Welfare Wifeys (32 page)

“Dude, you bugging,” Animal told himself.

There was only a few hours left before he was to meet Don B. and the crew at Code Red so his best bet was to push back to the crib and lay low until then, but first he wanted to swing by the liquor store and get something to sip until then. A stiff drink was just what he needed to calm his nerves.

Animal pushed the Beamer up Broadway knocking the new Styles P. joint and feeling himself, as everyone watched his car. It felt funny riding up to 145th Street as a civilian considering all the dirt he’d done up that way over the years. There was a time when Animal would only venture that far up Broadway to buy drugs or kill someone, so he made sure to stay on point for people who might’ve had old scores that needed settling or general haters.

When Animal pulled into the bus stop outside the liquor store it seemed like every eye on the block landed on him. When he slid out of the vehicle his heavy jewels drew positive and negative attention. Those in the know could smell death on the fresh-faced young man so they wisely gave him a wide berth, and those who didn’t know what it was would find out if they tried to press him. Three minutes after he’d entered the liquor store he came back out, clutching the black bag to his chest like it was the game-winning football and jumped back in his ride. The Hennessy and Nuvo would provide
him a nice buzz, but the additive he’d stashed in the car would make the ride a truly dreamy one.

When he got to the top of the block he happened to look out his window and notice a mural painted on the wall. It was of a fresh-faced, brown-skinned youth wearing a Gucci bucket and gold crucifix. The birth and death dates put the young man at about twenty-two years old. When Animal closed his eyes, he could hear the shots and smell the acidic bite of gun smoke as if he were living the moment all over again. The boy had made the misfortune of running afoul of a member of the Commission. It was never made clear what the offense had been, nor did it matter to Animal at the time. When the money was dropped the boy’s life was forfeit.

A car beeping behind him snapped Animal out of his daydream. He looked in his rearview and saw a tinted blue BMW 335i flashing its high beams and beeping the horn hostilely.

“Fuck is wrong with you, move ya shit!” he could hear a female voice shouting at him. Animal shook off the ghosts of his past and rolled through the light just as it was turning yellow. On the next block he pulled over at the bodega to grab a few Dutches before he went home. As he was getting out of the car the BMW that had been flashing him pulled to an aggressive stop behind his ride. Sensing trouble he dipped his hand into his back pocket where he had put his .380. The car was tinted but he could see two chicks in the front, but there was no telling who could be lying in wait in the backseat. No one knew better than him how trifling females could be.

“Ain’t you that kid Animal?” the driver called out. She was a pretty Spanish girl with chinky eyes and silky black hair that she wore in a ponytail.

“That all depends.” He squinted, trying to see through the tints. His body was tense, poised to spring into action at the first signs of something shady.

“Damn, baby, why you all uptight? I’m just trying to get an introduction. Come here and let me holla at you.”

Animal gave her a comical look. “Shorty, what the fuck I look like to you?”

“Get out the car and go talk to him,” the dark-skinned girl on the passenger side urged the driver. She and the driver went back and forth for a minute before the driver finally got out of the car and when she did Animal had to do a double take. She was about five feet five with a slim waist and hips that curved almost perfectly. As she moved toward him he let his eyes roam from her angelic face to the tight blue jeans that hugged her thighs like a second skin.

“You can eighty-six the hammer. I ain’t got nothing on me that can hurt you,” the pretty girl said when she stepped on the curb. To prove her point she turned in a slow circle so Animal could check her out.

“That’s a matter of opinion,” Animal said slyly with his eyes locked on her ass. “So, what you want from me, ma? An autograph or something?”

“Stop it five, I’m a fan, but I ain’t no groupie. You can save the autograph, but I’ll take an introduction. My name is Kelly,” she told him. When her lips moved it was like watching two rose pedals blowing in a soft breeze.

“As you already know, they call me The Animal.” He shook her hand. Her nails were freshly done with a fly airbrush design on them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kelly.”

Kelly held his hand a little longer than necessary. “Nah, the pleasure is all mine. Since we’ve got the introductions out of the way how about you slide me your number so we can continue this conversation at a time when we’re not double parked and at risk of getting tickets.”

“I don’t give my number out like that, shorty,” Animal told her.

“Isn’t the female supposed to be the one to say that?”

“Baby, you got jokes. But to keep it one hundred with you, I got a girl and a chick as fine as you is liable to cause a situation,” Animal
said honestly, not believing the words coming out of his mouth. Tech was probably rolling over in his grave at that moment.

“That’s good to know. That means you won’t turn into one of them clingy ass niggaz on me.” She smiled. Her teeth were almost perfect except for the slight gap in the top row. “Check it out, daddy. I ain’t trying to marry you, just trying to make a new friend. I don’t wanna scare you.”

Animal chuckled. “I don’t fear nothing but God, shorty. I’m just trying to let you know what’s good with me.”

“And I’m letting you know what’s good with me.” Kelly pulled a business card from the pocket of her jeans and handed it to Animal. “I ain’t gonna take up too much of your time because I know you’re a busy man, but you might wanna make your next move your best move. Take care, Mr. Animal,” she said and sauntered back to her car, where her friend was giggling like a schoolgirl.

Animal stood there for a time still trying to make heads or tails out of what had just happened. He loved the shit outta Gucci, but Kelly was a bad bitch and for a minute he thought about jumping out the window.

His cell going off letting him know he had a text message snapped him out of his lustful fantasy about Kelly. The text was from his lil home girl and though it was only one word it spoke in volumes.

Food
.

Ras’s Lexus looked like a shiny windup toy double parked on the corner of 131st and Seventh. He had just got the sleek black car detailed and applied two extra coats of polish to the rims so that everyone would notice him when he rolled through the hood. He sat on the hood in his gangsta lean looking like new money, dressed in a Gucci jacket and crisp jeans cuffed over his Gucci shoes. His heavy gold chain swung from his neck with the sun bouncing off the clear diamonds in the medallion. He checked the hour on his gold watch for the fifth time in as many minutes, wondering what was taking his shorty so long to come down. As if on cue he spotted her making her way through the projects.

Mimi turned every head when she came strutting down the pathway to the avenue. She was a tiny thing of five-five with porn star curves and pouty pink lips. She was dressed in a black leather miniskirt that strained to hold her shapely thighs and the matching jacket with high red boots. Her long, plum-colored hair blew in the wind when she moved like Julia Roberts in
Pretty Woman.
The shirt she wore beneath the leather ensemble was cut so low that you could see the five tiny stars tattooed across her breasts. Ras couldn’t help but to smile at the sight of Mimi and the larcenous stares she
was getting from the guys. They could look all they wanted, but they would never be able to touch because she belonged to him.

“Hey, daddy.” Mimi stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Ras’s neck. She kissed Ras passionately while his hands explored her ass, not caring who was watching.

“I missed you, baby,” Ras said tenderly.

“Not as much as I’ve missed you.” Mimi gave him another peck on the lips for good measure. “You be so busy lately that I never get to see you, so I look forward to the little bit of time that you make to spend with me.”

“I know, baby, but I’m working on it. Once I find some trustworthy guys to replace the ones I lost in the last raid I can kick back for a minute,” he said, thinking of the lieutenants he had been meaning to replace for the last few weeks. With Ras overseeing everything and not having to pay lieutenants it meant extra money in his pocket, so he was taking his time about hiring help just yet.

“If you want, I could reach out to some of the guys in my hood. I know them niggaz are always thirsty for a come up,” Mimi offered.

“Nah, boo. I don’t want you fucking around out there in them streets, you ain’t from that and I wanna keep it that way,” Ras said in an attempt to be noble.

“Damn, you’re so protective when it comes to me.” She blushed.

“Of course, you know what you mean to me.”

“Awww.” She batted her eyes. “I’m ya lil mama?” she asked with a devilish grin.

“Haven’t you always been?” Ras smiled. “Now let’s go so we can catch this flick. After we leave the movies we’ve got dinner reservations at this joint downtown.” Ras held the door for Mimi as she oozed into the Lexus.

Feeling someone watching her, Mimi looked up and spotted some dudes she knew from her neighborhood. She could tell that they were up to no good from the way they were sizing Ras and his car up. Mimi waited until she had established eye contact with them and gave
them a half grin. It was a look that most people knew too well, and enough to convey her message to them. The boys saluted her and stalked off, mumbling with themselves about having to find another victim. Ras looked like fresh meat, but it would be less of a headache for them to find another victim than to tangle with Mimi over something she had already laid claim to.

Normally they would’ve gone to the movies downtown, but Mimi insisted they drive out to Queens instead. When Ras complained about the distance she told him that it was one of the few that were still showing
Avatar
in 3D and she didn’t want to be cheated out of the effect as it would be her first time seeing it. The theater Mimi selected was a beat-up-looking movie house in a run-down part of town. Ras didn’t like it and had even considered going back to the car for his gun, but Mimi was already pulling him inside so they could catch the beginning of the movie.

When they walked into the screening room their eyes and noses were assaulted by the heavy stench of weed smoke and alcohol. The crowd was made up of mostly young, rowdy kids and a few working-class-looking people scattered here and there. Navigating the sticky floor Ras and Mimi made their way down to the front/center row where they settled in to watch the coming attractions. Ras gave a cautious look around to make sure nobody was watching before drawing Mimi’s attention to the heart-shaped box he pulled from his jacket.

“What’s this?” Mimi looked at the box curiously.

“Just open it,” he urged her.

Mimi opened the box and inside there was a beautiful white gold necklace with tiny diamond stars between the links. “Oh, my God, this is so beautiful! What did I do to deserve this?”

Ras had been preparing this speech in his head for a week, but when the time came he drew a blank so he just spoke from his heart.
“Well, we’ve been seeing each other for a while now, but I want it to be official. I want you to be my girl, Mimi.” He kissed her.

“Of course I will, daddy.” Mimi planted kisses all over his lips and face. “Help me put it on.” She turned her back to him and lifted her hair. The necklace looked beautiful on Mimi, stopping just short of the tattoos across her breasts. “I love it.”

“And I love you,” Ras said with moist eyes. It was a good thing that the lights went out for the movie to start or Mimi might’ve seen the tear slide down Ras’s cheek.

Mimi snuggled close to Ras and kissed him softly on the throat. “You know I kinda feel bad that you’ve blessed me with this nice gift and I don’t have anything for you.”

“You just being here with me is enough, Mimi,” Ras told her.

“Nah, it’s not enough for me. I might not have a nice piece of jewelry to give you, but I’ve got something I was supposed to give you a long time ago.” Mimi popped the buttons on his shirt and started kissing him from his neck down to his stomach. She undid his pants and played with his dick until it was hard. “You want this?” she asked, licking gently around the head of his dick.

“You know I do,” he panted, forcing her head down. Mimi began to work him expertly with her mouth, locking her thumb and index finger around his shaft and jerking it slowly. Her tongue danced under his balls sending a shiver so intense up his back that Ras had to pull her head away. “Damn, hold on.”

“What’s the matter? You don’t like it?” She kissed his neck and continued jerking him.

“I love it.”

“Then let me work,” she told him and pushed him back. Mimi popped the top off her large soda and slurped up some of the ice. “You’re gonna love this,” she said, dipping her head back into his lap. With the ice in her mouth Mimi began to suck him off at various speeds, spitting down the side of his shaft to keep it slick. She was having so much fun getting Ras off that she could feel her own
juices soaking through her thong. Mimi stimulated herself with her finger and kept her focus on Ras.

“Damn, this is great!” Ras hissed.

“It’s about to get better,” Mimi said through a mouth full of ice. She worked her head back up Ras’s stomach, leaving a trail of moisture from her mouth. She ran her hands through the fluid and traced lines all over Ras’s face. “Does this feel good, daddy?”

“Umm hmm,” he moaned as she nibbled at the vein in his throat.

“Good.” She flicked her tongue along the roof of her mouth. “Now that you’re all relaxed, it’s time for your real present.”

“And what’s that, baby?” Ras asked with his eyes closed.

The soft brush of her tongue across his neck turned into a searing pain and Ras’s eyes snapped open. In the dim light of the theater he could see his bloodstained shirt and the cold eyes of his lover. Mimi’s chin was smeared with blood and a razor was pinched between her lips. Feeling his hurt over her betrayal numbed Ras to the pain and he made a mad lunge for her, but Mimi slipped over the chair and was crouched behind him. She locked her arm around Ras’s neck and used her weight to apply pressure to the wound, causing the blood to flow more rapidly. Ras tried to stand and it was then he realized that during her seduction Mimi had handcuffed his belt to the cup holder in the arm of the chair.