The Trophy Wife (12 page)

“I'll give you three thousand for it,” the old white woman with bifocal glasses stated.

London frowned in exasperation as she put her hand on her hip and replied, “Three thousand? Come on, you know that's not a fair price. That ring is worth at least a hundred thousand. The least I can give it to you for is twenty grand.”

The old woman looked at the bruised face of the girl that stood before her. She knew that however much she agreed to give the young girl, it would be all that she had to depend on. Working in her profession, the old woman had seen plenty of young girls who were willing to pawn their most prized possessions just to get some quick escape money. She looked with pity at the desperate girl and replied, “I'll give you fifteen.”

“Deal,” London replied as she placed the ring on the glass countertop. She didn't think twice about trading it in. Most women would have had some type of attachment to their wedding ring. London saw hers as a shackle and she'd just been freed from its confinement. Now all she had to do was get to Kalil. She wished that she had his number so that she could let him know that she was coming, but she said, “Fuck it,” and decided that she would explain everything when she saw him face-to-face.

She almost thought about trading in her car so that she and Kalil would have more money, but figured that she should just get Kalil first.
He can take care of everything else. He will know what to do,
she thought as she nervously drove toward his place. London was terrified and her heart beat erratically. She kept checking her rearview mirror to see if Jake had sent anyone after her yet. She had only been gon' for an hour, but she figured that it wouldn't take her husband long to figure out that she was missing. She hoped that by the time he woke up, she would be heading down I-95, driving as far away as the four wheels of her Lexus coupe would take her.

 

 

Kalil leaned against the brick building, one leg bent, his foot resting against the wall as he patiently waited for Hova to arrive. He watched as the black '08 Cadillac DeVille pulled up and parked near the curb. He knew that it was Hova. The luxury vehicle stood out like a sore thumb in the run-down neighborhood. He looked both ways up the block to make sure that prying eyes weren't watching before he stepped toward the car.

Hova's driver exited the vehicle and opened the door for Kalil.

“What's up, Hov?” Kalil sat down on the plush leather seats.

“I'm glad that you decided to get back with me. I take it you're ready to get this money again?” Hova asked, a sly smile on his face. He knew that Kalil was capable of moving more keys than any of his other clients. He knew that if Kalil stepped back into the game then he would benefit from it.

“You know how I get down. An opportunity arose to make some easy money. You know I wasn't gon' turn it down.” Kalil wasn't trying to engage in small talk, so he cut straight to the point. “You got that?”

“Yeah, my young boy, Peanut, followed me here. The bricks are in his trunk. How long you think it'll be before I get my money?” Hova didn't have a problem giving Kalil the bricks on consignment because he was confident that Kalil was good for it.

“'Bout a week,” Kalil replied. The deal was going down that night, but Kalil wanted to give himself a little breathing room with Hova, just in case something popped off.

Hova nodded his head, pulled out a cigar, and hit the unlock button as he watched Kalil get out the car.

“I'ma get at you,” Kalil stated before he jogged over to Peanut's car, which was parked a couple feet away.

Peanut leaned out of the window and slapped hands with Kalil. “What's the deal, Kalil? You making moves without da kid?” he asked half jokingly.

“Nah, son, it ain't like that. If I was making moves, you know I'd take you with me. I just got some business to handle with my man, that's all.” Kalil walked toward the back of the car and hit the hood lightly, signaling Peanut to pop the trunk.

Peanut hit the button in his dash and Kalil opened the trunk to find three large black duffel bags sitting inside. He peeped his surroundings one more time before he lifted the bags from the trunk and walked across the street. “I'ma get at you, Nut!” he shouted as he jogged across the street and walked into his building to prepare for the drive to D.C. that night.

Hova watched as Kalil took the duffel bags from Peanut's car. He made sure that everything was one hundred with Kalil, keeping his eye on the drop until Kalil was safe inside the building.

“Everything all good, Jake?” one of his loyal disciples asked as he turned the ignition forward on the car, preparing to leave.

“What did I tell you about that
Jake
shit?” Hova stated sternly. He had established his hood name, Hova, a long time ago and hated when people referred to him by his government name.

“My bad, Hov,” his disciple replied.

“Let's go,” Hova instructed in an annoyed tone of voice. He sat back and rested his eyes as they pulled away from the curb.

“Yo, Hov, ain't that your wife?” the disciple who sat beside Hova in the backseat asked as he eyed the woman who was passing them by.

Hova sat straight up in his seat and peered out of the tinted windows. His temper flared when he saw her.
What is she doing out of the house? She thinks I am just going to sit idly while she runs out on me. I've already told her there is no escaping me,
he thought to himself.
Bitch must think I'm a joke or something. What the fuck is she doing on this side of town anyway?
“Make a right at this corner and swing back around,” Hova instructed calmly, not wanting to reveal his anger to his disciple.

 

 

“Time's up!”

The sound of the guard's voice snapped Ashley and JaQuavis out of their trance. They'd been listening to Kalil's story for the past two hours and were completely awed by it. Visitors were only supposed to have thirty minutes of visiting time, but JaQuavis slipped the floor guard a Benjamin Franklin to let them overstay their time.

“Damn, that's so fucked-up,” Ashley said as she held her hand over her mouth. “So Jake was Hova? You were fucking with his woman and didn't even know it!”

“Yeah, I didn't have a clue.” Kalil crossed his hands and looked back and forth at the two authors.

JaQuavis wanted to hear more. “So what happened after that? Did he try to get at you after he found out?”

“Time's up!”

The guard walked over to Kalil and forcefully picked him up by his arm. “I said it's time to go!”

“We will be here next visiting day,” JaQuavis assured as he watched the guard carry Kalil away. His story was so intriguing and interesting that they were itching to hear more, but now all they could do was wait.

 

 

 

Ashley and JaQuavis walked to the table that Kalil was sitting at, but this time they came prepared with notepads and pens. Kalil wanted to share his story with the world and they were going to help him do just that. Kalil didn't waste any time. Without even saying hello, he picked up right where he left off.

As London approached the high-rise project building, her heart began to beat uncontrollably. She parked her car on the side of the street, hitting her alarm as she got out and rushed into the building.
Please let him be here,
she thought as she took the elevator up to the sixth floor.

She stood in front of Kalil's door and thought about what she was about to do. By leaving her husband she'd just put her life in danger and she prayed that she could get out of New York before he could find her. She took a deep breath and lifted her hands to knock on the door.

Kalil heard the knock on the door and immediately rose to answer it. He didn't want the sound to awake his daughter from her slumber.

Quinn poked his head out of the bedroom door. “You got that?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Kalil replied as Quinn closed his door and returned to his room.

Kalil opened the door and the sight of London standing before him broke his heart in half. She had so many bruises on her face and neck, the sight alone made murderous thoughts run through his mind.

She stood in his doorstep with her head down.

“He hurt me, Kalil. I can't take this anymore. I can't go back there. He's going to kill me one day.” Her voice cracked as all of her fear, frustrations, and anger surfaced, and a fountain of tears appeared in her eyes.

Kalil grabbed her hand and pulled her close. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you go back there,” he whispered in her ear as he held her body gently.

Her head rested on his shoulder as she continued to talk. “He tried to throw me out of the car, Kalil. We were driving down the expressway and he told me to get out! He's going to kill me. I know he is.”

“Ssh, he's not going to kill you, ma. I'm not gon' let nothing happen to you. Why didn't you call me?” Kalil stepped back slightly so he could look her in the eyes. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips. “I would have come for you.”

“I couldn't. I think he found your number. I know he did, because I couldn't find it anywhere, and he's been flipping out on me.”

“Fuck this, yo. Where he rest at? It's time for me to see this nigga.” Kalil walked over to the coat closet and pulled his .45 from up top.

“Kalil, no! Please, I just want to leave here,” London begged.

Kalil could see that her fear had taken control of her, and he held onto her tightly as he tried to calm her down. “Okay, okay. How do you want me to handle this?”

London looked up at him, her vision blurry from crying. “Kalil, I'm in love with you. I love you, and after spending time with you, I can't stay in my situation. I don't know if you feel the same way that I do, but you showed me how a relationship is supposed to be, Kalil. I need you in my life. I've never been happy before I met you. I don't care where we go. I just want to leave New York.”

Kalil took a deep breath and released it slowly. He was tired of watching London get hurt at the hands of her husband, but he knew that it was better for him if he just took her away from the situation.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Kalil pulled London into the kitchen. “Listen, ma—” He picked her up as if she were a child and sat her down on top of the counter, then eased himself between her legs. “I've been feeling you since the first time I saw you. I've watched this nigga hurt you repeatedly, and every time I've had to swallow my pride because you asked me to step off. I love you, ma.”

London's eyes looked hopeful when she heard the words
I love you
leave his mouth, and Kalil peeped the way that she looked up at him in surprise.

“Yeah, London, I love you. I want to take you away from everybody that has hurt you.”

“I have some money. We can leave.”

Kalil wanted nothing more than to leave this city with London and his daughter by his side, but he couldn't go from one hood to the next hood. He wanted to be able to provide a better life for London.

London saw the look of doubt that crossed his face. “Please, Kalil, I can't do this without you. I need you in my life.”

Kalil nodded his head. “Okay.”

“Okay?” London asked in surprise.

“We can leave town, but you got to let me get my money up. I've got something set up with my man from D.C. I got to deliver these bricks.” He saw the skeptical look that crossed her face. “I promise you, one run and I'm out the game for good,” he whispered as he caressed her cheek. “I love you. I need you behind me. I swear, we'll blow town tomorrow night, a'ight?”