Knee Deep in the Game Read online

  “Here man, here,” Pooh said, handing Lucky a ten-dollar bill. “Now get the fuck up out of here.”

  “Good looking, Pooh, you the best,” Lucky said with a toothless smile, heading straight to one of the workers so he could get a blast.

  “Would you believe this nigga had this whole hood on smash back in the day?” Pooh said, letting out a light chuckle.

  “Get the fuck out of here,” Pop stated in disbelief.

  “Word, B. Nigga used to give me dollars when I was a youngin . Crazy how shit turn out, right?” Pooh said, shaking his head.

  “Yeah,” Pop answered, looking at Lucky walk off to get his fix.

  As Pop sat chilling, sitting on top of the bench, he saw Blondie from the Chinese restaurant coming his way.

  “Yo, anybody got trees over here?” she asked, looking directly at Pop.

  “Yeah, my man got it right there,” he answered quickly, pointing to the young hustler sitting on top of the bench.

  “A’ight, good looking,” Blondie responded as she headed to cop some bud.

  Yo, I’m feeling shorty for some reason, Pop thought as he kept his eyes on the young lady.

  “Yo, ma, you live here?” he asked, approaching the pretty young thing.

  “Yeah, I live right there in building two,” she replied pointing.

  “I’m going to have to chill with you one of these days,” Pop said trying to sound extra smooth.

  “That sounds cool to me,” Blondie replied, licking her lips seductively.

  “Yo, where your phone at?” Pop asked smoothly.

  Blondie reached down in her purse and pulled out her phone. “You got me pulling out my phone, you better be about to give me your number,” she said in a sexy voice.

  “Don’t take my shit if you not gonna use it,” Pop said with a smile.

  “I am going to call you,” Blondie said, trying not to blush as she locked Pop’s number inside her phone.

  “What’s good, you got a number?’

  “Yeah, everybody calls me Nika.”

  “A’ight, I got you. My name is Pop, I’m going to call you later on tonight.”

  “A’ight, do that,” Nika said throwing a little extra switch in her walk knowing Pop was watching.

  “Yeah, I’m going to shagg that,” Pop said looking at Nika’s ass as she walked off.

  “She must be new around here because I ain’t never seen her before,” Pooh stated as he noticed Fresh’s Range Rover pull up to the side of the curb.

  “Yo, Pop, let me holla at you for a minute,” Fresh said, waving him over. “I heard you took care of business earlier,” he stated.

  “Business is business,” Pop responded smoothly

  “Come take a ride with me,” Fresh said.

  When Pop made it to the truck he noticed that Rusty was driving.

  “Yo, you ever shot a gun before?” Fresh asked.

  “Nah, I never could afford one,” Pop replied.

  Fresh smirked because he knew that it was probably for the best that Pop hadn’t owned a gun. This li l nigga would’ve terrorized the entire projects if he had a burner on him.

  “Let me ask you a question. Do you like working for me?”

  “It’s okay I guess, the money is good,” Pop answered honestly.

  “Listen kid, I hired you ‘cause I see that fire inside of you, the same fire I got in me, but don’t get it twisted, li’l nigga. Out here in these streets you can lose your fuckin’ life like this,” Fresh said, snapping his fingers. “That’s why Rusty is my personal bodyguard,” he said as the truck came to a complete stop.

  “Come on, li’l nigga, let me get you into beast mode,” Fresh said, leading the two men into a warehouse.

  When Pop stepped in the warehouse he saw a tableful of guns and a bunch of big wood boards hanging up.

  “Yo, Rusty, teach this nigga how to shoot,” Fresh ordered as he sat on the edge of the table and looked on.

  When Pop felt that steel in the palm of his hand, he immediately felt a power rush; he felt untouchable with that gun in his hand.

  “Just cock it back and pull the trigger,” Rusty instructed, giving the young man a demonstration.

  Pop did as he was told and watched fire spit out of the 9 mm once his finger squeezed the trigger.

  As Fresh sat back watching Pop, he remembered what he had to go through when he first got in the game, all the nights he went with no sleep, all the times he wore the same outfit for weeks straight, all the shoot-outs and fistfights. Fresh snapped out of his daydream, glanced at the diamonds in his watch, and realized it was all worth it.

  Nika sat on the couch daydreaming about Pop. She was feeling him ever since she saw him in the Chinese restaurant. Nika was loud, ghetto, and just didn’t give a fuck, and on top of that she was a freak. She just hoped that Pop would be okay with her ways because she wasn’t changing for no one. It was just something about Pop that made her want to know more about him and soon she would find out just what that was. She had gone outside, hoping she bumped into him when she went to go buy some weed. Now that she had gotten his number she felt much better.

  “Who the fuck bought you new clothes?” Teresa asked with a busted lip as soon as Pop walked in the house.

  “Not you, so don’t worry about it,” he shot back, not in the mood for her bullshit.

  “Say it again so I can slap the living shit out of you,” she yelled, getting all up in Pop’s face.

  “Yeah, that’s what the fuck I thought,” Teresa growled with her breath smelling like gin.

  Instead of arguing with his mother, Pop just went into his room and closed the door.

  “And don’t be slamming no mu’fuckin’ doors in my house!” Teresa yelled.

  Once everybody in the house went to sleep Pop pulled out his brand-new 9 mm that Fresh gave him and admired the chrome gun. Pop couldn’t believe how his life was changing. Just the other day he was robbing the Chinese delivery lady, now four days later, he had over $500 dollars in his pocket. He knew none of this would be possible without Fresh, so he looked at Fresh like his ticket out of the hood. Pop was going to do whatever he had to do to make it out the hood, and especially out of his mother’s crib, because she was really starting to work his nerves and he knew it would only be a matter of time before he snapped. So to avoid all that he knew he was going to have to move out and do it quick.

  “Looks like it’s just going to be me and you from now on,” Pop said as he kissed his new gun, stuck it under his pillow, and went to sleep.

  “That boy get on my goddamn nerves,” Teresa huffed, sitting back on the couch. Every time she looked at Pop she saw his father’s face, and that disgusted her. Every time she looked at her son it would always make her start to reminisce.

  “Stop walking so fast, Tyrone,” Teresa said, struggling to keep up with her man. “You know I can’t walk but so fast in this snow especially while I’m pregnant.”

  “Bitch!” Tyrone with an attitude. “You better bring ya ass on. I don’t got time to be waiting on ya fat ass. Nobody told you to come in the first place,” he said, continuing to walk fast.

  “Okay, I’m coming!” Teresa sucked her teeth, doing her best to keep up.

  “You better not make me late,” Tyrone warned. He was rushing to meet up with his side girlfriend, Sky. They had some credit-card scam business going on, and he was supposed to have met her ten minutes ago.

  Teresa knew Tyrone was going out to handle business but she didn’t trust her man around Sky. It was just something about the woman she just didn’t like. Teresa knew that the two were fuckin’ around; all she was missing was the proof. Before she got pregnant she had whipped Sky’s ass at a local bar for being all up in Tyrone’s face.

  When Tyrone reached the corner he was happy to see Sky’s car still there waiting for him. “My bad I’m late,” Tyrone said as opened up the passenger door.

  “That bitch ain’t getting in my car,” Sky said, snaking her neck. “She lucky I don’t whip
her ass.”

  “Beat who ass?” Teresa said, leaning down so Sky could see her face.

  Sky quickly hopped out the car like she was going to do something, but then quickly turned her gaze on Tyrone. “She ain’t getting in my car, so what you gon’ do?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

  “Yeah, what are you gonna do?” Teresa asked, placing her hands on her hips also.

  “Let me talk to you for a second, baby,” Tyrone said in a smooth tone as he pulled Teresa over to the side. “Listen, baby, I gotta get this money,” he whispered.

  “Well, you better think of another way ’cause I don’t want you around that bitch,” Teresa whispered back. “You know she wanna fuck you.”

  “I ain’t thinking about all that, baby, we need this money,” Tyrone said in a firm whisper. “Now let me do what I gotta do.”

  “Okay, baby,” Teresa submitted. “You better not be out all night with this bitch either.”

  Tyrone gave her a look like she was insane. “Come on, baby, I’ll be back before eight o’clock,” he said as he slid in the passenger seat of Sky’s car. Sky looked at Teresa and smirked before she pulled off.

  Teresa watched her man ride off with the next bitch, while she had to walk home in the snow with tears in her eyes. For the entire walk home she cursed Tyrone out.

  Later on that night Teresa dozed off on the couch. She woke up when she heard some keys fumbling around at her front door. She looked over at the clock on the wall that read 2:16 A.M.

  Tyrone walked in the house with a handful of bags, laughing loudly with Sky on his heels. “Hey, baby, what you doing up? I thought you would be asleep by now,” he said with a smirk on his face.

  “Are you serious?” Teresa asked, getting up from her comfortable spot. “How dare you walk up in here at fuckin’ two-twenty in the morning with a smile on your face,” she began as she turned and faced Sky. “And what the fuck is you doing in my house?”

  “Don’t ask me ask ya man,” Sky shot back.

  “Oh, you think it’s a game,” Teresa said as she stormed into the kitchen. She returned holding a shiny kitchen knife. She tried to get at Sky but Tyrone blocked her path. “Move!”

  “Put that knife down and stop acting stupid,” Tyrone told her with a serious look on his face.

  “Tyrone, you better get this bitch out my house before I do,” Teresa said as she moved the couch out of the way.

  “You know what?” Tyrone paused. “I ain’t got time for this shit,” he said as him and Sky made their exit.

  “So you just gonna leave me just like that?” Teresa said, following them out into the hallway. “What about your child I’m carrying in my stomach?”

  “Fuck you, and that baby probably ain’t mine anyway,” Tyrone yelled over his shoulder.

  “So you leave your family to be with that bitch?” Teresa yelled at Tyrone’s departing back. “Tyrone, Tyrone!” she yelled as she saw Tyrone and Sky disappear through the staircase door.

  The beeping sound of the microwave snapped Teresa back into reality. “Fuck Tyrone, he can kiss my ass,” she said to herself as she walked over to the microwave and retrieved her popcorn. Even though it was nineteen years later, Teresa still hated Pop’s father to this day, and she was going to die feeling that way.

  Chapter Five

  Bamboo sat at his desk in his office, watching Fresh and Rusty pull up in his driveway.

  “These surveillance cameras are lifesavers,” Bamboo said to his bodyguard, King.

  “Let me go let these clowns in,” King said, walking toward the front door. “Gentlemen,” King said, answering the door with his Uzi held tight under his armpit.

  “King, what it do, my nigga?” Fresh responded as he and Rusty stepped foot inside the mansion.

  “Bamboo is in his office,” King said in a flat, unfriendly tone.

  Rusty gave the big man a cold stare as he walked past. Rusty never liked King; it was something about him that bugged Rusty. All Fresh had to do was give him the word, and he would be more than happy to rock his ass to sleep.

  “What’s going on, baby?” Bamboo asked, giving Fresh and Rusty both a pound.

  “You tell me, what’s up with you raising your prices? We’ve been doing good business with you for a while, what s up?” Fresh stated.

  “It’s just a temporary thing. Shit is a little fucked-up on my side right now, just stick it out with me for a minute,” Bamboo said nonchalantly.

  “You saying stick it out with you like I’m not the one losing money,” Fresh said, not understanding. “I mean, work with me, do something. Raise the prices on them other niggas. They not copping heavy like me anyway so what’s the problem?”

  “Fresh, in a month when this is all over I’ll be sure to throw you something extra, a’ight?” Bamboo told him.

  “Make sure you do that, ’cause I got a lot of people depending on me to come through, and you know when mu’fuckas pockets start getting short, people can’t be held accountable for their actions,” Fresh warned as he stood up to leave. “Yo, Pooh will be up here next week on his regular schedule,” he stated plainly as he and Rusty headed for the door.

  “No hard feelings,” Bamboo yelled so Fresh could hear him. “I’ma take care of you.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it,” Fresh said as he and Rusty made their exit.

  “Hey, boss, why are you raising the price on Fresh? He’s a good customer,” King asked, unsure.

  “Fuck that young punk,” Bamboo snarled as he watched the monitors as Fresh pulled off his property. “He’s lucky I don’t triple the price on that faggot. I don’t respect young hustlers; they think they know every goddamn thing when they don’t know shit. I’ve been out here since the eighties when crack first started. Fuck Fresh—whatever I say the price is, he’s just going to have to pay it point-blank. He need me, I don’t need him. As soon as he try to get tough I’m going to cancel his fuckin’ contract, simple as that,” Bamboo chuckled, giving King a pound.

  “But what we gonna do if Fresh finds a new connect?” King asked. “That’s going to be mad money out of our pockets.”

  “Find a new connect where?” Bamboo asked, looking around. “He ain’t gonna be able to find a cheaper price anywhere else and if he does find it cheaper it won’t be the same quality, so fuck him, he can kiss my ass.”

  “Why the fuck are we paying these high-ass prices for this garbage-ass work?” Rusty asked, confused.

  “At the end of the month when we re-up we’re going to take a package from Bamboo and not pay him shit,” Fresh said, stopping at a red light. “I’m going to get ten bricks from him and just dead that clown.”

  “You know that’s going to start a war, right?” Rusty stated plainly.

  “I’m not even worried about that, B. My shoot-out record is twenty-two and oh, I’ll take my chances, you dig?” Fresh paused. “As a matter of fact, fuck that—we ain’t paying that nigga shit, if he want it he gon’ have to take it in blood.”

  “I can dig it, you know I’m down for whatever,” Rusty replied, giving Fresh a pound.

  “Either ball hard or fall hard,” Fresh said as he pulled up on the corner of Dyckman so he could get some raw piff.

  Pop and Pooh stood in front of the building listening to Lucky try his hardest to sing an old school song.

  “Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Pop said, interrupting Lucky in the middle of his song.

  “I used to be one of the Four Tops back in the day,” Lucky lied proudly.

  “Nigga, you can’t even spell Four Tops,” Pop said, tired of listening to the dirty man’s lies.

  “Young blood, why you trying to disrespect me?” Lucky asked.

  “Yo, just tell your wack-ass stories somewhere else,” Pop said, not hiding his dislike for the man.

  “Back in my day I would have knocked your young ass the fuck out,” Lucky said coldly as he walked off.

  “What!” Pop said as he quickly dug in the garbage until he found a bottle
.

  “Yo, chill,” Pooh said, stopping Pop from throwing the bottle at the homeless man.

  “That bum-ass nigga better watch his fuckin’ mouth, before I break his jaw, Pop said watching the bum walk off still singing.

  “You know he didn’t mean anything by that shit,” Pooh said, trying to calm Pop down.

  “I’m about to get up out of here anyway—I got some pussy to get,” Pop said, pulling out his cell phone.

  Nika sat on the couch watching The Wire when she heard her phone ringing.

  “Hello?” she answered innocently.

  “Can I speak to Nika, please?”

  “Yeah, it’s me,” she said in her sexiest voice.

  “What’s good? This Pop, you busy?”

  “Nah, what’s up? I thought you forgot about me,” she responded.

  “Nah, I just been a little busy, but I’m free now and I’m trying to see you, can you come to me or do I have to come to you?” Pop asked.

  “I just got out the shower so you going to have to come see me,” Nika replied flirtatiously.

  “A’ight, bet, what’s the apartment?”

  “9E,” Nika answered again in her sexy voice.

  “I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes,” Pop said as he closed his cell phone.

  “Okay, boo, I’ll be waiting,” Nika said right before the line went dead.

  When Pop hung up he went straight to the corner store and bought a box of Wet n Wild before he headed toward Nika’s building, hoping maybe tonight might be his lucky night.

  Nika threw on some perfume as she heard somebody knocking on the door.

  “What’s up?” Nika asked, answering the door wearing nothing but a long T-shirt.

  “Tryna see what’s up with you,” Pop answered as he stepped inside the apartment.

  “I was just chilling, watching TV. Come sit down,” Nika said, patting the cushion on the couch.