The Face That Launched A Thousand Bullets (The Cartel Publications Presents) (40 page)

Monesha

Royal Bitch

M
onesha was walking to her car in a mall parking lot when Nyzon jumped out and grabbed her by the neck pushing her face into a random car.

“No, Nyzon,” she sobbed. “No I’m not related to you! I’m sorry I lied. I love you so much that I was willing to do whatever I had to, to keep you.”

“Shit!” he yelled hitting the body of the car, inches away from her face with a closed fist. “Fuck you put me through all of this for?”

Tiara Knight

Love His Swag

T
iara had been kicking it with Shelton strong. Everyday he’d stop by her school and they’d talk for hours at a nearby restaurant. She know longer worried about Cray finding out because he spent so much time in D.C. with his squad, that he didn’t have time for her anymore.

It was 1:00 in the afternoon and she waited fifteen minutes in the Target parking lot in Maryland for Shelton to pull up. She had a hair appointment at 1:00 but knew they wouldn’t get around to her until 7 because they were so unprofessional. So she hadn’t planned on showing up at the salon until five. This would give her more time with Shelton.

“Excuse me, can I talk to you for a second?” Nyzon asked pulling up to her.

“No. Sorry.” She played along. “I’m waiting on this cute dude I’m feeling from D.C. so you might as well keep it moving.”

She giggled trying to contain herself. She loved the games they played. With all the fun they had with one another, they still had not been intimate.

“It’s like that? Cause on the real, I know that nigga ain’t finer than me.”

She looked him over once and said, “You right. I’m rollin’ wit you.”

Soft laughter filled the car when she hopped inside and kissed him gently on the cheek. She was falling for him, and he was falling for her. The relationship grew strong because they were friends above everything, with nothing to lose.

“My girl,” he said.

“I’m so happy to see you. Why you got me thinkin’ about you all day everyday?”

“You not alone.”

“I hope not. I don’t want to be a fool.”

“Trust me.” He said. “Where you goin’ later?” he asked as he whipped out of the parking lot.

“You know I got my hair appointment later but I got some time to kick it with you. There’s a party I have to get ready for.” She placed her seatbelt on and he looked at the curves of her body. She was the baddest female he’d ever seen in his life.

“A’ight…there’s been a slight change of plans.”

“And what’s that?”

“What I tell you about trustin’ me?”

“That no matter what, I always can.”

The Airport

Tiara sat nervously in the airport waiting on Shelton. He disappeared for a minute to make a call and she wondered where he’d gone. Minutes later he returned and held her hand. She wondered what his plan was because wherever they were going, she had to be back that night.

“You a’ight?” he asked excited at whatever he had in store.

“I’m fine.” Her voice low and worried.

“You trust me right?”

“Yes. I just don’t trust myself. I feel reckless with you. Why is that?”

“Let’s not worry about the details. Let’s just be.”

Once she boarded the plane leading to Vegas, she was suddenly excited. For that day she’d act as if her life with Cray didn’t exist. Shelton filled something in her heart that she longed for and had been missing ever since her father died. And she wanted to hold on to it for as long as possible.

When they landed they jumped into a beautiful silver stretch Hummer limo leading to the MGM. He’d rented a Sky Loft for one night just to get away. The moment they opened the door she saw beautiful red roses and a large dish of chocolate covered strawberries on the table. The large window was open and the view captivated her. She’d never been out of DC and Bmore in all her life.

“This is beautiful.” She said looking out the window. Shelton pulled up two chairs for them to sit down to enjoy the view. For a second she stared at him. “Who are you? And where did you come from?”

“I’m just a man, feelin’ a woman.” She blushed. “Tiara, I don’t want you thinkin’ I’m bringing you out here just to fuck. I mean if you want to, we can get busy but it’s not like that with me.”

She laughed.

“I’m really feelin’ you.” He reassured. “And right now, I got a lot of shit going on in my life, and being with you is the only time I’m not trippin’ off of any of it.”

“I feel the same, Shelton.”

“So let’s get somethin’ to eat and kick it. No strings attached. You cool wit that?”

“Of course.”

They talked for hours about life and their dreams. He asked about her father and when she cried, he held her tight. She wasn’t even allowed to mention her father to Cray so off the break, Shelton made her feel comfortable. Cray said talking about Kavon made her weak, but Shelton embraced the memories. Through it all, she never mentioned, Cray’s name and Nyzon never asked.

He wanted to know about the man who was responsible in bringing Tiara into the world. And when she talked about her mother, she cried even more. He was disgusted at how she lived in DC, and how her mother turned her back on her. He wanted to talk about his experience with his mother but decided against it. This was her time and he wanted to be there for her.

When it got later, she remembered her hair wasn’t done. Cray would definitely know she lied if she walked in the house like that. If he noticed nothing about her, he noticed her hair. He could tell when it had been washed because it had a golden sheen to it and smelled fresh.

“What’s wrong?”

“If I don’t get my hair done he’ll know I lied.” She was careful not to mention Cray’s name realizing he was well known and she was pretty sure Shelton dealt in drugs too.

“I thought you trusted me?”

“I do but…” just before she could say anything else someone knocked at the door.

When he opened it, a pretty black girl with a golden weave was on the other side. Her name was Tangee. She had a large gold bag in her hands filled with hair supplies. Turns out she was a hairdresser who when she was done whipped Tiara’s hair up so good, she had to get her card. Shelton flew her all the way from Baltimore just to hook Tiara up. That was what he was doing when he left her in the airport. With her hair done and the night approaching an end, they left the hotel to get back on the plane.

Shelton was sleep until he felt her staring at him. He opened his eyes slowly to take in her beauty.

“What you lookin’ at girl?” he joked.

“Nothing. I finally figured out who you remind me of.”

“Who?” he asked ready to hear her answer.

“My father. He was the only man that truly loved and cared about me.”

“Well as long as I’m alive, and as long as you let me, I’ll always care about you too.”

She sat back in her seat and exhaled.

For the first time in her life, she’d come within the presence of real love.

Nyzon Peate

Same Girl

N
yzon pulled up fifteen minutes early at Cray’s crib to grab his dough to jet back out the front door to see Tiara. Devon was just released from prison on a drug charge and Cray was throwing a party so big, it cost him half a million dollars.

The moment Nyzon knocked on the door he laughed after realizing Cray was already drunk.

“What up nigga?” he had a glass of Hennessy in his hands.

Cray opened the door wider and Nyzon walked inside eyeing his crib as usual. Everything was neat and in its place and he could tell his girl kept a clean house.

“My bitch got ya cash downstairs.”

“You wild, man. You betta not say that shit loud before she hear your ass.”

“And do what?” Cray said breath smelling like the alcohol bottle. “I run this shit. Watch this. Hey, bitch!” he screamed downstairs. “Bring that duffle up here!”

Nyzon laughed so hard he couldn’t contain himself.

“Let me sit over here away from your ass in case she come up here swingin’.”

Nyzon plopped down on the couch and texted Tiara.

I can’t wait to see you. I know you’re life is full, but I wanna discuss the next level. For us. I think it’s time.

He was still waiting on her response when he saw a beautiful woman with golden hair walking upstairs with her phone in one hand and a duffle bag in the other. The phone in her hand chimed and she smiled after receiving a message.
His
message.

“Here you go, baby?”

She was totally oblivious to another man inside their home or him calling her a bitch. She was used to the disrespect and with Nyzon in her life, she no longer cared.