Page 80 of Certified Pressure
“Man…” I muttered, pullin’ my phone out. I called one of my guards, and when he picked up, I didn’t even greet him. “Follow these two bitches upstairs to Lola’s room and throw all her shit out. I mean everything. Clothes, shoes, wigs, makeup— I wantall that shit gone. Take the whole bed apart too. Toss it. I don’t wanna see a sheet that bitch touched in this house.”
Minutes later, my guard started movin’, leadin’ Chanel and Imani toward the stairs. I waited until the hallway was clear before turnin’ back to Renza.
“You know what? I feel like you set me up, bitch,” I told him, my eyes locked on his. “If you wasn’t my blood, I’d shoot the shit out you right now.”
His eyes got wide and he started swearin’ up and down. “Cuzzo, on my mama, I ain’t know. I swear to God, I ain’t know. Come on now, nigga.”
I just kept shakin’ my head, walkin’ a short circle in the foyer. “Nigga… I hugged that bitch. I kissed that bitch a few times. And you mean to tell me the whole time it was a nigga standin’ here smilin’ in my face? Fuck outta here.”
Renza was pressin’ his lips together like he was tryin’ to hold somethin’ in, and Kay’Lo was turnin’ away, his shoulders bouncin’ like he couldn’t help it.
“This shit ain’t funny,” I barked, pointin’ at them. “Dead-ass, it’s not fuckin’ funny.”
They looked at each other and it was over. Renza broke first, laughin’ hard, and Kay’Lo damn near doubled over, wheezin’ and spittin’ as he laughed. He wiped his mouth and kept goin’, tryin’ to talk but chokin’ on his own laughter.
“Y’all some goofy-ass niggas,” I said, my voice low with disgust. “Laughin’ while I’m out here gettin’ played like that. Man, fuck y’all.”
I shook my head and walked off toward the elevator. I didn’t even wanna look at then niggas no more. The doors closed slow, and the whole ride up I was replayin’ the last couple weeks in my head. Every conversation, every smile, and every time I brushed that bitch’s arm or told that muthafucka somethin’ real. My stomach started turnin’. I even thought back to when thatmuthafucka had me feelin’ what I thought was a pussy between his leggin’s. I wanted to kick my own ass for not doin’ a further investigation like I originally planned.
In my room, I sat on the bed, my elbows diggin’ into my knees. I felt sick. I didn’t give a fuck about no surgery or no fuckin’ sob story about how that damn he-she felt inside. I wasn’t tryna hear none of it. What pissed me off the most was that I had let my guard down. Chanel had brought this shit to me before, and I let it slide.
I stared at the wall, my chest heavy. I didn’t trust none of these women no more. If I could miss somethin’ this big, then what else was slippin’ past me? How many of ‘em was hidin’ some wild shit I didn’t know about?
This wasn’t just about Lola’s manly ass no more. This was about me realizin’ I ain’t know these bitches at all, and now I couldn’t even trust my own judgment. That shit was a problem.
That evenin’ I sat on my balcony, smokin’ and tryna calm what nerves I had left. The sky was dark, and the sounds from the jungle rolled in from beyond the estate walls, but none of it was givin’ me the peace it usually did. My mind was too crowded. Every pull of the blunt was just givin’ me more time to think about what the fuck happened earlier. I still couldn’t wrap my head around that shit. That nigga really looked me in my face and told me he was a man like he thought I was just gon’ nod and shake his hand, and like there wasn’t gon’ be no consequences for playin’ in my fuckin’ face like that.
My knuckles was raw, the skin split in a couple spots, bruises already settin’ in deep. Every time I flexed my fingers, I felt that sting shoot up my hand, and honestly, I liked it. It reminded me Ihandled the fuck out that situation. Still, it didn’t stop the feelin’ that was sittin’ with me. I had twenty women in my house when this all started, and somehow, I just found out one of ’em was a whole man. If I could miss somethin’ that big, then what else was I not seein’? Who else in here was hidin’ shit?
I sat there for another minute, starin’ out over the balcony rail, before I grabbed my phone and hit Kay’Lo’s line. He picked up on the first ring.
“Yo?”
“Get everybody to the livin’ area. Chanel, Imani, Zaniyah, Toni, Pluto, Kashmere… all of ’em. Tell ’em now.”
He didn’t ask questions. “Bet. On it.”
I ended the call and headed straight for the shower. I wanted the stench of Lola’s presence off me. I turned the water up hot and stood there until the steam covered the glass. It wasn’t just about cleanin’ my skin, it was about washin’ the whole damn vibe off me. By the time I stepped out, my muscles was loose but my head was still tight with frustration.
I grabbed my grinder off the nightstand, broke down some Trillium, and rolled it up slow. Once it was packed just how I liked it, I sparked it, let the smoke curl through my lungs, and held it there before lettin’ it slide out. Three pulls in and I was ready to move.
I stepped in the elevator and rode down, watchin’ my reflection in the gold trim of the doors. My expression stayed cold the whole ride, and when the doors opened, they was all there. Chanel and Imani was side by side, Zaniyah sat toward the corner with her legs crossed, Toni lounged back like she was tryna look unbothered, and Pluto and Kashmere was sittin’ far on separate ends of the couch. They all looked at me like they already knew I wasn’t in the mood.
I stopped in the middle of the room and let my eyes sweep over them. “I ain’t even gon’ sugarcoat this shit, “I started, myvoice hard. “Y’all can go ahead and start packin’ y’all shit. I’m done. I’m not pickin’ nobody.”
They all shifted, some brows pullin’ tight, some mouths partin’ like they wanted to speak but didn’t. Kashmere’s eyes locked on me, and I caught that flash in them before I looked away. I didn’t care to explain myself twice.
“I’ll have Renza schedule the flights and get y’all home,” I said, keepin’ my tone final. “Don’t worry about nothin’. You’ll be taken care of. But this shit right here…It’s over.”
I could see the disappointment hangin’ heavy in the room, but my mind was already halfway gone from the conversation. I left the livin’ room and turned for the elevator. That’s when I heard my name, soft but clear.
“Pressure.”
When I made it to the elevator, I glanced back and saw Pluto walkin’ up. She moved quick enough to catch me before the doors closed. I ain’t wanna talk. My patience was already gone, but she wasn’t lettin’ up. She walked right with me into the elevator.
“You don’t gotta do this,” she said.
I kept ignorin’ her, hittin’ the button for my floor. “I already said what I said.”
