A Project Chick (5 page)

Without hesitation, Radda opened the safe.

Two and Radda put the money inside the Louis Vuitton duffle bags. The more money that Lucky saw, the more excited he got. As Radda put the money inside of the bags, he began to cry and his lip was trembling. As he pled and begged. "Please don't kill my baby!" Lucky stared at Radda whimpering and exclaimed.

"Bitch ass nigga!"

"BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!" Three to the dome and one in the heart was what it took to shut Radda up permanently.

When the woman heard the guns shots, she started screaming hysterically. Almost simultaneously. "Boom!" Number One kills her to shut her up. Lucky runs out of the back bedroom. "Damn, what you kill her for? I was gonna fuck the shit out of her."

Pissed off that Number One shot the lady, Lucky demands him that he goes outside to wipe the Lexus down, because they didn't put on gloves until they got inside the house. Meanwhile, Lucky grabbed the money and instructed Two to grab the baby and the Osh Kosh B'Gosh baby carrier and they rolled out.

Lucky sat in the backseat with the money and the baby. When they were miles away from the house and closer to town, while the sun was rising, they pulled over next to the dumpster of a breakfast restaurant, and 26

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dropped the baby off. The whole time in the back seat, Lucky was slyly cuffing the money out of the bag stuffing it into his pants. Not counting the stacks of money that Lucky had stolen while in the back seat, he paid everybody evenly, including Taj.

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-4-

On the Road to Riches

Lucky's first priority was letting Taj know that he carried out the heist perfectly. He called Tressa several times, but she was never home. So, he took it upon himself, to take care of some of Taj's business, with Taj's share of the money. He paid Taj's lawyer $17,750.00 that was owed to him, and of course, he got a receipt for it. He put a bankroll on Taj's books to hold him over so he could live comfortably in jail. Not only did he supply Taj with money, he supplied Taj with an ounce of uncut dope (heroine) and paid a deputy to take it into Taj, so Taj could make some money while in jail. Lucky dropped a letter to Taj, and Taj wrote back and told Lucky what time to catch Tressa at home, as well as informed Tressa that Lucky would be calling her. He also gave Tressa Lucky's number and told her to call him ASAP! Tressa wasn't going to call Lucky. She had enough of trying to get money from dudes that owed her brother, and she did not feel like playing the money game. She had been through it time and time again with so many other people who claimed to be cool with her brother. In her eyes, this was no different.

When Lucky was locked up, he had always adored Tressa' s mannerisms. Every Sunday night once visitation was over, he would always replay in his mind Tressa's princess wave, the kind of wave that only Miss America would give when riding on the top of a convertible in a 29

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parade. Every single Sunday, while Lucky's mother was visiting him, Tressa was visiting Taj. Lucky could not keep his eyes off of Tressa. She was the prettiest thing he'd ever laid eyes on. In addition, when she'd make a few phone calls for him on her three-way, he loved the proper way that she spoke.

Lucky touched base with Tressa a few times, trying to get fit into her busy work schedule. She made it clear she wasn't missing work or being late to work. Especially for something that she knew in her heart wasn't a sure thing, because so many times before, she had been sold dreams and had been given false promises.

When it was time to deliver the money, he called Tressa and got her address. She told him that she didn't get off until 11:00 p.m., so she wouldn't be at home until about 11:30 p.m. He called at 11:30 on the dot. She gave him the address.

Lucky prepared all day for the three minutes he'd get to see Tressa. He got a fresh haircut, even though he had gotten one only two days earlier. He shined up his two gold teeth and he didn't put on clean clothes until 11:00

p.m., when it was almost time to go drop the money off. He made sure his clothes weren't too baggy, although he was skinny as a pole. He wanted to look presentable and make Tressa do a double take when she saw him. He knew when he was dressed and cleaned up, there was no doubt about it, he was a fine dark skinned brother. He popped a Peppermint in his mouth that he had stolen out of the

"Jerry's Kids" box at 7-11, and didn't donate one penny to, and rang Tressa's doorbell at exactly 11:47 p.m.

"Ding, Ding, Dong, Ding, Ding, Dong." The doorbell chimes sounded.

Tressa, wore out from work and resting her feet, sat on the couch near the door and was trying to gather some energy to get up. Tressa was so tired and burnt out from working her three jobs, but she would never complain.

Before rising from her comfortable position she asked.

"Who's there?"

"It's Luck."

Tressa was glad to hear his voice because she knew that he was bringing money, but she did not feel like 30

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entertaining any company. She dragged herself up to open the door. "Hi." She said drowsily.

"Hey, what's up?" Lucky said.

Lucky began to look around her apartment, it was not what he had expected at all. He knew she had class.

Not only did she talk the talk, but he had no idea that she walked the walk too. He remembered how Taj had talked about her struggles, so the picture he painted of how Tressa lived couldn't have been anymore wrong than he was. Boy, was he impressed. He couldn't keep from looking around, obviously adoring her taste and style. She had mirrors covering every wall, even the cocktail tables and entertainment center were mirrors. The carpet and living room furniture was white with silver flower accented roses on the tables. Even her picture frames on the mirrored octagon stand were silver or mirror. He walked over to look at the pictures on the stand.

"You, ummm, you really got a nice place. This place is beautiful. I know your man must feel comfortable when he comes home from a hard day's work."

"Thanks." She said with a little giggle. "No, there isn't any man shacked up with me. If it was, believe me, you wouldn't be here right now bringing me no money." He smiled.

"Would you like something to drink?" Tressa offered.

"Yeah."

"What would you like? I have water, OJ, cranberry juice, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sprite and Heineken."

"Give me ummm Sprite."

She brought it to him in a Champagne glass. He had already put the $52,000 on the table. He pointed to the money before he took the glass from her.

"When do your classes start back up?"

"They don't begin until next semester, but I have to register and pay for them now."

"That should be enough money to pay for school and quit two of your jobs. I think yo brotha told me your classes cost like 12G's a year. Yo brother's lawyer is paid in full. I got tha receipt in my pocket. Plus, I went down the to jail and looked out for Taj real decent, so he'll be a'ight for a minute on commissary. And when that gets low, I'll stack it up again."

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"Thank you Luck. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

He was getting too comfortable when his pager went off and he realized that there was somewhere else he had to be.

He looked at his pager, and stood up. "Duty calls.

Thanks for the thirst quencher."

"Anytime."

"Call me anytime if you need anything, day or night."

"Thanks, and be safe OK." She called out to him when he was halfway down the steps.

Luck couldn't figure it out, the way Tressa told him to be safe, really did something to him. None of his other girls or women had even cared about his well being, not even his own mother. All they ever cared about was that his pockets overflowed with cash and how quickly they could spend his money, including his mother. That was the only reason she came to visit him weekly. She wanted control over his cars and money while he was in the slammer. His mother never told him don't hustle, she only held her hand out. But the way Tressa said "be safe", was his conformation that he had to have Tressa. He wanted Tressa bad, real bad.

Sunday could not roll around fast enough. He talked to Taj on the phone, but he knew the only way he'd get to spend some time with Tressa, was to visit Taj. Lucky and Tressa would have to wait at least an hour before they would be able to see Taj. So, he met her down at the jail and sat on the stoop and talked to her. Lucky decided to take what he could get, not his usual style, but she was worth it. Initially, they only made small talk. Suddenly, this guy in a black Cadillac Sedan, with some air shocks to jack it up in the back, and a booming system, rode up and tried to talk to her. She dissed the guy.

Lucky laughed and asked. "Why you giving that dude such a hard time." But secretly, Lucky was glad she rebuffed the fool's advances. He had way more game than that clown.

She casually said. "Because I don't care how many coats of wax are on a brother's car. Can he pay some bills?

Can he help me/us elevate to the next level, or is his 32

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mentality going to be, how fat my butt in determining what he's gonna do for me? I don't have time for a brotha just trying to make me a notch on his belt. Shoot, I ain't no gold-digger, but if a nigga can't come in and add to my life, I don't need him."

"So, in other words, a brother gotta take care of you better than you can take care yourself?" Before she could answer, the Correction Officer called. "Visit for Taj Shawsdale." She grabbed her pocketbook and went through the doors marked for visitors and Lucky tagged along right behind her.

The visit with Taj went well. Tressa and Luck were sharing the phone, both listening in at the same time. Taj noticed the way Luck's whole mannerism changed when Tressa was around. He seemed to soften up a little and was less stressed. When Tressa went to the bathroom, Taj bluntly told Luck. "I see you got the hots for my sister man."

Luck hesitated for a minute. "I can't even front man, I'm in love with yo sister."

Taj put down the phone for a minute. He couldn't believe his ears. He was furious. "Look man, you my nigga without a doubt, but I can't give you blessings over my sister. That's my heart. I raised her since she was this high." He said while lowering his hand to just above the floor. "I can't have a slickster like yourself getting her caught up in some bullshit. I just can't have it, and I won't have it."

"Man, I would never hurt her."

"Nope, ain't happening. Plus, you be going back and forth to jail too much and getting in all those stupid ass beefs on the street!"

"Naaahhh man. See, I know if I am with her, she will keep me out of trouble. I know good and well I can't be in that crazy shit, cuz I have to stay on the street with her." Luck pleaded. "Man, I promise, I am going to take care of her." Luck begged Taj, like he was a kid begging his momma to go outside on a hot summer day.

Taj's, temper continued to rise as he could see the determination all over Lucky's face. "Look man, we're partners, you're my brother, she's your sister. How can you love
our
sister in that way?" 33

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"Taj, I'm going to take care of her. I give you my word man, I got her best interest at heart." It was clear that Lucky didn't care anything about the incest insinuation, so Taj came at Lucky in a different way. "Look man, if you cross those lines, our friendship ends."

Lucky's expression showed he was shocked but not surprised that Taj would say that because Taj was so overprotective of Tressa.

"Man, look you are my man. As long as I do right by her, what bearing should that have on our friendship?"

"Look man, I wouldn't even look at you the same and you'd look at me different." Taj raised his voice as he pointed through the window at Lucky, "SO, if you take it there, everything that we built, consider it gone cause you're tearing it down."

Before Lucky could respond, Tressa walked back up.

"What ya'll over here talking about. It looks mighty intense."

Taj didn't even want to comment. He didn't want to discuss the subject any further, because as far as he was concerned, his sister was off limits to Lucky. Lucky was good for, and could be trusted, to pull off heists for him and to send him drugs while he's in the inside, but over all he was a knucklehead. Lucky was not the pick he had in mind for his priceless sister.

As soon as Taj was ready to give his response, the guard annoyingly interrupted with his loud, deep voice.