Married to the Game (14 page)
Read Married to the Game Online
Authors: Chunichi
“So, what did he do that was so bad?”
“The ultimate, BJ. The ultimate,” she stated while shaking her head left and right.
“Well, like you told me, it must have not been that bad because you didn't leave him,” I said sarcastically.
“And how would you know?” Ceazia responded in an angry tone. Obviously my statement had offended her.
“Well, because you all were together until his death. If you had left him, y'all would not have been together when he died.”
My cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. I glanced down at the caller ID and it read: SNAKE.
I wondered what he wanted but I couldn't risk losing this conversation, so I hit the end button on top of the phone and sent him to voice mail.
“Sorry about that. Now, where were we?”
“We were at the part where you assumed that I did not have the strength to leave Vegas after he'd deceived me in the most tormenting way.”
“Oh yeah. So, what did he do and how did you handle it?” I asked.
“I really don't want to get into it, Li'l Momma. But just know that I handled mine, and now you need to get the strength to handle yours. Hopefully, one day Snake's little princess will get some strength and handle hers too.”
“C, I hope you don't get upset when I say this, but it seems to me that you have some sort of vendetta against any and every Jackson man,” I stated in an attempt to get the story out.
“Vendetta? That would be too nice of a word. I despise those muthafuckers, and I'm justified to feel that way.” The more Ceazia spoke the angrier she became.
“Well, maybe if you explained things to me, it would give me strength. I'm sorry, but right now I just can't sympathize with you. You have to explain to me why you're so angry.”
Ceazia took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She scooted over closer to me in the booth then grabbed my hand and looked me in the eyes.
“BJ, what I'm about to tell you I have never shared with anyone. But like I've said many times before, I consider you my little sister, so I'd trust you with my life. And that's the only reason I'm telling you this.”
“I understand, C. Your secret is safe with me,” I assured her.
“Okay. After serving time in jail for a crime involving Vegas, I was released and came home unannounced to surprise him. Well, I ended up being the one surprised. I walked in on Vegas, my best friend, and another female in the Jacuzzi getting high and making out.” Ceazia paused to wipe the tears that were streaming down her cheeks then she continued. “BJ, I was numb with hurt when I saw that. I literally blacked out. It was as though I was in a trance as I shot continuously into the tub, killing Vegas and his two counterparts.”
My mouth dropped with disbelief. I was speechless. I had no idea how to respond, so I just did what came naturally. I grabbed her and hugged her.
“I'm sorry, C. I had no idea. I am really sorry,” I said sincerely.
How could I ever deceive this girl? She can't help her actions. She's been burned so baldly it's ruined her completely. Her concept of trust, love, and even her ability to have a stable relationship has been ruined, I thought as I consoled her. I had a total change of heart. I had no idea Ceazia was so disturbed.
As we finished eating, C continued to tell me about the realness behind the relationship that she and Vegas had. As we enjoyed our day at the spa and shopped, she continued to share. By the time I reached home that night, Ceazia had nearly shared her entire life story with me. My heart really went out to her. She had been from extreme highs to extreme lows. The poor girl just wanted that life she'd always dreamed of. After a day with her, I was much more appreciative for my life. I guess what they say is true: Things aren't always what they seem.
CHAPTER 24
A WOMAN'S INTUITION
DANIELLE
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It was midnight, and another night that Snake's ass wasn't home. I'd had it with Snake and his bullshit. Duke was right; I was too good for Snake's cheating ass. It was sad when a young kid like Duke could recognize a good woman before a grown-ass man. But that's okay, because if Snake wouldn't love me, there were many men out there who would. And to bring that to his attention, I was going to feed into every little pass his little soldier made at me. Hell, from that phone sex he gave me the other night, Duke didn't seem so little after all.
I was going to do everything I could to catch Snake's ass out there, and as soon as it happened, I was gone. Sure, he took care of home, but he was not doing anything that the next man couldn't do.
Ring ... ring. How amazing, it was Snake calling. Let's see what lie he has tonight.
“Hello?”
“What up?” he asked as though it was six in the evening and not past midnight.
“Nothing is up, Snake. What do you want?” I asked in an annoyed tone.
“Look, Danielle, I'm really upset right now. I was actually calling because I feel real fucked up and I needed someone to talk to, but I see you're not that person.”
Click!
Snake hung up on me. I was taken by surprise. I didn't know how to reactânot because he hung up in my ear, because that was the norm, but I was baffled by his tone. Snake really did seem upset. There was really something wrong with him. Everything began to run through my mind.
Maybe it's Duke. Maybe he's hurt again. Duke and Snake were just talking about some rumors on the streets. Or maybe Snake's in trouble. Maybe he got robbed or arrested. Oh my God! I have to call back.
I got myself together then struggled to call Snake back. His phone went straight to voice mail. I dialed the number over and over again. Before I knew it, I'd dialed his number over twenty times and it was still going to voice mail. Then I tried text messaging him. Still no response. I didn't know what to do next. Then it hit meâDuke! I could call Duke. I figured he would know if there was a problem before anyone.
“Duke!” I yelled into the phone in a panic as soon as he picked up. “What's up, Danielle? What's wrong, baby?” he asked, concerned.
“It's Snake. Where is he? He called and he was really upset. Now his phone is off. I think something is wrong. Have you talked to him?” I spat a thousand questions at him at once.
“Slow down, momma. Slow down. I'm sure Snake is a'ight. He would have called me if some shit went down. Just chill out. I'm gonna check on shit for you and let you know what's up.”
“Okay, Duke,” I reluctantly agreed before hanging up.
I felt little reassurance after speaking with Duke. I was still afraid something had gone wrong with Snake. I paced the floor back and forth while waiting to hear from Duke. After an hour passed and still no return call, I began to dial Snake's number again. And just as before, it went straight to voice mail. I could no longer wait for Duke to call me back. An hour was long enough. I grabbed the cordless phone and dialed his number.
“Yeah, Danielle,” he said as soon as he picked up.
“Did you hear from him?” I eagerly asked.
“Nah, but I checked shit out and everybody that saw him out the way say he's been fine all day, so everything's cool. Just try to get some rest. I'm sure he'll be home soon.”
“Okay, Duke,” I reluctantly agreed just as before and hung up.
Again, I found myself pacing the floor. I had to do something to get some rest, so I took a couple of sleeping pills and lay down. I tossed and turned for another hour. It wasn't happening. I couldn't think about anything except Snake. That was it. I'd made up my mind. If Duke wouldn't look for Snake, then I would. I hopped out of bed and got dressed. I called Snake's phone one final time. Just as all the times before, it went straight to his voice mail. I grabbed my purse, dropped in the gun Snake had given me for emergencies, and headed out the door. My first stop was Park Place in Norfolk. That was where Snake spent most of his time. I drove by the barber shop, and it was closed. Not a person in sight, not even one person on the block. Then I rode past his family's house a few blocks away, and there were no signs of Snake there. There was only one other place to checkâthe strip club. So, that's where I headed. And lo and behold, that was where I found him.
My first instinct was to run in the club and smack the shit out of him just for making me worry. But I soon snapped back to reality, which was an ass-beatin' out of this world if I was to ever embarrass Snake in public. Now, in my right state of mind, I began to think of a plan. As I was sitting, Duke drove up. I wondered what the hell was so intriguing about a damn strip club to make these men so devoted to coming every night. I continued to sit in my car, thinking of a master plan, when my phone rang. It was Duke.
I guess he is a man of his word, I thought, assuming he was calling to tell me Snake was okay.
“Hello?” I answered on the first ring.
“I was calling to check on you,” Duke stated.
“Oh, I'm fine.”
“A'ight. Well, hit me if you need anything.” Duke began to wrap up the conversation.
“Well, have you heard from Snake?” I asked, curious to see how Duke would respond.
“Nah, but trust me, he a'ight.”
“Okay. Well, I'm going to bed,” I lied then hung up. I wasn't really sure why Duke lied to me, but I was determined to find out. I'd always considered him an ally, but now I saw him as a mole.
I waited for Duke to enter the club then I threw my car in drive and sped out of the parking lot.
The entire drive home, my mind raced. I couldn't believe both Duke and Snake would attempt to pull wool over my eyes. But little did they both know, I would get to the bottom of this shit.
I pulled into the driveway and raced in the house. The first place I headed was the bedroom. I'd never been the one to look for trouble because I was always taught that if you look, you shall find, but this time Snake had pushed me there. I began my search in his nightstand drawer. There I found several napkins with females' names on them and phone numbers. From the sound of the names, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out these were numbers he'd collected from the damn strip club. As I searched further, I came across a piece of paper that had the name Ceazia written in Snake's handwriting, with several phone numbers and an address.
“Ceazia ... Ceazia.” I repeated the name aloud.
That name seemed familiar to me, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. For the moment, I put that in the back of my mind as I continued to investigate. I went to his closet and began to look around. Snake and I had separate closets, so other than hanging his clothes from the dry cleaners, I never explored his closet. But one thing I did know was he kept his personal weed stash in there and he also kept a box where he threw dollar bills and coins. So, those were the two places I checked. I started with the weed stash and I found nothing. Then I came across the money box. I searched there. That's when I came across a nude photo. It was actually set up as a model's comp card. There was a large photo on one side in black and white, and several smaller photos on the other side in color. It had a name and contact numbers listed underneath. The name read Cinnamon. The bitch was obviously a stripper.
I examined the card thoroughly, looking at each picture. As I looked at the photos, the chick began to seem familiar to me. Again, I couldn't really put my finger on it. I didn't know if the sleeping pills were starting to kick in or what, but for some reason, I just couldn't think. I figured I was just too anxious.
The few things I found were enough to prove Snake was up to something, but I just needed time to bring it all together. I grabbed the photo and paper with the information on it and headed to my office in the house to make a quick copy and return the originals to their secret spots. As I made the copies things began to come together. The girl on the photo was that bitch from the hospital. I knew she was a stripper from the time I met her.
So Cinnamon is her name, huh?
Then I went on to make a copy of the paper with the name Ceazia and phone numbers. That's when I noticed the number on that paper matched the number on the photo.
“Well, I'll be damned!” I said out loud.
Shit had finally come together. The bitch from the hospital was Ceazia, Vegas' ex-girlfriend. No wonder when she was beginning to explain to me who she was, Snake stopped her. I'd heard the stories about Ceazia, but I never saw her. So she was a stripper! I couldn't believe Snake would stoop so low as to fuck with his deceased brother's girlfriend. That muthafucker! And to think I had all of that little bitch's life in the palms of my handâliterally. Revenge is a bitch, and all I have to say is Ceazia, Duke, and Snake all had better watch out!
CHAPTER 25
SMILING DECEIT
SNAKE
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That sneaky bitch had no idea what she had coming to her. I knew the day would come, and it was finally here.
Look at her dancing and flaunting as though she's got every nigga hypnotized. One thang fo' sho' is I am one nigga that's broken from her trance. Those days are long gone.
Too bad that li'l nigga Duke was all caught up. It was a damn shame. He was lined up at the stage just like the rest of them cats, blind to that bitch's wicked ways. But just like the Wicked Witch of the West, that evil bitch had to go. And I was going to be the one to make sure that happened.
“What up, sexy boy?” Ceazia said as she hopped off the stage.
This was exactly what I needed. She was making shit easier than I expected. “What up, sexy girl?” I responded while looking her up and down.
Ceazia came to an abrupt halt.
“Excuse me? You're actually responding to me?” she stated, surprised by my pleasant demeanor.
“Yeah, is something wrong with that?” I continued, trying to completely play my part.
“Lately you've been giving me a serious cold shoulder, so I thought we were on some beef shit.”
“Nah, I just been having some problems at home, and a lot of shit going on in the streets, so I've been on some ill shit lately. Nothing directed toward you personally, though,” I lied.
And just like that, C began her flirt routine. As she chatted with me and rubbed her hands across my face and through my hair, I noticed Duke staring from across the club. I began to tune Ceazia out as I read Duke's actions. He was obviously upset about the conversation that C and I were having. Knowing Duke, he was thinking I told him to stop hollering at her so I could holla. I bet that li'l ignorant nigga wasn't even thinking about what I told him the other day about knocking C off. After a few more minutes of talking, Duke had finally either gotten angry enough or gotten the balls to confront me about C.
“What up, Snake?” Duke said, calling me by my name instead of the usual “Unc.”
“What up, Li'l Soldier.” I responded as a reminder that he was still training to be where I was.
“I'm surprised to see you talking to C. From our last conversation, I thought you weren't feeling her at all,” Duke said, attempting to call me out in front of Ceazia.
“Me and C already had that convo. Right, baby girl?” I stated while stroking the small of Ceazia's back.
“Yep!” she quickly responded, full of smiles.
It was so simple to get her where I wanted her. Not happy with the way things were going, Duke grabbed C by the arm and pulled her away, yelling, “I need to talk to you.”
Like a rag doll, he jerked her around while yelling profanity. That whole scene was pretty comical to me. It was amazing the power a cat could have over a chick, just because he was feeding her a few dollars every now and then. After Duke finished scolding Ceazia as though she was a young child, it was my turn. I walked up to him and said the same.
“Yo, we need to talk,” I whispered in his ear. Amazingly, he didn't put up a fight. Duke followed as I walked out of the club and headed to the truck. Before I could say anything, he began to speak.
“What up with you and C, man?”
“Ain't shit, Duke. Like I told you, once it was confirmed she killed Vegas, I was taking her out.” I tried explaining things to Duke.
“Man, I wish you would get off that shit. If homicide investigators can't pin her to the murder, what makes you think you can?”
“Look, Duke, I have all the evidence I need. You either down with me or you're not.” I couldn't tell Duke how I'd gotten the evidence because I didn't want to put nobody, including myself, in the hotseat.
“Whateva, man. Like I said before, do you and I'm gon' do me. Enough talking,” Duke said before hopping out of the truck.
I knew this wasn't gonna go easy, but I just couldn't tell Duke all the details. I wasn't trying to incriminate his li'l shortie, BJ. Nor was I trying to self-incriminate. Hell, on the real, I don't even think BJ realized she was the leak. It all happened by chance. All I could say was old Vegas must have been looking down on me.
Earlier that day, I called BJ to make sure she was straight with the little change I'd given her to handle some things. I assumed that when I called, she was in the middle of a serious conversation with Ceazia, so she attempted to send me to voice mail. Instead, she mistakenly pressed the speaker button, allowing me to hear the entire conversation, which ended up turning into a detailed confession of Ceazia killing Vegas. I had a ton of mixed emotions as I listened to them talk. At times I felt angry, then sad, then responsible. My stomach ached as each word Ceazia spoke pierced my heart.
After hearing that confession, I was ready to kill her at first sight, but I knew I had to remain calm to execute the perfect plan. So after a few shots of Hennessey and a blunt filled with purple haze, I was relaxed enough to devise the perfect plan.
I'd already taken the first steps at the club. Now I just needed to secure my position. An unexpected phone call would do the trick.
Ring ... ring ... ring.
I called Ceazia from my truck parked outside the club.
“Hey, sexy,” Ceazia sang into the phone.
“What up. I need some companionship. I can't think of anyone I'd rather be with right now, other than you. What you gon' do about that?”
“Whatever you want, baby. You already know how I feel. I'm always down for being with a real one like you. What, your girl not turning the tricks I turn?” she asked seductively.
“Nah, she holding shit down, but I just want something different,” I lied. “If you think you can fit the bill, then I need you to come roll with me.”
“Fit the bill? I can be all you need and then some. I just feel sorry for your girl 'cause after tonight, I'll be all the woman you can ever think of,” Ceazia said convincingly.
Shit, she actually began to turn me on. The truth is, I hadn't had sex with Danielle in over a week. Before she refused to touch me because she was certain I was cheating. Now, the tables had turned, and I wouldn't want Danielle to touch me with a ten-foot pole. If she got any closer than that, I was liable to smack her back in time. I needed a bitch to turn some tricksânot necessarily Ceazia, though. At this point, any bitch would do. But since I had a scheme going, trying to work on some shit with C, I figured I may as well take advantage of the situation. I continued to listen and rapped noise to her.
“Yeah, sexy, you sounding just like the something different I've been waiting on,” I flirted.
“Well, yeah, I'm that something different, but I have to be totally honest. I need some motivation for being your everythang.”
“What type of motivation you looking for? Monetary?” I asked, knowing the gold-digging type of style Ceazia put out.
“Money talks and bullshit walks,” she quickly responded. “But since you're a real bailer, I got every confidence you gon' pay what my shit weighs. And just so you'll know, my shit is heavier than a muthafucka.”
“Oh yeah? Well, my money is long since we're talking American dollars here. And you're right about one thing, C.”
“What's that, baby?” she purred.
“I am a real one, and don't you forget it.”
“I won't. So, tell me how we gon' do this,” Ceazia inquired.
“Well, how about this: you give me the 411 on my brother's murder, and I'll pay you tremendously for it.”
“What makes you think I've got information?” Ceazia asked, playing her game well.
“C'mon, C. You know I must've figured the cops were hot on you for something. Even though you didn't kill Vegas an' nem, I know you got some word on who did it, right?”
Ceazia paused. “Well, I got some idea, but like I said, I ain't blabbing for free. Telling you the least little thing puts my life at risk.”
“Nah, sexy. See, that's where you're wrong. Just let me cover you. You don't have to worry about trouble following you, and that's my word.”
Considering I was about to blast Ceazia from this world made my word to her the truth. I ain't ever been dead before, but from what I believe, niggas are worry-free on the other side. My brother made a lot of mistakes, but he didn't deserve to die at the hands of Ceazia the way he did. Now this money-hungry bitch was too stupid to know that her life was in my hands. I listened to her game a little while longer.
“That's a deal. But that's going to cost you at least a hundred grand. Even though you say you-will cover me, I need to get the fuck out of here. I need some lead-way in covering my own head after letting out that type of information.”
“Not a problem. Any amount of money is worth it when it comes to my brother.” I readily agreed, knowing that she would never live to get the loot anyway.
“Okay, baby, just let me know when and where,” Ceazia said, agreeing to my proposition.
That was all I needed. I was glad Ceazia never stopped her gold-digging ways, because she was making things way too easy for me. I didn't know what terrific lie her shiesty ass had in her mind, but I was curious to hear it. She said she believed I was a true gamer, but her dumb ass never figured I might consider her info to be fake. Why would a hustler like me just give Ceazia a hundred grand going just on her word? Stupidity was about to lead her into an early grave, but not soon enough for me.
I smiled as my adrenaline began to flow at the thought of carrying out my mission. I knew within a matter of minutes, my penis would be wet and my plan complete. It was a beautiful thought.
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