Daughter of a Queen Pin Page 3

  Daddy shot the man four times, bringing him down to his knees. They both got back in the car and drove right past the approaching police.

  On the way home, after he dropped off Uncle Nardo, he explained to me why he had to do that and what had caused the situation. He also told me to never pull a gun on somebody unless I was going to use it. “If you decide to shoot someone, shoot to kill them,” he said.

  When we got, home Daddy Duane was back to his normal self.

  * * *

  I was now seventeen. I didn’t claim to be the finest girl in school, but I held my own. I was not interested in boys; they were interested in me. I only had one thing on my mind. I wanted to finish school and start my business. I wanted to be like Daddy Duane, a mover and shaker.

  Most kids want to be like their parents, and I was no exception. My parents always taught me you must have a plan in life for where you want to go and where you want to be in ten years. I know I was kinda young to be thinking about this, but ever since I first put my hand on that gun, Tick Tock, I knew what I wanted. After I killed that awful man that was hurting my mother, I felt the power the gun gave me, and I wanted to feel more of it. Something in me knew that night where my life was going. So, I spent all my time planning how to make it happen.

  There was this senior in school named Cedric. I could tell he liked me a lot. He was the school hustler. He always had girls and guys around him. Every time he saw me, he’d always speak. no matter whom he was with. One particular day, he was with four girls. One girl, Mae Mae, didn’t like the idea that he came over and started talking to me.

  “Yo, you wanna go out wit’ me?” Cedric asked.

  I looked him up and down and then said, “Nah. No thanks.” Like I said, I had no time for guys and their bullshit games.

  Mae Mae looked at me and then at Cedric. She looked back at me and rolled her eyes, giving me a look that said she wanted to fuck me up. I knew there would be trouble.

  That afternoon, I told my mother what had happened. “What should I do?” I asked.

  As I said before, my mother and father were close to me, and I always took their advice.

  My mother gave me a bag my daddy had told her to give me when she felt the time was right. “Do what you gotta do to protect yourself,” she said.

  The next day, I went to school with my bag. We got out of school earlier than usual. On my way home, I saw Cedric and some other guys that were buying something from him and a couple of his friends that I recognized.

  “Yo, ma,” Cedric said to me.

  While my attention was on him, I didn’t notice four girls come from across the street. Before I could speak to him, I got shoved in the back. The guys started laughing, and Cedric, not wanting to act like he liked me, remained silent.

  Mae Mae pushed me to the ground. “Bitch, don’t you speak to my man again!”

  The whore tried to kick me, but with catlike moves, I jumped up and was in her face with my old friend Tick Tock pointed to the side of her head. “What did you say?” I shouted as everybody froze.

  “Come on, Krystal. Don’t do this.” Cedric pleaded for his girl’s life.

  The three other females were so scared they didn’t move or even blink.

  “So, yeah, I asked you what you said,” I growled, getting in Mae Mae’s face. It was like I was in a movie. My heart was beating fast, but I wasn’t scared. “I should blow ya head off right now. But let me guess—you sorry now, right?”

  The girl looked at me as pee started to flow down her pants leg onto her gym shoes.

  “That’s my sister,” one of the guys yelled as he picked up a bat and started moving toward me.

  I had to make a decision. Daddy Duane always said be ready to kill. So, I told myself, Her first, then him.

  He was swinging the bat, and he was getting within striking distance. I cocked Tick Tock and was getting ready to pull the trigger.

  “Anybody moves, and I’ll kill you all.” This was a new voice.

  Everybody’s eyes turned, searching for the person that spoke. I saw two familiar guns pointed, one at the guys and the other at the girls.

  “Let it slide this time, Krystal. This is their only warning. Next time, we play for keeps.” It was Ms. Lady. She saw the surprised expression on my face and smirked in response. “Uncock Tick Tock and let’s go.”

  I was the only one who knew what she was talking about. I lowered the gun and kicked Mae Mae dead in the stomach. The other girls backed up so I couldn’t reach them. I passed the guys and rolled my eyes at Cedric.

  Ms. Lady put her guns to her side until I was safely in the car. Just like Daddy Duane, Ms. Lady explained what she was doing and why she did it.

  “Find someone you trust to always have your back, like I had your father’s. You don’t pull a gun to show off. When you pull a gun, expect to use it, or keep it in your pocket. Only time you need it is when somebody disrespects you or you are trying to build a reputation.

  “You said you want to be a player in the game. You cannot go off on somebody just ’cause you mad. You must think and then react. I want you to be calm and cool. That way, nobody can pull your strings. They can’t catch you slipping if they don’t know what makes you fall. Now, you understand me, Krystal?”

  “Yes, Ms. Lady. Do you think what I did was wrong?” I asked.

  “No, you were disrespected, and now you will have a rep at school. No one’s going to bother you again.”

  I loved it when we had those heart-to-heart talks. Ms. Lady didn’t pull any punches with me. Like Daddy Duane, she was always straightforward with me, teaching me about real life.

  * * *

  That was my junior year in school. By my senior year, I was running the school. I was supplying the weed and the pills. I had a crew, and Cedric was kinda my competition. He had graduated or dropped out, but he was at school every day, selling drugs. Our paths didn’t cross much because he sold heroin.

  I was making enough money to keep my supply going and take care of the bills. Ms. Lady had gotten worse with her addiction. She needed heroin in her body in the morning, then she used cocaine to bring her up from her jump-off high. I loved my mother deeply, but I vowed I would never use any kind of drug. I wanted my mind to be free to see what was coming at me. Ms. Lady had become blind to the world.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  I was about to turn eighteen in three months, and I was graduating in six. My plan for my life was working. I would receive the money Daddy Duane left me and finish setting up my empire. I searched for a house to buy to no avail. So, I went back to the Bottom Barrel and talked to Uncle Nardo. He also had a plan for me that his best friend had put in place before he got killed. That was, if I decided I wanted to hustle. Daddy Duane must have known it was in my system early on.

  “I have enough money to retire,” Uncle Nardo had said, “so if you want it, the greasy spoon is yours.” Uncle Nardo and Daddy Duane had owned the restaurant together.

  “Cool,” I answered. “I’m ready to hustle.”

  Uncle Nardo nodded his head. “Duane always said he thought you had it in you. I can turn you on to my supplier if you want.”

  “I do.”

  Uncle Nardo stared at me for a second with a concerned look on his face, and then he laid out the reality to me. “You know that as a female, dudes is gonna test you repeatedly. So be ready, build your crew, keep them loyal, and pay them good. Don’t try to make all the money yourself. Yours is going to come. As always, I will always have your back if needed.”

  Just then, there was a knock on the door. Uncle Nardo opened it, and a chick walked in with an attitude. I didn’t know her name, but she looked sorta familiar. She looked like a high-class model.

  “You forgot our appointment. You were supposed to meet me,” she said to Uncle Nardo. The young lady looked over at me and frowned. I guess she thought I was his girl.

  “I’m sorry. I did not know you were expecting company,” I said.

  “Damn, y’all. A
ren’t you gonna speak?” Uncle Nardo said.

  We both looked each other over and just shrugged our shoulders.

  “This is your cousin Krystal,” he said to the other chick, then he looked at me. “And this is Sable, my oldest daughter. You act like y’all didn’t play together as kids or when Krystal stayed with us,” he announced matter-of-factly.

  I jumped up. “Sable!”

  She ran over and hugged me. “Krystal, I haven’t seen you in nine or ten years.”

  We were truly happy to see each other. Although we weren’t real cousins, we always said we were. Sable was two years older than I was. She always protected me from the girls and the boys in elementary school. She was rough.

  “You are beautiful, girl. What you been doing? Modeling?” I inquired.

  “I was until my sister was killed last year,” she stated.

  “Okay, Sable, not now, please.” Uncle Nardo stopped her, looking at the ground, not wanting to talk about it.

  “Girl, what you been doing?” Sable asked, changing the subject like her father wanted her to. “Why you down here?”

  “Getting ready to graduate. I just wanted to talk to Uncle Nardo.” I didn’t know how much Sable knew about Uncle Nardo’s lifestyle, so I decided not to tell her my real reason for coming to the Bottom Barrel.

  “I’m trying to get my pops out of the Bottom Barrel. He don’t need to be here. He sometimes can’t remember things, and people take advantage of him. So, I’ve been running his business with him.” Sable stood proudly.

  Uncle Nardo got out of his chair and approached us. “I’m glad you’re both here. I want to talk to you ladies.” He sounded serious. “Sable, I am retiring next month. I’m leaving the shop to Krystal. That was her old man’s wish.” Sable didn’t look too bothered by what he said.

  Then he told me, “I’m leaving Sable with my business.”

  I didn’t say anything. That was his daughter, so of course he would give the business to her before me. But he wasn’t done.

  He continued, “I can’t tell you ladies what to do, but Duane and I always dreamed that we’d stay in business long enough for our kids to take over. But we never thought about you being women. You girls already have a bond, and if you stay close like your father and I did, nothing could or should come between you.”

  “Daddy, are you really leaving?” Sable sounded like she was praying his answer was yes.

  “Yes, baby girl. I couldn’t leave you here alone, but with everything I taught you and everything Duane and Charday taught Krystal, I feel you girls will be all right. You must remember that we are family and always, I mean always, have each other’s backs.”

  This was the start of building the foundation of our empire, which we called Family First Enterprise. For the next three months, we planned, recruited, and laid the groundwork. Every step we made, we talked about it.

  We hustled out of the greasy spoon, and we always kept guys around us. That wasn’t hard for Sable because she was so beautiful. Ms. Lady was still using drugs, so we set her up in the greasy spoon. She could use all the drugs she wanted, and we could keep an eye on her.

  Sable and I became like sisters. All I had to do was think about it and she knew my thoughts.

  On my eighteenth birthday, we had a party at the greasy spoon. This was my birthday and also our coming out party. We invited everybody in the neighborhood who we knew used drugs. We gave out free samples of Family First, the new heroin in the Bottom Barrel. The bags were labeled and distinctive in color. Everybody at the party, passing out the new drug, would have a dope house in a certain area. We told them where we would be and the hours.

  Our business took off better than expected. The twenty thousand dollars I had spent as an initial investment was given back to me by Sable in eight months. Every week after that, Sable and I were able to clear ten thousand dollars apiece. We agreed we wouldn’t buy new cars, jewelry, or anything that would bring attention to us. Instead, we purchased guns, rifles, bulletproof vests, and semi-automatic weapons to protect ourselves if need be.

  Unfortunately, money had a way of turning people against each other. After eight months in business, our first encounter with this fact was from one of our own people. Terry kept trying to turn Sable and me against each other. As our lieutenant, Terry knew where all the dope houses were because he went to pick up the money. One day, two of our houses got robbed.

  When he was alone with me, Terry said, “I think it was an inside job.” He got a look on his face like he regretted having to say the next part. “I think Sable set it up.”

  When he went to talk to Sable, he changed it to “I think Krystal set it up.”

  Luckily, we were too smart to fall for his act. Sable and I talked about it in private and agreed we would keep an eye on him. We went with two of our enforcers to one of the houses that got robbed to talk to the dope fiend that ran it. We always used dope fiends in the houses because we paid them in drugs and kept a roof over their heads. They were usually loyal.

  We drove up the street in an all-black, four-door old school belonging to one of the guys with us. I noticed the expressions on people’s faces when we passed them. It was as if, seeing this big black car, they knew there was going to be trouble. It was then I got the idea that that would be our calling card when we had a beef: You would see black cars riding the blocks.

  When we arrived at the house, the dope fiend first didn’t seem to take it seriously. He said lamely, “Somebody caught me off guard and took the money.”

  I guess he thought it was a joke, looking at two women holding guns on him. One enforcer watched the door, while the other one watched the people in the house.

  “You got two sawed-off shotguns and a pistol, and they caught you off guard?” I yelled at him. Before he could manage to respond, I shot him in the side of his left foot. His shrieks rang throughout the house, and everybody got quiet. “Negro, I’m only going to ask you once. If you know, tell me. If you don’t know, the next bullet is for your balls.” I stuck the gun between his legs.

  Tears were running down his face as he tried to balance on one leg because his injured foot was bleeding all over the place. “Krystal—”

  Before he got another word out, Sable had hit him in the face with her gun. “Don’t lie,” she warned with fever.

  Blood ran down his face from the gash in his head, and pain flowed up his leg from the gunshot. “Okay, okay, okay! Terry told me to give him the money. He gave me an extra package for myself. I’m sorry, Krystal. He said he was going to put me out the house.”

  I thought for a moment. Sable and the guys were looking at me to give a nod so they could kill him. I told him, “I’m going to give you a pass on this, but if I come up a cent short on any package, it’s a done deal. You feel me?”

  Pete nodded his head nervously, showing me that he understood my terms.

  “Now, I want you to do something.” I looked over at one of our enforcers. “Lloyd, gimme some bags.”

  Lloyd threw me a package of dope.

  “Pete, this is yours. I want you to call me when Terry comes. And don’t tell him I was here. You keep him here until I get here any damn way you can. Then call me. You understand that?” I mean mugged around at everybody, “Nobody better not say nothing to nobody.”

  The guys with me walked around and looked at everybody eye to eye, their pistols out. Most of the dope fiends lost their high. They were terrified of getting hurt themselves for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  “Pete, you got dope in the house?” I asked, visibly tired of the bullshit.

  “Yes,” Pete replied, teary-eyed.

  “Well, give everybody two dime bags on the house. I’ll have Lloyd bring the replacement package back. Now, are we cool, Pete? You got the plan?”

  With fear in his eyes and blood still running from the hole in his foot, Pete nodded his head in agreement.

  We showed no mercy for him or anyone in there. We were prepared to kill everybody
if necessary. On the way home, we talked about the situation and our next step.

  “We’ll let Terry think he’s getting away with it,” I said. “But when we get the call that he’s at the house, we’ll catch up with his ass.”

  They all agreed with the plan.

  Terry was supposed to make a pickup that night, so we prepared. I got two nine millimeters and put them in my coat. I put on the bulletproof vest.

  “Sable, you stay back and watch the fort in case something happens to us.”

  “Nah, fuck that,” she said, putting on her vest and grabbing a gun.

  I took her in the office so we could talk without anyone else ear hustling.

  “Look,” I said, “We decided I would handle all the enforcement and you’d handle the cash,” I reminded her. “I trust you with my money, right? So you should trust me.”

  “I do trust you,” she said, “but Terry came for both of us, so I wanna be there with you to take care of his ass.”

  I appreciated her loyalty, but it wouldn’t be a smart move, I explained. “If something happened to both of us, all we’ve accomplished would be for nothing.”

  It took her a minute to think about it, but finally she agreed to stay behind.

  Before I left, we sat and talked with Ms. Lady to tell her what was up.

  “Well, you know that as a mother, I still worry about you. But I know what you have to do,” she told me. “Ya know, I can go with you and put in work.”

  I shook my head. “No, Ms. Lady, you stay here. I gotta handle this part of the business myself.”

  We waited a couple hours until the phone rang. It was Pete, saying he and his halfwit brother were holding Terry at gunpoint in the bedroom. I came out of the office. Not a word spoken as I headed straight for the door, followed by seven guys—three of my enforcers and four runners. We got in Lloyd’s whip and Hakim’s Malibu.

  We arrived at the house in four minutes and were let in by the doorman. He had a sawed-off shotgun in his hand. The joint was crowded with dope fiends getting their high on. When the group of us walked in, everything became silent.