Chapter 1
Xai Watts
“You’ve had enough,” I say as I place my hand over my brother Kadean’s fourth shot of bourbon.
“I swear he thinks he’s your daddy or some shit,” Dutch, Kadean’s dumb ass homeboy, says.
“What the fuck you just say?” I bark, and per usual, his simp ass backs down.
“Chill, Dutch. I’m straight anyway,” Kadean intervenes. “And before you say it, Xai. I’m not driving anyway.”
“Because you can’t,” I spit.
Kadean has been on a fuck-up tour since his twenty-first birthday. The turn up after that party dented my pockets by a little over three grand and eight months later, I had to dish outanother two grand because he doesn’t know how to handle his liquor. He has two DWIs, driving while intoxicated, and he has no business drinking. His license is suspended for a year and he’s taking a court-ordered alcohol education course. A third DWI could land his ass in jail, which is why I have his motorcycle in my garage at the crib.
Babysitting and controlling my brother’s alcohol intake are the last things I wanted to do tonight. After a long day at my car wash and detailing shop, Clean Ridez, I came here, McCall’s, to chill. I got a small booth ducked off in the Blackout section near the stage, and before I could order my damn drink, my little brother popped up with this crab. I hadn’t had ten minutes of peace before they were sliding into my booth. That had been an hour ago and I’ve had enough of Dutch’s free-loading ass.
“You not gon’ drink it?” Dutch asks Kadean and he has sense enough to shake his head.
When Dutch reaches for the shot, I pour it into the ice bucket.That crab ain’t drinking it either.
“Imma go holla at the chick at the bar. I’ll be back,” Dutch announces bitterly before sliding out of the booth.
“Xai, bruh, you didn’t have to do that,” Kadean says.
“The fuck I didn’t. This my shit. I don’t know why you can’t see he’s foul as fuck,” I say and shake my head. I’m not wasting my air talking about Dutch anymore. “Why did you come up here anyway?”
“I need to talk to you about something,” he begins.
“What couldn’t wait till tomorrow?”
“I got this opportunity,” he continues and I sigh.
Here we go!
“How much?” I ask. Every time he has an opportunity, a chance, an idea, or a lick, it costs me money. I love my brother and I’ll do anything for him. I owe him that shit but I can’t lie, it’s exhausting. He’s almost twenty-three; he’s not a kid anymore. Ican help but he needs to try and help himself. At some point, he has to figure some things out on his own and find his own way.
“Xai, man. Let me tell you what it is first. Damn.”
Our server pops up at the table across from us so I wave her thick ass over. “Another bottle?” she asks.
“Nah. Just the check.”
“Be right back,” she says, then winks.
I’ve been coming to McCall’s for a minute now and know pretty much everyone here. Shawty is definitely new and with her pretty ass smile and phat ass, she’s going to drain so many pockets of tips.
“Xai,” Kadean pleads.
“I’m listening.”
“It’s box trucks.”
“What?” I ask.
“Box trucks. Dutch ha?—”
“Here we go.” I shake my head, then lean back and stretch my arms across the back of the booth. “Let’s hear this shit.”
