A Gangsta Twist Saga (50 page)

After riding through his old neighborhood a few times looking for H-Hop, Clifford decided to go on and head out to Tazneema's apartment. He left word with a few of his homeboys to tell H-Hop to get with him as soon as possible. As he drove toward Norman, he was still wondering where the hell H-Hop was. More importantly, how in the hell did he get at Keno? “Damn! We gots to hurry up and smash that nigga Taz now! If we don't, he won't stop until I'm a dead man,” he said aloud as he made a right turn into the City of Norman.

 

 

Tazneema was so happy to see her man that she didn't know what to do. She grabbed Clifford around his waist and led him into the bedroom.

Lyla was sitting at the kitchen table studying as they went into Tazneema's bedroom. “Damn, that was rude! She didn't even have time to stop and let that whack-looking clown speak! The dick can't be that good!” she said as she went back to her studies.

Inside the bedroom, Tazneema and Clifford were kissing each other as if this would be their last time ever being intimate with one another. After a few minutes of this, Clifford pulled from her embrace and said, “Whoa! What's gotten into you, 'Neema?”

“I love you, baby, and I'm so scared that my Daddy is going to hurt you. Why couldn't you do as I asked you and stay out in Dallas?” she said as she sat down on the end of the bed.

Clifford sat next to her and said, “Because, I haven't done anything, 'Neema. Why should I hide from Taz when I have absolutely nothing to hide for? Whomever killed Keno has nothing to do with me.”

“Are you sure? Are you positive that it wasn't some of your old homeboys, Cliff?”

“I can't honestly say that right now, but I am looking into it. I'll know for sure after I talk to my homeboy, H-Hop. As of right now, I'm speaking from my gut, because I don't feel that any of my people had the resources to be able to get at someone like Keno. So relax, baby. Everything is going to be all right.”

“How can you say that and be so sure, Cliff? Haven't you understood anything I've told you? Taz is going to try his best to make sure that you no longer exist. He's not playing, baby, and he damn sure doesn't give a damn about how I feel anymore. My Uncle Bo-Pete, and now my Uncle Keno . . . I'm positive he's about to go on a rampage. Any and everybody who gets in his way is going to be in some serious trouble.”

“I understand what you've told me, 'Neema, but what can I do? Run from your father for the rest of my life? I haven't done anything to him or any of his friends. Once I've found out for sure whether or not any of my homeboys had anything to do with this mess, I'm going to put an end to this craziness.”

“How are you going to do that, baby?”

“I'll call a meeting with your father and explain the situation to him.”

Tazneema started laughing and said, “You have to be playing, 'cause ain't no way in hell Taz is going to go for some shit like that. Do you really understand what kind of man my Daddy is? You obviously don't, because if you did, you would know that trying to arrange a meeting with him would be like you signing your own death certificate!”

Clifford smiled and said, “I'm no fool, 'Neema. Nor am I trying to put myself six feet under anytime soon. When it's time for us to meet, we'll meet somewhere I'll know I'll be completely safe. I still have some powerful friends in the city, baby. They'll make sure that I'm protected while I present my case to Taz.”

“If you say so, baby. Just please, don't think for an instant that he's going to let you make it, 'cause I could hear it in his voice, he wants your head.”

“Don't worry about that mess. I got it under control,” he said as he pulled her into his arms again. After sharing another intense kiss, he smiled and said, “Is it cool if I spend the night with you, baby?”

Tazneema smiled, pulled off her T-shirt and slid back onto her bed and said, “I was hoping you'd say that. Now, come here and give me some of that big old thang!”

 

 

Red, Wild Bill and Bob came over to Taz's home early the next morning, feeling defeated. The pain of losing yet another close friend was weighing heavily in their hearts. Taz let them inside and led them into the den.

Precious and Heaven were lying in front of the pool table when the four men entered the room. Taz smiled at his beloved Dobermans and said, “Go play!” Both of the dogs jumped to their feet and silently left the den.

Bob smiled and said, “I don't think I'll ever get used to how them dogs understand you so well, gee. That shit is crazy for real.”

“It cost me a grip and a lot of time with them, but it was well worth it. They'll never let me down, dog,” Taz said as he sat down on the sectional sofa. “All right, we already know who did this shit, and we already know why. What's fuckin' with me is, how in the hell did they get that close to Keno?”

“Yeah, I've been thinkin' the same shit,” said Red. “I mean, the Ones said he was tapped three times in the back of the head. How the fuck could someone other than one of us get that close to him? I called Katrina's job. She arrived at work exactly when she said she did, so that scratches her, gee. Who else could get close enough to him to be able to tap him in the back of the dome? That's the million-dollar fuckin' question.”

“Fuck it! It's done, dog. Our nigga is out. We gots to lay the rest of them fools down now. Them niggas ain't playin', so we might as well turn this shit right back up until we get our man,” Wild Bill said angrily.

“I agree. Them niggas gots to go, dog,” added Bob.

“We might as well get onto that nigga, H-Hop. He's our best bet at gettin' at Cliff. Once we take them two, this shit should be over. Them other youngstas ain't tryin' to let this shit carry on.”

“How can you be so fuckin' sure, Taz? Them niggas might be ready to ride or die for their losses too. Fuck this shit! Let's take it to every last one of them niggas! Fuck Hoover! They all die!” screamed an emotional Bob.

“Come on, my nigga. I'm feelin' your pain, but we can't be stupid with this shit. We know who the beef is with, and we're goin' to take it to they ass. But overdoin' it won't do any of us any good. It'll only hurt us in the long run. We gots to play this shit smart. Let's get onto that nigga, H-Hop's spot later on tonight and see if we can get a line on where Cliff rests his head.”

“Yeah. So once we find that out, we can take that nigga's head smooth off!” Red said menacingly.

“Exactly!” Taz said as he stared at his friends.

 

 

Clifford woke up when he heard his cell phone beeping, indicating that he had messages on his voicemail. He slipped out of Tazneema's bed and put on his boxer shorts and pants. He tiptoed lightly into the bathroom and closed the door so he wouldn't wake either Tazneema or her roommate, Lyla. After he relieved himself, he opened his cell and checked his messages. He had three, all of which were from his homeboy, H-Hop. He quickly dialed his apartment number and waited for him to answer his phone.

After the fourth ring, H-Hop finally answered. “What's up, cuz? Why the fuck are you callin' me this fuckin' early?” he asked.

“Where the fuck have you been hiding, cuz? I've been trying to get at you to see what's what with this shit.”

“What's what with what? What the fuck are you talkin' 'bout?”

“Listen. My girl told me that her daddy is on the hunt for me, loc. We gots to hurry up and out that nigga, cuz. We can't be wasting no more time on his homeboys. We gots to get that nigga Taz. He told my girl that there is nothing and no one that's going to stop him from getting at me, so you know he's going to try and get at the homies again.”

“I know, huh? Where you at, cuz?”

“I'm out here in Norman at my girl's pad.”

“Nigga, you layin' up with that broad?”

“I'm good out this way.”

“How the fuck you know she ain't called that nigga Taz and told him you over there?”

Clifford laughed and said, “That's the last thing I gots to worry about, cuz. 'Neema loves my dirty drawers. She'd never do me dirty like that, cuz.”

“Nigga, you slippin'.”

“As long as she never finds out about what we did to that nigga, Bo-Pete, she'll always be in my corner. I'm telling you, she'll go against her daddy for me, cuz. She loves me that fucking much. That's why we gots to hurry up and handle that nigga.”

“Whatever, cuz. Look, get at me later so we can come up with somethin'. I'm about to lay it back down. That bitch I was chillin' with out in Midwest City damn near sucked a nigga dry. I gots to get me some fuckin' rest!”

“All right, cuz. I'm going to stay out this way until the sun sets. Then I'll come over to your pad. I'm about to go get me some early-morning pussy real quick, then I'll lay it down for a while.”

H-Hop started laughing and said, “Cuz, you just as gone for that young broad as you say she is over your ass.”

“Yeah, loco, you might be right. I do love her. I really don't want to hurt her or cause her any kind of pain, but her daddy gots to go,” Clifford said seriously.

“You fuckin' right, cuz! I'll holla,” H-Hop said, and he hung up the phone.

After Clifford closed his cell phone, he tiptoed out of the bathroom and back into Tazneema's bedroom. He didn't notice that Tazneema's roommate, Lyla, was standing right outside of the bathroom door.

After Red, Wild Bill and Bob left, Taz went upstairs and watched Sacha as she got dressed for work. He smiled as he saw the slight lump showing in her stomach.
Damn! I'm about to be a daddy again! This shit has got to stop. I can't keep livin'like this,
he said to himself as he continued to watch his fiancée.

Sacha turned, and for the first time she noticed that he was watching her. She said, “Are you all right, baby?”

“Yeah, I'm good. I'm just sittin' here thinkin' about how my nigga won't ever get to meet his future nephew.”

She smiled sadly and said, “You mean his niece?”

Taz returned her smile and said, “Nah, I meant what I said, his nephew. Come here, Li'l Mama.”

Sacha stepped over to where he was sitting, sat down on his lap and gave him a hug. He put his right hand on her stomach and began to rub it lightly and said, “I love you, Li'l Mama. When everything is everything, I think it's time we got the fuck outta the city and try somethin' new.”

“Something new like what, baby?”

He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don't know. I was thinkin' about some shit that Won got at me about. What do you think about movin' out to the West Coast?”

“California?”

“Yeah. You think you could do somethin' like that with me?”

“Baby, I'll go wherever you want me to. As long as I'm with you, I have no doubt that I'll be taken care of and completely happy.”

“But what about your career? You haven't even been a partner at your firm for a full year yet.”

“I don't care about that anymore, baby. All I want is for you to be happy with me. I can get a job, or even open up my own firm once we're settled out West. So don't let me stop you from making whatever decisions you need to make. I'm behind you one hundred percent.” They kissed each other passionately. Then Sacha pulled from his embrace and said, “Now, let me go. I have a court appearance at ten.”

He smiled and said, “All right, Li'l Mama. I got some calls to make and some more shit to handle later on. If I'm not here by the time you get off, hit me on my cell. It might just be a late one for me tonight.”

She stared at her man and said, “Be careful, Taz.”

Taz stared right back at his heart and soul and said, “All the time, Li'l Mama. All the time.”

 

 

Tazneema got up a little after nine a.m. to find Clifford sound asleep right next to her. She smiled as she thought about their early-morning sex session that they had a couple of hours ago. She climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom to get ready for her ten o'clock class. By the time she finished showering, she felt as if she was ready to take on the world.

That feeling changed quickly after she had a discussion with Lyla. As Tazneema was leaving the bathroom, Lyla came up to her and urgently said, “Come into my room for a minute. I know something that I think is very important to you.”

Tazneema followed her roommate into her bedroom and watched as she closed the door behind them. “What's got you all spooked, girl?” she asked as she sat down on Lyla's bed.

Lyla took a deep breath and said, “Girl, you know I know how much you love Cliff, right?”

“Yeah, and?” Tazneema asked, slightly agitated.

“You know I would never do or say anything to hurt you, right?”