Dirty Work: Part 1

The men left the apartment. No one knew how long they would be gone. With war escalating, everyone’s lives were about to get a lot more dramatic and dangerous.

At the Extended Stay hotel, Kip helped his brother get unpacked, and then he dropped the duffel bag filled with cash onto the bed. He unzipped it, showing his brother what was inside.

Kid was in awe. Kid knew one thing for sure: However Kip attained that large amount of cash, it was done illegally, and most likely, someone had ended up dead.

“Kid, if anything happens to me, I need you to take care of this,” Kip said. “Keep this safe.”

Kid said, “Don’t talk like that, Kip. Whatever happened, whatever you did, we gonna get through this. We always do.”

Kip wasn’t so sure. A lot of shit had gone down, and there was a lot of heat on the streets. A war had started, and many men were going to die.

Kip zipped up the duffel bag and shoved it under the bed. He tucked his pistol into his waistband and prepared to leave. With Kid hidden safely in a hotel in Mount Vernon, he felt okay. He stared at his little brother before he walked out and smiled.

“Just be careful out there, Kip. Please.”

“I will.”

All was forgiven between the brothers. The fight they’d had was long behind them. Kid couldn’t lose him; Kip was the only family he had.

Kid sat in his wheelchair and just stared at the door, wondering if his brother would walk through it again.

***

Kip made the trip upstate to see his Nana once more. It was early morning when he knocked on her door, and she answered in her usual attire. She had a chronic cough and looked fatigued. Kip hated to see his Nana in such poor condition. But he had something that was going to cheer her up.

He closed her door and walked toward her bed with an overnight bag in hand. He dropped the bag on her bed. He hugged and kissed his Nana on her cheeks. “I got something for you, Nana. You gonna be okay.” He unzipped the overnight bag and showed her the cash inside—one hundred thousand dollars for her treatment and medication.

Nana was flabbergasted by the amount of money on her bed. She had never seen so much cash before. Her eyes lit up brightly like Times Square at night.

“Holy shit!”

“I told you, Nana, don’t worry ’bout anything. I was gonna get you that money.”

She wondered how he got it. Did someone die for this amount of money? She picked up a ten-thousand-dollar stack and gazed at it like it was exotic. “Kip . . . how?”

“Nana, don’t worry about how I got it. I just got it for you to get better and live.”

Kip was in a rush and couldn’t stay long. He hugged and kissed his Nana again and left her small apartment.

Nana started removing the stacks of cash and placing it on her bed. She counted it; it was all there—$100,000. Kip never failed to impress her. She then picked up her phone and called Curtis. When he answered, she boasted, “Guess what, baby? I got you your money.”

“I knew you wouldn’t let me down, Rhonda. I’ll come get you in about an hour. We’ll go out to eat and

celebrate.” He hung up.

Thirty

Eshon sat in the comfort of her bathtub, soaking in the warm waters with soft bubbles. She was hassle-free and calm for the moment. She had scented candles burning and a glass of white wine close by, enjoying the perfect scenery she created for herself. She felt enchanted tonight, feeling great to be in her own world.

She sang along in perfect harmony to one of her favorite tracks, “Part II (On the Run)” by Beyoncé and Jay Z.

She was always thinking about Kip. Every love song, every breakup song, or just another sad love song, for her, was about Kip. Every word sung was about him and their relationship, their love life forever on repeat on the radio.

Eshon shed a few tears just thinking about the ups and downs with Kip, wondering if he would ever love her like she loved him. There was no hesitation when it came to loving him, and she let it clearly be known how strongly she felt about him. She wanted marriage and kids with Kip, and whether it was a life of crime with him or a life of stability with a family and a nine-to-five, she would be there.

Eshon lingered in the tub for about an hour, drowning in love and heartbreak simultaneously. She finished her wine and wiped away a few more tears. She stood up from the tub, stepped out, and toweled off while looking at her image in the bathroom mirror. What she saw was extraordinary, and she hated to be conceited. What was there not to like about her curvy figure, perky tits, round chestnut-colored eyes, full lips, and soft skin? She could easily become a singer or a model, or maybe both. Eshon knew she was a great catch, and while every nigga in Harlem was chasing and yearning for her, she didn’t give them the time of day, because she believed wholeheartedly in what she had with Kip. Some might say she was delusional.

She tied the towel around her body and knotted it. Stepping out the bathroom and into her bedroom, she noticed she had several missed calls and a few voice messages, including texts. Immediately, she knew something was up. Brandy had called her four times, and a few other home girls had reached out. There was a text from Brandy, saying: urgent, call me back.