“Shit just got out of control,” Demi said. “She did wrong, but I did worse, man. I need you to give her a deal, a big one, make sure she straight. I would just hit her with some bread, but she wouldn’t accept it. Just put her on the label, give her the push her voice deserves and some paper.”
“Every nigga got that one,” Day snickered. “I’ll have the lawyers draw up the agreements and connect with her through her people.”
Demi nodded. He didn’t know if it was residual love or his conscience wailing, but he felt obligated to set her up right.
“Say less. I got you,” Day assured. “And about this place? What’s the ticket on it? You crazy to let it go. It’s the best investment in the city.”
Before Demi could answer, another knock interrupted them.
“You expecting somebody?” Day asked.
“It’s probably just the realtor,” Demi responded. He swaggered to the door, pulling it open and his blood stilled in his veins.
“I’m here for Charles’ stuff, man,” Justin said, standing toe to toe with Demi.
Demi couldn’t even stop himself from reacting. He beat the audacity out of Justin, wrapping one tattooed hand around his neck, and drawing on him with the other. Demi didn’t even want to pull the trigger. He wanted to kill Justin slowly. He pistol-whipped him mercilessly as everything around him went dark.
“Demi! Bro!” Day shouted as he pulled Demi away from Justin.
“Pull up to my door again and I’ma send you back to her in a bag,” Demi said, too calmly for the moment. Certain. Still. Like he could deliver a bullet to Justin’s skull without thinking twice.
“My nigga, we don’t need this heat,” Day said in a low tone over Demi’s shoulder. Demi pulled the condo door shut and stepped over Justin’s writhing body as he called for the elevator.
When the doors slid open, two cops emerged, guns drawn.
Day pulled Demi’s burner out of his back waistline and slyly tucked it in his own as the cops put Demi in cuffs immediately.
Security had called the police as soon as Demi had entered the building. His last run-in with Charlie had caused enough problems. This new stunt was the last straw. Demi held his head high, arrogance dripping off his sneer, as he looked down at Justin.
“Call my lawyer, brody,” Demi said. “I’ll be out by morning. Better stay away from my bitch before that pussy be the death of you, boy.”
Demi didn’t have a care in the world as they forced him onto the elevator. It was a charge he would gladly take. His lawyer ate shit like that up in court anyway.
Chapter 21
Oh my God, Justin,” Charlie whispered as he entered his home. Charlie sat in his living room, hugging her knees to her chest, on his plush couch. She had been there for hours, calling him repeatedly, wondering what had gone down. His face was every indication of how things had gone horribly awry.
She rushed to his side and he shrugged her off.
“It’s alright. I’m good,” Justin said.
His pride. He was saving his pride. That’s all it could have been because Demi had left him bloody.
“Let me see,” she said, fighting for a view of his face as he pulled away.
“I’m good, Charles, I’m good...”
“Justin, let me see your face,” she said, persistent, as she cupped it tenderly. “I’m so sorry.” She should have known better than to let this happen. She knew there wasn’t a nigga alive that could handle Demi’s gangster. Only she had been able to tame him, and even then, it had backfired.
I’m so sorry,” she said. “I should have never let you go there.”
“I’m a big boy, Charlie. I’m good,” Justin said. He snatched away from her and pulled open the freezer, retrieving a bag of frozen vegetables.
“Let me help,” she said, taking them and placing them to the eye that Demi had blacked.
“He broke my fucking nose,” Justin said, wincing. He was pissed, triggered, aggressive as he thumbed his bloody andswollen nose. “He’s a madman, Charlie. You need to stay away from him,” Justin said. “Next time I see him, know I’ll be strapped.”
“I don’t want it to come to that. Not over me.”
