Thug Lovin' (26 page)

“Did I?” She continued to play her hand.

“Yeah. But seriously, I got something I need to talk to you about.”

“It’s gonna have to wait until I finish playing this game,” she told him. “And I hope it’s not about the Maybach.”

“No, it’s more important than that. But where is it?”

“I put it away.”

“Why, Tasha?”

“Because I bought it and you ain’t gonna be riding no bitches in it. That’s why.” She slammed a joker down onto the table.

“Yeah! Yeah!” Marvin jumped up all animated. “That’s why you my partner. I told these punk muthafuckas they couldn’t touch
you!” Marvin was now gathering up all the money on the table.

Loose and MJ just sat there staring at one another.

“Don’t try and figure it out. Y’all muthafuckas lost.” Marvin continued to talk shit.

Trae grabbed Tasha’s hand. “C’mon, let me talk to you.”

She gently snatched her hand away but stood up and followed him into the house. When the two of them stepped inside the kitchen
and were on their way into the living room, they noticed Rick pick Kyra up and give her a nice long kiss. He gently put her
down and handed her a motorized car for Aisha and obviously the small box was for Kyra.

Kyra smiled with a warm familiarity.

“Yo, what the fuck is this?” Trae asked Tasha.

“He looks like he’s dropping off some very expensive gifts,” Tasha responded, just as surprised as Trae was at the attention
Rick was showing Kyra.

“Bad move, Rick,” Trae mumbled.

Tasha had a look of
oh shit
on her face. She was stunned.

Kyra saw Rick out the front door. When she turned around and saw Trae and Tasha standing there she simply said, “Rick brought
these gifts for Aisha. Well, actually the motor car is for Aisha and the small box is for me.”

“Bitch, anybody could have been standing here, got the wrong impression, and told Marvin. Then what?” Tasha snapped. “You
in your home, Kyra. What happened to discretion?”

“You know what, Tasha? I really don’t give a fuck, so fuck discretion. Shit, I don’t see Marvin puttin’ shit around my neck.
The King says I deserve this and I can have it,” she joked.

“Kyra, that’s a little too close to home, don’t you think?” Trae asked.

“Trae, I know you are not talking! Bitches coming by and calling your house! C’mon, y’all, it is time for the birthday girl
to open the gifts. Let me gather everybody up,” Kyra snapped, nixing the both of them off before leaving them standing there.

“That shit is going to get ugly,” Trae said.

“Just like your shit. So, what’s so important? I want to go see Aisha open up all her gifts.”

“Tasha, you trippin’. But listen. I did some shit after Shaheem got killed. I just found out that dude’s people saw me on
BET, now they talkin’ bout coming this way for some payback. I’m thinkin’ that it is just talk but to be on the safe side
I think we should move.”

“What?” Tasha shrieked. “You are not serious, are you? So now we gotta be running for the rest of our lives? This is ridiculous.”
Tasha was now pacing the floor.

“To be safe, Tasha. I’m not running from shit but it’s all about you and my kids’ safety.”

“You were on BET a while ago. Don’t you think they would have come by now? You know what? Never mind. I’m not moving.” Tasha
was so mad she was putting her hands in Trae’s face but no more words were coming out. She finally mushed him in the face
and left him standing in the kitchen.

Kyra went to go find Marvin to assist with opening Aisha’s gifts. When she found him, down in the basement, she was in for
a surprise. Marvin was sitting in front of the TV in a heroin nod.

T
rae was loving the beautiful California weather as he sat enjoying the warm breeze in his backyard. The twins and Caliph were
playing hard in the swimming pool. It was full of toys and even had a kiddie swing set and sliding board.

Tasha then burst through the back door with her fists balled tight.

“Damn, Tasha, you’ve been gone all morning. Where were you?”

“Nigga, please.” She stomped over to him and threw a pill bottle at Trae, striking him in the chest. She then punched on him
and began pushing him.

He managed to push her off him. The kids were now getting out of the pool.

“What the fuck is the matter with you?” he barked.

“Take your medicine, you nasty-dick muthafucka.” She started crying. “How could you fuck these bitches raw?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Look at the bottle, Trae. Those are Flagyl pills. Nigga, you gave me trichomoniasis, Trae. I didn’t know you were stupid.
That could have easily been syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, or worst, AIDS.” She held her face in her hands. “I can’t do this
anymore. I want a divorce. I’m taking my kids and I’m leaving.” She stomped into the house, leaving Trae sitting on the back
porch dumbfounded.

He looked at the pill bottle and thought about Sabeerah. “That bitch!” he gritted through clenched teeth. “That nasty little
bitch.”

Aunt Marva was now in the backyard. “What you done did now? She’s up there tearing the house down.”

“Can you keep an eye on the boys?”

“Have they taken a nap yet? Of course not.” She answered her own question. “I don’t even know why I asked,” she said to no
one in particular, because Trae had already disappeared inside the house.

When he got upstairs Tasha was crying and talking on the phone while in the boys’ room packing their clothes.

“What the fuck are you doing, Tasha?”

“I’ll call you when I’m on my way.” She ended her call. “I told you I want a divorce and I’m leaving you.”

“You aren’t going anywhere.”

“Oh, yes I am. Watch me. I’m leaving you here so you can roam free. No interruptions from me while you’re fucking these nasty
bitches out here. We are out of here.”

“Tasha, I suggest that you calm the fuck down.”

“Nigga, you can’t be serious. Calm down?” She was now in his face. “You fuckin’ all kinds of hoes. Chinese bitches, nasty-pussy
bitches, and without protection. You’re doing shit that I thought you would never do. You’re cheating and you’re bringing
home diseases. So fuck you! I am not calming down. I can’t if I wanted to. I just need to get me and my kids the hell away
from here and especially away from you.”

“Tasha, you ain’t going nowhere so put the shit back.” He began taking the clothes out of the suitcase and putting them back
in the dresser drawers.

“Trae, stop it. Please.”

“Don’t start that shit again, Tasha.”

“Trae, I mean it. I’m leaving and I want a divorce.”

“Divorce?”

“Yes, a divorce. I’m not going to continue to be with you and not be happy. It’s over. I’m filing for a divorce,” she said
in finality.

“Tasha. I’m not cheating on you. Why can’t you just trust me while I straighten a few things out?”

“You’ve had plenty of time to straighten lots of things out. But all you’re doing is digging a deeper hole for yourself. We
are leaving, Trae.”

“Aiight then fuck it. If you can’t trust me then leave. But I guarantee you two things. One, you won’t get a divorce, and
two, you won’t be taking my children.”

“What!” she shrieked in disbelief.

“You heard me. You can go, but leave my children here. They are boys and they need to be with their father. You are not taking
my sons.”

“Watch me.”

“No bitch, you watch me,” Trae spat, turned around and slammed the door.

She ran and snatched it open. “Trae, here is your cell phone.” She threw it down the steps at him, damn near taking off his
head. They had somehow ended up with each other’s phones. “Give me mines. Rick has been blowing it up. He said that it’s official.
They are raiding the club today.” It was her turn to slam the bedroom door.

It had been hours since Trae left the house. Now here he was standing in front of the mural in the club. Sabeerah had almost
finished an updated version of Marvin Gayes
I Want You
album cover
.
The people looked so real it sucked you in.

Stephon walked up on him. “Why are you looking so down, man?”

“Tasha said she wants a divorce and she’s making arrangements to leave. Rick said they are coming today. Hopefully they change
their mind. Among a list of other shit going on,” Trae said solemnly.

“They’re not coming to raid shit. They would have been did that.” Stephon was in denial about the raid on his dream club.
“But word? Do you think Tasha’s serious or is she just mad?” Stephon wanted to know.

“It sure looks like it. I want this thing painted over.”

“What?”

“I don’t want any signs of that bitch ever setting foot in this club,” Trae said. “You know what, fuck it. They’re about to
close the shit down anyhow. So it don’t even matter.”

Right after those words left his mouth, the feds busted in the club. Rick was right. The raid was now official.

Kyra was loading up her trunk. She and Aisha were going to Atlanta with Jaz. Marvin had been supposed to go check in at rehab
on Monday. Here it was Wednesday and she hadn’t seen him or heard from him since the night of Aisha’s birthday party. She
had meant it when she said she was leaving. California had turned out to be a total bust for both her and Tasha.

“Get in the car, Aisha, and put your seat belt on. Let me make sure everything is locked up and turned off.”

Kyra went back into the house and did a final sweep. She hadn’t decided whether to sell the house or just leave it for Marvin
to worry about.

“Okay,” she sighed, “it was nice while it lasted.” She looked around at her bedroom before heading downstairs. She heard Aisha
giggling.

“Aisha, you are supposed to be in the car, hardheaded.” Kyra was flying down the steps but came to an abrupt halt when she
ran smack into Marvin.

“Mommy, Daddy said we don’t have to go anywhere.”

“Aisha, go get in the car like I told you.”

“But, Ma,” Aisha whined.

“But nothing. We are leaving in a few minutes.”

“So, my baby girl was just going to up and leave me.” Marvin came over and hugged Kyra tight. “Aisha, come here.” Aisha came
running and hugged them both.

“I gave you until Monday, Marvin.”

“How the fuck you gonna give me a date? I ain’t give you a date to quit fucking Detective Rick, now did I?” Kyra had a stunned
look on her face. “Cat got your tongue? Maybe you’ll have some words to say at that nigga’s funeral. Yeah, I’ma take care
of that nigga once and for all. I just haven’t been able to catch up with him. So I suggest that you stick around.” He took
the suitcase from her and snatched the car keys out of her hands.

T
wo days later Tasha was in New York. “Angel, I’m at baggage claim now, where are you?”

After a knock-down, drag-out fight Tasha had left her home and kids behind in Cali. Trae hadn’t lied when he said that she
was not taking them with her. But she already had a plan in place to go back to Cali and get them after she got situated.
For now she just needed to get away from him.

“Hey, boo. So much has come up since your flight, you wouldn’t believe it if I told you. But Kaylin and Kyron are already
there waiting on you. I’ll call Kaylin on the other line, hold on.”

“Wait a minute, Kyron? I thought he was locked up?”

“
Was
is correct. My brother-in-law is a free man. Money talks and bullshit walks. My hero, Johnnie Cochran, when asked what color
was justice, his answer was
green
. Green and Kaylin fuckin’ with them Italians got my brother-in-law out.”

“Wow. That’s deep,” Tasha said.

“Yeah, but how are you holding up?”

“Girl, barely.”

“Well, look at it as a break or a vacation. Get your head together, let him get his head together, and then go on back.”

“Go back? Go back to what? We gotta move for our safety and even though they didn’t find shit, the club is closed down until
further investigation, or until Trae and Stephon can get that order lifted. I knew I should have burnt that muthafucker down
to the ground when I had the chance. And Angel, you didn’t hear me or you weren’t listening, I’m filing for a divorce.”

“Tasha, come on, now.”

“Angel, I am dead serious. Here come my bags. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Hold on, let me tell Kaylin to come inside. Wait there so y’all won’t miss each other.”

“I only have two bags. What car is he in?”

“His favorite. The G-Wagon.”

“Tell him I’m coming out now.”

“Okay. I’ll tell him and I’ll see you later on this evening.”

Angel hung up and called Kaylin. “We’re going to have a full house, baby.”

“I can see that. Where is she?”

“She’s coming out now.”

“Aiight then. I’ll talk to you later.” Kaylin hung up. He passed a leather portfolio over to Kyron. “Here, this will hold
you for now.”

Kyron opened it up and thumbed through it. There were a couple of stacks and a black American Express card. He tucked the
cash and the American Express card in his back pocket and passed the portfolio back to Kaylin.

Kyron nodded his head in approval. “So, Trae been fucking up?” Kyron finally spoke.

“Shit. What nigga don’t? He got hemmed up a couple of times but Tasha done spazzed out on him. Do me a favor and get in the
back,” Kaylin told him.

“Damn,” Kyron said.

“Yeah. Same thing I said.”

Kyron jumped out of the front and got in the back. He was so glad to be out of the bing that he didn’t know what to do with
himself.

“Yo, Kay, open up the sunroof.” Kay hit the switch and watched as Kyron closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sky.

“Man, y’all free niggas take the smallest shit for granted,” Kyron told him as he inhaled the dirty New York air. He figured
he might as well dirty it up some more and lit a blunt. “Yo, is that her?”

“Who?”

“Trae’s wife.”

“Yeah.” Kaylin opened the door.

“Damn. Shorty
is
bad.”