The Face That Launched A Thousand Bullets (The Cartel Publications Presents) (25 page)

“Ny…its Monesha.”

“Fuck you want, Monie? Cause I ain’t got time for no shit.” he slurred.

He was drunk as shit.

“Can I see you, Ny?” she said softly. “I mean I finally understand we’re family and what we had is over. I just really need a friend right now.”

Had he not been drinking, he would’ve probably said no but between her, his mother and Melody fucking with his money, he needed some company. So he gave her the address to the hotel he stayed in.

“I’m on my way.” She said hanging up before he changed his mind.

In the Hotel

The clock radio blasted with 95.5 as they talked about old times. The liquor was still in his system and he hadn’t had that much fun since the last time he was with her. And he missed that.

Two brown paper bags dressed the bed filled with the remainders of the cheese steaks they ate fifteen minutes earlier.

“Ny, you are so silly! But please tell me you remember running into my head knocking me over at school.”

“What?” Nyzon laughed looking at her sideways. “I ain’t never knock you over at school.”

“Boy, you must’ve bumped your head for real!” she giggled. “We were in middle school and you bumped into me. That’s how we met!”

“Oh shit! I remember now.” he said rubbing his head finally recollecting. “I had to help your lost ass find the office. Tell the truth, you were just tryin’ to get my attention right?” Nyzon joked.

“Boy, whatever! I already heard about you.”

“That’s cause they all wanted me.”

She got up, cleared the bed of the bags and plopped back down.

“I ain’t want you. For real…I was feelin’ Lazarick.”

For some reason when she said that, his stomach turned.

“Yeah right! You was always on me.”

Silence.

They stared into each other’s eyes. She was moving in to kiss him and he stopped her.

“We can’t…we’re family, Monie. Let’s leave it like that.”

“What if I told you we aren’t? Would it make a difference between us?”

“Naw…cause we’re better off as friends.”

Nyzon didn’t want to play games with Monie even if they weren’t related because he couldn’t be faithful. She deserved somebody good and he wanted her to have that.

She frowned and instead of understanding, she thought he wasn’t drunk enough.

“Now you can sleep here,” he said seriously. “but in the morning, you have to leave.”

“A’ight, Ny. A’ight.”

Later That Night

It was pitch dark in the room when he felt the covers pull back from his body, and the cool air move over him.

“Monesha, what are you doin’?” he asked pushing her away looking at the red glare from the clock radio.

It was 3am.

“You know what I’m doin’ Ny.” She said kissing his lips. “Stop playin’ wit me.”

“Monie…we can’t do this shit.”

“Yes we can.” She said rustling with his boxers. The alcohol was still in his blood.

“Have you been payin’ attention?” he asked as he grabbed her wrist and held them firmly in his hands. “Whateva we had is through!”

Just a few months ago he would’ve given anything to fuck her, but now since he was 99.9% sure they were family, he just couldn’t do it.

“Fuck that shit!” she said getting louder. “I still love you, Ny! Why you think I’m here? Make love to me, please.”

She was crazy…out of her mind. But the mere fact that she was begging him turned Nyzon on.

“Monie, this is fucked up!” he continued, now kissing her gently. His body was doing the exact opposite of what his mouth was saying. “I’m…your….”

“Man.” She continued as she slid her slippery wetness onto him.

“Monie, fuck this shit!” he yelled lifting her up off him. He paced the room with his dick rock hard and sticking out of his boxers. “I can’t do this! You hear me? I can’t! You gotta leave.”

“Yes you can baby.” Her knees hit the floor as she put him into her mouth. She wanted to catch his thickness before it went back down. “Just try. I won’t tell nobody. I promise. It’ll be our little secret.”

Her tongue moved ferociously over his penis and she could taste her bittersweet wetness mixed with his juices.

“Ahhhhh… shit,” he cried out as his head fell against the wall. “You feel so fuckin’ good. We shouldn’t be doin’ this shit!”

Before he knew it, she bent down in front of him and wiggled her ass onto his dick again. It was over. He was no match for her seduction. Monie’s hands covered her toes as she whined her hips against him. When he looked down all he saw was ass.

“Me too. Oh my goodness….I’m about to cuuummm! Shit!” he whimpered as he released himself inside of her holding her hips in place.

And just like that, the moment he came it was over. And he was back to reality. How could he live with himself having fucked his cousin?

“Monesha, this was my fault.” Nyzon took the blame. “but this will not happen again.”

“That’s not what I had in mind.”

“I’m serious. I’ll spend the rest of my life makin’ it up to you, but that…what just happened…can never go down again.”

“So you would sleep with me, let me suck your dick and tell me I’m not good enough for you? Is that what you’re sayin’?” she asked looking as if she’d been possessed.

“I’m sayin’ you’re my cousin, and it was wrong. Please leave, Monisha.”

“You’re gonna regret this, Shelton, Nyzon or whatever your damn name is!” She said calling him by his birth name. “I put that on everything you’re going to regret this.”

She collected her things, got dressed and left.

With her gone he beat himself up mentally for making such a major mistake, and he was sure she was true to her word that he would regret every bit of it.

But for now he would go to sleep.

Crayland Bailor

Arundel Mills, MD

J
illian’s in Arundel Mills mall was crowded but Nyzon wanted to meet with Cray to discuss business. He sat nervously at the bar trying to figure out what to say to convince Cray to cross Melody. After all when Cray stepped to him a month ago about doing business since he had access to the connect, Nyzon denied him.

One Month Earlier

Nyzon had been waiting for Cray for thirty minutes when he finally strolled up to their usual location. He was late as rain.

“I’m sorry…how do you DC boys say it…let me rap to you for a sec.” he said in a condescending tone.

Nyzon smirked, but sat down and closed the door. He was curious. What could a D.C. dude and a Bmore cat possibly have in common? But he have a few minutes to spare so he gave it to him.

“Make it quick.”

“How long you been workin’ for Melody?”

“Long enough.” Nyzon responded wanting him to get to the point. He was sick of looking at his gold hair wearin’, burgundy timbs lacin’, Baltimore bamma ass.

“Are you serious?” Nyzon said staring his ass down. He sat back in his seat and laughed in his face. “If I did why in the fuck would I tell you?”

“That’s just it, from what I hear, he ain’t even payin’ you. That niggas tellin’ everybody he pay you when the fuck he feel like it. And how you be beggin’ him for your money like one of his bitches.”

Silence.

“So you do wanna make some real money right?” Cray laughed and said, “No scratch that, do you want to make
any
money.”

“You already know the answer.” He said irritated that Melody was playing him, and telling everybody about it.

Cray took a deep breath, grabbed his chin and said, “If a situation presented itself…and we stood to gain way more than we’d lose, would you go for it?”

“With who? Your bamma ass?”

“Let’s stop wit the compliments, country ass nigga.” He said talking calmer than he usually would have under the circumstances. “Would you do it or not?”

Nyzon had just ordered a vodka and orange juice when Cray walked into Jillian’s, late as usual.

“What up, nigga?” Cray said giving him some dap.

“Ain’t shit!” Nyzon said.

“Aye, yo…give me two of what he just had.” He told the bartender.

“You can’t handle this shit, youngin’. You betta stay in your league.”

“Yeah a’ight! I drink this shit in my sleep, partna.” Cray drank both drinks and asked for another.

“I bet.” Nyzon said sizing him up.

Can I trust your ass?
He thought.

“Where you rollin’ to tonight?” Nyzon was trying to make small talk because outside of handling business with this mothafucka, for real he didn’t know him.

“My man’s throwin’ somethin’ at this place in the city but I got to pick up my new ride first.” Cray downed his entire drink and flagged him for another. “You should come through.”

“Me get down in Bmore? Wit’ all that club music and shit? No thank you.”

He could tell Cray was a little salty but he was speaking the truth. His truth.

“Like Go-Go music much betta. Come on now,
must
ya’ll niggas steal every song that come out?”

“Yeah…that nigga Melody done me greasy, and I’m ready to take you up on your offer. That is if it’s still available.”

Cray smiled slyly.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothin, that nigga’s reckless wit’ his operation. Plus I ain’t gettin’ enough for the things I want to do.” Cray confirmed. “I been lookin’ for a reason to cut him off.”

“Well here it is. You still down?”

“You still got access to the connect?”

“I know who he is, but we need distribution. My cousin got a few cats in DC who can move it no problem. But the connect don’t fuck wit nobody without real money for real weight. So the folks I got in Southeast and Southwest ain’t enough to move it.”

“Give me two months. I have to handle a few things, but I’ma hit you back. Be gettin’ your starting line up together and I’ll be getting mine. If you’re really serious, I’ll know then.”