Deceitful Hearts Read online

  Deceitful Hearts

  A Novel By:

  A’zayler

  Text LEOSULLIVAN to 22828 to join our mailing list!

  To submit a manuscript for our review, email us at [email protected]

  © 2016

  Published by Leo Sullivan Presents

  www.leolsullivan.com

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Unauthorized reproduction, in any manner, is prohibited.

  Prologue

  “AGHHHHHHHHH!” the man they called Big Maxx yelled. “AHHH SHIT!” He screamed out in pain again.

  Lying in the middle of the empty field with each arm and leg tied to a different pole, Maxx could feel death upon him. Too bad it wasn’t soon to come. He had been in this same position for the last two hours and the pain was getting worse by the second.

  “I know this ain’t big bad Maxx screaming like a bitch. Your bitch got more heart than you,” Tone said as he cut another one of Big Maxx’s fingers off.

  Big Maxx was sweating profusely and his body trembled. The water in his eyes gave away the intensity of the pain he felt. Although Tone might have thought the pain was because he was losing fingers, that wasn’t it. It was Tyra, his longtime girlfriend and baby mama. She was hogtied next to him and being beaten with a crow bar. She had long ago stopped screaming, and was now moaning quietly. He cheated on her all the time, and they had more problems than one, but she was his heart. Her being there with him was all an accident. He had been laid up at her house watching television when he’d been caught slipping.

  “Fuck y’all bitch ass niggas. Doing another nigga’s dirty work,” Big Maxx choked out.

  True enough, this was a hit they’d been paid to do. It didn’t matter because almost everything they did was a paid contract. This one had been a personal score that needed to be settled. A dirty police by the name of Detective Austin had come to Tone and Bear on the low requesting Big Maxx’s death. Initially, Tone did not to take it, but he changed his mind at the last minute.

  Of course, Bear went along with it. When Detective Austin upped the price by another few thousand, he figured why the hell not. This was the type of shit he loved to do anyway; might as well get paid to do it.

  “Shut the fuck up.” Tek brought his size ten boot down across the front of Big Maxx’s face. The sound of his nose cracking was like nails on a chalkboard.

  Zino and Phoenix stood around watching Tek, Bear, and Tone put in work. This was their first time experiencing something like this, but it most definitely wouldn’t be their last. Tone had kept Phoenix sheltered, but had been grooming Zino for some time now, and today they were finally being tested. After gathering the four fingers he’d just cut off of Big Maxx, Tone stood to his feet and walked over to Phoenix and Zino.

  “Zino, take these garden shears and cut four fingers off that nigga’s other hand.”

  Tone passed the bloody blades to Zino. He grabbed them willingly and did as he was told.

  “FUUUUUCK… AGHHHHHH!” Big Maxx screamed again as his bones cracked under the pressure of the scissor’s grip.

  “Tone, this bitch dun passed out.”

  Bear lifted Tyra’s small body up with his foot, flipping her onto her back. She was bruised terribly from the bar he’d been using, and her clothes were soaked in blood.

  “She might as well wake that ass up. I got something in store for her.” Tone kneeled down on the ground and pulled a pair of brass knuckles, a small hunting knife, and a carton of salt out of a black bag. “Here, Phoenix, take this.”

  She grabbed the items slowly and looked from Tone to the woman.

  “You ready?” Tone’s eyes were steady and daring.

  Phoenix took a deep breath. “Ye… yeah. What you want me to do?”

  “I want you to do whatever you want to do. Just make sure when you’re done, she’s done. Got it?”

  “Kill her?” Phoenix’s eyes grew wide.

  Bear, Tone, and Tek all laughed at her. Zino, on the other hand, just nodded his head, trying to give her the reassuring push he knew she needed.

  Tone reached for the stuff in her hand. “If you can’t do it, I can.”

  Phoenix snatched the items out of his reach. “Nah, I got it.”

  She walked around all of them and over to the woman, who looked no older than she was, and slid the brass knuckles on her fingers. Phoenix looked over her shoulder at the men watching her before turning back around. She had something to prove.

  While still standing, she straddled the woman’s body and grabbed a handful of her weave in one hand and slapped her face a few times with the other. She did this until the girl’s eyes popped open. The woman looked around for a minute, frantically searching for something. When her eyes locked on Big Maxx, she let out a scream.

  Phoenix followed her gaze; and she had to admit he was a little fucked up. She couldn’t worry about that right now, though. She had other shit to do.

  With one swift move, Phoenix punched the girl in the face. She did this repeatedly. The brass rings were slicing her face up with every punch that connected. Phoenix nearly stopped a few times when the blood began to roll through her fingers, making them sticky.

  “Stop it! Stop! Please, just stop! I didn’t do anything… I have… a daughter. Please,” the girl begged between blows.

  “Should have thought about that shit before you started fucking with snakes.”

  Phoenix stepped back and kneed the girl in the face before slamming her head viciously into the gravel beneath her. Blood covered the gray and white rocks as her skull cracked. Phoenix could hear the rest of the boys in the distance encouraging her. This went on as she continued to assault the woman until she heard Tone’s voice telling her to settle down for a minute. She backed away from the girl and wiped her bloody fist on her shirt.

  “Aye, Tek, fire up that blow torch and bring me the rubbing alcohol.”

  Tek walked over to the truck, grabbed the items and came back.

  Tone looked at Zino. “I want you to put some fire on this nigga’s ass real quick. You think you can do that?”

  “Hell yeah, Tone. I got it. You want me to burn his whole body up or just certain parts?”

  “Fuck his ass up, young buck.” Bear took the torch from Tek and started it before passing it to Zino.

  “Y’all niggas pussy for this shit,” Big Maxx said as he tried to catch his breath.

  The only thing that could be heard after Zino stepped closer to him was the gut wrenching screams that he released. Not even those lasted long because he passed out from the pain. Phoenix covered her mouth and nose with the collar of her shirt. The smell of burnt flesh was potent and it was starting to make her nauseous. She had just taken another deep breath when Tone pulled her by her elbow over to Big Maxx’s girlfriend. She was crying hysterically as she stared at Big Maxx’s bloody pink flesh.

  “Finish her, lil sis.”

  With his hand outstretched toward her, he presented the knife and salt.

  Phoenix took the knife and leaned down to stab the girl. She had to do it before she lost her nerve. After the first wound to the chest, the girl gasped and blood trickled from her mouth. Phoenix tried to kill her with the first blow so she wouldn’t feel the upcoming torture. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Phoenix didn’t know whether she hadn’t stabbed her hard enough or what, but she still wasn’t dead. Becoming frustrated with the girl’s helpless cries of pain, Phoenix blacked out and became vicious. She stabbed her everywhere she could before slicing her throat.

&n
bsp; “Good job, Phoenix. Now pour this salt on her and let’s be out.” Bear handed her the carton of salt and Zino the bottle of rubbing alcohol. “You pour this all over that nigga. I need to hear his big ass scream one last time.”

  Unlike Phoenix, Zino wasn’t afraid. This was actually giving him a rush. He poured the alcohol all over Maxx’s exposed insides. The screams he let out were like no other. Tone knew the sting from the alcohol would wake him up. He continued to scream until Zino had emptied the entire bottle out and threw it on the ground.

  “Just… get it… over wi—” Maxx was cut off by the barrel of a gun being shoved into his mouth.

  Tone smiled before pressing his boot into the center of Maxx’s chest. Slumped slightly over, Tone pulled the trigger and blew the back of Maxx’s head off. Once he was standing upright again, he wiped his gun off and grabbed all of their materials and handed them to Tek. As Tek tossed everything onto the back of the pickup, Tone grabbed Phoenix’s hand and pulled her to him for a hug.

  “You did good, baby sis. I just might let you fuck with the crew sometimes.”

  “You might? No, sir, I think you will. I’m a part of this shit now.” Phoenix looked at him with raised eyebrows.

  He laughed and pulled her toward her car and Bear’s truck, leaving the two mutilated bodies in the field. When doing a job, they always drove two separate cars in case they got stopped or caught. The second car could cover for the first one.

  Today, Tone had instructed Phoenix to drive hers, and although Tone had given her strict instructions to go home, she wanted some Snickers. After the stuff she’d just seen, she needed something to take her mind away, and chocolate was the perfect thing for the job. Since the only thing bloody was her shirt and hands, she grabbed her jacket and prepared to get out. She washed her hands as best as she could with a towel and some hand sanitizer before entering the store. She figured if she got in and out quick enough, Tone wouldn’t notice she was no longer behind them.

  It was almost three o’clock in the morning, and the store was completely empty, minus her and the clerk. She had just walked down the candy aisle when the door burst open and three masked men came in. The older white cashier threw his hands into the air and instantly began to beg for his life. Phoenix, on the other hand, did nothing. She stood frozen in the aisle with her hands in her pockets.

  She looked around the gas station, wondering if she could escape without getting caught. Her heart was beating rapidly, but she remained cool. Two of the men circled the store while the other walked behind her and pushed her to the front near the register. She leaned against the counter, still showing no fear. The gun pointed in her face was unnerving, but she maintained. She was scared shitless, but she wasn’t about to cower in front of anyone. That wasn’t how she was built. Tone would kick her ass if he found out she went out like a bitch. She was a soldier, and she would act as such.

  “I should shoot your ugly ass,” gunman number one told her.

  “Do it then.” Phoenix stared at the gunman.

  His other two friends had just joined him at the front and the three of them surrounded her.

  “I see you think you’re hard. Bitch, I will blow your fucking brains out.”

  Phoenix released an exasperated breath, trying to be dramatic. “Do the shit then. If not, can you move so I can get my candy and leave?”

  Her smart mouth pissed the gunman off and he slapped her across the face with the gun. To Phoenix, it felt like he’d broken every bone in the left side of her head. She bit the inside of her cheek to suppress the painful moan that wanted to escape and stood back up. Barely able to see out of her eye because of the rancorous blow, she squinted at the men, but kept a straight face. Her eyes roamed over all three of them as she waited for whatever was next. She even looked at the cashier, and his bitch ass was crying. Phoenix couldn’t believe she’d gotten caught out like this.

  Gunman number one began wagging his finger in her face. “You know what? I know this bitch. This is the little stuck up hoe that be fucking those niggas in the Zoo crew.”

  All three of the men spoke their surprise and realization as she shook her head.

  Fucking the Zoo Crew? These idiots.

  “Where’s your little crew tonight?” the one who had just hit her said.

  “Rob the store, kill me, whatever it is y’all about to do, and just get this shit over with please. Y’all niggas is making my ass hurt.”

  The man with the gun raised his hand to strike her with it again, but was unable to due to the bullet that had just shattered his eyeball.

  Phoenix jumped back so his body wouldn’t fall on her. She looked around the gas station, searching for Tone and the crew, but she saw no one. Instead, there was a tall, dark skinned boy with a dirty black hoodie and jeans on. One of his hands were in his pocket while the other still held the gun. He let off two more shots, putting the other men down with no hesitation.

  Phoenix briefly wondered if he was about to kill her too, but that changed when he put his gun away and held out his hand to her. She was a little hesitant, but she grabbed her chocolate from the counter and allowed him to lead her to the door. When she was next to him, he sent the clerk to gather the surveillance tapes while he shot out all the cameras he saw hanging from the ceilings.

  When the cashier returned with the tapes, he thanked the boy over and over, promising he wouldn’t tell in exchange for his life. Phoenix looked at him like he was crazy when he told the cashier he wasn’t going to kill him. He’d just murdered three people in front of this man, and he was about to leave him alive? Fuck no. Phoenix reached to grab his gun but he beat her to it and shot the man right between the eyes.

  “Let’s go.” His voice came out low and sexy.

  He was fine. Although he was a bit dirty, for whatever reason, that didn’t make him any less attractive. Once they were outside, he followed her to her car and waited for her to get in.

  “You shouldn’t be out this late by yourself.”

  “I know my brothers are going to kill me.” No soon as the words left her mouth, Bear’s truck whipped into the parking lot. It screeched to a stop directly behind her car, and out hopped Tek and Tone.

  “Why the fuck did you stop?” Tone was at her window instantly.

  “I wanted some candy,” Phoenix tried to hold her ground.

  “Some candy? Have you lost your got damn mind, Phoenix? Get your ass in that car and go home.” Tone was past angry. “Who the fuck is this nigga?” He switched his attention to the guy that had just saved Phoenix’s life.

  Neither he nor Phoenix said anything. Tired of waiting for answers, Tek pulled his gun and aimed it at the boy. At the same time, he pulled his gun and aimed it at Tek. Phoenix was shocked as hell, so she stepped between the men and explained the whole situation. Once she was finished, Tone’s mood had softened a little.

  “Yo, who the fuck are you, my nigga? You from Miami?”

  The boy shook his head. “I’m nobody, and I’m from nowhere.”

  Tone smirked before rubbing the hair on his chin.

  “You ever heard of the Zoo Crew?” Phoenix asked.

  “Nah, I’ve only been in this city for about an hour.” His tone was softer when he spoke to Phoenix. This didn’t go unnoticed by Tone, but he didn’t speak on it just yet.

  “An hour? Where did you come from?”

  “I hitchhiked from Georgia. I got dropped off in front of the store. That’s when I saw you.”

  The group was quiet as they took in the young stranger. Tone looked him up and down before telling him and Tek to put their guns away. “You got any family?”

  “No.” His answers were back to being short.

  Phoenix looked at Tone with pleading eyes. He didn’t trust easily and neither did the other members of the Zoo Crew, but she was hoping they’d let the boy come home with them.

  “What made you come to Miami?”

  “It’s where the guy was going. I’m not picky.” He shrugged.

>   “So you just helped my sister out for no reason?”

  The boy looked from Phoenix to Tone before nodding his head.

  “Was she crying?” Tone asked.

  Phoenix rolled her eyes at him and sucked her teeth. This made the cute stranger laugh a little.

  “Nah.”

  “What made you kill them for her then? You don’t know her, she wasn’t crying, so why didn’t you mind your business and let her handle it?”

  “That ain’t me. I wasn’t gon’ watch no niggas fuck with a female for no reason and not do shit to help.” He looked at Tone, Phoenix, then Tek. “Y’all done with this little interrogation?”

  “Yeah, my nigga, we’re good.”

  “Well, I’ll be on my way.” He took a step to the side so he could walk around the trio, but was stopped by Phoenix.

  “Tone,” she pleaded

  “Tone what?” He asked like he didn’t know what she was asking.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t play with me.”

  He let out a loud breath before looking at the boy again. “What’s your name?”

  “Ollie.”

  “Ollie? What kind of bitch ass name is that?” Tek asked

  “It’s short for Oliver, bitch ass nigga.” Ollie’s posture changed to a more combative one as he eyed Tek.

  Phoenix and Tone looked at each other and smirked. This was about to be too funny. Tek had met his match. Phoenix placed her hand in the center of Ollie’s chest and pushed him back as Tone did the same to Tek.

  “Well, Ollie, I appreciate the shit you did, and you seem like a solid nigga so we gon’ fuck with you. We’re the Zoo Crew, you down?”

  He looked around the parking lot as if there was really something to think about. “Shit, I’m with it,” he said before looking down at Phoenix again.

  She smiled at him before heading for her car. “Ollie, you can ride with me.”

  “No the fuck he can’t. You don’t know this nigga. Zino finna ride with you, he can ride with us.” Tone told her

  “Cool.” Phoenix looked at Ollie once more, checking for his approval.