Forever a Hustler's Wife (11 page)

CHAPTER 14

Old School Rules

A
few nights later, Des walked into the bedroom and frowned when he saw Yarni sitting on the bed, surrounded by papers.

“Are you planning on working all night?” he asked.

Yarni tried to hide her annoyance. “What do you think?” she snapped. “You know I have to be on point with this Samuel Johnson case.”

“You’re right, baby,” Des said, kissing her on the forehead before he turned to walk out the room. “I know you have a lot of work to do. That’s too bad, though, because I just happen to have tickets for the Doug E. Fresh concert tonight. Since you’re so busy, I guess I can just tell my mother she doesn’t have to watch the baby—”

Yarni leaped off the bed, scattering papers everywhere, and flew into Des’s arms, smothering him with kisses. She screamed, her work forgotten. “What time does the concert start?” Des opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. “Never mind. I’ll be ready in twenty minutes.”

Yarni flew to her closet and pulled out a strapless denim dress and the matching shoes.

“You sure you want to go?” Des asked, trying to keep a straight face. “I know you have a lot of work to do,” he teased.

Yarni stuck out her tongue at him. “You make me sick,” she said before breaking into a smile. “Thanks, baby. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said, leaving the room so she could get ready. He knew he had gotten some brownie points indeed. Des hadn’t seen Yarni with that kind of energy in a long time.

During the concert, she sang every Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick song word for word. When they left the show, Des smiled, knowing that he was officially out of the doghouse. It would be smooth sailing for the rest of the night.

“Thanks, boo.” Yarni reached over to put a big, wet kiss on his cheek. “I really needed that to get me out of my zone. Thank you, baby.”

“How thankful are you?” He raised an eyebrow but kept his eyes on the road.

“Real thankful.” She gave him a naughty smile while rubbing his leg.

“You gonna show me?” He smiled.

“I always do,” she purred, as she reached to unbuckle his belt and undo his zipper.

“I didn’t say now, but that’s definitely what’s up.” He chuckled before she cupped him, then he drew in a deep breath. “All right, you really know how to make your man feel grateful to be married to such a beautiful and thoughtful woman.”

“How grateful are you?” she asked, as she unbuckled her seat belt and leaned down to lick his stiffening penis. Their car swerved out of its lane. She looked up at him and ordered, “Pull over and show me.”

He checked his rearview mirror to get back into his lane, and, as he gazed into it, he noticed that the same black Ford Taurus had been trailing him since they left the Arthur Ashe Center. Des wasn’t sure if it was 5-0, stick-up boys, or just a coincidence, but he didn’t believe in the latter. He signaled as if to change lanes, and the Taurus did the same thing. When he slid to a new lane, so did the Taurus.

He reached down to confirm his blue steel .357 was on the left side of his seat. Yarni was too busy enjoying herself and giving him pleasure to notice.

Des slowed and moved to the side of the road, almost coming to a stop; the Taurus kept going. Yarni thought they were about to get busy and was disappointed when he explained, “We’re gonna finish this when we get home.” She thought he was joking and proceeded to bless his wood with another warm lick, but Des pushed her back firmly into her seat and zipped his pants.

Although he wanted to have sex with his wife right then and there, he knew something wasn’t right, and he didn’t want to get caught with his pants down—literally. He drove for about two miles before he came to an Exxon gas station. He passed the gas station’s first entrance and, without signaling, pulled into the second entrance, causing the car behind him to slam on its brakes. As soon as Des pulled up to the gas pump, a green Ford Explorer drove into the gas station parking lot. A clean-cut black guy pulled close to the pay phone, rolled down his window, and appeared to dial.

While Des pumped the gas, he got a good look at the driver of the Explorer and was now sure who was following him. He walked into the station’s convenience store, giving himself enough time to think of a plan. Once he got back in the car, he handed Yarni a cold bottle of water and instructed her to “Buckle your seat belt.”

She heard the seriousness in his voice and did exactly as she was told without question.

“Make sure it’s tight,” he said with a smile, trying to mask the seriousness of his tone.

“What?” she said, looking confused.

“We’ve been followed since we left the concert, but don’t worry. If these motherfuckers want to play cat and mouse with me, then I’m going to raise the playing level.” He took a sip of his water and adjusted his mirror. “Let the games begin.”

Des put the car in drive, popped in his
Me Against the World
CD, and pulled off. While Tupac was continuously predicting his own untimely death, Des proceeded home, taking a long detour. Des wasn’t the average street guy, nor was he a creature of habit. He made it his business to learn and practice different routes, under various conditions, and to study ways to get in and out of places. He knew most of the cities that he visited like the back of his hand, so he was able to navigate through his hometown of Richmond much like a professional gambler travels the tables of Atlantic City.

After about thirty minutes, he was sure he had shaken the green Ford Explorer as well as the maroon Impala that had also been tailing him, so finally he started making his way home. Once he got to Sunrise Springs, the neighborhood just before his gated community, he noticed that the first black Ford Taurus was on his ass again, but Des was on his home turf, so he knew he was good.

Des and Yarni lived in Hanover County, in the suburbs. So there were no streetlights spaced every eighteen feet apart, glaring down on everything in their radius like in the city. There was simply pitch-black darkness, except for the nights when the stars were shining, and lucky for Des they weren’t out that night. Except for the sound of crickets, silence filled the air. Fortunately for Des, the motor on his $200,000 German-manufactured automobile was quiet, and the crickets concealed what little sound it did emit, allowing Des to kill his headlights and disappear into thin air.

For more than two years, he had been preparing himself, unknowingly, for this very day. For kicks as he cruised home, he would kill his lights and do the last block in total darkness, forcing himself to learn the course. Once he’d mastered the first block, he’d add another block, then another until finally he could make his way through the whole neighborhood in total darkness. After a while, Des grew bored with navigating through his own neighborhood in the darkness; in time, he conquered the three communities before his, never knowing just when what he’d started out doing for fun would come in handy.

Once their garage door opened, Des said to Yarni, who had been silent since the gas station, “They gotta do better than that.” He laughed, silently congratulating himself on outsmarting the men following him.

Yarni was not amused. “Des, this shit is serious.” Before he could even cut the car off, she was out the passenger side heading toward the door to the house. “You could’ve been dirty. They could’ve torn you off. We have a
baby
now. You can’t be putting yourself in jeopardy like that. I’m not raising Desi alone, Des. This shit was cute when we were younger, but you’re a grown man now. You need to start acting like it.”

Yarni stormed into the house with Des hot on her heels as she made her way up the stairs. “Look, baby, chill the fuck out,” he said. Des still had a triumphant grin on his face.

“Oh, you think it’s funny, huh? I betcha it don’t be funny when you in the penitentiary and I’m in the visiting room with your baby girl.”

“Would’ve, could’ve ain’t never got nobody no time,” he muttered.

“Oh yeah?” she asked, as she slammed the bathroom door in his face.

Yarni tried to get herself together before going to check on the baby. How could a night that started off so wonderfully end so horribly? She still couldn’t believe that they were being followed. Her heart slammed into her rib cage. She placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down. But she couldn’t do it. Knowing she needed to get some sleep, she took a Percocet from the bottle she kept hidden in the bathroom and washed it down with water.

After going to check on the baby, she felt much better. The pill made her worries about Des disappear. She knew sleep would be coming soon, but before it overtook her, she decided to finish what she’d started in the car. She found Des in bed flipping through the television channels. She surprised him by silently taking the remote from him, turning off the television, straddling him, and sexing him like he’d never been sexed before.

CHAPTER 15

Welcome Home

W
ELCOME HOME
banners were strung over Yarni and Des’s great room for Lynx’s coming-home party.

Although Yarni had tried initially to plan the party herself, the Samuel Johnson case was keeping her busy, so she finally left the plans to her sister, who was one of the most successful event planners in Richmond.

Bambi had outdone herself. The main focal point of the room was a huge portrait of Lynx, posing in front of his new car, courtesy of Des’s dealership. Waiters dressed in tuxedoes blanketed the place, serving everyone Dom Perignon as well as crab cakes and chilled shrimp. There were stations set up all around the room where guests could get their fill of appetizers or drinks before the main course was served. Only family was invited to the party, and Bambi wanted nothing but the best for her husband. Music courtesy of a local deejay was blaring in case anyone wanted to take advantage of the small hardwood dance floor with
WELCOME HOME, LYNX
stenciled in the middle, which Bambi had had constructed in the center of the room just for the party.

The men of the family sat around in the great room for a few minutes before Des gathered them up and invited them to his sanctuary. When they entered the G-room, Des turned on the basketball game, but no one was really watching it because they were shooting the shit.

The G-room belonged solely to Des. It was the only room in the house—the only thing in the world—that Des wouldn’t share with Yarni. She had no idea what lay behind those doors. He could have had some other family shacked up in there, and Yarni would have never known it. It was his own sacred place, and no women were allowed past the threshold. There were no exceptions to the rule.

The door required a combination to get in, and Des was the only one who possessed the digital sequence for entry. The place was set up like a loft apartment—if Des didn’t want to leave the room, he didn’t have to. There was a full-size refrigerator and a bar fully stocked with the best liquor money could buy. The room had been painted a dark brown, and everything a man could want was in there. There were
Playboy
and
Black Gold
magazines, car books, a huge flat-screen television, a collection of DVDs—including every black movie ever made—and a PlayStation 2 and Xbox with every sports game imaginable. There was also a pool table and dartboard at the far end of the room. Several leather Ferrari couches and recliners were scattered throughout the room so Des and his guests could kick back and chill while smoking Cuban cigars. There was also a secret escape door in case things ever got complicated or out of control. Des had planned the room well, and although he had a strict no-women policy, he didn’t open his space up to all men—only those in the game.

Lynx walked into the room. “This is some nice ma’fucking furniture.”

“My nigga, that’s Ferrari furniture,” Nasir said, as he calmly handed Lynx a cigar. “Have a smoke.”

Lynx smiled, glad to see a brother was shining. “Damn, ma’fucker, you selling Ferraris and rockin’ the furniture in your house to boot. Bro, you are doing big thangs. Can I get a job?”

“I ain’t the man you need to see.” Des looked Lynx in the eye as he handed him a drink. “Patron and cranberry.”

“Patron? What the fuck is Patron?” Lynx had heard a few rappers make reference to the liquor but had never tasted or seen the stuff.

“Tequila.” Des grinned.

“I’ve been gone that long?”

“Pretty much. Time don’t stop for no one,” Yarni’s uncle Stanka said.

Lynx looked around the room. “Look, man, I’m serious about needing a job. I’m trying to eat and feed my family, too. Break bread, my nigga.”

“I ain’t the nigga to see,” Des reiterated.

“If you ain’t, you one hell of an illusionist,” Lynx joked.

“I’ll ask around and see what I can do.” He glanced over at Nasir, who had settled into one of the recliners.

Nasir was all ears and had caught the whole conversation, although no one would have been able to tell from the way he was into text messaging Lava, who was downstairs with the other women. “What kind of work you looking for?” Nasir asked, his eyes glued to his T-Mobile Sidekick.

“I can move anything that needs to be moved.”

Nasir nodded, and he took a puff of the cigar. There was a knock on the door asking for entry. Des checked his close-circuit monitor and saw Lloyd, Yarni and Bambi’s father, standing there. Des buzzed him in.

“O.G.!” Excitedly, Nasir stood and embraced Lloyd. “What you know good?”

“Nothing, man,” Lloyd said, taking a seat on one of the sofas. “I just came to hang out with my family, see what’s up with you cats.”

Des handed him a glass of Patron, which he readily accepted. Lloyd took a sip and lifted his glass, nodding. “This is some good shit.”

Des nodded in return. Each man in the room had a drink in his hand. “I’d like to propose a toast,” Des said, after getting everyone’s attention. “To my man, Lynx. We’re glad you’re back home, and we’re looking forward to spending more time in the G-room.”

“Why do you call it that?” Lynx asked.

“’Cause I’m a gangsta, baby. You ain’t know? And this is the gangsta’s room,” Des said, before lifting his drink in the air. “Cheers, man.”

Yarni went upstairs to get the new photos of the baby to share with the family. As she was searching for them, a noise behind her startled her, and she swung around.

“You scared me,” she said to her sister, her heart almost skipping a beat.

“Sorry, sis, but I didn’t want to give this to you in front of everyone. I’ve been so busy today, I didn’t have a chance to do it earlier.” Bambi handed her a piece of paper. “Here’s the info.”

“Thanks, sis.” Yarni took the paper from her. “What do I owe you?”

“Chile, please. I gave my DMV girl fifty dollars and kept moving after assuring her I’d have some more work for her.”

“Damn, I really missed out having a sister when I was growing up, huh?” Yarni said wistfully as she hugged her sister. She hadn’t found out that Bambi even existed until a few years ago. The sisters had been trying to make up for lost time ever since.

“Shit. Me, too.”

Yarni turned around again to look for the pictures. Once she located them, she looked at Bambi and smiled. “You okay?” she asked, looking at her sister, who was watching her strangely.

“I’m fine. Are you okay?”

Yarni smoothed down her hair and gave her sister a weak smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” she said nervously, hoping it wasn’t evident that she had taken a pill seconds before Bambi walked in.

Bambi shrugged. “No reason. I know you’ve got a lot going on lately. I just want to make sure you know I’m here for you.”

Yarni looked relieved. She gave her sister another hug. “I know that, but thanks for saying it. Come on. Let’s go feed these folks. Even with all the appetizers, you know they’re probably hungry by now.”

The food was set up like a scene from the movie
Soul Food.
Bambi’s mother, Tricia, was a gourmet chef who owned seven restaurants. She had come in that morning to prepare all the food as a favor to Bambi and Yarni, and was planning to fly back out that evening.

Yarni had tried to convince Bambi to serve filet mignon and several other high-class dishes, but Bambi wouldn’t hear of it. She insisted soul food was Lynx’s favorite, and she had everything imaginable on the table—fried chicken, ham, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas, corn bread, and more. Yarni knew there would be plenty of leftovers. Even if everyone had seconds or thirds, there was enough food to feed her entire gated community.

Lynx’s brother Cleezy had arrived, showing off his wife, Mercy, in her new fuchsia dress, so now the party was complete. Yarni had never met Mercy before, but she had seen the movies based on the screenplays that Mercy had written so she felt like she knew her. Yarni gave her a big hug and introduced her to Lava, who had suddenly gotten shy, but Mercy put her right at ease and said that Lava ought to be in her next movie with that beautiful hair and skin of hers.

It was a perfect party, Yarni thought, a nice break from the stress of working on Sam’s case and worrying about Des’s case. The pill was starting to kick in, and nothing was going to ruin her night.

Before they started eating, Lynx stood to make a toast.

“Everyone got glasses? Here’s to family and friends and good times and to not a single ma’fucker in here ever going back to the ma’fuckin’ penitentiary,” Lynx said, and clinked glasses with Des.

Des said, “I’ll drink to dat,” and took a huge gulp, causing everyone to laugh.

The lights went out for a moment, then came right back on. Des went to make sure that the alarm and the other electronic household devices hadn’t been disarmed. He had taken only a few steps when someone banged on the door three times. It took him a second to recognize the noise since the music was still blaring. He went to the door and looked out the peephole as someone banged again. He hurried back to the dining room.

“Yo, it’s the police,” Des said loud enough for everyone to hear him. “Flush anything that ain’t right and take the kids upstairs.”

Tricia grabbed Desi while Lava grabbed Nya, Bambi, and Lynx’s daughter, and they hurried to the nursery.

When the house was kosher, Des sent Yarni to open up the door. She heard the police officers trying to get through the steel door, and when she opened it, she took them by surprise. “What happened to using the doorbell? Is it broke?” she asked with an attitude.

“We have a search warrant for these premises,” said a tall female officer, who was standing beside Detective Columbo.

“For what, and where is your search warrant?”

The officer behind Detective Columbo handed him the papers, and he presented them to Yarni as he pushed his way in through the door and the other cops stormed past him.

“Everybody on the ground; everybody on the motherfucking ground,” Detective Columbo yelled, as more officers swarmed in with their guns drawn.

“Let’s round these gangsters up, boys,” the detective said.

“Just follow orders and nobody gets hurt,” another officer said, as he watched over the fellas as they lay on the floor.

“Isn’t life good?” Detective Columbo said, walking into the dining room, where everyone was congregated. “You got the infamous Lynx and the Mrs.” He smiled at Bambi. “So nice to see you again. And little brother, Conrad, what are you going by these days? C-Note or Cleezy?”

He made eye contact with Mercy. “How was your flight in? By the way, I saw that last movie. I liked the first one better.” She rolled her eyes at him.

“And the up-and-coming young Nasir Taylor. No, we haven’t had the chance to meet. However, I know your whole family, and I know we’ll be getting acquainted soon.”

“Suck a dick, cocksucka,” Nasir responded.

“Don’t let that pig get you to entertain that swine he talking. That shit-eatin’ muthafucka ain’t shit and ain’t gon’ ever be shit,” Des told his nephew.

Detective Columbo chuckled and said to Nasir, “You, too, will know me before it’s all over.” Then he turned his attention to Bambi and Yarni’s father, Lloyd “Slot Machine” Pitman. Acting like a groupie who had just met his favorite rock star, he clutched his heart. “Sir, you inspire me so much. Why, you are the very reason I became a police officer.”

Yarni read over the warrant and headed over to Detective Columbo. “Can I talk to you for a second?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she walked into the hall. Detective Columbo followed a few seconds behind.

“You’re here to look for evidence for a murder case, not to arrest anybody,” Yarni reminded the overweight cop.

“If anybody gets out of line, they will be taken to jail or shot.”

“Listen,” she said, leaning toward him, “I know like you know, you don’t want that. The department and the mayor don’t want that. The mayor is up for reelection, and the police chief doesn’t want a lawsuit, so we’re all going to act like we’ve got good sense. I know you have a job to do, just like I have one.” Yarni tried to maintain her cool.

“Well,” Detective Columbo sneered, “hand over the evidence, then.”