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  Cedric sighed, relieved to know she hadn't been caught up bringing in the pack for him. “Okay, luv. I thought maybe it was that time of the month for you,” he said.

  She laughed nervously. “No. I doubt if I'll be seeing that for a while. Listen, bae, let me get situated. Besides, y'all about to go to chow,” she replied.

  Cedric could hear the kitchen guard calling over the radio, telling Tiffany to put their dorm on standby for chow. “Alright, luv, I'll talk to you later,” he said and laid down. He decided to take a nap instead of going to chow. He was straight in the box and he knew, messing with Tiffany, he was going to need some energy.

  Cedric was awakened from his sleep by a knock at the cell door.

  “Mail call!” James yelled.

  Cedric got up and grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste. He walked out of the cell brushing his teeth. He went to the booth to get his mail. The way Tiffany was looking at him, his first thought was that it had to be a letter from Renika.

  As Tiffany handed him the mail, he grabbed her hand and gently squeezed, causing her to smile. “Whatever is going on, we going to be alright, luv. I promise.” Cedric said reassuringly. He looked at the envelope. The letter was from his lawyer.

  “Yeah, I know, bae. Your ass is full of surprises,” she said, referring to the gift basket she had received.

  Cedric opened the letter in front of her and read it. “Oh shit! My appeal was granted!” He looked up at Tiffany. “My appeal was granted!” he said happily.

  “Inmate Livingston, please return to your cellblock! There are other people who need to get their mail!” she said over the intercom.

  He understood she had to play the part because of the circumstance. He strolled back into the dorm as happy as ever. Time flew by. The next thing he knew, he and Tiffany were making love in the booth on an extra mat he'd dragged into the booth from the hallway.

  It was more time consuming than it had ever been between them. They explored each other's body with tender care. They moaned between kisses. After forty-five minutes of slow grinding together, they climaxed together and lay holding each other.

  “I love you, Cedric,” she said.

  “I love you too, Tiffany,” he replied.

  “Cedric, I'm pregnant,” Tiffany blurted out.

  Cedric sat straight up. “Are you serious?” he yelled.

  She put her left hand over his mouth. “Sh... Stop damn screaming, boy. Remember where you're at.” she reminded him. “Yes, I'm serious. Are you upset?”

  Cedric kissed her on the lips. “Why would I be upset? We're about to be a family. Married and everything,” he replied.

  “Thanks, bae. Thanks for not being a deadbeat-ass nigga.” Tiffany commented.

  They made love again before Cedric grabbed the package she'd brought and headed back in the cellblock. He knew he had to grind harder now that Tiffany was pregnant, he thought to himself as he jumped in the shower. “What a hell of a life,” he said under his breath, thinking about his future.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dink and his hitters were on the move. He'd just received an NBC News update on his iPhone, reading, “cop shoots unarmed black teen in the back”. The sixteen-year-old male died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds to the back. It was all he needed to hear.

  “Listen, fam, we collecting a badge for every slug the swine put into the li’l nigga’s back,” Dink said as he loaded the AK-47. He had gotten them specially-made shell catchers so there would be no evidence left on the scene.

  Trey hit the blunt and passed it to Kaila, who was loading a Mac-11, using a green bandana to put each bullet in the magazine. “Fucking right, homie, we going to make sure the li’l homie rest in peace,” Trey said.

  China was the driver. She rolled up on the first on duty cop in a suburban residential area. The patrol car was parked at the end of the street. The officer, himself, was talking to his wife on the phone.

  After they rode around the block once, peeping the scenery, Dink put the blunt out. “Y'all know I ain't never been the nigga to tell someone to do some shit I ain't willing to do. I got this pig,” he said.

  The young Caucasian officer was in a great mood. His wife had just told him she was pregnant, so they were making plans for their child when Dink jumped out of the side sliding door of the bowling ball blue Dodge Caravan and shot him four times in the chest with the AK-47. He snatched the officer's badge off of his shirt and jumped back in the van. China pulled off before the door slid closed.

  The officer's wife had heard the gunshots loud and clear. She kept calling her husband's name and asking if he was alright, but he never responded. He was dead.

  “Next badge on me, my nigga,” Trey said, hyped up.

  Dink and his crew kept to their word. Four cops died on behalf of the number of times the cop shot the teenage boy. It didn't take long for the cop killings to go viral. And it took even lesser time for Teddy to call Dink.

  “Fam, I thought we had an understanding. No vigilante shit,” Teddy said angrily after Dink answered.

  “Bro, I hear what you saying, but that shit ain't what's popping. We got to show these mother fuckers we ain't having it in Albany,” Dink shot back.

  Teddy sighed out of frustration. “Fam, the shit y'all got going on is bad for business. Y'all niggas going to have the Feds breathing down a nigga back,” he said.

  “They can get it too, li’l bro. Them pigs ain't exempt from catching a slug,” Dink replied.

  “See, that's your fucking problem, Dink. You don't give a damn about what nobody got going on. The world don't revolve around you, my nigga,” Teddy said harshly.

  Dink laughed. “Damn, fam, you sound like that nigga Li'l Will. Well, guess what, my nigga? Fuck you too.” he stated and hung up in his brother's face. He tried to call him back, and every time Dink sent his call to voicemail.

  ***

  Renika and her crew were at the airport. Amara, a Vietnamese was an explosive specialist. She was twenty-three years old, 4’11”, 116 pounds, deeply tanned with long dyed burgundy hair that reached halfway down her back. Danika, a Russian, was the technician of the crew. She was thirty-one years old, 6’2”, 167 pounds with short-cropped brunette hair.

  Renika filled them in on the plan and gave them the information needed to get the job done. With their briefcases in tow, Amara and Danika walk off in the direction of their mission. Renika walked back to her car and sent a text to the employer, letting them know everything was being taken care of that very moment. They replied with a thumbs up and ace of spades emoji text.

  Amara watched out for any unwanted company while Danika picked the lock on the storage container. It took her a matter of ten seconds flat to get it done. Once inside, Amara pulled the door closed and held it while Danika picked the driver side door lock. “Hurry up Danika. The flight is supposed to land in fifteen minutes,” Amara said at a whisper.

  Danika unscrewed the panel that held the disc player on the dashboard. “Perfection takes time, my friend.” she rewired the player with an electronic detonator switch that could be detonated by a wireless device in a two mile radius. “Okay, you're up,” Danika said, getting out of the car.

  Amara opened her briefcase, pulled out the explosives she wanted to use, and got in the car. She looked at the stopwatch on her Timex. She had three minutes to get it done. I'm glad I prepare everything, she thought to herself while placing the explosives inside of the hole where the disc player goes.

  Amara plugged the detonator into the jack and flipped the switch to turn it on. “Done,” she said and got out.

  Danika hurried up and replaced the disc player and screwed it back in place, making it look like it had never been disturbed. Relocking the driver side door from the inside and locking the storage container back, they walked away from the area coolly. When they made it back to where Renika sat, posted on the hood of her car, Amara stopped the stopwatch. It was a minute until the flight landed.

  “Damn!” Amara exclaim
ed. “Almost perfect,” she said, shaking her head. Perfection was one of her affections.

  “Aww. Don't beat yourself up over timing, Amara. You're about to be $85,000 to the good in a few minutes,” Renika said.

  They lounged on the hood of her car, waiting on the flight to land. It came in right on schedule. “Don't you just love Delta Airlines?” Danika said comically, getting a laugh out of her partners.

  The airplane came down the runway and slowed to a complete stop. As the passenger's hatch opened, the stairs unfolded to the ground. Thaddeus was the third person in line getting off the flight. In his lime green Armani suit, he walked down the steps without a care in the world.

  While he was on the plane, Thaddeus had made up his mind to get in touch with Li'l Will and tell him what was going on. The baggage boy grabbed his luggage and followed him. They reached the storage container, where his car was being kept. It was his travel vehicle that he kept there for purposes like this.

  Thaddeus pulled out the set of keys that he had the key to the storage container on. He unlocked the container and stepped inside. “Young man, you can wait right here until I pulled out.” He said.

  “Yes sir,” the baggage boy replied.

  Thaddeus unlocked the driver side door and got in. He started the engine and let it run for a minute before driving out of the storage container and stopping beside the baggage boy, who quickly walked around to the trunk and waiting for him to open it. Thaddeus hopped out and popped the trunk for him.

  “Nice Audi 8 you have here, mister,” he said while putting the luggage in the trunk.

  Thaddeus closed the trunk. He stood, admiring the vehicle. “Yeah, it is. I tell you what, if you stick around until I bring it back, it’s yours,” he promised him.

  The young Caucasian male was surprised. “Cool! I’ll be here every day!” he happily replied.

  Thaddeus hopped behind the wheel and drove off. Renika and her crew were still chilling on the hood of her car when Amara noticed the car.

  “That’s the mark,” she said.

  Renika nodded. “Danika, dial him up,” she commanded.

  Danika pulled out her iPhone, punched in a series of numbers and pressed the call icon. Right before their eyes, the car exploded into flames and rolled out into the intersection, causing a major traffic jam.

  “Well, there goes the neighborhood,” Renika said before sending the text message to the employer, stating, “Contract complete.” “Let’s ride, ladies.” She hopped off of the hood.

  Amara and Danika walked over to the glossy cherry red Phantom and got in with Amara at the wheel. She drove over next to Renika’s car and waited until she pulled off. Once Renika hit the gas, Amara tailed her. They rode opposite of the chaos they had caused.

  In the rearview mirror, Renika could see the news reporters approach the scene with cameras rolling. She knew the employer had not completed the transaction because they were waiting on the confirmation of the kill. It was only a matter of thirteen minutes after the news went viral that the employer sent her the confirmation of $250,000 had been transferred into Renika's private bank account. She read the text message and smiled, saying to herself, Justice served.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The news of the car explosion at the Dallas, Texas airport was headlining every station as a breaking news report. Machumu and Li'l Will was sitting on the side of the bed eating snow crab, lobster tails, potato wedges and drinking sweet tea from the Olive Garden when the news update interrupted the program they were watching.

  “Hmm. This might be interesting.” Machumu said and grabbed the television remote, turning up the volume.

  The news reporter gave the details of the accident first. When she began talking about the victims who died as a result of the exploded car, pictures flashed on the television screen. None of the victims looked familiar to Machumu or Li'l Will. It was still an interesting story, so they continued to watch and listen.

  Finally, the news reporter started talking about the exploded car that caused the fatal car accident. At the mentioning of his name and his picture flashing on the television screen, Li’l Will damn near choked to death on a potato wedge. Machumu patted him on the back until it went down.

  “You okay, baby?” she asked still rubbing his back.

  Li’l Will coughed a couple times. After drinking half of his cup of sweet tea, he nodded his head. “Yes, baby, I’m good. Dammit, man. What in the fuck is going on around here?” he said.

  Before she could answer, her phone started ringing. “Hello?” Machumu answered and said.

  “Hi, Machumu! You and Daddy enjoy today’s news?” asked the caller. It was Renika.

  “What the hell y’all trying to do, start a war?” Machumu asked.

  “Consider it blood for blood. At least that is what I like to think of it as being. Not that I really give a damn either way,” Renika replied.

  Machumu didn’t know what to say. She realized that Renika was a woman who played by her own rules and didn’t have any sense of loyalty, other than to her crew and the people she considers to be family. She passed her phone to Li’l Will. “I can’t with, Renika,” she said while shaking her head.

  Li’l Will laughed as he answered the phone. “Renika James, what am I supposed to do with your bad ass? What’s the move?” asked Li’l Will, still laughing at his wife’s sudden change in mood.

  “I’m Gucci, old man. The question is, what are you going to do? What side of this coin are you stamped on? Because I can assure you, there’s only one winning side,” Renika replied with confidence.

  “As much as I hate to say it, you’re right. I’ve been loyal to Demetri for a long time. It’s fucked up that a good business relationship gotta end like this.” He looked over at Machumu, who nodded while giving him the thumbs up.

  “I guess we’re on the same side of the coin then. Put your wife back on the phone,” Renika demanded.

  Li’l Will handed Machumu the phone. She sighed, bracing herself for whatever might come out of her husband’s daughter’s mouth. “What’s up?” she said.

  “Listen, I need you to contact your Aunty Dominica. Or should I say, Valaire Perfecto Dominica?” Renika replied.

  “Either is fine, considering the facts. Go ahead,” Machumu said.

  “If we are going to keep this big boy business going, we need to get an understanding with your people. Because, from my understanding, she ain’t really with the illegal distribution shit. Well, not the drugs part anyway,” Renika stated.

  Machumu ate a piece of lobster tail and nodded her head. “You know what you know about Aunt Dominica. I’ll see what I can do. But I already know she ain’t going for me being anywhere involved with drugs.”

  “Duh. I’m taking over the empire. Y’all old-ass people can relax, take trips and shit like that. I got this. I’ll be the Valaire Perfecto of the illegal transactions,” Renika happily replied.

  Machumu sighed. “Okay, I'm on it as soon as I can find her phone number.”

  “Texting it to you now,” Renika said while typing Dominica's number into a text message. She sent it to Machumu. “Alright, be about your business, because I'm definitely about mines,” she said and hung up.

  Machumu opened the text message and copied and paste the number to add to her contacts. Once done, she made the call.

  “Hello?” a woman answered.

  It had been a long time since Machumu had talked to her aunt. To her, it was almost like a dream. “Yes, this is Machumu speaking. How are -”

  “I'm great, Machumu. How are you?” Dominica said after cutting her off.

  “Enjoying life, Aunty Dominica. I'm married, we have a daughter. Everything is good,” Machumu replied while staring at her husband who was looking at her curiously.

  “Machumu, I know you're married to a drug dealer. And you know that shit don't really fly in this family. I don't know what got into y'all after we left home,” she said with a lot of anger.

  “Well, that's wh
at I'm calling you about, Valaire Perfecto Dominica. I know you wouldn't approve of it, so I have a suggestion,” Machumu said hesitantly, hoping for a certain response. And it came.

  “I'm listening, Machumu,” Dominica said.

  Machumu took a deep breath. She knew she had to sell the idea like a perfect salesman in order for her aunt to buy it. “My husband and I are stepping out of the illegal business. It's what his family does, but he's willing to walk away from it. The thing is, his oldest daughter - “

  “Renika James. Yes, she and I are very well acquainted. A great business associate,” Dominica said after cutting her off again.

  Machumu really didn't like being cut short of what she had to say. It was taking everything in her to keep her composure. “A royal pain in the ass is what she is,” she replied coldly.

  Dominica started laughing. “Oh shit! Sounds like someone has met their evil twin! She's only a pain in the ass because y'all are too much alike!” she said, filled with laughter.

  Machumu didn't deny what her aunt said. Truth be told, she was definitely aggravated. “Okay, cool. Are we square on this?” asked Machumu.

  “Of course, Machumu, we're straight. As long as your black ass stay away from it and your husband keeps it from around you and the baby, he's allowed to breathe another day,” she replied.

  Machumu swallowed hard while looking at Li'l Will. She had already come to the conclusion that she would leave certain parts of the conversation out when they talk about it. “Alright then, Aunty Dominica, I'll talk to you later.”

  “No, you won't talk to me later. Your ass better be on a flight out here the next time I hear your voice. Do you understand me, Machumu?” she said.

  “Yes ma'am,” answered Machumu before hanging up. She texted Renika a thumbs up emoji before setting the phone on the nightstand.

  Li'l Will had placed the extra food back in the carryout bag and set it on the table. When he sat back on the bed, his wife pulled him to her and kissed him passionately before saying, “Now, where were we?”