Authors: Treasure Hernandez

Back to the Streets (14 page)

BOOK: Back to the Streets

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Chapter Thirteen

I
t was Friday night and Celebrations was jumping. Everyone from the North Side came out to celebrate with Jamaica Joe. The huge parking lot was filled to capacity, as cars continued to pile in. Sweets sat in his truck toward the back of the lot, along with the Shottah Boyz
.
He couldn't believe Jamaica Joe had practically delivered himself on a silver platter by throwing this party. Sweets had been lying low for the past couple of months, just waiting for Joe to resurface. And now here he was.

Ain't this nigga learned his lesson about throwing parties?
Sweets thought. He shook his head. He said to his crew, “This nigga must've thought the beef was dead. He slippin' like a mu'fucka. He honestly believes that he can throw a big party without having to see me?” Sweets laughed and then cocked his automatic 9 millimeter pistol. “He got another thing coming.”

Lynch, the oldest of the Shottah Boyz, asked, “So, we just busting in there shooting?”

“Nah, nah, that ain't smart. We going to clear that mu'fucka out, and then I got it from there. It's all taken care of. Tonight the North Side gon' feel Sweets, believe that!”

“So, we're just going to wet the whole place up? How are we going to get to Jamaica Joe? It's not going to be that easy.”

“We're just going to cause a diversion to put my plan into motion. That's only the beginning, my nigga. Jamaica Joe and that li'l nigga Malek are dying tonight. That's my word,” Sweets said boldly.

That comment was music to Lynch's ears. He'd wanted Jamaica Joe dead for some time now. Joe was responsible for the shooting death of Lynch's youngest brother, so Lynch was out for blood. Jamaica Joe gave them the perfect opportunity to strike back by having this big party.

“This is for Rah-Rah,” Sweets said as he pushed PLAY on his dashboard TV. A homosexual porno began to play on the screen.

The Shottah Boyz hated it, and didn't approve of Sweets' sexual orientation, but they couldn't do anything because Sweets was the boss. They tried their best to avoid looking at the screen, but still, the sounds were almost too much to bear.

Lynch frowned. “Sweets, man, why can't you turn that gay shit off?”

Sweets didn't even acknowledge his henchman's comment. He just sat back and rested his hand on his gun, a small smile spread across his face.

It was the middle of August, but Sweets and the Shottah Boyz were about to make it look like the Fourth of July.

Jamaica Joe and Malek walked through the back entrance of the club, surrounded by their whole crew. They were draped in all black, and everyone was shining with long platinum Jesus pieces and crosses. Joe wore a black linen shirt and Armani slacks, with none other than Stacy Adams gators on his feet. Joe was the only one who wasn't sportin' any jewels. He only wore a watch, which spoke for itself, since his watch cost more than all his henchmen's jewels put together.

Malek didn't wear any jewelry either. Joe taught him that conservative is always better, so he took heed and did away with the flashy jewelry. Malek just rocked an all-black hoodie under a black Sean John leather jacket, his burner tucked in the front pockets. An oversized fitted cap covered his eyes, and the only facial features that could be seen were his perfect white teeth and his neatly lined goatee.

The crew mobbed into the club, and they could hear the new Lil' Wayne song that had been blasting the airwaves, with all of the radio play it had been getting in Flint. Jamaica Joe, Malek, and their crew made their presence known. Joe's henchmen began to make it rain on their way up to the VIP section. The club went crazy at the sight of them entering the club. It was a fitting send-off for Joe.

Malek couldn't help but glance around in search of Halleigh. He had a lot of things he needed to say to her, things she hadn't given him a chance to say before. He hoped that they could heal old wounds and make amends. This time, no matter what, he was determined to get the love of his life back once and for all.

Chapter Fourteen

T
asha, Mimi, and Halleigh pulled up to the club, Foxy Brown blasting out of the speakers. They were all dressed to impress that night, determined to be the showstoppers of the party.

“Damn! It's jumping in there,” Mimi said as she examined the people lining up to get in the club.

“I told you it was going to be popping,” Tasha said as she maneuvered her car up to the valet.

Halleigh was consumed by her own thoughts.
I hope Malek is in there. I really need to see him. I miss that boy so much.
Halleigh had been looking forward to running into Malek ever since Tasha had told her about the party. Even though a part of her couldn't understand why he was hanging with one of the men that raped her, she knew deep down inside that she had to give him the benefit of the doubt. There was a chance that he'd had no idea that was the man who'd raped her. By the same token, Malek could have very well known, and was secretly plotting his own revenge. Halleigh hoped for the latter.

So many things went unsaid between her and Malek, and truth be told, Halleigh wanted to see if their love was still there. Hopefully, tonight would be her chance.

As the three women hopped out of the car, all eyes were on them. Everyone expected to see Manolo close behind, but to their surprise, he was nowhere in sight. All of the girls strutted in with a model's precision and went straight to the VIP line so that they could avoid waiting. It was double the admission price, but they were coming in with style.

Maury sat outside in his rental car, waiting for his plan to come into play. He'd rented a motel room two buildings down from the club and was about to show Flint how New York niggas got down. He just hoped that Mimi didn't back out on him.
I shoulda fucked her to
get
her head gone first,
Maury thought as he watched the people fill up the club. He wasn't sure if Mimi was as bold as she claimed to be.

He looked toward the valet and saw his sister, Mimi, and Halleigh hop out of the car, all of them wearing diva shades. When Mimi got out, she pulled her shades down slightly and looked over her rims toward the building where Maury was. The two of them locked eyes, and she nodded her head, signaling to him that the plan was still in motion.

Maury then looked over at an unknowing Halleigh and his eyes got stuck. She was so beautiful. The dress she wore hugged her curves, and the high heels enhanced her long, toned legs. Maury's joint began to harden just at the sight of her. He quickly snapped out his brief daydream and refocused. He, too, needed for his head to be right in order for everything to go down as planned.

Halleigh entered the club along with her girls. She noticed a lot of commotion coming from the rear of the club and tried to get a peep of what was going down. A blizzard of money was being tossed in the air, and the women in the club were going crazy, scrambling for the free cash. A mob of gentlemen dressed in all-black began parting the crowd like God parted the Red Sea for Moses.

Halleigh stood on her tippy-toes, trying to get a better view. “Damn! Who is that?”

“Yo, that's Jamaica Joe and them,” Tasha said, a smile spread across her face. She had history with Joe and was going to make it a point to see him before the night was over.

The girls made their way over to a table near the bar and settled.

“It's jumping in this mu'fucka.” Mimi danced to the music while still in her chair. “Where the mu'fuckin' ballers at?”

“You know all the broke niggas are on the main floor. What we need to be doing is getting into VIP.” Tasha waved over the waiter.

Halleigh looked at the group of men going up the wraparound stairs that led to the VIP section. As she took a closer look, she noticed Malek was ahead of the pack, and her heart fluttered at the sight of him.

Tasha noticed Halleigh's attention was focused on something or someone. Tasha's eyes shot to the crew also, and her vision fixed on Jamaica Joe.
Jamaica Joe is looking good tonight
. She licked her lips and fixed her freak-'em dress.

Mimi looked at the entourage. She had a totally different agenda than her friends. She wanted to get the attention of the biggest baller in the club so she could put her plan into motion.

She downed her rum and Coke and stood up. “Let's see if we can we get up in VIP, where the real party is at.”

“That's what's up.” Halleigh stood up alongside Mimi.

All the girls made their way to the VIP section, each with their own personal agenda.

Chapter Fifteen

“T
his toast is to celebrate our family, a family of hustlers, a family of brothers. Flint is ours. No, fuck that, the world is ours!” Jamaica Joe held up a wine glass along with the other ten men in the room, including Malek.

“The world is ours,” they all said in unison as they tapped their glasses and downed the Moet.

Malek smiled, but then it quickly disappeared at the thought of what he had become. He looked around and noticed he was in the midst of killers and hustlers, something his deceased mother and stepfather had forbid him to become. Everything in his life seemed to happen so quickly that he couldn't even remember changing into the person he was today.

Making his way away from the crowd, Malek walked over to the window that overlooked the main floor and noticed a group of women maneuvering through the crowd. He smiled as he saw Halleigh, looking beautiful, on her way up to VIP. “There my girl go,” he said. He gripped the MoÃ«t bottle by its neck and took another swig.

Moments later, Tasha, Mimi, and Halleigh made their way to VIP, and after being searched by one of the bouncers, they were let in. Immediately after entering the room, the girls noticed the more relaxed environment that the VIP offered. Nice, slow music was playing and the oval, oversized couches were full with people relaxing and drinking.

Halleigh and Malek were instantly drawn to one another. They locked eyes, and it seemed as if there was no one else in the room but them. They slowly walked toward each other, neither trying to seem too anxious. As they neared each other, Halleigh smiled, and Malek returned the gesture. They stood face to face, staring at each other, not knowing what to say.

“I miss you,” Halleigh said.

“I miss you like crazy too,” Malek replied.

The two kind of chuckled and then embraced. Just the three little words,
I miss you
, were the beginning of the mending of their relationship. So many words had danced through each of their minds about what they would say to each other once they met up again, but none of those words even mattered now. Everything was like water under the bridge.

Malek and Halleigh, still embracing each other, slowly rocked back and forth. The warmth of Malek's body and embrace felt so good to Halleigh. Malek led her toward the back, and they sat on the couch.

Halleigh looked closely at Malek and noticed a lot had changed with him. It was the first time she'd noticed the tattoo on his neck. It had the name of his deceased mother, and on his forearm, the words
North Side
were embedded in his skin.

“You're all tatted up now, huh?” She gave him a sexy grin.

Malek looked down at his forearm and then back at Halleigh. “Yeah, a li'l somethin'-somethin',” he said softly, smiling back at her. “Look, Halleigh, I gotta be honest. I'm still in love with you, and I think about you constantly, nah mean?”

“I feel the same way, Malek. I don't want to play games. I want to be for real with you, and my love for you is real. It always has been. You know that. And us being apartâ”

“Look, I can't take this no more either, Halleigh. You supposed to be with me, girl.” Malek grabbed her hand and looked deep into her brown eyes.

Halleigh had been waiting to hear those words come out of Malek's mouth for a very long time. She'd dreamed of hearing those words, and now her dream was becoming a reality. Under the control of Manolo, Halleigh wasn't able to be with her love, but with Manolo now out of the picture, she was ready to be where she belonged. “I want to be with you too, Malek.”

“We've wasted enough time, Hal. A lot of things are going to change. I'm coming into big things right now, and I want you to be a part of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want you to be my woman. I want us to look forward and forget about the past.”

“Are you serious?”

“I'm dead serious. We've wasted enough time. The life you living is not for you. Let me take care of you. I'm about to be over all of this.” Malek waved his hand over the room.

A confused Halleigh asked, “All of what? This club?”

“No,” Malek corrected her, “this whole side of town.” He looked around again. “The North Side is mine, baby.” He looked into Halleigh's eyes. “It's ours.”

Halleigh had to make sure she was hearing him correctly. “You taking over for Jamaica Joe?”

Malek nodded his head humbly. Now that he had Halleigh's attention, he wasn't going to let her slip away. He was ready to make her his main woman, and he wasn't taking no for an answer.

Tears started to form in Halleigh's eyes. Tears of joy. Halleigh had waited so long to be at that point with Malek. She'd finally linked back up with her soul mate and wasn't going to squander the chance. “Okay. Promise to always take care of me.” Halleigh inched closer to Malek.

“I promise.”

They embraced each other.

Malek wasted no time. He instructed her to go home and pack her stuff so she could be with him. He knew that she'd been through a lot. He didn't care what she'd done in her life before that point. From that moment on, she was his woman.

Halleigh asked, “What am I supposed to do about my girls? I came here with them.”

“It's me and you against the world. You have to leave that lifestyle alone and turn over a new leaf. How about this? After I handle a little business, I will book us a vacation, so we can start this off right.”

“Are you for real?” Halleigh said excitedly.

Malek nodded his head. “I always told you that I would take you away from Flint, didn't I? Even if it is just for a moment. A promise is a promise, right?” Malek smiled.

“Right.” Halleigh smiled back.

Malek went into his pocket and pulled out a wad of money, nothing but large faces. “Go home and get your things. I will meet up with you after I drop Joe off at the airport.” Malek gave Halleigh his cell phone number.

Halleigh couldn't believe everything that was happening to her right now. It was as if a prince had come and swept her off her feet. Manolo had treated her so bad, she forgot how it felt to have a man's love, but she was witnessing it firsthand.

Without even saying a word to Mimi and Tasha, Halleigh crept out the back of the club along with Malek. He walked to the curb and hailed a cab for her.

“Go 'head and get your things and wait for me. I will have one of my boys bring me to you.” Malek opened up the cab door for her.

“Okay,” Halleigh said as she got in.

“It's me and you against the world. I'm coming for you.”

“I love you, Malek Johnson.”

Malek smiled and closed the door for her. After he dropped Jamaica Joe off, he was going to get his woman. It was their time now.

BOOK: Back to the Streets

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