Chapter 22
Raekwon sat on the couch rocking back and forth with his trusted pistol in his hand every so often giving the side eye to Aquana who sat on the floor in the corner. Brian arrived a few minutes before and was getting the details from his man Raekwon about what went down. Brian looked at Aquana with the side eye.
"That's fucked up," was Brian's first response. "So now what the fuck is going to happen?"
"I called a meeting with O-Lord to help me handle this problem," Raekwon said looking up at Brian. "Ready set it up."
Brian cringed at that name because that was the same guy that played him. That also was the same guy that made him murder three other Blood members just a couple of hours ago. Brian still wanted to get at Ready for what he did. But he also knew he had to play his cool because if they found out that it was him behind that trigger, he would have the whole sect on his ass. Luckily for him, Raekwon told him that Bloods thought the Dog did it so Brian felt he was in the clear.
"When this shit going down?" Brian asked trying to hide his nervousness. When he was nervous, he would curse more than normal. It was like the curse words were a shield to hide his nervousness.
"An hour or so," Raekwon got up. "Fuck!" He looked at Aquana and waved his gun in her direction. "And all because of her trifling ass. Slept with that nigga in our bed. You believe that shit. All this shit going down and she sleeps with this nigga. I swear if she wasn't my seeds' moms, you would be talking to a corpse."
Brian just looked at Aquana and shook his head.
"Don't think this shit is over between us, bitch!" Raekwon said then spat in her direction. "I just got to deal with this motherfucker. But after, trust, it’s going to be me and you time."
Aquana just bowed her head and leaned lower on the wall.
"Well, then what the fuck we going to do in the meantime?' Brian inquired. "This nigga do have a little army as well. What if he comes back and do us all? This motherf...."
"Chill with all that yakking, you sounding like a bitch," Raekwon informed. "We worry about that shit when it comes. We do need to rally our own troops. Get niggas on the block alert so they know what's coming. Let them niggas know it's a power move. That the Ice Cream faggot wants to start taking over. That way when the heat comes, they'll be on their toes and take no prisoners."
'I'm on it," Brian asked eager to get out of there before Raekwon met up with the Blood OG.
"Yeah, do that,' Raekwon said turning his back dismissing Brian.
Brian left the room and walked out the door.
Raekwon looked his baby mother again. This was the woman that he was going to marry, this was the woman that bore his children, this woman was supposed to be his future. Now he couldn't stand to look at her.
"Yo, bitch, get in the goddamn room and don't come out until I tell you to," Raekwon instructed. "Seeing your deceitful ass face is making me want to put a bullet in your head."
When Aquana didn't move quickly enough, Raekwon snapped back the lever of his gun and pointed it at her. Aquana jumped and ran to the bedroom. Raekwon shook his head. He still did love her. His cell phone ringing interrupted his thoughts.
"Go," was how Raekwon's greeting.
"Yo, I'm with the nigga right now," the caller said. "He got some bullshit little house on Cornelia with a little arsenal set up in it but nothing big. His boys ain't here and he didn't talk to the Ice Cream nigga. He basically be himself. There's an old wooden board you got to lift up to get in here. Other than that, it's smooth sailing. I'm upstairs and he down in the basement."
"Cool, nigga," Raekwon said. "Trust me on everything I love. I got that qwop for you when I see you."
"Cool," was the final response then the dial tone was heard.
Raekwon hung up on his end and smiled. He had the Dog right where he wanted him...on a tight leash. He knew this would be the perfect time to strike when the Dog was least expecting it. He could handle that dude and if things worked out, be the next kingpin. It was simple, eliminate the Dog then go to the Dog's master and offer a proposition: a partnership or a war. Raekwon knew he didn't have enough of an army to go to war but when the Ice Cream Man see that Raekwon meant business but taking out the Dog, ICM may reconsider just for peace sakes. It sounded crazy in his head even as he thought of the plan is simple, but fuck it, it was worth a try. Raekwon knew killing the Dog would bring heat no matter what so either make it work for him or use it as the first causality in what was to come. Either way, the Dog and him could no longer breathe the same air. The Dog violated his home, violated his woman and most of all violated the respect the streets had for him. And Raekwon would not let that happen.
Raekwon picked up his cell phone again.
"Change of plans," Raekwon said as soon as the person he was trying to reach got on the other end of the phone. 'We gonna neuter that Dog in his own Doghouse."
A sinister smile crept across his face as he thought about the look of shock on the Dog's face when he pulled that trigger to put that poodle down.
Raekwon walked into the bedroom after he got off the phone.
"I'm leaving to handle our pet problem," Raekwon said pointing a finger at Aquana who was laying on the bed with eyes puffy from tears. 'You better be here when I get back. And tomorrow we getting a new bed and burning this one. Fuck that. We doing that shit tonight. I feel like this whole place been tainted. I'm going to see to it my moms hold the kids down until we get this house back in order. So I don't want you to move from that spot. If you got to pee, use a cup. I'm not fucking with you."
Aquana nodded slowly. She was about to say 'sorry' again but the dead menacing look on Raekwon's face told her to just keep quiet. She knew it would never be the same between them. She had fucked Raekwon's greatest enemy and was the reason her baby father may have to go to war with the man that controlled half of Brooklyn. She, however, knew as hard as Raekwon talked, he was scared shitless. Raekwon knew what a dangerous man Xavier was even if she didn't. She had put their whole family in jeopardy. Xavier was vicious and ruthless and not just some common thug. He would bring the heat to you on full blast and watch you burn.
Raekwon knew he was going against a giant but he knew it was either now or never. If he didn't kill the Dog, the Dog would most certainly kill him. There was no other way around it. Raekwon cocked the hammer of his gun one more time and headed out the door.
Fat Sal's pawn shop had been the cornerstone of Flushing Avenue for many years. Everybody knew Salvatore DiGionni and trusted him with their most valuable goods to be held on to while they got out of some debt. Fat Sal also was a loan shark so those who didn't have valuables could still got monetary help but the price was a little steeper. His two sons ran the place but every major decision came from Fat Sal. But besides him being a pawnbroker, he was the ear of the streets from Brownsville to Bushwick. He still had ties with major cartels from his previous days as a Mafia enforcer. He had information on everybody that was major on that side of Brooklyn and even in Manhattan and Queens. He kept his ear to the streets through all the lucrative contacts he gained over the years when he semi-retired from the Carvanni Family and set up his pawn shop on Flushing and Gates fifteen years ago. He was the guy to come see if you needed some information. But like the sign above the door of the storefront said 'Everything has a price'.
Dominique and Salvatore, Jr. was going over the books in the back of the shop as always on Tuesday nights. It was their ritual. They primed themselves on being profound businessmen and making sure their father's business way succeeded in future investments even after Fat Sal's death.
The gates were closed down on the shop. Salvatore, Jr. had just finished sipping his coffee and going over his records when he heard a loud banging outside the shop. Someone was banging on the gate.
"Is someone banging on the gate?" Dominique asked scratching his curly hair looking over some figures on a paper. "They knew we closed."
"Fuck it," Salvatore, Jr. said then continued looking at his documents. "Let them stay out there and bang. We closed."
The brothers went back to their paperwork. The banging continued.
"Now they just being rude," Salvatore, Jr. said. He grabbed the Mossberg shotgun from under the table he was sitting by. 'Maybe I'll teach them some manners."
Salvatore, Jr. walked to the front of the shop from the back room. He looked out the shop’s display windows and even the gates shielded some of his visions, he could see men posted up outside still banging and talking in an Asian dialect.
Salvatore, Jr. moved closer to the display window.
"We closed," Salvatore, Jr. shouted.
It was raining so the men outside each had umbrellas up. One of the men stuck his face closer to the gate. His Asian accent was thick.
"I need to speak to your father," the man said.
Salvatore, Jr. squinted his eyes but from he stood, it looked like all the men had on red ties and business suits except the one talking. His tie was bright yellow.
"I don't think so, buddy," Salvatore, Jr. said as his brother Dominque came from behind him.
The yellow tie man pulled out a wad of dollar bills from his coat pocket.
"Information needed," the man said.
The brothers both looked at each other spellbound.
Jermaine looked at Xavier.
"They going to be here shortly," Jermaine informed Xavier after his brief phone call with Raekwon.
Xavier knew Raekwon wanted him bad especially after that situation at that girl's house. He knew Raekwon would call everybody he knew that somehow knew the Dog and try to get information. He didn't know about the Bloods then having a real vendetta against him because of Raekwon but he knew now and he knew that he would have to shoot it out before he could talk it out.
Raekwon wanted Xavier's spot. Xavier knew Raekwon knew going against him would be instant war but Raekwon must have figured if the Blood sect was behind the movement then the outcome might come out a tad bit favorable. Xavier also knew involving his boss would only complicate things. He needed to handle this personal business and get back to the business of making money.
Xavier picked up the Desert Eagle and checked the chamber. Xavier was ready for this moment.
"You know he’s bringing those Blood boys," Jermaine informed. "Even if you didn't kill their boy off GP, they still going to come in here gun blazing hot."
"I know," Xavier said picking up another firearm and checking the chamber as well.
"That you may have to put it to a few of those knuckleheads before they even hear you out," Jermaine continued.
"I know," Xavier blowing into the barrel of the firearm he was holding.
'You a crazy son of a bitch."
"I know" Xavier smiled.
Xavier shook his head.
"I wish I knew where the fuck Travis was at," Xavier said looking at his arsenal field.
"You got bigger things to worry about," Jermaine reminded him.
Xavier smiled again. Xavier wasn't worried about the drama that was going to come to his doorstep. In fact he was prepared for it. He made one more phone call.
Sonja was just visiting Aquana to see what had been happening since she left but she couldn't believe the story she got from Aquana.
"Wow!" was her best words to describe the fallout that took place only recently.
Sonja was still distraught over her mother and her little title fight but Aquana's story made her forget all about her situation earlier.
"Damn, you did the Dog," Sonja was still in disbelief as she sat on the couch dumbstruck. "And Raekwon caught him here and they duked it out. That's crazy and you put a gun out on him."
Aquana just nodded and lowered her head.
"Wow," Sonja expressed again. "Who would have ever thought you and the Dog? Fuck that, whoever would have thought you going over crazy Raekwon?'
"Yeah, that nigga was beyond piss," Aquana said. "Especially since we did it in our bed."
"Wow," Sonja had to repeat. She looked at Aquana and only saw a couple of bruises on her face and hands. Sonja would have though Raekwon would have tried to kill her. "Damn, girl, you playing with some serious fire."
"I know, I know," Aquana shook her head. "But he just showed up, looking all strong and thuggish. You know my weakness. That nigga had every ounce of realness in him. The nigga made my pussy wet just looking at him last night." Aquana looked around like Raekwon was in the next room and lowered her voice. "The motherfucker ain't no joke."
Sonja's eye widened. She had heard stories about Dog from the other little hoodrat girls he screwed from time to time. Sonja even remember trying to seduce him when her mother's money came short but he always seem to be about business. She never thought her best friend would be another on his list.
"I have to ask. Was it good?" Sonja's curiosity got the best of her.
Aquana looked around as if she could feel Raekwon's presence so she spoke low. "The nigga made me nut like five times."
"Damn!" Sonja couldn't believe it. Even though she just had sex with Wisdom last night also, the thought of sex was still in her head. Wisdom put his thing down in the bedroom but the way Aquana was talking, Dog wasn't a bad runner-up.
"But listen, you better leave," Aquana started looking around again like Raekwon was going to bust through the door. 'If that fool come back and catch you here, I don't know what he'll do. He already thinks you in cahoots with them because you mess with Wisdom."
"I got you, girl," Sonja said getting up. "But are you going to be alright?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Aquana nodded her head. "Raekwon going to send one of his cronies to keep an eye out on me. He should be on his way now. You better get going.'
"Yeah, yeah," Sonja said walking to the door. "I almost forgot about my good news. But I'll tell you later."
"What, girl?" Aquana got excited. "Don't leave me in suspense. Give me something to smile about."
"Me and Wisdom did it," Sonja smiled brightly.
Aquana ran and hugged her girl.
"I told you," Aquana said. "Horoscope never lie."
Sonja rolled her eyes and smirked and opened the door to leave. One of Raekwon's crew members, Willie, was standing right outside ready to knock.
"Hey, Willie," Aquana pushing Sonja out the door. "This is my girl and she just leaving."
"Raekwon said no visitors," Willie said looking at Aquana.
Aquana suck her teeth. Willie was a pimple face teenager barely nineteen always trying to act hard to get approval from Raekwon. He also was scared shitless of Raekwon so that made him even more of a candidate to trust him with guarding Aquana. Willie had on a pair of baggy Levi jeans with a 76ers jersey and tee shirt with his cap turned backwards on his head. He played the part of a thug but Aquana knew he was more pussy then she was. She didn't know why Raekwon would send him but then again it made sense.
"Yeah, I'm just leaving," Sonja said waving and walking down the block.
"Raekwon know she was here?" Willie asked.
"No, she just stopped by to say hi," Aquana answered. "I guess he sent you to protect me. Come in."
Willie walked in and pulled out his .22 caliber handgun. He started to search every room like he was Secret Service. Aquana looked at the little peashooter the kid was toting and laughed.
"What's so funny?' he asked after he did his search.
"Nothing," she made her laugh turn into a smile. "You want something to drink, Double 0 seven?"
"This ain't no joking matter," Willie said trying to put on his tough face. "Raekwon said the Dog might be trying to take over his blocks and we need to be on guard. One is guarding you since you may be a target."
Aquana laughed again.
"And how you suppose to guard me with that little orphan Annie gun?" Aquana laughed.
"I got back-up," He went to the back waistline of his jeans and pulled out another handgun a little bit bigger than the one he had in his hands already. "Also he going to send some more peeps to watch the block as soon as he square off some business he said."
"Yeah, ok," Aquana replied. "Do you want a drink or not?"
'Sure, you got some Pepsi?" Willie said putting his back-up gun back in his waistline.
Aquana rolled her eyes and walked to the kitchen thinking to herself, 'that's probably why you got some many pimples in the first place'.
Willie made himself comfortable on the couch when he received a call from his cell phone from Raekwon asking if everything was alright. Willie replied everything was cool and he would be waiting for further instructions. Aquana handed him the Pepsi soda can and listened to half of the conversation. Aquana couldn't believe Raekwon was talking like he was such a boss when just a couple of hours he was getting his ass handed to him and it was her that saved him.
"Here," Willie handed Aquana his cell phone indicating Raekwon wanted to speak to her.
"Yo, play your position, ok?" Raekwon started off. "My man is going hold the fort down while I handle my business. Don't be giving my dude no lip. I'm going to have some more soldiers coming through the block just in case that nigga decides to stop by for another house call."
Aquana remained silent.
"We going to be relocating soon anyway," Raekwon added. "So stay tight. Stay out of little man's way and keep your hot tail in that room. Oh, and tell that bitch Sonja to stop coming by the house. Now put my man back on the phone."
"Here" Aquana said dropping the cell phone on the couch.
Willie shook his head and retrieved his cellular to finish his conversation with Raekwon. Aquana went in the bedroom and shut the door. She collapse on the bed. She smelled the sheets Even though she changed the sheets and linen, the bed still had the essence of the legendary Dog. Aquana just thinking about the way he handled her body made her get all tingly. She had admit Xavier had Raekwon beat in more ways than one. Damn, she wish she didn't have this feeling for Xavier but she did. Raekwon had easily been pushed to a distant second. Even now with all Raekwon's tough act, she could see right through it. Raekwon was trying to prove his manhood. It was already known that Dog ran the streets but to have him invade Raekwon's domain and control that as well that's what killed Raekwon. Aquana knew her man was not only physically hurt from that butt whipping he took from Xavier but mentally.
Aquana knew Raekwon had control himself from killing her when Xavier left. If Raekwon didn't catch himself, he would have put her in a coma and he knew that. Raekwon also knew that as much as he despise her actions, he still loved her and most of all, loved his children and he couldn't bear to tell them their mother couldn't be with them because he went off the handle. Infidelity hurt but betrayal cuts deeper and that's how Raekwon felt: betrayed. His wound of betrayal could never fully heal but at least it could be patched up and the only Band-Aid got enough to put on that scab was murder. And since Raekwon couldn't murder the mother of his children, the Dog was his only option.
As Aquana laid across the bed, she also thought about her bestie Sonja and Sonja's new man, Wisdom. She was happy that her girl found happiness. Wisdom seemed like a real gem from what Sonja said about him and he was a real gentleman. Aquana almost peed in her pants when Sonja told her he was the son of a pimp, an actual bonafide Max Julien's Goldie type pimp. Not just any pimp, the legendary Daddy K. She use to hear her mother talk about him when she was real young. Aquana had to admit if smoothness was hereditary, then Aquana would love to swim in that gene pool. Wisdom was a handsome looking man with baby boy features and innocent eyes. She jokily asked Sonja if Wisdom had any brothers or cousins in the city she could hook her up with. She wasn't really into pretty boys that much but if she could get a mixture of Wisdom's attributes and Xavier's thugness, she would have a man that would make her a permanent resident of Freak Me Ville.
Aquana laughed. She remembered when Sonja and her were barely in their teen and nicknamed themselves Smut Ville. They would tease boys all day wearing cut-off shorts, belly showing halters, bikini tops, anything to get attention and have the guys drooling. They were sixteen pulling twenty-two yearn olds that had cars and their own place. However, they never gave it up their cookies. Aquana would get things off the strength of her looks but after a while, she had to start giving up the nookie because the tease thing started to fade and dudes would start paying attention to the next hoochie who may not be as pretty but would give it up with just a nod in their direction. Aquana usually just dealt with drug dealers or people getting money by other means. Her mother gave her that mentality very young. "Your pussy is a gold mine so you better use it for someone that already got the gold around their neck not starting to shovel for it," her mother's favorite saying. It basically meant get with someone that already had fast money to take care of you now instead of some average Joe Smoe who had to wait for a paycheck. Aquana took that advice and being she liked bad boys anyway, it naturally fell into place for her. Some of her mother's boyfriends even tried to get a hand on the young Aquana which she graciously accept on the condition that her mother's hand never stop being fed and that it would be their secret. That all changed when she met Raekwon. He was rugged, thuggishly handsome and had a swagger all his own. He had just set up shop around her neighborhood when she met him and it was love at first sight. Sonja never really had an interest in drug dealers since her father when he was around use to be a police officer and her mother became a drug dealer herself. She would never go for those type at all even as much as Aquana tried to hook her up. Sonja only agreed to go with Brian because Brian seemed cool enough to hang with.
Aquana still couldn't believe this all started with her taking down Xavier's number. Even though she gave him a fake name, she thought he was cool the way he handled himself that night at the club. She really didn't even know who he was especially about the part of him biting some dog's ear. Even though Sonja and Aquana hung together, they were from different circles. Aquana didn't know half of the people Sonja even to this day. Sonja been hyped to the block long before Aquana got accustomed to it. That’s why Sonja was easy not to fall for a drug dealer because she knew the downfall. She seen it too many times but when it entered her home, it really sickened her.
Aquana laid her face in the pillow and soon drifted into sleep. She jumper up to a gloved hand covering her mouth and throwing her back in bed. The she felt herself being dragged out of bed, she was being dragged into the living room on the floor where she saw her two children and Sonja tied with duct tapes over their mouth propped up on the couch. She felt a kick in her stomach. She looked up in pain and noticed all of the intruders had ski mask on covering their face. Aquana tried to say something but got kicked in the stomach for her effort.
"Watch," one of the invaders said stepping behind the couch.
She couldn't recognize the voice but the gun he was holding at her best friend Sonja's head made her pay attention.
"You did this," the man behind the couch said and fired. Sonja's head flopped down as droplets of blood came from the small head wound that now appeared on her forehead. The gunman turned the gun to her son.
"Nooooo!" Aquana screamed and was rewarded with another kick.
Bang!
Her son's head drop. Aquana screamed out again despite the kicks to the stomach. She was been yoked up by one of the other masked men.
"Some big man shooting a defenseless kid!" Aquana said and spit in the masked intruder's face that just pulled her up.
The flim dropped from his mask as he laughed. He forcefully turned her around to watch as his partner put the gun to her little daughter's head.
"Nooooooo!" Aquana screamed trying to break loose of her captive's grip. "She just a baby!" Pleeasse! I'll do whatever you say! I'll give you whatever you want! Pleaasseee don't hurrrrttt my baaaabbbbyy!!!!"
The man took off his mask revealing his face. "I didn't kill her, you did."
Bang!
Aquana jumped up out of bed crashing on the floor hard screaming. Willie busted in the room weapon drawn.
"What the fuck just happened?" Willie asked looking at Aquana on the floor.
"Where's my babies and where's Raekwon?!" she screamed.
Willie looked confused.
Aquana started flailing her arms like a lunatic begging for her children. Willie tried to pull out his phone but Aquana jumped up off the floor and started hitting him.
"Where are they?!Where are they?!"
Willie stumbled back into the living room and tripped on the carpet with Aquana crashing down on top of him. Aquana rolled off and went into a fetal position and started crying. Willie picked himself up and dialed his boss to tell him the Aquana was losing her damn mind.
Wisdom sat in the living room dumbfounded by the information his father just gave him. It was too much. Wisdom just sat quietly and let it all sink in. He had finally got some good news about working for a major promotional company and now come to find out his father was a cold blooded murderer.
Wisdom wondered how he could ever look at his father the same. He also wondered if his mother really knew all along that Daddy K was more than just a ladies' man but a killer as well. Wisdom was so concerned about another woman being in his father's life sharing the same bed his mother and him both slept, he never looked at the loneliness in his father's eyes. Even as he heard his father peacefully snoring after another Paul Masson private session, Wisdom knew Daddy K was losing his edge.
Wisdom wanted to wake him up and shake him and ask him why he was bringing this new found information to his son now after all these years and at this time. He just witnessed a murder his damn self and now he comes to find out that his father use to do that for a living. His father made people meet their Maker. The idea was insane.
His cell phone ringing interrupted his thoughts again. It was Sonja. Wisdom was really feeling a connection with Sonja. Last night just made the attraction complete. They were one now. Body and soul.
"Hey, baby." Wisdom said wiping his eyes.
"You ok, what's wrong?" Sonja automatically picked up distress in Wisdom's voice.
"Nothing, baby girl," Wisdom said looking around the room. "Just taking everything all in stride I guess."
"I really need to talk, a lot is going on, I need you," Sonja pleaded.
After the bombshell his father just dropped on him, Wisdom needed to talk to someone too.
"Sure, baby, can u get to125th and Lenox, maybe we can talk over some soul food at Sylvia's?" Wisdom suggested.
Sonja agreed and hung up.
Wisdom got up off the couch and looked at his father's bedroom door. He wanted to knock and say something but he didn't have the slightest clue as to what to say. This was just too much for him. Entirely too much for Wisdom Edward Sinsare.