Page 132 of The Ninth

He toward over me in gray sweatpants, a black t-shirt and shoes, and a gold chain hanging around his neck. His hair looked freshly cut. Skin smoothed and flawless. The anger still very visible.

“I...I lied! I’m not here staying with my friend. I’m staying with my cousin. My cousin is....Cassandra.”

“WHAT?! Why the fuck would you lie about something like that? You’ve created this whole facade of a person that you’re clearly not, folks. Since we’ve met, I’ve been in that apartment countless amounts of time. You fucking up my mental and creating an image and idea of you that’s not real. What the fuck did you gain by hiding she was your cousin? What? You ashamed she was sneaking and stripping behind her man’s back? Or was you too fucking silly to mention you’ve been leaving me and going to bartend half naked at a fucking strip club?!”

“I created a false image? You’ve never once mentioned the name of your brothers or if you had one that was in jail. I don’t know the name of your niece, mother, anything! Not once did you say they called you Man-Man. Nobody in that shop has ever called you that! You’ve been going grocery shopping for two women this entire time, never mentioning once that you were caring for your brother’s girl and her cousin. Is that not you hiding who you really are?! When you had family business to handle at night, you was running the streets? Hurting people or selling drugs? Is that what you were doing?!”

When he didn’t answer, I stepped into his face, “You know damn well if I knew that you went by Man-Man and ran the streets, I would’ve steered clear of you! So instead you put on this act like you’re a tortured artist! A business owner just trying to make it! YOU LIED TOO!”

“Fuck all that, shorty, because you don’t know the full story. It’s not the fucking same. You’ve done nothing BUT hide and keep shit from me since we’ve met when I’ve told yo ass you didn’t have to. I sat you down and told you what I wanted out of life. That I wanted to pursue a future with you. THAT I DON’T FUCKING PLAY WHEN IT COMES TO YOU. AND BEHIND MY BACK, YOU OUT HERE LETTING NIGGAS SIT AND LOOK AT YOU WHILE YOU POUR DRINKS? YOU THINK THAT’S THE TYPE OF SHIT I WANT MY WIFE DOING? HUH? YOU THINK I WANT MY WIFE IN HERE, DEVYN?

“DON’T YOU THINK IF YOU DIDN’T WORK HERE YOU WOULDN’T FIND YOURSELF IN THEM DUMB ASS SITUATIONS?! A BITCH THAT’S OBSESSED WITH YOU, TRYING TO EAT YOUR PUSSY IN PUBLIC? A BROKE NIGGA SUCKING AND KISSING ON YOU? I LET THAT LIL DRESS SHIT SLIDE, FOE. I’VE BEEN EASY ON YOU BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE BEING OUT HERE WITH NO FAMILY. ON MY DEAD GRANDMAMA HEAD YOU GOT ME FUCKED UP, SHORTY! I’M TIRED OF YOU PLAYING WITH ME, SO NOW I’MA HAVE TO SHOW YO ASS.”

As his hands raised to his head, they shook violently. He rubbed his hair roughly while turning his back, taking in deep breaths. I was both scared and shocked at being caught and his strong reaction. Calling me his wife when I’m not even close! But the guilt had me feeling like I was exactly that. His wife. Caught.

One of K3’s men rounded the building with a rifle. From the corner of my eye, he dropped it to his side while looking my body up and down. A low chuckle left him as Duke looked over to see what was funny. The guy shook his head slowly,

“What, you found you something in there, Man-Man?! She got a nice, fat ass too, boah.”

“DUKE!”

In four strides he had reached the guy. I watched in horror as he snatched the riffle, slapping it across his face violently. He threw the gun to the side, balling his fist up and wailing on him. I took two steps towards him but stopped in terror once I heard how violent the hits were. The guy said nothing or fought back as the sound of bones cracking and blood splattering filled the air.

Suddenly, he turned towards me.

I walked backwards, falling to the ground as he quickly approached me. His arm slid under my back, yanking me up and against his chest. The look on his face was nothing but anger, disappointment, and...care. His breathing was still heavy. It amazed me that he hasn’t burnt out.

“Take yo ass in there. Change out of these small ass clothes with your titties and ass out. Get all of your shit. You’re NEVER coming back to this mothafucka again. If I catch you in here showing niggas what’s mine? I will blow this bitch up!”

“DUKE! This is my job! This is how I take care of my—”

I shut up instantly. This crazy ass man don’t give a fuck. And by the way his eyebrows were slowly inching closer and closer, I knew nothing I said mattered. The only thing I was doing was pissing him off more. With that, I turned away, heading inside to change and never come back to work a shift again.

“KENZO! KENZO! KENZO! KENZO!” Cassie shouted from the section. Everyone just stood in place, motionless, listening to K3 tear her down. I noticed the guy she picked out tonight standing there, also listening at gunpoint.

As I made my way into the locker room, I didn’t feel envious. No part of me was jealous that this bitch that got me into this was having sex with her man, while mine was threatening arson. She and others has said countless of times that K3 is more insane than Duke or Man-Man. If it can get crazier than that, good luck. Honestly, fucking her and making all of her co-workers and some customers listen was already diabolical.

Thank GOD my regular clothes were just normal jeans and a tight fitting baby tee. If I stepped out uncovered, we would all be up in flames, apparently. And you know what? Fuck Duke! He’s just as wrong as me! I’m only doing this shit because I just watched him snap on another nigga and didn’t want it to be me.

Liv and Timbo walked in with extra The Ninth duffle bags. Liv’s eyes narrowed as she approached Cassie’s vanity,

“You and your cousin get y’all’s shit and get the FUCK out!” she whispered. “I’ma beat both y’all asses for this! Y’all better hope Ben don’t find out. Come on! HURRY UP!”

Quickly, the three of us swiped all of Cassie’s things into bags. I laid her outfit out she was wearing on the vanity, figuring the other crazy nigga would make her change as well. Liv and Timbo dumped all the money she made into the bags while zipping them up. The three of us stepped away from the bare vanity, preparing to go back to the shit show.

As we approached the bar to stand hostage, K3 was coming down the steps with Cassie following him. She was just in a t-shirt, clearly avoiding all of us looking at her after she screamed the paint off the walls. She was carrying easily one hundred thousand dollars. K3 just casually smoked a blunt. As if this shit was routine.

They both approached the bar. His eyes briefly met mine as he looked at both Liv and Timbo. I noticed the Cassie tattooed above his left eyebrow. Crybaby was in huge script across his right ribs. His muscles were huge, almost looking like his skin would burst open. He was taller than Duke who was tall enough. As he turned to look at Cassie, I noticed the large Cassandra across his shoulder blades.

He truly is obsessed with her. And that just means nothing will be joyous about his return right smack in the middle of her secret life.

“Go put some fucking clothes on,” his deep voice ordered.

Cassie looked around. I quickly noticed exactly where her mind went.

Several bitches including Snow and Lola were staring at K3, drooling. It didn’t help that everyone heard how he gave it to Cassie. They were all imagining it being them instead of her. And that observation is what slowly caused Cassie’s face to go from shy to screwed up.

“Nigga...” she started.