Thug Lovin' (9 page)

“Give me a reason why I shouldn’t take you out? You’s a muthafuckin’ witness and I ain’t going to jail for nobody.”

“Shit, me neither.” King laughed and groaned in pain, dropping his gun.

Trae grinned.

“Look, money, you on my team now. Face it,” said King. “You and me cut from the same cloth. So go on ahead and get the fuck
outta here.”

“Team? Come on now, don’t insult me. Imagine
me
as a team player when I own the team and the whole damn franchise. All I know is, it’s two bodies out here and one has my
signature on it. And I don’t know you or what type of shit you into so I have to handle my own shit.” Trae spat as he paced
back and forth, looking at the bodies and wondering where he was going to dump King’s body.

“Yo, money, listen. Don’t do nothing stupid. You can’t do me and get away with it. I promise you that. Too many people watching
me. Plus you would need to get in line. But know this, I’m a nigga that you need on your squad, and a nigga like me you need
because you can call me night or day to do whatever you need done. Watch what I tell you. I’m an asset that a lot of niggas
wish they had on their team. For starters, watch both your boys in there. We’ll talk later.

“Get out of here. I don’t want you here when my people show up. I’ll take care of this. I owe you one.”

“Nigga, owe me? You don’t even know me.”

“I’m the King, nigga. I know everybody. We neighbors, money. Now go ahead and get the fuck outta here so that I can clean
this shit up.” He pulled out his cell phone, dialed and then said, “Yo B, I’m over here at Spinners. I got two flat tires.
I need you ASAP! Yeah. I’m okay.” King spoke in code, letting B know that there were two bodies. He ended the call groaning
and coughing up more blood.

Trae called Stephon on his cell phone. “Yo, I’m out front. Problem, man. Y’all get the fuck outta there now. I’ll be walking.
Hurry up and pick me up.” He looked back at King.
Fuckin’ neighbors? What the fuck is he talking about? So much for a quiet night out on the town.

T
wo months after Trae’s California murder and encounter with Detective King Rick, he was finally able to relax a little. Rick
lived on the same block as he did and Trae hadn’t even known it. But now Rick had become a pool partner and regular vistitor
to his home.

Tonight they were attending Club New York’s official grand opening and King had promised that he would come through.

“Oh my God. This is really real.” Tasha was in awe as they pulled up to their own club, New York. “Baby, this is us?”

“This is me and you, Ma,” he said as the stretch Aston Martin limo came to a complete stop. The paparazzi was all on them.
Stephon and Marvin were waiting for their arrival. They had someone Trae didn’t recognize holding a video camera. “Fuck,”
Trae spat. “All of these fuckin’ cameras.” He sat frozen into place.

“Baby, don’t start. This is an important night for our family. We gotta record this one. C’mon, do this for me,” Tasha pleaded.

Marvin snatched Tasha’s door open. “C’mon, big mama. Y’all late. You said you were going to have this nigga here on time.”
He helped Tasha out of the car. “Damn, girl. You are heavy, what y’all been eatin’ over there?” Marvin teased her.

“Marv, you better leave my wife alone,” Trae warned.

“Tell him, baby,” Tasha snapped.

“Congratulations, Sir Trae. You are now a co-owner to this fabulous nightclub of all clubs. I present to you, Club New York!”
Stephon was showing all thirty-twos as he stood next to Marvin. He could hardly contain himself.

“This shit is real and legal, dawg!” Marvin beamed.

“No doubt.” Stephon proudly held out a set of keys. Trae grabbed the keys and took Tasha by the hand.

Club New York boasted a huge New York–style illuminated marquee filled with bright white starlights that looked like diamonds.
Without a doubt New York was definitely in Cali tonight.

Stephon had to be given his props. He had gone all out with the promoting of the grand opening. Leading to the entrance of
Club New York was BET’s Black Carpet.

“Baby, y’all were able to get BET here?” Tasha asked Trae.

“Not me. Kaylin and all of his industry connections did this. Let’s keep walking.” Trae leaned over and kissed Tasha on the
cheek in an attempt to avoid the cameras.

“Don’t even think about it, Trae.” She smiled through gritted teeth as she grabbed onto his arm. “You look good enough to
eat and I want to show you off and record this moment. I am so proud of you.”

Stephon, Marvin and Trae were in black Armani tuxes. Stephon’s date was a model chick and of course Marvin was sporting Kyra
on his arm. “Steph, you went all out. Look at this shit,” Marvin beamed. They all turned to the crowd. The line was wrapped
around the corner. Stephon was really feeling himself.

“C’mon, y’all. Someone from BET has been waiting to interview us. It’s showtime! Welcome to Hollyhood,” Stephon told them
as he led the way onto BET’s Black Carpet.

The BET VJ saw them coming and signaled for his camera crew to start rolling.

“Good evening, everyone. I am Touré, your host of BET’s
Black Carpet
, and I’m on location tonight in the heart of LA, taking part in history in the making. Tonight is the grand opening of Club
New York, LA’s premier black-owned nightclub. And here with me tonight on the black carpet are the men behind it all. We have
Stephon Cole, Marvin Blackshear and Trae Macklin. Guys, first off I’d have to say congratulations. What you have done… I mean,
this is huge. Everybody has been talking about this grand opening. Well, not just talking, they are here. This is
the
star-studded event of LA. I’ve seen Vivica A. Fox, Kim Kardashian, Reggie Bush, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Lindsay Lohan.
How did you get her out?” He directed that question to Marvin.

Marvin pointed to Stephon. “This guy here, Mr. Cole, was behind the promoting. From day one, he had vision and he didn’t stop
believing. So here we all are.”

“You guys are from New York. Why didn’t you build this club there?” The mic was in Trae’s face, who was frowning.

“We have been in the city all of our lives and relocated because of that. When Stephon presented the concept for the club
it was a no-brainer.”

“The people of Cali wanted New York, so we brought it to them,” Stephon interrupted, loving the spotlight.

“I couldn’t agree more. You got Biz Markie as the opening DJ. He passes the baton to the legendary DJ Red Alert and to close
it out DJ AM to Travis Barker. People, it doesn’t get more New York than that,” Touré beamed. “I’m ready to get my party on,
New York style. This is Touré live in Los Angeles at the grand opening of Club New York.”

The three couples stood around for five minutes posing for the photographers and pushy paparazzi before finally making their
way inside the club.

Tasha’s eyes lit up as soon as they stepped inside. Her eyes scanned the renovations, which included a second and a third
floor. Everything was encased in glass, so she could see all the way up. The second and third floors were identical. Of course
there was the dance floor. There were two huge open bars, VIP booths, poles and stages for the dancers, and two DJ booths.
The waitresses carrying trays of drinks were covered in body paint depicting New York’s famous skyline.

Tasha did a double take as the crowd parted for Kaylin, Kyra, Jaz and her husband Faheem and Lil’ E’s entourage. Lil’ E was
the white female rapper on Kaylin’s record label. After her brush with death she had slowly gotten it back together and the
crowd was showing her much love. They were so busy partying they didn’t even see their friends. “Check that shit out.” Kyra
nudged Tasha.

“I see them niggas.”

“C’mon y’all. This way,” Stephon yelled over the music. “I’m taking y’all to our party. Kaylin said he’ll get with us a little
later.”

They rode a glass elevator up to the second floor, where there was another huge dance floor identical to the one on the first
floor and a special presidential VIP area. To the left side of the elevators were a small kitchen, a security office, and
three separate offices, one each for Marvin, Stephon and Trae. All of their offices had identical setups of security cameras,
full baths and closets. Stephon’s and Marvin’s offices were already furnished. Trae had left instructions for them to leave
his alone because he wanted Tasha to furnish it.

“What’s that room over there?” Tasha pointed behind Trae.

“Oh, that’s Trae’s little project,” Stephon told her.

“It’s my surprise to you, baby.” Trae turned to Steph. “The key to that room is on here, right?”

“It’s the gold one. But yo, you approve of everything or what, dawg?” Stephon hollered at him. A little disappointed that
Trae wasn’t jumping up and down brewing with excitement. “I mean, damn, you ain’t say two words. What’s up? Did I handle business
or what?”

“That’s how he do. Don’t take it personal. If he ain’t say nothing that means it’s all good,” Marvin schooled Stephon.

“Yeah, you did your thing my nigga,” Trae acknowledged.

Stephon now had a huge and satisfying grin on his face. He then yelled out, “Now come on. We got a party in the presidential
VIP area.”

“We’ll catch up with y’all in a few,” Trae said as he grabbed Tasha’s hand, leading her to a shut door. He unlocked it. “Close
your eyes, Tasha, and don’t open them until I tell you to. You got that?”

“Just open the door,” Tasha snapped.

“C’mon, Tasha. You’re going to spoil it. Close your eyes.”

Knowing how stubborn Trae was, she finally conceded and closed her eyes. He grabbed her by both wrists and backed up into
the room. When he got into the middle of the room he stopped.

“Okay. Open up.”

Tasha looked around and then slapped Trae on the head.

“What?” Trae started laughing.

“Don’t play ignorant. What is this?” She was standing in front of a small stage with a stripper’s pole.

“What do it look like? This is our private VIP room.” He watched her smile.

“What? You done lost your mind. You want me to strip in front of all of these huge glass windows?”

“Naw baby, we can see out, but nobody can see in.”

Trae was feeling like a king on top of his throne as they took in the view. Directly across from them was the dance floor
and the view below was unobstructed. They could see everything.

“Will you look at all of these people? Each head is money,” he bragged.

“Naw nigga, later for the people. Let’s get back to discussing this pole. And where’s the rest of the furniture?”

“I wanted you to see it first and let me know what to put in here. Why you trippin’? You know you would have been mad if I
wouldn’t let you do you.”

“What about the pole, Trae?”

“What do you mean
what about it?
The pole is for you. Shit, the way I see it we gonna be fuckin’ in here a lot. I want lap dances, blow jobs, the whole nine.
I got my dollars already stacked.”

“Dollars? Dollars? Nigga, before that will happen you betta get some hundreds and stack those. You should already know that.”

“But we married now, baby, why it gotta be hundreds?” He tried to sound innocent. She swung at him and he ducked. “Okay, okay,
you know I’m only playin’. I got you, Ma. Can we christen the room right now?”

“Nigga, please. Since you got all the answers, you set everything up
. We
gonna do it right. Get your stacks together and then we can make it happen. But for now let’s go celebrate our grand opening.”
She headed for the door.

“Get my stacks together? Shit, my stacks are always together. Tasha, wait. Stop playin’.” He adjusted his hard-on and went
chasing behind her.

T
asha was seated outside of Houston’s at the Beverly Center. At the last minute Kyra had called her and asked her to go pick
up Trae and to let Trae know that the business appointment Marvin had scheduled had been postponed. Marvin had dropped Trae
off and was supposed to come pick him up from Houston’s so that they could go to wherever it was that they needed to go.

Shortly afterwards Trae, an Asian woman and a guy, whom Tasha assumed to be Trae’s attorney, Benny, stepped out of the restaurant.
Besides Trae, they were dressed in business attire. Benny and Trae were talking excitedly. Then she began to pay attention
to the little Asian chick. Trae and Benny ignored her and kept conversing. She was staring intensely at Trae. When she finally
opened her mouth, both men looked over at her. Benny grinned but Trae didn’t. She began talking to Trae. Trae’s body language
was displaying a standoffish stance. Benny gave Trae some dap and gave the Asian chick a quick hug, leaving them standing
there. When Trae turned to walk away, she placed her hand on his arm, said something else and walked away.

Tasha beeped the car horn. When Trae saw her he hurried to the car and jumped in, greeting his wife with a nice long kiss.
“Where the fuck is Marvin?” He looked at his watch. “We were supposed to go meet some people fifteen minutes ago.”

“Don’t start me to lying,” Tasha said as she turned off LA’s Power 106 FM. “All I know is Kyra called me and said that I needed
to come pick you up because Marvin couldn’t make it.”

“What the fuck he mean he can’t make it? He dropped me off and said he would be coming right back,” Trae spat. “Let me call
this nigga.” He dialed Marvin and it bounced to his voice mail.

“If the meeting is that important, then why don’t I take you?” Tasha suggested.

“Naw. Don’t worry about it,” he told her. “It was his contact, his people, and the both of us were supposed to be there.”

Tasha shrugged it off but was also skeptical. “So, tell me. How did your meeting go?”

“Just the way I needed it to. I feel like I just sold about a hundred keys. Benny’s on top of them wiring the funds from the
cable company sale to my account first thing Monday morning and this land deal I’m looking at investing in is a go.”