"What do you mean, how far? What do you want me to do? What do I need to do? What you need?"
"No, no, it's not that I want you to do anything. I just need to know that you wouldn't try to blackmail me or anything to keep me around. If we were ever at odds."
I leaned back on the counter and pulled her in even closer to me because her asking me that question shows she needed to be validated. I didn't mind doing that for her feelings.
"You tell me if I seem like the kind of man to do some shit like that? I wouldn't, that's weak shit."
"No, you don't, and I agree, it's weak shit. Just asking, though."
"Alright, but I have some shit to handle in about thirty minutes, so I'm going to take you back to your crib and pick you up later. I still need to ensure that my security in this building is tight enough to allow my lady to be here by herself. We've had a few problems."
I tried to keep the shit as vague as possible. I don't want her scared of shit.
"Yeah, that's fine. I need to do some house cleaning anyway."
Ciara stood up on her tiptoes to kiss me on my lips, and she slipped her sweet tongue inside my mouth.
Once I finally make love to her, we're going to cause an earthquake around this mutha fucka. I'm going to be as nasty as I can be while still treating her precious and fragile like glass. It would be a task, but I'm more than capable of pleasing my woman.
Because Ciara was on the opposite side of town from where I was headed, I called her a car service so she wouldn't be out here late hopping trains and shit by herself. Once I made sure she was on the road, I pulled up to Crew’s spot and linked up with him. He and I drove on Flatbush Ave, having to pass up Barclays, where the traffic was heavy this time of evening.
The bright lights of the city and the packed sidewalks slowly faded the further we got from the heart of the inner city.
After hitting the Brooklyn Expressway, we hit a few more streets and turns until we were close to my grandma's house.
As we came down the block, a few corners away, we rode past the brownstones where the other side of my family lived. My mama and pops living so close to one another growing up is why I'm here now. They fell in love at an age when I wasn't thinking about love.
Since my mama is in jail now and her mama has passed, my aunt Tiny has stayed in the family home with my cousin Tony. Of course, as I was about to pass by the house, I spotted the very niggas I'd kicked out of my trap days ago, doing the same shit that got their asses fired. Just kicking it.
"These niggas still haven't learned."
I shook my head, watching them laughing and joking from down the street. I for damn sure wouldn't be finding shit funny not having a fucking job or money in my pockets.
"I'll be back. Let me go get on these niggas ass real quick.
I pulled up on the curve and hopped out, leaving Crew in the car. By the time those little niggas saw me coming, I was already close enough to shoot each one of them at point-blank range.
"Oh, shit."
"Bruh, it's Hov."
Tony, Chase, and Milo's eyes all spread wide with fear, looking up at me, and I could tell that Tony was already trying to make peace with his maker.
"Wha, wha, what up Hov?"
"Everybody leave my aunt's stoop but Tony."
They scattered away like roaches off a piece of toast. Tony stood up, only looking me eye to eye, because he was a few steps above me.
"What's up, Hov? You good?"
"Yeah, I'm always good. What about you?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm just here, uh, was chilling with the homies.
"Okay, so is this all you plan on doing with your day?"
"Nah, man. I plan on leaving here in a minute to link up with Rylo so that he can show me which bets to place on tonight's basketball game. He hit for five thousand dollars on there the other day."
