It's Like Candy (16 page)

River sighed. She looked over at Big Red, giving him a disapproving look. She wasn't ready for this hit—not yet, anyway. Eric had been really good to her the past three weeks. There had been dinners, gifts, talking, and actually communicating with him on a different level. River was even tempted to tell him about her horrible past with her mother. She actually felt that she could open up to Eric and talk to him about anything.

Twinkie looked over at River as he began strapping up. “Yo, River, what's up wit' you? You actin' suspect right now.”

Big Red looked up at her too. “Yo, River, don't tell me you're falling for this niggah?” he asked, looking upset. “What the fuck is wrong wit' you? This is our money, River, don't be getting soft on our victims now. He a mark, just like the rest of them fools we done hit up before him. He bank, and we gotta hit this niggah up tonight. Now, you never seen the inside of his apartment, so we don't know what he got up in there. It's risky, River,” Red stated, staring at River.

He walked up to her, grabbed her chin in his hand, and continued, “I need you tonight, River. You down for this? I don't want you fuckin' this shit up for us. I want your head completely in this. This
niggah, he don't give a fuck about you. He just like the rest, all this niggah sees is a quick piece of pussy.”

“You don't know him, Red,” River said in his defense.

“Fuck you mean? Like you do? Ain't nuthin' important to know about him but where he keeps his safe. River, this niggah don't even trust you to bring you by his crib one time. We couldn't even get a good scope of the place. But this niggah is still getting got tonight,” Red proclaimed grimly, picking up the Glock and sliding a loaded clip into it. “Let's get this shit over with!”

Big Red was jealous. Seeing River displaying feelings for one of their victims didn't go over well with him. He didn't want her developing a real relationship with Eric, it was supposed to be bogus, ending the next day. He wanted to run up to Eric's crib, rob him, and if he tried to play gangsta then Red was going to give him a beating he'd never forget, and if push come to shove, murder him.

Big Red's feeling for River ran deep. And it pained him to see her talk about Eric as if they really had something going. He glared at her as he strapped up and thought about doing the unthinkable.

 

It was getting late,
a little past ten, and River sat quietly in the passenger seat of Eric's Scion, staring out the window. They'd just come from doing some late-night shopping at an all-night Pathmark, and now they were on their way to Eric's place, where River promised to cook him up a late romantic dinner.

“Why you so quiet, luv?” Eric asked, glancing at her.

“Just thinking to myself,” she softly returned, not even looking at him.

“You okay?”

River nodded. “I'm good.”

“You nervous?”

“About what?” River snapped.

“Damn, I'm just talking about tonight. I mean, this is the first time you ever seen my crib. Yo, you good?”

“I'm sorry, Eric. I got into a huge fight with my aunt at the apartment before you picked me up,” River lied. “It was over some dumb shit.”

“Well, don't let it get to you. Tonight is our night, and don't let family fuck it up for us,” Eric stated.

“I'm sorry, baby. I won't bring it up again. I promise.”

“Ayyite. Yo, you lucky, River,” Eric said.

“Why?”

“Because I never bring people by my place. You're one of the few that I ever had come through since I moved in.”

River smiled. “Serious?”

“Yeah. I don't trust people like that. I live alone, don't like company coming by, especially unannounced. I like my privacy. It's like the bat cave to me.”

River blushed. “I feel so special.”

“So far, you're on the right track,” Eric said, glancing at her and giving her the warmest smile.

River felt like a fake. Here Eric was, broadcasting how much he was feeling her and wanting to be with her, and she was setting him up. Twinkie and Big Red were parked outside Eric's apartment, waiting for the right moment to move in. She didn't want anything bad to happen to Eric, she really did care for him, and if she knew a way to avoid tonight's action, then she would have gone that route. But it seemed inevitable.

The burgundy Scion continued down Springfield Boulevard, with Eric clueless as to what was about to go down.

 

“So, how we working this, Red?”
Twinkie asked. “We gotta run up on this niggah, hit him from the front? His apartment only got one way in and one way out. We don't know the fuckin' layout of his crib.”

“I know, Twinkie. I worked that out wit' River. She gonna stall the niggah by his door while we come up from the stairs and run up
on him before he opens his door, push him and River into the apartment, and you know the rest.” Red explained.

“You trust her, Red? She's been acting suspect wit' this niggah recently,” Twinkie observed.

“She ain't gonna fuck this up, Twinkie. That bitch sees money just like the rest of us. She on point, I know.”

“It's vour calk” Twinkie said, and then reclined back in his seat.

Big Red thought about River. They were both counting on her, and if she decided to have a change of heart on this hit, then Red feared he might have to pop her, too.

They sat parked across the street from Eric's apartment. They were professionals. Red had the hookup at the DMV, where he ran Eric's plates and got his address within minutes. He'd slipped the worker at the Motor Vehicle Registration a C-note and slid out of the building as quickly as he came.

Big Red had tucked in his waistband a loaded Clock, and the .38, just in case. Twinkie concealed a Glock, too, and a .45. They both waited patiently until River arrived with their target.

Half an hour later, the Scion pulled around the corner, turning onto Hillside and catching Big Red and Twinkie's undivided attention. Both men stared at the car as though it might disappear into thin air. They were hunkered down low in their seats, watching every move.

Eric parked across from them and then stepped out first, soon followed by River, who carried two bags of groceries in her hands. Being the gentleman, Eric removed both bags from her hands and proceeded toward the solid ten-story building with River in tow. When Eric and River disappeared into the lobby, Red and Twinkie quickly jumped out of the car and hastily made their way across the avenue. It had to be quick. Both men weren't worried about security in the building or a doorman being present—the building's security was just a few cameras and a buzzer, which Twinkie had the code for.
He had studied the place for a week, constantly watching folks come and go. He had it mapped out.

Twinkie made it in first, pushing the four-digit code, and he and Red quickly headed for the stairs, knowing that Eric was taking the elevator up to his fifth-floor apartment.

 

when the elevator reached the fifth floor,
Eric stepped out first, holding the plastic bags. He walked down the brightly lit corridor, confident that his night was going well, and he didn't have any doubts or worries about bringing River to his apartment. He was happy to invite her, and definitely pleased to have her spend the night. His bed had been lonely since the day he moved in, and he got tired of having sex outside his place, and waking up with naked hoes in motels or their apartments or on the floor at the wild parties he threw. It was going to feel good to wake up in his own bed for once, with River lying next to him.

“Baby, hold the bags for a minute while I get my keys out,” Eric said, passing the groceries over to River.

She easily complied. As Eric searched for his keys, River looked back over her shoulder and peered down the hall. Her eyes rested on the illuminated red Exit sign suspended over the stairs, knowing that any second Big Red and Twinkie would be emerging from the stairs with guns drawn. It was the way Red had planned it, since they saw no other way to come at Eric. It had to go down that way—forced entry into his apartment at gunpoint.

With his back turned, placing his key in the lock, Eric was oblivious to the setup. He trusted River.

River wanted to shriek when she saw Twinkie and Red looming up from the stairs, masks covering their faces, dressed mostly in black, with their guns out as they quickly came toward her.

The hall was quiet until the point when Big Red let out an intimidating threat. “Niggah, get the fuck in the apartment!”

Eric quickly spun around to see two men dressed in black, pointing guns at him. “Yo, what the fuck!” he shouted.

Not wanting to arouse attention and being wary of nosy tenants, Big Red quickly pushed Eric and River into the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

“Yo, y'all serious?” Eric shouted, as his eyes went from River, Twinkie, and finally landed on Big Red. He watched the burly man with a Glock pointed at him carefully. He stood about six feet two, and his voice was dense and menacing. Eric knew he was the leader of the scheme.

River remained quiet. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach. Seeing the look on Eric's face made her want to cry and forget about the ordeal, but she knew it was too late for any change.

“Yo, where the money at?” Red demanded, the Glock pointed at Eric's head.

“What . . . ain't no money—fuck y'all here for?” Eric scolded, not being so easily intimidated by a gun in his face.

That pissed Big Red off. He quickly stepped up to Eric, grabbed him violently by his collar and brought the butt of the Glock across his face, dazing Eric and causing a gash over his eye.

“No! Red, please—leave him alone!” River cried out.

Red heard this and turned to look at River as he still had Eric clutched in his grip. Eric wanted to pass out from the powerful blow but he still stood, and prayed that they wouldn't kill him.

“What—yo, fuck this niggah!” Big Red shouted. He glared at River, angry that she'd called out his name in front of their victim and then expressed concern and care for the niggah. Envy and hate steeped in Big Red's heart again. The look in River's eyes said a lot, and that caused Red's rage.

Eric wasn't stupid. He glared at River, knowing he'd been betrayed. He knew she had to set him up, because River couldn't even look him straight in the eye.

“Niggah, I'm gonna ask you again!” Red said angrily, “Where the fuckin' money at?”

Eric, knowing that if he answered wrongly again it could cause him severe pain, and probably his life, focused his concern on Big Red, who seemed to be more belligerent than his partner. Twinkie just stood behind Big Red quietly with his gun pointed at Eric.

Eric touched the side of his face where Red had struck him. Blood was trickling down his skin. He glanced at his hand and saw the blood coating his fingertips.

“Niggah, you think we fuckin' playin' wit' you!” Red shouted, seeing that Eric was taking too long with his answer. He grabbed Eric violently again and punched him in the stomach, causing Eric to fold over and let out a gust of air.

“Eric, just tell him, please!” River pleaded.

Hunched over and holding his stomach, Eric looked up at his attacker, knowing he was in a no-win situation. He reluctantly obliged by saying, “The money is in my bedroom.”

Red grabbed Eric forcefully and dragged him to the bedroom like a small child being reprimanded by his parents. Twinkie and River followed.

Once in the bedroom, Eric stood up. Big Red and the rest took quick notice of the bedroom setup, and had to admit, the man had taste: green leather imported furniture in the living room area, with a wide-screen TV, and rich plush green carpeting throughout the apartment. The bedroom area was decorated with a brass-andiron bedstead, finished in cream, and matching mahogany night-stands on both sides, with a gold ceiling fan suspended above the bed.

River was definitely impressed. She wished she could have seen his bedroom under different circumstances, but it was what it was.

“Niggah, what the fuck you standing around for? Get that money!” Red shouted, pushing Eric around. “You definitely a bailer,
niggah. Got all this antique fancy imported shit set up in your crib. You living like a king, niggah, huh!”

Eric ignored him and walked to the center of the bedroom. For once, he wished he had taken his cousin Russell's advice and always carried a gun on him. But he was opposed to the idea. He didn't have beef on the streets, and he feared getting picked up by cops and catching a gun charge, and doing time for some petty bullshit.

Eric had a piece around, a loaded .38 he kept concealed under his bed. But it was impossible to retrieve in the predicament he was in with a gun pointed to the back of his head.

He walked to his hidden drawer safe, which was spring-loaded and solenoid-activated, constructed of ten-gauge steel that contained $35,000 in cash, jewelry, and some weed. It was hidden so well that you could walk into the room and be right next to it and you wouldn't realize it was there.

Eric went over by the lamp, flipped a switch, and his safe opened, revealing the precious contents inside. Big Red's eyes lit up as he went for the gold.

Twinkie kept his gun on Eric while Red began emptying out the safe, tossing everything into a black garbage bag. River stood motionless, trying to avoid eye contact with Eric. All Eric could do was watch while the two thugs robbed him of the $35,000 cash he'd made a month ago.

Within minutes the safe was completely empty and Big Red was a happy man. River was somber, feeling like she'd just betrayed her best friend.

“We good, baby!” Big Red shouted, throwing the bag over his shoulder.

Eric stood still, his anger seething. He was hurt, frustrated, and wanted nothing more than for the two thugs and the rat-bitch who'd set him up to leave his place immediately.