Thicker Than Water (17 page)

Chris and Neli squeezed into the booth and sat across from Tatum and Ree and as if noticing his sister for the first time, he finally said something and tried to use the situation as an opportunity.

“Oh shit! What up sis? What up boss? Damn I aint know yall was kickin it!” Tatum rolled her eyes because Chris had obviously come in the club drunk, or high off of something she had never seen before. He kept running off at the mouth as Ree just stared at him blankly. Chauncey was really hoping Chris didn’t say anything crazy.

But Ree stopped her by putting his finger up to her. She took a deep breath and sat back. Ree tilted his head to the side, putting a stare on Chris with hard cold eyes that gave everyone at the table a chill. 

“Listen lil’ nigga, don’t you think you a little out of line here?” He asked seriously. 

Chris went to respond but Ree cut him off a little angrier.

“Nah mothafucka you don’t talk when I talk! You don’t ask questions, and you don’t answer them mothafuckas until I tell you to! You don’t make comments, none of that shit! Don’t ever disrespect your sister, or me by asking me shit that has to do with us.” He used his fingers to emphasize us by pointing back and forth between himself and Tatum. Tatum smiled lightly although she didn’t like seeing her brother get chewed out like that.

“You sit there, wit ya chick, drink ya champagne, enjoy the scene and shut the fuck up. We talk about promotions when I see some money from ya non productive ass nigga.”

Chris swallowed hard, sobering up quickly and nodding his head in understanding. Everybody looked down embarrassed for Chris but knew he had it coming. Chauncey just shook his head, happy that was all Ree did. Just as Chris reached for the bottle of Patron, Ree grabbed the bottle and leaned over the table to pour Chris’ drink for him, lowering himself to Chris’ ear so that he was the only one that could hear him.

“And if you ever, ever talk business at a table full of mothafuckas that don’t got shit to do with my organization, you gonna swallow your own fucking tongue, you feel me?” Chris nodded and Ree poured his drink, and poured himself one as well. Everyone else had no idea what was said to Chris, but Chauncey had a general idea. Just Chris slipping up and calling Ree boss in front of people, talking anything that had to do with business called for serious repercussions. Ree was extra careful on keeping his business and status low key.

The evening continued on as normal and Chris must have apologized fifty-eleven times to Ree, but Ree just made him apologize to Tatum. Around 5 a.m. everyone started heading out to the parking lots.  Just as Tatum was getting with Sasha and Kim outside, Ree came up behind her and whispered in her ear.

“Come home with me.”

She turned around and looked at him, really looked at him, and realized how bad she wanted to. Just the way his breath tickled her ear and how good he smelled was enough to cloud her judgment.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He looked at her knowing that was not the answer she wanted to give.

“Is this about the other night? Listen Tatum, I already told you. I’m sorry that I scared you, or that you had to see another side to me, but I’m not going to apologize for what I did.  That nigga was a clown and he was disrespecting, I don’t know any man that would’ve done anything different,” he pleaded. Tatum sighed.

“Ree, you’re not the kind of man that’s right for me.”

She couldn’t believe she said it and even as the words were coming out of her mouth, they felt wrong. He nodded his head, realizing that he didn’t have a response.  He knew he was wrong for her and he knew she was just as deferential to him as he could be to her. But he didn’t care.

“Tatum, what if I told you that I would do anything to be the kind of man that’s right for you? What if I told you that you just have to give me some time, and I could be anything you want me to be?” He paused then continued. “Huh, what if I told you that?”

She bit her bottom lip to hold back the emotions she felt coming on. This was really real, and at that moment she didn’t care anymore, she had a man crazy about her, a real man that any woman would want, and he wanted her, and damn it felt so good.

“Tatum, what if I told you that?” He repeated. She looked at him and smiled that smile that won him over the first night they met and then she spoke.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go home with you.”

After Tatum told Sasha and Kim that she was going home with Ree she walked with him to his car. As he held the door open for her to get in the passenger seat, they shared a smile and he told her he’d be right back. Tatum looked around the crowded parking lot at everyone pouring out of the club. People were drunk, sweaty, and trying to find somebody to spend the night with. Tatum felt like she had the prize.

She could see Ree talking to her brother and Chauncey as Neli stood a distance away staring at Chris. Or was she staring at Chauncey like that? Tatum focused on Ree. He seemed so calm and in control. She thought about what Sasha had told her about him being a boss. You could definitely tell from studying the conversation. Ree controlled the scene while Chauncey and Chris looked and listened. After a few minutes he got in the car. While he started the car he informed Tatum that Chris and Chauncey would be accompanying them back to the house briefly and Neli would be there to keep her company while they discussed some things. Tatum shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but she really just wanted to chill with him and she definitely wasn’t trying to be around her brother or Neli.

After what seemed like the shortest drive ever, due to Tatum’s quick doze off, they arrived at Ree’s mini mansion in West Orange. Tatum and Neli headed to the living room while the guys headed upstairs to the study. For a friendship that used to be so tight, Tatum felt like her and Neli were strangers. They sat on opposite ends of the couch and barely made small talk while Tatum flipped through channels trying to mask her discomfort. Neli looked down at her feet unable to really look at Tatum and adjusted her top and skirt a million times. Finally the men emerged, relieving both Tatum and Neli from their torture.

As Chris headed for the door he motioned for Neli to come on, and gave a nod to his sister. Something inside of him was very bothered by the fact that his sister was fucking his boss. It wasn’t that Chris was the protective brother type at all, but it just seemed like everyone except him was coming up with Ree. It was like a slap in the face that his own sister had gained Ree’s trust and respect and he was still trying to earn stripes. Neli could see his frustration and planned on playing on it the second they were alone. She said her goodbyes to Tatum, Chauncey, and Ree and headed out the door behind Chris, after giving Chauncey a long stare that said a thousand words. He completely ignored her. Ree walked over to Tatum and sat next to her on the couch.

“Listen, why don’t you go upstairs and get up out these clothes. Get a little more comfortable, take a nice little bath, or shower and relax. I’ll be up right behind you.”

She smiled and nodded as she got up and made her way up the marble staircase.

“Goodnight Chauncey.”

“Alright Tay,” he said half smiling, not really believing himself that Ree and Tatum ended up together. It was funny to see her in his house, and she was really
in
his house, Chauncey knew Ree had to be big on her.

“Nigga, you know damn well I aint talking bout Tatum. I’m talking bout shorty that just walked outta here with ya young boy. You knocked that down man? What’s going on? You fucking wit business?”

“Nah Ree. I’m not fucking wit business, on my word. This will not fuck with the business at all.”

Ree just looked at him seriously and nodded slowly before continuing.

“Now you know, I just gave that boy over a half a million worth of product along with the paper to take to the stash house on the strength of you. You put ya word on it that the boy could handle it. The lil nigga wanna prove he deserve a spot, so I went wit it, but now, you, you wanna go and fuck his broad. C, if he fuck this up.”

Chauncey cut Ree off before he could finish.

“Respect I swear the nigga will not fuck wit ya paper or your product. That’s my man yo, he stand up for real. You gonna see, he gonna handle it all real well, I bet you the shit make it to the safe house fine, every drop and every dime. I’m telling you, you could even let him break it, stamp it, and distribute it.”

Ree just motioned his hand as if to say
‘whoa, let’s not go that far.’

After a long pause and realizing that it was nothing he could do now, it was out of one trunk and into another, he decided to take Chauncey’s word for it. If Chauncey would be moving up in rank soon, he would have to respect his word and his judgment. Ree put his hand out and Chauncey shook it, as a sign that he was taken his word for it. As he walked Chauncey to the door he gave one final word of advice.

“Don’t fuck her again.”

Chauncey just looked at Ree and understood so many things, that it was no need in denying, no need in explaining and most importantly no need in questioning it. Ree was serious, and although Chauncey had no intention on fucking with Neli anymore, it went from something that he couldn’t do anymore to something he better not even think about doing anymore. Chauncey nodded and Ree closed the door behind him, and then turned off the lights and headed up the stairs to unwind with Tatum.

As Chris hung up the phone thinking of Chauncey’s last words in his head
‘take her home first’
, he thought about how crazy shit was. He felt like Tupac himself and it was him against the world, fuck it him and Neli against the world, and they were like Bonnie and Clyde.

He looked over at Neli and thought about how much he wanted to prove to her that he could be the man she wanted. Anything that she ever saw in Chauncey, he knew he could be for her. He just had to play the game a little more and get in good with Ree, and then he could knock Chauncey out the box and move up in rank. It was simple. He knew there was talk about expansion and Ree was looking for lieutenants. It was definitely time to show and prove.

“Neli I gotta drop you off baby, but I’ll be back to get you later.” Neli played on it.

“No Chris! Why you gotta drop me off, because Chauncey told you to? Damn, you do everything he tells you, you like his little runner boy or something!”

Chris sucked his teeth hard, he was tired of people trying to play him.

“Yo get the fuck outta here, I aint nobody runner boy, I just got business to handle. When Chauncey had to handle business I bet you wasn’t questioning him about his shit.”

She went for the kill.

“That’s cause you aint Chauncey. You could never be Chauncey. And what kind of business, I heard the way Ree shut you down, you aint holding no real money.”

“No real money huh? Okay, you’ll see,” Chris said as he took a beeline from the direction of Elizabeth and jumped on 1&9 heading to Newark.

“Whatever,” she responded.

Chris prayed silently as he headed to the stash house in the Forest Hill area that no one would be around. As he pulled up he breathed easy feeling that his prayers were answered. He parked, and then hopped out of the 5 series BMW that he had just purchased, and opened the door for Neli, who sat in the passenger side looking confused.

“Where are we going?” She asked coyly. He smiled like he was the man himself and rubbed his chin.

“You wanna see some paper right?”

Neli walked up the stairs, almost falling as Chris used his free hand to balance her. The other arm and hand occupied the two large duffle bags filled with money and drugs. Once at the top of the stairs Neli used the set of keys that Chris gave her to open all four locks on the door.

As Neli looked around, it wasn’t as bad as the walk up would have predicted. The apartment was basic, two mattresses sat one on top of one another off in the corner, a lamp sat plugged in on the floor along with a radio and television. Neli saw McDonalds’ bags and half empty soda bottles on the floor, along with binoculars. Other than that the place was all white walls and wood floors.

“What are we doing?” She asked again.

“Just go sit down,” Chris demanded, a little annoyed.

He locked all four locks on the door and walked over to the other side of the apartment taking a seat on the floor near a window. He immediately began looking at the product and thinking of all the possibilities. He looked up at Neli repeatedly to make sure she wasn’t up in his shit.

Neli went and sat on the mattress and turned on the television although she was barely concerned with the TV, she was more so concerned with what Chris was doing but didn’t want to seem pressed. She found a channel playing videos as she tried to get comfortable on the mattress. Finally he looked at her and motioned for her to come to him. She walked over to where he sat as he unzipped the duffle bag, revealing the most money Neli had ever seen in her life. Her heart began racing.

“Oh my god,” she muttered, almost in a whisper. Chris smiled at her admiration and then stood up, almost nose to nose with her.

“You ever had sex on a half a mil baby?”