Charmed By A Steel City Hustler

Adonis:

I thought about the last two years of my life. Nothing could have prepared me for the past twelve hours or so. I did everything that was told to me as a child. I followed instructions. Made my parents proud by completing college and going down the path that they chose for me.

My only mistake was getting into business with Bash. That selfish, ghetto raised son of a bitch was the cause for everything in my life going wrong. I should have told Lola who Bash was when she first brought him around as her boyfriend. No, I had to play mind games and divulge my plan to him about taking down Leo.

Lola was now back in her chair, bound by legs, and hands unconscious. She really tried to play escape artist and almost got her head blown clean off. I knew the best thing to do in these situations was remain calm and do as told until the police showed up. I knew for a fact my father would be looking for me and Lois' father as well.

I heard a lot of movement and arguing upstairs. There were raised voices and then gun fire. I had not heard any sirens. I knew that it wasn't the police. Particles from the ceiling were falling onto my shoulders. What the hell was going on up there?

"Lola? Donnie? Are you guys down there?"

"Yes, we are hurry up!"

I said in response to Kalvon's voice. That was the last person I expected to come and rescue me. I looked over to the stairwell and Kalvon came down. There were few other guys that I did not recognize. Kalvon checked Lola's pulse and untied her, while the other guy undid my zip ties.

The third unknown man stood at the bottom of the steps with his gun aimed at the door. Did they not kill all those island mud ducks or what? I stood up to stretch and looked at Lola's unconscious body hanging over Kalvon's shoulders. "Stop gawking and move your feet D, damn!" Kalvon yelled at me, and I followed behind the two other guys going up the steps. Soon as we stepped into the kitchen, I saw Bash, Caesar and Nise. They were all sweaty with guns in hand and some blood covered clothing. Nise looked like an extra from Rambo.

I knew all about her true profession and Lois would shit a brick. Her best friend was one of the most feared arms dealers in D.C. Bash never took his eyes off me, and I had that eerie feeling that my day was about to get a lot worse. He instructed Kalvon to get Lola in the car immediately.

"Did they touch her?"

I hesitated to answer because how could that be the first words from his mouth? The sound of a bullet being chambered could be heard echoing in the silence. Bash aimed his gun at my head, and I shook my head adamantly. This was some bullshit, and we were going to talk in private when no one else was around.

"Hate to break up this awkward stare off pissing match. But this is a bullet riddled house, with dead bodies and a host of other illegal shit. Let's get the fuck out of here!"

Caesar yelled and Nise cleared her throat going for the door first with the guy who untied me. I walked out with Bash behind me, and it was after dark. I had no sense of time down in that basement, but it was no more than a day and a half.

***

"Thank the Lord you are both fine!"

Aunt Charlotte spoke sipping from her glass of Apple Cîroc. Bash's mother did not fit the description of her legacy. A short woman standing at four feet, eleven inches. Pocahontas natural hair down to her mid back.

Charlotte had a coke bottle figure, there was no mystery why Malcolm fell for her. Charlotte came from money even though she renounced her fortune for this thugged out lifestyle. Charlotte was book smart and converted to the streets helping him build an empire.

"Char have you lost your damn mind! There is nothing fine about this situation. I have my public relations team coming up with plausible stories to cover this ghetto shit up. My son is the future mayor of this town. An event like this can either make him a hero or a coward with shady dealings. My daughter-in-law will be a town scandal since she wants to fuck around in the family. What, pray tell my little sister, is fine about this situation?"

My dad never passed up an opportunity to speak his mind. Sometimes he needed to just remain silent. Let people dig their own graves. Charlotte began to laugh and then stood up, so she was face to midsection with my dad. Malcolm did not even lift his eyes from the fortune five hundred magazine planted in his lap.

"Donnie and Lola are alive right? Your precious baby boy didn't have to suck a dick to survive, did he?"

There was silence throughout the room other than Malcolm clearing his throat. I know he was probably laughing like hell. Aunt Charlotte had the foulest mouth I ever heard on a woman. The look on my father's face said that he wanted to tell her off.

That would only lead to a possible altercation between him and her crazy husband. I had never seen them fight but they have come damn close. To be honest I think my uncle would just kill my dad and be done with him.

"Charlotte, honestly, you were not raised to speak in such a way. Back to the subject at hand. This catastrophe must be settled now. Put a leash on your son and his wild ass business affairs. I thought you raised him to be a 'street king.' Well kings rule their empires with an iron clad fist."

"Mom, Uncle Z, chill out! How the fuck y'all going to talk about us like we are not sitting right here? We are grown as hell and can handle this mess on our own. This the first time y'all been in the same room for longer than ten minutes, and ain't shut the fuck up yet!"

Bash yelled from the opposite side of the room. He had been quiet throughout this entire scene. He knew the bad blood between our parents. Similar to me, hated when they had to meet in person too.

"Boy who are you addressing in such a manner?"

"Ma, I apologize for cursing at you, but real shit. You two cannot get along for shit. I can't tell that y'all fell out of the same pussy two years the fuck apart. Now that's foul language for ya ass. Uncle Z, Donnie knew I was pounding his wife out. I told him right after our first encounter. So, don't go playing the sympathy card. I would appreciate if all you excused yourself to another part of my home. My cousin and I need to talk in private."

The look of disdain from my father shot right through my body. I would never hear the end once we were alone. Bash had thrown me to the bottom of a boiling pot. By the time I climbed out, I would be skinless. All the parents exited and the remarks they made were not good at all.

Bash shut the double doors behind his father and turned to look at me. I still had a slight headache from being struck while held captive. Other than that, I was physically fine, but mentally I was a mess. Bash and I stared each other down for a few minutes. Then he waved me over to the bar.

This den was huge and could be considered a damn game room, or guesthouse add on. He poured two shots of Crown Royal and slid a glass over to me. I twirled the brown liquid around the glass a few times and really didn't want to drink right now. My anger and hatred toward Bash were on one hundred percent right now. I needed to choose my next words very carefully.

"Why did you bring Lola to my apartment?"

"Why were you still fucking Lois?"

I countered his question with one of my own. We had a deal, and he was being a selfish hypocrite. Bash threw the shot back and chuckled a little while pouring a second one.

"D, we are not about to pull cards on who veered off the plan first. Your pillow talk to Yasmine was already exposed to me. I didn't say shit about it to you. So, me fucking Lois' brains out was just for fun. Look we can talk about the women later. Right now, my concern is about the men that took you two. The leader was not one of the many bodies we dropped in that crack shack. I need to know if you remember anything at all."

I could not believe he was bypassing the biggest issue to discuss the damn kidnappers. Those dirty fuckers were dead. I never wanted to think about them ever again. Bash was still staring at me not saying a word. This fool was serious right

now.

I recounted what I could about the leader of the group. He never got into the vehicle with Lois and me. Bash looked pissed off at my statement but that was the truth. He paced back and forth speaking to himself for a few minutes then sent out a few text messages.

By now he was five drinks in and surprisingly still sober. I finally noticed the sling around his arm, and remembered he was shot by the crazy drug dealers. All my problems would have been resolved if they put a bullet in his damn head. "Alright, now that all that shit is handled, Yasmine and Leo are going to be a problem. Can you get her cleared of those charges or are you tucking tail to run away? Leo has probably caught on to us coming for him. I saw the way he was staring at Lo and I in the hospital."

I thought about what Bash said and my headache got even worse. Leo Jennings being on alert was not a good thing at all. The element of surprise was our best strategy. Now that was gone with the wind.

There was only one question that I wanted answered. Right now, with everything going on and everyone's adrenaline on high. The affair that kicked off these events needed to be resolved. Before I could move on with anything else. "Sebastian before we dive into all that shit. I have a question that needs to be answered. I want the truth because your response is going to determine how I proceed."

I paused and stared him in the eye, and he gave me the nod as if he understood.

"Are you in love with my wife?"