“That whole college scene, and all them white boys with the rich parents, he got that whole shit on lock.”
Black Jus smiled and nodded because that explained why her boyfriend was moving so much product in North Carolina.
“So listen. He gave me twenty-five hundred to purchase an ounce from you, you know, just so he could sample it and shit.”
“That ain’t nothing.”
“No, but it is. The thing is, I already spent most of the money, and right now all I got is a grand on me.”
“So I’ll get you half an ounce.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“I gotchu.” Black Jus moved closer to Jasmine. “I wanted to get wit’chu ever since I used to see you out with that nigga Shabazz.”
Jasmine moved back. “Oh, really?” She smiled.
Black Jus nodded. He looked possessed—like he just wanted to bend Jasmine over right there in his living room and fuck her. He came closer, but she held out her hand and stretched out her arm and held Black Jus at bay.
She told him, “Don’t even do that.”
“Do what?”
“Push up on me like that. With the harem of bitches that I’m sure you got, I ain’t trying to be in your stable.”
“What women?” Black Jus leaned in and tried to kiss Jasmine.
“Jus, as good as you look, stop it.”
“Don’t nobody got to know nothing. It’s just me and you right now. Your man ain’t here, and my girl ain’t here.”
“I know that.” Jasmine managed to escape from his clutches and went into her bag. “Let’s just keep it about business, though. Here, let me give you this money.” She tried to discreetly stop the recording device, but since she couldn’t do it without making it obvious, she gave up on the idea. She pulled out the cash and counted off a thousand dollars.
Black Jus took hold of the money and counted it. He then told Jasmine that he didn’t feel like getting out a scale and chopping up a brick just to weigh out a half ounce of coke. It was like he felt like he needed to impress her. He told her that when they left his crib, he would drive her to get the half-ounce of cocaine and then take her to some different spots in Yonkers.
Jasmine told him that she was okay with that plan. She knew that Black Jus was now going to go real hard at her and try to fuck her, but she had made up her mind to be strong and not give in to him and to only promise him that she would let him fuck her later, just not then and there.
Jasmine knew how to play the game. The best bait was the prospect of him fucking her. In fact, the prospect of pussy was even more powerful than the pussy itself. And it was the prospect of getting at Jasmine’s pussy that had allowed Black Jus to let his guard down, and with his loose lips and his huge ego, he walked right down the road she wanted him to walk down.
Twenty-Four
Nico had not left Jamaica Hospital since the night of the shooting at the funeral home when both BJ and Lo were rushed to the trauma unit. That would be the equivalent of betraying his two most trusted lieutenants. He was at the hospital when BJ came out of surgery. The doctors told him that the prognosis was good, and it looked like BJ would pull through.
But then a different set of surgeons informed him that they had tried everything they could but weren’t able to save Lo. Nico was devastated. He felt all kinds of guilt because he was certain that Lo would be alive and that BJ wouldn’t be clinging to life if he’d followed his gut and skipped Bebo’s wake.
It was nearly four in the morning when he decided to call Jasmine from the hospital. His cell phone battery had died, but one of the nurses was kind enough to
let him use the phone at the nurses’ station. When Jasmine didn’t pick up, he decided against leaving a message and ended the call. He desperately needed somebody to talk to, share his pain with, and he knew that regardless of any past drama, she would be there for him. It was late, so he figured Jasmine was sleeping. He decided he would just drive home to Long Island when he left the hospital and give her the news about Lo face to face.
“You okay?” the nurse asked Nico after he hung up the phone.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Listen, I’m not supposed to do this, but the staffing is real light at this time of night, and the anesthesia should be wearing off right about now, so if you want, I can take you in to see your friend but only very briefly,” the head nurse explained to Nico.
“That’s what’s up. I would appreciate that.”
The head nurse stood up from her leather chair and looked around and saw that, aside from a janitor, the hallways were empty, and she told Nico to follow her. The two of them made it to BJ’s room in the intensive care unit, and she opened the door and let Nico inside.