can’t, Daddy. You’re high.”

Marvin turned around and looked at his daughter. “Baby girl, what did you say?”

“I said you can’t drive because you’re high off drugs and you’re not supposed to drive when you’re high because you could
get a ticket or have a crash.”

Marvin looked at his daughter and then looked at Kyra before hanging his head in shame. Kyra had a smirk on her face. She
closed the door and went around to the driver’s side, jumped in, and pulled off.

“Was anybody outside the house when we left?” Kyra asked Marvin, who wouldn’t answer. “Marvin, now is not the time to be feeling
guilty. You did this shit to yourself. Was somebody outside, yes or no?”

“No, why?”

“Somebody is following us, that’s why.”

Marvin turned around and looked back. Just then a pimped-out white-on-white Caddy cut them off, causing Kyra to mash her brakes.

“Aisha, baby, get down on the floor and stay down like Mommy showed you. Don’t get up until I say so. Do you hear me?” Kyra’s
voice was trembling.

“Yes, Mommy,” Aisha answered, already in position.

“Don’t say a word.”

“Tell me you holdin’, Kyra,” Marvin barked.

“I am.”

“Give it here.”

Kyra eased him her piece.

“What I tell you about carrying this little shit?”

“Baby, I saw him before.”

“Oh, that’s Fish.” Marvin relaxed a little, placing the burner in his lap.

Fish, who was also a cousin, didn’t get out of the car. But the vehicle behind them had stopped and now two niggas were coming
toward them.

“Marv,” one of them yelled.

“Who that be?”

“Junie,” he answered as he came up on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. His partner Mook was now on Kyra’s side.

“Whatever the fuck y’all niggas want is going to have to wait. So y’all might as well get the fuck away from my car,” Marvin
barked.

“I’ve waited long enough. I need that dough, Blue.” Junie called Marvin by his nickname. Back in the day, Junie and Marvin
rolled thick as thieves and did every dirty deed imaginable together. When Marvin jetted to go to the East Coast, Junie had
it in his mind that Marvin owed him two thousand in dope and cash.

Marvin went to get out of the car. He was wondering why Fish wasn’t getting out. Junie stood there blocking Marvin in, leaning
against the door. Marvin raised his piece and was now poking him in the stomach.

“If you want your kidneys, I suggest you tell Fish to move his fuckin’ car and I suggest you get the fuck away from my ride.
I’m not going to tell y’all again.”

Junie laughed. “If you want your wife, I suggest you give me my muthafuckin’ dough right now.”

Marvin looked at Kyra. Mook had a gun pressing against her head.

“Mook, get that fuckin’ burner away from my wife.”

Mook had an ugly grimace on his face and didn’t move.

“I’m telling you, Blue, he’s going to split her wig, just give me my dough. You owe me, nigga.”

“I don’t owe you shit! Nigga. That was years ago. And you talkin’ about fuckin’ chump change. Why you keep saying that shit?”

“Stop haggling, Marvin. Just give the nigga the money,” Kyra blurted out.

“Listen to your wife,” Junie told him.

“These pussies ain’t going to shoot nobody. Not like I will.”
Pow.
He let one loose off in Junie’s stomach. “See. That’s how you do that. I didn’t even have to get out. Put the car in reverse,
baby girl, and let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Mook stood there in shock as Kyra did as she was told, crashing into the car behind them. Fish jumped out of the car waving
at Marvin.

“Hold up, baby girl.” Marvin jumped out of the car.

Fish snatched the gun out of Mook’s hand and busted one off in his head. “Pussy muthafucka.”

Marvin started laughing. “Fish, nigga, where you get these pussy muthafuckas from?”

“That’s what happens when you send a boy to do a man’s job.” Fish turned the gun on Kyra and shot her in the head. He then
turned the gun on Marvin.

“You slippin’, Cuz. Then you come up here thinkin’ you can just take shit over. You left us, remember? I built this. Get in
my car.” Fish was talking but Marvin didn’t hear a word he said. All he could see was Kyra’s blood splattered on the windows,
steering wheel and dashboard. He forgot all about Aisha on the back floor. “C’mon, nigga, let’s go. You gonna take me to the
loot, man. Tonight, right now. Let’s move, before I shoot yo’ muthafuckin’ ass!” he screamed.

A car screeched to a halt behind them. When Fish turned to look, Marvin let off three shots, striking Fish in the chest and
stomach. Multiple shots were fired from the car behind them, turning Fish’s body into a bloody rag doll.

“Marv. You all right?” his cousin Lo asked when he got up on the car. He was flanked by his right-hand man Joe. When he saw
Kyra he said, “Aww, man.” His stomach twisted into knots. He was wondering why Marvin was just standing there. He then noticed
Aisha on the floor. She was still on the floor waiting on her mommy to give her the signal.

“The baby, man. We gotta get the baby.” Lo opened the back door and yanked Aisha out. “Joe. Move Fish’s car out the way. Make
those burners disappear. Five-O is on the way. We gotta get you out of here, Blue. But check this out.” He led Marvin over
to his ride and opened the trunk. There was a naked, bound and gagged King Rick. “Yeah, I knew you would like this.” He beamed
with pride, spat on King and slammed the trunk.

“Daddy, we can’t leave Mommy,” Aisha said to Marvin. “C’mon, Mommy.” Aisha was talking and looking back at Kyra. Lo was carrying
her to the other vehicle. “We can’t leave my mommy, Uncle Lo.”

Bed-Stuy, New York City

K
aylin, Trae, Bo and Omar were in Bo’s basement. Trae had come to fill them in on all of the drama that was going on with him.

Trae paced back and forth as he told them about his STD, how Tasha had left him, his club had been shut down, he had lost
millions, and now after he had been convinced that he was out of the game Kaylin had the nerve to be telling him the dons
were not at all pleased with his continuing his business with the Li family. Trae couldn’t understand why the dons were all
in his business when they were supposed to be out. So, stressing was an understatement for what was going on with him.

Omar said, “We owe the fuckin’ mob for the rest of our lives. I’ve come to that conclusion, and I’ve accepted it. I’ll be
glad when y’all do the same. There is no such thing as out with these muthafuckas. They want you to think there is but it’s
not.”

“Are you through?” Kaylin snapped. Kaylin looked around at everybody. He focused on Trae. He was worried about him but even
more worried about his brother Kyron. His gut was telling him that Kyron was trying to make major moves and of course Kaylin
didn’t want him to get sucked in, like himself and everyone in the room.

“Kyron, I honestly don’t understand how I allowed you to talk me into this.”

“Into what?”

He and Tasha were on their way to Kyron’s to unload bags after another day of shopping for the apartment, food shopping, clothes
shopping and errand running. “Into chauffeuring you around and decorating your apartment. I am worn out. Between you and Angel
asking me to babysit, I don’t have any time for myself. This time here was actually supposed to be for me to chill.”