D’Kass Black Presents Jail’s Bait: Chains & Cuffs (Book 3)

“Where we goin, Rah-Rah,” I asked dis crazy ass nicca who was drivin my father’s Lexus buc wild all over the place, which was makin me more nervous than I really wanted ta be- there wasn’t no real direction we was goin in.

Rah-Rah held one hand on da wheel an da other on dat knife which was diggin in my chest eerytime we made a sharp turn to da right.  My worst thought was, he was drivin so fukkin wild dat we was gonna crash- an at da same time his hand was gonna slip an drove da knfe straight thru my chest, which was already bleedin from da lil cuts from all the turns.

I hadda try sumthin to stop him before that happened.  “Can I ask u sumthin,” I said to Rah-Rah, tryin to find a convo dat would cool him down sum.

He glanced sideways at me, dis insane look in his face- den he lookd back at the road, swervin left.  “Whut,” he said finally.

“How long- how long wuz it since you found out dat I got down..?”  I aint even know WHY I chose that question to ask- I hit upon the first thing I could think of.

My gamble paid off- seemd like dat was da rite question to ask this crazy nicca, cause he slowed up da car an put da knife down sum, still in my direction but away from my heart.  I started breathin easier, an began plottin how I could get outta da car- but Dad had it madd pimped up, so eerything was digitized- from da driver’s side panel, even da locks on da windows…  And there was a full tank too- this car could run for almost a full 24 hours witout havin ta gas up again.  I wuz trapped.

“I guess,” Rah-Rah said, an he sounded nervous his damn self, like he aint want to tell me- “it was rite after u an Joop went on dat ATL trip.  Yall came back an sumthin was… diffrent between yall- not dat anyone else would notce cause yall was so tite anyway, he said, but I noticed dat yall was sharin sumthin, sumthin secret…”

He took a deep breath.  “I had always felt sumthin for you Mar, an I aint know how ta tell you bout dat shyt- I aint want none of our niccas on da block ta be callin me no faggot nicca an shyt.  I had been comin to see you when you was sleepin, ever since we was in high school, but you never knew it tho.  I would climb in yo window an sit an watch you sometimes…”

I was so stunnd I aint know what to say… but Rah-Rah went on.

“I was so in love wit u I couldn’t be wit no one else yo, dats why I aint marry my son’s mother.  But I knew da vibe of DL niccas… an when you an Joop came back from ATL for da first time my DL radar went off from yall two, an I started watchin yall hard.  One nite when yo pops was at work late Joop spent da nite an I was in da backyard lookin at your window- da lite went off an it got real quiet up in dere- I snuck up da back stairs an listend at your door… yall was whisperin an moanin like you aint want no one ta hear you… den da bed started scrapin da floor…”

Fuck, I thought, shockd.  He been breakin in, seein me an Joop fukkin…

“I had been watchin when yall went in da house an yall ain't have no bitches wit u… I knew yall was fukkin in dere.  I turnd off da hall lite an opend da door real quiet- I saw u wit yo legs up gettin dugg out by Joop an my heart plunged in my chest- I wuz so madd wit both of yall for keeping dat shyt from me, cause I got down too… but den I realized dat this was da best news I coulda ever found out- now I could tell u how I felt, an eerything…”

My own heart droppd wit fear- he knew all this time and aint say nuthin, he was only layin in wait til he could get his chance.  I knew he musta figgered Joop was in da way, an he tried to set him up to take me away from my nicca- Rah-Rah really don’t know what love is, I thought to myself.  Dat year I was away from Joop made our love grow stronger, not weaker.

“See what I did for you, baby,” an he pulld up his shirt.  On his chest were my initials, an his own… they lookd like he had carved em in his chest, not tattooed…  my fear grew madd large then- I knew then there wasn’t nothin he wouldn’t do… he was obsessed, I saw it now mo than ever before… I thought at first he was pheenin fo da ass so he druggd me to get sum, but dis nicca was creepin thru my windows for years..!!

Oh, shyt, I thought to myself, I might not make it outta dis car in one piece…

“…But Rah-Rah,” I said then out loud, “why you aint never tol no one bout me an Joop..?  Dat was sum pretty good shyt to spread- Joop, da thuggest nicca in our school an da hood, fukkin another nicca- da son of a PO… you kept quiet- yo rep wasn’t on da line.”

“But yours was,” Rah-Rah said simply.  “I hadda protect yo rep- no one was gonna fin out bout you from me- I even covered for yall too- at Joop comin home party, my cousin DJ Slyyce, he was halfway upstairs to ask yall for mo melon balls an I tol him you aint like people all over yo crib, so I came upstairs instead- remember..?”

“Yeah, I do,” I answered, rememberin dat nite- a real tense one, seein as my Pops had just found me an Joop in bed.  I gotta remember to lock my door when we fukkin, I thought- then I wondered if I’d ever even see Joop again to even get a chance to lock a door alone wit him.

“I did eerything I could to protect yo rep,” Rah-Rah said proudly.  “So you could see dat I really love you, much more than Joop do.  I mean, come on- he fukkd yo Pops, how could you stay wit him when he did dat?”

“How u know DAT?” I said, my eyes an mouth wide open.  “Who told you?”

“I was in yo bedroom listenin when you was lyin there wit dat headache,” he said.  “Joop had yo Pops’ nutt all over his legs when he came back from da kitchen after getting brain, bringin u his so-called remedy an hopin you would fall asleep so he could keep creepin.  I shoulda shot him then,” Rah-Rah growled, “I had my .38 wit me an ready too.”

“Where were you,” I asked, horrified that he was in my bedroom and I never even felt that something was off in there.

“I was where I always am when I watch you gettin dressed, or on da phone, or playin PS2, or fukkin Joop- in da closet near da back,” he confessed. 

I sick swoop flew thru my spine, thinkin of Rah-Rah hidin in my bedroom closet wit a gun, stalkin me- but I couldn’t let him see me sweat, not this time- I hadda keep my head.

“Yeah, when we was in da 10th grade I had drilld a small hole near the back of da wall, so I could see da bed real good from where I would stand,” he went on.  “I hope you don’t mind, but when you and Joop used to fukk I- I would jerk off an pretend I was da one fukkin you,” he said wit his eyes down.

HE HOPE I DON’T MIND..???  Dis SICK rat-bastard, I thought- but outwardly I fought against that sick feelin an said, “N-Naw, Rah-Rah- I-I’m glad you could get yo nutt wit us on da low,” I said, hittin on an inspiration- “I mean, it was like you was bussin off wit us.  Dat shyt’s tyte, yo,” I smiled as smoothly as I could.  “It was like- like da three of us was nuttin for each other…”

“Uhh,” Rah-Rah said, “I wasn’t really feelin Joop like dat,” he tried to say.

“But since you was seein BOTH of us fukkin,” I pressed on, “when you nutted it was kinda for both me AN Joop, feel me..?”

“Well… I-I guess you could look at it like dat,” Rah-Rah said.  “But I would rather be wit you tho,” he added real quick.

I was tryin ta look around witout drawin too much attention to it an saw dat it lookd like he automatically drove himself back to his crib, we was rollin down his street towards his house… my heart started beatin real fast- if I kept him talkin he might just pull over an park, lettin eeryone else be able to find us fast…  I prayed dat this next stunt I was bout to pull would do da trick…

“So, what about Joop?”  I asked.  “What were you gonna do about-”

“I thought about killin dat nicca,” Rah-Rah said honestly, “but maybe… if he promised ta leave you alone, maybe I could let it go, an we could jus be tagether then,” he said, a small spark of hope in his face.

“So if I could get Joop ta back down from me then you wouldn’t kill him or nobody, rite,” I said, hoping dat my plan B would work.

Rah-Rah aint say nuthin for a minnit, jus kept drivin.  While he was distracted I glanced outta da side mirror- and wit a dip of relief I saw da Excursion, keepin a safe distance but still stayin on our tail.

Good lookin out, Joop, I thought, knowin it wasn’t no one else but my nicca dat could keep on us witout lettin Rah-Rah notice- cops wasn’t dat subtle.  Sorry, Pop, I thought, but it WAS true…

Meanwhile Rah-Rah was still thinkin hard bout my proposal.  “You SURE you could get Joop ta leave u alone, an you would get wit me..?” he asked in a little boy voice.

“Lemme talk to him, he’ll bouce,” I reassured him.  “But I’m sayin, would you WANT me after you seen me wit Joop an all..?”  I asked deceptively.  “You could get dat image outta yo head?”

“Yeah, I could,” Rah-Rah said, “if you swear you’ll never go near Joop again.”

“I think I’m ready for sumthin new,” I said, smilin da deceptive smile again.  To make it real I tried hard to focus on Rah-Rah- and he wasn’t ugly… that part of me that might have thought him a cute ass nicca at one point played on that emotion; Rah-Rah looked at me an to his startled eyes, a genuine smile for HIM was on my face.  He stoppd da car so sudden we jerkd, da knife in his other hand scrathin my thigh on da side.  I groaned as blood went trickling down to da seat but Rah-Rah ain't notice.

He leaned over, eyes wide.  “You MEAN dat- don’t you,” he said, tears in his eyes.

Tryin to hold on to dat actor’s prop in my mind I said, “Sure, Rah-Rah- you ARE fukkin phyne…”

He reached over an stroked my face.  The tears broke free an fell down his face, he was happier than I’d ever known him to be.  “Mar, baby,” he said, an he leaned over an kissed me on the lips, his tongue pushing into my mouth while my stomach twisted wit disgust.

The urge to hurl rose to my mouth but I kept my head… I held Joop’s face in my mind like a shield as I kissed Rah-Rah back.  He sobbed an his body leaned in closer… I fought back the memory of his ..attack an put my arms around his neck… I could still feel the knife pressed against my ribs as he kissed me, but I poured on the passion, introducing moans and groans as our tongues clashed.

He swelled up an droppd da knife, kissing me like a wild monkey, licking my face and my neck, fully cryin now, “Mar-ohLamarbabyI-loveyou-”

The driver’s side door window suddenly exploded into bits.

Rah-Rah jumped at da same time as I fumbled for da knife an flung it into da back seat.  Behind Rah-Rah a hand reached into da destroyed window an released da door locks.  Wit my body pressing against da handle, my door suddenly sprang open- an I fell backwards out onto da sidewalk with a whoop as Rah-Rah fell to the now empty seat on his stomach.  He screamed out in anger, trying to get his balance again.  Scrambling to get my balance back, I looked up from da ground.

Joop was standin on da other side of the Lexus, his hands wrapped around a tire iron, which he swung wit full force through the shattered window like he wuz Ken Griffey Jr., smacking Rah-Rah in da back of his head.  Da nicca dropped back down unconscious on da passenger seat face first, blood and glass in his head.

“MUTHA FUKKIN PUNK AZZ NICCA!!!” Joop yelled at Rah-Rah, who was knocked out an couldn’t hear him.  He pulled Rah-Rah out onto da street and began to kick him over an over wit his size 12 Timbs.  I couldn’t see cause of where I was layin at, but I knew Joop so I knew dat he was kickin Rah-Rah in da face- hard.

All at once we heard screaming coming from behind us- I turned my head an saw dat we HAD pulld up to Rah-Rah crib, and dat his moms had come runnin out of da house, screamin for Joop to stop kickin her son.  I aint move one way or da other til I saw Rah-Rah son Marquis come runnin out of the house too, cryin for his Daddy.  I jumped up then, runnin around the car to the drivers’ side to pull Joop off of Rah-Rah’s face. 

“Joop, Rah-Rah SON is watchin us,” I whispered harsh in his ear, pullin him struggling back from Rah-Rah’s limp body on da street.

Hearin dat calmed Joop down.  “Goddammit,” he said, “I ain't want da kid ta see dat shyt… why da fuk did he drive back hurr anyway,” he asked wit a growl as two cars pulled up screechin to da curb- Joop parents jumped outta one car an my Dad along wit Joop’s new uncle Trey jumpin outta the other one.

“Trey- Trey,” help us, Rah-Rah mama said, runnin out into da street to where Rah-Rah lay still.  Lil Marquis, though he was 8 years old, was screamin his head off.

Trey looked over at me an Joop.  “If you’ve hurt him-” he threatend, runnin over to Rah-Rah- an Joop an I looked stunned dat he yelled at us like dat.

My Dad came runnin over to me, lookin scurred.  “Mar, are you okay?” He stared wit shock at the holes in my shirt an my jeans where blood was leakin- but I shrugged it off.

Warden Hill and Ms. Regine came running up.  “Malik, you okay???” Ms. Regine shrieked, nervous as all hell.  “Drivin off like dat- you almost ran over Lamar’s daddy,” she said.  A part of me wondered whether that wasn’t da REAL reason why she was so nervous then…

“Ma, calm down,” Joop said, “Mar popz is iight…”

“Lamar, what happened back at the house,” My pops asked, examining my wounds.

“Rah-Rah- he dragged me off wit a knife to my throat,” I said- and while Officer Trey was calling 911 on his cellphone, I told them eerything dat Rah-Rah had told me in da car.

Joop lookd like he was gonna go back over to Rah-Rah an keep kickin da shyt outta him.  “All these years he was stalkin you, all these FUKKIN years, you DICK!!” Joop shouted over at Rah-Rah.

Officer Trey shouted back, “Stay AWAY from him!”

“What da fuk is HIS deal?” I asked my pops.  “He’s Joop uncle, you’d think he would be on Joop side in dis even if not mine,” I said, frownin.

“He can't be on Malik’s side,” Pops said jus then, his voice heavy.

Mr. Joe looked at my dad.  “What else did he tell you in the car on the way over here, Dan,” he asked then.

“Everything else- and you guys aren’t going to believe this, I hardly believe it myself,” Dad said.  “It turns out that Robbie is Trey’s son.”

How an open sidewalk in the middle of a street in the middle of the morning could suddenly turn still I couldn’t have ever said before- but it got so quiet out there it was a long time before we realized that we heard the sirens on the ambulance coming from at least a mile away.  Even Lil Marquis had suddenly stopped cryin, like he had heard my Dad an was just as shocked as the rest of us.

“So dat mean-” Joop was sayin to himself mo than to anyone else- “dat nicca who raped my shorty, who set me up and sent me to prison- who tried ta kill me mo than once in da past 24 hours… dat nicca is MY MAFUCKIN COUSIN?!?!?!?”

“Pretty much,” Officer Dan replied, grabbin Joop shoulder as he began to run back around the car, to finish kickin Rah-Rah in da face.  “You can't do violence in front of witnesses, Malik,” Dad said wit a sigh, “especially two parole officers and the prison warden.”

“Joop, dats yo lil cousin out there cryin over his daddy,” I said- “he yo fams now, you can't do nuthin in front of HIM, not never.”

But as I was sayin this Lil Marquis ran around da car, over to Joop- an before any of us could make a move he had punched him in da nuts.  Joop fell over an Lil Marquis started kickin Joop in da face, yellin “You hurt my Daddy!!  You HURT MY DADDY!!”

Officer Trey and Rah-Rah mama ran over, and my Dad, Joop mama and Warden Hill all tried to pry the two apart- Joop was coverin his face an his nuts, yellin for Lil Marquis to stop- the boy was like he was possessed.  While all this was goin on, I looked up- and yelled out, “Aw, fuk NO!!!”- an eeryone stopped an looked around.

Rah-Rah had not only woke up, he had found a gun, and was pointin it at us all.  His wide eyes were bloodshot an crazy, his face was swellin up from gettin kicked by Joop- his lower lip was split an blood splattered everywhere, but Rah-Rah acted like he aint feel none of dat.  His arm was shakin as he swung da gun back an forth towards us.

Officer Trey suddenly reached for his belt.  “Damn it, you took my gun, Robbie,” he said, gettin up an movin closer to him.

Rah-Rah said, “Stay away from me, cop- I don’t curr now, Mar ain't gonna be wit me no mo, I’ll fukkin kill all yall…” an his arm started shakin harder.

Rah-Rah mama yelled out- “Wait, Robbie- Marquis is out here!!!”

But Rah-Rah aint curr dat his son was watchin him, terrified.  “Git him outta hurr, ma!!” he half yelled, half growled.

“No one’s goin no where, son,” Officer Trey said, goin around da car an movin closer to Rah-Rah.

“Don’t call me dat, I aint yo SON,” Rah-Rah yelled at him… “back UP!”  His eyes were bugged out wit craziness…

“Robbie, we have to talk,” Officer Trey was sayin, inchin closer.  “Please lemme just explain, son-”

“WHUT DA FUK I TELL YOU?!?!?” Rah-Rah yelled wild-eyed, an pulled da trigger.  Three shots flew outta da gun wit a loud bang, hittin Officer Trey full in da chest, Rah-Rah cryin out, “I AINT YO SON!!!”

Eeryone was scurred to move, except Officer Trey- he lookd at Rah-Rah and smiled once.  “Y-Yes, you are-” and then he fell to the ground, blood-splattered an dead.

A great howl rose from almost eeryone standing next to me… Trey lay spread out on da ground, a hand reaching towards Rah-Rah, like even in death he was tryin to reach him, comfort his son one last time.

“PUNK ASS COP!!!”  Rah-Rah screamed, still with dat insane look.

Rah-Rah mama hollered out wit a crazy shriek of her own, “ROBBIE!!!  THAT WAS YOUR FATHER!!!!”  An then she crumpled to da ground, clawin da grass as she sobbed.

Rah-Rah looked at his mama, tryin to read da look on her terrible face.  Den it lookd like he got some sanity back, cause he droppd da gun an a look of horror grew an grew.  “Mama,” he said lil boy-like, shock spreadin over his body, “dis my daddy..?”

“Oh, Robbie,” his mama was sayin, over an over…

Lil Marquis was standin dere, frightened outta his mind, starin at his father like he aint know him.  Rah-Rah saw Lil Marquis then.  “Son,” Rah-Rah said, eyes wide wit horror this time, arms reaching out to his son- but suddenly Lil Marquis turned an ran from his daddy, to of all people, Joop- and wrapped his arms around Joop’s leg and buried his face.

Joop put his arms around the boy, and looked dead in Rah-Rah face, his eyes dark.  “Look what u did,” Joop said quiet-like, his eyes filld wit tears of pity for all dis shyt.  “You killed your own father- in front of your own SON.  Yo moms just watched you kill.  Was dis all worth it, Rah-Rah..?  Was tryin ta get Mar away from me worth killin off yo pops and scarrin yo mama AND yo son for life..?”

Rah-Rah looked at Joop holdin Lil Marquis, his eyes glazing over again.  “You took my nigga away, now you take my son…” he gave a loud sob, and then Rah-Rah sat down on the ground by his father’s body, and just- stopped movin.

Up til then no one dared go over to see about Officer Trey, but pops went over to him then, walkin rite past Rah-Rah, who didn’t move, just stared straight ahead, not blinkin, not movin.  Pops stooped over Officer Trey’s body and tried to find a pulse.  Blood flowed from under him, a bright red river dat ran to da curb an started to spread there.

I could hear my pops, even though he was whisperin.  “Trey, Trey baby… your family’s all here, just like you always wanted… you were alone all your life, don't die alone… you’ve finally found them baby, they’re all here- waiting for you to wake up, please wake up… I’m here too, Trey, ready to love you for life, we have all our lives to be happy… Baby, please don’t leave me- I-I need you.”  And then he broke down over Trey’s dead body.

Warden Hill had moved over to Rah-Rah.  It was strange, how he aint even blink, he had stoppd movin so completely.  “My nephew… killed my brother,” he said to no one in particular.  Mr. Joe lookd Rah-Rah over, pretending not to notice his lover cryin over his brother’s dead body- and only straightened up when da ambulance we heard minnits ago finally pulled over by the curb.

The EMT’s came over to Mr. Joe, who began to fill them in.  “There’s been a homicide, and the perp is here, but he lapsed into what looks like a catatonic state, the shock was too much for him.  I’ve seen it before,” he said, explaining that he was the Warden up at WA State Pen.

I lookd around.  Joop had picked up lil Marquis (who was real small for his age) and was bein real protective of him.  Rah-Rah mama was still curled up on da ground, Joop mama was tryin to get her up and into da house.  The EMT’s worked quick- pretty soon they had Officer Trey’s body loaded onto one stretcher, and Rah-Rah in another one.  His came with straps, but it didn’t really matter.  Rah-Rah eyes looked blank, like sumone had wiped his mind like you wipe chalk off a blackboard.  Rah-Rah’s mama had to be given a sedative and she was in the house, resting.

Lil Marquis had still refused to let go of Joop and so my nicca had taken it upon himself to heave him up, and piggy-back carried him everywhere.  The boy had become as quiet as his father at one point, and Joop decided that a lil quiet was what he needed anyway, so we went inside.

Sitting in the living room of Rah-Rah house was a lil creepy (we ain't wanna leave Rah-Rah mama alone right then and da kid wouldn’t let go of Joop anyway), but we had to compare notes.  Because the Officer on the scene was my father, and also since Joop’s father was the prison Warden we aint have to go down to the station to give statements- the living room couch was just fine.  All of us sat down to piece together this incredible story.

When everyone had heard all the parts everyone else didn’t know I sat back, feeling like I wanted to just up and move away from Seattle… it was too much drama in these parts for me.  I saw my Dad’s face when they carried away Officer Trey- he had this look like he had lost something… something that he once confided in me he’d never had with Joop pops.  I’m thinkin he found dat wit Joop’s uncle, though- and at least for five minnits, he mighta been happy…

***

A week later we was standin in the Seattle Federal Cemetery, watchin as the final shovels of dirt was placed on Officer Trey’s grave.  Eeryone wus there, a whole crowd- I was standin wit Joop, who was holdin onto Lil Marquis (who refused to go wit anyone else but Joop this whole past week- it got so bad dat we hadda make up a cot in my bedroom for him ta sleep on), Lil Marquis’ mama, who turnd out ta be (!) dat bitch Markette from da mall (hopefully dat was the last shock- we couldn’t take anutha one for at least a couple years), Warden Hill, my pops, Ms. Regine, Rah-Rah mama an most of the crowd fellow cops from the Force, and een a few reps from the law firm they worked for too, dat WolfRam & Hart office.  Them lawyers looked a lil creepy tho, but I guess dat aint matter- they paid for the whole funeral, seein as Officer Trey was a part of they firm, een though he had just got hired.

Rah-Rah couldn’t make it to da funeral, he had never moved again since they took him off da street in dat stretcher.  At first they was gonna charge him with rape, kidnap, assault wit a deadly weapon, grand theft auto, breakin & enterin, resistin arrest, attempted murder, murder 1 an patricide (killin off yo own pops) an then send him to lock-up, but the docs examined him, took one look into dem blank eyes- an realized dat there was no one in there TO lock up.  So they reversed they charges an sent him to OakGrove Sanitarium, where he would spend da rest of his natural life- unless he came to, which da docs aint think was gonna happen- ever.  I wanted ta feel sorry for da nicca, how he spent his life unhappy an accidentally wound up hurting eeryone who loved him all at once, now ta live as a veggie unhappily ever after- but for sum reason I couldn’t seem to dredge up da pity.

Me an Joop went ta see him yesterday, ta see for ourselves dat he wasn’t fakin.  Joop pops arranged it so we could be alone wit him fo a whole hour- but after 10 mins we realized dat our boy Rah-Rah, who we grew up wit an laffd wit, an kept close- he who was once our nicca really WASN’T inside dat empty body dat sat before us, Joop’s bootprints on da face still, da cuts healin, da swellin goin down- but not movin, not sayin nuthin.  So after 10 mins, we was sickened an we left.  Joop says he gonna go back an visit him, since dats his cousin an he feel responsible for Lil Marquis now since da boy dune latched onto Joop, but I knew once I left dat seriously white room dat I wouldn’t be goin back there- not ever.

A lot of da C.O.’s from WA State Prison showed up too in respect for the Warden losin his brother.  It was hard ta tell who was feelin worse, Joop pops, for findin a brother he wound up only havin in his life for two seconds- or my own pops, for findin his true love (or so he tol me in private) and havin Trey in HIS life for only two seconds.  They was both sufferin but they aint turn ta each other for comfort, but turned away from each other… my guess was dat Mr. Joe wasn’t gonna forget dat my pops was about to ditch him for his own brother.  Joop an I both knew dat once the funeral was over, Mr. Joe would be packin his shyt he kept over our crib an bouncin, cause that relationship was over for REAL.

The last shovel was tossed, the officers handlin dat handed the folded flag dat covered da coffin ta Mr. Joe, there was a 21-gun salute- an then it was over.  Eeryone left da gravesite an the immediate family came back to my crib for sum food dat Joop mama and Markette had fixed up.  Not dat da food wasn’t iight, but no one really was in a mood ta eat.  Markette finally convined Lil Marquis ta come home wit her- but only after Joop promised him he could come back over an visit all he wanted to.  Lil Marquis wrapped his arms around Joop an held him for a long time, an Joop held him back like a father would hold a son.  It made me feel good dat Joop wanted ta be like a father to his lil cousin, he was gonna need dat connect- an soon.

After Markette thankd us (an apologized ta Joop about what happened at da store) an she took Lil Marquis home, Ms. Regine an Rah-Rah moms cleaned up an then Ms. Regine took Rah-Rah moms home.  She needed to rest up too, she looked terrible- I guess dat seein someone you once loved enough to have a son wit, sumone u wanted to spend da rest of yo life wit, seein dat person gunned down in front of yo face- by the same son you had wit them- was sumthin dat would take a lot outta you.  I ain't think she was gonna get past this one so soon.  It was good dat she had Lil Marquis ta focus on, I thought.

Now it was just Joop, my pops, Mr. Joe an me who was left sittin at da table, in da same places we were da nite we found out Joop an Joe were father an son.  We jus sat there, quiet for a long time.

“I had Dan look at my father’s will,” Mr. Joe said then to Joop.  “There was a provision for other children in the will, not that I gave that much thought, I believed I was an only child and that was just standard procedure.  But right is right, and so I had Trey declared legally as a Hill.”

“So half of your inheritance goes ta him den?” Joop asked.  “Iight, I lived witout money befo,” he said with a sigh.

“You misunderstand, son,” Mr. Joe said.  “Trey does get half of my inheritance- which decreases your share, of course- but I never actually told you how much your inheritance actually IS.”

Joop frowned.  “How come,” he asked.

“Well, I didn’t want your head to get blown out of proportion, for one,” Mr. Joe said with a smirk, “neither did I want you to run down to the cartier store an buy out their entire stock of ‘bling-bling’.”

“Hol up,” Joop said, surprise on his face- “you mean dat my inheritance ALONE is big enuff ta buy out da CARTIER store..?”

Mr. Joe aint say nuthin, but his smile confirmed dat this was true.

Joop sat back, realizing for da first time dat he was about as rich as any of dem Hilton chicks; Beyonce an Jay-Z even.  “Well got-damn,” he said.  “I guess I aint gonna miss out on Uncle Trey’s share of da inheritance, huh?”

Mr. Joe went on.  “As for that- since Trey is now… gone,” he said wit a heavy heart, “and since he had no will, his inheritance falls to his next of kin- his son.”

“Rah-Rah is as rich as me now, huh?” Joop said, shakin his head wit regret.  “All dem times me an him plannd ta rob rich niccas jus to get sum sneaker money- and now we both got madd dough.  Not dat he could spend any of his rite now,” Joop added.

“About that,” his pops said, “since Robbie is now incapacitated and cannot function in normal society, the inheritance goes directly to HIS next of kin- so young Marquis will be set for life.”

“That’s whoa, Pop!” Joop said, a smile breakin out on his face. 

 

“He’ll have his inheritance set up as a trust, and his mother will administrate it until he’s of age,” Mr. Joe finished up.  “So Markette won’t have to work anymore, either.”

“I guess her career of sukkin dik in da back of da stockroom has come to an end,” I said wit a dark look.

“As long as she don’t run thru lil man’s money,” Joop said wit a frown.

“That can't happen even if she tried,” Mr. Joe assured him.  “The pot is too big- she could go first class for the next 20 years an not even make a dent in Marquis’s inheritance.”

“What da fuk did yo pops do..?”  Joop asked then.  “Run guns for the government or sum?”

“No, nothing so spectacular… my father’s grandfather was a pearl diver in Florida- he found a real pirate treasure and sold half of it to the U.S., half of it to Russia, so I’m told,” Mr. Joe said.  “He got twice the amount that the combined treasure was actually worth by splittin it between countries- and then he put money in banks everywhere in the world, where they’ve been growing interest all this time.  It’s now 20 times the amount it originally was.”

Joop looked like he couldn’t wait to get down to the Cartier store, da Nike store, da Timberland store, da Coogi store, da Enyce store, AND da Roc-A-Wear outlet- and start tryin ta test if he could spend up all that doe.  I shook my head- my gangsta-ass nicca was gonna make a serious effort in blowin his inheritance, I knew dat.

Then my Dad spoke- I lookd up at him, he was tore up from da look of him- his voice was hoarse an low.  “There was one more thing that I don’t think you realized,” Malik,” my Dad said.

“What was that, Officer Dan,” Joop asked, and I saw on my nicca’s face that besides the money part, he aint like the way all this turned out any better than anyone else had- he had found an lost an uncle an cousin all within a half-hour, after all.  I couldn’t take no more shocks, so I hoped it wasn’t too deep what my pops had to tell Joop…

“You kept saying that Trey looked familiar… we were talking in the car on the way over to Robbie’s, and it’s true that you HAD met him once before- only at the time you were too angry to remember any of it.”

“What u mean?” Joop asked, his eyebrows up.

“Well, Trey was actually one of the arresting officers on your robbery charge.  He’s the one who took you down to the preceint to be arraigned.  He and his former partner got the page from dispatch that there was an anonymous tip warning of a possible commotion up by Nordstrom’s, and they drove on up there- they were waiting for you when you showed up.”

“But, I remember the cop dat arrested me,” Joop said, frownin… “at least, I recall da name on his badge- it said A. Smith…”

“A. Smith,” my Dad said wit tears in his eyes, “which, of course, stands for Atreyu Smith.”  My Dad looked like sumone who was tired of crying, but couldn’t stop.

I couldn’t believe it… I ain't think I could manage anymore surprises, my head was gonna explode soon… “Wow, yo cousin made the 911 call, yo uncle was the one who arrested you, yo father was the one who held you in prison and yo shorty’s father was the one who sprung you,” I said, a half-smile on my face.  “You really can't make this stuff up..!”

We all kinda grinned at that one.

Mr. Joe lookd at my pops, an then the smile faded.  “It’s time, Dan,” he said then, getting up slow from the chair an headin for the stairs.  My pops nodded witout sayin anything, an then got up to go into da kitchen.

Joop an I sat at da table alone, an looked at each other.  “They wasn’t gonna last,” Joop said to me; “you know dat, rite?”

“Yeah,” I said, sad for da both of them.  “Is it bad dat I wished dat my Dad an yo uncle coulda had a chance..?”

“Naw,” Joop said, thinkin bout that for a minnit.  “My pops need a nicca dats gonna love him for real, not try ta force himself to do it.  And yo pops shouldn’t be wit sumone who don’t make him feel it- not da way you make ME feel it,” Joop said, an he reached over to me an pulled my chair close.  I leaned over an placed my lips on Joop’s lips.  As usual, when I kissed my nicca madd passion for him rose up in me, an it felt like my world jus got a lil better.

He pulld back an… lookd at me.

“Ahh come on, Joop,” I said, catchin his meanin.  “NOW..?”

“Why not,” Joop said, pullin me to him an wrappin his arms around me.  “If nuthin else today should remind us dat life is too short- true love could come an go, all too soon,” he said.  “Yo baby, I wanna enjoy life wit u today, an kinda celebrate my uncle’s life too,” he added- an I knew he wasn’t jus tryin ta BS me to get ass, he was rite.  We SHOULD celebrate life, an enjoy it while we can- cause like we just saw, tomorrow aint promised.

And I loved Joop wit all my heart.

He stood up an we went towards da stairs.  We passed da kitchen an saw my pops sittin in there by the counter, his face a study in sadness.  That drove home what Joop jus said like nuthin else had.  We hadda be together and be happy as much as we could, ‘cause love like ours was madd rare.  We kept goin up an, passin by my pops room, we saw Mr. Joe slowly packin his clothes up an havin da same look on his face dat my pops wore.

Joop pulled me into da bedroom an closed da door, reachin out for me.

“Hol up,” I said, pullin back an goin over to the closet.  I opened up da slidin door an looked in da back.  There, in da far corner, was a small hole on da side of the wall- enuff lite came thru it for me to see dat it was small enuff to not be noticed yet large enuff dat someone in there could see everything goin on in da room…

“What you lookin for,” Joop came over to me, puttin his hands on my waist.

“Jus checkin,” I said, smilin back.  “I think we all good ta go- no one’s in there.”

“I hope not,” Joop said, yankin me onta da bed, “cause if they were they should be tapin- cause they about ta really see a scene dat should win a EMMY or sumthin...”

I laffd an Joop flipped me over on my back, climbin on top of me an kissin me.  His familiar scent of JOOP mixed wit his male scent an da sweat from his nutts rose into my nostrils, drivin me crazy.

My 9-inch thik-ass dick grew stiff as a board, feelin Joop’s sexy ass lips on mine, his body crushin on me in da bed.  We were strugglin ta get our funeral clothes off an keep lip-locked tagether at da same time.  When we got butt ass naked Joop started lickin my neck, down my chest… he bit da shyt outta my nipplez, makin me buck hard an roll around da bed moanin.  I was tryin ta keep quiet cause our fathers were breakin up in da next room an I aint want them ta hear us makin love an shyt, but got-damn Joop…

He started runnin his warm pink tongue down my six-pack an lickin up one side an down da next…

“Mar, Mar baby,” he was whisperin to me in between licks…

I aint NEVER wanted no bitch, no other nicca da way I wanted Joop.  He ran his tongue finally down my waistline to my pubic hair, wettin da whole area wit his spit- then he lickd around da base of my throbbin dick, an ran his tongue down my nuttsack.  My nutts jumpd like they wanted ta get into Joop mouth rite then an there.  He went lower, twrilin his lips on dat spot underneath my balls, an I jumpd wit passion- I moaned loud, I couldn’t take it no more.

“Joop, JOOP,” I breathed- an then he lifted my legs an wit one swoop stuck his hot wet long pink tongue deep in my asscrack.

The bed shook from me jumpin about on it, tryin ta get away from dat tongue, it was makin shock after shock run thru me, an it was almost too intense.  Joop raised up my legs, tossin my salad over an over, kissin da hole an lickin it, runnin his go-tee on it so dat the hairs would tease da shyt outta me, my hole was openin up mo an mo for him…

“DAMN NICCA YOU TASTE GOOD,” Joop said, his head muffled between my upstretched legs.

I was rippin da sheets from the intenseness of Joop eatin my ass out- eerytime we fukk its like better then da time before…. My nipplz stuck out like they was tryin to break fre from my body, my legs were up in da air reachein for da celin on they own, Joop aint even need ta hold em no more… his tongue lashed my ass again and again, I was so turned on I ain't even see when he got up from eatin me out an gettin himself in position.

I felt Joop 10.5 inch beer-can phat dick stab at my asshole, stretchin it wyde open as he slid all da way in, madd slow to make me tremble an shyt.  I was thrashin around on da bed, my body shudderin as Joop slow stroked dat big ass phat thugg dick in my hole, I felt it pull back wider an wider an his dip go deep into me… he had me in da buck so good dat when he hit da base I jus started inchin up, no hands- on his dick, back an forth, up an down, grippin his joint wit a strength I ain't know I could do wit my legs in da air an my back half off da bed.  I growled as I twisted my waist, grippin up his dick, slidin it back an forth, up an down in my hole over and over-

“Oh SHYT, MAR,” Joop moaned, jus watchin his thick ass big black dick get swallowed up by my ass mucles over an over like a hot fist was stroking on it, down to da base where his nutts would lay up on my ass cheeks- and then I would gyrate my waist again, over an over- his brick hard dick got stiffer and stiffer, an I could tell he was beginning to get dat animal vibe we always get to when we go for ours HARD like niccas are supposd to when they str8 fukkin like dogs…

Joop suddenly grabbd my legs an pushed dem back over my head, I knew I was in for it then.  he pulld back and slammed all 10.5 inches of dat thick ass black thugg sweaty dick deep into my hole, hittin da wall an smashin it, over an over, slippin dat head outta my ass and slammin it back in again, grindin his waist into my ass like a vice, punishin my deep hot hole which sucked up Joop dick like a starvin crack-head- each slam, runnin thru me like da sweetest strum of a guitar… Joop hairy ass nutts was bangin against my asscheeks, da SMACK! was gettin louder an louder as we got sweatier, us gruntin an da headboard on da bed startin to match Joop grunts wit squeaks of its own…

“MAR, MAR I LOVE YOU MY NICCA,” Joop yelled out- and then he sunk deep an hit my hot spot on target.  Dat did it.

“AWWWHHAAAAASAHHHHH!!!!!”  I yelled, large ropes of sticky, hot white nutt flyin outta me as I bussd off-

(skeet-skeet)

Waves of pure lust gripped me up as I rained nutt all over Joop face, his chest, his hair- I just kep comin an comin, I couldn’t stop- I thought I was gonna pass out, da nutt had me TITE-

(skeet-skeet-SKEEEEEEETTTT)

“JOOOOOOOOPPPPP,” I hollered, which brought him to da brink as my hole clamped down on his thrustin dick- HARD.

“LAAMMMAARRRRR!!! !! MMMMMMMAARRRRRRR..!!!!! !! AAWSHHSHSHSHHHYYYYTTT,” Joop cried out, an I felt madd warm ass nutt splash in my ass, coatin it deep, his dick buckin back an forth an he buried his nutt-covered face in my chest, his body curled in a ball as his phat ass dick kept shootin off deep in my clenchin ass, fillin me up with nutt… his teeth found my chest an almost ripped off a chunk of skin in his lust, holdin me tite til his dick stopped spittin nutt like it was throwin up.

He pulled an pulled an pulled it out (it seemed like forever)- an wit a loud PLOP I felt large gobs of his nuttjuice flow down my thighs an onto da sheets below us.  He settled on top of me into my body then, his still swollen dick restin against mine, our sweat an nutt dryin together, stickin us to each other- but we aint care, we wanted to be stuck together…

Joop had his head on my chest- he lookd up at me then, an I was surprised to see, in between all the half-dryin nutt on his face, tears in his eyes, spillin out an down his face.

“Joop, you iight,” I said, reaching up and wiping da tears from his cheeks.

“Nicca,” he said then, seriously taking me into his arms and lookin at me deep into my eyes, “I love you, I never wanna be without you.”

“I love you too yo, we aint goin nowhere,” I said to him… “I know you are probably worried about dat now, what with our fathers breakin up an shyt…”

“I want mo than dat, yo,” he said, da tears still flowin out his eyes.  “I l-love you, and I aint gonna lose you yo… Lamar Clark, w-will you m-marry me?”  I could see his whole heart was in his tear-filled eyes when he said dis.

I was stunned.  “J-Joop,” I said, “that aint legal in da U.S.… and besides dat, we niggas yo, we can't get married, dats on sum bitch shyt...”

“FUK ALL DAT,” Joop yelled at me.  “I wanna marry you yo, and if dats bitch shyt, den so be it, but you an me could be married yo, I wanna do dat wit you…”

“Don’t be scurred, yo, I aint goin nowhere…  We don’t need to have no ceremony, I’m by yo side for the rest of my life,” I said, pullin him close.  “You my best friend and my lover, and I don’t need no one else but you yo…” an then I realized, while he lay on my chest, his tears mixin wit our sweat an my nutt, dat Joop an I belonged together- so why not..?

“Yo, I’m sayin,” I said after a minnit, “I DO wanna marry you, Malik Warrington Hill,” an he looked up to see me wit tears of my own.  “I say HELLZ HEAH my nicca, let’s get married then!!!” I yelled out.

Layin there butt-ass, covered in nutt an sweat, intertwined in each other’s arms in da bed that was gonna be ours for da rest of our lives, Joop slowly smiled, another tear falling to land on my cheek, then he leaned down an quietly kissed me.  We both surrendered to the passion of it, and the quiet kiss seemed to go on forever, our tongues just, sharing together as we rested on each other…

Of all da lip wrestlin dat he an I shared from da moment we first started in dat telly in ATL- over two years ago, it felt to me like dis one was the …sweetest love’s kiss that Joop and I ever shared.

And dat wouldn’t be da last one we shared neither.

EPILOGUE

Downstairs, while waiting for Joe to finish packing, I heard the bed in my son’s room finally stop squeaking.  “They must have finished,” I said to myself with a sad smile.  “At least someone is happy-” and then I heard it.

My son Lamar’s voice coming through the vents- “Hellz yeah my nicca, let’s get married then.!!!”

As I sat there, dumbfounded, the phone rang.  Too caught up in the fact that I just overheard my son accept a marriage proposal from his lover, I didn’t realize who I was speaking to until she yelled into my ear.

“Danny!!  Are you there- can you hear me?”

A fresh feeling of shock spread through me- not her, not now!!!  But I regained my composure and spoke into the reciever.

“I can hear you- hello, Claire,” I said to my ex-wife, Lamar’s mother.

“How are you, Danny, it’s been a long time,” she said.  “What’s new..?”

FIN