A/N
I decided to add another person to this story and the face claim will be in "Addition To Part Two Cast ". Enjoy!
The wind blew in Man Killa's fro as she drove along the streets of Inglewood in her new Chevrolet Chevelle, switching to the Soul4real station and continuing to enjoy the sunset.
" Good afternoon my brothers, sistas, and other good folks. I'm feeling a bit under the weather today but the show must go on. For those who don't know, this is RadioRic and I'm taking things slow with Curtis Mayfield's Diamond In The Back."
She immediately cranked up the volume, taking in the surroundings around her. She couldn't believe how beautiful the weather was; if only her day would be the same.
This morning, she received a call from Cobra, telling her to meet him at a specific spot. She had no idea what to anticipate; all she knew was that she was ready to get it over with...this game of cat and mouse was old from the start.
Cobra was once just another one of 'Ghost's' goons, but he's now an entirely different person.
Maybe that was the point, he wanted to seem like some random goon or bodyguard. He was definitely up to something and she was well aware of it.
Cobra claimed that he was simply following Madear's orders but if the ringleader wanted something done, it would be done the first time they said it. Cobra, on the other hand, would tell her a date and then disappear for weeks.
To be honest, she wanted to gut him every time she saw him, but she knew it wouldn't be that simple.
Cobra had eyes, and he had a plan. Her goal now was to figure out what that plan was and why she was such an important part of it.
Man Killa frowned as she reached the destination which was a rundown-looking building, from the looks of it she could tell it was some kind of bar or club.
Before exiting her car, she sighed and went into her glove compartment to retrieve her gun.
As suspicious as this place was it only made matters worst that he told her to enter from the basement. She walked in with her gun tucked in front, ready for whatever.
A long dim hallway awaited her, and as she moved along it, she noticed little rooms on each side of her.
The rooms didn't have doors, only beaded curtains that barely hid anything. She was never the one to be easily surprised, but this stole the prize. Man Killa survived in the Bronx and saw a lot in the process but never once did she fall witness to a whore house.
Today would go down in her book as the first time she saw a white penis." What the fuck." she mumbled to herself, refusing to look anymore for all the moaning was enough.
Coincidently upstairs Curtis threw back another shot, desensitized to the burning sensation that it gave his body.
He lost count of how much he consumed but he was now seeing double.
The place was dimmed with shades of red, purple, and blue. Paradise was the name, considered one of the lowest places in Inglewood, surely not a place that would be in Mid-City where he should've been with Delilah.
He didn't know how he got there- he took a cab, got out at a random destination, then started walking.
Curtis found himself uncontrollably leaning over until someone took a seat next to him at the bar.
" A blowjob please." the words rolled smoothly off her tongue that held a thick Dominican accent.
Taken aback he glanced over at her with a questioning look earning a chuckle from her once she realized. " It's just the name of the drink." her plump ruby red lips began sipping from the thin straw.
Her head was full of curls formed into a thick fro, her facial structure like a work of art, downturned eyes intriguing.
Curtis didn't know if it was because of the influence he was under or if she actually looked like she came straight from a magazine cover.
" I never seen you 'round here before, I'm Chanel," she smirked as she looked him in the eyes.
Downstairs Man Killa entered a lounge space where she heard mumbling and cackling.
" I see someone came through the wrong backdoor." Cobra laughed over to another man around his age.
Once their laughter simmered down Cobra stood with a slight grunt." Jace Evans, Man Killa ... Man Killa this is Jace Evans."
The guy, in her opinion, looked like a fucking creep, and the fact that he owned this place just added to her notion.
" Man Killa huh? Like Ladykiller but the woman version?" Jace smiled while eyeing her down.
Cobra laughed and cut her off before she could respond. " Yeah let's just stick with that."
Jace tilted his head. " So what really brings you here Cobra? I haven't seen you since I opened this place."
" You mean since I gave you the funds to open this place and if you ask me it look like you ain't spent a dime on it since," Cobra said, chuckling once two armed men came and stood by Jace's side.
" You know you wasn't shit but a good-for-nothing freak but I still considered you as a brother, tell me is this how you treat your brother?" Cobra cocked his head, gladly ready to humble his old friend and his bodyguards.
Chanel grinned at Curtis's silence." So tell me, how drunk does a man like you have to be to end up here?" she hummed as she lit the cigarette in her mouth. " I must be talking to a brick wall or something."
Curtis simply peered over at her earning a chuckle in response." Well since you know my name, what's yours?"
" I never asked for your name sweetheart."
" Well I'm asking for yours, I got some kind of dignity I at least wanna know my client's name."
" What?"
" What else would you be here for on a Friday?" Chanel gestured to the sign that said 'Here for a good time, not a long time!' followed by a few dollar signs. " Why don't you stop playing hard to get and follow me downstairs."
Cobra walked up to the tallest man by Jace's side and smirked. " Barry as in Bartholomew right? Say don't your sick momma stay at the nursing home near that one food joint Pop's?"
With a short pause, Cobra looked over at the other man." Wait hold on...Sam as in Samarthan, yeah I remember you ugly ass niggas used to get y'all head dunked in shitty school toilets now y'all shitheads think y'all bout it? Don't fucking play with me, especially you." he pressed his finger on Jace's forehead. " You know exactly why I'm here."
Man Killa's eyes squinted as she watched their reactions. She noticed that Cobra knew how to play a role over time, he'd stay hidden in the shadows to he collect knowledge about a person until it's time to use it against them.
Jace dismissed Barry and Sam for the day and showed Cobra to his office. Man Killa was told to wait where she was which only made her want to listen more.
Drunk and delayed Curtis finally began to put two and two together as he scanned Chanel from head to toe, her extremely short silk dress, fishnets, and faux fur scarf.
Out of all the places he stumbled into a rundown sex bar. Now that he thought of it-it was just like the one he used to tease his friends for sneaking into in the Bronx long ago, a place called Friendly's.
People used to joke that someone could catch an STD just by breathing the air in that place.
Curtis's laughing came uncontrollably and Chanel quickly took offense to it. " Well fuck you then, probably got a small dick anyway."
He tried to explain but his drunkenness wouldn't let him stop laughing and by the time he was done she was nowhere in sight. " Whew I needed that damn laugh, shit," he said over to a white man that sat awkwardly a few seats away from him.
He was skinny with thick frames, probably just got promoted at his job, and looking for some excitement outside of his wife and kids.
Curtis smacked his teeth at him. " Well fuck you too, Aye!" he began banging on the bar." Who told the drinks to stop coming another round motherfucker chop, chop!" he demanded as the bartender rolled her eyes.
He saw no limit to how much he'd consume, even if it was a one-way ticket to the hospital. Curtis would be fine with the worst outcome because to him it was better than the guilt he was living with.
" What did you do! "
" What the hell you mean I hear you screaming and shit what you think I was gonna do." He began to pace back and forth at the sight of Dorthy crying next to their abusive stepfather.
" Why you crying for huh? I know you ain't crying over his sick ass-"
" Twenty-five to fucking life Curtis!" she hollered in his face completely petrified.
Curtis clenched his jaw. " Would you stop yelling! I ain't have a choice I should've did that shit a long time ago and you know it!" he said through gritted teeth, his heart thumping, his body heated as he paced back and forth still amped and ready to stomp Christopher's body.
Curtis thought about this moment a lot, about what he'd do to him.
There wasn't a word to describe the level of anger he felt, thinking that Christopher was some random home invader he shot without hesitation.
He always told himself that he would make him suffer for what he did to them.
The last thing he wanted was for Christopher to have an easy way out. " Fuck!" he hollered in his own world until he heard Dorthy's sobs.
Calming himself down he sighed and kneeled down to her as she remained on the floor. " C'mon don't cry - you know I got you."
" Curtis he's dead and you're not even phased." she eyed him in disbelief.
Junior had just found out Curtis's truth not too long ago and if things couldn't get worse he just killed someone in front of Dorothy.
Curtis's double life was starting to clash together no matter how hard he tried to keep them apart.
He knew he didn't have much time to clean this up; there was no telling when Damon or Devin would come back nor when Emily, Alyssa, or Delilah would.
The gunshot, the screams... he knew that it got someone's attention although gunshots in the Valley were the norm- there were still some nosy people that couldn't mind their business.
Shying away from his thoughts Curtis stood from the bar stool, holding onto each one for support as he rushed to the restroom feeling the drinks rush back up his throat and into the filthy toilet.
...
Cobra sat down behind Jace's desk giving Jace no choice but to sit in the other seat as if this wasn't his office. Taking a Pepsi out of the mini-fridge Cobra sighed popping the bottle open and kicking his legs on the desk.
" Look if it's money you want then I have plenty of that."
" C'mon you like my brother I can't come visit?"
" Cobra I know you if you wanted to visit then you wouldn't have done all that back there."
Cobra placed his drink down and sat up straight. Honestly Jace was like a brother to him and honestly he almost felt something when he realized what he had to do.
They were neighbors back when Cobra was in high school and Jace was just fourteen years old when his mother left him for dead. Cobra took him under his wing until Jace was good enough on his own.
" So I heard you working for Madear now." Cobra cocked his head causing Jace to stumble to find words.
" I, I had to man. One of her hoes escaped her and came to work for me. Of course she killed her but she was go kill me too but she liked what I was doing here. You know I couldn't turn her down."
" You should've."
" She would've killed me and you know it. Look I know what she did to you and I would've never did this if I didn't have to. "
Frowning Man Killa stepped back from the door for she'd been in situations like this too many times to not know what was next.
After sitting in silence, Cobra took some time to stare at his brother.
He remembered the night that he told Jace what Madear did to him. Why he no longer had a mother just like Jace. That's why he took Jace under his wing in the first place he saw himself in him.
They were around the same age when they lost their mother, Jace's mother wasn't dead then but she might as well had been.
" I'm sorry man."
Cobra gave a tight lipped smile as he shook his head. " I hear you and everything but see now Jason... I can't trust you."
" Keith please-" Jace just barely spat out before multiple shots were sent through Jace's chest.
Lowering his gun Cobra watched Jace's body leave a blood trail as it slid down the wall.
Kneeling down, Cobra kissed his fingers and placed them on Jace's cheek.
Fixing his clothes Cobra got himself together before leaving the office to see Man Killa sitting on the couch reading a magazine.
" Clean this up and make sure the body gone by tonight," Cobra demanded just as Malik entered from down the hall.
" Yo what kind of sex dungeon is this?" Malik stopped in his tracks once he saw Man Killa who immediately rolled her eyes.
" And them niggas Sam and Barry dead them niggas too." Cobra tucked his gun in his pants then walked away without another word.
Malik watched him walk out the door before turning his attention back to her. " What the fuck just happened?"
...
Today was a quiet day for Delilah, one of the first in a while since she finished recording the album.
Laughing and eating popcorn, she relaxed in her spacious living room watching last week's episode of 'What's Happening!!'.
Now that she didn't have to focus on her album it was hard to entertain herself. Valentina was always stuck to Sane ever since she moved out and Ocean was nowhere to be found lately.
She tried to call Michael but it just kept ringing. Michael was busy and she understood that - she just missed him so much.
Delilah may have felt a bit lonely but these were the times that Robert told her that she needed to learn to enjoy because alone time would soon be rare.
The press had calmed down a bit about the Sapphire and Riva Love situation. It went from the front of the magazines to the sixth page.
Delilah still thought that Robert was overreacting about the whole thing yet she still promised Robert to stay out of ' unnecessary drama'.
Honestly, after everything Riva has done to her Delilah considered this going easy on her instead of exposing the truth about Riva's stolen hit Le Freak.
With a yawn, she put the bowl of popcorn down on the table feeling a bit tired until she heard knocks on her door.
She knew it had to be someone who could get through the security, Robert was the first person that came to mind which made her sigh.
Opening the door she didn't expect to see her favorite roses nor for them to lower and reveal a face that could've made her soul leave her body.
" Michael!" she nearly knocked him on the floor from the way she jumped on him. Kissing him before he could even utter a word and dragging him inside her home.
" My God girl what's gotten into you," he smirked as she pushed him against the door.
" Nothing," she mumbled, forcefully pulling him by his belt buckle causing them to chuckle as he then picked her up.
...
Slowly opening his eyes Curtis glanced around to see that he was still inside of the same stall he threw up in.
At first, his memory failed him until the pain from the side of his head made him remember that he passed out there causing him to curse under his breath.
Curtis was the last person anyone would expect to get pissy drunk - he even shocked himself as he stared at his reflection and washed his hands.
He didn't realize that nighttime had fallen until he stepped outside meaning that he had been there for hours. With a sigh, he checked his front pockets to only feel nothing causing him to frantically check every pocket until he realized that his wallet was gone.
" Shit!" he took a cigarette from his shirt pocket, finding a seat on some crates stacked near Paradise's alleyway.
Storming out of the backdoor Chanel looked through her purse to find her car keys.
" Come on baby just one time then I'll be out of your head forever." the white man rushed after her while trying to get his clothes together.
" Connor I told yo ass no a million times I'm not doing that- just cause you getting married don't make a difference."
" Look I always pay you good money I'll give you double-"
" At the end of the day double or not, I don't receive or give golden showers."
He desperately sighed and bit his lip, grabbing her hand softly. " Well can I at least suck it?" he pleaded and immediately Chanel yanked out of his grasp.
" Get the fuck off me."
" Oh what you're too good now?" He grabbed her with force now causing her to collide with his chest."Look where you work, look what you are. How dare you judge me freak. I give you so much and this is how you repay me!" Connor seethed before pushing Chanel against the wall. His eyes dilated and his skin sweaty as he unbuckled his pants.
Hearing Chanel's screams caused Curtis to jot up following the commotion he heard around the corner.
" You're gonna give me my money's worth bitch!" Connor swung to slap her but was immediately stopped by Curtis catching his hand.
" Don't put your fucking hands on a woman." Curtis pushed him to the ground causing Connor to let out a long drunk laugh.
" A woman? That thing ain't no woman."
Curtis ignored him and helped Chanel up deciding to leave rather than entertaining some weird-ass creep.
" Hey who the fuck do you think you are?" he spun Curtis around by the shoulder immediately connecting his fist to Curtis's jaw.
Before the guy could blink Curtis hit him with blow after blow until his body hit the ground. Yanking him up by his bloody collar Curtis punched him repeatedly, ignoring Chanel's scream for him to stop.
" Stop you go fucking kill him!" she pulled Curtis back once he finally stopped.
He began pacing back and forth to calm himself down until he noticed the car. " This yo ride?"
" Yeah."
" I would get a cab but my wallet got jacked."
Chanel sized him up for a minute as she thought about giving this random man she just met a ride. For one he did help her and two she'd done worse with random men before. " Fine, get in."
Someone that Curtis tried to leave in the Bronx came back at full force. He thought he could just get rid of Ghost just like that and focus on Delilah.
He thought he could just forget about all the people that he murdered and only God knew how many people perished to the drugs he had pushed out.
Every day since his sister was arrested he thought about turning himself in but she wouldn't let him. Curtis didn't understand why she thought he deserved a second chance, maybe if she knew the ins and outs of his double life then she would've let them lock him up and throw away the key.
Chanel drove down the street still a bit shaken up about what took place and her thoughts eventually led her to an important question. " So... where you need a ride to?"
" Mid-City."
"Mid-City? What business you got there with all them rich motherfuckas?" Once again Curtis remained silent causing Chanel to roll her eyes.
" Look you don't gotta answer that but can I at least know your name?" Chanel looked at him for a split second which is what she was going to give him before she grabbed her mace.
" Curtis," he said taking his gaze away from the window to look at her. " It's Curtis, so you can stop secretly reaching for whatever weapon you got on the side of your door."
Chanel's facial expression caused him to let out a chuckle that eventually made her smile. " Whateva as long as you know I got that shit on me." she sized him up as they stopped at the red light.
Curtis put his heads up in surrender before letting the seatback and closing his eyes.
Once the light turned green Chanel turned the radio on as Sapphire's Haven't You Heard played causing her to immediately turn the volume up. " Have you heard that there's an ad listed in the classifieds. Kind of brief, it only says "I'm lookin' for the perfect guy" - Don't you know that I've been lookin' for you, Haven't you heard."
Curtis opened his eyes and smiled.
" What? Sapphire is one of the hottest out right now."
" Oh really now? You a fan?"
" Hell Yeah and her album is out now too damn I gotta save up for that. And that song with her and Jackie Lee they look so good together."
" Ion know about all that."
" Mm, and what do you know?"
Shaking his head he closed his eyes again with a big grin." More than you think."
...
Catching their breath Michael and Delilah glanced up at her ceiling. Their bare bodies were slightly sweaty and their legs were delightfully numb.
After a while, Michael pulled her near him with a smile. " I missed you every moment I was away."
" Me too, I'm sorry for not calling like we agreed to."
" It's okay- calling every day was a little dramatic anyway. Plus all that matters is that I'm back now."
" But for how long." Delilah looked up at him as her head rested on his chest.
" Well, we filmed all the scenes for the New York scenery so we're filming the rest here."
" Really? " she screeched while sitting up.
" Yes really, now I can start recording my album, release a single or two, and keep an eye on you trouble maker." he poked her cheek earning a chuckle from her.
" Troublemaker?" she scoffed.
" I didn't stutter girl I saw the magazines about you and Riva Love. Please tell me you didn't really call her old and decrepit."
" Of course not does that even sound like something I would say?"
Michael raised a brow causing her to roll her eyes. " I didn't say that, plus it's over with anyway I learned my lesson trust... Robert talked my ears off enough for a week straight."
He chuckled at her statement for he could imagine it clearly.
" I mean I feel like what I said was nothing to what she said and done to me."
" Yeah but sometimes saying stuff like that can fall back on you negatively instead of her."
Delilah sighed in defeat, part of her wanted to just let it go but that day she could never forget.
Her idol who was one of the reasons that inspired her to sing completely broke her heart and on top of that she lost a part of her heart right after, her sister.
" I wanna let it go but I can't, Le Freak was my song and she knew it. What would you do if you was just starting your career and like James Brown or somebody stole your song and insulted you right after?"
" Well, I'll play it smart and wait until I have enough power to get it back." Michael shrugged causing Delilah to think for a moment before laying back down on his chest.
...
Aside from following Malik's instructions, Man Killa had a million thoughts, not about where Malik was taking her to nor the dead body in her trunk for that was something she was accustomed to.
Her whole life from the earliest memory she could think of was violence, murder, and drugs and for a while, that's all she ever knew.
From an abusive foster home to another the things she had to see and do were unimaginable for a child. Her first kill was at the age of nine years old.
Her last foster father was who she learned everything from - he wouldn't be the ideal father to the rest of the world's eye but he taught her the most important thing... how to survive.
Lately, she seemed to have forgotten that. For the past few years, Junior and Curtis gave her that family feeling she never really had before.
Sometimes she thought about if she had that love her whole life would she had left her son. Back when she had him she didn't know what it was to love someone.
For the past year since she been in L.A it was like she was living in a fantasy. She was able to avoid bullshit with Cobra for a while due to Curtis making her Delilah's security. She almost even started to think that she could leave her old life behind by distracting herself.
However, now that it caught up with her and she realized that the only way out was through.
They drove for a while until Malik finally had her stop at a building that looked like a barn. Debra's Deli.
She gave him a hard look but went along towards the back of the building anyway. Instead of being suspicious about this she simply grabbed her gun from the side of her door.
Most would question why would someone take another to a Deli to get rid of a body. She eventually learned that you couldn't question things like that for your doctor or pastor could be smuggling drugs in their basement.
Walking alongside Malik, they were soon met with a big Andre The Giant-looking man sliding open the barn doors for them.
Inside there was a small sweet-looking woman who looked to be in her sixties, her hands folded behind her and shades covering her eyes.
Man Killa watched as Malik approached her and leaned down to kiss each cheek before he suddenly began to speak to her in french. Man Killa's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets until the attention was on her.
The lady walked up to her glancing up and down and then smiling. " Man Killa, you said? I think I like this one." she turned back to the tall man who was soon pronounced her son.
Debra made her way up to Man Killa as the men went to get the body. " You know us women in this business don't get enough credit at all." Debra shook her head as Man Killa looked down at her. " I can look at you and tell you started just as early as I did, it's all behind the eyes."
Man Killa wasn't really interested in Debra's conversation for the only thing Man Killa had her mind set on was getting in and out.
" You know they say the eyes are the windows to your souls. I look at all of these men that I work with and see money-hungry and power-driven fools - you're not the first woman I encountered in this business but never did I see eyes like yours."
" Oh really? I haven't heard that before no offense ma'am but I'm here for business."
Debra chuckled with a shaking head." I'm not some cougar bulldagger looking to get with you- I just see someone I used to know. Ever been to the Bronx?"
" Born and street raised." Man Killa said blandly with her eyes focused on her car.
" Really? " Debra seemed a bit taken back from her response but before she could find the words to say; Malik and her son came toting the body in the bloody sack.
With a sigh, Debra looked at them then Man Killa. " Follow me."
Through the deli they walked until they reached the normal backroom with the many freezers and fridges for the food soon to be in stock.
However, one of those freezers to Man Killa's surprise was a door that led them down some stairs and to another door.
Debra reached in her shirt causing her son to grimace as she pulled the key from her bra. " Don't look like that when you once sucked milk from them." she chuckled along with Malik as they stepped into the cellar.
There before them was a machine that looked like a large steel cylinder.
Debra nodded at her son as she flipped the red switch and he immediately opened the machine. It's door sort of resembled those round vault doors yet smaller.
Man Killa arched a brow at the whole process - watching as they lifted the body and placed it in before closing.
She could feel eyes on her, those eyes being Debra's who began walking towards her.
" I know you're wondering what this thing is." Debra grinned." A friend of mine from China gifted it to me- I never seen anything like it."
" What does it do?" Man Killa questioned as she saw the blood flowing through the machine's tube and into a bucket underneath.
" I like to say that it's a human evaporator hell I don't know the science behind it... all I know is that it gets rid of problems." Debra turned her body to face Man Killa. " I know you don't know me and vice versa but if you ever find yourself needing to get rid of a problem here's my card."
Man Killa observed the Debra's Deli card for a moment then looked at her. For some reason a part of her wasn't suspecting any hidden intentions from her.
However, Man Killa still didn't know this woman so asking for any favors didn't seem too bright.
For all she knew it could only trap her into another bond.
Once everything was done and further evidence was cleaned up Man Killa and Malik left while Debra watched from her office unable to shake Man Killa's eyes.
Dialing on the office phone she called up the first person that came to mind. " James, I know it's been a while but I need some information – nothing bad just do it."
...
As expected neither Man Killa nor Malik had anything to say after what occurred, yet it wasn't like they would be speaking regardless.
However, without the radio playing or a peep from her, Malik became tiresome. " That was some shit back there wasn't it? I still wanna know how the body looked after, probably like ash or something."
The last thing she wanted to talk about was what just happened and he figured that was why she stayed silent.
He sighed." I don't get it."
" Get what?"
" Why a woman with your rep is taking orders, I mean shit a Man Killa don't sound like someone taking orders from a man."
" Clearly I don't have a choice."
" And why is that?"
" Why you asking so many damn questions, you the feds?"
Malik smacked his teeth." Hell nah I ain't the feds do you know who my family is?"
" Mm then I don't get it." she mocked his statement earning a side eye from him. " You Madear's son right? How you taking orders from a man that work for her?"
Malik remained silent causing Man Killa to nod. " Exactly, he got something on me just like he got something on you."
" Four years ago I tried to set my mo– Madear... I tried to set Madear up. But it back fired and someone else died and Madear sent Cobra to find out who did it. One thing about Cobra – you don't see him in the grass watching your moves."
Man Killa came to a stop as the light turned red before glaring over at him.
" He eventually found out that I was behind it and for some reason he didn't tell Madear but instead he told me that he had something else planned for me. So here I am." Malik dropped his hands on his lap as his eyes locked to hers.
" What's the point of you telling me this all of a sudden?"
" Because before you I didn't see a way out." he stated in a tone so serious that it left them staring at one another.
A/N
Thank you so much for 37k!
I just want to appreciate yall so much for being patient with me. Words cannot explain how happy I am that this story came so far. It can be hard writing at times but I pull through when I think of y'all❤️
Thoughts?