A Hustler's Son II (22 page)

Placing a little more oregano in the sauce, he smiled when he tasted the sauce. It was perfect.

“I don’t know, slim,” Kelsi said looking at Skully as he stirred the sauce with precision. “My moms would put a little more salt in there. But that’s just my moms.”

When he turned around and saw Kelsi standing in the doorway of his kitchen pointing a 357 magnum at his head, he was flushed.

“That’s not true,” Janet said appearing from behind Kelsi. “It might be aight.” She walked fully in the kitchen and stirred the sauce with the tip of her .45, keeping a close eye on Jarvis. Then she licked the barrel sticking her tongue in the hole. “You right, baby.” She confirmed. “It needs somethin’ else. I think blood.”

When she looked down to the floor, Skully was pissing on himself. Janet stepped away as not to get any on her.

“Not now, Skully,” she laughed. “We haven’t started with you yet.”

“Janet, please!” Skully cried. He was on the same floor Janet was the day he shot her multiple times in the body. And just as he tied her arms around the pole in the basement of 2151 Monroe street, she did the same to him. “You know I neva wanted to hurt you.”

“You funny,” Janet said. “Real funny.”

“Naw, ma! This nigga’s hilarious!” Kelsi interjected.

“You right, baby. The man who shot me and left me for dead, is beggin’ for mercy. He actually has the nerve to beg for his life. And he was tryin’ to kill my only child. Damn, Skully, have some respect for yourself. Cause right now, it’s not lookin’ good.”

“Baby, let’s get outta here,” Janet added. “I don’t have time to fuck wit’ him. I’m tryin’ to live out the rest of my life happy. You ready?” she asked.

“Born ready, ma!”

Without further words, they fired eight bullets in his head. There was no way he was alive. Knowing their work was done, they walked out of the basement. Five minutes later, the lady who saved Janet’s life entered and saw his mangled body which was tied on the pole in the same fashion Janet was.

“Damn, she really got you back,” she giggled. The old woman remembered it all. “Karma, is somethin’ else ain’t it?” she examined his lifeless body. “Shit! Oh well…I’m told you got somethin’ for me. Let’s see.”

Rummaging through his pocket’s she found five hundred dollars in cash.

“Jackpot!” she laughed exposing her missing tooth.

When she left the building, she saw Janet sitting in the car. She’d been waiting for her to come out. The aggressive paramedic, who helped lift Janet’s body into the ambulance after Skully shot her, told Janet when she was conscious who saved her life. And Janet never forgot.

“What’s on your mind, Kelsi?” Janet asked. Although everyone who’d caused problems in their life was out the way, he still seemed detached.

“Nothin’?” he lied driving on the Maryland streets.

“So after all this time, we lying to each other now?”

“No,” he said looking at her and then the road. “I let somebody down and it’s fuckin’ wit’ me. I been tryin’ to put it out my mind. I just can’t. I was really feelin’ her, ma.”

“Who was she? And where she at?”

“Her name was O, actually, Constance…Constance Brail. I know they killed her ma and it fucks me up cuz shawty really held me down. And I coulda done somethin’ to save her.”

“Did you love her?” Janet asked, skipping the subject a little.

“I think I did.”

Janet took a deep breath.

“I just wish I knew either which way that what happened. Feel me?” He continued.

Janet thought about it for a minute. She knew a man with red hair and he worked with Skully from time to time. And since Skully was involved, she was certain his muscle would be involved too. The only thing was…he lived in New York. She also remembered something else about him. He had a fetish for raping women. He tried to rape her once and she kicked him in the nuts so hard, she permantelly damaged his left testicle.

“Hit 95 North towards New York!” Janet told Kelsi. “I got an idea.”

No questions asked, he complied.

Janet and Kelsi sat in the car and followed Jax on his way home from work. Her idea was far fetched, but to ease Kelsi’s pain, to her it was worth a try. Jax lived in a quiet residential community in Queens. And the quiet blue home he owned, looked more harmless than it really was. Wearing his police uniform, he entered his home. And when he did, Janet and Kelsi bombarded their way inside with him.

You see, Janet knew what kind of man he was. She knew having a young girl at his beckon call, against her will, would be something he couldn’t live without. She was so certain he couldn’t resist, that she was
positive
O was at his house. And if she wasn’t there, they’d have another causality to their list.

“What the fuck are you doin’?” Jax asked in full uniform.

Janet held him at gunpoint as Kelsi ran through the house. He knew his mother could handle her own. All of the rooms he entered were neat and void of any signs of O. And then…he came to a door which was not only locked, but also dead bolted. This was a room he wasn’t allowed to enter. And this was the room he had to get in.

Running downstairs, he jumped in Jax’s face.

“Open the door wit’ the deadbolt,” Kelsi demanded. He was anxious and had a feeling if O was alive, she’d be in there.

“Man, I’m not doin’-,” was the last thing Jax said before Janet shot his hand.

“Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!” he whined.

“The next one’s goin’ in your chest, bitch!” she told him. “Now open the fuckin’ door!”

“O…kay! I’ll do it!” he said holding what was left of his right hand. “Just don’t shoot me no more!”

Kelsi grabbed him by his collar and pushed him toward the secret door upstairs. Reaching in his pocket, Jax removed the keys.

“You gotta do it,” he whined. “You shot my hand.”

“Aight…no problem, cuz. Is this the key?”

“Yeah…that’s-“

“Thanks.” Kelsi said shooting him in the head. He was done with him too.

“Damn, baby,” Janet said looking at Jax’s lifeless body. “You ain’t no stranger to this shit are you.”

“I learned from the best.”

Kelsi was silent until he opened the door and saw O hanging from the ceiling by her neck with a leather black strap. A wooden block stood under her feet which she had to step on using her tiptoes to prevent from being hung to death. She was naked and badly beaten. Bruised from head to toe, Janet and Kelsi couldn’t get over how bad the room smelled. Feces were on the floor and there was a red ball in her mouth which was connected to a black leather strap which connected in the back of her head.

The moment she saw him, her stomach trembled. She was crying and her sounds were muted due to the ball being inside her mouth. Not caring about the smell, he rushed toward her and helped her down. With the little strength she had, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She was alive. She was okay.

Kelsi removed the ball from her mouth and held her closely.

“I’m sorry, shawty,” he said caressing her back. “I’m neva gonna leave your side again.
Ever
.”

Janet smiled. Although she realized she wasn’t the only woman in his life anymore, she was happy her son was happy. Placing some clothes on her frail body, they left New York and Maryland, never to look back again.

Epilogue

Kelsi, Janet, O (Constance) and Janet’s brother Rick ran a small strip club in Atlanta called Heart. Rappers, ball players and the like frequented the spot for the classy atmosphere and beautiful girls. It was a change of pace from the cheaper and classless spots in the city.

“You okay, ma?” O asked kissing Janet on the cheek. Janet was wiping the bar down preparing for more customers. “You been workin’ nonstop since the grand opening two months ago.”

“I’m good,” she smiled rubbing her hand over O’s pregnant belly. “But I wish you’d relax. You a boss now.”

“I know but it feels weird. I’ve always worked for somebody.”

“And now you work for me,” Kelsi said walking behind her planting a kiss on her cheek.

“You mean you work for me.”

“Ya’ll betta stop! That’s how she got in this position now!” Janet giggled.

“At least you got a grandbaby on the way,” Kelsi said hugging his mother next.

“You right. Somethin’ good came out of ya’lls nonstop humpin.”

They all laughed.

Although life appeared to be okay, Janet was still sad. She loved the comfort of a man and now she had none. Outside of Kelsi, she wasn’t even close to a male. Truth be told, she trusted no one.

Until, about twelve midnight.

“Can I get a Merlot?” a handsome man wearing black slacks and a grey shirt asked O.

“Sure,” she said politely. “Does it matter what brand?”

“No…but it matters who pours it.”

“
And how’s that?” O asked.

“
If it’s all the same to you, I’d like that young lady right there to pour me a glass. And if she’ll allow me, I’d like to buy her a glass too.”

Hearing this Janet turned around and saw a familiar face. She’d seen him before but didn’t pursue. Because the moment he walked in the club, women would flock to him. He looked like Billy Dee Williams in his prime. And he was beyond sexy.

“So what do you say? May I buy you a drink?”

Janet couldn’t help but feel privileged. He never paid anyone any attention. He was always the one sought after. Pulling her shoulder length hair behind her ear, she smiled and looked at Kelsi. He nodded in approval. He wanted her happy and could sense her loneliness even though she never expressed it verbally.

“He’s a good look for you,” he said.

In that case, “Yes you may.”

It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Janet was enjoying the attention she was receiving from him until she saw a loud mouthed man enter the club. He was flashing money and speaking to the strippers rudely. Janet figured he’d be an easy target. And judging by his rude demeanor, it would be a pleasure taking him down.

“Excuse me,” she said to her friend. “I have to talk to my son for a moment.”

“No problem,” he responded.

Then she got up and walked toward Kelsi. Without using words, since O was around, she used her eyes to look in the direction of the loud customer.

Kelsi smiled slyly and said, “What’s one more body.”

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