Free King Divas by De'nesha Diamond Page A

child at any moment.
    My clique, Li’l Bit, Tyneshia, and Adaryl, weren’t down with killing a bitch who was nine months pregnant. So I solved the problem. Tyneshia still balked so I got heated and blasted a bullet straight through her dome. Fuck. I never liked the bitch any damn way. Plus, it got the other bitches to fall back in line so we could do the damn job. A deal was a deal, even when you make it with the devil. Recently, I had to secretly move Jayson because the cops came snooping around here. I’m just a half-step ahead of Captain Hydeya Hawkins and now a half-step behind LeShelle Murphy.
    The deal: LeShelle murked one of her own bitches, Essence, who I felt had violated the laws of the street by hanging around Profit. In return, I got rid of one of her man’s baby mommas. Still, I didn’t trust the bitch and thought that keeping Jayson could serve as insurance. The plan backfired. Once LeShelle learned the baby was alive, she came after my ass. I’m alarmed at how easy it was for her to reach out and touch me. And I wasn’t prepared for the bombshell that Diesel, my new nigga, was Python’s damn cousin. I’m such a fool. Here I thought Diesel was this cool muthafucka with a mean dick game. Turns out, that nigga just gassed me up for information.
    The birthmark.
    Diesel and Jayson had the same horseshoe birthmark in the same damn place. Li’l Bit told me that shit didn’t seem right—but did I listen? The birthmark must be a family trait. No. In fact, I never fuckin’ listen. I’ve been through so much shit, and for what? Profit? Hell. That nigga was one of the reasons I went toe-to-toe with Ta’Shara—when she sliced up my face. The whole sweet, innocent shit is a damn act.The bitch’s blade game ain’t no joke.
    Looking back, I never had a chance. Profit’s nose has been shoved so far up Ta’Shara’s ass, her farts must smell like potpourri. Shit has changed in the past year. Ta’Shara is a Vice Lord Flower bossed up with the prince of the Vice Lords. The bitch lives right across the street from me. The other girls in the set have welcomed her with open arms.
    She won.
    And now I’m stuck with her psycho-bitch sister. The shit ain’t right.
    My stomach pitches again. I race to the bathroom and empty my guts. I have less than forty-eight hours to turn Jayson over, but I know if and when I do, LeShelle is going to kill both of us.
    â€œFuck!” I’m hit with another wave of bile and upchuck the rest of my Hot Pockets breakfast. After that, I dry-heave until my stomach locks up.
    Knock. Knock. Knock.
    â€œQiana, are you all right?”
    I groan, unable to pick my head up long enough to tell GG to go away.
    She knocks harder. “Qiana?”
    I still can’t do it.
    â€œI’m coming in.” GG opens the door and pokes her head in. At seeing me hugged against the toilet, she freaks. “Are you all right?”
    Do I look fuckin’ all right?
    GG rushes over to help. Next thing I know, she’s grabbing face towels out of the linen closet and running them under cold water.
    My annoyance fades when one towel touches the back of my neck. The shit feels so good that I sigh in relief.
    â€œIt’s going to be all right,” she says. “I know these hangovers aren’t much fun.”
    I wish it was a hangover. This is a purging. Diesel gave me some potent nose candy last night that’s still circulating in my system. While I was drugged up, Diesel easily got all the information he wanted. I gag and my stomach muscles turn into a solid knot. She places another towel around my forehead.
    I sigh.
    â€œThere. You feel better now?”
    At long last, I pull my head out of the toilet. “Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine,” I lie.
    â€œI’m surprised. You usually handle your liquor better than this.”
    I grunt, still not ready for a conversation. Maybe it’s the way that I