The Day the Streets Stood Still (14 page)

Sean looked at her strangely, his jaw rocking feverishly. “Nah . . . God is my business and only my business. And you sound jealous,” he snapped cruelly. Sean wasn't stupid; he knew how BG felt about him and sometimes he toyed with her. BG laughed like he'd told a real funny joke.

“Me, jealous of a fucking broke-ass, run down, sucking dick for money, heroin addict? I don't think so. You got me fucked up. Yeah, we fucked and your dick was decent, but it's all business with me and you. It was purely physical. You needed to get off that night just as much as I did . . .
King,
” BG retorted, fighting real hard not to jump up and slap Sean. BG was jealous of Sunny because BG felt she had much more to offer Sean than Sunny did. BG had become very sensitive when it came to the topic and tonight was no different.

“You be talkin' real breezy. Don't mention her and I won't have to say shit like that to you. Don't worry about the heroin addict. It's business with us . . . simple and plain,” Sean gritted with a stiff jaw.

“Matter of fact,” he grumbled as he dug into his pocket and took out four crisp one hundred dollar bills and threw them on the table.

“I'll see you tomorrow for the shipment,” he said standing up. “No need for dinners and small talk and shit. Let's just keep shit strictly business between us.”

BG was looking at him like he was crazy. She couldn't believe he was walking out on her.

“From now on all business,” he spat before he stormed out of the restaurant.

BG sat back in her chair and stared at Sean's half-eaten steak and the empty seat in front of her. This was the second time he'd left her hanging by herself over something that had to do with Sunny. There wouldn't be a third time. BG's insides were boiling and her mind turned with ways to get Sean back for this one. Since Sunny had come back into Sean's life things were slowly but surely changing . . . and not necessarily for the better.

 

 

Sean drove in silence after his failed dinner with BG. He felt bad about what he'd done at the restaurant, but he felt he had to let BG know that he was still in charge and not her. Sean let the silence in his car and the serenity of the drive ease his mind. It was one of the rare times he had driven himself around without his crew and he was cherishing the mind-clearing time. Sean was thinking . . . thinking long and hard. Sunny had come back into his life struggling with getting clean, he had cut off all interaction with God without facing God like a man, and, now he was beefing with BG. Sean had the weight of the world on his shoulders and was feeling overwhelmed to say the least. He knew the one person who would make him feel better though. Sean made U-turn and headed toward his grandmother's house.

“Big Mama, I really need a hug from you right now,” Sean mumbled as he dialed his grandmother's phone number. Sean pursed his lips and crumpled his eyebrows when he didn't get an answer.

“Sunny, why you ain't answering the phone if Big Mama can't get it?” Sean grumbled out loud. He disconnected the line and called again. Still no answer. The first thing that Sean thought was Sunny had probably relapsed again and gone out to get high and left his grandmother alone. That thought alone made him bite down into his jaw and grip the steering wheel so hard the veins in his hand popped up under his skin.

Sean stepped down on the gas and sped his Range Rover through the streets. A cold chill came over his body because it wasn't like his grandmother and Sunny to ignore his calls.

Sean finally pulled up to his grandmother's house and nothing looked immediately different from the outside. He pulled into the driveway, threw his Range in park and hopped out. As Sean climbed the front porch steps he immediately noticed the front door to the house was slightly ajar.

“What the fuck? No way Big Mama gonna have her door open and it's this cold outside,” Sean whispered, grabbing his gun from his waistband. He pushed the door in and slowly stepped inside. “Big Mama . . .” Sean started to call out, but his words were clipped short by what was in front of him.

“Nah! Nah! Big Mama!!” Sean hollered as he looked up at his grandmother's naked, gutted body hanging from the large, overlook center banister. Her intestines were dangling from the center of her body and her tongue protruded grotesquely from her mouth. But, her eyes being open is what had hurt Sean the most. “Big Mama!” he screamed again. The smell of rotting meat and death choked Sean and threatened to make him throw up. He was immediately thrust back to his childhood when he'd found his mother nearly decapitated. Even the sharp metallic scent of his grandmother's blood reminded him of that day.

“Agggh!” Sean screamed, falling to his knees; his gun skittering across the floor. It wasn't until he hit the floor that he noticed Sunny's battered body lying behind the couch.

“Sunny! Oh God! Not you too!” Sean rushed over to Sunny's side; his insides were boiling. He lifted her swollen and bruised head into his hands. “Sunny! Sunny! Not you too!” Sean whispered holding her head carefully.

“Sssss,” Sunny made a low hissing sound, blood and spit bubbling from her battered mouth. Sean lowered his ear to listen for more breath sounds. Sunny made the hissing sound again, this time louder.

“Sunny?” Sean shouted, realizing that she was still alive. He couldn't even stand to look at the mess that used to be Sunny's beautiful face. Both of her eyes were completely swollen shut. She had at least six huge knots on her head and the bridge of her nose was caved in. Blood leaked from her nostrils, mouth and ears and she had purple rings around her neck. Her chin was gashed open and her cheek had been slashed down to the white meat.

“Sunny, who did this to you? Hold on! Hold on!” Sean cried out as he tried to get his phone from his pocket. He went to put her head down so he could call 911. Sunny squeezed his arm and made more hissing noises.

“What? What do you want to tell me?” Sean asked her, putting his head close to hers. Sunny mumbled something but he couldn't make it out. “What? Who?” Sean urged her.

“Dr . . . ea . . . ds” Sunny managed through her severely swollen lips.

“Dread? Dreads came in and did this to you and Big Mama?” Sean asked for clarification. Sunny moved her head slightly and after that she was immediately unconscious again.

Sean's chest heaved up and down. “Arrrggggh!” He belted out a loud frustrated growl, which signaled that he was waging war against the dreads that he thought were responsible for the tragedy in front of him.

Sean cut his grandmother down before the police, ambulance and coroner arrived at the house. He lay her down and tried to make her look as presentable as possible by placing a blanket over her naked and severely disfigured body. Sean was covered in Sunny and his grandmother's blood by the time the police came flooding into the house with their guns drawn. At first they took him as suspect, until they realized he'd been the one that found Sunny and his grandmother in that condition.

It didn't take long before the entire block was crawling with emergency vehicles.

Sean's crew was waiting outside as the ambulance brought Sunny out on the stretcher with Sean right behind them.

“Yo, son . . . what the fuck is going on?” Beans rushed over to Sean. “I figured when BG told me you wasn't with her that you was here. But when we couldn't get you on the phone we all came. What's up?” Beans rambled.

“War, nigga. We at war,” Sean said cryptically as he watched the EMTs load Sunny into the ambulance. Sean waited for the black bag that carried his grandmother's body to be carried to the coroner's van, then he calmly climbed into his Range Rover and headed to his office. Beans had already rallied up Sean's crew for the war they were about to engage in with the dreads.

“Four of them m'fuckas is dead tonight. All them m'fuckin' clubs being shut down as we speak. Niggas ain't leaving nobody breathing,” Beans reported to Sean as they stood together in the hospital waiting room. “We shuttin' down all dreads in this m'fuckin' city and that's a promise, bruh,” Beans assured with sincerity. Sean nodded and gave Beans a pound and a hug. When he turned around to head back to Sunny's room he ran into BG, who had just arrived at the hospital. Sean and BG both paused for a minute, unsure of what to say to one another next.

“I'm really sorry about what happened,” BG started off sincerely. Sean softened his facial expression letting their differences fade away for the moment.

“Thanks,” he said flatly. “I gotta go back in and see about her. It's real touch and go right now, but I appreciate you showing your support though,” he said with halfhearted sincerity. BG shook her head up and down signaling that she understood. She stepped aside and as Sean passed her she grabbed his arm.

“I know shit has been sketchy between us . . . but I'm always here for you. Outside of the business, I do care about you, Sean,” BG told him, love and admiration glinting in her eyes. Sean didn't change his facial expression and he didn't have time to deal with BG's emotions right now.

“Appreciate it,” Sean replied coolly, then he walked away toward Sunny's intensive care unit room. Once again BG was left alone with her feelings. No matter what she did, BG could not take that number one spot in Sean's heart. It was clear that Sunny had that spot now and seemingly forever.

 

 

Sean buried his grandmother in a small, private, dignified service with tons of security around. He'd been able to take his mind off of losing her sitting vigil at the hospital through Sunny's recovery. It was almost two months before Sunny was finally able to come home from the hospital. The physical therapy had taken longer than anything else with her recovery process. Sean had been by her side the entire time. He'd even brought in his twenty-second birthday and the New Year at Sunny's bedside. Sean and Sunny had toasted and promised that 2004 was going to be a better year for the both of them.

 

 

“This is it,” Sean said cheerfully as he pushed open the door to his waterfront penthouse condo. Sunny smiled brightly and stepped inside with a look of awe on her face.

“This is it? Please . . . this is crazy! Sean, you have moved up in the world, boy!” Sunny gushed in amazement. “I can't believe how many windows you have,” she exclaimed rushing over to the huge bank of windows that extended the whole length of the place. “And this view is breathtaking.” Sunny stood in front of the window staring out in awe. She couldn't believe her friend Sean had come so far. When Sunny was strung out on heroin, she had heard about Sean making it big in the streets, but she could've never imagined that he was really living like a king.

“Now it's ours . . . not just mine,” Sean said moving close to her. Without warning Sunny spun around and threw her arms around his neck, just like she used to when they were kids. A bit taken aback, Sean took a few steps back. “Whoa, whoa, what's this for?” he asked chuckling, but hesitantly returning Sunny's embrace.

“For years of being the best friend a girl can have,” Sunny said, her voice going low.

“Don't start no sentimental shit,” Sean griped playfully.

“Shut up,” Sunny mumbled into the skin of his neck. “Let me have a moment.”

Sean and Sunny held on to each other for a few minutes, both realizing how much they'd missed one another. Then Sunny moved her face in front of his in an unexpected show of affection. They locked eyes for a long minute and without even saying a word, they both moved closer and began kissing. Sunny melted into Sean's embrace and he held on to her like he never wanted to let her go. The heat between them was enough to start a forest fire as their hands moved like snakes, curling over every inch of each other's body.

“What are we doing?” Sunny whispered through labored breaths as Sean trailed his tongue down her neck.

“What we've been wanting to do all of our lives,” he panted, undoing the buttons on her shirt. Sean pulled Sunny's shirt down over her shoulders and touched the raised scars on her collarbone. Sunny flinched, lowering her eyes, embarrassed at her marked body.

“I love every one of them. Each one shows how strong you are and why I admire you so much. Don't be afraid to show them,” he said softly, kissing her war marks. Sunny closed her eyes as Sean lifted her off her feet and carried her toward his bedroom.

“You haven't even given me a tour yet,” she giggled playfully.

“You gon' get a tour all right,” he joked back.

Once inside his bedroom, Sean placed Sunny in the center of his California king-sized bed. Her healthy skin and striking green eyes glowed against his dark gray silk comforter. Sean took off his pants and slowly climbed onto the bed. Sunny removed her pants and as Sean took in her beauty his manhood rose to the occasion.

“You are still the sexiest m'fucka I know,” Sean wolfed, crushing his mouth over hers again. They kissed like two teenaged kids in heat, darting their tongues in and out of each other's mouths. Sean let his hands roam down to Sunny's hot box, where he used his fingers to gently massage her swelling clitoris.

“Ah,” Sunny let out a breath, letting her legs fall apart.

“That hurts?” Sean asked, quickly moving his hands.

“No. Don't stop,” she whispered, guiding his hands back to the right spot. Sean smiled up at her.

“Yeah, you like that,” he panted, biting down on his bottom lip eagerly. Then he moved up onto his knees so he could get better leverage. He started at Sunny's mouth, moved to her neck, licked down her chest, making sure he gently sucked her nipples before he finally trailed his tongue past her navel to her throbbing clit.

“Oh, God!” Sunny called out as Sean sucked lightly on her little man in the boat. She could feel herself creaming from the inside out.

“I want to feel you,” she told him, trying to move his head. Sean jerked away from her grasp and continued to eat her cake. He took his long, strong tongue and darted in and out of her hole. Sunny couldn't take that and her thighs started trembling. She began thrusting her hips toward Sean's tongue.

“Yeah, yeah,” he growled, loving that he had her so hot.

“Please . . . give it to me,” Sunny whined. It had been so long since she'd been touched with such gentleness and caring. So long since she'd had sex because she wanted to and not because she was being forced to do it.

“You ready?” Sean asked. Sunny had her eyes closed, but she moved her head up and down in the affirmative. Sean raised up and slowly parted her legs with his knees to make room. Kneeling in front of Sunny, Sean slowly entered her as he balanced his weight on one arm.

“Ahhh,” Sunny sighed as she felt him fill her up.

“You all right?” Sean asked her, taking his time.

“Fuck me please,” Sunny whined as she wrapped her legs around his waist and used the strength in her thighs to pull him farther into her. Sean took her overt aggression as a sign. He started picking up the pace and the tighter her walls closed down around his throbbing pole, the harder he thrust.

“Yes! Yes!” Sunny shouted, grabbing handfuls of the skin on Sean's back.

“Ah,” he panted, her nails digging into him hurt so good.

“Let me ride it,” Sunny whispered. Sean quickly complied, but he never took himself out of her. Instead, he grabbed her tightly and flipped onto his back. Sunny giggled playfully as she looked down into the handsome face of the man she was always meant to be with. With love in their eyes, they stared at one another as Sunny moved up and down slowly on Sean's rock-hard love stick. Sunny grinded her waist, then went up and down and grinded her waist again. Sean's eyes rolled in ecstasy as he felt himself ready to bust. Before he could nut, Sunny began bucking wildly.

“I'm coming!” she called out.

“Yeah . . . give me that nut,” Sean growled. Within seconds he was shooting his load too. Sunny fell down on top of him, both of them breathing like they'd just run a race.

Sean began stroking her hair as she played with the hairs on his chest.

“I love you, Sean,” Sunny said softly.

“And you already know what it is, Sun,” Sean replied. Ever since his mother died, Sean had been unable to say the words “I love you” to anyone, but he knew at that moment that he'd always loved Sunny.

 

 

“Let's go, sleepyhead,” Sean said, pushing Sunny's shoulder playfully.

“Mmmm,” she groaned, putting the pillow next to her over her head.

“Nah . . . we got a lot to do, so c'mon. I took the whole day . . . told those niggas don't call me or come by, all for you. We going shopping and spending the day out,” Sean announced, pulling the pillow off of Sunny's face. She was smiling from ear to ear and when the sunlight streaming in from the big windows danced across her face and Sean immediately saw the first flashes of his old friend shining on her face.

“You're still a major pain in the ass. You know that?” Sunny grumbled jokingly as she stood up and stretched. Sean couldn't resist her beautiful legs and round hips, so he rushed over, scooped her up off her feet and whirled her around.

“Agh! Sean, put me down, silly!” Sunny laughed so hard her face went flush.

“Yup, I'ma put you down . . . right on this dick,” Sean joked, putting his mouth over hers and kissing her deeply. He didn't even care about her stale morning breath. Before either of them knew it, they were back on the bed in another heated lovemaking session.

Sweaty and out of breath, Sunny looked over at Sean and out of nowhere she slapped him as hard as she could on the shoulder.

“Tag, nigga, you're it!” she yelled, then she jumped up and raced to the bathroom. “I get the shower first, slowpoke!”

Sean wasn't fast enough to beat her to the bathroom because he was laughing so hard. Sunny slammed the bathroom door and turned on the water. Sean flopped back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. His Sunny was finally back and he was loving every minute of it.

 

 

Sean and Sunny laughed and talked about the past all the way to the high-end mall Sean finally pulled into. When Sunny saw the store names—Gucci, Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue—she looked over at Sean with an expression that read confusion and surprise.

“What? You thought I was taking you shopping at that bird-ass Macy's?” Sean said with one eyebrow raised. “Don't insult me. I ain't shop at Macy's and them little stores in years.”

“I hear that,” Sunny said, turning her head so she could continue scoping out the stores.

Once they parked Sean grabbed Sunny's hand and led her around to all of the stores. Their first stop was his favorite . . . Gucci. There was something about the Italian designer that Sean found timeless and classy.

“Pick out shoes, sneakers, clothes, bags . . . whatever you want,” Sean instructed. At first, Sunny was apprehensive. She was still a little shell-shocked from an experience with Faheem when he'd tried to use a stolen credit card at a high-end store and he and Sunny had to run for their lives as the store clerk tried to secretly call the police.

“What? You mean to tell me that nigga ain't never buy you nothing nice?” Sean asked. Sunny rolled her eyes and let out a long sigh.

“Can we not talk about him,” she snapped.

“A'ight. My bad. But, go shopping and stop playing. This is every girl's dream 'n' shit,” Sean told her.

It was a slow start, but when Sunny finally got her bearings in the store she damn near burned it down running around. The usually snobby personal shoppers in the store didn't show one bit of cold shoulder; they all knew Sean very well. They also knew he bought thousands in merchandise every visit and paid in cash, which meant lovely commissions for them.

“Your total is $11,210.90,” the smiling store clerk told Sean. Then she shot a quick glance over at Sunny.

“She lucky right?” Sean said, winking at the girl behind the counter.

“Very,” the girl answered quickly. Sunny raised her brow at the girl and looked at Sean.

“No, she lucky I don't poke her damn eyes out for looking at you,” Sunny whispered, but loud enough for the girl to hear. Sean laughed out loud.

“Take your bags and let's go to the next store,” he told Sunny. “I ain't tryin'a bail you out of jail for no girl fight.”

Sean and Sunny burned through every high-end store in the mall. They even went into La Perla and spent $4,000 on lingerie for her to model for him. They were both exhausted by the time they made it back to the car, but that didn't stop Sunny from leaning over from the front passenger seat and reaching down freeing Sean's jewel from his pants.

“Whatchu doin'?” Sean asked her.

“I'm thanking you,” Sunny said, getting ready to lower her head into his lap.

Sean put his hand under her chin, halting her and pushing her head up. Sunny raised her head and looked at him strangely.

“What?” she asked incredulously. “You don't like head?”

“You don't have to thank me like that. Gimme head because you can't resist my shit . . . not because I bought you some clothes. You don't live like that no more,” Sean told her in the softest tone he could muster. The tears burst from Sunny's eyes like a faucet that was just turned on.

“Don't cry,” Sean comforted. “This new life is going to take some getting used to, but it's gonna be worth it.” Sunny just turned her head, too embarrassed to look at him. She wondered if she'd ever get used to this new life or if she was even worth living it.