The King Of The South (11 page)

“No, no, no!” Deshawn yelled as he continued punching the steering wheel.

He had been watching King over the past two weeks. He knew that he had a drug business, but the last two weeks he had been at the studio and his club on the east side. It didn’t matter, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before King made a move that Deshawn could use to his benefit. He would get his woman back, and make some cash in the process. He fought the urge to continue watching them through the binoculars, and started the car. Still cursing under his breath, he pulled out of the parking garage.

He needed to head to the other side of town. His wife had made plans for him with her parents and siblings. As he pulled out of the garage onto the street, he turned on his radio. He hoped the noise would help him block seeing Sloan fucking another dude from his mind.

His phone rang. He hit the phone button on his steering wheel. “I am on my way, babe. Got held up with something.” Deshawn said, turning onto 277.

“Ok honey, hurry up. Love you.” Janet said.

“Yeah, I’m on my way.” Deshawn said, accelerating.

The line was silent for a moment.

“Is everything ok?” Janet asked.

“Yes, damn I said I was on my way.”

Deshawn hit end, and dialed another number.

“Yo,” the voice answered on the other end.

“I need to holla at you. Meet me at the spot tomorrow at noon. The streets are talking, and I hear we got a common problem. Maybe we can help each other.”

“The streets are talking? What chu—”

“Tomorrow at noon.” Deshawn interrupted. “Don’t make me come get you.”

He disconnected the call and turned the radio up, hoping the music would erase the last thirty minutes from his mind’s eye.

Sloan straightened her dress as King opened the door. She walked inside, and the aroma of food engulfed her. King held her hand and led her to the kitchen where Yogi was stirring a pitcher of tea.

“Hey baby!” Yogi said, kissing King on the cheek. “Hand me that lemon over there, please.” King handed his mother the lemon quarters and took a piece of cheese from the tray on the counter.

“Ma, this is Sloan. Sloan, this is my mother.” King said, smiling.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. King.” Sloan said.

“That’s not my last name anymore, how about you just call me Yogi.” Yogi said, forcing a smile. “King, your daddy is downstairs in his usual place, why don’t you go see if he wants anything.”

“All right.” King kissed Sloan on the cheek and opened the door to the basement.

“So, is there anything I can help you with?” Sloan said.

“No, I think I have everything under control. So where did you meet King?”

“I met him at the mall. He came into the jewelry store that I work in.”

“The mall, huh?” Yogi said as she opened the oven. “So are you from Charlotte?”

“No ma’am, I am from New Jersey. Morristown, New Jersey.”

“Oh, a Yankee! Well, what bought you down south?” Yogi asked as she poured a glass of wine.

“I finished my music degree at the University of North Carolina and kind of stayed here.” Sloan said.

Yogi sipped her wine. The silence in the room seemed to echo. Sloan was a bit taken aback by Yogi’s coldness. King had described his mother as sweet and soft spoken, but she seemed to have taken an immediate disliking to Sloan.

King opened the door and looked at Yogi then Sloan. He pulled her to him, and slid his arms around her waist. “So, did I interrupt some girl talk?”

“I was just getting to know Sloan a little. The table is set, so go have a seat.” Yogi opened the basement door and yelled down to Carlton.

“I can help you bring in the food, Ms. Yogi.” Sloan said.

“No, no you go have a seat. I like to take care of my things. I been doing this for years, and I like things done a certain way. So you go have a seat, you are a guest.”

Sloan followed King into the dining room just as the doorbell rang.

Yogi went to the door, and let Kareem in. “Heyyyyyyyy Yogi, it’s your Boo Boo bear, Kareem, and I brought company.”

“Yogiiiiiiiiiiiii!”

“Oh my God, what are you doing here? When did you get into town?” Yogi said, hugging David.

David squeezed her, and swung her around. “Girl, you have not aged a bit. That damn Carlton snuck and got you before I did, and I know that smell. Is that your macaroni and cheese?”

Yogi blushed and smacked David’s arm. She took his hand and led him into the dining room.

“Uncle David?” King said.

Carlton turned around.

David smiled at him. He had lost weight since the last time Carlton had seen him, two years ago. Although Carlton didn’t make it to see him, he had kept his books straight for him over the last ten years. David was Reggie’s younger brother and had spent the last ten years in prison on a drug charge.

“Man, why didn’t you tell me they let you out?” Carlton said, pounding David.

“You know me, I make my own way.”

“Come on and sit down.” Carlton said, pulling out a chair for David.

“Well, I am going to get the food.” Yogi said. “Kareem, why don’t you come and help me?”

Sloan felt a chill go down her back. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help, Ms. Yogi?” Sloan offered.

“Umm no, like I said, you are a
guest.
Kareem is family, and he can help. You just sit tight.”

Sloan sat down and listened as the men chatted. Dinner was full of conversation about things that Sloan didn’t understand. Her attempts to talk with Yogi were met with one-worded answers. Dinner and time seemed to drag on, and she was relieved when King finally decided to leave.

“Ms. Yogi, dinner was delicious. Thank you.”

“Well, you have a good evening.” Yogi said .She kissed King on the cheek, and hugged him. “You make sure you take care of yourself, okay?”

“Ok, Ma. Hey, excuse me a second, babe.” King said as he turned and walked over to Kareem. “Hey man, where is Tiana?”

“She went out of town. She paid a sitter, and said she had some business to take care of. I am telling you, I’m enjoying the peace with her being gone, and the kids are handled. Shoot, I been hanging out with that waitress from the club.”

King shook his head. “What kind of business does Tiana have out of town? You better hope she ain’t setting your ass up to catch you.” King laughed.

“Hell if I know,” Kareem said. “I was just happy to get the time to myself without all of the nagging. I didn’t ask no questions. Anyway, enough about that. Is everything cool for the show?”

“As cool as it is going to get. Now my other business, I sure could use my right hand man watching my back. I know that damn job ain’t paying you shit.”

“You right, but for right now, I told her I would try this straight thang. She did hold me down when I was locked up. So for the kids, I’m gonna try this shit for a minute. But I already told her I’m not going to sit around and starve. So the first time a bill collector calls, talking about taking something back or turning something off, she know this deal is done. You feel me?”

“Yeah, I feel you on that. You straight on money, brah?” King asked.

Kareem wanted to tell him that he didn’t have two pennies to rub together, but his pride stopped him. “I’m straight dog, I’m straight.”

King dapped Kareem. He smiled at Sloan, who waved to Kareem and opened the door.

Yogi watched them walk down the driveway to King’s SUV. King opened the door for Sloan and waved to her. Yogi waved back and inhaled. She didn’t like Sloan. She wasn’t the type of girl that her son needed. She was too soft around the edges, and didn’t seem to have much survivor in her. She knew that at the first sign of King’s lifestyle, which she could tell Sloan had no idea about, the chick would bail on him.

Three Weeks later…

Sloan examined herself in the full-length mirror of her dressing room. She could not believe she actually had a stylist! King had spared no expense for her big night. She applied the lip-gloss, and closed her eyes.

Her eyes flew open when Jimmy knocked on the door. “On in five, Lady.”

“Thanks, Jimmy.” Sloan stood. The red cocktail dress she wore sparkled in the light. She walked to the stairs and had a brief moment of prayer. As she opened her eyes, King was there smiling at her.

“You ready, babe?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. I been dreaming of this night all my life”

“Well it’s here now, sexy. And I know this is the first of many.”

Sloan shook her head. King always seemed to have the right words. She grabbed the mic out of his hand and headed for the stairs near the stage.

__________

King clinked glasses with his staff, Kareem, and Sloan. Everyone had shown up except Yogi. She had something to take care of, so she sent Carlton and Khristian to represent the family.

“Young lady, I would have never thought that a voice like that was inside such a pretty package. Damn, you can blow!” Carlton said while Imani and Khristian high fived Sloan.

“Girl, you actually gave Jill a run for her money. They gave you a standing ovation! I want to be in your video when you make it.” Khristian said, hugging her.

“Shit, I’m starving. I say we go get something to eat.” Kareem added, while keeping his eyes on Imani.

“Yeah, I’m with you on that, brah,” King responded while tapping Kareem to let him know that he was too obvious with his gaze.

As they exited the building, there was still a large crowd standing outside. King had parked his car in the rear, while everyone else was up front in VIP.

“You want me to give you a ride around back, homie?” Kareem asked.

“Nah, we good.” King answered while showing the butt of the pistol in his pants.

King
held
Sloan
‘s hand
as they walked around the side of the building through the crowd.

“Yo Ma, let me holla at you. You did your thang in there tonight.” One guy yelled out of a crowd full of men.

S
loan and King just kept walking
. The
entire crew looked like that had been drinking heavily, so King was going to give him a pass.

The tall dark skin
ned
man with long dreads did not take the hint
;
he walked up and grabbed Sloan’s arm. “Damn bitch, didn’t you hear a nigga giving you a compliment? You can’t say thank you because you with this corny ass nigga, playing Puffy and shit.”

King stopped walking and turned to the man.
“Nigga, what did you say?”

“Nigga, you heard me.”

King let go of Sloan’s hand and reached in his pants. Before Sloan could say anything, King had pulled out his .45 and smashed the gun across the bridge of the man’s nose. Blood shot out, and the man screamed. King hit him again in the forehead.

Sloan screamed as she heard something crack.

People began to yell. The
commotion
made Kareem, Carlton, and David come running around the building, just in time to draw their guns.

The man’s crew stepped back.

King was still stomping the man until Carlton and David pulled him off.

“That’s enough, nephew.” David told him “He got the message.”

“Yeah, we need to get out of here.” Carlton added.

Sloan did not recognize King. His face was dark
and angry as he grabbed her by the arm and quickly headed towards his truck.

“Sloan, babe listen to me. Take this and hide it for me. I’m going to ride with my pops, just in case the police come. I will meet you at home later.” He took Sloan’s purse, placed the gun inside and opened the door to his SUV. He watched her pull out of the parking lot.

“Yo man, get out of here before the police show up,” Kareem said. “You fucked old boy up, come on.”

“Nah dawg, you don’t need no heat on you. You go on ahead. I’m going to ride with Pops.” King said.

“Aight, call me.”

King walked down the sidewalk, trying to blend in with the crowd leaving the club. As he approached the intersection and was about to jump in Carlton’s sedan, the cops swarmed him.

“Put your hands on your head, and get down now!” an officer yelled.

King dropped his head. His temper had once again gotten him into a mess. It would have been easier to just ignore the nigga, but he could not allow that kind of disrespect, especially in front of people. “I said, put your hands on your head and get down!”

King sighed and complied. The officers rushed him and placed handcuffs on him. The larger officer lifted King off the ground.

“What is the problem, officer?” King said smugly.

“You are under arrest for assault, King.” King looked closer at the officer. He had a baldhead, broad shoulders, and a goatee. King laughed aloud when he recognized who was arresting him.

“What up, Pool?”

“That’s Officer Pool, nigga. Come on!” Pool said, twisting King’s wrist back as he walked him to the patrol car.

“Man, you actually gonna take me in over some bullshit?” King said as he sat down in the cruiser.

“You pistol whipped a man in front of at least twenty people, and some even recorded it. You ain’t getting out of this one!” Pool said laughing.

King shook his head. Pool had been after King since high school. He had always been a big ass dude, whose family never had the money to dress him with any style for his size. His pants and shirts were always too short, and the fool could not even play basketball worth a damn. As a matter of fact, he didn’t play any sports. Just a big ass nigga, who always had hatred for King and his crew. Kareem, always a comedian, used to call him Lurch and clown his clothes, which didn’t help soothe his dislike of them. After high school, the nigga went off to college, and came back to Charlotte to join the police force.

“Yeah, you going down this time, Mr. Big
Do
pe
M
an.”

King shook his head. He knew that Pool was trying to bait him. He sat back and looked out the window. He was relaxed and he didn’t care what kind of video they had. He had a team of fucking lawyers on speed dial, and he would be out before they booked him.

__________