“Don’t ever breeze over shit I question you when it comes to mine. Is my sister and niece in danger or not?” he asked again.
“No nigga. Don’t nobody even know ‘bout them. Fuck!” I shouted in response.
“Keep it that waypendejo(dumbass).” One thing I knew and saw for myself was the men in Angel’s family handling shit. I wasn’t trying to cause friction either since we been on good terms since day one.
The room fell quiet with grunts and groans here and there while he removed the bullet and stitched me up. I’d eventually started sipping on the Crown I had tucked in my desk. The pain was too much. My body was going through it today. By the timehe was done, I was good and tipsy. I had a low tolerance for both pain and alcohol.
Once he finished, he left me alone. Nigga walked out without saying another word and checked on his sister and niece. Angel’s family were cool with you until they wasn’t. It was a gang of them muthafuckas too that stood ten toes on it.
I went to the safe on the wall and typed in the code. Access was granted within seconds. Grabbing a stack of cash, I closed it back and secured the rest of my shit. I was walking out my office and locking it up behind me shortly after. I found Rafael in the living room spoiling baby girl.
Angel’s eyes scanned my body immediately. The look in her eyes were still of worry. This woman loved the hell out of me and didn’t have a clue as to who she really slept beside every night. I didn’t play her like I did other women. She made a nigga act right from the jump. Then again, I ain’t have a choice but to respect her or else she wasn’t giving me the time of day.
“Relax for me. I’m straight Ma,” I assured her.
“You’re stupid is what you are. Pay Raffy so he can go about his business. We have things to discuss,” she ordered.
Extending the stack in his direction, I said, “’Preciate it.”
He stood and we exchanged the bread for my daughter. He remained silent as he kissed both baby girl and Angel on the forehead. He was out the door seconds later and Angel was throwing me a hard glare.
Taking a seat beside her, I got as comfortable as I could. She rolled her eyes before handing over a cap of pills and glass of water.
“Raffy said you’ll be in pain for a while so take these. It’s all we have.” I did like she asked without a fuss. She was still recovering from having Amada, and I wasn’t trying to cause her too much stress.
“Thank you. Don’t even trip on this Ma. Some shit got out of hand at the warehouse. I was caught in the crossfire that’s all. Ain’t no point in overthinking this shit, aight?” She glared my way as if she could see through my lies. My words weren’t trusted at the moment.
“When have you ever known for me to overthink anything Damarius? I just want you to tell me what’s happening. And where is Bentley? You swore you were going to invite him over for dinner so we could finally meet. After all, you made him Amada’s godfather,” she questioned.
Angel knew who Bentley and Kong was, but they had no idea she even existed. I’d been lying to her ever since she found out I’d been running Zone Four. If it wasn’t for her uncle’s, she would’ve never known. Hell, she still don’t know I’m a narc. Her family ain’t play that snitching shit. Her uncle’s spotted me in one of their old neighborhoods and the hood sung like a canary telling them everything.
One of the many lies I told was me being a pharmacist. That petty shit held her over until she knew the real. Zone Four was the only zone that had a real pharmacy so her naive ass fell for it. We were handing out pills, white, rock, and weed. No one questioned it, not even the force. Bentley had legalized that damn building and hired real folk in that bitch. He was smart and knew how to hustle in more ways than one. A nigga couldn’t help but have envy surging.
“He had something to take care of. I’m gon’ be gone off the map for a lil’ bit too. He asked me to tag along with him for a few months,” I lied adding another one to the mile high pile.
“What?” she shouted! She was on her feet before I could blink. “Amada’s only a month old. What am I supposed to do without you? We have a family for Christ’s sake!”
“If you want me to keep this money flowing, I got to step away for a minute,” I said reasoning with her.
“You couldn’t even give her a year? You begged me to have her Damarius. Why would you abandon us? This isn’t fair to us. Does making money mean more to you than us?” She was handing out twenty-one questions without giving me a chance to speak while those tears resurfaced.
Standing, I pulled her into me and hugged her tightly. Her tears moved me believe it or not. Her and my daughter were the only untainted thing in my life. Losing her or Amada was a no go. I didn’t give a fuck how much I lied and schemed; I treasured them.
“Aye, chill with all that, aight? I’ll kick it ‘round here for a year. If I do, we got to watch how we spend these funds Ma. All that unnecessary spending gon’ put us on the streets. Can you handle that?” I questioned.
My woman and daughter was my heart. I could do without my mama and sister but these two, they got a different side of me. One that wasn’t so goddamn gutter and out for himself. I lowkey wanted to keep them under my thumb to protect them better, but I knew exactly what the fuck I had going on. I wanted them nowhere near it.
“I can handle it Papi,” she replied.
“Cool. I got her while you get started on dinner. I’m sorry,” I said kissing her forehead.
All she did was stall a nigga plans. You bets believe them bitches were still in motion though, and I ain’t plan on changing a bitch ass thing. My wheels turned long enough, with something too solid. Playing the shadows was over.
Walking across the parking lot, I hopped in the front seat of the blacked-out Charger. Hicks was also a narc, except his fish werenever on Bentley’s level. Because this was initially mine, I gave him everything he needed to know when they reassigned him.
“You was supposed to be here an hour ago Evans,” he tore into me immediately.
“I’m here now, so what we talking ‘bout? It’s gon’ take him a smooth thirty to get on this side. He leaving the warehouse,” I answered.
