CheckMate 4: Winner Takes All Read online

  “Ric-,” the woman attempted to call out, but before she could fully call his name, Rico cut in.

  “Look, I don’t know who you are text messaging my phone and getting my woman upset, but make sure you have the right number the next time.”

  Silence was on the other end of the phone for a few seconds then the sweet voice decided to say something else. “This ain’t Ricardo’s phone?”

  “Nah,” Rico said with a sigh of relief.

  “Ricardo, quit playing,” Karen said trying to play it off.

  “Look, you have the wrong number.” Rico said in a louder tone not once taking his eyes off of Mona. If he could’ve read her mind it would’ve made it easier than trying to read her perplexed looking facial expression.

  “Hold up,” Karen said looking at the face of her cell phone while thinking to herself. This dumb ass nigga done got caught up. She cleared her throat then said, “My bad, I thought this was by boo, Ricardo.” And with that, she quickly ended the call.

  Rico looked at Mona as the tears were building up in her eyes as he started. “Babe, see that was the wrong number.” He said hoping that the situation had calmed some.

  “Fuck you and that bogus ass phone call!” Mona yelled at him. “You were fucking that bitch, whoever she was.” She told him with a disappointed look on her face.

  “How the fuck am I fucking somebody I don’t even know?” He questioned in his defense.

  “How the fuck you don’t know her?” Mona asked just ready to slap the shit out of him again. “The woman was about to call your name, but you hurriedly stopped that didn’t you?”

  Rico knew that Mona was no dummy, but he was going to keep it up for as long as he could. There was no way in hell that he was telling on himself. “I only wanted to put an end to the madness, that’s the only reason why I said something. You’d already slapped the shit outta me a few times.”

  Mona rolled her eyes. “And, I’m ‘bout to slap the shit outta yo ass again. I can’t stand when a muthafucka tries to play on my intelligence, but that’s okay. I’m packing me and Caylin’s things and we’re outta here. If you wanna fuck around then do it. I’ma show you who can do it better.” She said, and then swiftly made her way down the hallway with Rico on her heels.

  “What’s that supposed mean?” He asked not at all enjoying how easily the tables had been turned.

  “You’ll find out,” Mona said and just as she’d gone in the closet and come out with her suitcase to pack, her phone rang. Rico was lucky that it was her mom calling to ask that she meet her down at the city jail. That was the only thing that delayed her from moving her things out of his house right away.

  ***

  A couple of hours later, she was now back to Rico’s house and pulling up in the driveway. Her evening had gone horribly wrong. All she wanted was to get a little sleep and be the sweet, loving fiancé to her family, but once again Rico and Monty ruined it. She was tired of having to deal with them and their selfish ways. She’d already made her mind up that she was leaving Rico. After the incident earlier, there was no way that she was staying. Rico had definitely pulled the wool over her eyes and she wasn’t raised to be a fool and put up with that shit.

  She got out of her car and walked up on the porch. As she fumbled through her purse, she found the single house key that she’d always kept on a separate key chain. She stuck it in the door and went inside the house. She immediately headed down the long hallway and as she entered the master bedroom, Rico sat up on the side of the bed.

  “Baby, please hear me out.” He said looking like he was lost and seriously unhappy at how things had turned out.

  “There is nothing to hear out.” Mona said as she reached over on the floor for her suitcase. She then went to her dresser drawers and proceeded to open them, getting her clothes out piece by piece.

  “Babe, please stop packing.” Rico begged as his eyes filled with water. “Please don’t leave me. I don’t wanna lose my family.”

  “Apparently, you did or you wouldn’t have been talking or fucking the next bitch,” Mona spat with an uncaring roll of the eyes. She packed her clothes, bringing them from her drawers then over to the suitcase. “And to think if there was anybody that you would’ve fucked around with; I would’ve put my money on Monica.” She smacked her lips, and then said, “And that wasn’t Monica. I know that tramp’s voice anywhere.”

  Rico grabbed at her hands to stop her, but she only snatched away from him. Once she’d finished packing her things, she grabbed the pink and white, Juicy Couture baby tote. She then headed into Caylin’s bedroom. She flipped on the small princess lamp that was on top of a white and pink designer dresser, sitting next to Caylin’s baby bed. Mona peeked in at her sweet baby sleeping peacefully, but hated with every fiber in her body to pack up their things and leave. However, she opened up the white dresser drawers and began packing up what she could. Each piece that she packed took a piece of Rico’s heart with it.

  “Please,” Rico pleaded in hopes that she’d stop. “Don’t take my princess. Please,” he begged. “I promise to do better.”

  “You should’ve thought about that shit first.” Mona said, and then all of a sudden she stopped packing Caylin’s clothes and looked at him. Rico stood there with tears wailed in the corners of his eyes. He was indeed sad and angry with himself for even causing this to happen. Mona had just one question for him before she left as she asked, “Who the fuck was she?”

  Rico stood speechless for a moment. A part of him wanted to tell it. However, telling it wasn’t a part of the rules. He’d probably have to take this one to the grave with him. “Baby, it was the wrong number.” He attempted to explain.

  Mona reached back and before he knew it, she’d slapped his ass again. “See, that’s why I can’t stay here. You couldn’t tell the truth if your life depended on it.” She closed up the baby tote packed with Caylin’s clothes, and then leaned down and grabbed her suitcase. She held the baby tote in one hand and pulled the luggage by the handle with her other hand as she walked outside to her car. Rico sadly stood in the doorway watching her put the things in the trunk. Not five minutes later, she was walking back inside the house. As she attempted to pass him, he stopped her.

  “Wait a minute,” he desperately begged. “Please, don’t go. Don’t take my baby.” He pleaded, but this time with tears coming down his face. It was evident that he loved her, but she was distraught from learning that he’d been fucking with another.

  “Turn me loose, Rico.” She said as she gently snatched away from him and headed down the hall and into the master bedroom. She grabbed her Coach purse along with a few other small items like her earrings and her watch, then tossing her Secret deodorant inside of her purse. She scanned the room quickly with Rico standing there feeling helpless.

  “Baby, please don’t go,” he begged like that was the only phrase he knew.

  Mona pushed passed him and headed for Caylin’s bedroom again. She looked over in the white bassinet that Aiden slept peacefully in, and then leaned over to plant a soft kiss on his cheek.

  “I’ll get her,” Rico sadly said walking over to Caylin’s crib and picking her up. He sniffed the sweet smell of his little one as he kissed her softly on the head. She nearly fit in one hand since she was still so small and precious. He hated to see his woman leaving him the way she was. Mona didn’t even look at him. She just walked out of the house with him slowly dragging his steps behind her. Once out to the car, it hit her that she was actually leaving. She wanted to cry, but she couldn’t, at least not in front of him. The shock of it all still had her caught up in her feelings.

  “Please just think about this first.” He begged as he stood there holding Caylin close to his chest.

  “Who was she?” Mona questioned again hoping he’d come clean.

  “Babe, it was the wrong number,” he lied again.

  “Give me my baby,” Mona said reaching for Caylin and practically making him hand her over. As Caylin continued t
o sleep peacefully, Mona buckled her safely in her car seat, and then she got in the car too. She looked up to see Rico standing at the back window watching Caylin with the saddest eyes ever. Before she could close the door, he grabbed the top of it to stop it from shutting.

  “You don’t have to leave,” he sorrowfully said.

  “Get off of my door,” Mona said and closed the door shut. If he hadn’t moved his hand fast enough it would’ve been closed inside it. She backed out of the driveway, leaving him standing in the yard looking and feeling sick. As she neared the stop sign the tears began to stream down her face. Once there she completely stopped and cried as the pain of betrayal stabbed her over and over again in her heart.

  Rico was passed the boyfriend stage. He had become her fiancé and nothing hurt her worse than him feeling like she wasn’t woman enough for him. Finally, after sitting at the stop sign for five minutes, and hearing the car’s horn behind her blowing, she wiped her face and pulled off. She didn’t know what the future held for her relationship with her daughter’s father, but right now it was nothing.

  Chapter 3

  Kina knocked on the hotel door at the Sheraton Inn. She tapped her foot lightly on the flowered carpet as she waited patiently for it to open. Minutes later, she knocked again. Finally, Brendon opened the door and shook his head as she walked in past him.

  “Well damn,” Kina said noticing the bruise on his jaw. “I leave you for a few hours and look what happens.”

  “I don’t even know if I wanna talk about it,” Brendon sluggishly said while walking over and lying on his stomach on the bed. Kina followed suit and laid down beside him, but on her back as she looked up at the ceiling. “You can’t tell me that you don’t wanna talk about it, because you know my nosey ass wanna know.”

  “Tell me something that I didn’t already figure out,” Brendon commented with a light chuckle. Kina just being there was already making him feel better.

  “So, what happened?” She nosily asked while propping up on her elbow and staring in his direction.

  Brendon disappointedly shook his head as he looked at her. “Kina, that shit was crazy, too crazy.”

  “I can imagine. You got kicked out of the hotel.” Kina said, almost still in disbelief about it herself. “He must’ve caught you in the pussy?”

  “Noooo,” Brendon said with a frown on his face. “We didn’t even have sex. Although, I wish we would’ve, at least then the fall out would’ve been worth it.”

  “You don’t mean that,” Kina said.

  “I really don’t,” Brendon admitted. “But, I really like this girl. I can’t help that she’s his baby mama. I liked her before I even knew about that.” He shook his head feeling like this had to be some of the worst luck he’d had in a long time dealing with a woman.

  “Well, why did Monty just show up like that, anyway? And even though Candy was there, that shouldn’t have given him a reason to wanna fight you.”

  “He just showed up out the blue already pissed about something he and MiKayla are apparently going through. I tried to tell him that it wasn’t a good time, but no sooner than I could get that out, Candy comes walking out the bathroom.” Kina’s eyes widened with shock as she vividly pictured everything that he was telling her. “They were standing face to face and I could see the confusion of seeing her there in his eyes. He asked her if we were fucking and she said no. Then he looked over at me and asked me if we were fucking like he didn’t believe her.”

  “Damn,” Kina whispered still all ears as the juicy gossip had her tuned all the way in.

  “I can’t even remember if I was able to get out no, because he sucker punched me.”

  “Now, why would he do a thing like that?”

  “Well, standing there in a pair of boxer shorts with a guilty look on my face might’ve had something to do with it.”

  “Damnit man,” Kina said while shaking her head. “You didn’t tell me that part.”

  “But honestly, we didn’t fuck. I can’t lie, we played around a little bit.” He thought back. “Well, a little more than a little bit, but I respected her and didn’t want to go there until I know for a fact that she’s over Monty. I didn’t move here to Augusta to get my heart broken within the first few months I’m here. I’m too much of a player for that.” He teased causing Kina to laugh while hitting his arm.

  “You’re so fucking conceited.” She joked, still laughing. “So, who won the fight?” she questioned already knowing that Brendon would kick a nigga’s ass in a heartbeat. She’d seen him in action a few times.

  Brendon just looked at her like she was crazy then shook his head. Kina always wanted to know the full details of everything that happened in his life.

  “It really wasn’t a fight. Plus, I wouldn’t hit my cousin like that. Even I believe he held back, because if he would’ve been really trying to fuck me up then it would’ve taken more than two little security guards to break it up. I just think the whole incident caught him off guard. He wasn’t prepared to see Candy in my room for one, and he damn sure wasn’t prepared to see me chilling around her in a pair of boxer briefs.”

  Kina nodded her head. “You’re right about that.” She agreed. “Y’all are going to have to talk this through. You’re going to have to keep it real about your feelings for Candy.”

  “Damn, I hate to do that though.”

  “You have no choice.” Kina explained. “The cat is out the bag. He knows that something is going on and why not hear the truth from you.”

  “I can agree with that. However, I’m just gonna wait until I talk to Candy first. I need to see where her head is at, because after that little scuffle we had no telling what she’s thinking.”

  “One thing shouldn’t change and that’s her feelings for you, fight or no fight.”

  “Yeah, but she still has feelings for Monty, too. When you care for someone you just don’t stop caring overnight. I may have come along and helped distract her from those feelings, but don’t get it twisted; she still cares about him.”

  A part of Kina hated to hear that. She wanted more than anything in the world for Candy to be over Monty. Since she’d had the pleasure of feeling him inside of her, she didn’t know how to act. Her heart was all over the place at just the mention of Monty’s name.

  “Well, in other news,” Kina said now wanting to change the subject. “Guess who’s staying in Augusta a little longer?”

  “Please don’t tell me who I think it is.” Brendon said with an irritated shake of the head.

  “Trina,” she straight out informed him.

  “Can you believe that she showed up to the hotel during the altercation with me and Monty?”

  “No wonder she’s staying.” Kina chimed in. “Don’t get me wrong, I like Trina, but you have to watch that bitch at all times. We were always cool, even back when Raven was living. However, I knew the role she played. Unfortunately, over time she forgot them.”

  “Tell me about,” Brendon said. “She just became very competitive. She was definitely a rider, but she was always trying to prove it. What’s understood didn’t need to be explained all the time.”

  “Yeah because I love yo ass, but ain’t no way I would’ve been volunteering to run your business that closely. I mean damn, some things aren’t meant for women to be involved.”

  “That’s true, but she was the one person that I could trust to be around my money and product like that. Craig was busy holding down one side of town while Spook held down the other side of town.” He said speaking of his other best friends. “You were never about that life; you just enjoyed the benefits.”

  “Damn right, I did.” Kina said feeling happy to be one of Brendon’s closest friends and allies in the world.

  Brendon shook his head, and then continued. “You know Raven held a nigga down. She was my other business partner until she left me.”

  “She died, Bren. If she had it her way she would’ve never left you.” Kina said seeing the sadness still there in his e
yes.

  “Anyway,” he said wanting to change the subject. “Trina was there for me after that. She stood up for me; she held the fort down for me. I can’t lie. She made it difficult for me not to wanna be with her. She was a rider for sure, only problem is that she turned out to be a possessive rider. I now see why she did those things.”

  “Yeah, the bitch was hoping to lock you down. Hell, I’m surprised that she hadn’t gotten pregnant from you by now.”

  “I’m glad that she hasn’t. She probably would make it very difficult for me to see my child if she couldn’t have me. Some women just crazy like that and she’s one of them women.”

  “Speaking of Trina,” Kina said as she looked down at her phone. “She’s messaging me now.”

  “What the hell does she want?”