KAT ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE later that night, fresh off a sexual romp with Q. She had all but abandoned the strip scene. She didn’t have to strip. What for? Now she had Q taking care of her. And if that wasn’t enough, she also had Tender handing over her money to her too, thinking that it was going toward Goldie’s lawyer fees. Yeah, right. Imagine that, she thought. That was a good one.

Sticking her key in the lock, she unlocked the door and crossed the threshold. Thoughts of money ran through her mind as she walked down the hallway. She hadn’t expected to see Tender sitting there at the kitchen table. Her presence startled her.

“Well, look whut da cat drug in? …” Kat said sarcastically. “Whut bringz you here dis time a nite? Ain’t you suppose ta be at da club? Or somethin’?? …”

Tender shot her a no-nonsense look. She cut straight to the chase.

“Goldie’s dead!!! …” she announced. “She’s dead!!! … She killed herself!!! …”

Kat looked to see if she was joking or not. Kat was trying to be fly about it. But she was pacing backward and forth. “So whut you want me ta do? … Cry? She did it ta herself … How stupid could she be?? … She wuz a li’l troublemaker anyway … dat’s good fa her!!! … I don’t feel da least bit sorry fa her … Maybe now da fuckin’ cops will leave me da fuck alone? … She made my whole house hot as shit anyway. Cops comin’ here lookin’ fa her and shit. The bitch was crazy and weak-minded.”

“Kat, you must be outta ya fuckin’ mind! …” she cursed loudly. “… How da fuck could you even fix ya face ta even say sum shit like dat??? … Huh? … You just as much responsible fa her death as she iz. She shot Jules fa you! It wuzn’t her or my beef. Dat wuz ya beef! Who started all dat drama with Cookie. You! Not nobody else … so let’s not get dis shit twisted ….”

The contours of Kat’s face changed immediately. Her mouth drew back tightly to her teeth. She squinted her eyes. She couldn’t believe Tender had the audacity to stand up to her. After all, she was the boss. She was in charge. She ran things around here. Kat was used to going unchallenged, Bogarting her way through life, she preyed on the weak. She was so used to having her way, doing her thing. Anything she wanted to do, the reality was, who was going to stop her?