Blood Ties Read online

  “Chillin’ big nigga,” Justus assured him. Outside of Leader, Pug was the only person Justus truly admired, so he wanted to be seen in the best light in his eyes.

  Justus was released from Pug’s tight embrace long enough for the elder cousin to size the young one up.

  “Damn, li’l nigga, your ass is getting big!” Pug commented after noticing the few inches Justus had grown since he had been gone. “I gotta watch you. You might try me one day. You working on that temper or what?”

  “Yeah.” Justus nodded unconvincingly.

  “A’ight, you betta tighten up,” Pug warned. “Let’s go inside. You uncouth Negroes stay y’all asses out here,” Pug remarked to his gang. He wrapped his arm around Justus’s shoulder and the two went inside.

  The front room of Gloria’s house was immaculate by any standard. Pug made it a rule to keep his mother laced. Gloria resided in the projects, but she wasn’t just anybody, she was the queen bee! A ghetto superstar. Her son was the hood general so that automatically gave her rank by proxy. Gloria’s home reflected her status. Her living room was decorated with bone-white leather furniture and gold carpet. The lamps at each end of the sofa were made of pure gold and glass. No plastic was to be found on the sofas. People simply knew, don’t fuck up Gloria’s shit!

  The kitchen was done in the traditional fashion of the PJs. White floors. Cheap wooden countertops and a glass table, which was being slammed with cards from an ongoing Spades game. It seemed like a trophy and cash prize was being awarded by all the trash being talked, when Pug and Justus entered the room.

  “What’s the bidness?!” Pug yelled when he burst into the room.

  “Heeeeey baybee!” Gloria jumped to hug her son. “You finally made it home.” She kissed Pug on his strong jaw, but the salutations were brief, as Gloria didn’t miss a beat telling Pug what was on her mind. “Now I hope you stay home. I swear these gotdamn kids are driving me crazy! That woman of yours keep dropping them bad-ass boys off every day, talkin ’bout she going to school. And them little fuckers? I swear, they be running up here and running up there and running every gotdamn where! Chile, I’m so glad you home, I don’t know what to do! I just—”

  “Gloria!”

  The room went silent at the sound of the familiar voice. All eyes darted to the door to see Leader swagger into the room with his smooth, confident stride. “Chill out, Glo. Let the boy enjoy his first day home.” Gloria started to protest, but when she saw the telling glaze in Leader’s opaque eyes, she quickly relented.

  “Come here, gangsta.” Leader spread his arms for Pug. Pug was probably the only person in the family who knew that Leader’s really gangsta. Exponentially. Everyone else thought Leader’s crime days were behind him, alongside his days as a Green Beret. To the uninitiated, Leader was a good businessman who gifted to his wife a thriving real estate business, just so he could start a security consulting firm, which took off immediately. To Pug, Leader was a whole different animal—literally and figuratively.

  “What’s up, Unc?” Pug proudly asked.

  “You the man,” Leader told him, beaming with pride. They didn’t make them like Pug anymore. He was a throwback to Leader’s days in the trenches. Leader beckoned Pug outside. “Let me speak with you a second. Excuse us.” Leader and Pug distanced themselves from everyone.

  While Leader and Pug conversed, Justus stuffed his face with chicken and potato salad. By the time he was done, Leader was calling him in the corner with him and Pug.

  “Why your husband always so secretive?” Gloria asked Glenda, Justus’s mom, not realizing she was whispering herself. Her liquor was clearly taking its effect.

  “Girl, you know how he is about his son.”

  “His son? Hmp.”

  “Now, Glo, don’t start.”

  “You haven’t seen me get started,” Gloria promised.

  “Well don’t.”

  When Justus met with Leader and Pug they were finishing their conversation. “Jus, meet me over at Nikki’s in a few minutes so we can help her move.” Pug commanded. “Don’t be long, ’cause I gotta get at you about something else too. A’ight?’

  Justus nodded. Pug gave Leader a knowing look then exited, leaving Leader alone with Justus. “What’s up, Dad?” Justus wondered.

  “I’ve been checking you out a lot lately, man. And it seem like you fascinated with that drug shit.” Leader’s tone was dead serious. “Don’t lose focus, son. That shit don’t last. It’s just a hustle, and a hustle is just that. A hustle! It ain’t meant to last long. I got the perfect spot for you with me. Best thing is, you’ve been training for it all your life.

  “I have?” Justus asked, unsure of what Leader was implying.

  Leader patted him on his head. “I made sure of it. So, while I’m gone keep your nose clean and look after your mother and sister. When I come back, we’ll get down to the details. Alright?”

  Justus nodded. He wasn’t slow by any standard, but Leader’s comments had him baffled. He didn’t recall Leader “training” him for anything.

  “Now, go get with Pug. If I don’t see you before I leave remember what I said. You got some money?”

  “A little.”

  “What you call a little?”

  “’Bout twenty dollars.”

  Leader sucked his teeth. “That ain’t no money. I thought I always told you to keep some money in your pocket.”

  “That is money,” Justus insisted.

  “For a boy! You’re a man now.”

  “I know. That’s why I ain’t want to ask you for no money.”

  “Well, I applaud your independence, but don’t be stupid. You’re one of the few youngsters that can take advantage of asking their father for money. So, do it.” To illustrate his point, Leader dipped deep into his pocket and gave Justus a wad of cash. “You’ll know when it’s time to make your money. Plus, you can’t get a woman like Nikki if you go around her broke.

  Justus smiled. His father knew the object of his childhood crush. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Don’t worry ’bout it. Just keep doing the right thing.”

  “And what’s that?” Justus challenged.

  When Leader answered, his tone was colder than Justus had ever heard it. Looking at Justus directly in the eyes, he told him, “Whatever I tell you to do. Now go see Pug.”

  As Justus crossed the courtyard, he could see Pug’s Suburban from a mile away. The chrome crash bars glinted underneath the street lamps like diamonds. The truck sat off by itself at the edge of the parking lot. Apparently, someone was inside, because the music was on ever so slightly. Sounded like a Trey Songz CD, no doubt. Probably Jackie and Pug cuddling, thought Justus. Remembering what Pug did to him earlier, Justus decided to get him back.

  Justus crept up on the rear side of the Suburban, but didn’t see anyone inside. When he slipped around back of the truck and peered around, his breath got caught in is throat. Pug had Jackie bent over at the front of his truck, pounding her from the back! Jackie’s pleated skirt was thrown recklessly over her back, while she alternated rocking back on the heels of her knee-high boots and grabbing the crash bars attached to the front of the truck.

  Justus, caught in the moment, openly lusted. How could he look away when Jackie’s glorious ass was exposed for all to see?

  Pug sensed someone watching and opened his eyes long enough to see Justus watching them from the back of the truck. Instead of him getting vexed about it, he winked at Justus then held his index finger up signaling for Justus to wait a minute. Before Justus left, Pug cracked a smile, then gave Jackie two hard thrusts for good measure. Jackie moaned loudly, causing Justus to run away from the scene before the temptation to stroke himself overwhelmed him.

  * * *

  While Leader entertained his family, he was oblivious to someone watching his every move from a parked car tucked away in the cut. As Leader spoke to Pug, the observer cracked the tinted window of the sedan to glean some of the conversation floating on the wind. Unfortunat
ely, when Leader spoke, he cupped his hand over his mouth, as if he knew someone was watching his every move. For a second, the spy thought the mission had been compromised. However, the spy knew that if Leader had been aware of his tail, he would have quickly resolved the situation. Confident that the position was secure, the spy held up an iPhone and captured more video.

  Leader had no idea that he had made a costly mistake, and the spy on his tail planned to bring his mistake to his door.

  * * *

  Justus went to Nikki’s apartment and found the screen door wide open, so he coasted on in. He could hear Nikki talking to someone in the kitchen, so that’s where he went. When he entered the kitchen, Nikki was so busy on the phone, she didn’t notice him.

  “Girl, I am so glad to be leaving this place, I don’t know what to do,” Nikki was saying over the telephone. “I swear these niggas be—oh! Hey Jus. I thought you was Jackie,” she apologized when she realized it was Justus inside her home.

  Justus was speechless, in awe of Nikki’s raw beauty. On any scale, Nikki was Baaad! She wasn’t a dyme. She was a Susan B. Anthony! Too red to be considered brown. Too brown to be considered red. Her complexion met somewhere in the middle in a beautiful marriage all to itself. Although she possessed curves to spare, Nikki was not ghetto-thick. She was shaped like the hood thought a runway model should be: ample up top, small in the middle, and baby-making hips with a heart-shaped ass that broke hearts. Even in sweats with a silk scarf tied over her shoulder-length hair, Nikki could still show up the baddest broad.

  “What’s wrong wit’ chu, Justus?” Nikki asked with a smirk on her face. Her voice was a high-pitched note that would be downright irritating from anyone else. Coming from Nikki, it was murderous seduction.

  “Nothing. Just checking you out.”

  Nikki giggled, “Mm-hmmm, I hear you. Standing there looking like a little man,” she flirted.

  “I am a man,” Justus assured her.

  “Well come on, Mr. Man. Help me with these boxes. Did you see Pug and Jackie?”

  “Uhh . . . yeah.”

  “Where they at? I’m surprised they not somewhere getting their freak on.” Nikki ended the phone call then turned to face Justus.

  “Don’t be,” Justus mumbled.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Oh. Is the truck out there yet?”

  “Yeah. They out there.”

  “Good. Take that box out there, and that one too,” Nikki ordered, pointing to two small boxes. Justus didn’t move. “What’s wrong, Jus?” Nikki asked, concerned.

  “I wanna know why you didn’t tell me you moving. Why I had to hear it from somewhere else?” Justus asked, looking at Nikki seriously.

  “What? You tripping.”

  “Nah. I’m serious.” Justus’s face didn’t have any hint of amusement. “I wanna know.”

  “Look at your little young ass trying to sound demanding.” Nikki laughed, trying to throw Justus off. However, he refused to be denied.

  “What’s so young about me?”

  “Just ’cause you grew a li’l bit, don’t mean your ass ain’t still young, nigga.”

  “Okay, you right. I am young,” Justus conceded.

  “I know.”

  “I’m young enough to enjoy what I do . . . and old enough to know how to do it.”

  “Oh really?” Nikki blushed. She liked his smooth answer.

  “Really. And it’s time you stopped sleeping on me and let me show you,” stated Justus confidently.

  Nikki sucked her teeth. “Your little mannish self.”

  “Yo, grown is as grown does.”

  “True. You got a point,” Nikki conceded.

  “Plus, this the 21st century. Older women and younger men is common.”

  “For some people,” Nikki agreed. “But I’m twenty-two years old, Justus, ’bout to be twenty-three.”

  “Okay. And?” Justus spread his hands like he really didn’t get the point. “I’m confused.”

  “And you should be.”

  Justus sighed. “Why you giving me a hard time, Nikki. I just want to put you back on top and put a smile on your face.”

  “So, how you plan on doing that?” Nikki challenged, with her hands on her hips.

  Justus didn’t miss a beat, “By being there and providing for you and your little girl.”

  Big points! He acknowledged her daughter, Diamond.

  “And how is a seventeen-year old going to do that? Drugs? Shit, been there done that, and I’m tired of it. I am done playing that game.”

  Justus hopped on the countertop. “Good, ’cause I’m tired of playing games.” Justus held his hand up and ticked off on his fingers. “First off, I never sold drugs. I’ma be working with my dad. Second, you keep dogging me for being young, but as long as I can handle my business, it shouldn’t matter,” he reasoned, then added, “Apparently, them older niggas ain’t handling they business too good. Rollers running all up in your shit. Got you stressed out and shit.” Justus had Nikki’s undivided attention at this point. She couldn’t deny his truths.

  “Now if I didn’t feel like I could change your situation, I wouldn’t come at you like that. To me, you’re a queen and I’ve always felt like that. I just want to put you back in your rightful place. With a king.”

  Nikki was feeling Justus’s words, but she couldn’t let him get off that easy. “Oh, so you a king?”

  “No doubt.”

  “Whateva. How about get those royal hands on this box then,” Nikki joked. “Come on.”

  Nikki grabbed a box from the counter and started towards the door. At first, Justus thought his macking attempts had failed, but as Nikki walked past him he saw her sizing him up.

  Outside, Jackie and Pug had just completed their tryst when Justus and Nikki made it to the truck. Jackie was reapplying her cherry lipstick, while Pug was readjusting his Dickies suit. Justus popped the hatch and put the boxes in the back of the truck. Nikki stopped to speak with her best friend, while Pug came around to talk to Justus.

  “Aye cuz, you gon’ stop living your life through my eyes.” Pug joked, referring to the incident from earlier.

  Justus laughed, “Aye you crazy, dawg!”

  “I was beating that pussy up, huh?” Pug laughed mimicking his pumps. “That pussy still blazing too! Shit, I ain’t been up in there in a while. I had to get me!”

  “True. True.”

  “But check this,” Pug said, suddenly turning serious. “What I wanted to holla at you about.” He pulled Justus in close. “Day after tomorrow I need you to go wit’ me to handle something.”

  “Something like what?” Justus wondered.

  “Something serious. Like, life and death serious. That’s why I need you to go wit’ me. I can’t trust none of them other fools.”

  “Oh, it’s like that?”

  “Just like that.”

  “Well, you know I’m down, but I gotta watch my li’l sister. Pops leaving tonight and Moms got a couple of auctions to go to,” Justus explained.

  “Man don’t worry ’bout that. Jackie’ll watch her. So, you down or what?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good! Let’s finish moving this shit so we can party. I’m home now nigga.”

  They both laughed heartily, then went to retrieve the other boxes.

  Little did Justus know, the happiness would be short-lived. The countdown to the end of his innocence had just begun.

  Chapter 2

  Leader stepped into the pick-up area of O’Hare International Airport and spotted his ride immediately. He adjusted his shoulder bag then walked to the awaiting limo. By the time he reached the Rolls Royce, the back door popped open. Leader knew the routine well so he slid in back to meet his contact, Menes.

  “ ’Ow are you, me friend?” Menes greeted Leader in his thick Nigerian accent. Leader accepted the extended hand before settling into the comfy confines of the soft leather. After he was sure Leader was settled, Menes tapped on the g
lass partition, and the heavy limo lurched into traffic.

  “Drink?” Menes offered as he poured himself some cognac from the mini bar.

  “No thanks.”

  Menes chuckled, “Ju’ reely should loosen up, me friend.” He drained the liquor then commented on Leader’s appearance. “I see you still don’t trust me after all dees time?”

  He was referring to Leader’s disguise. “Leader was wearing a long beard, hazel contacts, and a brown Afro that covered his forehead and extended down to his jaw line. The wig made it impossible to determine his actual appearance. Each time Leader met Menes, he wore some type of disguise, sometimes even going so far as to dress like a woman. This was done to prevent Menes (or anyone else) an accurate depicting of his looks should something go awry.

  “Never can tell what the future holds so this little precaution protects us both,” Leader explained. Menes caught the hint.

  “Always bout business,” Menes noticed.

  “Always.”

  “Very well then.” Menes passed Leader the envelope containing the assignment. Leader opened it and perused the contents in silence as the limo drifted through the congested traffic. He grunted when he reached page three.

  “I know what yur tinking, but trust, de’ job is se’cure.”

  Inside the packet was Leader’s mark, a Gary, Indiana police officer. According to the packet, the policeman had shot and killed a sixteen-year-old football star during a routine traffic stop. After pressure from the boy’s family, the department reluctantly opened an investigation, but due to poor effort, charges were never filed. The family subsequently filed a civil suit, eventually settling out of court for a whopping three million dollars.

  But the family wasn’t satisfied.

  They wanted the officer’s job. When the department refused to take any action against him (they even promoted him) the family demanded street justice. They sent some local goons to rough him up, but they didn’t do the job well enough. The retaliation made the national news. Consequently, the department began providing him with additional off-duty security.