B00B1W3R6U EBOK (15 page)

“Wassup, ma? Long time no see.”

Rico had spotted Monica jogging through Fair-mount Park about a week after her talk with the judge. Monica had put the word out that she was looking for him, and as sure as gossip spreads, he found her.

“Hey Rico, how you been?” Monica asked as she caught her breath from the mile-long sprint she was engaged in. If things were going to work, she had to be absolutely irresistible, and her body had to be tight.

“I been good, ma. I hear you been trying to find me. Are you finally giving in and becoming mine?” Rico joked as they took a seat on a nearby bench so that they could talk.

“Stop playin’ with me. You know you don’t want me like that,” Monica responded, blushing. Her acting skills were in full gear.

“Ma, I been trying to get at you since I first laid eyes on you almost five years ago. You just never wanted to give me any play,” Rico came back, getting comfortable on the bench, but at the same time watching his back just in case the cops chose that day to take him down.

The cops had wanted Enrique Casarez, or Rico to everyone that knew him, for years now. They could never catch him with anything major to hold him, and everything he owned was in his mother’s name, so his papers were legit. Although he lived in the Mount Airy section of Philly, he stayed on the west side where he got his hustle on and made his name famous.

Rico had West Philly on lock. Just about every block was covered with workers making his money, and he knew if he were ever caught that would be one for the books. He stayed clean, never carrying too much money or product on him just in case he did get pulled over by some hatin’-ass cop. They hated how he was able to floss right in front of them and couldn’t do anything because half the police force was on his payroll.

“So, word has it that you been tryin’ to find me. What’s that about?” Rico quizzed, looking Monica in the eyes. His mother taught him when he was young that when you want the truth, look into a person’s eyes when you ask a question. The eyes tell you what you want to know, but Monica wasn’t the average storyteller and his little trick wouldn’t work here.

“Well, I needed your assistance in getting some protection. You know I stay by myself, and there has been someone lurking around the neighborhood, and I want to be prepared just in case he decides my house is his lucky pick one night,” Monica said with a sincere look on her face like she might really be afraid.

“Why didn’t you go to the guy you got your first burner from? The one you asked me to get rid of that night?” Rico asked, still trying to make sure Monica wasn’t up to any bullshit. As pretty as she was, he knew she had to have some sneaky ways about her, and he didn’t want to find out the wrong way.

“He’s locked up. The cops caught him for drug possession and arson. He had like ten guns in his trunk when he got pulled over and way too much coke for him to be smoking it himself.”

“I see, and you don’t know anyone else to get some heat from?”

“No one I can trust, and I knew you would take care of me,” Monica replied, hoping her story worked.

“If you let me, I would treat you like the queen you are,” Rico said, sizing Monica up. He had been trying to get her for a while, and he needed someone in his corner who he could trust with everything he owned. Monica was already established, so he knew she wouldn’t be on no gold digging type of mission; she would be loyal to him.

As it was known, Rico was large, but he was a good investor. He started selling drugs when he was only nineteen, making a way to put food on the table because his father wasn’t about shit. Although he had graduated from high school, he wasn’t making the kind of money needed to maintain a household with two other children in it. Burger King wasn’t paying that kind of money.

Working for a known kingpin, Johnny Constanza, Rico was paid weekly to run packages and given his own cut to hustle for extra pocket money for being loyal to his provider. Being business conscious, Rico put away a portion of his money every time he got paid until he had enough to purchase his own package.

Seeing that he was about making a come-up, he was put on to the same connect Johnny had so he could do his thing. Rico knew it was only a matter of time before Johnny went down, and he wanted to be put on before it was too late. Soon after that, Johnny for was snatched off the street, giving Rico full opportunity to blow up, and it didn’t take long.

“Rico, it’s not that easy,” Monica replied, happy he had played right into her trap. It was easier than she thought, and she was bursting at the seams with anticipation. All she had to do was find out how his operation worked and then she could end all this madness.

Keeping in mind the timeframe the judge gave her to make this work and knowing they were on 24-hour surveillance, she agreed to let him take her to dinner later that night so they could discuss the possibility of a future together.

Rico walked her to her car, and after making sure she was safely inside, made his way to his jeep, looking over his shoulder to make sure the feds weren’t on his neck. Speeding off, he went to tie up some loose ends before going back home to get ready for his date with Monica. He knew he had to come correct when dealing with her, and he didn’t want to give her any reason to think he couldn’t step up to the plate. He was also feeling good because he had just broken up with his girl that morning, and snagging Monica was a major step up.

 

 

On the way back to her house, Monica called the judge to inform him that the plan was set in motion. Even though she and the judge had a sexual relationship, they were actually kind of close. Friends, if you will, and Monica knew that if anyone could help Tanya out it would be him. Most people sent up for murder got consecutive life sentences or were sentenced to death. The judge, although he still put Tanya away, wasn’t hardly as harsh as he could have been.
Friends with benefits
were good to have, and Monica made sure the judge was always taken care of.

 

 

Over the next three weeks, Rico spoiled Monica, happy he’d finally found someone to hold him down. Trusting Monica with his very life, he put her on to how his operation was ran and told her enough to satisfy her curiosity so she wouldn’t feel like she had to sneak behind his back. He couldn’t honestly tell her everything—he wasn’t a fool—but he wanted her to know that there was definitely a level of trust there on her behalf.

Good pussy will do that to you, and Rico found himself getting more relaxed around her and not worrying about the feds as much. He was slipping up in a major way—exactly how Monica had planned it.

“Rico, instead of having your money in your house, did you ever think about hiding it somewhere else? I mean, just in case the feds did come here. You could lose everything. Maybe you should put it in a Swiss bank account or somewhere untraceable.”

Monica and Rico had just finished round two of their lovemaking, and she was wrapped in his arms like he would never let her go. For the first time in Rico’s life he was at peace, and it felt good. He was able to be himself around Monica, not having to lock everything down before she got there. He left bags of money out, not concerned that any would be missing because in his mind his money wasn’t any of Monica’s concern.

“I ain’t putting my money in no bank. You can’t trust those cats,” Rico replied, pulling Monica further into his embrace. His manhood was awakening slowly but surely, preparing for round three. At that moment he didn’t want to talk about money, he wanted Monica bent over the side of the bed with her ass in the air.

“Okay, I understand your apprehension, but I’m just saying, baby, if you at least purchased a safe you could keep it in my house. Only you and me would know the combination, and if you were ever raided, I could pay your lawyer with no problem. At least do that for the time being until you figure something else out. It would be a much safer option for you.”

Hitting on a nerve, Rico contemplated the scenario Monica laid before him, not sure what he should do.

“Let me sleep on it, ma, okay?”

“Okay, baby. I’m just looking out for you, you know.”

“I know, boo. Now turn over so I can get in there,” he replied, referring to her wetness. By the time Monica got done turning him out, they were dressed and at Home Depot that night purchasing a safe to take to her house. By morning the safe was stored in her living room closet, and Rico deposited a little over a million dollars in ten and twenty dollar increments into the safe. Monica made sure to keep the combination in a safe place, and after making love in front of her fireplace, they enjoyed breakfast and made a trip to the mall on him.

All this time, Rico was buying Monica little odds and ends, from clothes to jewelry. She would put it up in the hall closet for Tanya. She wanted her to be set when she got home, and not have to want for anything. Rico trusted Monica completely, and on the days he gave her his credit cards she purchased gift cards and clothes for Tanya’s son, telling Rico they were for her baby sister. Not really knowing her family, he went along with it, not finding a reason not to trust his girl. After all, she would never lie to him.

Time was winding down, and Monica had just about everything set up for the bust. Rico gave her a key to his home in Mount Airy and a key to the apartment he rented in West Philly where he did business. Monica made sure he separated his money in amounts of ten thousand, giving him the excuse that it would be easier for him to keep track of. Rico didn’t know that he was dividing the money up for the cops who were in on taking him down. Love will make you do crazy things, and his whole demeanor was in chill mode because he felt Monica had his back. With her by his side, nothing could go wrong.

“Monica . . . girl, what chu tryna do to me?” Rico moaned as Monica rode on top of him. He still couldn’t believe how he lucked up and got her. He had been trying to get with her for the longest, but nothing he said or did worked, and it had him wondering what he did differently now.

“Turning you out, boo, ain’t that what you wanted?” Monica responded as she contracted her walls around his shaft, making it virtually impossible for him to speak. She didn’t expect him to answer as she continued to work her magic on top of him. Monica made sure to double up on the protection with Rico because she didn’t want any mistakes this time.

This might be the only chance she had left, and when the test came up positive, she knew she had to do whatever was necessary to hold on to it. She had to be only a few weeks since she was sure it happened at the news station, and she took the liberty of scheduling an appointment to her OB/ GYN so she wouldn’t have a repeat of the last pregnancy.

Today would be the day. She had Rico spending mad cash on her, and she was doing what she could to get him to take her to his place. The feds had been watching their every move from day one. They were going to put them in separate cars when they raided the place, but once they drove off, Monica would be set free. The plan was to bust in on them having sex so he wouldn’t have any guns on him.

Monica’s body shook from anticipation. Tanya would be set free upon his capture, and Monica would be walking away with a nice stash because she convinced him that it was safer to hide his money in her house. Monica would be walking away with a little over a million dollars, enough to set up wonderful living arrangements for Tanya when she came home. Monica didn’t want Tanya back, but figured the least she could do was provide her a lavish place to call home. The house she planned to purchase was from a guy she knew in real estate who owed her a favor, and he cut her a nice deal on a three-bedroom home in the Over-brook area of Philadelphia.

Looking at the clock across the room, Monica saw that she only had about ten minutes before they were busted, and she made sure he wasn’t going to cum any until then. She had given the judge a key to Rico’s place so they could get him without breaking the door down. The judge was concerned about her being nude at the time of arrest, but Monica assured him it was perfectly okay.

After all, half the police force had already seen her in the buff, so what difference did it make?

The feds had already set it up for him to be picked out of a lineup for the murder by some guy they had paid off. It didn’t matter that the guy didn’t even know Marcus, they just needed someone to say Rico killed him. They had a jury ready to go made up of officers on the squad and all, and even the lawyer he would be appointed was in on it because they were all walking away with a nice amount of cash in their pockets. Rico’s money had money, so there wouldn’t be any problems dishing out the dough. Judge Stenton would be presiding over the case, and Rico was getting the death penalty by lethal injection as soon as he came in. Everybody would be eating for years off this one, and they couldn’t wait.

Monica maxed out all of his credit cards in the last couple of days by paying off her house and car note, and had him purchase a cotton candy pink Ford Explorer in her name for the winter months, paid in full at the dealership. Rico was blinded by all the attention Monica was showing him, and pretty much did what she said.

At exactly two o’clock in the morning the feds started entering the house while Monica and Rico were in the room getting it on. Monica had the radio on as planned so Rico couldn’t hear the front door open. They turned the lights off in the hallway so when they opened the door it wouldn’t shine into the apartment. After the building was properly surrounded and they were in the house, the plan went into action. Monica pulled him into her, making him explode just as the feds kicked open the door, catching him off guard. Literally snatching him out of the pussy, Monica played her part as she screamed and tried to cover up her body. Placing Rico in handcuffs, they let Monica put pants and shoes on him as she cried fake tears asking the feds what was going on.

They took Rico down the steps and put him in the car with Monica not too far behind with the handcuffs loosely placed around her wrists for appearances. Rico went off when he saw Monica being placed in the car next to his. He was trying to tell the cops she had nothing to do with it, but no one was listening to him. As they pulled off, he twisted into the seat screaming for Monica at the top off his lungs.

Rico wasn’t allowed to make his first phone call for almost two weeks after he was put in placement. His thoughts stayed on Monica, constantly wondering if she was okay. He didn’t know if she was brought in, but in the back of his mind something kept nagging at him. He didn’t want to think it because he was truly in love with Monica, but something smelled like a setup. He just couldn’t quit put his finger on it. The thought stayed on his mind well after he went to sleep, causing him to toss and turn at the thought of his love betraying him.

When he woke up the next morning, he went through the motions of washing and getting dressed, Monica still on his mind. The way things went down was just way too coincidental. He would have never gotten caught ass-naked like that.

The thoughts stayed on his mind, damn near driving him crazy by lunchtime. When the guards came by to check their cells after lunch for count, he noticed the female guard from the day before. She was always giving him flirtatious looks, and he wondered to himself if she could get him at least one call.

“Excuse me, miss lady,” Rico called to the guard as she walked by. She was sexy as hell, but he couldn’t see it as he tried to make sense of his situation. The guard smiled at him, relieved that he finally noticed her. She had been walking past his cell every day since he was brought to the facility, wondering when he would notice her. Yeah, she knew it was against the rules to engage in any contact (sexual or otherwise) with the inmates, but Rico was the shit. She could definitely hold it down for him.

“You talking to me?” she asked as she flirted openly with the inmate. Rico saw this and immediately took advantage of it.

“Yeah, I had something to ask you,” he flirted back as he got up from the hard mattress, flexing his muscles for her viewing pleasure. She leaned against the bars after she looked around to make sure none of her co-workers were around. One of her colleagues had just gotten fired for getting caught having sex with one of the prisoners, and she was not trying to go down like that.

“I was wondering if you could help me get a phone call,” Rico said as he talked close to her ear so that no one around them could here their conversation. He breathed softly down the side of her neck before catching her earlobe between his teeth, making the guard’s panties wet instantly. He knew if he got caught he would be sent to the hole, but he was wiling to chance it.

“What’s in it for me?” the guard asked as she thought of ways to make it happen. She was sure she could get her cell phone or someone else’s for that matter.

“What you want? It’s only so much I can do in my situation, you know?” Rico said as he passed the back of his hand over her tight fitting uniform shirt, lingering around her nipples before making his way to her neck.

“Let me see what I can do, but you prepare for some me and you time once it’s done,” the guard said before walking away, neglecting to check the rest of the cells so she could put her plan in motion.

Almost two hours went by before the guard came back. She opened his cell door and handcuffed him before leading him to the back of the building, using the cuffs to keep up appearances. Her captain was on vacation, so while everyone was out in the yard and in the recreation room she made use of the office where no one would be able to see her.

“You can use the captain’s phone, but make it quick,” the guard said quietly as she locked the door behind her, keeping the lights off so no one would know they were in there. “You have to be as quiet as possible, though.”

Rico was already dialing his right hand man, paying the silly-ass guard no attention. He knew he would have to twist her back out, but he had to get this phone call before she got scared on him. His partner’s phone rang five times before he picked up, each ring sounding longer than the last. Rico was trying to make it quick, and so was the guard as she stepped between his legs to untie the strings on his pants.

“Yo, it’s me man,” Rico said into the phone, trying to control his breathing as the guard pulled his penis out of his pants and began to perform orally on him. He leaned back in the chair, making it easier for her as he continued his phone conversation.

“Rico, my nigga. Don’t worry baby, I got your lawyer handling everything,” Rico’s man said into the phone, glad to hear from his friend. He didn’t know what to do and didn’t want to make any noise the night Rico got caught. He was just turning the corner to go to Rico’s place when he saw the law parked outside. Watching everything from across the street, he didn’t leave until he saw them put Rico into the squad car, not knowing if he had stayed a little longer he would have seen them let Monica go.

“Good looking, man. I really appreciate it. Now, this is what I need you to do . . .” Rico continued to tell his partner about the way things went down and his suspicions of Monica. His partner agreed that it sounded like a setup and told him he would keep his eyes open.

In the meantime, the guard went from giving Rico head to riding him with her back facing him. Ending the call, Rico held the guard by her hips and thrust back as hard as he could until he finally exploded. Knowing he just made a huge mistake, he pulled his pants back on, unable to look the guard in the face. He wiped his fingerprints off the phone and she straightened everything up. They made their way back to his cell quickly, Rico lying down on the cot so that he could gather his thoughts. Shit just got heated, and he was not in the mood.

Word traveled fast on the streets, and when Rico’s partner went to his apartment and saw everything missing, he knew for sure his man was got. Moving fast, he passed word to another partner on his team who had family in the same jail Rico was being held in. He updated his family member on everything, giving him strict orders to only talk to Rico about what he heard.

Rico was due to see the judge in a matter of weeks, but felt like he was betrayed because he still hadn’t heard anything yet. Rico stayed to himself, not really coming out of his cell except to eat. He was afraid of going down, and didn’t exactly want to do the time he knew he would be facing. He had been careful not to get caught all this time, making his beliefs that Monica had set him up seem more believable. Philippe, the connect between Rico and the street, had been trying to run into him but hadn’t had any luck. He knew Rico was about to be sentenced and wanted him to know what went down before it was too late, but he could never find him.

One night after a poker game, Philippe had one of the prison guards take a letter over to Rico explaining everything that he knew. The same guard who made it possible for Rico to make the phone call tucked the note into her back pocket, promising she would take it to him before she was off duty.

A couple of hours later while everyone was in the cafeteria she noticed that she didn’t see Rico so decided to go up to his cell block to pass the letter on. When she reached his block, it just seemed a little to quiet for her. Something wasn’t right and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it as she made her way past the empty cells. Rounding the corner to Rico’s cell, she almost fell out as the sight of his dead body hanging from the ceiling. Screaming uncontrollably over the radio, she called for backup as she struggled with the key, unsuccessful at getting the bars open.

Everyone was put on lockdown as guards swarmed Rico’s cell, everyone crowding the bars of their own cells as Rico’s dead body was wheeled through the corridor. The guard didn’t know what to do, totally forgetting about the letter in her pocket. She was going to reveal to Rico that she was pregnant that very evening, but he had hung himself before she got the chance.

 

 

The night before Tanya’s release, Monica had Rico’s apartment cleaned out, giving all of the furniture and clothing to Goodwill. The money he kept in the three safes he had in his house went to the law, each taking their share of the pie. Monica pawned all of the jewels after taking the diamonds she wanted for herself, adding another five hundred thousand to the money she already had.

When morning came, Monica was up at the prison in the office where Tanya would be released. After about two hours’ worth of paperwork and fingerprinting, they were ready to go.

When Monica saw Tanya approaching, she stood up, ready to receive a hug. Tanya acted like she didn’t even see her as she walked past her and pushed the button to call the elevator. Monica, hurt and confused by Tanya’s actions, walked with Tanya to the car quietly, not really knowing what to say. They drove for a couple of blocks before Monica could say anything to her, not knowing what to expect from Tanya.

“Do you want to stop for a bite to eat?” Monica asked, hoping Tanya would lighten up a little.

“I just want to see my son,” Tanya replied, not taking her eyes off the road. She was glad to finally be out of that hellhole she called home for the past few years and just wanted to see her family. They didn’t know she was getting out, and it would be a pleasant surprise.

Before taking Tanya to her son, Monica decided to show her the house and the car she purchased for her. Pulling up to the single-family home, she got out of the car and walked around to let Tanya out. Tanya just sat there looking at Monica and not budging.

“Monica, this doesn’t look like my mother’s house. I haven’t been gone that long to not recognize it,” Tanya said from the seat with a frown on her face.