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  “Answer me, Kyra. Are you still fuckin’ the nigga or what?”

  “Marvin, fuck you. I don’t even want to be around you.” She went and got in the car.

  He got in the car and told Aisha to put on her seat belt. As soon as he started the car he asked Kyra again, “So are you?”

  “Marvin, dead that bullshit.”

  “Come on, Kyra, I can handle it. Tell me.”

  “You know what, let me the fuck out. I’d rather hitchhike than be in the same space as you.”

  “He was over at the house, Kyra. Why was the nigga at my fuckin’ house?” he gritted, remembering Aisha was in the backseat. His pride was hurt.

  “What? You had niggas watchin’ me?”

  “You fuckin’ the nigga in my house?”

  “Who, Daddy?” Aisha asked, only to be ignored.

  “Marvin, our family is on the brink of collapsing all because of your drug habit and you got people spying on me to see if I’m bringing a nigga in the house? You asshole!” She swung at him, causing him to swerve in the lane and horns to beep. “Let me out now!” Kyra screamed.

  “So why was he at the house? You fuckin’ the nigga in our bed?”

  “Who, Mommy? Daddy, no nigga was in our house.”

  Kyra started laughing. “Marvin, you are so stupid. I’m not going to even stoop to your level of stupidity and answer you.” When the car slowed for a stoplight, Kyra jumped out.

  “Kyra, get back in here.” He put the car in park and jumped out to chase her, ignoring the honks and beeps. He ran and caught up to her.

  “Nigga, our daughter is in the car. And listen to how you are talking to me,” Kyra screamed at him.

  “Get your ass back in the car.” He grabbed the back of her neck, squeezed tight, and forced her back to the car.

  “Stop it, Marvin,” she screamed as she tried to break away. Onlookers were trying to see what was going on.

  “You jump out again, I’ma fuck you up.” He pushed her into the front seat and slammed the door.

  She started crying and now Aisha was crying. “I can’t do this anymore, Marvin. Look what we’ve been reduced to. Let’s go back to Jersey. This was a bad move.” She was now talking to herself.

  He jumped into the car on the last few words of her sentence. He didn’t even hear her as he pulled out of the screaming traffic behind them. Something told her to drop Aisha over at Marva’s. She had a feeling that this was going to be ugly.

  After about an hour and a half of prodding and promising, Kyron finally won and got Tasha to agree to drive him around. Now they were standing in Kaylin’s driveway.

  “Okay, Kyron, let’s set the rules. I’ll drive you around but do not ask me about my personal life and I won’t ask you about yours. Even though you don’t have one since you’re just getting out of prison and all.”

  “Oh, so shorty over here got jokes. You already accused me of being a broke-ass nigga, now you saying that I don’t have a personal life. That’s ugly.” He threw her the keys to the S500. “Here, start earning your keep.”

  She started the Benz up and it purred like a kitten. As she adjusted the mirrors and her seat she asked, “So where to?”

  “First stop Motor Vehicles.”

  Tasha mumbled, “Why did I volunteer my services? I must be bored to volunteer to sit up at some damn Motor Vehicles all day.”

  “You don’t have anything else to do. Now drive. I got you, shorty.”

  Marvin and Kyra had finally stopped arguing, only because Aisha wouldn’t stop crying. They rode the rest of the way home not saying a word. When he pulled up in front of the house he didn’t turn the engine off.

  Kyra looked over at him in disgust. “You’re not even going to come in and spend time with your daughter?”

  “I’ll be back after my daughter goes to sleep. If I come in now, she is going to see me put my foot all up in yo ass. I don’t want that. Let me go find this nigga Rick.”

  “Yeah right. You gotta go find something all right. Your next hit. Marvin, don’t make me come and get you. This time I’m bringing your daughter inside so that she can see what her father is doing to himself. I’m not hiding your ugly habit from her anymore.”

  “Kyra, get out the car.”

  She reached over and snatched the keys out of the ignition.

  “Give me the damn keys, Kyra.” He went to snatch them back. As they tussled, Marvin, being the stronger of the two, ended up with the keys. “I told you I’ll be back.”

  “Fuck you, Marvin. I see that the urgency wasn’t you thinking that I was fuckin’ Rick in the house. The urgency was you wanting to get high.”

  “Shut your fuckin’ mouth, Kyra.”

  “Go ahead and leave. When you look up again your daughter is going to be staring in your face and asking you why are you doing this to us.” Kyra jumped out of the car and slammed the door. “C’mon, Aisha.” She snatched the back door open. Marvin pulled out of the driveway and sped off.

  * * *

  By the end of the day Tasha was worn out and was beginning to look at Kyron in a whole different light. After Motor Vehicles they stopped at his business attorneys’ office. Tasha sat in on their meeting and watched them cut and hand Kyron a check for 2.3 million dollars as payment for a piece of property that he had sold. From there they made their way to the bank, his Realtor’s office and then to an apartment building in Manhattan, where he was handed the keys to his apartment.

  He led the way in. It smelled musty and it was dim. The long hallway led to the spacious living room, high ceilings, open kitchen and two bedrooms.

  “Shorty, how much will you charge me to decorate and furnish this?”

  Ooooh. Tasha squealed in delight on the inside. This is going to be fun, she said to herself, not wanting to reveal to Kyron her excitement. “I can’t answer that right now. Let me think about it. When do you want me to start?”

  “He handed her a key. I need you to start now.” He also handed her the black American Express card.

  “Okay, am I on a baller’s budget?”

  “Don’t worry about a budget. Just do what you got to do.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about. So you are a Santos.”

  “C’mon Aisha, you’re moving too slow.”

  “Are we going to get my daddy?”

  “Yes. Now hurry up and get dressed.”

  It was a little past one in the morning and Kyra hadn’t seen or heard from Marvin since he had dropped her off in front of the house that morning.

  “Why we got to get my daddy in the dark? My teacher said we shouldn’t be out after dark.”

  “I don’t care what your teacher said. You’re with me.”

  “Okay, Mommy.”

  Kyra went and found Marvin’s key to the safe with the gun stash. He thought that he had hidden it from Kyra but she knew exactly where it was. After examining about four pieces, she liked the feel of the .45 so she stuffed it in her inside jacket pocket.

  “Let’s go, Aisha.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Tasha had only been in New York for a week but was missing the boys something awful. But each time she called to hear their voices, the conversation would always go in the same direction.

  “Trae, I called to speak to my babies, not to argue with you.”

  “Who’s arguing? All I said was come home because if I have to come and get you and drag your ass back, I will.”

  “And I already told you I’m filing for divorce, Trae.”

  “You can file all you want but I’m not giving you a divorce.”

  “It’s not up to you, Trae. It’s up to the courts.”

  “That’s what you think. So are you going to come home on your own or do I have to come and get you?”

  “Trae, leave me alone, okay? I need this space right now. Can I please talk to my children?”

  He hung up the phone on her.

  Aisha squeezed her mother’s hand as they stood at the door waiting for someone to open
it. She had thought that her dad went back in the hospital, not spending the night over at her cousin’s house. He was going to have to take her to Toys “R” Us for this one. She was now eight years old and there were a few things, including some game cartridges, that she wanted to get.

  Kyra banged on the door again. She could barely hear the footsteps over Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake.

  “Who is it?” the voice drawled.

  “I’m looking for Marvin.”

  She heard mumbling and then giggles. That same voice drawled, “Marvin ain’t here.”

  “Then why the fuck is his car out here?” Kyra snapped as she banged on the door. “Open the fuckin’ door. Tell him his wife and his daughter is out here. When I tell him that you bitches wouldn’t open the door he is going to put his size elevens up y’all’s ass!”

  She heard silence, then the locks being turned, and then the door opened. Kyra said, “Isis, you was about to get fucked up. You are playing with the wrong bitch tonight.”

  Isis grinned. “Hi, Aisha.” Aisha waved at Isis, Marvin’s cousin. “Oh, you can’t talk?”

  “Leave my daughter alone. Where is Marvin?”

  “He’s in the back. You can leave Aisha with me.”

  “No. I got her. But you, you need to leave that shit alone. It’s messing up your skin. You’re looking bad, Isis. Get it together.”

  Aisha looked back at her cousin and then asked Kyra, “What shit does she need to leave alone?”

  “Watch your mouth, Aisha. Drugs. Do you see how ugly she’s looking? She needs to leave drugs alone.”

  “Yes. I can tell. Her face is dark and she’s so skinny just like a skeleton.”

  “Exactly. Do you want to look pretty and healthy or ugly and skinny?”

  “Pretty and healthy.”

  “Well, never do drugs. And on top of that, drugs make you crazy, stupid, and it eats your brain cells. And watch your mouth.”

  Aisha giggled as she squeezed her mother’s hand.

  “It’s not funny. Do you understand what Mommy said about drugs?”

  “Yes, Mommy.”

  “Now we are going in this room with probably lots of drug users. I want you to pay close attention.” Her plan was to get in and get Marvin out as quickly as possible.

  “Is Daddy in there?”

  “Yes he is. But we’re getting him and taking him home.”

  “Is he using drugs or selling drugs?”

  “After you check it out closely, I want you to tell me what you think he’s doing.” Kyra took a deep breath to prepare herself for what was behind the door. She turned the doorknob.

  Aisha’s eyes widened as she covered her nose. People were smoking out of pipes, smoking blunts, which she saw her mom and dad do, and sticking needles in their arms. “Mommy, she’s sticking a needle in her arm.”

  “I know, baby.”

  “Daddy!” She broke away from Kyra and dived into Marvin’s lap.

  He slowly came out of his nod and smiled. “Baby girl.” His voice was raspy.

  “Chile, get that baby outta here,” a feen said to Kyra.

  “Mind your fuckin’ business. And don’t be getting all close up on me.” Kyra pushed her backwards, causing her to fall into the crew at the table splitting up some coke.

  “Hey, hey! Bitch watch it,” the table tenants all yelled as they pushed her away.

  “C’mon, Marvin.” Kyra helped him up, wrapping his arm around her neck. Aisha got on his other side. “Yeah, c’mon, Daddy.”

  “Both my baby girls”—he nodded out, then his head popped up—“came to see me,” he finished the sentence.

  “You are taking him home?” Isis asked as they walked past her.

  “Yes, get the door for me. I’ll be back to get his truck tomorrow,” Kyra told her. “Don’t let nothing happen to it, Isis.”

  “I gotchu, Cousin.”

  “Where we going?” Marvin asked her.

  “Home.” Kyra was trying to figure out what all Marvin had had, because the Marvin she knew was fully functional and alert when he used heroin. She made a mental note to look into that.

  “Daddy, can we go to Toys “R” Us tomorrow?”

  He looked down at Aisha and smiled. “Of course we can.”

  “Yaaay! You know what I want?”

  “Aisha, open the car door and let’s get your father into the car.”

  “I can get myself into the car. As a matter of fact, let me drive.”

  “I don’t think so.” Kyra pushed him into the seat.

  “I can drive.”

  “No you can’t, Daddy. You’re high.”

  Marvin turned around and looked at his daughter. “Baby girl, what did you say?”

  “I said you can’t drive because you’re high off drugs and you’re not supposed to drive when you’re high because you could get a ticket or have a crash.”

  Marvin looked at his daughter and then looked at Kyra before hanging his head in shame. Kyra had a smirk on her face. She closed the door and went around to the driver’s side, jumped in, and pulled off.

  “Was anybody outside the house when we left?” Kyra asked Marvin, who wouldn’t answer. “Marvin, now is not the time to be feeling guilty. You did this shit to yourself. Was somebody outside, yes or no?”

  “No, why?”

  “Somebody is following us, that’s why.”

  Marvin turned around and looked back. Just then a pimped-out white-on-white Caddy cut them off, causing Kyra to mash her brakes.

  “Aisha, baby, get down on the floor and stay down like Mommy showed you. Don’t get up until I say so. Do you hear me?” Kyra’s voice was trembling.

  “Yes, Mommy,” Aisha answered, already in position.

  “Don’t say a word.”

  “Tell me you holdin’, Kyra,” Marvin barked.

  “I am.”

  “Give it here.”

  Kyra eased him her piece.

  “What I tell you about carrying this little shit?”

  “Baby, I saw him before.”

  “Oh, that’s Fish.” Marvin relaxed a little, placing the burner in his lap.

  Fish, who was also a cousin, didn’t get out of the car. But the vehicle behind them had stopped and now two niggas were coming toward them.

  “Marv,” one of them yelled.

  “Who that be?”

  “Junie,” he answered as he came up on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. His partner Mook was now on Kyra’s side.

  “Whatever the fuck y’all niggas want is going to have to wait. So y’all might as well get the fuck away from my car,” Marvin barked.

  “I’ve waited long enough. I need that dough, Blue.” Junie called Marvin by his nickname. Back in the day, Junie and Marvin rolled thick as thieves and did every dirty deed imaginable together. When Marvin jetted to go to the East Coast, Junie had it in his mind that Marvin owed him two thousand in dope and cash.

  Marvin went to get out of the car. He was wondering why Fish wasn’t getting out. Junie stood there blocking Marvin in, leaning against the door. Marvin raised his piece and was now poking him in the stomach.

  “If you want your kidneys, I suggest you tell Fish to move his fuckin’ car and I suggest you get the fuck away from my ride. I’m not going to tell y’all again.”

  Junie laughed. “If you want your wife, I suggest you give me my muthafuckin’ dough right now.”

  Marvin looked at Kyra. Mook had a gun pressing against her head.

  “Mook, get that fuckin’ burner away from my wife.”

  Mook had an ugly grimace on his face and didn’t move.

  “I’m telling you, Blue, he’s going to split her wig, just give me my dough. You owe me, nigga.”

  “I don’t owe you shit! Nigga. That was years ago. And you talkin’ about fuckin’ chump change. Why you keep saying that shit?”

  “Stop haggling, Marvin. Just give the nigga the money,” Kyra blurted out.

  “Listen to your wife,” Junie told him.


  “These pussies ain’t going to shoot nobody. Not like I will.” Pow. He let one loose off in Junie’s stomach. “See. That’s how you do that. I didn’t even have to get out. Put the car in reverse, baby girl, and let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  Mook stood there in shock as Kyra did as she was told, crashing into the car behind them. Fish jumped out of the car waving at Marvin.

  “Hold up, baby girl.” Marvin jumped out of the car.

  Fish snatched the gun out of Mook’s hand and busted one off in his head. “Pussy muthafucka.”

  Marvin started laughing. “Fish, nigga, where you get these pussy muthafuckas from?”

  “That’s what happens when you send a boy to do a man’s job.” Fish turned the gun on Kyra and shot her in the head. He then turned the gun on Marvin.

  “You slippin’, Cuz. Then you come up here thinkin’ you can just take shit over. You left us, remember? I built this. Get in my car.” Fish was talking but Marvin didn’t hear a word he said. All he could see was Kyra’s blood splattered on the windows, steering wheel and dashboard. He forgot all about Aisha on the back floor. “C’mon, nigga, let’s go. You gonna take me to the loot, man. Tonight, right now. Let’s move, before I shoot yo’ muthafuckin’ ass!” he screamed.

  A car screeched to a halt behind them. When Fish turned to look, Marvin let off three shots, striking Fish in the chest and stomach. Multiple shots were fired from the car behind them, turning Fish’s body into a bloody rag doll.

  “Marv. You all right?” his cousin Lo asked when he got up on the car. He was flanked by his right-hand man Joe. When he saw Kyra he said, “Aww, man.” His stomach twisted into knots. He was wondering why Marvin was just standing there. He then noticed Aisha on the floor. She was still on the floor waiting on her mommy to give her the signal.

  “The baby, man. We gotta get the baby.” Lo opened the back door and yanked Aisha out. “Joe. Move Fish’s car out the way. Make those burners disappear. Five-O is on the way. We gotta get you out of here, Blue. But check this out.” He led Marvin over to his ride and opened the trunk. There was a naked, bound and gagged King Rick. “Yeah, I knew you would like this.” He beamed with pride, spat on King and slammed the trunk.