Last Bitch Standing Read online

  A King Production presents.. .

  A Novel

  DEJA KING

  Dedication

  This Book is Dedicated To My:

  Family, Readers and Supporters. I LOVE you guys so much. Please believe that!

  Acknowledgements

  Wow...I can't believe we've made it to Part 5! It's been a very long journey and I've LOVED every minute of it. To all my readers who have become die hard Precious Cummings aka Mills' fans I truly hope that I don't disappointment you with this installment and you believe I did `our' girl justice! ! Sit back, relax and enjoy the show! ! Hugs and Kisses...

  Your Literary Sweetheart,

  Joy "(Deja" King

  SpeciaCThanks To...

  Linda Williams; We did it again, thanks for arways being my biggest Cheerleader

  Jonesy; You were the first radio personality that embraced my books! You set (Bitch on fire in New `Yorkand I wiCCforever Cove you for that!!

  Tracy TayCor;• Girr, have they figured out yet we wirrnot stop!!

  Ann Wopson; I see you girl... "You're so Pretty. "O

  Tazzy; I just adore you for being you!!

  Keith Saunders; You're my dude!! Enough said..

  BookBullies; Watch out for them, they'rfbe taking over in 2010!!

  Tureko "Virgo" Straughter, Renee Tolson, Jeanni Dixon, Ms KiKi, Andrea Denise, Sunshine716, Ms. (Nichelle) Mona Lisa, Lady Scorpio, Travis Williams, Brittney, Donell Adams, Myra Green, Leona Romich, Sexy Xanyell. To vendors and distributors like African World Books, Teddy Okafor, Black & Nobel, DaBook Joint, The Cartel, DCBookman, Tiah, Vanessa and Glenn Ledbetter, Junior Job, Anjekee Books, Andy Carter, Urban Xclusive DVD & Bookstore, Future Endeavors. Also, to Sherita Nunn, Troy Monaco, James Davis, Bev Johnson, Marcus & Wayne Moody, Trista Russell, Risque Cafe, Don Diva and Dolly Lopez. . .thank you all for your support! !

  Special, special thanks to Cover 2 Cover Book Club; Christian Davis, Angela Slater, Pamela Rice, Ahmita Blanks, Melony Blanks, Marcia Harvey, Melinda Woodson, Tonnetta Smith, Tiffany Neal, Miisha Fleming, Tamika Rice and Bar. I so enjoyed our book chats for "Hooker to Housewife" and "Superstar". All of you ladies are wonderful! !

  I've always been told that life's a bitch and then you die. If that's true, then I should've been dead a long time ago. But yet, here I was, still standing. And why? Because I was on a mission-driven by my need to demolish the one person who thought she was bad enough to outsmart me. I'll admit, the tables had been turned and it wasn't in my favor. But see, I had been left for dead on more than one occasion. My husband had died in my arms-or so I thought-and my daughter had been ripped out of my life. So this shit right here was nothing to me. Because like my man, Jay-Z says, "Difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week". Yeah, what I had to accomplish might take a little longer than that, but one thing was for sure: Maya was going the fuck down! I put that on everything.

  Are you ready to go?" Nico questioned, taking me out of the journey my mind was on of destroying Maya. It took me a few moments to answer, because I wasn't sure if I was ready to go. We had been doing time in Atlanta, based on a tip that led us nowhere so far. There was a so-called "Maya sighting" from one of the numerous private investigators we had hired to track the heffa down. I thought this one could actually be the real deal, but we'd hit yet another brick wall. Over the last few months every potential lead would come up empty. This chick had literally vanished, and took my husband and child with her. The shit had me perplexed an agitated like a motherfucker. I needed answers, but all I kept getting were more questions.

  "I guess we're done here," I said, looking around my hotel room. I had been living out of my suitcase like a rapper on the road doing shows, and trying to make a come-up, and at the rate we were going, it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

  "Precious, don't get discouraged," Nico commented, as if reading my mind.

  "I can't front, all this searching like we're in the dark with no flashlight is irritating the fuck outta me. I really thought this time, that scandalous trick was mine."

  "And she will be. .please believe that."

  "I ain't got no choice, because if I didn't, I really wouldn't have a reason to live."

  "You don't mean that."

  "Yes the fuck I do! That deranged broad has my child. I still love Supreme and I want my husband back, but hell, he's grown. He can protect himself. But Aaliyah, she can't, she needs me."

  "I understand, and I promise there ain't a mountain I won't move to make that possible. I just don't want you to give up."

  "Never that!"

  As Nico drove to the airport, I looked out the passenger window, wondering if Maya really was out there somewhere in the ATL and we just simply missed her. Or worse, Maya had seen us and was now someplace gloating that she had once again won the game of hide and seek. I prayed that wasn't the case. It would be much easier for me to stomach that we had simply been directed to the wrong city, than to find out that Maya was still here, carrying on with a life she'd stolen from me.

  "Nico, I can't put my finger on it, but something keeps tugging at me as if there is some sort of clue or answer that we are leaving behind."

  "You mean here in Atlanta?"

  "Yeah, I can't shake it."

  "Precious, we've been here for weeks and come up with nothing."

  "I know, but my gut keeps telling me something is here for us. I don't know what it is, but the feeling is so strong."

  "So, what do you want to do, stay? I mean, supposedly from what another investigator told us, there are some very good leads in Philadelphia. This tip seems reliable."

  "And so did all the other ones, but we ain't got shit!"

  "I know you're frustrated. So the fuck am I, but we can't stop looking!"

  "I know that. Shit, I don't want to stop looking! I can fuckin' taste that bitch's blood like I'm a damn vampire. We ain't gon' never stop looking, but it's just this feeling I got. But it could be my agitation fuckin' with me."

  "I think that's exactly what it is."

  "Yeah," I sighed, falling back in my seat. "Let's take this flight to Philly. It could turn out to be beneficial... at least I hope so."

  "Me too."

  "Delta flight 1018 to Philadelphia will begin boarding in fifteen minutes," I heard the lady announce as Nico and I walked up.

  The waiting area was jam packed, so clearly the flight was full. Although I had lived in New York for the majority of my life, I had never been to Philly even though it was damn near just down the street. I wouldn't know how to maneuver my way around even with a GPS, so luckily I had Nico with me. With hustling drugs for many years, Philadelphia had become like his own personal neighborhood playground, which was exactly what I needed.

  "I'ma stop over there and get something to drink before we get on the flight. Do you want anything?" Nico asked, as I was about to sit down.

  "No, I'm straight."

  "Cool. I'll be right back."

  As Nico was walking towards his destination, I heard a female voice call out his name. I glanced over to see who the fuck was screaming for dude all the way in Atlanta. With Nico's baller status in the drug business, there was no question that he was nationally known in the street game. But hearing his name echoing through the airport threw me off for a second.

  I watched intently as an extremely pretty chick greeted Nico with a too lengthy hug, as if he was her long lost love. I could damn near count every tooth in her mouth with how hard she was cheesing. But even with all that smiling and laughing the woman was doing, she had mad swagger. She definitely wasn't a sack chaser bum bitch who had nothing going on upstairs. She was a bitch that knew how to handle her business. That was clear from just observing her style game. The perfectly cropped jet black haircut, to the s
imple yet sexy sleeveless blouse, five pocket jeans with stud embroidery on the pockets, a leather belt with a prism shaped buckle and a large shoulder bag with what looked like hand braided chains and interlocking `G' detail, topped off with some velvet high heel cuffed booties. Her entire outfit was jet black like her hair. The chick was on point and that was being peeped from one gangster to another.

  As if Nico could feel me sizing their interaction up, he pointed at me, then said something to the chick, and they started walking towards my direction. I played it cool as if I wasn't thinking about homegirl, and honestly, I wouldn't have been if it wasn't for the fact she seemed a little too comfortable for my taste around Nico. No doubt he wasn't my man any longer, but he was my first love, and a part of me would always be ready to snatcha-bitch-up over him. I was territorial that way I suppose.

  "Precious, I want to introduce you to a very good friend of mine," Nico said charmingly, as if giving me my respect. "This is CoCo Armstrong."

  CoCo grinned at me and started to reach out her hand, but saw that mine were still folded in my lap, and quickly rescinded her gesture.

  "Nice to meet you," I remarked coldly.

  "Precious, I used to do a lot of business with CoCo before we lost touch," Nico said, trying to thaw the ice.

  "Yeah, you mean before I had to sit down and take that vacation for a few months," CoCo countered, causing them to both chuckle.

  I knew "vacation" was a code word for a bid in jail, which actually made me feel a little less icy towards the woman. I mean, don't nobody want to see the inside of a cell, but from one female to another, if you're able to do it and come out looking as good as she did, then I had to give her props off of that alone. Clearly she did the time, and didn't let the time do her.

  "CoCo is actually on the same flight as us," Nico informed me.

  "Oh, you from Philly?"

  "No, I'm actually from Atlanta, but I live in Philly now" I nodded my head as I continued to feel the chick out.

  "We have to hang out while you're visiting Philly," CoCo suggested, turning her attention back to Nico.

  "This trip is more business than pleasure. I doubt we'll have time to hang out." CoCo stared at Nico suspiciously, and then tried to eye me on the sly but I caught that shit. She was trying to figure the situation out without coming right out and asking.

  "I understand, but if shit changes, you have my numbers now. Give me a call. If we can't kick it on some fun shit while you're in Philly, definitely hit me up about business. I got a new partner now, and we making major moves."

  "Cool... that's what's up. I'll be in touch for sure."

  CoCo gave Nico a goodbye hug and then said, "It was nice meeting you, Precious," before walking off. But I couldn't help but feel this wouldn't be the last time my path crossed with CoCo Armstrong.

  I stared out at the open water of the bay, with the unobstructed view to the dockage, as Supreme lounged on the yacht with Aaliyah. The calmness of the ocean had almost tricked my mind into believing there wasn't a storm brewing, that with each day, I was constantly fighting to divert.

  The Georgian-style mansion that I had been living in with Supreme was nothing more than a high-priced, exquisite prison. From the flowing hardwood espresso floors, indoor waterfall, magnificent glass double staircases and soaring ceilings with arches and pillars, it was the sort of layout that MTV's Cribs was built on back in their heyday. But for me, it represented fear-fear that it would all be taken away from me if even one of my skeletons stepped out of the closet.

  Not only was Devon out there lurking in the shadows waiting to seek revenge, but there was also Precious, my one-time mentor that I had meticulously plotted on to steal her life. My plan had seemed to come together so beautifully... until my brother replaced his brain with his dick. Then, Devon's nasty ass got greedy. And finally thinking I left Precious for dead, I now know she is very much alive.

  I remember like it was yesterday, when Supreme got the phone call about the estate in Beverly Hills. Kitty, the airhead realtor I convinced Supreme to hire, had called his attorney in an uproar because she told him that some woman showed up claiming to be Supreme's wife and threw her out the house. I could see the glimmer in Supreme's eyes when he thought Precious had finally come back to him. But that glimmer instantly turned to hatred and rage when his attorney added that Kitty also said Precious showed up with some man, and from the description given, it sounded exactly like Nico. When his attorney asked him what he wanted to do, I'll never forget what Supreme said:

  "Let her have the house, but do not tell her my whereabouts. As far as you know, I've vanished and don't want to be found." He calmly hung up the phone, but less than two seconds later, he trashed the place. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would've sworn up and down that a tornado had hit.

  Hours later when Supreme had finally half-way calmed down, he admitted to me that he believed Precious had shown up to tell him it was over, that she was leaving him for Nico, and not only did she want a divorce, but she also wanted their daughter. I could see that Supreme was letting his paranoia get the best of him. "I won't let that happen," he stated firmly. "I can't make Precious leave Nico, but I will fuckin' make sure she never takes Aaliyah away from me."

  With that idea cemented in Supreme's head, it actually helped my need to stay in hiding, because in a way, he was hiding too, but for totally different reasons. He felt he was protecting Aaliyah, but I was trying to protect my secrets. I knew all it took was one conversation between him and Precious and my cover would be completely blown. All my lies would explode in my face, and Supreme wouldn't want anything to do with me. And the one plan I was trying to orchestrate to salvage our relationship, if and when he found out, wasn't coming together. Why? Because I needed Supreme to be a willing participant, which I couldn't make happen.

  Even with all the anger he had against Precious after that phone call from his attorney, Supreme refused to even touch me. It was as if believing Precious had truly moved on and chose Nico had castrated him. His sexual desires were zilch. The shit had me straight tripping, and also making it impossible for me to get pregnant. I figured if shit did hit the fan, Supreme would never hurt me or abandon me if I was carrying his child, but if I couldn't get no dick, then we couldn't make no baby.

  So, here I was, in a sexless relationship with a man who devoted all his time to his daughter as he secretly yearned for his wife. But some of that shit needed to change rather quickly-mainly the sexless partbecause the clock was ticking. No matter how low-key we remained, knowing how relentless Precious was, she would eventually find us. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how limited my options were. It was either wait to be gotten, or go do the getting. Whichever way I chose to move, there were great risks, but I needed to make a decision soon, because time wasn't on my side.

  "I'ma take Aaliyah for a ride. We'll be back," Supreme said on his way out the front door. I was so preoccupied in my scheming that I hadn't even noticed or heard them come inside.

  "Wait a minute, I'll come with you."

  "That's okay. I want to spend some alone time with Aaliyah."

  "What do you mean? You were just alone with her for over an hour sitting on the yacht. I'm sure Aaliyah won't mind sharing you with me for a car ride."

  "Fine... come on," he responded with no enthusiasm. But I didn't fuckin' care. I had to try and break down the walls that Supreme had built up, and I had a much better chance of doing it by spending some time with him than none at all. With each passing day, that shade was getting thicker and thicker with him. If I didn't make some serious progress soon, we would go from sharing the same bed with no sex, to sleeping in separate bedrooms altogether. If that happened, it would be a done deal and my time would officially be up.

  As Supreme drove down the coastline seeming to be in deep thought, I stared back at Aaliyah, who was falling asleep. There was no denying that with each day, she resembled her mother more and more. There was also no disputing that as she wa
s getting older and her personality was making more of a breakthrough, she had also inherited Precious' fire. Armed with her mother's looks and personality, and her father's money, I knew for a fact that once Aaliyah reached a certain age, she would be a force to be reckoned with. I wasn't sure I wanted to be around to witness that, unless of course I could deliver her that little brother.

  "Supreme, we need to talk," I said, more determined than ever to bring my thoughts to fruition.

  "What do we need to talk about?"

  "Us."

  "Us," he repeated, slightly laughing.

  "That sounded funny to you?" I was unable to hide my annoyance. Supreme looked over at me, and then turned his head back around, looking straight ahead.

  "Is this conversation you're trying to have with me really necessary?"

  "I think so."

  "I think not," he replied matter-of-factly.

  "So what, you want to be roommates now, Supreme? Is that it?"

  "Where are you going with this?"

  "No, the question is where are you going? We go from leaving Beverly Hills to start fresh in Miami, to now you treating me like we're strangers."

  "It was your idea to move to Miami."

  "True, but you weren't exactly fighting me on the suggestion! As a matter of fact, you said you were ready to leave the bullshit behind and try and regain your sanity. You don't remember that?"

  "Of course I remember, but shit changed," he mumbled.

  "Shit like what?" I demanded to know, raising my voice.

  "Keep your voice down! Aaliyah is sleep!" he demanded, in a loud whisper.

  I wanted to yell out that I didn't give a flying fuck whether his golden child was sleep or not, this was about me, but restrained myself. "Listen, I don't want to argue with you. I care about you and I love Aaliyah. If you don't want us to have that type of relationship no more, then I'm cool with that. I'll stay in one of the guest bedrooms and help you with Aaliyah until you find a full time nanny."

  "Where will you go?"