Shyt List (The Cartel Publications Presents) Read online

  “Why you got his phone?” When she realized it was a he, suddenly she felt stupid for violating Bilal’s privacy.

  “Oh…,” she said feeling slightly dumb. “It’s just you.”

  “Yeah it’s me,” Dave responded irritated. “Why you bein’ pressed?”

  “Give me my phone girl,” Bilal said snatching the blackberry from her. “How you feel now? Stupid?”

  Silence.

  “Hello,” Bilal said placing the phone back on his ear.

  “You gotta get your girl in check man. She can’t be goin’ through your shit.”

  “Don’t worry about me, partna!” he smiled. “I got this over here.”

  “No you don’t!” Yvonna yelled still up in his biz.

  “I hope you’re not serious about what you gonna do either.” Crazy Dave said reminding him of their last conversation. “Real niggas don’t go out like that.”

  “I am serious, and just cuz I know what I want, don’t mean I’m not real.”

  “Yeah aight, man,” he laughed. “You betta hope she don’t find out, cuz marrying her ain’t gonna change the fact that shawty on the way.”

  Bilal looked at Yvonna hoping she couldn’t hear what Dave said.

  “Like I said, let me do me and you do you.”

  “Yeah whateva. Don’t forget ‘bout dem dudes neitha. Swoopes owe a lot of money to some cats and that’ll be enough to settle all debts.”

  “I told ya’ll I ain”t wit that shit.” He was mad he brought it up.

  “Nigga, ain’t nobody sayin’ you got to do shit.” Dave felt Bilal was being soft and his voice was as deep as Method Man’s when he addressed him. “But you the only one they trust. You get em to the club and me and Swoopes will do the rest.”

  “What I tell you ‘bout talkin’ bout this shit over the phone?”

  “Yeah whateva, nigga,” Dave replied. “Just don’t try and back out.”

  After he hung up, Bilal placed his phone in his pocket instead of the clip. He had a few females lingering around that he hadn’t fucked in awhile but nothing serious. Sitting down on the couch, he removed his boots as if nothing happened.

  “Where my slippers ma?”

  “Fuck dem slippers,” she frowned. “What his hatin’ ass say cause I know he was talkin’ bout me?” She plopped on the couch next to him and his hand fondled her breasts. “You know he wanna fuck me right?”

  “Did he tell you that shit?” he asked like he was on his way to confront him. Sitting up straight he awaited her answer.

  “No…I can just tell. Whenever he come around he got to say somethin’ to me, even if I ain’t speakin’ to him.”

  “You be on his shit too. Don’t get dude fucked up. Dave ain’t tryin’ to get at you, he just not use to girls speakin’ their minds. But I’ma need you to stop clockin’ my calls Yvonna. That shit ain’t cool no more. We ain’t kids.”

  “Fuck that!” Yvonna said slapping his hands off of her. “You just betta not be cheatin’ again, Bilal. Cuz dis time I’m leavin’ you!”

  “Stop comin’ for my head ‘bout dat cheatin’ shit! You know I ain’t fuckin’ over you no more.”

  “Well you did! You fucked me up cuz I would’ve never thought you’d step out on me.”

  Bilal sighed. Once a week he had to prove to her he was a changed man.

  “I don’t wanna to talk ‘bout that shit no more, Yvonna! You can’t be monitorin’ my phone calls and shit. It’s bad for bizness.”

  “As long as we’re together,” she responded reaching for his phone only to realize it wasn’t on his hip. “Nothing’s off limit.”

  With that she went for his pockets. He didn’t fight and instead of grabbing his phone, she felt a tiny velvet box. Pulling it out her eyes got as big as saucers. When she opened it, a diamond solitaire ring stared at her. Without waiting, Bilal got on one knee as she began to fan herself anxiously with her hands.

  Taking the box from her he said, “Yvonna, I fuck wit…I mean,” he paused clearing his throat and trying to avoid using slang. “I love you. You’re the only shawty I can see spendin’ the rest of my life with. And I’m bein’ real when I say that. I can have fun wit you, ride or die wit you and most of all, I can see havin’ kids wit you. There’s nobody out here for me but you.”

  “Bilal I can’t believe-,”

  “Don’t say nothin’, baby,” He said rubbing the tears from her eyes. “When I see how you look afta your sister despite your father being fucked up I smile because I know you would hold me down if shit got rough. We got each otha, and that’s real. I don’t care what people say bout you, or bout us bein’ together. Everything I do is for you. You a dime, Yvonna. You fuck me like I like to be fucked. You can cook your ass off, and you understand the game I’m in and respect it. Fuck dem hatin’ mothafuckas out there! I know what I want and what I want for the rest of my life is you. So what I’m askin’ you, baby is…will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  Yvonna jumped up and down and kissed him on every inch of his face before she mumbled what appeared to be a yes. As she thought about their new life together, she also thought about all the bullshit she went through to get to this point. The cheating, the late night calls on his cell phone and the nights she went looking for him only to find him with another girl.

  Bilal stayed fucking around on her in the beginning, but no matter what, he always let it be known that he wasn’t leaving her for another bitch. There were females who tried to get him to change his mind, and one in particular took it all the way by telling Yvonna. Bilal was known as a “Ruthless Mothafucka” with manners. He took it as far as it needed to be took and no farther. If he was coming for you, you’d know why and that was a turn on for a lot of the chicken heads around the neighborhood.

  After Yvonna fucked up the female who told her about Bilal, she approached him about it. And instead of him being a punk, he manned up and told her the truth. But Yvonna wasn’t a slouch and she didn’t forgive easily. For six months she cut his ass off. She drove him crazy not accepting his calls or visits. Little did he know, she was hurting as much as he was. But she decided that she wouldn’t take him back until she made him sweat.

  That’s when she started dating this nigga name Lucy. He was known around the way for being a player. She had the neighborhood buzzing when word got out that the LL Cool J look a like wanted to give up everything for Yvonna. When Bilal found out he stepped to them both at Jasper’s restaurant. Because Lucy wasn’t no busta ass nigga, Yvonna knew that Bilal was ready for war and most of all, ready to die for her. At that time she missed him so much that she stopped the games and walked out with Bilal leaving Lucy behind.

  “So what up, ma?” he responded as she continued to bombard him with kisses. “You gonna marry me or what?”

  “Yes! Yes! Yes! You know I’ma fuckin’ marry you!”

  “I wanna tell your father,” he said standing up moving to the room. In all this time he never got to meet him. “I need his blessings.”

  “NO!” she jumped up. “He’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Why you don’t want me to meet the man? We been kickin’ it for three years and you still don’t want me to meet him. Why?”

  “You marryin’ me so that’s all that matters,” she said kissing him again. She really didn’t want her father embarrassing her. Ever since he’d been back from the war, he hadn’t been the same.

  Needless to say Bilal didn’t leave her that night. Like always, they crawled in the bed Yvonna shared with her six year old sister Jesse. One of the things Yvonna hated about the apartment was not having her own space. But she knew Jesse was just as frustrated.

  Needing a bigger place was one of the main reasons Yvonna wanted to get with YBM. She needed the cash to get she and Jesse out of the two bedroom apartment and into something bigger, without her father. But now it looked as if the three of them would be a happy family.

  “I love you.” Yvonna said as she lay on her side, and turned her head to kiss Bilal who was behind her holding her tight.

  “I love you too, ma.”

  When she looked at Jesse she smiled when she saw her sleeping heavily in front of her. She thanked God for finally bringing her closer to something she always wanted, a family of her own. What she didn’t say out loud was that something told her that the happiness wouldn’t last.

  Chapter Two

  A Tough Awakening

  The Crimson colored liquid pressed heavily against Yvonna’s eyelids.

  “Why would you kill Bilal daddy?!” she cried as she stared at him while he stood near the front door. “And you hurt Jesse too!”

  One minute Yvonna was sleep and the next minute she was looking at Bilal lying beside her, with his head blown completely from his body. To make matters worse, she turned to her left and saw her baby sister Jesse convulsing and loosing a lot of blood. He had shot both of them at close range. And although Jesse was alive, she was pulling for air.

  “I’m sorry Yvonna,” he said softly, as she watched his glazed over hazel eyes. “I thought he was an intruder.”

  “I hate you! I fuckin’ hate you! If Jesse dies I’ll kill you myself!” she yelled as she ran to the phone to call the ambulance.

  And when she turned around to confront him again, he was gone. She didn’t give a fuck. All she cared about was saving Jesse. The operator could barely understand her because she was hysterical as she provided details.

  “He killed my boyfriend and shot my sister! Please help!” she finally managed.

  “I’m sending someone now, mam. Stay calm.” The operator said.

  When they finally arrived and Yvonna saw the trucks pull up in front of her building, she felt faint. What was to become of her life now? She gave the police the only information she had about her father but it was no good. She hated him! She hated even being a part of him. After all he did, she prayed the police would find him to take him away.

  All she wanted was for Jesse to get well. That was her only wish. Sliding into the ambulance, she smiled at Jesse when she saw she was still conscious. But when she reached for Jesse’s hand, she pulled away. Yvonna was hurt but figured Jesse blamed her for not being able to stop her father sooner. And as far as she was concerned, it was her fault.

  As the paramedics gave Jesse oxygen and checked her vitals, Yvonna broke down crying. She knew nothing about her life would be the same, and she was right.

  Chapter Three

  Hood Disaster

  The sound of tennis shoes scuffing against the filthy floor, crying and hysteria filled the busy hospital.

  “I’m soo sorry, Yvonna.” Sabrina said hugging her tightly. Her pregnant belly acting as a barrier between them. “Damn! Why the fuck Bilal have to die?!”

  “I don’t know. This is a fuckin’ nightmare!” Yvonna cried. “And what about my sister? I’ll kill myself if she dies!”

  “She gonna be aight. At least she made it.”

  Sabrina wearing a pair of jeans, and a white t-shirt that said “Big and Beautiful” looked very uncomfortable in her clothes. Her red dreds were tied up in a ponytail and she was doing her best to console Yvonna despite being upset. You would’ve thought he was her man.

  Cream was also by Yvonna’s side, offering as much support as possible considering she didn’t know what to say at a time like this. Wearing a pair of grey sweatpants which she filled out perfectly with her phat round ass, she had a body like Beyonce. The plain white t-shirt she wore exposed her flat stomach and sexy physique.

  “Why the fuck did this have to happen to me? He was gonna marry me ya’ll!” she advised showing them her ring. “Now he gone!”

  They both stared at the ring in shock. They knew full well Bilal was not the type of dude to get married, even if it was to Yvonna.

  “I’m so sorry, Yvonna.” Cream said gripping her hand tightly. Every finger on Cream’s hand was covered with a ring.

  “Bilal gone ya’ll!” Yvonna continued saying the same thing. “My sister’s laying upstairs in a hospital bed and its all father’s fault! Why, Brina?! Why he leave me to deal wit dis shit on my own?!”

  “I don’t know,” Sabrina said as she maintained the one arm hold she had on her. Yvonna’s face was pressed against her left breast. “You know he ain’t neva been shit. I’ve never seen that man since I’ve known you. It’s like you’ve always handled shit on your own. Why should this time be any different?”

  When they heard what sounded like arguing in the background, they looked behind them to see Crazy Dave attempting to calm Swoopes down. Dave’s back was faced the girls so they couldn’t see what he was saying, or hear either of them clearly over the hospital noise. But Swoope’s evil facial expressions were enough.

  “Hold fast!” Crazy Dave advised with his hands up. “Let me find out what went down before we start kickin’ up shit!”

  “Find out what went down?” Swoopes repeated as he glared at Yvonna with disgust. “I don’t believe shit that bitch say out her mothafuckin’ mouth! You know she crazy!”

  Swoopes grunted because he wanted to unleash four hot slugs into Yvonna’s head. Bilal’s death meant he couldn’t carry out the YBM’s plan to rob, Rock and Diamond Wayne from New York, two dealers who were coming in town for the weekend on business.

  Bilal scheduled a meeting to buy some weight from them and the YBM members would be in the background ready to rob them. But with him dead, the plan would not go down. And with Swoopes owing some other dealers fifty thousand dollars, his life and the life of his family members were in danger.

  “So what you wanna do? Go over there and blast her head off with a thousand witnesses watchin? With all the noise you makin’ right now if somethin’ did happen to the bitch, who you think they gonna remember?”

  Swoopes remained quiet when he looked around and saw several people watching.

  “That’s what da fuck I thought! Now, let me find out what’s goin’ on!”

  “Yeah aight!” Swoopes responded angrily. He had so much hate in his heart you couldn’t come within twelve feet of him without feeling it. “Let me get out of here before I choke that bitch.”

  When Yvonna saw him leave, she sat up straight. Dave took a deep breath and walked over toward them.

  “You aight, shawty?” He asked Yvonna as he pulled his cap down and sat in the available seat next to Cream.

  “Not really,” she said wiping the tears from her face.

  “Jesse don’t look too good.” Cream advised him, still holding Yvonna’s hand. “They don’t know if she gonna make it.” He looked over at Sabrina who was silently crying.

  “You aight girl?” he asked Sabrina.

  “Naw…too much is happenin’ in one night!”

  “Shit!” he said as he placed his face in his hands and looked over at Yvonna again. “Listen, I know you don’t fuck wit me, but Bilal was my nigga. So if you need anything let me know. I’m not gonna get into your head ‘bout what happened. We got plenty of time for that later.”

  Yvonna didn’t say much. It wasn’t a secret that she couldn’t stand him. When she hoarded his ass by not even responding, he stood up, placed his hand on Yvonna’s shoulder, and said “I’ll be in touch.” Like a threat instead of a promise. With that he walked off leaving them alone.

  “I can’t stand that mothafucka!” Yvonna responded as she took her feet out of Bilal’s slippers. Pulling her knees toward her chest, she gripped her legs tightly.

  “I know,” Cream replied. “But he sounded like he was really worried about you.”

  “Fuck him!” Yvonna spat. “The only person he cares about is his mothafuckin’ self. He ain’t neva want me and Bilal to be together in the first place.”

  “I don’t want you worryin’ ‘bout him.” Sabrina responded bringing her closer to her big fleshy body, causing her feet to fall on the floor again. “You got us, and that’s all that matters.”

  Yvonna fell into her hug. She realized that if her sister died, what Sabrina was saying would be true. Outside of Sabrina and Cream she didn’t have anybody in her life that she really fucked with. Her closest friend Gabriella disappeared off the face of the earth when she was younger and she was the only one who Yvonna felt really cared about her. It didn’t matter that whenever she was around Gabriella, she stayed in trouble.

  And her aunt Jhane’ on her mother’s side, didn’t want to have anything to do with Yvonna. The only person Jhane’ was concerned about was Jesse.

  Thirty minutes later Jhane rushed into the hospital to speak to the doctors. When Yvonna stood up to greet her, Jhane looked at her coldly.

  “Get the fuck away from me, bitch!” Jhane told her with her fist balled up. “When Jesse pulls through, she’s staying with me. I don’t care what you or that deadbeat father of yours says.” She walked off to talk to the doctors.

  “Don’t worry about her.” Sabrina gripped her.

  “Yeah! She’s just upset at what’s happening with Jesse.” Cream added.

  Yvonna didn’t want to say anything, but Jhane’s attitude toward her hurt but she was going to play it off. Fuck my family. She thought. I got my girls and they got me! And when my sister gets betta, the three of dem will be all I care about.

  But little did she know, her statement was hardly true.

  Chapter Four

  Buried

  Side conversations danced throughout the home as people tried to be friendly considering a funeral had taken place.

  “You’re like a daughter to me.” Mrs. Santana said to Yvonna as she hugged her at Bilal’s wake.

  “I thought you would hate me,” Yvonna cried.

  “No…this isn’t your fault, Yvonna. It’s your father’s.”

  “I hope you can forgive me.” Her tears stained the grey silk blouse she wore underneath her jacket. “I don’t know how I’m gonna go on without Lal!”

  “You can’t worry about that anymore sweetheart.” she said taking a deep breath. “We have to pull ourselves together and move on with our lives. Because if I don’t,” Mrs. Santana said wiping her black thick hair from her face. “I don’t know what I’ll do.”