Honor Thy Thug

7




NINA

I’m Nina Coles, and no, I’m not some chick who just popped up in the mix. I came on the set in What’s Really Hood, Wahida’s anthology with the short story called “Makin’ Endz Meet,” and then I’m the star in The Golden Hustla. Those two stories go together. Yeah, I had to plug Wahida’s books. She’s like that.

Enough of the formalities. I met Rick while I was living in Atlanta. He became my thug knight in shining armor. It didn’t matter to him that I had three kids, a crazy ex and was mixed up in some made-for-reality-TV drama with my job. With his guidance, I flipped all that shit around and made it work for me—or, rather, us. We robbed my boss of his stash money, packed it up and moved to Miami. I wasn’t feeling the superficialness of Miami, so we decided to try Arizona. Especially since my oldest son had asthma.

I knew that Rick used to live out in Cali and that his ex-wife was still there. I knew all about Kyra, the chick he was in love with who got killed. Hell, he admitted that I reminded him of her. He told me that several times. And I hate to admit it, at first, I was jealous of her. It was obvious that she had his heart, and I felt that I couldn’t compete with her. He had the hardest time making me believe that it wasn’t a competition. The girl was gone. Dead. Once I accepted and believed that there was no competition, our relationship went to the next level.

I was and am still madly in love with him. He completes me. He is my soul mate, who loves me for me, and once we found out I was pregnant, he was ecstatic. He didn’t have any kids of his own, so he was beside himself.

Everything was going picture-perfect until he made this trip to his old stomping grounds. I didn’t have a problem with him going back to where he made his career. Especially when he said he would only be gone for a few days. He said it was something he had to do. Some bullshit about a cop’s intuition. Now, that part concerned me. I wasn’t sure if that meant he was going to kill somebody, investigate a crime, or what. But he assured me it wasn’t anything like that. He said he needed to clear his head and wanted to hit the road. Okay, cool. Driving from Arizona to Cali—I didn’t have a problem with that. Shit, I couldn’t stop him if I wanted to. But then, the more he would call home, the more distant he began to sound. I would ask him if everything was all right, and he could never give me an answer that I was satisfied with. And now that he’d been gone for almost two weeks, I said, “Oh, f*ck that!” Something was up. And that’s when I started piecing events and conversations together. Niggas don’t realize that women are the best detectives. When we want to find some shit out, we can, and we will.

It took me a couple of days, but I finally faced the facts. I saw exactly where Rick was driving around in our Mercedes ML550, thanks to the “mbrace” system we had installed. I was able to find out all that I needed to know. I saw that the car was back and forth between his old street address and a hospital. My first thought was that this nigga had obviously gotten back with his wife.

So I packed up my three kids and headed to his old address. However, I was not ready for what I was confronted with. When I pulled up into the driveway and got out of the car and got closer to the porch, to say I was confused was an understatement. I was appalled! It was obvious that he was f*cking this bitch right there on the front porch. When our eyes locked, he backed away from her and came and stood at the top of the stairs.

“You had a cop’s intuition or a gut instinct, all right! But Rick, your ex-wife? The way you talked about how you hated her? You hypocrite!”

“Nina. What—” He was busted. And ex-wife or not, I was putting my foot in her ass.

I stormed up the stairs. “Don’t what me! You got me at home worried as hell about you! I’m wondering if you are all right, and you’re out f*cking your ex-wife on porches.” The Trenton, West Side, Jersey hood came out of me.

I looked at the bitch. She looked at me. It can’t be. I was so mad that I was seeing my dead competition. As I looked closer, I froze. It can’t be! My gut was telling me, Oh, yes, it is. I walked up to Rick and slapped him clean across his face. “You told me that she was dead! You lying piece of shit!” I slapped him again. This time, he grabbed me, but I pulled away and went stumbling backward onto my ass, knocking over a plant. “You pushed me!” I screamed.

“I didn’t push you.” Rick came toward me and tried to help me up. I started throwing blows as soon as I was on my feet.

“Get away from me! Rick, you lied to me. How could you lie about something like that? That is so cruel. And you? Did you know that he has a family? Three kids? And I’m five months pregnant! Didn’t he tell you that?” I shouted at her. She just sat there speechless, staring at me.


TRAE

“Did you hear that?” I asked Tasha. We were just chillin’, lying across the bed watching The Real Husbands of Hollywood.

“Hear what?”

“Arguing.”

“It’s not me and you, so no.” Tasha had this smug look on her face.

I got up and looked out the bedroom window. There was another van parked in the driveway. Who the f*ck does that belong to? I went to my spot and grabbed my strap and tucked it. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.” Tasha popped up and went to the window. By the time I made it to the front door, Angel and Jaz were already there, and Tasha’s hardheaded ass was right behind me. My eyes scanned the porch as I grabbed the door. Then I saw this little pregnant chick walk over to Kyra and slap the shit out of her. Kyra fell over backward off the banister, and then all hell broke loose. The little pregnant chick dashed off the porch headed for Kyra, and then Angel and Jaz were on the little chick like white on rice. Tasha went to see about Kyra, and Rick was trying to get the girls off of this little chick, who I assumed was Nina, Rick’s woman. I snatched Jaz up and tossed her into the house. Rick passed Angel to me, and I pushed her inside the house and stood in front of the door.

When I turned around, Kyra was charging up the stairs like a bulldog heading for Nina. Rick was doing his best to protect her.

“Get off of me, Rick! I’m leaving, and by the time I get home, you’d better have your ass there, too.” Her little ass shoved him out of the way, but not before Kyra punched her in the face and Nina countered. Rick broke them up, dragging Nina to her van.

“Bring Kyra into the house,” I told Tasha, still blocking the door.

“Who the f*ck do she think she is? She don’t know who she f*ckin’ with,” Angel said while trying to get back onto the front porch. “You should have tapped that ass, Kyra. Pregnant or not.”

“Bitch, you might as well go back home. He’s mine! Even when he thought I was dead, ho he was still mines!” Kyra yelled. “He’s mine! Always has been! Always will be!”

Damn.

“Bitch, in your dead-ass dreams!” Nina said with confidence as Rick continued to push her into the car.

What the f*ck? I had to laugh at all of what just went down. Ol’ King Rick got his hands full, and I was glad that it was him instead of me. You talk about drama! I did not see this one coming.


KYRA

I stood at the window, crushed, watching Rick talk to the Nina girl. It seemed so easy to me. All he had to do was leave her and come back to me. But I was anticipating him jumping into his truck and leaving me.

Who would he choose? Me or her? He had to make a decision. I wanted desperately to go out there, but Trae was at the front door guarding it. I couldn’t take this anymore; if he left, I swear I don’t know what I’m going to do.

I opened the window. “Rick, I need to talk to you. Now!”

“Bitch, what part of ‘he ain’t your man don’t you understand? Do you see this rock on my finger?” she screamed at me, head and ring hand sticking out the car window. Then she tried to get out of her truck, but Rick wouldn’t let her.

“Rick!” I yelled out again.

“Bitch, you can beg all you want! Tell her, Rick. Tell the bitch to comprehend the fact that you are coming home to me.”

Rick was trying his best to calm her down, but it wasn’t working. I knew the longer he spoke to her, the more likely he was not going back to her. Not tonight. So I remained right there, gaze locked on Rick and his gestures, but my patience was dwindling.

“Rick!” I yelled.

“Kyra, Trae said get out of the window.” Tasha came bursting into my room.

“I can’t. If I get out of the window, he’s going to leave. I don’t want him to leave. I won’t be able to handle it, Tasha!”

“Kyra, stop it! Stop talking like that! You are much stronger than that.” She came over to where I stood and grabbed my shoulders. “Girl, pull yourself together.”

“I will. Just give me a few minutes, please.” She stood there looking at me as if she didn’t believe me. “A few minutes, Tasha.”

“All right, I’ll let Trae know. But don’t play yourself for that nigga. And please don’t throw anything out of the window, including yourself.”

I stood there and watched for another, I don’t know, it seemed like eternity. Finally, her truck began to ease out of the driveway. My competition screamed some obscenities as she backed up, crashing Angel’s or Jaz’s rental, jerked the van forward, and then pulled onto the street. Rick stood there watching her. I pulled myself away from the window and ran downstairs. When I got outside, he was in his truck, lighting up a blunt. When I came up to the car, he asked, “Are you all right?” He had this somber look on his face.

“Get out, Rick, we need to go inside and talk.” I needed to know who had won. Me or her? I grabbed the car door and pulled it open.

“I need a minute,” he said as he released a cloud of thick smoke. “You all right?” he asked me again.

“What do you think? Get out of the car. We need to go inside and talk.”

Rick took another deep pull on his blunt and stared into my eyes. I stood there staring back, with one hand on my hip, the other on the car door handle.

Angel and Jaz were now outside, cursing and checking out the damage on Jaz’s rental, while talking shit to Rick about Nina. Rick didn’t bother to respond to either of them. I grabbed his hand and began pulling him out of his ride. I led him into the house and up the stairs. We went into my bedroom. I shut the door, locked it, and turned around to face him.

“Rick, you need to de—”

“Shhhh.” He gently placed his finger against my lips. “Let’s argue and fight later, but not now, all right? You wanted your moment. I gave it to you. Now I want mine.”

He reached forward and began unbuttoning my blouse. I was jumping up and down for joy inside as he began to undress me, one item at a time. I won! I won!

“I never stopped loving you, Kyra. And I never will,” he said in a whisper as he laid me down on the bed. He began to kiss me and caress me all over. As I held him tight, nothing else mattered. At that moment, the only thing that existed for me was Rick.

He made love to me until I was satisfied. I was in heaven. Secure and full of peace. I rolled off of him, snuggled up under his arm, and hugged him around his waist.

“I don’t want this to end, Rick,” I admitted.

He kissed me on the forehead. “Me, neither.” Those words caused a smile to form on my lips. I won. I closed my eyes and found myself basking in the glow of love after sex.

When I opened them again, the right side of my bed was empty and cold. I sat up, and my eyes darted around the bedroom looking for Rick’s things. They weren’t there. I jumped out of the bed and ran to the window. His truck was gone.


TASHA

There had been enough drama in my house the last few days to last for the next few years. Angel went back to New York, and Jaz went back to Atlanta. Rick was gone, and Kyra had been moping around the house for a week. Rick and Kyra? Of course I wanted my girl to have the man she wanted but what about Rick and his relationship with Nina?

That was a situation that I honestly didn’t want any part of.

Trae and I, knock on wood, had been chillin’. No fights, no arguments, trying to stay on course of getting back to what we knew we were. It had been quiet and peaceful for the most part. The last time my stress level rose was when I spoke to Jaz. She sounded as if she was about to be on some ignorant shit. I was hoping that she was just running her mouth.

I had just fed the kids their lunch and was cleaning the kitchen when Trina called me. So much for being stress-free. I hadn’t heard from her since she came over with that bullshit message from Kyron. Despite the fact that Trina didn’t want me to, I had been calling my brother, but he never would answer his phone. I didn’t want to answer her call, but with all of the shit going on, I decided to pick up.

“Hello.”

“Hey, it’s me. Can you talk?” she asked me.

“What’s up?”

“Hold on.” She clicked over. “Tasha, you there?”

“Yeah, what’s up, Trina?” I asked her.

“You are.” Hearing his whispery voice caused my stomach to flip and my knees to buckle. “What’s up? I got your little letter. I need to see you.”

I had to regain my composure. “You have to be the dumbest nigga in America. I don’t want to see you or speak to you. I am done f*cking with you. Period. It shouldn’t be that hard to comprehend. And like I said in my letter, don’t call me anymore, don’t say shit to me. No letters, no messages, just leave me the f*ck alone, Kyron. Damn.”

“And you’re sure about that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be sure?”

“All right, then! I guess your brother don’t mean shit to you. But I got something that will give me your undivided attention.”

“Whatever, Kyron. I’m calling Kaylin and telling him what you did to my brother and that you are harassing and threatening me.”

“I’ll catch up with you sooner or later. Give my regards to Trae.” He hung up.

“Whatever, nigga! And Trina, stop with the three-way phone calls and messages! Stop letting this nigga intimidate you! Call the cops on his ass! Call Kaylin right now, and tell him what he has you doing!” I spazzed out on her.

“Tasha, I—”

I hung up, not realizing how badly I was shaking. I needed to tell Trae about Kyron, but I was scared to death to do so. Maybe I would tell Kaylin and let him be the one to tell Trae. I went to dial Kaylin, but then I heard Trae calling me. He came into the family room.

“What, Trae?” I snapped.

He looked at me sideways. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing.” I tried to play it off.

“Tasha? What’s up?” He came toward me. “You’re trembling.”

“I just spoke to Trina, and she’s trippin’, that’s all.”

“Trippin’ about what?” He came and stood in front of me, staring into my eyes as if he could read my mind. “She got you trembling like that?” He took my cell and looked at it confirming that it was her who just called me.

“Why I won’t come over to see her, why she can’t come over here to see me, same ol’ shit. I’m just mad at her, that’s all.” I struggled to maintain eye contact.

“Don’t accept her calls. I don’t want you talking to her.”

“See what I mean? You’re pulling me one way, she’s pulling me the other.”

“So what are you saying? You gonna do like I said or not, Tasha?”

“You already stopped her from coming over. Now you don’t want me to talk to her?”

“That’s what I said.” He raised his voice. “The girl is trouble, and when she gets you hemmed up into some bullshit, then what? So f*ck it, I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. Cut off communications as of now! Do we understand each other?”

“I heard you, Trae.”

“I didn’t ask if you heard me. I said do we have an understanding?”

I took a deep breath. “Yes, we do.”

“Good. Get the boys ready. I gotta run to Home Depot.”

I rolled my eyes at him and left him standing there. I regretted every second I spent with Kyron, and now that nigga was bold enough to call me and ask to see me? I definitely chose the wrong nigga to use as a revenge f*ck. I went and got the boys ready to go with their father. Home Depot was one of the spots that Aisha wasn’t trying to go to, but the boys loved it.

“You want me to stay here and keep an eye on Mommy, Dad?” Kareem had the nerve to ask his father. I didn’t know what the hell Trae was filling their heads with.

“Nah!” Trae looked at me with that damn smirk on his face. “Aisha can keep an eye on her.”

“Whatever!” I pushed Trae from in front of me, and he grabbed me. “Stop, Trae. And what are you telling my sons?”

He laughed. “I haven’t told them anything but to keep an eye on their momma. You know my lil’ soldiers are very attentive and smart. They don’t miss anything so you better stay on your p’s and q’s,” he joked.

“Yeah, whatever.”

Just then, there were knocks at the door, and the doorbell was ringing. We both turned and headed for the door.

“Who the f*ck is it?” Trae barked.

Trae went to the screen door and I shot the officers a dirty look.

“Police. I’m Detective Ramos, and this is my partner, Moss. We are looking for Trae Macklin.”

“I’m Trae Macklin. What can I do for you?” We both stood at the screen door.

“We have a warrant for your arrest.”