Page 45 of The Perfect Verse
“We can’t tell her.” Chello watched Chico slide the guts out before he sprinkled the most potent weed inside the backwoods paper. “You didn’t see her, man. She was…” Chello paused and shrugged. “Happy, nigga.”
“Then she’ll be happy when we blow that bitch’s brain out.”
Chico couldn’t believe it when he found out who Rell and Travis were related to. It was his ex, Meka. They hadn’t seen each other in damn near twenty years, when Chico chose Myriah, which split The Crew into two sets; Chello on one side with their homeboy Keyz and Chico on the other. When they started out, they were one band, one sound, and Meka’s father was their plug.
“The fuck she abandoned her own seeds for?”
It took some time, but the whispers in the streets made their way to Chello after he had a few photos of Rell and Travis shipped around. She’d sold them… Meka had fucking sold them to her pimp when her pussy was no longer valuable enough to get her what she loved the most: crack cocaine.
Once The Crew reconciled, they were stronger, had more connections, and put Meka’s father not only out of business but down in the ground. She’d tucked her tail and gone into hiding along with the rest of her family, but when she took one hit in a state of depression, she’d been a lost soul, going from state to state for years… until she returned when her brother, Biscuit, was murdered.
“That glass dick, nigga.” Chello scoffed.
He also found out they weren’t born in Florida either. Rell, whose full name was Rellion Rashard Lake, was born in Alabama, while Travis was born Treyvon Travis Lake, Jr., in Georgia. She was on a serious stroll as she recruited women from all over to feed her demon as her pimp’s bottom bitch, who was also Travis’s father. Rell’s father, however, was unknown.
“What’s the move? If you’re coming to me for permission to off that bitch, don’t.”
Chico looked around, then leaned closer to Chello.
“And the fuck you coming here while Myriah home? You know like hell she’ll find a reason to fuck me up. I’ve been on the straight and narrow. Shit, I’m the house daddy,” he jested, then lit his blunt. They were on the back porch, and he had about an hour to pick up his junior, CJ, and baby girl, Charlize. Storm was at her cousin’s, while their oldest, Ishmael, was off in college, playing basketball in North Carolina.
“Not permission.” Chello reached for the blunt and sat back, slowly pulling on it. “We owe her, Chico. We brought her and that damn girl sister into the game. We didn’t have to do that shit. We’re the reason she’s in that wheelchair.”
“I know,” was all he said. He blamed himself each day. He had to live not only with that truth, but the reality that whatever he and Shonasia had was over. “She still with that lawyer nigga?”
Chico didn’t have to say her name. His chest constricted at the hint of even speaking it. He loved her more than he’d everadmit. She was the definition of a true rider, a stone-cold killer, but soft when it counted. It didn’t hurt that she had a fat ass and wet pussy, weakening him at the knees at the thought of it.
“Yeah.” Chello passed the blunt back. “Happy too. Can’t blame her. She deserves to have a nigga choose her. He chose, and while he ain’t us, Kaleela went to him first for help. I ain’t gone lie. That shit hurt because it used to be us she came to first.”
“Nigga afraid to put one to a bitch’s head, huh?”
“Naw, he would, but Kaleela don’t want his hands dirty. She don’t want her hands dirty either. I guess she’s afraid of being who she used to be. Can’t move how she wants to with them either, so she’s stuck.”
“So, what are we doing? She doesn’t have to do shit.”
“We?” Chello gave Chico the side eye. If he thought he was going to involve himself so that he and Shonasia could possibly be in the same room, he had him fucked up. “Nigga, what? You want a supervised threesome when Myriah shows up with her fucking gun to her head?”
Chico sputtered. “A supervised threesome?”
“Trust, if I’m not in the scene, you don’t have to worry about Shonasia offing your ass. Myriah will drop that bougie act and go for blood. That dick you’re carrying may be the only thing that can save your ass.”
“Shit, Shonasia wouldn’t let my baby get off one round.” Instantly, his smile dropped. He would forever love Shonasia, and in a perfect world, he’d have two wives, but his world was perfect enough with just Myriah.
“So, you’re really doing that shit without me? A bitch that sells her children needs to be tortured a little. You like to off niggas and call it a day. I like to watch them sit in their piss, pleading and making promises. It gives them time to ask God for forgiveness, try to squeeze their way into heaven. Ain’t noheaven with me when it comes to any bitch that comes for Kaleela, and damn sure not Shonasia.”
“Can’t risk it. We in, and we out.” He glanced at his watch. “And we have to move fast.” Chico’s jaws contracted. He’d do anything for them, but the added bonus was sending Meka to her fucking grave.
Chapter 20
Verse Twenty
The crowd roared when Donovan hopped on stage to perform his latest single featuring Lanky. While Donovan’s voice carried a raspy tone, Lanky’s was sharp and clipped, which made the people go crazy. Together, they created magic and hoped their new single, “Step That Shit Up” would solidify that new Hip Hop artist of the year category across all award shows. Scooter pulled a nice beat out, the baddest one to date. As soon as Donovan heard it, he slid into the booth and freestyled. Lanky couldn’t wait to get in. Once he did, they finished it in about two takes.
“Atlantaaaa!” Donovan hollered. “I love yah! ‘Preciate you for showing this nigga from the 305 some love!” The girls screamed, jumping up and down as sweat poured down his body. His three chains hung heavily on his neck, but the one he wore came from Chaney that had the name “Nae” resting against his chest.
“Aye, Lank?”
Lanky was tall, skin as dark as coal but smooth with full lips and bedroom eyes that hypnotized women. His tapered waves were naturally wavy, but when he allowed his hair to grow, it formed into natural curls. He was half Cuban, spoke fluent Spanish, and was one who loved a ghetto ass girl.
