When she stepped through the door, her eyes narrowed into slits, leaving her with only partial vision. Three bitches had surrounded C's and Ant, and all those hoes were ke-heing in their faces like they were Martin Lawrence or somebody. Was this how it was going to always be with C's? Sluts attempting to play her position when she wasn't around. Pissed, but in control, she walked over to C's and Ant and their group of bops. She cast her gaze over the scene, specifically taking in the two girls who sat on either side of her man. The hoochies were so close they might as well had been in his lap. One of the chicks had on a pair of tan hot pants with a black floral top, while the other rocked overalls. She wore one buckle off the shoulder, while sporting a crop top underneath, that just did cover her oversized breasts.
Cleo halted a few feet away, sitting on the bench opposite theirs, she watched their asses like must see TV.
"Why didn't you call?" The chick in the overalls whined as she tossed her long wavy brown hair. "You promised. Do you know how it makes me feel when you handle me this way?"
Cleo's fingernails bit into the palms of her hands. Who the hell was this bitch?
"Baby." C's swung his gaze to the bathroom door, and then back to her before placing a hand on her thigh. "You know how my day to day go. Just because I don't call you doesn't mean that you're not on my mind. I would never try to handle you. Not you."
Tears stung Cleo's eyes, and quickly sizzled away under the heat of her anger. That sounded like the same shit he'd spit to her yesterday, when he scooped her.
"Yeah?" The girl lifted her chin, a pout adding to her pretty symmetrical features. "Then why my girl told me she saw that Neon you be pushing sometimes parked in front of that, puta, Esperanza's house?"
Esperanza? Now who the fuck was she?
C's glared at the girl to his left. "You told her that bullshit?"
The girl held her up her hands as if to say she wasn't in it.
"No." The girl to the right cried out, dragging C's attention back to her. "Don't worry about who put your business on blast, you just need tell me if it's true or not. Because I haven't seen you in two days and you haven't called." She jabbed her finger in Ant's direction, who had his back to them, while he spit game to a light skin chick in a sun dress. "You got this fool, lying to me every time I try and call you." Burying her head in her hands, she shook her head. "At this point. I really don't know what to think."
"What you mean, you don't really know what to think?" C's snatched her hands from her face. "Ain't nothing to think about, Nike. Sheeit, you been riding with your boy since before I got my ass thrown into Juvie. You're the one who kept my grind goin', while my ass was locked down. Do you really think I'd jump, and shake you to left for a bitch that gotta twenty-four seven sign hangin' on her pussy?"
"I don't know, C's." Her caramel brown eyes held his. "You tell me. I've been hearing a lotta shit out here lately. Hell, Tina even told Yani that she rolled up at your spot and caught a chica negra there. And then this bitch said you even had the nerve to check her after she stomped her ass."
"A black girl." C's eyes flared in forced disgust. "Come on now." Once again his gaze flipped to the bathroom, she could almost feel him willing her not to come out as he sewed the lies of a seamless deception. "You know I don't fuck with black chicks. Man that's Ant. You should've known that shit was a lie."
The sound of his name made, Ant turn around to look at C's and Nike in question. After he saw they weren't talking to him, his gaze swung in her direction as he did a sweep of the store. His mouth fell open, incompetent in its silence, when their eyes collided. A cynical smile she didn't bother to hide, touched her lips. Yeah. There were just not enough words in the English or Spanish language to put together an excuse or lie that would save that ass. Without a word she stood, leaving everything at her feet on the floor. More than willing now to walk away from the whole situation.
With a heavy as hell heart, Cleo stepped on the escalator and gave in to the ache in her chest. At this point there was no use in denying the pain. Tears crisscrossed down her cheeks like raindrops on a window pane. She couldn't believe she'd allowed herself to get caught up in this type of bullshit. Had she stayed in her zone like everyone had told her, she wouldn't be in the middle of fucking Dillard's struggling to remain upright, while trudging her way to the side doors that led outside of the mall.
On her way out, sales ladies stared at her in suspicion, while one even attempted to stop her. Shaking her off, Cleo continued towards the door, only to have her exit barred by a fat white man with salt and pepper hair, in a security uniform that appeared to be two sizes too small for him.
"I do believe the lady asked you to stop, gal." He sneered in a back water country accent.
Cleo glared at the man, and then the sales clerk who eased up beside her. To give herself more personal space, she stepped back from the woman who looked to be few years older than Liberty. "What?" She asked, using the heels of her palms to wipe her face.
Ignoring her, the lady turned to the security officer. "She wasn't wearing that, when she came in with the Latin boy earlier. And I don't believe, Stacey rung her up for those things either."
"You think I'm trying, to steal this." Cleo waved her hand at her body. "I don't even like these clothes."
"Whether you like the items or not, if you attempt to leave the premises without paying first, then that constitutes as stealing." Her hand found her hips, as she glowered at Cleo.
The security officer stalked over to her and reached for her arm. Cleo snatched it away before he could grab her. "Don't touch me. Ain't nobody gotta steal outta this ole ranky dank store." Waving at the escalators, she rolled her eyes. "Dude I was with paid for my gear upstairs when he bought the shoes." She lifted her leg to show off the Air Max's. "The clerk let me change in the back. Go ask him if you don't believe me. Don't nobody have the time to be lying to y'all."
"Well if that's true," the clerk said, while looking down her nose at Cleo. "You want mind showing Frank or me the receipt, will you?"
Unholy shit. C's had the receipt. She'd be damned if she asked the mofo for anything, not even the time of day. "I don't have it?" She mumbled as her righteous anger faded to smoky embers.
"Ha." The lady threw a triumphant glance to the other clerks who had gathered around to see what was going on. "I told you when they came in, that they were gonna try and steal. Change in the back room. Humph." She clucked her tongue. "Have you ever, Frank?"
"More than you care to know, Ms. Lacey. More than you care to know." This time when he tried to grab her arm, Cleo didn't shake him off.
"Hey, holmes." The sound of C's voice made her cringe. "What the fuck you think you doin', yo? Get your hands off of her."
"That's the fella who came in with her. Check him to, Frank." Lacey commanded as she backed away from C's. "There's no telling what he took while up there. You know Jimmy doesn't pay heed to anything, but those damned invoices."
Frank dropped her arm to place his hand on a can of mace strapped to his black utility belt. "Come here, boy."
"Boy." C's chest doubled in size. "I got yo' boy, you fat motherfucka."
"My word." Lacey gasped, and then covered her mouth. "Don't you dare take another step, Frank, he could be like one of those gang bangers I saw on HBO the other night. Banging in Little Rock, I do believe it was. Those rascals would soon kill you than look at you. She's probably is his G-queen." Cupping a hand around her mouth, she stage whispered to the other clerks. "They're the females who have relations with all the boys in the gang just so they can be considered a member."
The other sales lady gaze swung to Cleo, one of them even mouthing the word, no. Nike, who had followed C's down, smacked her lips as she folded her arms across her ample chest. While her friend laughed, just enjoying the scene.
"Forgive my boy, officer. He can get a little heated sometimes." Ant grabbed on to C's arm to hold him in check. "What's this all about, sir?"
"What's it about. I'll tell you what it is about, boy." Frank pointed at her. "That gal has just been caught red handed, stealing. Now unless you wanna go to jail with her, you'll mind your own damned business and let me do my job."
"Stealing?" Ant frowned, giving C's a sideways glance, before looking back at Frank. "What she get caught stealing?"
"What she's wearing." Frank spoke through clench teeth as if his patience were dwindling.
"What?" C's exploded. "Motherfucka, I paid for that. Here's the receipt." He waved a long slip of paper in Frank's face.
"Say what?" Nike asked, with a neck roll and a raised finger.
Lacey flounced over plucking the paper from C's fingers. "Let me see that." As she perused the receipt the doors blew off of Hades and Hell rolled out and got loose in that joint.
"Humph." The girl with Nike, shook her head, while smacking her lips. "Now that shit's red handed. I knew Yani wasn't just runnin' her mouth to be runnin' it. There's the Negro puta, she was talking about."
"Is that her, C's?" Nike asked, eyeing her as if she was about to lunge.
Cleo squared her shoulder, balling her fists at her sides. Yeah. She wanted the bitch to jump. That way, the story wouldn't be she was in the mall fighting over a man.
C's waved Nike away. "Later for that shit, Nike. Let me get these folks out of our faces."
"Later my ass, C's." Nike screamed, causing the sales clerks on the sidelines to slowly back away. "Your ass better let me know something right now."
Tired of C's and his endless flock of bitches, Cleo spun on her heel and walked out the side door. Not giving a damn about what Frank or Lacey racist asses had to say. Shoot. They had their receipt, they would be alright. As she marched down the sidewalk a moment later she heard heavy foot falls, beating down the concrete after her. When a pair of arms grabbed her from behind, she turned around and blindly started swinging, connecting to any place she could land a punch.
"Stop." Ant murmured, wrapping his arms around her to pin hers to her sides. "You don't want Nine to roll through on us do you?"
The second she realized that it wasn't C's lean muscular frame folded around hers the fight fizzled out of her. Her body became limp in his embrace. Burying, her face in his shirt, the sobs she'd desperately held back in the store ripped from her throat as if they were on a damn mission. While Ant's hold turned from restraining, to comforting. One hand caressed the small of her back, as the other stroked the nape of her neck. After she finished soaking the front of his shirt, she swiped at her face with the back of her hands before looking up at him.
"I know he's yo' boy and everything, but how he tried me..." Cleo shook her head and swallowed. "It's messed up, Ant. He ain't even known me long enough to take it there."
"That's C's." Ant shrugged as he rubbed away a tear that escaped from the corner of her eye. "If you gonna be down for him, then you're gonna have to be down with all the bullshit that comes with him." His thumb grazed her cheek bone, barely touching her face. "And that ain't me hatin', 'cause he my nigga." Intense hazel eyes, pleaded with her to understand. "It's me spitting from experience. First hand."
She dropped her gaze to stare down at their joined bodies, not being able to take the intensity of his eyes. "Well I'm done, Ant." Stepping out of his embrace, she smoothed down her t-shirt and wrapped her arms around herself to make up for the absence of his surprisingly hard frame. "I can't be down for nobody who's gonna treat me worse than Liberty's johns treat her. I might not be bad as all of his, 'brizzas.'" She used her two middle fingers to make air quotes. "But I still deserve more than his ass to kiss. He wrong. And you know that shit, Ant. He didn't even bother to come after me. Had the nerve to send you instead. Letting a sister know in case she get it twisted, what side his bread is really buttered on."
Taking deep shuddering breaths, she slammed her hands on her hips. Her head dropped back to look up at the light blue cloudless sky, as she attempted to reign in her tattered emotions.
"He and Nike ain't what you think they is. And he didn't send me. I saw you slip out and I followed you. I knew you were goin' to do something stupid like trying to walk all the way back to the Ninth," He said, reaching for her.
She slapped his hand, and backed away. "I'm not goin' back in there. You crazy? I'm so mad right now, I'm liable to spark his ass on sight. And yeah I know, him and me ain't been kicking it that long, but respect is due to a dog. Straight, the fuck, up."
Ant opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by C's vaulting out the side door. When he hit the cement sidewalk, he looked both ways, visibly sighing when his eyes landed on her. The door swung open behind him. Nike and her friend stumbled out, her face red and wild with anger.
"Let's ride, ese." C's strutted over to Ant and her, fire blazing in the depths of his eyes. "That bitch in there is 'bout to call Nine around here." He grabbed her arm, and began pulling her in the direction of the parking lot.
"Why?" Ant followed.
"Man." C's glared over his shoulder at Nike. "Her ass fired on the damn sales lady."
"She shouldn't have called me a whore." Nike hissed. "That bitch don't know me like that. And don't think you and me are done, papi. We still got issues."
"Like why the hell he got his hands all over that black bitch." Nike's friend added.
Cleo began to buck against C's hold. "I got yo' bitch, hoe. Come get it."
"Yoyo." C's grunted as he snaked his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground. "Keep running your mouth, yo. Fuck around and get your ass left in this parking lot. Think it's a game." Opening the passenger door, he dumped her into the Chevy.
"Motherfucka I know you ain't trying it." Nike rushed C's from behind, wailing on his head and back with the sides of her fist. "I'll set this Chevy on fire before that bitch ride in the front with you. Who do you take me for, niño?" She screamed between punches.
C's spun on her, leaving the door open behind him, he towered over Nike with his fists clenched at his sides. "Nike, you're gonna fuck around and make me rock your ass out here, keep getting fly." Spitting on the ground, he turned and slammed the passenger door. "Later for all this. Whoever ridin' better get their asses in the back, or get the fuck left." He stalked around the car and climbed in the driver's seat.
Before he crank the car, his gaze skipped to her. "I'm sorry, bae."
"Fuck you, C's. Take me home. That's what you do." Cleo seethed, rolling her eyes to stare out the window.
The sound of police sirens, cut through the noise of late afternoon traffic. Both back doors opened and closed as bodies piled onto the rear seats. C's guided the car from the parking space, coasting the Chevy through the lot pass two oncoming cruisers, yoking the car in time to catch the yellow light before it turned red.
"Man." Ant cried from the backseat. "That shit was deep. These bitches damn near gotta nigga roped off in these streets. With that bullshit. You better check yo' broads, vato."
Cleo pivoted in her seat to glare at Ant.
"Man turn yo' crazy ass around." Ant waved his hand in her direction. "Ain't nobody talkin' about you. I'm talkin' about these shit starters back here." He cut his gaze at Nike, staring her down until she met his glare. "Nike you know how shit fall when you out here tremblin' and thangs. Your head is normally more level than this. You need to get your shit together, before you get our asses boxed in. Straight the fuck up." Balling his lips up, he slammed his fist into the back seat. "You better tell her ass, C's."
"Man I ain't fucking, with Nike's ass. She know, yo." C's sat up close, crowding the steering column, his hands gripping the wheel so tight, knuckles and veins bulged from his fists. "Her is ass too old to be round this bitch actin' like a jit. I'm done. Done!"
"Chica, he talkin' cash money shit for real, now." Yoyo rolled her eyes so hard, Cleo thought the bitch had fallen asleep. "His ass is fuckin' out of order. Checkin' you with his number six in the car. You make too much money for his ass to be trying you like one of these hoes he wet up and get up from. Better open your damn mouth and tell him."
"Swear to god...I swear to god...If you don't keep yo' dick sucker closed, I'ma yoke this bitch to the side and drop yo' ass off on the curb. Keep on tryin' it bitch." C's glared at her in the rear view mirror.
"Fuck yo' dusty ass, C's." Yoyo sucked her teeth. "Do what yo' motherfuckin' dick tell you, 'cause we all know you don't listen to yo' brain."
The Chevy swerved off the street, and damn near jump the curb. Amber fire leaped into C's irises as he pivoted in his seat to glower at Yoyo. "Hop yo' happy ass out my ride, you foot draggin, dick slobbin' slut."
"Damn," Ant said rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh hell to the no." Nike went erect. "You not puttin' my girl out, C's. Put that bitch out." She lunged at Cleo, but Ant snatched her backwards, and she landed hard against his chest.
"You and me cooler than a fan turned the fuck up. Get major paper together. I'd hate to see that shit come to an end, 'cause you jump more D than a lil' bit. But the next time you try and rush my girl, I'ma put hands to you, you dig?" He gestured for Ant to open the back door on Yoyo's side. "Now show that bitch right there..." His index finger jabbed at the air between him and Nike's girl. "The motherfuckin' door."
"He ain't got to show me a got damn thang." Yoyo yanked on the handle and kicked the door open. "You ain't said nothin' but a word. With yo' bitch made ass. You gonna get yours."
"Wait up, Yoyo. I'm comin' too girl." Nike slid across the seat to climb out the car. Before getting out she looked back at C's, tears brimming her lower lids. "And just in case you got it twisted, this mean we done. Personal and business, papi. Front that bitch a couple of keys, and tell her to make that shit comeback, like I used to for your tired ass." With that she climbed out the car, slamming the door so hard behind her the window rattled.