Jeryca thinks she has the perfect mark to finance her escape in Thad Royster, a certified playboy and drug dealer with plenty of stacks to blow. But what will happen when Thad sees right through her fake persona and phony emotions?
Farrah is the one chick in the crew who lucked out on a guaranteed payday by becoming Larry's baby mama, but, when Larry flips the script on her, she's completely thrown off her game. Has she taken on more than she can handle?
Stephanie's brains and loyalty to Chris give her the inside track on Thad's hustle. But when Thad's crew makes a dirty play, will she choose for her man or her girls?
Dana is the only chick in the clique who intends to get her money the legit way. With a budding career in law, she decides to change her circle and shed the hood chick label. But when old ties pull on her heartstrings, will she get pulled back into the mix?
Release date:
October 31, 2017
Publisher:
Urban Books
Print pages:
288
* BingeBooks earns revenue from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate as well as from other retail partners.
It was Saturday evening, and the sun was shining brightly. It was early June, and it was already extremely hot. Jeryca and her friends were sitting outside on the stoop in front of Jeryca’s apartment, which was their daily hangout spot, unless they were busy with their boos or, in Dana’s case, at work. Mostly, they watched the traffic fly by and talked trash to each other.
Jeryca had her radio outside with her, and they were smoking a blunt when “Danger,” a song by Mystikal, came blasting from the speakers.
“Oh, shit! Girl, turn that up a li’l bit more!” Farrah shouted as she stood up and started popping her fingers and shaking her ass.
“I know that’s right!” Stephanie joined in.
Jeryca turned it up, and she got up and started twirling her hips and shaking her ass to the beat. As she dropped her ass down low, a car that was cruising through slowed down and blew the horn.
“Can I get some of that?” a nigga in the car yelled.
“Hell no! You couldn’t afford this ass!” Jeryca yelled as she turned around to give him a full view of her ass and swatted it. He shook his head in awe and drove on down the road.
“I hate a thirsty-ass nigga,” Farrah said in disgust.
“Well, don’t you think the way y’all are out here dancing you will be approached by thirsty-ass men?” Dana asked, sitting on the stoop and watching her friends display their asses to the whole block. They all had on booty shorts that showed their butt cheeks—all except her.
“Oh, Lord! Listen to Saint Mary! Girl, loosen up and have some fun sometime,” Stephanie said.
“Fun don’t pay my bills,” Dana replied.
“Yeah, but a nigga that you find by having fun will if you put it on him right!” Jeryca said.
“I can pay my own bills, thank you!” Dana said as she rolled her eyes.
“Girl, we are just playing! Damn!” Farrah said as she hugged Dana.
Dana smiled, and the girls enjoyed the remainder of their evening. After the girls left, Jeryca went straight to bed and waited for her man, Thad, to call her.
The following morning, Jeryca woke up feeling a bit disappointed. Thad hadn’t called her, and she was horny as hell. She got up, showered, and fixed a bowl of cereal while she peeped out the kitchen window. The night before had been hectic with people arguing, screaming, police sirens, and the constant gunfire that sounded throughout the projects. She didn’t mind the fighting that occurred there, ’cause she was a fighter herself. She just couldn’t stand it when it happened so late at night. Plus, Thad hadn’t called her at all, and they had planned to get a room to relax and spend a few hours together.
As she looked out the door, J-Rock walked by and winked at her.
“Eww.” She sighed. She couldn’t stand it when the wannabe thugs walked by her door with their pants sagging, looking hungry, and begging for ass or money. She didn’t have time for broke niggas that caught the city bus just as much as she did.
Just as she turned from the sink to sit down at the table, her cell phone rang.
“Come outside, girl!” one of her close friends said once she answered.
“Okay, I’m on my way out,” Jeryca mumbled with a mouth full of cereal.
As she walked out the door toward the stoop where they always sat watching everything moving, her neighbor Greg yelled out the door.
“Hey, sexy!”
Jeryca rolled her eyes and waved him off. As she approached Dana, she looked up the walkway to see who was out. “What’s up? Girl, let me tell you, I ain’t had no fucking sleep ’cause these fools want to act like they in the Wild Wild West, shooting up everything, police chasing them all night, and to top it off, I ain’t heard from Thad all day. I usually get a good morning call or something. I guess he out chasing that mean green. I swear, I thought Thad would’ve had me out of these fucking projects by now. We’ve been dating six months now, and he hasn’t once mentioned us moving in together. What more can a bitch do? I tell you what: if he don’t hurry up and do something, his ass is history!” Jeryca complained to her best friend, Dana, as they sat on the stoop outside her apartment building.
Jeryca lived on the east side of the Bronx with her mother and 14-year-old sister, Pam. They lived off government funds in subsidized housing. Jeryca was embarrassed by the way they lived, and she dreamed of becoming rich and moving far away from the Bronx.
At nineteen, she didn’t have any ambition or drive to work for wealth, but her hopes were that she would find a rich man and he would take care of her. Her mother worked small jobs that barely paid enough to cover one bill in their apartment, much less take care of her and her sister. She didn’t have a lot of respect for her mother, ’cause she felt that she could’ve done more to better their lives. She refused to be stuck in that lifestyle. She had decided two years earlier that with her looks and banging body, she would use what she had to get her a rich man and leave the East Bronx for good.
Jeryca was about five foot nine in height, weighed about 180 pounds, and had light hazel catlike eyes and shoulder-length hair. She was a beautiful young woman. When she started dating Thad, she thought she had struck gold, but he wasn’t willing to sacrifice a dime to help her situation, which proved to be a big problem in Jeryca’s opinion. Thad was well known in the streets for gaining his wealth and reputation by hustling hard. He could sell the devil firewater if he wanted to, but he chose guns and drugs as his retail. Thad was known to bust anybody’s ass that got in the way of making his money, which was why Jeryca had to have him.
“Shit, Jeryca, Thad is a good catch, girl. You need to just fall back and relax. Let things happen like they are. A chick like me wouldn’t date a man like Thad, though. I mean, he is rich, sexy, and he demands respect everywhere he goes, but he isn’t my type. But he seems to be exactly what you are looking for. Hell, fuck around and someone else will have him as their boo thang. Don’t lose that man,” Dana said, laughing.
“Whatever, bitch! Being with me and getting this good-good, he ain’t gon’ want nobody after me,” Jeryca said, laughing as she touched her ass and danced in a circle.
“Y’all sluts ain’t talking ’bout shit!” Stephanie said as she and Farrah walked up.
“Where the hell y’all coming from?” Jeryca asked.
“We went to the mall to get Travis a pair of shoes,” Farrah answered.
“Where is my li’l man at anyway?” Dana asked.
“Girl, he gone with his crazy-ass daddy. He picked him up this morning and gave me a hundred forty dollars to buy him a pair of Nikes,” Farrah said.
“Damn! A hundred and forty? That five-year-old boy’s shoes cost more than two outfits of mine put together,” Dana said in a shocked voice.
Stephanie started laughing as she spoke. “She didn’t spend no more than sixty bucks on his shoes, and she spent the rest on a pair of Baby Phat jeans for herself! And if you would get to know Keith, you would be able to buy whatever you want, Dana! You know that man wants you.”
Dana shook her head. “If I can’t afford it, I don’t need it. I refuse to use a man simply for their money. I can make and get my own money.”
“Suit yourself, ’cause my man gon’ pay to lay, ya feel me?” Each girl, except for Dana, did a high five in the air.
“Oh, before I get sidetracked, have you heard from Thad today, Jeryca?” Farrah asked.
“Not yet, which is weird. Why you ask me that?” Jeryca asked.
“Well, when Larry picked Travis up this morning, he told me that Thad had gotten into an altercation last night with this nigga named Zack, and Thad shot his ass. I don’t think Zack died, but Thad is locked up for assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. Larry didn’t say what his bond was, but his brother Toby and cousin Chris are getting an attorney and the bond money together as we speak. They may have gotten him by now, but you might want to call and see,” Farrah said.
“Why the fuck didn’t you say that from the start? Damn!” Jeryca shouted at Farrah as she jumped up and ran to get her cell phone. “How the fuck can I get my hair and nails done if he in the county?” Jeryca continued to rant.
After Jeryca walked into the house, the girls looked at Farrah, shocked that Jeryca had spoken to her in such a manner.
“Aye, I’ma chalk it up to that THOT being upset, otherwise I would beat her ass when she returned,” Farrah said.
“THOT?” Stephanie and Dana asked curiously.
“Yeah, a THOT!” Farrah repeated.
“Farrah, what the hell is a freaking THOT?” Dana asked with laughter in her voice.
Farrah started laughing. “Girl, I heard Larry and Steve saying that shit a few days ago. I asked them what it meant, and they said it mean ‘That Ho Over There.’ I laughed when they said it, but honestly, it’s just another term for whore.”
“Okay, so I got a new word,” Dana said as she put the word THOT in several sentences. “Aye, if you had to classify me as a THOT, what kind of THOT would I be?” Dana asked.
“A stupid THOT! ’cause you got a man with cash flow who wants you, and you won’t give him the time of day,” Farrah answered as she high-fived Stephanie.
“Yeah, it’s all about that money, girl!” Stephanie agreed.
“So, I guess y’all would be ambitious THOTs. ’cause it’s all about money, huh?” Dana asked.
“I think the only person who is a THOT with ambition is Jeryca, ’cause her cash cow hasn’t paid off yet. Mine has, so I no longer have ambition to hook me a man with cash. I came, I saw, and I conquered!” Farrah said. Again, they all laughed.
Jeryca walked toward them with her cell phone to her ear, and as she approached, she rolled her eyes at Farrah. Farrah looked over at Dana and Stephanie, biting her lip as the crease in her forehead was letting them know she was going to snap if Jeryca didn’t chill out.
The four girls had been friends since third grade after their schools combined because of educational funding cuts. They gained respect from their classmates by using scare tactics. They bullied other kids constantly. The other kids had seen the Four Musketeers battle before, and each girl could fight extremely well. To hang around them, to most of the kids, was a blessing, but the four friends never allowed any newbies to join their clique. It was the Four Musketeers only.
They met Thad and his crew about a year and a half prior to graduating from high school. Farrah and Larry hooked up immediately. She became pregnant within months of dating him.
Farrah was a very beautiful woman. She was tall with tan skin and had long, black hair. She was mixed in race, Chinese and black. She had gained a few pounds after giving birth to Travis, yet she was even more dazzling to Larry. He really cared deeply for her.
Stephanie was dating Chris, who was also Thad’s cousin. Stephanie was a white girl with shoulder-length hair, and she was also thick. Her ass was heart-shaped, and her smile was perfect.
Keith, Thad’s friend, had his sights on Dana, who had a chocolate skin tone. She had long, thick hair, and a body to die for. Unfortunately, she also had no interest in Keith.
Jeryca and Thad had hooked up six months earlier. She played hard to get, ’cause she figured that was the only way to land her a money man. Instead, all she had gotten out of the relationship thus far was a few jewelry pieces, clothes, and a few bucks here and there, which was driving her crazy.
“Okay, so how long do you think it will take y’all to get him out?” Jeryca was saying into the phone. “What! Are you serious?” Jeryca was now yelling into the phone.
Stephanie, Dana, and Farrah looked at one another worriedly, which suddenly changed to curious awe at Jeryca’s next comment.
“So you mean to tell me I might not get my money ’cause you don’t know how long it’s going to take to get Thad out? That’s fucked up!” she yelled and hung the phone up.
“Man, I hate that bitch, yo! She didn’t ask one time if Thad was okay, or if she should come down. Nothing! All she concerned about is getting her nails and shit done! I don’t see what Thad see in her trifling ass!” Thad’s brother, Toby, said as he hung up the phone after talking to Jeryca.
“Aye, I got Bruce Jackson on the phone. He says to have Thad make an appointment to come to his office once he is bailed out. In the meantime, he is going to see what he can do to get him a decent bond today so we can go ahead and get him. He knows Judge Kelly, and the judge owes him a few favors. He says he will contact us in thirty minutes or less,” Chris announced to Toby.
“Okay, that’s what’s up. Larry and Keith should be here by then with a few more dollars. When this nigga is released, I’ma let him have it. We got too much going on right now, and he letting his temper get away from him like that. Man, I told that nigga to walk away, but no, he couldn’t do it, and now look where he at. We are getting money, easily bringing in seventy-five hundred each day in weed alone, not counting the hundreds of thousands we are getting from the gun play, and he snap like that over a measly hundred dollars? Now look at the money we spending to get his ass out of jail, not counting the attorney fees!” Toby said angrily.
“Yeah, man, but if Thad had let that go, other people would feel that it’s cool to fuck us on our money, which would eventually cause us to lose the respect of our peers. What else could Thad do, man?” Chris asked.
“He could’ve beaten the man senseless and tagged him with a mark to remind him and anybody else that you don’t play with our money,” Toby replied.
“Well, he did tag Zack technically,” Chris said.
Both guys began to laugh and got out of the gray 2014 Navigator they were in. As they walked up to the jail, Keith and Larry pulled up. Toby and Chris waited on the steps of the jail for the other two guys to meet them. As they did, they all gave a quick pound of their fist and a hug.
“My nigga, Thad is okay, ain’t he?” Keith asked.
“Yeah, he straight. I talked to him earlier and he good. You know that ho Jeryca called, and all she seemed to be concerned about was money to get her nails and hair done,” Toby said.
“Damn, that bitch can be heartless,” Keith said.
“Fuck her! Let’s go see what’s going on in this motherfucker,” Larry said as he proceeded up the steps and inside the jail.
Freddy Vanhook, a bondsman that they had used previously, was already waiting on them inside.
“What’s up, fellas?” he asked as they all walked in.
“What’s going on, Freddy? I’m glad that you could meet us here today. I know you usually don’t come out on Sundays,” Toby said as he shook Freddy’s hand.
“I usually don’t, but your family is the exception,” he said.
“That’s what’s up, man. We appreciate the fucking with. Man, we been waiting here all morning, and last we checked they still haven’t set a bond for him, but Bruce Jackson is trying to pull a couple strings for us, so hopefully this won’t be a wasted trip for either of us,” Toby replied.
“Yeah, I just went up there and they were on the phone talking with someone about your brother, so I assume Mr. Jackson has worked his mojo,” Freddy said.
“That would be great news for us. Let me go up here and see what I can find out,” Toby said as he walked away toward the window to speak to the deputy in charge. After about three minutes, Toby motioned for Freddy to join him. The bond was set at $250,000, and they had to put 15 percent down. It wouldn’t have been a problem for the guys to post the entire bond, but they knew that would place a lot of unwanted eyes on them.
After all the paperwork was signed, they sat in the lobby and waited for Thad to come out. Toby took a little time to think about what Chris said, and he wasn’t going to give Thad the third degree, but they still had to talk. They had to come up with a different way to handle problems like the one they were now facing. He also wanted to discuss what his plans were pertaining to Jeryca. That girl was bad for Thad, and he was going to tell him just that.
“That’s our book, nigga!” one of the inmates yelled out as he stood up and slammed his card on the table.
“Motherfucker, y’all cheating! That jack of spades been played. We taking that pot,” another guy yelled. After a few seconds, a fight broke out, and Thad stood watching them, shaking his head.
“These niggas fighting over a three-dollar pot? They crazy, man,” he said, laughing.
Thad sat on his bunk, hoping that his brother would come through for him. He had to get out of jail before he snapped.
Thad was in full thought of going straight to Jeryca’s house, picking her up, and getting a room. He was in need of some pussy, and at that moment, Jeryca was who he wanted. He liked her, but he knew she wanted more than he could offer her. He wasn’t ready for a relationship. He doubted that she would be the woman he would settle down with anyway. She was money hungry and always in need of something. He was well aware of what her and her friends were about. They all were cash hunters, and he wasn’t going to let anybody use him. Sure, he provided Jeryca with nice things and gave her a few dollars here and there, but he figured he’d cash out for good pussy. That’s what you do with hoes! he thought to himself.
“Thad Royster, you’re out of here. Get your belongings together, let’s go,” the guard yelled.
“Hell yeah! I’m out, my niggas. Y’all be easy and hold it down,” Thad said as he headed out of cellblock C. After he was processed, he headed toward the lobby.
“What’s up, bro? Man, I’m glad to see y’all motherfuckers!” Thad said as he embraced his crew.
“You know we weren’t going to leave you up in this bitch,” Toby said.
“Man, you good? You all intact?” Chris asked.
“Hell yeah, and what you mean am I intact?” Thad asked.
“You know, you didn’t drop the soap, did you?” Chris asked, laughing.
“Aye, we need to talk, li’l bro. All jokes aside. We got to figure out a different way to deal with problems. We can’t keep wasting money with these crackers,” Toby said.
“Okay, man, we can have that talk, but can a brother get laid first? I mean, we can talk tomorrow,” Thad said.
“I guess, man. You need to call Bruce Jackson tomorrow too. Don’t get sidetracked,” Toby said.
“I won’t, man. Drop me off at the house so I can get my truck. Damn, let me call Jeryca and see if she can be ready in an hour. I need to fuck something for real,” Thad said.
“Man, that chick ain’t shit, bro. Why do you fuck with her?” Toby asked, shaking his head. Chris, Larry, and Keith agreed with Toby as they followed them to the truck.
“I know what Jeryca’s about, and trust me, I’m not trying to wife that ho,” Thad explained.
“That’s a THOT for sho,” Larry said, laughing.
“Yeah, well, when I fuck that THOT, I wear a co. . .
We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading...
Please log in to recommend or discuss...
