Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

XIV. Lil Don (Part I)

I feel it. It's a bad feeling you get when a femme fatale is preparing to leave her mark. Tensions are rising as Slick Rick's cautionary tale of a young robber getting caught up in crime heightens the energy with its backbeat. Morgan still hugging up on me, I lean down to whisper in her ear, "She's just a little play thing. Let me handle this." Morgan's eyes narrow in, leaving two different girls giving me the death stare for two separate reasons. This isn't the first time some honey I've been creeping with looked at Morgan funny and the girl don't play. Her only rule for fucking with me is to save the drama for my mother and Cynthia's cramping my style. "I promise," I say to her. "I'll call you, ai'ight? I'm finna' get outta' here anyway."

Morgan stares back at Cynthia over her shoulder for a final dagger to be thrown until her softening eyes return to me. "I won't wait up." She lifts my shades, looking into my eyes, and kisses me hard enough to leave her full lipstick print on my cheek.

Our touch lingers as we part ways. On my way to Cynthia I grab my self a brand new drink. I know I'll need it. The closer I get to her, the easier it is to feel the electricity running through her veins and all that jungle juice in her cup is doing is fueling her displaced attitude. I'll play it cool though. I don't want any scenes jumping off in this party... Especially with the amount of girls I know don't like her floating around. I know Paulette'll threaten to drop her but all you have to do is say the word to a chick like Morgan and she'll leap, especially if in agreement in Paulette.

Cynthia ain't bad enough to handle either one of them. I don't want the girl to get beat up. She better keep it cool because mouth isn't enough to scare away my girl friends.

"What's up?" I smile, creeping up on her with my own cup color matching her's. "Thought you wasn't coming out?"

"Thought you wasn't trying to do anything serious," she immediately bites back.

Nodding, I take another sip as I feel her out her. Her stare remains sturdy as she awaits her expected answer. "Green ain't the color for you. You always looked better in pink," I tease, my curled index finger nipping at her cheek. Cynthia's eyes roll hard enough to block out a Florida hurricane. "Aye, my bad for thinking I left it all on the table, but you're not the only girl I'm seeing right now, Cyn." She looks away, hiding an emotion from me before I get to see it. "I really sorry if I hurt your feelings. I don't wanna' do you dirty. I'm bein' as honest as a brother can be."

"It's too loud in here. Come talk to me at my place," instructs Cynthia. My brows lift. It's clear to see I ain't in the state to be driving and last I checked, Cynthia doesn't have a car. "Big Mama's new house is legit at the end of the block, D. Come on..."

I reluctantly follow Cynthia's switch to the door. My eyes connect with a sober Tasha on the way out. "Gimme' a beat!" She holds up to open palms blinking, pointing to her wrist and back at Paulette, earning my nod of understanding from across the party. I got twenty minutes before she's breaking out and if I'm not in the car by then, she's leaving me without thinking twice about it. She ain't got to say no more to me. I know from personal experience with her. My body's fluidity varies at the hands of my favorite Jackson sister as I'm led up and out the side door, knocking Cedric upside the head for the fun of it on my way out.

You can say I got a lot to lose taking this trip with Cynthia but I've got a view different revenues. I know the neighborhood I'm in, for starters. This ain't no crooked kind of block. It's a good neighborhood and I know a few families on this side of Charlotte. Two, I made sure Tasha saw me for security and if I take too long, she's telling my little brother before she leaves me, the one whose always packing while I only cary a gun on a part-time schedule. I know Cedric saw me and I told Morgan I was stepping back to handle Cynthia. I got three different primary witnesses before I end up on 48 Hours for fucking with Cynthia's crazy ass.