Cheaper to Keep Her Part 3 (3 page)

“Hey, wait! Ouchhhhh! You’re gonna pull my hair out!” I belted out, on the verge of tears.

“Shut the fuck up bitch before I kill you right now.”

It was hard but I managed to calm myself in spite of the grip this asshole had on my hair. I swear I felt a few strands of my hair tearing from my scalp when he pulled me up from the floor. I tried to ease the pain by standing very close to him.

“Where the motherfucking money?” he asked me, sounding very frustrated.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no money here,” I told him, staring directly into his eyes since that was the only thing on him visible.

He wrapped his hand around my hair even tighter and pulled me closer to him. My hair and the weave I had sewn in added more pressure to my scalp after he tugged on it, causing my head to burn with excruciating pain. “Bitch, don’t lie to me! We know Bishop keeps his stash here.”

“I swear I’m not lying to you. If he got some money in here, then he never told me about it,” I tried to plead with him as tears ran down my face.

The other guy came back into the living room where we were. “The refrigerator and the bedroom are clean. So, there’s gotta be another spot in here that I’m overlooking.”

My captor yanked my hair yanked again and redirected my attention to the other guy. “Tell us where the money is, bitch!” he demanded. His tone sounded more terrifying with each word he uttered.

“I told you I didn’t know,” I began to cry. The fact that I couldn’t help them was a clear indication that they were going to end my life sooner than later. I really wished I knew what they were talking about, because I would’ve given it to them immediately after they entered the apartment. My life meant more to me than Bishop’s stash. If you want to know the fucking truth, all the money in the world wasn’t worth my life. How dare Bishop put me in harm’s way like this? Evidently, he did something to have these guys under the assumption that he hid his money in this apartment.

“I’m gonna give you one more chance to tell us where the money is. And if you don’t, then your brains are going to be splattered all over the motherfucking floor,” he roared.

Hearing this man tell me I was about to die if I didn’t point him in the direction of Bishop’s stash paralyzed me even more than before. I honestly wanted to kick myself for coming all the way up north only to end up in a fucked up situation like this. I mean, I would’ve been better off getting killed back in Virginia. At least the few family members I dealt with from time to time would’ve been able to see that I had a proper burial.

“I’m gonna count to ten,” he continued and then he started counting down.

“One. Two. Three. Four . . .” I heard him say and then I tuned him out. I know I had to tell these guys something but my mind wouldn’t function. I even tried to think back to all the times Bishop came by with packages in his hands and went into different rooms in the apartment with it. Even with that information, my mind kept coming up blank. I didn’t know what else to do but accept my fate. After I reiterated to him that I didn’t know anything, I closed my eyes and waited for him to pull the trigger. When he got to ten, my tears soaked my face while I asked God to take my soul. Then I exhaled.

“Leave her alone. I can take it from here,” I heard a familiar voice say.

I wanted to open my eyes but I was afraid to for fear that my mind was playing tricks on me. Then I heard the voice again, “Y’all go ahead and leave. I’ll catch up with y’all later.”

When the voice resonated in my mind this time, I opened my eyes and turned in the direction it was coming from. I literally gasped for air when I saw Bishop standing at the front door. I could not wrap my mind around what was going on, especially after hearing him tell these fucking thugs to leave. I mean, why were they listening to him? Were they his friends or something? My mind was running full speed ahead as I watched both men exit the apartment. After Bishop closed the door behind them he looked back at me.

I didn’t know whether to hug him or curse him the hell out. I mean, what was that bullshit all about? Was that a test or something? I needed some answers and I needed them ASAP.

Bishop gave me this apologetic look as he walked towards me. But I refused to let him off the hook that easy. I was angry and I really felt like a complete fool. “I know you’re mad right now. So, please let me explain,” he began.

I tried to block out the throbbing and aching pain I felt in the back of my head but I couldn’t. Bishop saw me massage the back of my head with my right hand so as soon as he got within one feet of me he pulled me into his arms and started massaging my head himself. “I am so sorry, Lynise. But I had to let them take you through that baby girl.”

I pulled back from his chest and looked into his face. “But why? Whatcha’ don’t trust me? I almost had a fucking nervous breakdown,” I continued to sob.

“I know. I know,” he said, trying to put my head back on his chest. But I resisted his efforts.

One part of me wanted him to hold me but the other part of me wanted to curse him out. I felt so violated and I wanted him to know it. “Bishop, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I don’t like it. Those fucking monsters you had come in here and pretend that they were looking for some money you hid in here was a low blow to me. I mean, the way that guy handled me was wrong and I am fucking pissed that you’d let him do that to me.”

“You’re right. But we’re not in Virginia anymore. You’re in my world now. Things are done a lot different here in New Jersey. I have a lot more at stake here so I just needed to know if you were really down for me.”

“I understand all of that but haven’t I proved who I was to you when we were back in Virginia? I mean, that should’ve counted for something.”

“Yeah, it did. But I still had to make sure,” he insisted.

I wanted to sweep this misunderstanding underneath the rug, but my mind wouldn’t let me. So, I backed away from him and went into my bedroom. I needed to collect my thoughts and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to do it while I was in his arms.

Cheaper to Keep Her part 3 Unique

What Part of the Game is This? – Chapter Three

After Bishop allowed those niggas to run me through the mill I walked my ass into my bedroom and laid down so I could clear my head. Bishop came in the room behind me. I really wasn’t in the mood to see his face, but at the same time I needed some comforting. My fucking head was aching and so was my entire body.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and began massaging my back. My eyes were closed as my mind drifted off into thought. Everything from the events with Duke that happened back in Virginia to the fake robbery plot came full circle in my mind. The shit with Duke was still fresh on my mind and I was still fuming inside.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Bishop was beginning to do the same underhanded tactics as Duke. Both men lived for the streets, they had women at home and they made it known that they weren’t answering to anyone. Not even me. To make matters worse, they’d cut you out of their lives at the drop of a dime.

I could sense that Bishop was still unsure about me. That thought was pretty upsetting to me. I was literally tired of running into niggas who didn’t appreciate me. I had shit going for me. I was very attractive physically and I wasn’t stupid by a long shot. But more importantly, when I decided to be on your team, then you had my loyalty. So, to keep getting the short end of the stick when I should have been given the whole enchilada had made me very resentful.

“Lynise, look at me,” Bishop instructed me. His tone was very gentle. He was somewhat different than the other assholes I had dealt with. He could be cool and gentle at times.

Lying in the fetal position, I turned and faced him while my head lay in a comfortable spot on the pillow. I didn’t utter one word. I did however give him my undivided attention.

He cleared his throat and said, “Baby girl, my life here in New Jersey is very complicated. I’ve got a lot of shit going on and it’s important that I have the right people around me that I can trust.”

“Well, I wasn’t,” he replied. “Like I was saying,” he continued, “I’ve got several business ventures that are very important to me, so they require my full attention. I can’t afford to have any slip-ups. So everyone around me has to go through certain tests or be eliminated.”

Hearing Bishop tell me I had no other choice in the matter or be eliminated was definitely a hard pill to swallow. At that moment, I realized I had just bit off more than I could chew. Bishop was on some mafia type shit and I’d better get down with the program or keep it moving. One part of me wanted to ride or die with him, but the other part of me wanted to tell him to go to hell since I knew he had another bitch he took care of. But hell, I had nowhere to go, so I figured I would just sit still until a better opportunity presented itself.

After he fed me more reasons why he felt the need to have those niggas rough me up, he kissed me on the forehead and told me he was sorry. And finally after hearing something that made total sense, I felt good inside. Besides the fact that he apologized, and the way he said it, sealed the deal. He looked sincere and that’s all I needed.

Once the air was clear between us, he instructed me to stay in bed and get some rest while he went into the living room to make a few phone calls. “I’m right in the next room if you need anything,” he told me.

“Okay,” I replied and then I watched him leave the room and close the door behind himself.

While I lay there trying to get some rest and hoping my headache would go away, I heard Bishop in the living room making small talk over the phone. It became obvious he was making business arrangements after I heard him give the caller instructions to have his money the following day. Bishop hadn’t mentioned how much the person owed him but his voice was stern, so it was understood that he was serious.

Immediately after he ended that call, he was making another one. This time his tone was different. He was in a better mood than before. In fact, it sounded like he was pleading for someone’s mercy. Twenty seconds more into the conversation; I realized he was talking to Keisha. “Baby, why we gotta go through this?” I heard him say.

My whole mood turned for the worse. After being knocked around by Bishop’s henchmen I was really not up for hearing him speak in that fashion. He was literally begging this bitch to cooperate with him and get with the program. In her heart I was sure she knew he was still with me.

“Whatcha’ mean why it’s so quiet?” he questioned her. Then he said, “Look, I am not going to sit here and let you grill me like this. I am at my boy’s crib trying to handle some business that may keep me out part of the night, so don’t wait up for me.”

After he lied to her about his whereabouts he told her he loved her and then he told her goodnight. He was cool about the way he handled that situation . . . but I wasn’t. I felt stupid to say the least. I mean this guy really had his Mack game in full force.

And the more I pondered on it, the more it made me think about how Duke played me. In the last days of my relationship with Duke I felt robbed of my love and betrayed of my trust. If I didn’t learn anything from that relationship with Duke, I did learn that niggas in the street didn’t give a fuck about no one but themselves. I also learned that chicks like me come a dime a dozen and pussy was free. If I wanted to step outside that box from the other birds, then I needed to demand my respect.

While I continued to think about my position in life, I heard Bishop’s Blackberry ring. In a split second, a blink of the eye, I placed my thoughts on the backburner and zeroed in on his conversation. This time around he kept his conversation to a minimum. Plus, he was speaking so quietly; it was damn near impossible to hear what he was saying. I did hear him tell the caller that right now wasn’t a good time to talk and then he told them that he would call them back in a few minutes. This took me aback and I assumed he was talking to another chick on the phone. I mean he never acted like that before. So, I knew my suspicions had to be right.

Moments later he walked back into the bedroom. I was lying on my stomach with my face turned towards the wall and pretended to be asleep. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but I felt the heat from his body when he loomed over me to see if I had my eyes open or not. I thought he was going to call my name to see if I would answer but he didn’t. Seconds later, he walked back out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Immediately after he closed the door, I opened my eyes and wondered what he was about to do. It didn’t take long for me to get my answer after I heard Bishop open the front door of the apartment and then close it. When he left the apartment, my gut told me he was hiding something or someone from me. My mind was running rampant. At that moment I wanted answers. I didn’t want to be left in the dark anymore. I was tired of his fucking secrets and one of these days I was going to bring it to his attention. Right now, I was more interested to find out whom he was talking to and what he was trying to prevent me from hearing.

I slid off the bed and made my way out of the bedroom. I peeped inside the bathroom and the other bedroom just to make sure Bishop wasn’t playing another trick on me. When I was convinced he had left the apartment, I tiptoed down the hallway and when I got within one foot away from the door, I looked through the peephole. Just as I had expected, that son-of-a-bitch Bishop was standing on the opposite side of the door talking to someone other than Keisha and me.

I saw him laugh a couple of times, but I was unable to hear his conversation. I was pissed off about that too. I figured whoever it was on the other end of the phone made him happier than the two women he was fucking on his off days. The sight of him smiling from ear to ear like he had a huge crush on some hot new chick made me sick to my stomach. Men don’t make other men smile like that unless they’re gay. And since Bishop hadn’t shown me any signs of him fucking another man I assumed otherwise.