What Da Lick Read? The Triple Cross

• Dedication
  
•  Prologue
  
• Chapter 1: Still ain’t forgave myself
  
• Chapter 2: All white err thang’
  
• Chapter 3: Mr. Miyagi
  
• Chapter 4: Moment for life
  
• Chapter 5: Now who else wanna fuck wit Hollywood Court?
  
• Chapter 6: What’s understood, don’t need to be said.
  
• Chapter 7: Gorgeous, Gorgeous, Gorgeous
  
• Chapter 8: Friends, how many of us have them?
  
• Chapter 9: Dirty Sprite
  
• Chapter 10: Something, Something, Something, Something…..Just ain’t Right
  
• Chapter 11: Trained to go
  
• Chapter 12: Sister, you been on my mind
  
• Chapter 13: Smile in yo’ face, all da time they tryna take yo’ place…..Backstabbers.
  
• Chapter 14: The streets ain’t safe
  
• Chapter 15: Somebody’s watching me…….
  
• Chapter 16: One plus One
  
• Chapter 17: All I ever think about is you…
  
• Chapter 18: Blame it on the Alcohol
  
• Chapter 19: This is for my homie…
  
• Chapter 20: Spend my life with you…
  
• Chapter 21: Hit em’ with da flex
  
• Chapter 22: Just me and you… Just us two
  
• Chapter 23: Now I’m missing you
  
• Chapter 24: Four hundred degrees
  
• Chapter 25: Heads will roll…
  
• Chapter 26: Two for the price of one
  
• Chapter 27: The biggest boss you have seen thus far
  
• Chapter 28: The streets are talking
  
• Chapter 29: Seeing Ain’t Believing
  
• Chapter 30: King Kong ain’t got shit on me
  
• Chapter 31: Poker Face
  
• Chapter 32: So you see what happened was…
  
• Chapter 33: Same Face, Different Paths
  
• Chapter 34: Beautiful Disaster
  
• Chapter 35: Angel in Disguise
  
• Chapter 36: Can’t we all just get along?
  
• Chapter 37: Bout to go H.A.M
  
• Chapter 38: You miss me?
  
• Acknowledgements
  

I must start off by dedicating this book to all my love ones that are not here with me to share in my dream coming true, my grandmother Christine Price and my aunt Barbara Jean (Brilliant) Price. Thank you for all that you did to make me the person that I am today. Can’t no feet fill your shoes. Continue to smile down on me from heaven. My stepfather James Edward McCray, the first man to show me what a REAL MAN is supposed to do. Thank you for being my earthly angel and when I had no one and nowhere to go you were my Super Man.
 
If I’m blessed with a man half as good as you, I will have a good man indeed. In your words “The only steps are the ones that lead you to the front door.”
 
My auntie Vanessa Pitts (my Van) who always had a listening ear, a kind heart and real words. My cousin
Adrain
Smith, you were like my other big brother, they took you from us way too soon. Ronald Price, you became my confidant and close as a father should be. I still pick up my phone to call you.
 
I’m so happy that I got to know you in that light.
 
My friends and brothers in heaven Amin ‘Mint’
Stallworth
, Keith Walton, Gary ‘
Pookey
’ Rodgers,
Demario
Allison and Larry Webb, My nephew Sheldon 8ball Atchison Sr. continue to watch over us all, you’re missed but your presence here is continuously felt. Rest in Paradise to all my heavenly angels, I know you are looking down on me.
 
You all will never be forgotten and always will reside in my heart. My brother-father and my first love Santos Price
Sr
… what can I say? Without YOU there would be no ME. You sacrificed half your childhood and all of your adult life making sure that I was safe from these streets.
 
Thank you for being my rock, my sword, and my shield. I thank God for you each and every day. Until you are released from behind them walls….
 
I LIVE AND BREATHE FOR YOU AND ME!!!!

Perry Heights Atlanta, Georgia 1992

Two things a child will always remember; the precious moments with their parents and the things that change their lives forever. Both happened in the same night.

Beloved walked around the house, closing the windows even though the night air felt so good. It was a Friday night and her neighbors on the Hill were outside partying under the tree as usual. They were playing all the good stuff; N.W.A., Too Short and Kilo. But she wanted to chill out and relax. It would be quiet soon, because she smelled the rain in the air and that was sure to drive all the partiers inside.

Beloved had just put Honesty in the room with her other two sleeping daughters. She’d come home a little while ago, took a bath and put on some music. Diana Ross was playing in the background as the water splashed around in the bath tub.

Honesty never slept hard when her momma was at work, most of the time she didn’t sleep at all. Beloved had promised her that she would never stay out working after one o’clock.

Ever since Honesty had turned six years old, her momma told her that she was a big girl. She knew how to read and write, and she knew her address and telephone number. Beloved had taught her oldest child what to do in case of an emergency. Honesty also knew how to make sandwiches, fix cereal and how to change a diaper. She was the big girl.

Since school had let out for the summer, Beloved would leave the girls at home by themselves under Honesty’s care. She told her not to answer the phone unless it rang in a certain pattern. The door, she was taught, was off limits because the only people who were supposed to be in the house already had a key.

Honesty and Loyalty shared a bed while Reality’s baby bed was in the corner. Honesty got up to go use the bathroom. She had been laying in the bed hoping the urge would disappear because she knew that she would get in trouble for drinking too much Kool-Aid when her mom was gone.

She crept down the hallway and went into the bathroom. Beloved had just gotten out of the tub and was standing in the mirror applying her Queen Helene Mint Julep facial mask to her face as she did every night.

“What you doing up Honesty? All that Kool-Aid you drunk got you up in the middle of the night.” She asked as she lit her Virginia Slim cigarette.

Honesty sat on the toilet and looked at her mama. She was so beautiful. She really did look just like Diana Ross, and everyone told her that. Beloved took it to heart because she dressed like her and even walked like her. When you come into the apartment, the only music you are going to hear being played is Diana Ross or Michael Jackson.

Honesty got up and wiped then flushed the toilet. She pulled her panties up and her Strawberry Shortcake nightgown down. Beloved turned around, and picked her up and sat her on the counter.

“You know you are momma’s big girl. You’ve helped me out so much. I don’t know what I would do without you. You want me to polish your nails?” She asked as she turned on the water in the sink so that Honesty could wash her hands.

The little girl looked at her mother with eyes that mirrored hers and shook her head yes. After drying her hands on the towel that was hanging up, Honesty jumped down from the counter and ran into her mother’s bedroom. She reached up on the dresser and grabbed one of the many bottles of
Theons
number five nail polish. She jumped on the bed happily because she was excited about the alone time that she was spending with her mother.

“You hear the thunder, Mommy? God is sad about something.” Honesty said to her mommy as the thunder rolled outside of the window.

“Yes baby, I hear it. It’s bout to storm. We need a good rain to wash away the dirt of the earth. Whew, you sure did drink a lot of Kool-Aid.
Yo
’
lil
’ ass around here bouncing off of the ceilings. I see that you didn’t give Loyalty and Reality any, because if you did they would still be up with you. Smart girl, I bet you know that too.” Beloved laughed as she started to polish Honesty’s toes first.

Honesty lived for the times like this when it was just her and her mommy. Her sisters seemed to take up so much of her time because they were really still babies. She helped out as much as she could and she loved them to death. Beloved finished her toes and started on her hands. “You be still, because I don’t want any of that polish getting on my bedcovers.”

She painted Honesty’s toes candy apple red. It was so pretty; this was the only color polish Beloved wore. She had at least ten bottles of it on her dresser. Just as she finished up her fingers, there was a loud knock on the front door. “Be careful don’t mess up your hands. Go lay back down in your room. Let me see who is at the door. Then, by the time I come to tuck you in your hands and feet should be dry and you can get under the covers.”

The knocking turned to banging as Honesty lay on the bed frightened. Something didn’t feel right to her; she felt scared. She looked up as her mother pulled the door closed. Honesty heard her rush down the hallway with her slippers on. She then heard her taking the chain off of the door and twisting the locks open.

“Bitch, who told you to leave? You were supposed to stay on the corner until my whole bomb was gone. I know you didn’t sell all those rocks that fast. Let me find out your ass is giving my dope away again and I’m going to kill your ass. Get over here and suck my dick, then go and get all my money you made me today.” He uttered gruffly as he barged into the small apartment dripping wet from the rain.

Honesty had heard this man’s voice before. She didn’t know his name but he never said anything nice to her Beloved when he came over to her house. She had never seen his face. She pictured him being tall and dark with black eyes; big hands and feet, and nappy hair. Honesty called him Mr. Meany.

“Sit back and relax, it’s late. What is your rush? Let me get you a towel to dry off. Do you want something to drink? I got some Remy. I just got out the shower and I don’t have anything on under this robe. You know you love the way I look naked. Plus, you love the way that I feel even better.” Beloved murmured fast and seductively as she dropped the robe in front of her.

“I don’t want no damn pussy, I want some head and my money. You know what? I don’t even want no
mutha
fucking head. I just want my money. Go get my money and hurry up. I still got some moves to make before I take it in.” Mr. Meany shouted in a loud whisper to my momma.