TTW 3 ( Thicker Than Water 3 ) Page 4

  The way he asked her caused Tatum’s ears to perk. He sounded peeved, almost angry at the realization. Tatum wondered if Jayde was already messing up their huge “master plan”.

  “Like I said…we had an issue.” Jayde’s voice softened a bit. She was a boss bitch, the boss bitch, but Ree was the king. She knew her place. “It can’t be discussed like this.”

  Ree remained silent, realizing she meant over the phones. He wondered if anything was going wrong. He couldn’t afford that. This was his last go in the street business. One final score and he would be set forever and done. He couldn’t afford any mishaps.

  “I’ll be down in a minute.”

  He disconnected the call before she could get another word out.

  “Jayde’s here?” Tatum wasted no time asking.

  Ree nodded as he buckled his pants.

  “Why? Why is she in Jamaica?” Tatum stood up and began to fix herself.

  “I’m about to find that out right now,” he assured her.

  “Does this have to do with that drug stuff, Ree? Is she already messing up, because you promised that everything would go-”

  “Ssshh...” Ree stepped up quickly and placed a finger to Tatum’s lips in haste. He looked her in the eyes.

  “Don’t ever ask about that, Tatum. Don’t concern yourself with that. I mean it. I want you to know nothing about that,” he added with a firm authority. He meant it too. Not only was it not her place in his business, he would never put her in harm’s way. He would keep her as ignorant as possible to all of it.

  Tatum swallowed hard, not knowing how to take his statements. He kissed her forehead as a softer gesture.

  “You just worry about making an honest man out of me in a few weeks,” he teased. “I can’t be shacking up with you in sin anymore, Miss Lady.” He shot her a wink as he turned and headed out of the room.

  Tatum let out a half-smile and took a deep breath, letting it go… for now. Taking a glance around the room, a thought suddenly ran through her head. She called out to him.

  “Hey!”

  “Yeah?” He turned abruptly.

  Picking up his Dolce shirt with swiftness, she tossed it at him hard and he caught it midair with a crinkle in his brow.

  “You forgetting something? Put it on,” she demanded.

  Ree chuckled but followed suit, sliding his arms into the dress material. That’s what he loved about Tatum. She knew when to fall back but she also knew when to step up. She had a voice, and he respected it. He wasn’t the only one who called the shots.

  “Chauncey is and will always be in the streets.”

  – Sasha, Still Thicker than Water

  -2-

  “Cominggg!”

  Sasha looked down at her cell phone once more before making her way to the front door.

  Ignore. For the tenth fucking time…

  She placed the phone on the kitchen counter and sashayed through the house, the house that used to be just Chauncey’s house when he had followed her and Aubrey here to Atlanta. Now it was also her house…their house, which they shared as a family. It felt good.

  She wondered if it was her aunt at the door dropping her daughter back off. It couldn’t have been Chauncey because he had keys, he wouldn’t ring the bell. Reaching the foyer, she heard her cell vibrate in the distance. She knew it was probably Jayde calling again.

  Can’t she take a hint? Sasha wondered.

  The bell chimed just as Sasha neared the peephole. Sighing, she yanked the door open.

  “Impatient much?” Her brow rose cutely with the question. “He’s not here,” she added, shooting Bleek a light smile.

  Bleek often stopped by. He was a worker for Chauncey and Jayde and had recently become someone that Chauncey seemed to trust. This was evident being that he was the one to help clean up the body when Sasha had murdered her husband Mike, only after Mike had attempted to kill her and her daughter. That was a secret Sasha planned on taking to the grave and something she fought daily to forget.

  Sasha turned and proceeded back inside, still in her spandex workout gear. She had just finished up her daily treadmill run and phone call with Tatum.

  “You can come in and wait though; he should be here any minute. We’re supposed to go pick up my car and then go to dinner. Speaking of which…” Sasha turned to Bleek with narrowed eyes. “You better not be coming over here messing up our plans.”

  Bleek held up his hands defensively and stepped back, shooting her his charming boyish smile.

  “Look, I just came over here to relay a message. Be easy, shawty.”

  “Well, what is it?” Sasha asked, facing him curiously.

  “Had you let me get a word in you would’ve known it by now.” Bleek smirked and his right dimple appeared on his baby face. Sasha rolled her eyes playfully.

  “Well first, J-Mur…I mean Jayde… She been tryin’ to get in touch with you. She said she been calling you for a few days.”

  Sasha tried her best to keep a straight face but her actions reflected her disinterest.

  “And what’s second?”

  Bleek raised his brows in shock.

  “Oh, word? It’s like that?”

  Sighing, Sasha headed to the kitchen where her cell phone was.

  “Look, I was just about to call her back. I mean, c’mon Bleek…I know your job is a little more important than to come all the way over to the other side of town just to ask me why I’m not taking Jayde’s phone calls?” Sasha’s own southern accent peeked just like Bleek’s when they spoke and got excited.

  Bleek shook his finger at her and pressed his lips together as he followed behind, as if he wanted to respond to her slick comments but wasn’t sure how.

  “Funny,” he said, grabbing a red apple from the fruit bowl. After taking a bite, he proceeded, mouth full and all. “In all honesty, I could give a fuck about y’all girl shit.”

  He looked at her and his brows dipped low a bit before speaking.

  “I also came ‘cause Chaunc got held up. He asked me to swang you by the dealership so you can pick up your-”

  “Oh my god, again!” Sasha exclaimed in disbelief. She couldn’t believe Chauncey was cancelling on her again. “First, he got held up and couldn’t pick me up from the airport last week. Then he got held up and couldn’t take Aubrey to the doctor and you had to. Now when I finally convince him that I need a new car, he can’t even take me to pick it up?”

  “At least he paid for it,” Bleek smirked, coming to his man’s defense.

  Sasha rolled her eyes.

  “Yeah Bleek, and he was supposed to take us out to eat, too. What? He sent you to handle that also?”

  Bleek shrugged.

  “I mean I could…”

  Sasha sucked her teeth and turned from him. Was she being spoiled? Was she asking too much? It seemed like everything had finally started getting right. Her and Chauncey could finally be a family with Aubrey and put the past behind them. She was almost over the whole him sleeping with Neli deal, especially after they had learned that the poor girl had been shot dead. That had really shaken her and Tatum up for a while after they heard that. And to think, she was still in Atlanta when it happened?

  The cops had also left the disappearance of her husband Mike alone months ago and hadn’t been asking questions. And Sasha was even back in medical school.

  But it seemed that recently Sasha’s worries were not with any of those things. Recently, Chauncey had dived nose first into the streets and whatever concoction that he, Ree, and Jayde had brewing, was leaving him with less and less time for his family. Sasha wondered if Tatum was experiencing the same thing. She made a mental note to ask her when she landed.

  “You know Bleek, can you tell me something?”

  Bleek stuck his hands in the pockets of his tan Dickies shorts and just stared at her. He was dressed like a preppy school boy, with a short sleeved V-neck sweater over his polo. The outfit along with his clear, Hennessey complexioned baby face gave him the innocence
of a teenager. But everyone knew he was far from innocent. That’s why he had been compared to Chauncey so much. He was just as ruthless and hot-tempered.

  “Can you please tell me what exactly is going on with Ree, Chauncey, and Jayde?” Bleek noticed that she had said Jayde’s name through slightly gritted teeth. Bleek shook his head defiantly.

  “Nah. I can’t even tell you what I do know, shawty.”

  “And why is that?”

  “It’s not for you, that’s why.” He was adamant. He also didn’t mention the fact that Ree was no holds barred. Everyone in the streets knew that. Once Bleek found out that the infamous Respect was now the head of the realm, he knew everything was going to be different. They would be eating on a whole other level, which would be the lovely part. But they would also have to be on point at all times. Or you would be dead. That’s how Ree ran his business.

  “Now c’mon, forget all of that. Throw some clothes on. Imma wait outside. C’mon, put a smile on ya face. Act like a woman wit’ a man that just bought her a $150,000 car.”

  Sasha smirked a little, thinking of his words. He was right, Chauncey did provide for her.

  “Alright, I’ll get dressed. Give me a few minutes.”

  “You might wanna take a shower though first. Seeing you was sweating and shit. You ain’t getting into my shit all funky.”

  “Shut up!” Sasha spat laughing. She went to swing at Bleek but he caught her wrist.

  “Ah, I’m too sharp for you,” he teased with a wink. “Remember that.” Sasha giggled and he released her and then she trotted up the stairs, getting excited about her brand new car.

  “Hi Tatum.”

  “Hey Jayde,” Tatum responded, stepping into one of the family rooms where Jayde was seated on the white sofa. Ree was seated across from her. “To what do we owe this honor?” Tatum couldn’t help but to add.

  Tatum could feel Ree’s eyes on her, probably from the question she posed, but she would deal with the consequences later. She just couldn’t help herself.

  “Oh, it’s just…business,” Jayde replied. She wore a green and black printed wrap dress that defined her artificial assets. Her jet black mane and emerald eyes complemented the set up well, and her bright smile and feminine demeanor read more of a super model than a drug dealer. “I’m only stealing him for one moment. You can have him back as soon as I’m done,” Jayde added with a wink.

  Tatum chuckled and turned her attention to Ree not realizing just how true the meanings of Jayde’s words were.

  “I’m gonna run out to the marketplace and grab some things before I leave tonight. Sasha will kill me if I don’t bring her coco-water back.”

  Ree stood.

  “Okay. And grab me some of that-”

  “Black soap? In the yellow box?” Tatum questioned with a smile.

  He chuckled and placed his hands on her hips.

  “Yeah, that’s the one. And the shea butter…”

  “With the green lid. And a box of vanilla dutches,” Tatum finished. “I got you,” she whispered as she pecked him on the lips and he smiled.

  “Tatum, have you spoken to Sasha?” Jayde’s voice was so even it could draw a straight line. That PDA shit sickened her.

  Tatum turned to face her but kept her embrace with Ree.

  “Yeah… I talked to her a few minutes ago.”

  “Hm…” Jayde’s brow wrinkled. “Well, she hasn’t been answering my calls,” she revealed with a question in her voice.

  Tatum shrugged, not knowing anything more.

  “I don’t know. I’ll tell her to call you when I see her, though. Bye.”

  Tatum made her way out, holding onto Ree’s hand until the tip of their fingers were forced to part. Ree watched her the entire time. After a few seconds and when he heard the front door close, he proceeded.

  “Why the fuck would you come out here?” Just like that, his whole demeanor changed as he sat back down.

  “I told you. Our friend, he wants to see you sooner than we arranged,” Jayde explained as if he hadn’t just spoken to her like that. No one else could and still breathe, but Ree, he was the exception. She actually was turned on by it.

  “So, you could’ve told me that shit two days from now when I got back to the States. Don’t fuck up the plans, Jayde. You are supposed to do everything the way I said. You’re supposed to be holding a meeting right now as we speak. Now you tell me what happened with that?”

  “I let Chauncey handle it,” she stated matter-of-factly. Ree jumped up abruptly and walked away from her, his anger written all over him. “Listen, I know you said for me to hold them since they’re familiar with me, but seriously, I think it’s better if you and I work together on the international, and let Chauncey and Bleek-”

  “I don’t give a fuck what you think!” He spun around furiously.

  Jayde immediately silenced and had to bite her tongue. Her foot tapped rapidly however. She narrowed her eyes at Ree as he continued.

  “You are in no position to let Chauncey handle shit on your end. If I needed help on my end, which I don’t, I’d delegate it to C before you.” Ree walked over and leaned down to Jayde with cold eyes. He was so close, she could smell the cologne from his shirt, hear his breathing, and feel his overwhelming aura.

  “Look, we need to get this clear, because obviously it wasn’t clear for you before. I worked with your father, Jayde. Not you. I don’t even know you. You and I will not work on the international because you and I will not work together. You handle what you’re supposed to. I do what I have to. We make this money, I walk away, and you and C can go about the business as you were. Period.”

  Jayde swallowed hard.

  “You got it?” He asked with authority, placing his index and thumb on her chin.

  “Okay…,” she mumbled. “But I think you’re making a big mistake since-”

  “There you go wit’ ya fucking thinking again, Jayde. That’s what the fuck I don’t need.”

  She could tell she had him frustrated. A part of her was excited at the thought. Jayde pressed her thighs together as she watched him pace the floor and finally stop at the bar to pour a drink. He was so sexy, so dominant. She literally wanted to get on her knees for him.

  “Okay,” she said breathlessly, still watching him. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have suggested it. I should’ve stayed in Atlanta and waited on you. But he wants to meet you out here. Tonight. And he wants me here. So now what?”

  Ree looked at her for a while before speaking. If she didn’t have her connections she would be useless to him. But for now, she was just the kind of bitch he needed on his side and the key to this working.

  “Set it up.”

  Jayde smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the plans were panning out in her favor.

  “Okay…I’ll make the call.”

  Ree nodded in affirmation, and just then his cell phone began to ring.

  It’s about Mickel…

  Who?

  Mickel Dupree… Jayde’s father…

  Sasha sat in the passenger seat of Bleek’s drop-top Lamborghini Murcielago reflecting on the world-rocking conversation she had shared with her mother nine months prior.

  They had all been rejoicing on the closing of the drastic events over dinner - her, Chauncey, Aubrey, Jayde, Tatum, and Ree - when her mother’s phone call interrupted them.

  Not only had her mother dropped a bomb on her by revealing the news of Mickel and why he was relevant to Sasha, but when she had informed her mother just a few days ago that after holding in this news for nine months, she was ready to discuss it with Jayde, her mother revealed another secret.

  Jayde already knows dear… She just doesn’t know that you do. And trust me, it’s best if she doesn’t.

  Now that changed everything.

  Sasha had gone about the whole nine months, after learning the truth about Mickel, being indifferent in no way to Jayde. She figured why act differently to her, Jayde was just as clueless as Sasha had be
en. But having found out that Jayde already knew was too much. This whole time Jayde had held onto this crucial information, and unlike her secret of being an underground drug lord that she had once also kept from Sasha, Sasha wasn’t sure if she could forget this one.