The Plug's Daughter Page 3

  “Yeah, you too Sen,” I said to her back as she left the room and closed the double doors behind her.

  I made sure that my eyes didn’t linger on her for too long. Knowing that Mendosa kept a piece on him made me keep my eyes on him.

  Suddenly Mendosa smiled. “Don’t worry. I ain’t gon’ shoot you.”

  I laughed nervously. “I ain’t no punk, but my gun’s in the car.”

  He chuckled good-naturedly. “You drinkin’ lemonade man? You want something stronger?” He got up to pour some of his expensive Brandy in a tumbler.

  “Nah, I’m good.” I was about to be riding dirty and I didn’t want to be drunk too.

  “So, what you tryna get today?” He sipped his drink and sat down in the love seat across from me.

  “I need twenty five bricks. Tryna get off them as quickly as possible, but I got back orders, so I need extra.”

  He nodded. “Good. You know I only keep enough shit here for you.”

  When he left the room I drained my glass of lemonade wishing that Ana would come into the room with more. Unfortunately she didn’t, but Mendosa returned with a black duffle bag that I was sure was filled with compressed bricks of that loud ass green. There was no need for me to even open it to check. I’d always done business with him and his shit was always A one. I passed him the wads of cash that were wrapped in rubber bands and he didn’t even bother to count it. He knew that it was all there.

  “Thanks Mendosa, but I gotta bounce man.”

  “No doubt play boy. Tell yo’ pops I said what’s up. Since he got out the game he don’t come around no more.”

  I stood, put the duffle bag’s strap on my shoulder and pounded Mendosa up.

  “He’s all in love now, living in the country and shit. I’m ‘bout to head out there in a lil’ while, so I’ll tell him.”

  “A’ight my nigga. Be easy.”

  “A’ight. Later man.”

  I left him sitting there sipping on his liquor. As I headed toward the front door I hoped to get the chance to set my eyes on Jasenia again. She wasn’t anywhere around and as I opened the door I smiled at the fact that I had her number. Then my smile faded when I thought about Mendosa. He was going to be a hurdle to get over, but something told me that she was worth the risk.

  * * *

  “You need to get you a trap, or at least get some niggas to do some corner business for you,” Dame said as he greeted me at the door of the run down trap spot he sold weed and coke from in College Park.

  I looked at that nigga like he was crazy. “You already know how I do man. I’m already riskin’ enough just by bein’ here wit’ how you do shit.”

  He let out a laugh before his face got serious again. “That was nothin’ my nigga. I had to let off some shots yesterday and shit, but it was necessary. That nigga was out of line, so I had to do what I had to do. It was just a shot in the foot anyway. He’ll live.”

  I shook my head at my pecan brown skinned homeboy with the golden brown eyes and shoulder length locks. He was about 5’10 and muscular as hell. He was the wild one and I was more laid back. I guess you could say that we were polar opposites. That nigga liked trouble and looked for it as much as possible. Me on the other hand, I was more careful and low key about how I did shit.

  “Y’en have to shoot Ray in his foot man. I’m sure it wasn’t that damn serious. You just get a kick out of fuckin’ wit’ people.”

  He’d closed and locked the door behind me so that we could complete our transaction.

  “That mufucka was tryna holla at one of my bitches. I’on play that shit. A nigga ain’t fuckin’ wit’ not one of my hoes unless I let him. I didn’t let him, so he got shot in the damn foot,” Dame explained with a matter of fact look on his face.

  “Nigga, you be on one for real. Zero to a hundred real damn quick. You know you don’t give a fuck about them broads you be fuckin wit’.”

  He passed me the money before I removed the two bricks from the waist of my jeans.

  “You right my nigga, but it’s the principle. If I’m dickin’ a hoe down a nigga gotta wait ‘till I’m finished wit’ her. I own each and every pussy I fuck and until I’m done ain’t no other nigga gon’ fuck.”

  That nigga was as serious as he could be and I could only shake my head.

  “You gotta be kiddin’ me man. You really think that hoe Sasha is only fuckin’ you and she always been a hoe. Shit, I remember when that hoe was tryna fuck me. I couldn’t do it though. Her pussy smelled like decayed meat. I hope you ain’t fuckin’ that raw nigga.” I shook my head with a frown on my face as I remembered that shit.

  “That hoe got some good head. That’s all.”

  I didn’t say a word. Dame was the type of nigga who’d fuck if the bitch was a freak and that bitch Sasha was a certified freak. He didn’t give a fuck what she smelled like. Being a picky nigga was my thing. If the pussy smelled suspect, I wasn’t trying to go up in it. Shit, condoms broke every damn day and I wasn’t getting caught up with no babies, or no life threatening disease.

  “Do you man. I’m dirty as hell, so I gotta head out and put that shit up.”

  Dame pounded me up. “A’ight. Thanks for comin’ through man. Shit’s been dry ‘round here, so you might be able to get some new clientele. I’ll hit you up later ‘bout that though.”

  “Already,” I said before heading out to my car.

  It was almost two o’ clock and I knew that my pops would be at the spot. I just had to make sure before I made that long ride.

  “Sup youngun’?”

  “Not much pops. Just got right and need to make a drop off.”

  “A’ight. I’ll be here.”

  “Cool. Mendosa asked about you. He said he don’t see you now that you out the game and shit.”

  “That’s the whole point.” He chuckled. “I’m out, so what I need to see him for.”

  I laughed, but my mind was on Jasenia. After I got that shit off me I was going to call and see what she had going on for the night.

  Chapter 3

  Jasenia

  “So, what’s the news you got for me baby girl?” My father asked as he sat down beside me on the sofa. There was a twinkle in his eye that was reserved for only me.

  I’d made my way back to the sitting room after Keenyn was long gone, but my father wasn’t there. Instead of leaving I decided to wait for him. Besides, I’d told him that I had something to tell him. Ana had said that he was in his study and would be out soon. Well, it was thirty minutes later and I guess he was finally ready to listen to me.

  My father was an intimidating man and that wasn’t just because he’d given me life. He had a commanding presence and a voice that was very deep, loud and boisterous. He stood about 6’4 with dark, mahogany toned skin. His dark eyes resembled mine, but his were more brooding and hid behind naturally long lashes. I had nice lashes as well, but of course I liked to get extensions like most women. Not only was he tall, but my father also had a large, broad chest as well as long, muscular legs. At the age of 40 he was in the best shape of his life.

  “Well,” I let out a nervous sigh before forcing a smile on my face. “I’m moving back here.”

  There was a blank stare on my father’s face and I could’ve sworn I heard crickets chirping. “Daddy, say something.”

  He blinked and then shook his head. “What about school?”

  “I’m practically done. All I need is one more class that wasn’t offered in the spring and I’m taking that online so I can march in December. C’mon daddy, don’t look like that. I want to spend more time with you. I mean, over the years we haven’t spent that much time together.”

  He knew that I was right and I could tell by how his face seemed to soften. “You sure about this? What does Melissa think?”

  I shrugged my shoulders indifferently. “I mean, it really doesn’t matter what she thinks. I’m an adult and I thought about it. I’m sure.”

  He pulled me into his arms for a tight hug. “What about
grad school?”

  I rolled my eyes glad that he couldn’t see because I was enveloped in his strong arms. “I’m working on that. Can I graduate first?”

  He laughed. “I’m proud of you Sen.”

  He told me those words often, but at that moment they made my heart drop.

  “Thank you daddy,” I said softly as I ignored that voice in my head that screamed for me to tell him the truth.

  Finally, he released me from his tight embrace. “So, are you stayin’ here? Do you have a place already? I know how your mother is. I’m sure she set you up with something without lettin’ me know. Melissa got some shit wit’ her ass.” He shook his head. “Uh, if so I’d like to know what neighborhood my little girl will be livin’ in.” He lit up one of his Cuban cigars and sat back with his drink in hand.

  I was surprised that he wasn’t sitting in his favorite dark brown, butter leather recliner. It was apparent that he wanted to sit close to me. We hadn’t really bonded in a while, so it was nice to spend some quality time with him. The only thing was, my father could see right through me. I felt like he was reaching and probing for information. For some reason he could sense something. I had to do a better job of masking the truth from him.

  “You know your ex-wife.” I let out a slight chuckle hoping that bringing up my mother would distract him from me. “She got me an apartment in Midtown, so don’t worry. It’s a safe area. I promise.”

  His brow lifted in surprise and his eyes bore into my soul. I had to look away.

  “So, you’ve already moved in? When?”

  I cleared my throat. “The movers dropped everything off before I got here yesterday.”

  He didn’t say anything for a while and then said in a fatherly tone, “I’ll be there to check it out tomorrow.”

  I knew not to argue. When Mendosa said something it was law.

  “Can you just call me before you come?” I asked meekly as I looked down at my perfectly manicured fingers nails.

  No matter how old I was, my father made me feel like that. I was his only child, so he spent all of his time and attention on shaping me into the ideal daughter. He wanted me to take a different path than him and my mother. It was too bad that I’d failed him. So many things had gone down that I hadn’t planned for. My mind and heart weren’t always in the right place. That was probably because I’d been spoiled all of my life. At that point, when it came to money, I really didn’t give a fuck what I had to do, or who I had to hurt to get it. Well, I did have a few limits. Because of my pops I was used to a certain lifestyle and I wanted more and more.

  See, I was addicted to doing fucked up shit. For some reason I was just drawn to making the wrong decisions. Maybe that was because of what I knew about my parents. They were both goons. Neither of them had ever lived a legal lifestyle, so why did they want to push that shit on me?

  Yeah, I was in college majoring in Biochemistry. I wanted to work in a pharmaceutical lab and do research for curing diseases such as Cancer, Sickle Cell, Diabetes and AIDS. However, even with that dream, there were other things that I made a priority first. Now that I looked at it, my decisions had blown up in my face. Shit, I couldn’t tell my dad the whole truth. Even my mother and Nadia didn’t know everything. Nobody knew; well expect for me, God and my demons.

  My father shifted in his seat and then took a long, deliberate drag from his cigar. There was a contemplative expression on his face and then he seemed to relax. He didn’t speak until after he exhaled the smoke.

  “Well, you’re an adult now, so I guess I can give you that respect.”

  I was surprised, but I tried to play it off as I kissed his cheek lovingly.

  “Thanks daddy.”

  “Just make sure you don’t have no knuckle head ass nigga over there.” His face was stern and his glare was direct.

  I nodded obediently. “I won’t.”

  He finally smiled. “Good, so do you need any money or anything? I can put something in your account in the morning.”

  My face lit up. “Thanks dad. You know this move wiped me out.”

  He chuckled. “All I need for you to do is get your degree, stay out of trouble and not get pregnant. That’s all your daddy can ask for. I don’t want you throwin’ your future away for one of them no good ass niggas out there.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I got my head on straight. I promise.” My heart thumped erratically against my rib cage. If he was giving me a lie detector test I’d be failing miserably.

  It was a good thing I was a good actress, because my face and body language didn’t give me away.

  He nodded and then let out a sigh of relief. “Good, ‘cause I’d hate to kill a nigga.”

  That made my heart drop. My father was relentless when it came to his grind and me. His money and his daughter were all that he really gave a shit about. That was why I couldn’t really be myself around him. Out of fear of him being disappointed or somebody getting murdered, I kept a lot of things a secret from him. As I stared into my father’s eyes I realized that no matter how close we were, neither of us really knew the other.

  * * *

  “Girl, that mufucka’s so damn fine…oh my God,” I filled my best friend Nadia in as I drove back to my new spot.

  Yeah, when I talked to my closest friend I didn’t sound college educated at all. Despite the education that I’d obtained and the life that my parents had afforded me, I still had that street edge. That was thanks to my parents because they’d both come from the hood.

  Nadia lived in Miami and I missed her like crazy. I didn’t really fuck with any chicks like that in Atlanta. Honestly I didn’t have many female friends in Florida either. I only dealt with women other than Nadia when it came to making some funds and most times that didn’t end well. That alone gave me that fuck bitches attitude. Nadia had been my A one since I first moved to Miami, so I was loyal to her and she was loyal to me.

  “Hmm, what about Trell?” She asked throwing me off my square with that question.

  My stomach churned and suddenly I felt queasy. I was starting to get tired of my boyfriend of only six months already. It was like he had changed over such a short period of time and it wasn’t for the better. I was surprised to see that he didn’t give a fuck about who my father was. The bad thing about that was the fact that Trell knew his reputation. My pops would end a nigga’s life for me and that was just the way it was. Still, Trell didn’t care and he knew that I was in a bad spot.

  “Fuck him. That nigga’s not who I thought he was. You’d think since we practically grew up together that he’d treat me with at least an ounce of respect.”

  My bestie didn’t say anything for a while. “You left Atlanta when you were eleven Jasenia. You don’t know him anymore.”

  That reminded me of what Keenyn had said earlier. I had been telling Nadia all about our little reunion before she brought Trell up. Yeah, a decade could make a drastic difference in a person, but something told me that Keenyn hadn’t changed. I was certain that he was still the same cool, laid back person that I’d known when I was a little girl. Trell on the other hand was still the same rude, mischievous boy from my childhood. I thought he’d grown up, but he hadn’t. Not one bit. Now I understood why my father never wanted me around him when I was younger.

  Even now that I was grown he still talked about how much he didn’t respect Trell, who was now a ruthless, dope boy.

  Damn, a bitch like me just loved those damn street niggas. A thug was just, mmm, so appealing to me. Maybe it was because the first man that I’d ever loved was a thug. My father was my hero and I longed for a man like him. True, I was a very intelligent, refined young lady. I’d gone to boarding school in London and studied abroad during the summers in France and even South Africa. It was a worldly experience that had taught me a lot about life.

  I was supposed to graduate from college in the winter and my major in Biochemistry was not the easiest. Regardless of that, I still loved those bad boys. I’d dated college guys,
and even professional men who made six or seven figures, but they were all boring as hell. Not only that, but college guys couldn’t afford me. My father had set a standard that they just couldn’t compete with. Although a professional man could afford me, he just couldn’t hold my interest for too long. The shit was frustrating as hell, because it was clear that a bad boy was nothing but a clear route to jail or the grave.

  I sighed. “You’re right DiDi. It’s like…I’on know. He just seems so…aggressive lately and I think he’s cheating on me. It hasn’t even been a year yet and I’m feeling like this already. I moved here to be with him…” My thoughts drifted because that wasn’t the only reason that I’d moved to Atlanta. Of course I’d told my father that I was there to spend more time with him as well, but there was so much more to the story.

  Not only did I suspect that Trell was cheating on me, but he was becoming more and more intolerable by the day. For some odd reason I still wanted to work it out with him. Then another part of me just wanted to let it go. Something told me that despite who my father was, shit wasn’t going to be that easy when it came to Trell.

  “Don’t be nobody’s fool boo. The Sen that I know won’t allow any nigga to play her. Don’t switch up on me, or I’m gonna have to disown your ass.”

  We both laughed.

  “You’re right. I’m gonna have to put my foot down with his ass and remind him of what the fuck he got. I ain’t some low budget, no class having ass hoe runnin’ ‘round this bitch. Fuck that shit. I won’t allow him to treat me like I’m some thot. I’m far from that. I’m almost done with my degree, I push a Range, got my own place and all types of shit in my walk in closet. He must not know ‘bout this bitch. Shit. Those hoes he been fuckin’ must have their hands out and shit, because I don’t need him. Mendosa’s my father and I ain’t gotta want for a muthafuckin’ thing. Hmm.” I was all out of breath.

  Nadia’s cackle of a laugh was contagious and even with the bullshit going on in my life, I couldn’t help but join in. “Damn bitch. Your ass done went off and shit.”