Nine Lives: For the Love of Money (7 page)

“What do you mean by scaring you?” he asked.

“Don’t be facetious. You know what the hell I mean. She-is-scaring-me.”

“Yes but how? Has she threatened you, tried to hit you? I mean what has she done?” he asked me with a barrage of questions yet once again.

“Listen, it’s the glimmer in her eyes, a wacky smile and the stupid questions about where momma and Dorah are going.”

“I wouldn’t read too much into. She’s probably still in shock. You are all she has now. You said in the kitchen earlier her extended family couldn’t help her earlier. Now where is she supposed to go? What is she supposed to do?” he said to me.

“You’re right” I told him then planted a wet juicy kiss on his lips.

“Mmm, mmm good,” he said catching my attention. That’s the same phrase Hazel said to me in the kitchen.

“Damn, I must be buggin,” I thought.” I’m going from thoughts of my best friend trying to kill me to thoughts of her sleeping with my husband. I wish this madness would just end!!!”

I scratched my head and must have been mumbling to myself I realized because Infinity asked me what I was talking about.

“Oh, nothing. Let me go see if momma finished packing yet. You just be ready to take them downstairs to the car,” I forewarned him.

“Don’t worry. You know I’m not letting my seed go downstairs alone during this turbulent time.”

I looked at him sideways. I wasn’t sure anymore what I should be doing or who I should be trusting.

“Don’t worry, I’m coming with you,” I said.

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Chapter
7

I went into the room where momma was still packing.

“Ma, I love and will miss you,” I told her. “I always have and I always will.”

“Yea, yea, I know now close up this suitcase so I can get the hell out of dodge. I wish you could come with me but no you want to play superhero and take on the whole damn underworld. You’re bullheaded just like the men in our family; your father and Boogie too. I couldn’t stand it when your father was alive and I can’t stand that it’s in you, your nature,” she said.

I got up close and personal in her space. She tried to push me to the side. I didn’t budge.

“Lady, do you hear me. I said I love you momma,” I reiterated with tears welled up in my eyes.

Momma softened her resolve then said, “Baby girl, I love you too. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I won’t,” I cried then threw my arms around her.

She grabbed me in a sort of headlock embrace and whispered, “Don’t you trust nobody; not your husband, Hazel and most definitely not your brother. I don’t know why but my spirit is telling me that all their lives are in shambles and they’ll do anything to bring you down with them. You hear me baby girl. You better make it through this for the sake of this child, Dorah Margarete, and your momma,” she said sternly, grabbed my face with one hand then kissed me on top of my forehead.

“Love you too momma and don’t worry, I’ll take heed to your advice,” I confirmed so she wouldn’t worry too much.

“Good,” with that said, she grabbed Dorah with one hand and the suitcase in the other, “Open the door for me Lil Bit,” she commanded of me.

I opened the door only to be startled by Infinity coming out of the guest room where Hazel was at.

“Now what were you doing in there?”  I asked him.

“Nothing but checking on her bae,” he said acting a little confused by my question.

“Hm,” I said totally not feeling he was trustworthy enough to believe. 

“Nobody,” momma said and raced to the door.

“Wait momma we’ll walk you downstairs,” I screamed out behind her.

“Nah, we good. You two are the targets not me,” she said absentmindedly.

I say this because had momma really thought about it, everyone we loved was catching the black assassin’s bullets; not the three who were being left behind although she did try to kill us. I started to think it was to make us scared enough to back off while she went after the real intended targets. Either that or I really did have nine lives. I mean who can tell. Personally I would have loved to have nine lives but I know that wasn’t possible. Then the obvious thought came to mind. It was my guardian angel, my dad, Mr. John Davis Hunt.

Infinity bumped past me and headed out the front door. I knew being the man and protector he was of his daughter he was going to make sure momma and Dorah made it safely to the car.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked lightly on Hazel’s door which was slightly ajar. Without waiting for a response I opened it.

I was in for the shock of my life. On her bed was a suitcase filled with various handguns.

“Don’t you know how to wait until I say come in?” she barked at me startling me a little.

My mind clamored with the right words to say then I said fuck it; I’m going to say what’s on my mind. Number one this wasn’t her house, number two I had been through enough, number three fuck her and her feelings but the most important one was number four, I wasn’t her fucking punk, “I’m sorry. I’m a little confused by this being my house and all. Now, what the fuck is going on and why do you have all these guns?” I asked her.

“Well miss thang if you must know, when I found out my brother was killed I went to the ammo dealer on Jerome avenue. That’s what took me so long to make my way to you. I knew I’d have to kick ass somehow. If they killed my brother with a gun, then they get dealt with by the gun. Plus, I don’t know how many of them are there. What I do know now is that it seems to be
The Overseers
work and that can’t go by unpunished. They will get dealt with and so will anybody who stands in my way of getting my revenge. Do you understand?” she asked threaten.

“Why do I feel like you are addressing that question to me? I mean what the fuck did I do to you?” I asked her.

“Whatever Lil Bit, just know I mean what I say and say what I mean. The black assassin and
The Overseers
will get dealt with. Also if I was you, I’d watch that husband of yours. He’s too damn sneaky. Coming in here when you go talk to your momma with his suggestive eyes. But that’s YOUR boo though,” she said trying to be conniving.

“Yea you are right he is my boo. Now with that said, I’m not letting you go through this alone but don’t ever feel like you can one up me or put down my family. We are all hurting and need to stick together. Now do you understand me?” I asked her with authority.

“Yep, I sure do,” she said.

“Good pass me one of those guns,” I said with my eyes glistening from the thought of the power holding a gun would give me.

“Which one you want Lil Bit?” she asked me.

“I’ll try out the Beretta Cheetah,” I informed her in awe of the black beauty. She wasn’t too small yet not too big. She was just right and yes, I said she. I decided to call her BB.

“Great choice,” she said as she picked it up and passed it to me, kissing it goodbye first.  

I was elated and excited at the same time holding my new secret weapon. I think my kitty got wet. I was feeling like we were the black and latino Thelma and Louise when all of a sudden the house phone rang. I raced into the living room to answer it.

“Bae, bae, oh my God. They got your mother and Dorah,” Infinity yelled, out of breath, into my ear loudly to the point I thought my eardrum would burst.

“What do you mean by got them?” I questioned.

“I’m saying by the time I got to the garage after them they were being shoved into a van. I gave chase while on foot but it was going at such high speed there wasn’t a way to keep up.

“My goodness, how? How’d this happen? You went out right behind them,” I stammered with tears filling my eyes.

“Well when I got into the hallway, the elevator doors closed in my face. I had to wait for another one,” he began but by then I hung up the phone in his ear.

I couldn’t believe his ass could be so stupid. I wondered how during a time like this he could wait for an elevator instead of trying to catch up to his child and her grandmother by taking the stairs to the buildings lower level parking garage.

It was my turn to cry now and Hazel’s turn to comfort me. She grabbed me around my shoulders as I flopped into the same chair she was sitting in not even an hour ago. She kissed me on top of my head.

“Lil Bit, what happened?” she asked me.

“They kidnapped momma and Dorah,” I said sobbing.

“Damn, a baby? They are putting a baby into this? These motherfuckers have got to be dealt with TONIGHT!!” she exclaimed, got up from her seated position then banged her hand on the wooden coffee table. It wobbled a little but didn’t break apart.

I cried so hard it felt like my eyes swelled. I didn’t know how to get my child and momma back. All I know is they were my world. Especially my Dorah. I jumped up from my seated position and started flipping furniture over. I took a chair and threw it toward the window sending shattering glass everywhere.

“I swear, I’m going to kill those motherfuckers,” I sobbed uncontrollably.

After a few moments of us both cursing on how the black assassin and her leaders needed to be dealt with, Infinity walked through the door looking like he just stuck his hand into an electrical outlet.

“I bet you waited for the elevator, huh?” I said sarcastically  running toward him and swinging on him like he was just another nigga in the street. I wanted to hurt him more than I felt.

“Bitch don’t play with me. My fuckin daughter is missing. She’s been stolen, kidnapped by some ruthless motherfuckers. This is not a joke,” Infinity said letting out all his frustrations on me.  As I had done a minute ago to him.

I guess I deserved it. At times my mouth wasn’t anything nice. However, if he would have gone after my mother sooner, they may have had a fighting chance to get away. I know my mom is a fighter but with age, damage from former drug use and bipolar medication, who knows what blows of torture she can handle.

I prayed for my mother and daughter’s safe return. If anything, and I do mean anything at all happened to them, there will be a war in the streets that would make the national guard scared to come try and control. Casualty after casualty until the head of
The Overseers
fell would be my mission.

I swear I wouldn’t stop until my family was vindicated. In doing so, I would need Hazel’s involvement too. Judging by the armor in the suitcase on her bed, I’d have no problem getting her to see things from my angle. Not only was she hurting behind the loss of her family, she was angry over the death of her baby brother. Those two emotions plus her female hormones would have her walking into a lion’s den with raw meat tied around her neck to get revenge.

Hazel must have read my mind because when she started to speak I knew she was down to ride.

“Okay, now the last thing we need to do is turn on each other. While we may have our doubts, fears and anger we need to pool those emotions and change the dynamics of the game
The Overseers
are obviously beating us at. Now are we in agreement,” Hazel said grabbing Infinity and I placing us into a huddle like position, she continued after a brief pause, “I said we are getting beat at a game we didn’t know we were playing. It’s time for us to get it together. What’s your verdicts? Allies or nah?”

Before Infinity and I could get our thoughts in order to speak there was a loud knock at the door.

“Maybe momma and Dorah got away,” I said hopefully, as I got ready to run to open the door.

Infinity snatched me by my arm, “I doubt they got away that fast. I don’t believe they are even at the destination where they will be held captive at,” he stated.

“And how the fuck do you know that?” I questioned angrily.

“Trust me, I’ve been through and into a lot of things. I’m sure I’m correct about this,” he sternly stated.

Hazel piped in, “He’s right Lil Bit. Just take our word for it. We won’t steer you wrong. We have a vested interest in doing the right thing by you as well.”

I thought long and hard about what two of some of the most important people were saying to me when the knocking started again.

“Damn, get me a gat,” Infinity commanded of Hazel.

She ran to the back without hesitation and came back with the twin to my Beretta Cheetah. She placed it firmly in his hand then pulled out her glock nine milli from her waistband.

“If I don’t like how the person look on the other side of the door, I’m straight firing. We have no time to pet and pamper the enemy like they didn’t pet and pamper my family before killing them. Understand me guys?” Hazel said looking us square in the eyes.

“We got it,” Infinity said speaking for the both of us.

“Now go to the door, Lil Bit,” Hazel instructed me while her and Infinity stood side by side strapped ready to do gun battle like they were at the O.K. Corral.

This time it was my turn to give a few instructions. So I whispered loud enough for the two gunslingers to hear me but low enough so the person on the other side of the door couldn’t.

“Infinity, get your big high yellow ass over here behind the door; Hazel take your light ass over behind the wall over there so they can at least THINK I’m alone therefore, they’ll put their guards down,” I said.

“Right, my bad,” said Infinity.

I waited until everyone was in position, continued to the front door and peeked out the peep hole.

“Oh chill everybody, it’s Misty,” I said to them.

Hazel rolled her eyes and snaked her neck at me, “In a time like this how the fuck can you trust anybody.”

I thought about her words. They were the same words Boogie said to me over and over again.

“Now open the fucking door and see what this bitch want. Just remember if she makes any movement I don’t like, I’m sending her to meet her fucking guardian angel,” Hazel vehemently said.

My nerves were on edge now. I didn’t want Misty killed or hurt. In my heart I believed she had my best interest at heart. Then there was just a little nagging slim thought in the back of my mind but it warned me not to trust her.

When I opened the door Misty said, “Damn, I never thought you would open even though I heard voices in here. Can I come in or are you busy?” she asked me jittery as hell.

Noting her nervousness, I started to let her in when a familiar shadow pushed her through the threshold.

Infinity immediately pointed his gun in the black assassins face, followed by Hazel who held the gun to Misty’s head.

“Lil Bit, I swear I don’t have anything to do with anything. I was coming off the elevator when she pointed her weapon at me,” Misty stated teary eyed.

Hazel hit her with the gun, “Shut the fuck up bitch. You still shouldn’t have led her to the door. Now look what you have done.”