“Understood,” I said, shaking his hand.
“Well, this was a fucking good ass meeting,” Luther said, clapping. He stood from his seat, rounded the table, and shook my hand. “From now on, you’re on my team, which means you answer to me and mine. You step aside when instructed and don’t question what’s been decided.”
“Yeah, we’ll see,” I said, grilling him. I could hear Pop grunt behind me, and I knew his ass was going to go off as soon as we weren’t in front of company.
“I’ll be in contact,” Luther said, and I nodded.
We left the Kilmores’ office and headed to the parking lot. When we were outside, Pop turned around, mugged me, then shook his head.
“We’ll talk about this when we get back to your spot,” he said, then turned to Xayne. “I appreciate you stepping with me.”
“It’s a pleasure,” Xayne said. He looked between my brothers and me before turning back to Pop. “I’m already in business with Pyrite, and I have a feeling I will be soon with Citrine.” He looked over at me and smirked. “Your hot-headed ass, too.” He turned back to Pop. “Call me when you’re ready to talk business.”
“Will do,” Pop agreed.
We walked back to our cars, got inside, and Pop pulled off. The original thirty-minute drive to the Kilmores’ took twenty minutes to get back to my apartment. When we walked inside,Pop checked on Mama, who was sleeping in bed with Yale, then came back to the living room.
“What the fuck did I tell you, Amethyst?” Pop grilled me as he got into my face. “Huh, didn’t I tell you to let me fucking handle it?”
“It wasn’t for you to fix,” I said, shaking my head.
“It wasn’t for me to fix?” he laughed humorlessly. “You’re my fucking son.”
“I’m a grown ass man, Pop.”
“Then fucking act like it!” he yelled. “Fucking act like I taught you something! You walked right up to Luther and shook hands with the fucking devil without understanding what you were doing.”
“I ain’t scared of Luther Kilmore.”
“I didn’t ask you to be,” he said, shaking his head. “I asked you to be smart, and you didn’t.”
“Pop-”
“Listen to me, Am-”
“Nah, I need you to listen to me, Pop,” I cut him off before he could start up again. “I traded my fucking life for Yale.” I smacked my chest. “My fucking life so that she could live hers. I’m good with that. He wants me to be his business doctor. Cool. I’ll be fine as long as she’s safe. I’ll swallow that shit.”
“You don’t even fuck with the game like that,” Pop sighed. “And knowing a nigga like Luther, it’s always going to be something you didn’t see coming. How do you think he moves between two worlds like he does? He’s a pastor who is in the streets. Think about that shit!”
“He’s in the drug game,” I shrugged. “I can handle that.”
“You think you know everything, huh?” he chuckled, even though I knew he didn’t find shit funny. “Stealing cars is one thing, but dealing with the game is another.”
“I can handle it, Pop,” I said. “For Yale, I’ll handle that shit.”
“You ain’t got no choice now, do you?” he replied.
“Nah, I don’t,” I said, shaking my head. “Because if I gotta pick me or Yale, I’m always going to pick her.”
Chapter four
Yale
“This is cute,” my friend, Consonance, said as we walked through the small boutique looking for a dress for me to wear. She held up a black, fitted dress and turned it back and forth. It was pretty, but I wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate for dinner with his family.
“It is,” I nodded and went back to looking through the racks.
“You know you could just say no,” she laughed. I looked up at her and smiled. “Your ass is too polite.”
