Black Widow by Nikki Turner Read Free Book Online Page B

me—fine as wine, all the time. But I didn’t call to bore you with shit that you should already know,” Bam boasted. “Fill me in on what’s been going on in your world today, and let me know how I can help to make it better.” Bam had a pretty good idea as to what was going on. A moment passed, and Isis hadn’t responded. “You know our boy wouldn’t want you teary-eyed. That nigga was a soldier; probably went out like Scarface. He would want you to be a soldier too, not sad with watery eyes.”
    “What makes you think that you know what’s in my eyes?”
    “I can hear it in your voice. Plus, your mute button must be broke, and Phoebe can’t whisper worth shit.”
    “No, you got ears the size of an elephant, that’s all.”
    “That’s not all I got that’s like an elephant, but that’s another story. Now who do I need to fuck up for my good friend?”
    “Nobody,” she answered. “I just had a really horrible day.”
    “Now we’re gettin’ somewhere.”
    “I don’t want to get more worked up than I already am. Shit has just been fucked up ever since they executed Dave last night. It was awful.”
    “I know. I heard them talking about it on the news,” Bam said.
    “I was there.”
    “You were what?” he said, not believing what he had heard.
    “I was there,” she repeated. “I watched it all go down, and I haven’t been able to sleep since,” she confessed. “But that wasn’t the half of it. This morning the people from the prison called to tell me that since I was listed as Dave’s next of kin, I would have to come and get his body if I wanted to give him a proper burial.”
    “You gotta go get the body?” Bam questioned, surprised.
    “Yes. And I don’t have any money for a funeral. Then to top it off,” she continued, “that mother of his…I don’t even want to talk about it.”
    Bam let out a small chuckle. “What she do now?”
    “Why you laughing?”
    “Because Ms. Davis is a fool, and I don’t even want to imagine what her latest stunt might be.”
    Her sister handed her some juice, and Isis took a sip before continuing. “Don’t you know that she had a fat-ass insurance policy on Dave, and she could give a flying fuck how he gets buried?”
    “Is that all?” Bam said consolingly. “Fuck her. Don’t let her miserable ass get to you. She ain’t never gave a fuck about nobody but herself.”
    “I know, but how could a mother literally leave her son for dead?”
    “I’m telling you, it’s not even worth the stress trying to figure the old bitch out. Just tell me: How much do you need to send my man off in style?”
    “Me and my sister are supposed to meet with the man at the funeral home tomorrow. I won’t know until then.”
    “Well, let me know as soon as you know. Whatever it is, I got it. It’s gonna be okay,” Bam assured her. “Now how about I carry you out to dinner tonight?”
    “I’m going to have to pass on dinner,” she said. “But I know Dave would’ve been pleased to know that one of his old friends came through for him.”
    Bam brushed off her comment. “Well, call me tomorrow and let me know how much it is.”
    “Okay,” she said. “Thanks a bunch. I’ll call you then.”
    As soon as Isis put the phone down, Phoebe looked at her sister and said, “He gonna pay for it, ain’t he?”
    A look of relief appeared over Isis’s face. “Yes,” she said, nodding her head. “How did you know?”
    “Because that nigga has been in love with you from day one. He’s always wanted to find a way to get next to you, even before Dave.” Phoebe paused for a moment and then mumbled under her breath, “I guess he’s finally figured out a way how.”

Chapter 3
    R. I. P.
    Bam came through with the money needed for the funeral just as he promised, and it could never be said that Isis did not put Dave away in style. Although Isis had never planned a funeral before, she made do with the information learned from her Aunt Samantha, who’d