Authors: Ashley;JaQuavis

Black Friday: Exposed (3 page)

“I know. I need to get up anyway.” She sat up and stretched in bed. I have to get ready for the dinner.”

After an hour of primping and switching outfits, Norelle stepped out of her suite looking flawless in white Ferragamo slacks with a visible crease, a white and gold Ferragamo halter, and gold Jimmy Choos. Her hair was pulled up off her face, showing off her exquisite features, the best one being her two carat diamond solitaires. Kasheef was clean in white linen slacks and shirt. His jewelry also accentuated his fresh look. She could tell that she looked good on Kasheef’s arm because the envious looks of her sorority sisters said it all. There was nothing better than being the best dressed and best looking woman in a room full of other women. Her confidence was at an all time high as she glided through the room. It was important for her to make a good impression on her old friends. She knew that after the reunion was over that she would be the topic of many conversations and if they were going to talk anyway she was going to make sure that she gave them something to say. Her entire presence screamed new money, because the way that Norelle flaunted it was so blatant that you could not help but to see it.

Dozens of “hey girls” and “you look goods” floated through the room. Norelle had forgotten how fake a group of women could be. She was really only there for one person, but when she finally found her she thought she saw a hint of hater in her as well.

“Car—men!” she sang as she approached her from behind.

“Norelle!” she yelled out as she wrapped her arms around her long lost friend. Carmen’s eyes diverted to Kasheef and a look of confusion crossed her face.

“Oh, yeah! I’m sorry, I’m being rude. Carmen this is my boyfriend Kasheef,” Norelle introduced. Kasheef and Carmen shook hands as if this was their first encounter.

“Nice to meet you,” Carmen scoffed.

“Nice to meet you,” he replied with a smile that just earlier she was hoping to see again. Carmen rolled her eyes, thinking that all men were exactly the same. Kasheef had flirted openly with her just a few hours ago despite the fact that he had a woman. She knew he was a player. His persona had been too good to be true. He was her friend’s man and therefore off limits, but the restriction only made her envious of Norelle’s relationship because Kasheef was most definitely easy on the eyes, and Carmen silently wondered what he may be like behind closed doors. Kasheef didn’t even break a sweat and Carmen was amazed at how cool the man was under pressure.

“You look exactly the same! Oh my goodness, it feels like it’s been forever. How have you been girl?” Norelle asked.

Carmen shifted her gaze from Kasheef to Norelle. “I’m doing well. I’m just working—trying to make partner eventually at my law firm. What about you? Are the two of you serious? Any kids?”

Kasheef smirked, knowing that Carmen was trying to dig up dirt and find out just how serious his relationship with Norelle was. He licked his lips and played his role as loving boyfriend as Norelle answered, “No. No kids yet, but ’Sheef and I are very serious. Now you know I have never been a time clock punching type of girl. Kasheef is a good man and he takes really good care of me.”

Carmen and Norelle fell right back into their rotation and caught up on each other’s lives. It had been so long since they had the time to talk and that was a shame especially since they lived in the exact same city. Neither of them was surprised at how the other’s life had turned out. Carmen had always been the level headed one, the responsible and dependable one. She had been driven in college and her pre-law major had become a reality quickly upon matriculation. Norelle was the party girl, the free spirit, the one who rode life’s waves no matter how many times she wiped out. They were so different, which is why they were such good friends. Carmen discreetly questioned Norelle about her relationship with Kasheef, but once she heard how Norelle talked about him she knew he was off limits. They told Kasheef college stories and stayed up half the night with one another. Kasheef was glad that Norelle had found someone to occupy her time, because he had agreed to come on this trip for a reason. He had a goal to accomplish and he was going to need some privacy to do it. Norelle didn’t know that his connect was located in Belize City, Belize; and that just so happened to be one of the stops on their trip. He was definitely not there for laughs and giggles. He was there for bricks and money.

Chapter Three

When the cruise ship finally arrived in Belize there was only thing on his mind—money. It was the first time he’d ever made the trip overseas to cop, so he was anxious to meet his connect face to face. The layover was only six hours so he had to travel into the ghettos and back by the time the boat took off. Kasheef’s connect arranged for him to be picked up a couple miles from the highly publicized tourist area of the island. He caught a cab to the limo that was waiting on the side of the road for him.

“Welcome to Belize City, Mr. Solis is expecting you,” the driver stated as he opened the door and Kasheef stepped inside. He saw the sandy white beaches turn into lush greenery. Paved roadways turned into undeveloped land as the driver made his way deeper and deeper into the island. Set back on top of a small mountain was a mansion unlike one he had ever seen. Its tall plantation-style pillars and beautiful marble fountain that sat in the center of the estate went beyond his hood rich statute. He was witnessing opulence and elegance. He wanted a piece of it. He stepped out of the vehicle and made his way up toward the entrance. The doors opened on cue and he was greeted by one of the sexiest women he’d ever seen. Her brown sugar colored skin looked good enough to taste and the warm smile that she greeted him with would have been enough to make him wife her. If there was ever such a thing as the perfect woman she would have surely been it, but his fantasy of whisking her away was cut short when she introduced herself as his connect’s wife.

“Hello. You must be Kasheef. My husband is expecting you,” she stated without giving her name. He followed her through the opulent house and into the back of the mansion where Osti Solis sat bird watching. His appearance was different than what Kasheef had expected. He was short and thin with olive skin and dark features.

“Kasheef, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Osti greeted with a handshake that was firmer than to be expected. His body seemed weak and scrawny, but the look in his eye was cold and calculating. “I’m not what you were expecting, eh’?”

“To be honest, you are not,” Kasheef responded.

“The unexpected kingpin stays out of the radar. There are only two types of business men in this world: those who are in it for the money and those who are in it for the recognition. The ones who are in it for the money do not like to be flashy. The unseen can not be caught,” Osti said, speaking words of wisdom that only came with years of success in the drug game.

“I agree,” Kasheef conceded while nodding in understanding.

“How will you get the product back to the states?”

“Money talks,” Kasheef responded.

“Indeed it does,” Osti stated with a laugh. He turned his back to Kasheef and looked toward the sky to peer back at his birds. “Your shipment is already in the car. Leave the money with my wife. My driver will take you back.”

“You don’t want to count the dough? How do you know you can trust me?”

Osti turned back around with a smirk on his face and replied, “Fear creates boundaries for men. It controls what they will and will not do. The look in my eye stops you from crossing those boundaries. That is why I finally agreed to meet you in person. So I could look you in the eyes.”

Kasheef nodded and retreated to the car, where twenty kilos of heroine sat wrapped in a duffle bag. Now all he had to do was figure out how he was going to get them back on the boat.

Kasheef exited the vehicle with the duffel bag in hand. He scanned the beach suspiciously to make sure no one was watching him. He found a beach shop that sold life vests and approached it where a young teenage kid was working behind it.

“Hey yo, my man, you trying to make some money?” Kasheef asked.

Kasheef purchased twenty life vests from the beach shop and then paid the young worker two thousand dollars to give them out for free to the passengers on his cruise ship. Kasheef boarded the ship and watched as the other passengers followed behind him with complimentary life jackets in hand, but as soon as they made it through customs Kasheef stopped all twenty passengers and collected the life vests from them. He told them that Belizean products were not tested as suitable floatation devices. After telling them how unsafe the vests were and compensating them with twenty dollars each for their troubles, he was able to get the vests off of their backs with ease. They had no idea that each vest’s stuffing had been removed and replaced with a kilo of Heroine. It was the only way that he could have gotten the drugs on board and although it was risky; it had worked like a charm. He quickly stuffed the life jackets back into his duffel bag and hurried to his room. He’d gotten dope past customs and was home free. He stuffed the entire bag underneath the bed and flopped down on top of it. A smile of satisfaction crossed his face. Norelle was exploring the ship with Carmen. He had gotten away with the impossible and the cruise ship was ready to make its return to the states. He couldn’t have been happier.

“It was so good seeing you,” Carmen said as she hugged Norelle affectionately. It was the final night of their cruise and they had just finished dinner as they prepared to settle in for the night. Both of them had tears in their eyes as if they’d never see one another again.

“What are we crying for?” Norelle said as she wiped her eyes and laughed. “We both live in NY. There is no excuse for us to go this long without talking again. I had fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a close female friend.”

“Well here,” Carmen replied, pulling out one of her business cards. “It’s my card. You can call me anytime. We’ll do a weekly girls night out or something.”

“Okay girl. Have a safe trip home tomorrow.”

The two women embraced again.

“Yeah, you be safe too. You better use that number,” Carmen said as she opened the door to her cabin. “We’ll get together sometime soon.”

Norelle blew Carmen a quick kiss and retreated to her luxury suite where she found Kasheef passed out in the bed. She snuggled up underneath him and enjoyed the sway of the boat as it glided through the Atlantic Ocean. The setting was so romantic, the atmosphere perfect for a couple in love, but she hardly even saw her own man the entire time they were there. They were both preoccupied, her with old friends and he with his business. She admired him as he slept. He looked so peaceful, so content. She thought of the events that had occurred directly before the trip. She hoped and prayed that the drama was over because tomorrow it would be back to the real world.

Chapter Four

It had been four days and Alija still couldn’t shake what had happened. She cradled her daughter against her chest as she rocked back and forth. She looked down at her baby and smiled when Nahla cooed back at her, the child’s eyes sparkling like a pool of rejuvenating innocence. Baby Nahla was the most important thing in Alija’s life. She was all that her mother had to hold onto. Nahla was the only consistent and unconditional love that Alija had ever had. Her entire world revolved around her child and her life was not her own, because she lived to make Nahla happy.

“I know baby girl. Mommy’s not going anywhere, I promise. Nobody can take me away from you,” Alija said lovingly as she thought of how badly the situation at the club could’ve ended. It made her look at her life in a new light. Alija loved her daughter more than anything in this world and they were all that each other had. She had never felt a love as significant as the one she felt for Nahla. The emotional connection between mother and child transcended all others and she felt guilty for jeopardizing her own safety. Nahla needed a mother, a good mother, and Alija planned on becoming just that. Her club hopping days were a thing of the past. From this day forward she would try to better herself so that she could enjoy every moment in raising her child. Alija placed a bottle of baby formula in a pot of boiling water and placed the baby in her swing as she sat down at her meager kitchen table. Late notices and shut off warnings cluttered the space in front of her. It didn’t matter how many times the companies sent her the letters; they weren’t getting their money because she didn’t have it. Alija was a product of the ghetto. A welfare baby who grew up to become a welfare mother, she had nothing. She banked on her government checks that came on the first of each month and gladly accepted them. They were the reason she did not look for a job because she felt as if she did find a job, her monthly checks would stop coming and they would decrease her food stamps so she was better off depending on the state. A nine to five she had never had, but she always had some type of hustle. Whether it was doing hair, boosting clothes, or hustling men; it didn’t matter. Anything was game as long as it helped her keep money in her pockets and food on her table. A tear escaped from her eye as she thought about what she had been through in the past couple of days. It had put a fear in her heart that she had never known and she knew that she had to do something. It was her responsibility to provide for her family and keep her daughter safe. She needed some money so that she could move her daughter out of the hood and start a new life for them both. Nahla’s hungry cries erupted throughout the room, signaling Alija to check on the bottle. She removed it from the boiling water, tested the temperature on the back of her wrist, and then scooped up her daughter. “What am I going to do baby girl? We all we got, mama.” Her daughter greedily sucked the bottle and Alija smiled as she carried her daughter in her arms as she went to check the mailbox. She was waiting on some paperwork from the state. She had a scheme brewing and she was anxious because it would put some extra money in her pockets. She had convinced her caseworker to give her a $1,200 car voucher. The car that she currently owned wasn’t registered in her name, so it wasn’t hard for her to get the naive white woman to issue her a car credit. She already had one of her girls lined up ready to purchase the voucher for $800 cash. It was a quick way to make some easy money. She never even worried about the repercussions of her actions. It was her way of working the system, but she was tired of depending on the system altogether. She was looking for her way out she just hadn’t found it yet. She carried the mail back into her apartment and frowned when she saw something addressed to Mickey from the US Department of Justice. “Oh shit,” she mumbled as she lay Nahla down on the couch for a nap. She hoped that her sister hadn’t gotten caught up trying to defraud the welfare offices. She knew that if Mickey got caught she wasn’t going down alone. She’d be the first one coming to Alija talking about “Girl they got us.” Alija quickly opened the letter and a sigh of relief escaped her once she saw what it was. It was only a request for Mickey to appear for jury duty selection at the end of the month. She put the letter in her sister’s room and then went back to sorting through her bills trying to figure out which ones she could afford to pay this month.

“Ooh right there ’Sheef,” Norelle moaned as her man’s muscular body rested atop of her own, moving in a slow rhythm. His body was so toned and dark. The way that he was making love to her made her back arch and her toes curl. “I love you,” she whispered as she rolled onto her stomach, changing positions so that he could enter her from behind, while she played with her feminine pearl. Kasheef admired Norelle’s perfect body before filling the space between her legs. He rocked in and out of her, while kissing the nape of her neck all at the same time. He felt her body quiver as she reached bliss and with a few deep strokes he joined her in satisfaction. Norelle immediately turned on her side and fell asleep while Kasheef arose to take a shower. After washing his muscular body briefly, he went into the living room and turned on the TV. He couldn’t believe what he saw.

“This is Sunshine Miller reporting live for NY
₁News. This is the scene where a vicious murder was committed only a week ago. Ahmad Simmons’ body was recovered yesterday by two fishermen who found the deceased floating face down in the Hudson River. After tracking his whereabouts with friends and family the police were lead to this night club. It is in fact the last place Ahmad was seen alive. The following tape that we are about to air has just been released by the New York City Police Department.”

Kasheef’s jaw hit the floor when he saw a videotape of the inside of his club. It showed himself and Ahmad inside of the office with Alija in the background peeking through the door. Kasheef’s heart felt as if it would beat out of his chest as he watched himself shoot Ahmad on the local news station. It then showed him run out of the room after Alija and later showed three of Kasheef’s goons come to clean up the murder scene. Luckily for Kasheef his face was not recognizable, but to his dismay Alija was easy to identify and he instantly regretted letting her walk out of the club alive. She was the only person who could identify him as the shooter and he was sure that the police would be looking for her. That only meant one thing—he had to get to her first.

Alija dropped the remote control as she listened to the news broadcast.

“The extent of this crime is so drastic that the police have released this private footage in order to find citizens who may have any information regarding this offense. The police are asking for help in solving this brutal murder. The NYPD have confirmed that the victim was a suspected drug dealer, so it is a very good possibility that this is a drug related murder. If you know anything that can help in their investigation or if you recognize anyone in this video, please contact the police at (212) 965-0800. Funeral services will commence tomorrow night for Mr. Simmons. The public is welcomed to attend. Back to you Bob.”

“Oh my God,” she stated. The ringing of her phone caused her to jump.

“Hello?” she answered her voice barely audible.

“What in the fuck did you get yourself into? I just saw your face all on the news. Is that what happened the night you came in crying?” Mickey asked. She was talking a mile a minute.

“I don’t know Mick ...” Alija responded nervously. Tears swelled in her eyes and a huge lump formed in her throat. “I don’t know. I was there and it all happened so fast. I just panicked. I saw him get killed.”

“And now the whole world knows it,” Mickey stated.

“What am I gon’ do?” Alija asked.

“You gon’ lay low that’s what. Just chill out and don’t say nothing to nobody. You’ve still got to live in the hood. You ain’t got the money to get out so don’t let them pigs talk you into snitching. You’ve got my little niece to think about. I’ll be home in a couple hours. We’ll talk more then,” Mickey said.

“Okay,” Alija answered before hanging up the phone. She went into her bedroom, grabbed her baby from her crib and lay in bed. Her skin crawled as she thought about how her life had just taken a turn for the worst, and for some reason she was afraid to turn out the lights. She stared at Nahla and knew that she was in danger. “I’ve got to get us out of here baby girl ... soon.”

“Yo, as soon as these lights go out we’re in there. Hit everything moving. ’Sheef said he’d rather be safe than sorry so shorty got to go,” Stick instructed as smoke from the blunt he was smoking escaped from his full lips. He sat outside of the apartment building with two goons behind him. They were there to do a job; to exterminate a problem. They were all working on behalf of Kasheef and knew the importance of what they were about to do because they were the same boys who had cleaned up the murder scene at the club. Their asses were on the line as well, so they had to do the job and do it right. Stick popped the magazine into his 9 mm pistol as he leaned his seat back and watched the building.

“Let’s just do this. I ain’t sitting here all night yo,” one of the dudes complained.

“Sit ya’ ass down fam. When the lights go out, we go in ... and not a minute before,” Stick replied.

Alija couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. She slowly arose from her bed and flicked the lights as she prepared herself for a restless sleep. Nahla began to whimper beside her and she looked over and stroked her chubby cheeks. “What’s wrong mama? Huh? You want your binky?” she asked lightly. Alija arose from her bed and tucked Nahla in snugly so that she couldn’t roll off then went to retrieve her daughter’s pacifier. She had to move quickly because she knew she would never get any sleep if Nahla got cranky. She made her way down the hallway where her daughter’s diaper bag was sitting by the front door. “Shit!” she mumbled as she stubbed her toe on her coffee table while making her way through the dark. She bent down to grab the bag, but froze when she heard voices outside her front door.

“Kill everybody in this mu’fucka. We’re not leaving any witnesses.”

Alija’s breath caught in her throat as she put the strap of the diaper bag across her body. She peeked out the door hole and saw three men standing outside with guns in hand. She sprinted back to her room, knocking into furniture on the way. She heard the lock to her front door click and the door open and close, but she didn’t look back. She ran for her life until she reached her room. She knew her house better than her assailants and was able to make it to her daughter before they figured out which way she’d run. She closed and locked her bedroom door, then grabbed her daughter off the bed, trying her best not to make her cry.

Nahla began to whimper and Alija rocked her as she looked back and forth around the room trying to figure out where she could run.

“Shh! It’s okay,” she whispered as silent tears graced her face.
What the fuck am I gon’ do?
She asked herself. All of her windows were barred so that wasn’t an option. She remembered the crawl space above her bed. It was only a small attic like space and she wasn’t even sure if she would fit inside, but she had to try. She jumped on top of her bed and reached up to remove the ceiling tile. She hurriedly placed Nahla inside first before she hopped up herself, the diaper bag still hanging from her body. Just as she slid the ceiling tile back in place, her bedroom door came crashing down.

“Bitch where are you?” one of the men yelled as he snatched open her closet door. He created so much noise that she felt Nahla stir.

God please don’t let her wake up. Please,
she prayed as she put her hand over her baby’s ear and brought her closer to her chest.

“Kill all that noise,” Stick instructed. He looked toward the window. “The bitch got bars on her windows so she’s in this mu’fucka somewhere. Find her.”

Alija slowly rocked her body back and forth as she heard the men tear up her house, overturning furniture and all in their attempt to find her hiding place. Alija was terrified and she didn’t know what was going to happen. She feared for the life of her daughter and she only hoped that the intruders would give up their pursuit. She heard their footsteps travel into the living room and her heart froze when she heard a knock at her front door—

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