“Because, nigga! Give me what I want, which is some of that dick, or I send this video of your precious Tasha straight to the medical board.”
“Fuck you. Yous a clown ass, trifling bum-ass, bitch. That suppose to be ya friend.”
“Yeah, whatever. Spare me the speech. Just answer when I hit you.”
And that was the moment everything changed. The moment Juelz knew he was gonna have to really give her what she wanted.
He walked out of the hotel room and slammed the door without a word. By the time he hit the car, his hands were shaking. He sparked a blunt, tried to steady his breath.
One pull.
Two.
But no matter how much smoke filled his lungs, it couldn’t drown the taste of betrayal still sitting on his tongue.
Back in the room, Shyann rolled over and grabbed her cellphone. Tasha had called her an hour ago. She smiled, lips curling like victory. She had everything she ever wanted now. Tasha’s trust. Juelz’s body. And a loaded secret tucked in her camera roll, ready to explode whenever she felt like it.
The bar wasa familiar place for Juelz to go and clear his head. After leaving the hotel with Shyann, he needed to blow off some steam. Neon lights flickered over busted pool tables. The scent of old blunts and spilled beer was heavy in the air, and music loud enough to drown out the guilt on his back. He posted up in the corner with a half-smoked blunt behind his ear and regret sitting on his chest like a brick. Kane slid in first, black hanging off the side of his mouth, diamond in his ears still catching the light.
“Boy, you look like you seen death,” Kane said, eyeing him.
Mar and Sintonio followed right after, dapping up and calling out their wing order like it was just another Thursday night.
Mar leaned in, “Yo. Whaddup? You do look a lil’ sad. You lost your puppy or something, nigga.”
Juelz laughed once, dry, and sharp. “Man. You ever do some shit you can’t come back from?”
Kane frowned. “What the hell you got going on now, boy?”
Juelz paused. Looking up at the guys one by one. “A whole fuckin’ lot.”
They all looked at each other, knowing Juelz always stayed in some kind of mess. The look he had on his face tonight? Told them that this was serious.
Juelz continued. “I—I slept with Tasha's best friend.”
Sintonio shot up so fast from his chair, drew his nine, and slammed it on the table, the metal clanking loudly. “Nigga! You did what?”
Juelz held his hands up in defense. “WHOA! WHOA! Not Niyah, nigga. I’m talkin’ bout Shyann bitch ass. The fuck you gon’ do? Shoot me right here, my baby? Put that shit up and sit yo ass down.”
Sintonio calmed down, tucking his nine back into his waistband. “Next time, lead with that muthafucka. You were ‘bout to have that yellow tape ‘round yo ass.”
Juelz kept talking, waving off Sintonio. “SHYANN’S BITCH ASS,” he said sarcastically toward Sintonio. “Pulled some foul shit… got a fuckin’ video of Tasha at the hospital while she was workin’—”
Kane interrupted him. “And, nigga? The fuck. What’s wrong with that? A lot of bitches take pictures while working.”
Juelz tilted his head to the side, clearly annoyed. “Muthafucka, can I finish?” he snapped. “While she was workin’, she slipped meds from the cart or some shit. So Shyann's grimy-ass cousin that works there too caught it on video and sent the shit to her.”
The guys were stunned now. Shock. They knew how close Niyah, Tasha, and Shyann were. They couldn’t believe Shyann was doing it dirty like that.
Sintonio whistled low. “Slippin’ meds? That ain’t just a revoked license. Shit, that’s prison time. Damn, Tasha.”
Kane adjusted himself in the chair, interlocking his fingers on the table. “So, what the fuck that gotta do with you sticking yo dick in her, nigga?”
Juelz threw back a shot of Henny, slamming the glass on the table. “Because, muthafucka, Shyann hoe ass.” He looked around, making sure no one was listening. “Said if I didn’t, she would send the video to the medical board and make Tash lose her license. Bitch tryna blackmail me for some dick. Ain’t that some shit?”
“You serious?” Sintonio said, “And you did it?”
Juelz folded his arms, feeling ashamed now. “Ain’t like I had a choice, nigga.”
