Wifey (25 page)

I answered him anyway. “Yeah,” I said.

“Did you take care of what I asked you?” he didn’t hesitate to ask.

“I did everything except your clothes.”

“Well, where you at?” he wanted to know.

“Just leaving the bank,” I lied.

“Well, did you get our passports?”

“Yeah,” I lied again.

“A’ight! Good! So, meet me at the barbershop in about twenty minutes.”

And before I could get another word in, Ricky hung up. I just sat in my car, trying to figure out what I was gonna do next. I mean, I couldn’t go meet Ricky because I didn’t want to be around him when they picked him up. And not only that, I wasn’t trying to give him his money. Shit! I needed it! So, what in the hell was I gonna do? Then it came to me: there was nothing else to do but stall him. Have him think the po-pos got me pulled over and were running my license. I called down to the barbershop and got Ricky’s barber to put him on the phone.

“What?” he asked me, the minute he put the phone up to his ears.

“Look, the police just pulled me over,” I told him like I was upset.

“Which ones?” he wanted to know.

“What you mean which one?”

“Was it the narcos or the blue and white?”

“The blue and white.”

“Where you at?”

“Out here by our house,” I quickly thought to say.

“What they pull you over for?”

“He said I was speeding. So, I’mma have to call you after he let’s me go.”

“Does he know you got that dough on you?”

“No.”

“Where did you put it at?”

“In the trunk of my car. And why you asking me a whole lot of questions?”

“Because, some cats out this way told me the Feds just picked up them niggas Mike and Shampoo. And I been trying to hit that nigga Brian up, but he ain’t answering his piece.”

“You are lying!” I fronted like I was surprised.

“Nah, I ain’t lying! That’s why I need you to bring me my shit!”

“A’ight. I’mma call you right after he lets me go.”

“A’ight. Be careful. And please don’t let that cracker take my shit from out that trunk.”

“I’m not,” I replied in reassuring manner. From the time I hung up with Ricky, I thought about how desperate he sounded. I knew at that point that he was counting on me to bring him his dough. I mean, that was all he could get to, because the rest of his money was at the crib, divided between both of his safes. And since he just had the combinations changed on both of them, there was no way I was gonna be able to hit them up. I knew he was sick about that. That’s what he gets trying to hide all his mess from me. Well, I guess the Feds were gonna have a field day when they walked up in there. They were gonna either sell it in an auction, or take some of it home to their wife and kids, which was alright with me.

***

An hour went by before Ricky started my cell phone up again, but I didn’t answer it. I wanted him to think that the po-pos were still holding me up. That way, I could buy more time and see if I could get in touch with Russ.

As the clock ticked away, I got real bored driving around town like I was a tourist out sightseeing. And the fact that I didn’t have any real close friends houses to go chill at, was bad. I pulled over to this small outlet mall in Virginia Beach, and decided to get my nails done. I mean, it was better than driving in circles and using all my gas.

One of the Asian nail techs met me at the front entrance of their shop and guided me to her table. “You want fill-in?” she asked in her Asian accent. I told her yeah and she started buffing my nails. It only took her thirty minutes to fix me up with the French manicure look. When I looked at the finishing touch, it looked very nice. I thanked her and reached into my handbag to pay her. I got side tracked for a brief second, because my cell phone started ringing.

“Hello,” I said, without looking at the Caller ID

“Yo, baby. You ready?” Russ’ familiar voice said.

I couldn’t believe it. After all this time, he wanted to call me now.

“Where you at?” he asked.

“Out at the beach.”

“What you doing?”

“Well, I just got my nails done, so, I’m paying the lady now. And once I leave outta here, I’ll be ready to do whatever.”

“Okay. Well, meet me at the Red Roof Inn, ‘cause, that’s where I’m at.”

“How long you been there?” I wanted to know.

“Since last night.”

“Did you talk to Ricky yet?”

“Nah. Why?”

“So, ain’t nobody told you the Feds just picked up Mike and Shampoo?”

“Nah. This my first time hearing about it.”

“Well, that’s strange. ‘Cause, Ricky is the type that’ll let niggas know if the po-pos are on them.”

“When did he tell you that?”

“About a couple of hours ago.”

“So, what is he gon’ do?”

“He didn’t say. But, I know he’s trying to leave the country because he asked me to go and get all his dough from out my safe deposit box.”

“Did you do it?”

“Yep. But, he ain’t gon’ get it!”

“Yo, girl! You wicked as hell!” Russ laughed.

“Look, I’m just doing me.”

“A’ight! I hear you, baby. So, are you gon’ still come and scoop me up?”

“So, which Red Roof Inn you at?”

“Out Chesapeake. It’s off Greenbrier Parkway.”

“A’ight. I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I told him, then I hopped into my whip.

Finally, my plans were coming together. With Russ in Chesapeake waiting for me to get there, and the fact that I had all the money I needed, I knew everything was gonna be all right.

Russ had the door to his room open when I pulled up. He was standing right smack dab in the doorway, smiling as if he was glad to see me. I thought he was gonna be dressed when I came, but he wasn’t. All he had on was a white hotel towel.

“What you doing standing in the door like that?” I asked him as I smiled.

“Waiting for you,” he replied and smiled back.

Before I got out of my car, I turned my cell phone off and stuck it in my glove compartment. I didn’t want any distractions and since I hadn’t called Ricky back, I knew he was gonna keep blowing my phone up. I got out and locked the door behind me. “What time we leaving here?” I asked, as Russ stuck his lips out to kiss me.

“After I put my clothes on,” he answered.

“Well, go ‘head, ‘cause, I’m ready to break outta here.”

“Okay. I will. But, let me make love to you first,” Russ said as he pulled me into his arms.

“Not now. Let’s do it later,” I told him. But the more he touched and felt me up; the more my pussy got wet. “Russ, please stop,” I told him, even though I didn’t want him to stop. I mean, it wasn’t a crime to play hard to get every now and then. But at that point, Russ wasn’t trying to hear it. The next thing I knew, that nigga had me on my back and was fucking the hell out of me. Throughout the whole thing, my feelings grew more and more for him. I prayed that he was the one for me.

Russ hopped out of the bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. I wanted to take a shower with him, but my body wouldn’t let me. I wrapped myself in the sheets and closed my eyes. I could hear Russ singing in the bathroom, but it wasn’t loud enough to keep me from dozing off.

I don’t know what time I fell asleep, but I do know that when I woke up Russ was standing over me, tying me to the bedpost.

“What you doing?” I asked after noticing he was fully dressed.

“What does it look like?” he replied, sarcastically.

“Well, is this some type of joke?”

“Nah. But since I’m getting ready to bounce, I gotta make sure you ain’t gon’ be able to follow.”

“But, what about the plans we made to leave together?”

“I didn’t make them plans. You did.” Russ stuffed my bag of money into his duffle bag.

“Wait! Hold up! You been in my car?”

“Don’t it look like it?”

“But that doesn’t belong to you!” I snapped.

“It does now.”

“Come on now, Russ! It ain’t even gotta go down like this,” I said this calmly, while at the same time hoping he would leave me something.

It became apparent that he wasn’t trying to hear nothing I had to say because after he zipped up the duffle bag, he throws it across his shoulder. And I was devastated.

I wanted so badly for all of this to be a dream. I mean, I couldn’t believe that this nigga was standing right in my face, telling me he was taking my shit! How dare he!

While I was tied to the bed, this grimy-ass nigga was standing around, talking shit to me and taking my money on top of that! Now, how stupid could I be? I felt like a damn fool. I mean, how come I didn’t see this mess coming?

“You know if I tell Ricky you took his money, he gon’ put a bounty on your ass!” I snapped.

“Yeah! And what you think he gon’ do if tell him I been fucking you in his bed, and that you planned to take his dough, too?”

“Now, I know you don’t think he’s going to believe that.”

“He ain’t got to. But I know one thing: you ain’t to be trusted ‘cause, anytime a nigga’s wife steal his dough and fuck another nigga on his squad, she is a fucked-up broad. So, why in the hell did you think we was gon’ be together? Nah, baby! That won’t ever happen.”

 I got really angry as I heard Russ talk shit to me about what I had done. I figured I was only doing what I had to do. So, to hell with him. “How am I gon’ get myself untied?” I asked him.

“A house keeping lady is coming by to bring some clean sheets. So, ask her to untie you.”

“You are a cold mutherfucker!” I yelled. “Oh and don’t think you gon’ get away wit’ this! Trust me, I know a lot of niggas who would love to fuck your ass up!”

Russ put his hand on the door knob and then looked back at me and said, “Well, just make sure they are some gangsta-ass niggas!”

“Oh don’t worry about it! They will be,” I replied to him as he walked out of the hotel room.

About two hours passed before the cleaning lady came by to bring the sheets Russ told me about. When the lady untied me, she kept advising me to call the police. But, I didn’t.

And as far as everything else went, since Russ took all the money; I couldn’t go anywhere. But, I thanked God he didn’t take any of my jewelry or my fur coats. And not only that, but Rhonda stood by my side. She wanted to give me my shop back, but I told her I couldn’t do that. So, we decided to be partners. And business was good. Getting to the situation about my house, I kind of knew the Feds were gonna take it from me, in addition to Ricky’s Benz and his Ninja motorcycle. But, they did let me keep my car and all my other personal things, since I could prove that I made enough money from my salon to buy it. And quiet as it was kept, I hired some old safe-cracking guy to open both of Ricky’s safes at the house, before I let the Feds come in and take it over.

Once I was able to get in them, I found plenty of pictures of his stinking-ass tramps posing butt naked, along with video tapes and a few rolls of dough wrapped in rubber bands. I counted $19,000 in all; which was cool. But, I understood why he wouldn’t let me have the combination.

Now as far as Ricky goes, he got picked up the same day as Mike and Shampoo. His dumb ass made the mistake of using the barbershop phone to call Mike earlier that day. When the Feds got a hold to Mike’s cell phone, they traced it back to the shop. Ricky was charged with conspiracy to three counts of murder, and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine. So, when Ricky took his case to trial, everybody and their mama testified on that ass. That’s why he was sentenced to life, without parole. And when he made his first call to me, I told that bastard to kiss my ass! And if he wanted to communicate with somebody, then he’d better request to write Sunshine at the Virginia Beach jail, since that’s where she was housed. I got word from one of my clients that Shampoo was the one who told the Feds he was taking a brick of coke to her once a week, to hold for Ricky. That’s why she was picked up and indicted. Plus, her salon got closed down. Come to find out, Ricky got her to use it as a front to let cats come up in there to pick up their packages on certain days of the week. Penny and Tabitha asked could they come back and work for me. I told them, yes, being as though I ain’t really have a problem with them.

Ricky’s ghetto-ass aunt pleaded guilty to one count of distributing cocaine. The federal judge gave her eight years.

Brian got life, too, because Mike and Shampoo told the Feds that Brian was the one who told them to make those people disappear. And as far as the rest of the flunkies in Ricky’s crew, all of them took a guilty plea from five to ten years. But what was so good about all this was that my cousin Nikki got out of her situation without testifying, even though that was the Feds initial plan. I later found out that a couple of niggas on Ricky’s squad beat her to the punch. However, she did get five years of probation. She’s truly thankful for that.

Oh yeah, let’s not forget Frances, the baby mama from hell! I ran into her at the beauty supply store about two days after Ricky was arrested. She had the nerve to ask me if I could go into Ricky’s stash and get out five hundred dollars because Fredrica needed braces on her teeth.

I told her, “No, I can’t go into his stash!”

Frances asked, “Why?”

I replied, “Because he ain’t got one!”

Then I told her not to ever say nothing to me when she sees me in public again, because me and Ricky are legally separated. So, when Fredrica needs something, then she needed to go on down to the jail and pay her daddy a visit; or pull out some paper and a pen and send his ass a kite, because my days of playing step-mama were over.

I could tell Frances wanted to throw some blows after I said what I had to say. But, she wasn’t stupid because with all the anger and frustration I had built up, she knew I would’ve fucked her ass up. That’s why she sucked her tongue and got the hell out of my face.

Oh and I still saw her trick ass every now and again. But all she did was roll her eyes at me.

And as far as Russ goes, I haven’t seen or heard from that nigga since he took that dough from me. When Ricky first asked me about it, I told him the police took it. Of course, he didn’t believe it, but he might as well. Because we wasn’t gonna ever see that money again.