Needing the high to calm his nerves, Vega inhaled again, chuckling as the smoke escaped his body by way of his full lips. “My word is all I have, Ace. It’s what you taught me. If it doesn’t mean shit, then I’m not shit. Don’t take that from me. Give me time. I promised you that I would figure this shit out, and I will. I just can’t do it in your shadow.”
Ace leaned back and massaged his chin, caressing his beard while he stared at a face that mirrored one he loved without reservation. Vega was a carbon copy of their mother while Ace was a perfect blend of both her and their father. His parents often said Vega looked so much like Lilly Orr because she babied Vega, praying it would redirect him from following in his father and brother’s footsteps. It didn’t. The second Ace allowed Vega the opportunity, he embraced it with his entire being, hitting the streets with a vengeance. It crushed her soul and she carried that until the day she died. Ace’s chest rose and fell aggressively just thinking about it before he changed the subject.
“You falling through East’s spot tonight?”
Vega smirked. It amazed him sometimes how connected his brother was. Ace knew his moves for later and Vega hadn’t mentioned it once. That meant the streets had told him.
“Yeah. Do I need permission from you to do that?” Vega spoke with a sarcasm that made Ace smile. He knew his brother didn’t give a fuck about permissions. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and that was what scared Ace the most.
“You’re grown. The fuck I look like policing your moves that closely.” Ace paused and caressed his beard once more. “You’re good around East. He isn’t about any dumb shit.”
Vega chuckled and nodded. “You respect him more than you do me, fam, but that’s my fault. I’ma get that back.”
He pulled from the blunt one last time before he was on his feet and handing it over to Ace.
“Vega?”
Ace spoke his name with simplicity, but there was something heavy behind it.
“Nah, we cool, bruh. I get it. He earned it and I didn’t. I don’t have any animosity toward East, but like I said, I’ma get that back. I respect him too, trust. No hard feelings. That’s my word…” He paused and grinned. “If I’m allowed to have that.”
Ace chuckled and nodded before he accepted the blunt still extended his way. “I’ll holla at you in a few days, so don’t try and pull up on me.” Vega said on his way to the door, only stopping when he heard his brother’s voice.
“Ay, you’re an Orr. That name means something, Vega. Don’t embarrass me tonight.”
Vega nodded and left his brother’s office and house. He had a lot of heavy shit to work through, but it would have to wait. Tonight, his goal was to win a lot of money and impress a pretty woman.
6
“Did you just renege? Oh, hell nah. You have to be fucking kidding me,” Chuck yelled, slamming his remaining cards down on the table in front of him.
East looked up and chuckled at how serious things had gotten at the Spades table. Chuck and his partner, Ogee, had to be up by about fifty grand, but from the way Chuck was cursing him out, East was sure they had just lost all of that.
“My bad, chill the fuck out. It really isn’t that deep.” Ogee seemed unbothered. He was always calm and the green he had been blazing for the past hour only intensified his mellow state.
“Yes, the fuck it is.” Chuck’s voice was loud and echoed in the room full of people.
The crowd was mixed with men and women. All of whom had full cups and access to as much of the good shit as they could handle. Card nights were chill and brought in a lot of money. Ten grand got you in the door and to a table. But nothing less than thousand dollar bets were accepted with each play, even at the Spades table where Chuck currently was.
“Fuck you. Shut your crying ass up and let’s finish this hand so we can get that back. I’ll front the next one since you damn near in tears and shit.”
“Hell yeah, you gon’ front that shit. You were the one who reneged,” Chuck shot back at him, still pissed that they were about to lose.
East sat on the other side of the room at the Blackjack table, chuckling at Chuck and Ogee before he lifted the face down card in front of him and quickly did the math.Eleven. A five of diamond and a six of spades. Right after, his eyes moved around the table at the four other players. East was an expert at reading people. Two of the men surveyed their cards and immediately smiled. It was subtle and only noticeable to those who paid attention to detail. East noticed. To his left, the player beside East grunted lightly while the player on that player’s side huffed before double-checking the face down card in front of him like it would somehow magically change.
“Two good hands and two busts.”
East tapped the table, requesting a card, then leaned back. The others watched him briefly, but East had already tuned them out and gave his attention to the door. They were in a storeroom at the back of the building that was double the size of the actual shop. No windows and only one door, which provided the card players protection from anyone who wasn’t invited.
When there was a knock on the double plated metal door, East placed his hand on his hip and lifted his eyes to Bad Boy, who stood on watch, allowing entry to those who were invited and had their ten grand in cash.
The room was loud, full of players talking shit, winning or losing big, so no one noticed the exchange between East and Bad Boy. A slight nod was given, granting Bad Boy permission to check the door.
“Vega, what’s good? I heard you were out.”
East relaxed and Bad Boy stepped out the way, allowing Vega entry. East had mentioned that Vega might fall through.
“Yeah, I’m home. You good?” East’s seat gave him a visual of the entrance and he watched intently as Vega stepped in, followed by the woman who had been with Joi at Presidential a few days before. A slow smile spread across East’s face when Joi stepped in the door behind both of them.
