Pretty Kings II Read online

  It was the weekend and I was out looking for baby furniture at CRIBS baby store in Washington DC. I was frustrated because the crib I specially ordered was not ready even though it was supposed to be. I was having words with the young cashier when Ngozi walked up behind me and exchanged dialogue with her in a language I didn’t understand. The cashier didn’t have an accent so I didn’t know she was from another country. But there they talked for a few minutes and for some reason I was intrigued. Although she was rude to me, she was all smiles and giggles with him.

  After Ngozi finished with her the situation was handled. In the end she made a call to another furniture store that promised that the crib would be at my house in two days, which was a far cry from the two weeks she told me when I first walked in.

  I was about to leave the store until he gently grabbed my hand. “Is there anything else I can do for my future wife?” Ngozi asked me in a heavy accent as he leaned against the counter.

  I smiled and took him in. Ngozi stood six feet two inches tall and had a smile to die for. I could tell based on what he wore that he dressed similarly to Camp, which meant he only wore the best. I started to walk out on him because he seemed too cocky but for whatever reason I didn’t. Bambi tells me all the time that boredom is the devil. Maybe that’s my problem.

  “You’re really presumptuous, aren’t you?” I eased my hand out of his. “To touch a woman who doesn’t belong to you?”

  “It’s not called presumption in my book, queen. I just know what I want and waste no time with games.” He softly held my hand again and I didn’t snatch away.

  “I hear you but there’s one problem,” I said.

  “And what’s that?”

  “I can’t be your wife.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m married.”

  “You’re not married,” he said playfully. “Maybe on paper but not in life.”

  I frowned. “What makes you think that?”

  “I can tell by the way you’re smiling at me. If you belonged to another man it wouldn’t be so easy to captivate your attention.” He was right.

  He took a thick strand of my red hair and pulled it behind my ear.

  After that day wherever I went he went with me. Before long I found out he was broke but it didn’t matter to me. With the way things were going I had more money than I could spend. Bambi said that was the reason he latched onto me but I didn’t believe her. I knew he was falling in love with me and I wanted so hard to love him back.

  Not to mention the fact that sex with Ngozi was amazing. It only took a couple of months before we started acting like a couple. We fought hard but fucked harder. When I was feeling depressed, or thinking about Camp, he would kiss my tears away and fuck me until I felt better. He used sex to answer all of my questions and I was blinded by lust but I liked it that way.

  Before long I moved him into my house, bought him a BMW, and called him my man. Although Denim and Race made it known that they didn’t think he was good for me, Bambi just gave me two thumbs down. She didn’t start speaking her mind until he started asking for money.

  “How’s my Snow Bunny doing?” Ngozi asked me as we pulled away from the house.

  “Not good,” I admitted still thinking about my fight with Camp.

  He looked over at me like he really cared about me. “What’s going on? That nigga bothering you again? Because you belong to me now and I won’t have him treating you badly.”

  “It’s nothing like that,” I lied.

  “Then what is it?”

  I smiled at him again. “All I want to do is hang out with you and have a good time. Okay?”

  “Cool,” he winked.

  He drove down the street in silence. Five minutes passed before he said, “How much longer are you going to live in that house? I’m a man, Scarlett. And I can’t stand by and watch what he does to you.”

  “He’s still my husband.”

  He sighed loudly. “Why do you keep telling me that? Don’t you think I know you are married to him? How do you think that makes me feel?”

  I looked over at his angry face. “I’m sorry, Ngozi. I just want to be real with you that’s all.”

  “Be honest, you’re with him for the money right?”

  “No, I’m with him because…well…we are having a baby.”

  “It’s the money. If I had enough money to buy a home then maybe you could stay with me. I’m such a loser.”

  I touched is leg. “Ngozi, don’t come down on yourself. You don’t need a house to be with me. I’m okay spending time with you in the apartment.”

  “But I’m not. I want a home, Scarlett. A place where I can take care of you.”

  I removed my hand and leaned back into my seat. I crossed my arms over my chest and they rested on my large belly. “So you want some more money?”

  He slowly pulled the car over. He parked and stared at me. “I don’t want your money, Scarlett.” He rubbed my cheek with his cold hand. “I know Bambi and the rest of them chicks put those things into your head. That’s just because they hate to see a black man with a white woman. Don’t you see what’s happening?”

  “I don’t think that’s the reason,” I responded very annoyed.

  “You wouldn’t see it that way because you are a very nice person. But I know women like Bambi and the rest of them. They hate what we have. Don’t let them stand in our way.” He turned my chin toward him and kissed my lips. “Don’t let anybody come in the way of us. Okay?”

  I smiled. That’s one thing about Ngozi that I loved. He might not be Camp but he was an excellent stand in.

  When our kiss was over he pulled back into traffic. I looked over at him and smiled. I didn’t love him but I cared about him a lot. Maybe things could work out for us after all.

  “Scarlett, I don’t want your money but I do want you to give some thought to the house. It’s like you tell me all of the time, it’s not like you don’t have the money, right? You might as well give it to somebody you love.”

  “I’ll see about transferring some money later this week,” I said feeling betrayed.

  He grinned widely. “That’s my baby.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  RACE

  I was in the shower with the warm water falling over my head when I heard Scarlett and Camp fighting earlier. I was almost blown and unable to enjoy my morning. I guess the dude Ngozi is causing major problems in their marriage. I feel bad for my sister. But unlike their crazy situation, I was living the life of my dreams, at the moment anyway.

  I clasped the pink Caress soap and the washcloth tightly in my hand as I held it under the water. I was in heaven until I felt a small kiss on the back of my shoulder. When I turned around I was looking into Carey’s beautiful brown eyes. I winked at her before kissing her soft pink lips. She eased the soap and washcloth out of my hand and threw them to the bathtub’s floor. They made a small thud sound. I turned around and faced her.

  “What you need that for?” she asked me. “I’m about to lick you clean.”

  She pushed me up against the wall. My back pressed against the warm porcelain tiles. She dropped to her knees and threw my left leg over her shoulder. She parted my pussy lips and her warm tongue circled my clit. I bit down on my bottom lip and moaned. I felt like a rock star.

  While she licked my pussy clean Ramirez, my husband, walked up to me. He placed his hand behind my neck and eased his tongue between my lips and into my mouth. His chest pressed against my breasts and it seemed like every part of my body trembled.

  The three of us had been fucking nonstop since he came back from the dead and life was perfect. After all, I got the best of both worlds. Mostly every night I sleep with the man I love and the woman of my dreams. Who could ask for more? When you think about it I had it made. I could sleep with Carey and my husband every night in the same bed and we all cared about each other. In the heat of the moment it felt something like love.

  When Ramirez first returned home after bein
g gone so long, I thought it would be a problem when he knew that Carey and I had continued on our relationship without him. I felt real bad because she and I didn’t skip a beat. Not only were we an item, I put her up in a beautiful house and bought her two cars. I wanted her to know that although I wasn’t Ramirez, I could still take care of her. She deserved the money too.

  She did all she could to make me feel wanted and special. If I was hungry she cooked. If my bedroom was dirty she cleaned up behind me. She nurtured my need to be loved and wanted and I was stronger with her in my life even though I thought I lost Ramirez forever. So when he came back I assumed things would be weird. Instead he embraced us both and suddenly my life seemed complete. I had the man and the girl.

  When me, Carey and Ramirez had an understanding about our relationship, I came out to my sisters and told them I enjoyed women. Denim and Scarlett were all for my happiness but Bambi was having none of it. She called it an abomination and promised I would be going to hell. But I reminded her about all of the people she killed. She got angry and told me to kill myself. I guess she was just that mad.

  It didn’t take me long to realize that our situation didn’t require validation from people not sharing our bedroom. So we moved on and did what we did best.

  Since Ramirez was okay with Carey being in the house, last week we told her that we want her here Monday through Friday. That didn’t go over well at all. Because Bambi made it her business, every time she saw Carey, to call her a bitch.

  I loved Bambi but she had to realize that this was my life. And although my marriage might not have been the epitome of what she envisioned for herself or me, it worked for the three of us. Every night when I went to sleep, to the right I had my husband, and to the left was Carey. Shit was sweet. Who wouldn’t want a scenario like this every night?

  After Carey licked me until I shivered and came all on her plush lips, Ramirez bent me over on the wall and fucked me until my pussy lips were raw. He wanted me to know that he was in charge.

  It’s funny. When I was out in the streets I controlled the Pretty Kings Empire under Bambi’s rule. But when I came home I was all his and to tell you the truth I don’t know how I felt about it. I had to be a little submissive.

  Sometimes I felt like Carey and Ramirez were fighting for position when it came to my heart and sex. Whenever we fucked they tried to outdo the other and make me scream the loudest. If you ask me I can’t say who was the best. But I do know this, since I started having them both my voice got deeper due to me staying hoarse all the time.

  When we were done fooling around we dried each other off and walked out the bedroom. Carey switched toward the suitcase on the floor to grab something to wear and Ramirez went to the closet. I went to my dresser and grabbed a pair of True Religion blue jeans and a black t-shirt. I smoothed some coconut oil over my skin and looked at Carey and Ramirez getting dressed through the mirror. All I could do was smile.

  When my cell phone rang, the one that let me know there was danger, I picked it up answered it. “What’s up?” I pressed the phone against my ear and it rested on my shoulder.

  “Hey, Race. It’s me, Sarge.”

  Although I was in charge of muscle for the Pretty King Empire, Sarge taught me everything I knew about guns and how to pull a trigger accurately. He was precise with his lessons too. He made sure I knew how to clean and load a weapon and how to hit my target every time.

  He taught me how to act before my opponent to throw my enemy off guard. He was in the army with Bambi when she was in the service, and although I didn’t fuck with him at first, he was now invaluable to our organization and to me. More than anything he had become one of my closest friends and I trusted him with my life.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The Southeast Kittens are at it again.” He sighed. “They just took out one of our soldier’s eyes with a fireplace poker. I don’t know what’s going on with these girls but it’s time to be swift.”

  “They don’t like that Bambi gave some of their territory to the Pitbulls in A Skirt,” I told him.

  “So what you want to do? These young bitches are out of control.”

  “For starters tell Chucky I said to cut them off supply. They done in these streets. And I’m on my way now. Just give me a—”

  “I got it, Race,” Sarge said interrupting me. “I just wanted to give you an update before I made a move. The last time I went into action without your blessing you went ballistic on me.” He laughed. “I’m a fast learner.”

  I smiled. Even though I wanted to get involved because I loved the drama of the streets, my husband and wifey had plans for dinner later and I didn’t want to ruin them by doing something that I didn’t have to. Bambi always told me to delegate and maybe it was time.

  “Aight, Sarge. Just get at me later and let me know what happened. If shit don’t go your way tell me ASAP. I gotta know what’s going on.”

  “Already on it.”

  When I hung up with him, Ramirez walked over to me, put his arms around my waist and whispered in my ear. “You know that shit turns me on right?”

  “What shit?” I said putting on my earrings as he clung to me like a warm sweater.

  “How you be laying the murder game down.”

  “You weird, Ramirez. What about that shit turns you on?”

  “Everything and ain’t nothing ‘bout it weird. You gotta understand my point of view.”

  I giggled. “And what’s that?”

  “Before I left you were all quiet and shy and now you this beast who don’t hesitate to push off. What isn’t there to love about that shit? I’m proud of you, ma. You stepped up when the time came and you got stronger.”

  Ramirez’s reaction to my newfound independence was puzzling. Before he went missing I relied on him for everything. He was my protector in life and I needed his strength before I made any moves. Now I knew how to activate the trigger to almost any weapon and I was muscle for a multi-million dollar operation. The operation that he used to run with his brothers.

  But when I looked into his eyes I could tell he wasn’t the slightest bit intimidated. He fell back in the meetings we had with Bambi and he contributed his opinion when necessary on product, distribution and operation. But he never, ever, overstepped his boundaries.

  “Whatever floats your boat,” I smiled. “As long as you remember I’m number one.”

  He released me and slapped my ass. “Woman, I put you before my own life. You already know what it is.” He walked away from me.

  He sat on the edge of the bed to put his shoes on. Carey sat next to him and he kissed her on the cheek.

  “Hurry up, ladies,” he said. “Tonight is for us.”

  “What we celebrating?” I grinned.

  “The fact that can’t nobody come between our thing,” he said seriously. “What we have is special.”

  “I feel like I’m dreaming,” Carey said.

  “You are,” he replied.

  ****

  We were in a restaurant with Camp and Dukes from uptown D.C. Why were they even there? I thought it was going to be just the three of us.

  Dukes was one of our soldiers out Southwest and I would not have gone to dinner if I knew he was going to be there. I don’t mix business with pleasure under any circumstances so I was irritated. Ramirez knew that shit. But since he didn’t have to work as much because we took over the business, he spent his free time showing off. To make matters worse, Ramirez was on his third drink and he was loud and dumb. If I would’ve walked up on him and heard him being as ridiculous as he was now, I wouldn’t have given him the time of day. He was getting major point deductions.

  Ramirez was on the right of me, as usual, and Carey was on the left, rubbing my leg under the table. I think she was trying to calm me down because my nigga was draining the life out of me at the moment.

  “I’m telling y’all the new boat Kevin bought not bigger than mine,” Ramirez bragged. “I don’t care what y’all nigga’s say.”
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  “First off, the nigga bought a Yacht not a boat,” Camp said chewing his steak. “He dropped half a million on his shit too. That boat you copped ain’t big enough to catch catfish in, moe. You only let three hundred go.”

  “Cause I got it on a deal,” Ramirez said louder. “Y’all niggas not hearing me though because you stay riding Kevin’s dick. Call him up and ask him how much my boat worth. He’ll tell you.”

  “Yeah whatever,” Dukes said shaking his head. “You had too much to drink.”

  Ramirez took a bigger gulp. “Y’all some jealous ass niggas but I do have something neither one of y’all got and that includes Kevin.”

  He waived the waiter over who refreshed his drink. I moved uncomfortably in my seat because he was drinking way too much.

  “And what’s that?” Camp asked chomping on a piece of bread.

  Ramirez looked over at me and slobbed me down. Then he reached across me, grabbed the back of Carey’s head and slobbed her down. “Two bad bitches. How ‘bout that?”

  I was done. Why was he kicking our business in the restaurant? It was one thing for him to say it in front of Camp but then we had an employee at our table. Ramirez was out of order. Although I knew everybody was aware of our unique situation, I didn’t want to broadcast it on CNN.

  “Ram, chill,” I said nudging him like he was some bum nigga in the street. “You doing too much now.”

  “Baby, you should be proud of this shit right here. Our life is the stuff of legends.” He focused his attention on the boys. “Do you know how many niggas envy me right now?”

  “I don’t give a fuck ‘bout what other niggas want,” I said harshly. “This ain’t me.”