Filthy Rich-Part 2 (7 page)

Snatching away, Luke wiped the tear from his eyes, stood from the couch and headed to the far side of the room. Sadness for his brother turned into uncertainty. He had to remember that his brother wasn't an angel. His brother wasn't innocent. The realization of those things countered the sadness. As badly as he wanted to cry, he wanted his brother to burn in hell. The problem was he didn't quite know which feeling should win.

Pamela stared at Luke's back.

Luke began to see his mother's face in his mind. He wondered if she’d heard about Darien’s death. Although he hated her, he knew this would both be a tough time for her, and that retaliation would begin.

Pamela slowly walked towards Luke again. Reaching him, she placed her arms around him. She wanted so badly to console him. Luke turned around and wrapped his arms around her. He then began to kiss her but with a more intense feeling than ever before. With anger and sadness flowing through him, he reached behind her head, snatched a hold of her ponytail, jerked her head back and began to kiss her around the neck. He then forcefully backed her against a wall while continuing to kiss her neck.

"Ohhhhhhhh, Luke," she moaned.

Luke snatched Pamela's skirt up to reveal the fact that she wasn't wearing any panties. Now kissing her in the mouth and tasting her tongue, he lifted one of her legs to expose her cleanly shaven pussy.

"Luke,” she moaned again.

Pulling down his sweat pants and exposing his erection, Luke forced himself into Pamela so hard she winced in pain. Taking it, she bit into his shoulder to muffle a scream. She then grabbed hold of his body and dug her nails into his chocolate skin.

Chetti and Darien's faces flashed in Luke's head. Seeing them, he began to drill Pamela like a beast. He began to use his dick like a weapon. Angrily, he pounded in and out of her as hard as he could, purposely wanting to hurt her.

"Luke!" Pamela screamed in both pain and pleasure.

He continued going deep. He continued inflicting punishment. As he did, Chetti and Darien continued to appear in his head. The more they did, the more he dug harder, the deeper he went.

"Luke, oh God!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She'd never in her life been fucked as hard as she was being fucked right now. It hurt so badly but she refused to beg for her mercy. She knew Luke needed to release frustration. She knew he needed to let out his anger at what she'd just told him. So as his woman, she felt it was her responsibility to take the punishment he inflicted between her vanilla thighs.

Luke pounded and drilled for nearly fifteen minutes before he finally exploded. After he did, he and Pamela continued to hold each other as they slid down the wall and sat on the floor recuperating. Silence fell between them. Their breathing was heavy at first. It slowed as time passed. So did their heartbeats.

"You okay?" Pamela finally asked.

He nodded.

"You sure?"

"I'll make it."

She nestled as deeply into his arms as she could. "How you been holding up in here?"

"It's better than the county."

"Need anything?"

"I'm fine. You've done enough."

Pamela had paid for Luke's clothes, television, and had placed money on his books. Through family connections, she'd been able to get the prison to allow conjugal visits and other privileges.

"Thanks for everything," he told her.

"Don't worry about it."

"How's the 5 Points deal?"

She sighed. "Baby, I'm stalling the other current investors as long as I can. Other investors want in. I'll keep stalling but I can't guarantee it'll be for too much longer. My father is one of the current investors. Right now he's got a few other things on his plate that are keeping him preoccupied. But once those things are handled, which won't be too long from now, he's going to be focused on 5 Points. Once that happens…"

Luke sighed.  He knew what Pamela was getting at. He wanted the 5 Points deal badly. With the money it would bring in, obviously he'd be set for life. He definitely didn't want to lose out on the chance.

"I appreciate you," he told her. "My lawyer's working hard to get my accounts unfrozen. As soon as he does, I'll get my end to you."

"I know," she said sweetly.

The two sat in silence.

Finally, she asked, "Are you having any second thoughts about testifying against your mother?"

Shaking his head, he answered, "No."

"Wow."

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm trying to picture myself testifying against my dad."

"Your dad isn't my mother. My mother has hurt a lot of people. She's the most selfish and coldhearted person I know. Loyalty and family mean nothing to her."

Luke hadn't gone into exact detail with Pamela about the case. He'd simply told her he had made mistakes and had lived a life on the other side of the law. But he'd changed. He wanted out of that life. That was why he had come to her to invest in the 5 Points deal.

"My family is so close knit,” she continued.  "It would kill me to have to be in your position."

"Family can sometimes be your worst enemy."

"Still, sitting in that courtroom looking at her face has to unnerve you a little."

With flashes of the faces of countless men he'd killed darting through his mind, he said, "I've seen worse."

The two continued to hold each other. Neither said a word. Their embrace was all that needed to be spoken. As they held each other, Luke's mind couldn't help but drift to Nessa. It had been two weeks since he'd heard from her. And now she wasn't accepting his calls. He also hadn't been able to reach his connect, Chavez to see if she'd been in contact with him. Shaking his head, Luke was starting to believe Nessa had taken the money and run. He wondered what she was doing at that moment with his money and who she was with.

As if sensing what Luke was thinking, Pamela asked in almost a whisper, "Have you dumped Nessa?"

Without hesitation, he answered, "Yes. I told you I would."

As they continued to sit in silence, although Luke was sure he was done with Nessa, he was still yearning to see her one last time. But not to kiss her. Not to make love to her. No, what he wanted was much more intimate. He wanted to see her one final time so he could look into her eyes as he killed her.

                    ***

In an examination room in Johns Hopkins Cardiology Center, Piper sat on the bed in only an examination apron and socks. The doctor was standing next to the bed holding her latest X-rays and test results. "So?" Piper asked.

Sighing and then looking at Piper with regret, he answered, "I'm sorry, Ms. Kingston. As expected, the cancer is spreading to your chest."

Piper dropped her eyes to the floor. Those words hurt. Even the fact that she was expecting them didn't help to ease their effect. They still left her almost breathless.

Piper's days on earth were now truly numbered.

"I'm sorry," the doctor said.

Piper had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Lung cancer over a month ago. She hadn't been feeling well over the last few weeks but managed to live decently until now. She'd now been coughing a lot and extremely weak. She didn't have an appetite. And when she did eat, her stomach wouldn't hold it down. The lack of eating was causing her to lose weight. Finally, accepting the fact that she had no other choice but to go visit a doctor, she finally went. That was when the news was broken to her.

"How long do I have left?" she now asked.

"A few months."

Chills ran down her spine. She was coming to grips with her mortality. It was a terrifying feeling. There was so much dirt she’d done in her life…she didn’t believe she would be given mercy. She began asking all sorts of questions. “You think I’ll start coughing up blood? And what about my time,” she belted with concern. “You sure I only have a few months?”

“Piper, let’s take this one step at a time.”

“Doc, pleaseeeeee, I don’t know what else to do.”

Piper conversed for several more moments with the kind doctor before his departing.

Hesitating before getting dressed, Piper stood from the bed and headed to the window. Looking out at passing traffic, she got lost in thought and memories. As she watched everyone go about their business and lives, she wished she could be one of them. She wished she had made better decisions in life. She wished she had achieved more. But now accepting that things couldn't be changed, she got dressed and headed out of the room. On the elevator she began coughing heavily. Her coughs were hard, gravelly sounding. But despite the coughing, as she traveled down to the first floor on the elevator, her body was anticipating one thing, the one thing that had gotten her in this mess in the first place...

A damn cigarette.

Now outside, Piper went in her purse, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit up. Feeling the smoke in her infected lungs, she felt relief despite how cursed and how momentarily. She then called Nessa. They had not spoken regularly and she debated on telling Nessa about her prognosis.

Piper hadn't told Nessa about the cancer. She hadn't mentioned it to her daughter at all. She hadn't even given hint of it in her appearance. She continued to keep her hair done, her face beat and her clothes crispy. She refused to let anyone know she was hurting and near death.

"Yeah?" Nessa answered.

"Where you at?" Piper snapped.

"Handling business. But the real question is, where have you been, Ma? I’ve been calling you for days."

“Been busy.”

“Busy?? First, you hunt me down like prey, watching my every move…then you disappear and I can’t get in contact with you.”

"Look, you get money from NaNa yet?"

"It's coming slow."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean word has gotten around to everyone Luke did business with that the family's locked up. They're all scared the Feds are watching. Not too many of them want to do business with us."

Growing angry, Piper said, "Nessa, I don't want to hear excuses. Make shit happen."

"What the hell do you think I've been trying to do? It's going to take time."

Obviously time was a gift Piper didn't have too much of.

“Look, I need money, and I need it sooner than later.”

“Just hold tight , Ma. I’ve been dealing with a lot.”

"And. What the fuck are you expecting…a violin to play? Or what you want a hug? Bitch please, this grown folks shit right here. Handle it.”

“I’m trying. And this fuckin’ Brandon is a damn Coke head?"

"What?"

"Yes, he's a damn Coke head?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's snorting Cocaine like fifty going north. Every time I look around, he's got his nose buried in the shit. And he’s supposed to be guiding me in this shit."

Piper had no idea Brandon was using cocaine.

"And he's got me tied up in some shit with these crazy Cholos out of Los Angeles."

"Is it serious?"

"Not yet. Nothing a little money can't buy me out of. But still, I don't like being surprised."

Piper felt her daughter. When folks got caught up in snorting Coke, they didn't think straight. They got sloppy. 

"I'm starting to feel like he can't be trusted," Nessa said.

"Well, just keep an eye on him for now."

"Alright."

Piper was getting ready to hang up.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Looking back on when you and dad were together, did you ever want him dead?"

"Why would you ask that?" The question caught Piper off guard.

"Just curious."

Piper thought back on her relationship with Byron. It was rough at times; actually most times.  When it was good it was good, but then when it was bad it was dreadful.

"Well, did you?" Nessa asked again.

"No."

Silence.

"Why did you ask that?" Piper asked.

Silence.

Then...

"No reason," Nessa answered.

The line then went dead.

Holding the phone in her hand, Piper stood there not liking the tone of that conversation. Something wasn't right. Whatever it was, she had a feeling it would affect things from here on out.

 
Chapter 7

Nessa pulled up to NaNa's and climbed out of the car. Heading up the walkway towards the porch, her mind was still being pulled in numerous directions. She'd never been this restless before in her entire life. At the moment, the one thing that was stressing her out the most was her father. Damn, why did he have to be such a fucking asshole? Why couldn't he be a damn father? Shaking her head, Nessa could only accept that her father was as deadbeat as they came. Hopefully, what she had planned for him later would knock some sense into his head.

Reaching the door, Nessa knocked. As she did, she looked around at the dark street. Slipping her hand into her purse, she rested its palm on the handle of a gun. She didn't trust the streets. She knew far too well that they could reach out and touch her at any time, simply out of jealousy and envy. She'd be damned if she was going to get caught slipping.

After peeking out of the curtain, which was a bed sheet nailed over the window, NaNa opened the door with a gun in his hand. Like Nessa, he didn't trust the streets either.

"What up, Nessa?" he asked shirtless and dressed in a pair of Dickies and Jordan's.

"Came to pick that up," she said, looking at the way he was dressed. She always felt like NaNa needed to dress more like his age. At forty-one he wasn’t getting any younger.

"Cool."

After closing the door and tucking the gun in his pants, NaNa grabbed a blunt from the cocktail table and took a pull. After offering Nessa a hit, which she declined, he led her through the house to the kitchen.

"Shit's definitely been picking up lately. The work is moving like crazy. Muthafuckas been blowin' my damn phone up for the past couple days."

Those words were music to Nessa's ears.

“That’s what I wanna hear!”

Reaching the kitchen, NaNa opened a cabinet and pulled out ten boxes of Pops cereal. Opening them, he then pulled out stacks of money. "A little over four hundred thousand," he said. “I did what we planned to triple the profit.”

Nodding approvingly, Nessa loved how the money felt in her hand. "Good job. Any problems?" she asked.

"Nahhh, shit been good so far. But I'm keepin' my eyes and ears open. You know how it is out here. Muthafuckas see you makin' major moves, and word spreads. Niggas start gettin' jealous."

"Well, don't stunt. That shit draws too much attention."

"Don't worry."

“And of course you got somebody reliable running the other house, right?”

“Hell yeah. My system is the shit…they cook & move baby, before anybody can blink.”

"Bet. And your team; are they keeping their mouths shut?"

"Yeah, they know. I don't play that shit. We all know I’m the master at this game."

NaNa had recruited some of his seasoned workers that he trusted with his life to help move the work. For him, the entire process had been successful thus far.

"Anyway, the way this work is starting to move, you're going to have to re-up soon. I definitely think we'll have the last of this coke moved by the end of the week."

"I got you."

Getting the money was the best news Nessa had received since deciding to cross Luke. Shit was coming together. She now knew that as long as she stayed focused with NaNa and the crew of pups he'd recruited, the sky was the limit. All she had to do was make sure NaNa was getting his twenty-five percent as promised.

After leaving NaNa and now sitting in the driver's seat of the rental again with the money in the backseat, Nessa smiled for the first time in a while. Everything had been worth it, she realized. She was coming up. And in no time, she could envision herself taking Chetti's spot. The thought made her snicker as it was accompanied by the memory of she and Chetti arguing the night Luke her set up. She remembered as she lay on that bed aching and battered, she had promised Chetti she was going to take over. She was now keeping that promise.

The cell rang.

Looking at the screen, Nessa knew who the call was from. It didn't have a name but she recognized the number. "Yeah," she answered.

"You don't know how to answer your phone these days?" Luke's voice asked. Despite his anger, he kept his tone calm.

Leaning back in the seat, truly feeling herself, Nessa said, "Been busy."

"Is that right?"

"Yup."

There was a cockiness and sarcastic tone to Nessa's voice. She laced her voice with it on purpose. She wanted Luke to hear in her tone that she no longer needed him.

"Too busy to handle the orders I gave you, huh?"

Nessa sighed loudly hoping to get as far underneath Luke's skin as possible. "Isn't it obvious?"

Luke grew silent.

"Cat got your tongue, Luke? Well, just so you know, I knew about that white bitch. Yeah, I knew about Pamela. I knew you were playing me like a fool the whole damn time. That's why I took the money and left your ass in there to rot."

Luke laughed.

"What's so fuckin' funny?"

"So, you think I'm going to rot in here, huh?"

"Nigga, with all the shit the Feds got on you, they're going to put your ass
under
the jail. And while you're there, me and my child will be living beautifully off your money."

"Child?"

"Yes, Luke, I'm pregnant. And the baby is yours. But that's none of your concern. You'll never see it."

Luke couldn't keep his composure anymore. He lost it. "Listen here, you back stabbing bitch. Stealing from me was the worst mistake you could've ever made. When I get out of here; and yes, bitch, I
will
get out of here, I'm going to carve that baby out of your belly and kill both of you muthafuckas side by side. That's a promise!"

The call ended.

Chills ran down Nessa's spine. She'd never seen that side of Luke. She honestly began to wonder if he could possibly get out. If he did, she was going to make sure she had her shit tight. She would have shooters on her payroll.

Seeing that it was almost eleven thirty on the dashboard's digital clock, Nessa started up the car and headed to Sidra's. She was going to stash the money over there until she hooked up with Chavez again for a re-up. Also, with Brandon acting strange lately and snorting himself into a stupor, she didn't trust leaving that type of money around him. She didn't want him to even know how much she'd gotten from NaNa. In fact, if Brandon didn't get his act together, she was going to cut his ass off
period
.

Nessa pulled away from the curb and headed to Sidra's. She drove quickly knowing she had to meet Brandon for the meeting with Byron. Arriving at Sidra's, she grabbed the money and quickly hopped out of the car. Looking around for anything or anyone she didn't trust, Nessa made her way to the front door and knocked. Seconds later, Sidra opened the door. Quickly brushing passed her, Nessa walked into the living room and said, "I need you to hold this."

"What is it?" Sidra asked, closing the door.

"More money. Four hundred thousand, but I’ma take fifty grand with me and give you 350k. Gotta go handle something right quick."

"Alright, I got you."

Nessa handed her the bag. "I can't trust Brandon's ass. So if he comes sniffing around and asking you questions about the money, don't tell him you've got it."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"He's just been acting real strange lately. Plus, he's on that shit."

"Crack?"

"Coke."

"Same thing. He's a crackhead either way it goes."

"Well, whatever he is, I don't trust him. I think I might have to cut his ass loose."

"Shit, that might be best. But be careful. He's a Fed so that shit can get real tricky. You got eight hundred and fifty grand in your possession now."

"I know."

Nessa looked at her watch. Seeing she only had fifteen minutes to get to the meeting, she said, "I got to go. Stash that money good."

"Don't worry about it. I told you this is the safest place as long as nobody knows I got it."

“Bet.”

Nessa left Sidra's, hopped back in the rental and headed for the meeting. She grew a little nervous, not quite sure how it would turn out. Arriving at the park where she and Brandon had met Byron before, Nessa saw Brandon's car parked. Hopping out of her car, she headed across the lot underneath the night's darkness and climbed in Brandon's passenger seat. "He here yet?" she asked.

Sniffing a line of cocaine from a small piece of paper, he said, "Nope."

Looking at him with disgust, she asked, "Well, damn, how would you know? You've got your face buried in that shit."

"I just needed a quick hit. It's not a problem. Don't worry."

Nessa looked at Brandon closely. He looked sweaty. His eyes were red.

"Don't look at me like that," he told her. "I told you I'm good."

She didn't believe him.

"You heard about Darien?" he asked.

"No, what about him?"

"He's dead."

"What?"

"Unbelievable, huh?"

"What happened?"

"He was found in his cell fucked up pretty badly... Stabbed up so I heard"

"Who did it?"

"Don't know yet. All I do know is Chetti is on a rampage right now, one worse than before. She's having people killed right and left. You definitely better watch yourself."

Pulling a gun from her purse, she said, "Trust me; I am."

"Good."

Looking around for Byron, Nessa glanced at her watch. It was eleven o'clock on the dot. "Where is he at?"

"He'll be here. Lowlifes like him can't resist the chance to fuck somebody over."

"Well, just remember we're going to try and talk some sense into him first. If that doesn't work, we're simply going to kidnap him. That's it. We're not going to kill him. I just want to scare some sense into him if worse comes to worst."

Brandon snorted another line of coke.

"Do you hear me?" Nessa asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I got you."

"And put that damn shit away."

He wrapped what was left of the cocaine back up in paper and stuffed it in his pocket.

The two sat for several moments waiting.

Then Byron appeared ahead of them. He stepped out from the darkness of the trees and made his way towards the car. Seconds later, he was sitting in the backseat. Looking behind him out the back window he asked, "Who is that?"

"Who is who?" Nessa asked.

"The muthafucka in that car parked across the street."

Nessa turned and looked out the back window while Brandon looked at his rearview. They both saw a car parked across the street but its interior was too dark to see if anyone was inside.

"Who is it?" Byron asked again.

"I don't know," Nessa told him.

"The car pulled up and parked there about twenty minutes ago. Nobody ever got out."

"Well, what does that have to do with us?"

"I don't know, bitch. You tell me."

"Watch how you speak to her," Brandon demanded.

"Fuck you."

"No, fuck
you
!"

"Calm the hell down!" Nessa yelled.

"This supposed to be some kind of okey doke?" Byron asked, pulling a .38 Revolver from underneath his shirt.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Whoever is in that car has nothing to do with us."

"For your damn sake, they better not. Now where's my Goddamn money?"

"Byron," Nessa said.

"Don't Byron me. I don't want to hear
shit
except where my fuckin' money is."

Nessa reached in her purse and pulled out fifty thousand dollars, which she had taken from the money she'd stashed at Sidra's. Turning to her father, she said, "You're a business man, Byron. So I'm going to appeal to that side of you. This is fifty thousand."

"Goddamn it, I said I wanted two hundred fifty,” he yelled.

"Byron, look."

"No, bitch.
You
look. I'm done with your fuckin' games!"

"Byron, listen."

"No more listening. The video goes to the cops! I got a few people who’ll pay me hefty for this shit." Byron jumped out of the car and looked as if he was retreating back in the woods.

With that said, Nessa then looked over at Brandon realizing they were going to have to kidnap him. Brandon was already ahead of her though. Nessa motioned for Brandon to watch the car parked ahead. Two images emerged slightly. They looked like they were in a deep kiss and had possibly been smooching down in the seats shortly before being seen. 

“It’s just some trick bitch giving a nigga some head,” Brandon stated as he hopped out of the car and stormed off toward Byron.  Pulling his gun, he yelled Byron’s name along with Nessa.