Thug Lovin' (3 page)

“Bitch, you dick-whipped and the nigga got you open like 7-Eleven, so just chill out and take this ride with me. He got the
key; he’ll be in the bed asleep when you get there.”

“Angel, I swear you done lost your fuckin’ mind. I don’t even know who you are anymore.” Tasha and her girlfriend Jaz had
met the cousins Kyra and Angel in the seventh grade. They all had bonded like sisters and been a clique ever since. They had
all hooked up with drug dealers, because at the time it was the thing to do. Angel’s boyfriend was a pimp and a dope boy who
had disappeared and who they all assumed was dead. So Angel had moved on. She and Tasha were at a club in Philly one night
when Angel spotted Kaylin. Even though she had vowed to leave all hustlers and thugs alone, Kaylin had her at hello.

When they arrived in Wildwood it was still early. There was no need to wonder which house was the party house because cars
lined the street all leading in one direction, plus the music, people and decorations made it obvious. Lanterns of various
colors lit up the property and even though there was a chill in the air, partygoers were hanging outside drinking and partying.

Angel flipped open her cell phone as they got out of her car and dialed Kaylin.

“Yo, beautiful, where you at?” Kaylin always called her beautiful.

“We’re walking towards the house now. Where are you?”

“I’ll be there in a few.”

“What?”

“Wait there for me in the front.”

Angel flipped her cell closed and slipped it in her bag. She had a huge grin on her face as she looked over at Tasha.

“Bitch, don’t be cheesin’ at me.” Tasha rolled her eyes at her.

“Tasha, lighten up. I know I owe you one. You know I got you.”

“You don’t owe me shit but a ride back home and to name your firstborn after me.”

“Okay, you got that,” Angel told her.

“Yeah, right.” Tasha flipped her off.

Angel led the way up the front steps of the mini-mansion. A big dude wearing dark shades stopped them.

“I’m here to see Kaylin,” Angel informed him.

He looked the both of them over from head to toe. “Wait right here.” He turned to a guy standing behind him. “Marlo, these
two ladies are here to see Kay.”

Marlo, who also looked like a linebacker for the New England Patriots, looked them over as well and nodded. “This way ladies.”

Tasha made a mental note of the fancy shade of burgundy of the thick carpet and furniture as they headed down a set of winding
stairs. The color was bangin’. Marlo knocked on the door and growled, “It’s me. Open up.”

The double doors to the basement opened and he stepped aside. “Have a good evening, lovely ladies,” he said, and then blew
both of them a kiss.

They both grimaced and looked at each other and then back at him. There was a ruckus in the front of the room. This was obviously
the game and gambling room. There were card tables, craps tables, pool tables, chessboards, you name it, spread around the
room. In front of the huge fireplace were about seven dudes standing in a semicircle, but then they quickly broke up as blood
was squirting everywhere. Kaylin held the iron poker and was beating the screaming dude down to the floor. His right-hand
man, who was mocha-colored, six feet two, bald-headed, a tatted Tupac-looking cat who looked as if he killed for a living,
repeatedly stomped the dude wherever he could. Losing patience and wanting to inflict more pain, he grabbed a pool stick off
a nearby table, unscrewed it and with a smile on his face joined Kaylin in the beat-down.

Tasha gasped and Angel stood frozen in place. Kaylin was in a zone, beating the guy to a bloody pulp.

The next thing you knew, Angel was on the floor. She had fainted.

“Kay!” Tasha screamed. “Kaylin, get over here now! Angel! Oh my God, Kaylin. Help me.”

The words “help me” snapped Kaylin out of his zone. He looked over toward Angel and Tasha, mumbled something under his breath,
threw down the poker and yanked off the now bloody work gloves.

“Who the fuck let these broads in here?” Shaheem spat. None of the other cats in the room said a word. Instead they all looked
away.

Kaylin hurried over to Angel’s side and swooped her up. “What simple muthafucka let my lady up in here?” he screamed. “Don’t
let that pile of shit move, Shaheem.”

“Move? This fool ain’t going anywhere. Man, handle your business. I got this shit over here. You should have let me handle
this in the first place. White muthafucka wanna cheat somebody outta thirty grand! In they own house! I’ma clean this shit
up. Better yet, I’ma take out the trash.” Shaheem then yelled for someone to bring him a trash bag. They handed it to him,
he popped it open and wrapped it tightly around the guy’s head. Dude began kicking his legs and flailing one of his arms.
The other one appeared to be broken. Shaheem squeezed the bag tighter, not turning it loose until the dude released a pile
of shit and piss. There were a couple of snickers among the onlookers.

“What the fuck is so funny?” Shaheem was breathing hard. “Ain’t nothing funny about a muthafucka tryna beat you out of money
in yo own damn house. Muthafucka tryna hustle me?” He beat at his chest. “What? Y’all pussies was in on this shit?” he challenged
as he looked around the room. The room grew dead quiet but they were all shaking their heads. “Any one of y’all niggas try
to do that shit”—he pointed at the limp body on the floor—“this is your future. Now, who wanna play another hand?”

They all mumbled, “Nah, no thanks, I’m out,” and “Nigga, you crazy,” as they filed out of the room.

“Aw, y’all punk-ass muhfuckas. All y’all niggas wanna be killers but don’t wanna kill shit,” Shaheem barked. “Get the fuck
outta here!” he screamed at them. “But wait! Who the fuck let those broads in here?” He stormed past Kaylin, Angel and Tasha
in search of Marlo and his boy Black, the two bouncers. When he found them they were standing tall on duty, not having a clue
that they had fucked up.

“Didn’t I tell y’all stupid, dumb muthafuckas not to let nobody downstairs? Didn’t I give y’all specific instructions to not
let anybody down there?”

Marlo was the first to speak up, “But Kaylin said he was expecting the girls, so I thought—”

“I don’t give five fucks about what you thought. I don’t pay yo goofy ass to have thoughts. I pay you to take orders. And
if you can’t do that then what the fuck I got you working here for?”

Neither one of the bouncers said a word.

“You two simple Simon muthafuckas go down there and clean that shit up.” They both stood there staring at him, scared to move.
“What the fuck y’all staring at me for? Go clean that shit up!”

“Red, baby.” Kaylin called his nickname for Angel. She was still out cold. “Somebody get me a cold cloth,” he yelled. “Angel!”
He whispered in her ear. “Angel.” He was relieved to see her eyes open but they immediately closed. “Shit,” he gritted.

Someone handed him a clean wet cloth. He dabbed at her forehead. “Tasha, you need to toughen your girl up.”

“Don’t blame me. If you were handling business you shouldn’t have sent for us.”

“I sent for her. Trae sent for you. And this wasn’t supposed to be business. This is a party. But hey, shit happens. Your
girl here is going to be fine but she does need to toughen up a little.” He shook her mildly. “Red, can you hear me? Red,
baby, I’ma sit you up, all right?” He dabbed at her face some more.

As if it had just hit her, Tasha snapped, “What do you mean Trae sent for me?” Tasha’s heart was now racing. “He told me to
be at the house because he was on his way over.”

Angel’s eyes fluttered open and focused on Kaylin. “Kaylin, what are you doing?” Angel groaned as if she were in pain. “Kaylin?”

“I’m right here, beautiful.” He planted a soft peck on her lips.

“Where is Trae?” Tasha asked, but no one was listening.

“Kaylin, I just witnessed you attempt to commit a murder,” Angel whispered. “Why, Kaylin? Why are you still testing me? Do
you ever stop?”

“Baby, that wasn’t a test. C’mon, let’s get you out of here. I told you to wait out front for me.”

He helped her up and they started walking toward the door. Angel kept trying to look back at the bloodied body with a trash
bag over its head, lying crumpled up in front of the fireplace, but Kaylin was blocking her view.

“Where is Trae?” Tasha asked again.

“I’m ready to go, Kaylin. Let Tasha take me home. I’ve already had enough of you for one night. Let me leave you to do what
you do. Look at you! You got blood all over you.” Angel pulled away from him.

“Red, you know I didn’t plan shit to go like this. Them stupid niggas wasn’t supposed to let y’all down here. I’ll take you
home.” She was shaking her head and trying to pull away from him.

“I need to use the bathroom first,” Tasha said. “And when I come out, you better be ready to tell me where Trae is,” Tasha
threatened.

“So do I,” Angel snapped.

Kaylin kept his hold on Angel’s arm as he led them to one of the bathrooms. He waited until Tasha closed the door before he
embraced Angel and kissed her on the forehead.

“Kaylin, I’m at a loss for words. Am I supposed to—”

He kissed her softly on the lips, cutting her off. “Red, I’m sorry, baby. And believe me when I say it. You weren’t supposed
to see that. But damn, baby, it is what it is.”

Tasha burst out of the bathroom as Angel pushed Kaylin off of her. “It is what it is,” Angel mocked him, before storming into
the bathroom and slamming the door. She covered her mouth and began to cry.

“You need to toughen your girl up,” Kaylin teased.

“That ain’t funny, Kay. Shit, I’m tough but if I walked in on my man beating a nigga with an iron pipe to a bloody pulp, my
knees would get weak too. Plus, you gotta remember, your living on the other side of the tracks fucks with her. She’s a square
for real and you’re, um, you’re a gangsta thug, as she would put it.

“Your little lawyer girlfriend Angel is living in two worlds fuckin’ with you. There’s her little all-American legal world
and then there’s your big all-American illegal world. I think that shit is tough on her mentally, especially since she’s determined
not to let either one go.”

“Your girl is cool, that’s my lady.
Every Thug Needs a Lady.
She’ll keep riding that double-sided train until she decides to get off on my side of the track or pull me onto hers.”

“Whatever, nigga. Now, where is Trae? I am so losing patience with your boy, Kaylin. I haven’t heard from him in almost a
week. He hasn’t even called me. Is this shit a game to y’all?”

“Chill out, girl. He’s right outside. I don’t see how y’all missed him.”

“Outside!” Tasha shrieked. “Outside where? So he knew I was coming and his ass is outside? He had the audacity to tell me
to stay home? What is the matter with him?”

“He’s drunk, Tasha.”

“Drunk?”

“Yeah. As in liquor. As in he drank too much.”

“Kaylin, I—”

“I’m ready to go, Tasha. Now!” Angel came storming out of the bathroom, cutting her girl Tasha off and almost knocking her
over. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“Go? I told you I got you,” Kaylin told Angel.

“Tasha, bring your ass on.” Angel ignored Kaylin.

Tasha ignored Angel.

“Why is Trae drunk, Kaylin? You know he can’t hold liquor! Why do you have him drinking?” Tasha was screaming at Kaylin.

“Kaylin, I’m leaving with Tasha. Go handle your business. Don’t let me stop you from doing what you do,” Angel told him.

“Hold up. Hold up!” Kaylin needed to get a hold of the situation. “I got this.” He took ahold of both of the ladies’ hands.
He turned to Angel and said, “You’re staying here with me.” Then he turned to Tasha and said, “You’re going to have to drive
your drunken-ass nigga home.”

“Kaylin, you know Trae can’t hold liquor. I can’t believe you let him drink,” Angel scolded him.

“That’s a grown-ass nigga!”

“You’re supposed to have his back,” Tasha snapped.

“I do have his back. But if a nigga wants to get his drink on who am I to stop him? I ain’t the nigga’s daddy. All I can do
is make sure he don’t get into anything or do something stupid. That’s why his ass is in the car. Now both of y’all need to
chill the fuck out.”

Shaheem turned on his charm as the lovely ladies came his way. His bloodshot gaze roamed over Angel and then fell on Tasha.
He then broke into a wide platinum-filled grin.

“My bad… uhm, ladies.” He flashed them his million-dollar smile and they both frowned. He still had blood on his hands. Kaylin,
embarrassed, tossed him a handkerchief he had in his back pocket.

“Oh, my bad. My bad. How y’all ladies doing? Y’all want something to drink? Damn, y’all fine. I thought these country-ass
bums was just talkin’ shit. Y’all must be Angel and Tasha. I’m Shaheem. Introduce us formally, nigga,” he snapped at Kaylin.

“Oh my God. This is so crazy,” Tasha exclaimed. She stood there staring at Shaheem, then finally said, “He looks so much like
my baby.”

“You don’t need no fuckin’ formal introduction,” Kaylin snapped back. “You ain’t the fuckin’ President.”

“Man, stop playin’ and introduce us.”

“Tasha, this is Shaheem Macklin, Aunt Marva’s son. He just came home from a four-and-a-half vacation upstate. That’s as formal
as it gets,” Kaylin said.

“Shaheem, take me to Trae, please,” Tasha requested. “Since this nigga Kaylin refuses to do so.”