Love, Roses, and Stick Ups Read online

  Pepper gave Mo'esha that calm the fuck down look and Mo'esha abided.

  Once they got to the kitchen, Pepper poured them all orange juice then took her seat with the rest of them at the counter.

  "Ok, let's think about this shit because now it's getting fishy and shit really starting to make sense."

  Pepper was the leader and she felt now it was time for her to take control of the situation.

  "It ain't no secret who came looking for you at your crib. It was Macy. Now we know for sure that Nay-Nay snitching," Pepper told them.

  Mo'esha nodded her head. Her trigger finger was itching. But not for Macy, for Nay-Nay.

  "Let's face it. Nobody knew where y'all lived but us and Nay-Nay. So—"

  “But why would he come to our crib instead of here? I mean you're the leader, Pepper. Wouldn't he come for you first? And if Nay-Nay gave him that address. Why would she do that when she knew all of us are always at your crib?" Si-Si said, cutting Pepper off.

  "Because, remember when Macy picked Nay-Nay up from here?" Pepper looked at Si-Si who nodded her head.

  "Ok! That's why! If she gave him this address he'll know that she apart of The Cartel!"

  "Wow, I can't fucking believe Nay-Nay!" China exclaimed.

  "So, look. Here's what we gonna do," Pepper began.

  "Since Nay-Nay wanna' snitch on us and start giving us away, she gotta die," Pepper looked around at her crew to get their reactions. Neither of them offered one, so she continued. "What we go do is, we already know where Macy Live, right?"

  The crew nodded their heads.

  "We gonna' drop something off at his crib personally. Since he already made a move that means he already know what the fuck we look like. But, Nay-Nay trying to keep it a secret that she apart of The Cartel so he wouldn't dead her. Since we already know that she feels he could get to us before we do him, we gonna drop off a picture of All of Us, with Nay-Nay in it. Once he sees the picture, and sees Nay-Nay apart of us, we don't have to worry about deading her, because Macy gonna' dead her and when he do, we'll start making our move on him."

  Mo'esha formed a devious grin on her face. She liked the plan Pepper had just proposed. She wished she could be the one to dead Nay-Nay, but she would be satisfied with just knowing Nay-Nay was dead, period.

  "What y'all think?" Pepper asked, looking around the crew. Mo'esha was the first to agree.

  "Sounds good to me!"

  “Yeah, it sounds good to me, too," China added. Everybody looked at Si-Si who still looked hesitant.

  "Look, Si-Si, I know you and Nay-Nay were always the closes out of us all, but that bitch don't give a fuck about you! She had that nigga run up in your crib! Thank God you weren’t there!" Pepper said, trying to get Si-Si to understand why they had to get Nay-Nay knocked.

  After another minute thinking about it, Si-Si finally agreed. But her heart really didn't like it.

  Before the ladies went to bed that night, Pepper selected a photo of the crew and packaged it up, ready to drop it off at Macy's crib in the morning.

  11

  THE CARTEL

  "Ya'll ready?" Pepper turned to look at her crew before exiting the car to walk up to Macy's crib.

  She knew it was risky, but she had to do it. She knew Macy's goons didn't know who she was and her plan was to walk up to one of his goons and hand him the envelope.

  "Make sure y'all on standby, keep your eyes on me at all times," Pepper told The Cartel.

  All women had Rifles in their hands ready to blast if anything looked suspicious.

  Pepper began walking up to Macy's massive estate. It looked like the White House. Since it was spring, the roses and the daisies was beginning to blossom.

  Pepper's long hair blew in the Cool Spring air. She looked like a normal woman just walking along the side walk. When she got to the gate, two of Macy's goons were caught off guard and cocked their Guns ready to shoot.

  Pepper put up her hands in surrender.

  "I, eh, I'm sorry, "she said turning on her Latina accent. "I just come to drop this envelope off to Macy. He's expecting it."

  The Big tall black goon looked at his partner then back at Pepper. He lowered his gun and walked towards her to get the package.

  "What is it?" The Goon asked, shaking the envelope. "Macy knows what it is when you give it to him, Papi." The goon nodded his head and told Pepper he would deliver Macy the package. Pepper was turning to leave when she bumped into a Familiar looking face.

  Her instincts told her to reach for her piece, but she knew she couldn't because the goons behind her would light her up. Plus, it wasn't Macy. It was the nigga she saw Macy with 2 months ago at the strip club. "My bad, shorty." Dame said, as he watched Pepper walk away. He watched her until she was out of sight.

  When Pepper got back to her car and took off, she felt she could breathe again. She was a nervous wreck. "Damn, you cool, pep? What happened?" Mo'esha asked, looking concerned.

  "Ain't nothing happen. I gave them the envelope. The goon said he'll give it to Macy." Pepper told them. "So why you look so shaken up?" China asked. "Because, bitch. Them niggas had big ass machine guns in their hands. I ain't know what was about to go down. But they obviously ain't recognize me because If they did, they would've rocked my ass."

  "And we would've rocked they asses right after." Mo'esha added.

  Pepper could only chuckle. She loved Mo'esha because she was such a hard ass and was ready to bust her gun at any time.

  "So what we gonna ' do now?" China asked.

  "We gotta get out of my house and relocate somewhere else for a while," Pepper told them. They all looked at her frowning.

  "Relocate? Where?" Mo'esha looked confused.

  "I don't know. Somewhere. Because once Macy see that picture, he definitely going to put two and two together and show up at my crib looking for us."

  Mo'esha nodded her head. She loved how Pepper was always thinking and always up on game.

  "So, we relocate. Then what?" China wanted to know

  "We wait," Pepper simply stated.

  "Wait for what?" China asked.

  "Until it's time.

  Si-Si sat in the backseat not saying a word. Although she believed Nay-Nay was tripping, she didn't agree to get her killed. They had been close friends long before They even met The other girls. Si-Si refused to believe that Nay-Nay was out to harm her as well. Si-Si figured the only reason Nay-Nay sent Macy to their crib was because she knew Si-Si wasn't there and that she wouldn't get hurt. But Si-Si had no choice but to go along with the Cartel. If she objected, they would think she was on Nay-Nay 's side and would dead her too. Si-Si knew that the only way to survive was to go along with it and not say a word, but on the inside it was eating her alive.

  When they got back to Pepper's house, they rushed inside to help Pepper and China get their stash. They knew that they would have to lay low for a while to let everything cool off and that they couldn't be seen out anywhere because if seen by the wrong people, it could cost them their lives. They needed time to put a plan together to go up against Macy and ultimately take him down.

  Once China and Pepper got their money, They drove to Mo'esha 's house which was all the way in Kenwood. Mo'esha had to get her stash as well. Once they were all done, they loaded up into Pepper's Black Hummer and took off to find a place to lay low.

  12

  THE CARTEL

  6 months later....

  September, 2012

  "Pepper, where you going?" Mo'esha asked as she walked inside the beach house they purchased in Miami, Florida.

  Pepper looked at Mo'esha. "I gotta fly back to Ohio to see Dave. He's been trying to call me for a week now but I been avoiding him because I don't know what to say to him. "

  "You going back alone!" Mo'esha yelled. "Yep."

  "Oh, hell no you ain't! I'm coming with you!" Mo'esha demanded.

  Pepper had no problem with her coming along so she said, "Ok. Well, get dressed. Cause the flight leaves in an hour."<
br />
  Mo'esha quickly got dressed and packed a small bag. China had come in the house and asked them where they were going.

  "Ohio." Pepper told her.

  "What? Why? Is it time?" China asked, not really wanting to go back.

  "Nah, we just gotta' meet with Dave about something. Me and Mo'esha going, you and Si-Si can stay here." Pepper said.

  "Ugh, why I gotta' stay here with That Coke head bitch?" China whined.

  Over the last 6 months, Si-Si had been getting High. When they got word that Nay-Nay was found in a dumpster with her tongue cut out and head half way off her shoulders Si-Si took it hard. She felt guilty for setting up her friend. Si-Si wasn't the same person she was before. Now, she just didn't care about life. Killing random people was one thing, but to get her friend murked was another. She silently blamed Pepper and Mo'esha for getting her involved but she knew it wasn't their fault. It was her own choice to stay involved with the Cartel out of fear that they would dead her for wanting to leave.

  Si-Si sat on the sandy beach looking out into the ocean. She missed Nay-Nay but knew she had lost her forever. Even though Nay-Nay turned snitch, she still didn't feel she deserved to die. But, what's done was done and she couldn't take it back.

  Pepper and Mo'esha arrived back in Ohio the next day. The cold September air hit them like a ton of bricks. They've gotten so use to being in Miami having 90 degree weather all year around.

  Before Pepper and Mo'esha left Miami, Pepper had called to have a rental car waiting for them once they landed and just like the dealership said, the 2013 Nissan was waiting for them outside of the airport. Pepper thanked the valet guy and tipped him a Fifty-dollar bill. They hopped in the car and headed towards Dave's mansion which was only 20 minutes from the airport.

  Dave was expecting them so Once they arrived, Pepper walked around to the back of the house where Dave said he would be. She spotted him in the same spot he was in when she first spoke to him 9 months ago.

  "Hey, Dave." Pepper said, walking up to Him. Dave puffed on his Cuban cigar and cut his eyes at Pepper.

  "What's up is why haven't Macy been touched yet?" Dave asked in his deep raspy scary voice.

  Pepper sighed.

  “We had to lay low for a while. When you hired us, we put one of our crew members on Macy to get close to him but instead of getting close to him to dead him, she fell for him and turned snitch on the crew. She told the nigga where we lived and he came bussing with his goons. Macy ended up killing the snitch ass bitch and was coming for the rest of us next. We weren't prepared. We figured we needed to lay low, Get missing, let shit die down, come up with a plan then go in for the kill. "Pepper explained. She was hoping that Dave didn't drop them from the job because the Cartel needed the money. Although they had a lot of money to live on, Pepper wanted more. She figured you could never have enough.

  "So, y'all still ain't ready? I thought the Cartel deaded niggas no matter the risk," Dave was taking a shot at The Cartel.

  His only reason for hiring them to kill Macy was because he was hot and couldn't do it himself. The Fed's was watching him and he couldn't afford to give them something else to go on.

  Pepper knew that Dave just threw a jab at her crew, trying to play them cock. Had it been anyone else she would've put a bullet in their head for disrespecting the crew.

  Pepper chuckled. "Ok, Dave. I don't have to explain how my crew get down. You already know how we get down that's why you hired us. And—"

  "I hired y'all because I can't do it myself right now, and I thought y'all would dead him ASAP. I know y'all work, but you’re not showing me that your crew worthy of such a hit." Dave kept taking jabs at The Cartel.

  He knew he was upsetting Pepper because her jawline was tight and she held a menacing look in her eyes. But he didn't give a fuck. If she leaped, he would feel her body up with hot slugs.

  “My crew is Worthy. And we're going to show you how worthy we are when we dead his ass. We just need a little more time. That nigga roll with 100 niggas by his side with rifles and shotty's and shit. It's just me and my 3 crew members. This the biggest hit we ever did, we never been on a Job to take down a nigga like Macy and I ain't trying to lose no more of my crew." Pepper told him.

  Dave nodded his head. He could understand what she was saying.

  "So, what you need a bigger crew? If that's the issue I'll introduce you to my Main man, Dame. " Before Pepper to object, Dave walked away and went into the house. A couple minutes later, Dave emerged from the house with a Familiar face. It was the same nigga she saw at the club with Macy and the same nigga she bumped into on the day she went to Macy's house. Pepper frowned when she saw him. She didn't understand why he was there when she knew he worked for Macy.

  Pepper had a look of Death on her face as the two men approached her.

  "This is my main man, Dame. Dame, this is Pepper." Dave introduced them.

  Pepper couldn't read Dame's expression but he was staring at her, never taking his eyes off of her. Pepper never took her eyes off of him either.

  Dave shifted his eyes between the two. Seeing them just stare at each other. Dave turned to walk away figuring they would eventually break out of whatever they were in.

  When Dave stepped into the house Dame finally spoke. "So, we meet again," he said, slightly smirking.

  Pepper raised a brow. "Met? We actually met?" she asked. "What type of game are you nigga's playing? What the fuck are you doing here?"

  Pepper asked, feeling her temper rise.

  Dame put his hands up in front of him. "Damn, calm down shorty. It's not what you're thinking." He told her. "Let's go take a seat inside the Sun-room." Pepper was hesitant, but she followed him into the sun-room.

  "You want some Coffee?" Dame asked, making small talk. He knew he was going to have to confess what was really going on soon.

  "No, let's get to what we came in here for," Pepper mouthed with attitude. "What are you doing here when you work for Macy?"

  Dame frowned. "Work? Nah, shorty. I don't work for Macy." He told her, irritated at the fact she thought he worked for a nigga like Macy.

  "So why were you at his house? And why were you sitting with him at the club?"

  "So you were staring at me like I thought." He said, catching Pepper off guard.

  "What? What are you talking about?"

  "I saw you staring at me in the club. I saw you, just like you saw me," he flirted.

  Pepper huffed in frustration. "Ok? What the fuck does that have to do with you being in Dave crib when you work for Macy!" Pepper yelled, growing more irritated.

  "Look, I told you I don't work for that nigga!" Dame yelled back. It wasn't often that he lost his temper, but hearing her say he worked for Macy fired him up. "Look, shorty. I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong," Dame sighed. "I'm not working for Macy, I'm working against Macy." He admitted. Pepper was confused and scrunched up her face.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Three years ago, Macy killed Dave's daughter. When he deaded little Davaya, Dave sent for Macy but couldn't touch him so he ended up deading Macy's bestfriend, Boogie." Dame paused to let his words sink in, then he continued. "I come into the story because during a Robbery that Macy Set up, he murdered my little brother. I knew killing Macy from the outside would be hard, so I decided to get in good with him because since Boogie died, Macy ain't have nobody. He was his own man and even then he was hard to touch. I figured if I could get close to him, Get inside his world and know how he operate I could dead him and avenge the death of not only My brother, but Dave's daughter." Dame waited for Pepper to respond. Stress lines in her forehead formed indicating she was trying hard to wrap her mind around what Dame just told her, but it still wasn't making sense.

  "That doesn't even make sense! Why would you get close to Macy just to dead him when you could've done it from the outside! I'm sure you could've got to him some way," Pepper said.

  "I just told you, shorty. That Nigga was hard to get to on the outside.
"

  "Ok, so that was 3 years ago. Why haven't you deaded him by now? You're his friend, right? That means you had ample amount of time to kill him." Pepper scoffed, not believing what she was hearing.

  Dame sighed. "Because believe it or not, I never felt it was the right time."

  "And how do you know when the right time will be?" Pepper asked.

  "I don't know, but it's soon. That's why I'm asking for you and your crew to step down. This ain't y'all issue. Y'all only trying to dead him for money, my issue with him is Personal." Dame told her hopping she would understand.

  Pepper twisted up her lips.

  "Nigga, what? I'm not stepping down from a-million-in a half Dollars! And if you after Macy for killing your brother why the fuck did Dave hire us to take him out?"

  "Because Dave doesn't know I'm after Macy," Dame quickly said.

  "I thought you said you were his right-hand? How doesn't he know?" Pepper asked.

  "Because after my brother died I told him I was getting out the game and I needed to lay low and get missing for a while to get my mind right when really I was going after Macy. Up until today I hadn't seen Dave for 3 years," he answered honestly.

  "Well, me and my crew aren't backing down. That money is ours and we never back down from a job, sorry." Pepper said.

  "If the money is all you want I can give you the money. I'll kill Macy, you tell Dave the job is done and you get another pay-day. I'll pay you the million and a half dollars just to back off." Dame said coolly.

  Pepper was contemplating his proposal. It sounded good, but The La'Bella Cartel always handled what they started.

  Pepper eventually told Dame that The Cartel would back off, but she was lying. They weren't backing down. Pepper wanted to dead Macy, and then get the money and they would be done with it.

  Dame had asked for Pepper's number, she hesitated, but figured keeping in touch would be beneficial. When Pepper exited the house, Mo'esha was out front talking to One of Dave's Goons smiling and giggling. When Mo'esha saw Pepper exit the house she whispered something to the Goon then walked off.