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  “You sure you ready for this?” He planted soft kisses to my neck.

  “How about this? I want you, and I want you now,” I announced, looking him square in the eyes. And to be sure he understood, I started unbuckling his pants. I was on fire. And the proof was leaking down my thighs. Kevon picked me up and sat me on his member, taking control, and the ride was long and steady. The word good could not describe how I felt. All of my problems were irrelevant.

  CHAPTER 5

  The next couple of weeks, I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. Kevon was there for me in more ways than one. Not to mention, he showered me with everything a girl could want. I had transformed into a totally new person. I now owned a wardrobe full of name-brand this or that. For the first time in my life, I wore my hair in a style other than a ponytail. My new, improved hairstyle was ridiculously cute; my beautician had sewn in Brazilian hair that she styled into big lock curls that cascaded down my back, or sometimes I wore it straight. Cute honey was what I was, a new me, and it felt great.

  Kevon treated me like a queen, and I welcomed it. And I didn’t miss Ruthie the least little bit. Now I had someone who loved me, and he proved it every day.

  Kevon opened the front door and called my name.

  “What?” I was in the middle of applying MAC lip gloss. Smacking my lips together to be sure it smoothed out, I turned my face in the mirror to see if it looked good from all angles.

  “Somebody’s outside for you.”

  “Who is it?” I asked. Reaching atop the dresser, I grabbed my cell phone before exiting the room. I had no idea who could be looking for me; I wasn’t expecting anyone. And since Kevon had never answered my question, I would have to see for myself. I made it to the living room, and it was empty. The front door was ajar so I snatched it open to find Kevon standing next to a red BMW. Wearing a huge smile, he dangled keys at me. That could only mean one thing.

  “Is this car for me?” I asked.

  “Damn, right. All yours, babe.”

  “Aww, babe, I love it.” I jumped in Kevon’s waiting arms. This was the nicest thing that anyone had ever done for me. My very own BMW. As I opened the door, the smell of new leather filled my nostrils. My hands slowly roamed across the seats, and I gazed up at the sun roof. The car was perfect. A month ago, I would have never imagined owning one. Climbing back out of the car, I hugged Kevon.

  “I have to go show Mimi,” I informed him.

  “I already know, so go ahead take your new baby for a spin. Trust me, it’s good.” He smiled.

  “Babe, thanks so much.” I kissed him on the lips. Climbing into my car, I sat down slowly, and the leather seats immediately sucked me in. “Wait, my purse,” I yelled, just as Kevon reached to shut my door. Kevon stopped me as I attempted to scramble out of the car. He reached into his pants pocket.

  “Don’t worry about that, you good. Buy another bag while you’re out.” He handed me a stack of hundred-dollar bills. I counted about four thousand dollars slowly. Like I said, he treated me like a queen. The only thing for me to do was smile. What girl didn’t like stacks of green dough?

  When I started up the engine, it was silent. Adjusting my rearview mirror, I gently put my foot on the gas. I slowly backed out, careful not to hit anything, then placed the car in drive. Finally, in traffic, it felt as if I were riding on a cloud. It was official: this BMW was my new toy. Before I could drive a full block, the Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj ringtone I’d set for Kevon started singing on my phone.

  “Hey, is it all that you thought it would be?”

  “Yes, and more. I wouldn’t mind having two just like it,” I commented. I had never imagined that riding in a car could be this comfortable or fun. Luxury was not overrated.

  “That’s what’s up.” His tone revealed that he was pleased that he was able to make me happy. “Listen, pick up something nice to wear while you’re out shopping. Caesar is throwing a set tonight, and I want my lady on my arm. Time to show everybody what a bad chick I got at home.”

  Caesar was Kevon’s boss and a true boss in Missouri. Meeting him would be an honor.

  “Aww, thanks, babe. Wait, can I bring Mimi? Gotta have my ride-or-die chick.”

  “Sure, bring your girl. She cool people. I gotta go though—we’ll talk later.”

  After ending the call with Kevon, I pulled up to Mimi’s crib. I dialed her number as I scoped a park. “Yo, come outside.”

  “You out there?” The tone of her voice told me she was surprised. Normally, when I was coming over, I told her first.

  “Why else would I ask you to come out? Stop with the questions already.”

  “Damn, a’ight. Calm down.”

  Pulling into a secure parking space, I caught Mimi peeking out of the front door, trying to find me. Shutting off the car, I opened the door and stepped out. “Oh, hell no!” she shouted. The smile on her face was stretched from one ear to the next. “This your whip?”

  I nodded.

  Mimi started screaming with excitement as she walked around the car, checking it out.

  “This shit is cold as a motherfucker! These bitches better fall back. Wait, you gotta take me for a spin. Hell yes, I want to turn some corners in this bad-ass whip.”

  She only had to say that once because I was ready. “Well, hop in, let’s go.” Opening the driver’s-side door, I climbed back inside. “We need to go shopping anyway. Kevon’s taking us to a party tonight.”

  “What party?” Mimi shut the passenger-side door once she was safely inside.

  “You heard of Caesar, right?”

  “Caesar the drug dealer? Hell yeah, I heard of that nigga. Who in Missouri ain’t?”

  I guessed that was a dumb question to ask. You would have to be living under a rock or stupid not to know who Caesar was.

  “Good, because we gon’ be guests at his party tonight.”

  “Aww, shit, that is what’s up!” Mimi was excited. “Oh, but wait, I can’t go.” Her facial expression went from eager to disturbed.

  “Why not?” Now the worry was mine. There was no way I was going around all those strangers without my best friend. I did not want to go without her.

  “Why do you think? I don’t have shit to wear, and I will not be caught dead at Caesar’s party in no cheap knock-off-ass clothes. That dude is a boss—he don’t want no scrubs hanging around. No. My shit would have to be on point for me to attend. This is just too short of notice.”

  Suddenly I could breathe again. I’d thought she had a real reason she couldn’t go. “Girl, don’t worry about clothes—I got you. Now let’s go. We gon’ hit up Saks Fifth. Our shit is gon’ be on point.”

  And I meant just that.

  CHAPTER 6

  As we pulled up to Sikes, the club where Caesar’s party was being held, it looked like the scene of the BET red carpet. People were out in droves, waiting, trying to get in. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought some type of celebrity was inside. Coming to a complete stop, Kevon threw his cream-colored 2014 Cadillac Escalade in park. One of the valet guys came over, and Kevon handed him the keys. Climbing out of the truck, I wasn’t nervous at all because I looked good after spending three hours in Saks. My outfit was a banger, and did not disappoint: an open-back black halter jumpsuit by Theory, with some leather pointy-toe Manolo pumps. My outfit was indeed beat to capacity.

  My girl Mimi was also on point—five-four, with her cream-colored skin tone and booty that had been said to come from eating pinto beans and cornbread. She was killing it in an Elizabeth and James sheer body-con dress. Eye candy was both our names tonight. Kevon had made it clear he would not be taking his eyes off me, because I belonged to him.

  Coming around to my side of the truck, Kevon reached for my free hand while I held on to my clutch with the other. Mimi looked at us both and smiled. “Kevon, are you sure we gon’ be able to get in? Niggas is out here thick.” The same question had crossed my mind.

  “No worries. I got you. You are rollin’ wi
th me tonight.” Kevon walked past everyone standing in line, and the two bouncers at the door greeted him as they removed the rope. We walked straight in.

  When we stepped inside the club, the atmosphere said topnotch. It was nothing like club Mystic. Not to get it twisted—Mystic was nice—but Sikes was definitely more updated. It resembled something like a scene out of the STARZ TV show Power. And, yes, the DJ was already on fire. The song “Rich,” by Kirko Bangz, was blasting out of the speakers. I could tell by the look on Mimi’s face she was ready to hit the dance floor, but she chilled. Kevon led us up some stairs to a VIP room, and sexy and important was the only way to describe how I felt. There were a bunch of unfamiliar faces that glanced in our direction as we entered.

  “Yo, what up?” Kevon yelled. Everyone spoke as Kevon kept moving through the crowd until we made it to the back. It was obvious he was loved. People were stopping whatever they were doing to show him love. They greeted him as if he were Jay Z or something.

  There was a tall, dark-skinned guy with a goatee and the deepest set of big eyes I had seen in a long time standing toward the back. I assumed he was just another person at the party until Kevon greeted him. “My main guy, Caesar, what’s up, my nigga?”

  “It ain’t shit,” Caesar replied as they did this handshake that I had never seen. “Who are these beautiful females?” He gazed at Mimi and myself, where we stood to the right of Kevon.

  “This my girl, Yazz.” Kevon eyed me proudly as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in close. “Yazz, baby, this is Caesar.”

  “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” The words flowed out of my mouth just above a whisper. For me, Caesar’s appearance had been a surprise. For some silly reason, I’d envisioned him to be this Rick Ross-type-looking dude because of his name. But that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. Caesar reminded me of Omar Epps from Love and Basketball, only he was taller.

  “And this is my best friend, Mimi.” I pointed to Mimi since Kevon seemed to have forgotten to introduce her.

  “What’s up?” Mimi spoke, then focused her attention back on the crowd. She was ready to turn up, and that meant a drink in her hand, then the dance floor.

  “Well, I’m glad both you ladies decided to come out and party with us. The night is young, but you are my guests and can have anything you want.”

  Mimi spoke up without hesitation. “How about a drink? I’m ready to sip.” She had never been one to hold back or beat around the bush. I, on the other hand, was a little more reserved.

  “I see you.” Caesar smiled at Mimi. “We got whateva you need over at the bar—it’s fully stocked. Just hit the bartender up.” If he only knew—he didn’t have to tell Mimi twice.

  “Come on, Yazz. Let’s get a drink.” She pulled me in the direction of the bar without warning.

  “Babe, I’ll be back,” I managed to warn Kevon as she all but dragged me with her.

  “Yeah, after we turn up,” Mimi added.

  At the bar, we both took our first shots to get the night started. The tingling sensation went to my head, then straight to my toes. I needed to chill for a minute on the drinking. But not Mimi—she was on shot number four in no time flat. We hit the dance floor and did our thing, but my girl was krunk off them shots. She took twerking to a new level—just watching her was exhausting.

  “Mimi, let’s have a seat for a minute, girl. Hell, I’m tired and need to catch my breath.”

  “Dang, Yazz, why you gotta ruin it? You know this my jam,” she said, referring to Rich Homie Quan’s “Type of Way.”

  “Mimi, bring your ass over here. Every song that comes on is your song.” It was my turn to drag her. That would be the only way to get her to sit down.

  “I know, right?” Mimi laughed.

  The plan for me was to find a seat and ignore the uneasy feeling I’d had all night. I hoped it was just my imagination, but who was I kidding. Caesar had his eyes all over me. Glued. And it was starting to make me feel uncomfortable. I was feeling guilty, as if it was my fault, or was that what Kevon would think? Either way, I was ready to go. But Kevon was nowhere in sight. He had been pretty much handling business all night; I had hardly seen him since we’d arrived. Spending time with him was what I’d assumed would happen. I’d been wrong.

  While Mimi and I were chilling, this dude who went by Soulja, who also happened to be a part of Cash, which was Caesar’s crew, came over and introduced himself. He was cute—tall and light skinned, with dreads. Mimi gave him her number, but she didn’t say much about him after that. That normally meant she wasn’t interested, and since leaving was my only concern, I didn’t ask.

  Finally, the night came to an end. The turn-up was real, but it was time for me to enjoy my man. After dropping Mimi off at home, Kevon sped off toward his place and we arrived in no time.

  “Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” he asked as he slid the key into the lock, twisted it, and pushed the door open.

  “Yes, it was nice. And you know Mimi enjoyed it. I just wish I’d seen more of you.” I pouted.

  “I know, babe. I was feeling the same thing. But there was business that had to be handled. It never stops. No worries though—I’m all yours now. For whateva you might need.” Wrapping his arms around me from the back, Kevon started kissing the back of my neck. Instantly, I was turned on. Turning around to face him, I took a step back. He watched as I undressed, then kicked off my heels. Standing upright in my birthday suit, I watched as Kevon’s eyes roamed over every inch of me.

  “Damn, babe. You must be tryin’ to drive a nigga crazy. Look at them thighs. I swear, you a masterpiece.” He licked his lips.

  “You think so?” I smiled seductively. “Follow me.” I led the way to the bedroom. Once inside, I lay down on the bed and spread my legs. Without instruction, Kevon dropped to his knees and feasted down south. Not able to hold on, he filled me up.

  “Hmmm,” I sighed from pure happiness, then flipped onto my stomach, and kissed Kevon on the cheek. “Tonight has been a good night.”

  “Fo sho, you was sexy as hell in that outfit. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you.” He winked at me.

  “Oh, really?” I couldn’t help but blush. But his statement was a surprise because he had been absent most of the night. “How is that? When you were missing in action.” Resting my breast on his chest, I touched the tip of his nose with my finger.

  “See, that’s what you think. A nigga was handling business, true enough. But like I told you, I was gon’ keep my eyes on you all night. Nothin’ was gon’ change that. Please believe me.” He wrapped his arms around me, and I snuggled up in his embrace. “You were the baddest chick in there without question.” His flattery was cute. “Even Caesar couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

  I froze. He had seen it too.

  “So you saw it too? For a moment, I thought I was imagining it or overreacting. I even moved out of his sight at one point. However, when I looked up again, his wandering eyes had found me.” Admitting this to my man was really uncomfortable for me. But what I really wanted to know was, how did he feel about his boss eating me up with his eyes? By this time, I had turned my back to him and was resting against his chest.

  Then the opposite of what I had been expecting came out of his mouth. “Caesar has a thing for beautiful women.” He rubbed my breast and kissed the back of my neck. Squirming, I beamed at his touch. It was driving me crazy.

  “So you think I’m that beautiful, huh?”

  “Hell yeah, you are that beautiful, and you belong to me. I’m a proud man right here.” Lifting my neck and adjusting it so that my face met his, he kissed my lips softly. Positioning myself comfortably back in his arms, I started to feel sleepy.

  “Babe, I was thinkin’ that . . .” He paused and became silent.

  “What, babe?” I yawned. Sleep was taking complete control, and my body was starting to feel sluggish.

  “What I was about to say was . . .” He paused again. That was becoming annoying. “Maybe i
t would not be such a bad idea for Caesar to be feeling you. Actually, it would work out great if you made yourself more available to him. Kinda gain his trust.”

  Either I was sleepy as hell or Kevon was fucking with me. Laughing, I said, “Babe, that is not a good joke.” I yawned again, this time using my free hand to cover my mouth.

  “Babe, I know this sounds crazy. Nevertheless, important things gotta be done, and if operations ain’t ran right, they fail. Simple as that. But a good leader steps up to that challenge. I’m making major moves to right some wrongs. This could be a part of the perfect plan. Caesar’s my man, but he’s been disloyal to his street soldiers. Real niggas that respect him, would even take a bullet for him—that includes me. Loyalty is the key to success in these streets. He has violated that code one fucking time too many. So his time is over. Now it’s time for me to do what’s right and step up. I am next in line to run the empire that’s known as Cash. I just gotta take the proof to the big man. And, with your help, I can do just that. You and me can rule the streets of Missouri as man and wifey. The world would be at our feet. You ain’t seen the love we could get.”

  Soaking up everything that Kevon had just said to me, I still waited for him to say he was playing around. Because he could not be seriously telling me he wanted me to reel in his boss. Basically set up the most notorious drug dealer in St. Louis. Even I knew that was death territory. And I was not about that life.

  “Okay, babe, your joke is funny, but you can stop playing now. Come on, let’s get some sleep. I’m tired.”

  “Yazz, this ain’t a joke, and I ain’t playin’. This shit is real right here.” The unusual tone of his voice got my attention.

  For the first time since he’d started jabbering about it, I believed him. Sitting up in bed and turning to face him, I looked in his eyes. “Kevon, exactly what are you asking me to do?”

  “I’m asking you to step up and be my lady. Have my back on this. It’ll be simple. All you got to do is be cute, earn his trust, and make him happy. It’ll be like taking candy from a baby.”