I closed my eyes and felt her grab my hand the same as she did that day. “You told me it was okay to let my heart break and that the pain and the loss would lessen as time went on.”
“And what else?”
“That my mom had to go to be free, but she’d send someone special to mend my broken heart when it was time. And when it was time, you knew I’d let you know.”
I thought about Danae and felt goosebumps running up my arms once I opened my eyes.
“That’s the woman you asked me to pray for,” G said with a small smile. “This is why I didn’t want you to rush it. Danae was the woman that your mother sent to fill that void in your heart. She can deal with both, Aura, the boss in the streets. But with a whole heart, you’re able to give her Aura Sullivan, the man.”
“Hey, they both men. Come on now, G.” I laughed, wiping the corners of my eyes where tears had welled up.
“Boy, hush. You know exactly what I mean. Your mom would be proud.” She pointed a finger at me. “Don’t forget what I said though. Make sure your love feels like fresh air and not suffocation.”
“Understood.”
She kissed my forehead and got up from the couch.
My phone rang on the coffee table. It was Enzo calling. I answered without hesitation.
“What’s good?”
“On my way to the Bronx,”he said.“Pulling up on KJ’s uncle about that weed shit.”
“How far are you?”I put the phone on speaker to put my coat on.
“Like forty-five minutes.”
“Bet. I’ll meet you over there.”
“Nigga always wanna get in on the action.”He chuckled.
“Shiiiddd. Them niggas betta not even act like they want problems. I’ll meet you halfway.”
“It’s Mitchells projects so meet me by the Western Beef.”
“Aight.”I ended the call and picked my keys up from the couch. “I’m out, G. I love you.”
“Love you too!” she yelled out from wherever she’d disappeared to in the back of the house.
I headed out the door with one steady thought at the front of my mind. We were going to the Bronx to get an understanding about family. However, if we weren’t received well, we could take the Sullivan approach. That approach usually involved guns and shit. Either route, I planned to leave the conversation with an understanding.
By the timeI pulled into the parking lot at Western Beef, the sun had gone down. I spotted Enzo’s car near the back and pulled up next to it, rolling my window down.
“Leave your car here and hop in mine,” I told him.
“Why we gotta leave my shit? Why we can’t leave yours?”
“Cause there’s a $200,000 price difference between this Urus and that Q5.”
“Nigga, this my work car,” he said, hopping out of the driver’s seat.
Enzo was dressed like he’d just left the office with a black Lacoste sweater, black slacks, peacoat, and a pair of black Pradas on his feet. I was dressed down in a Thom Browne sweatsuit, constructs, and a leather coat. We both looked and smelled like we made money, just in different areas.
“We some smooth looking niggas,” I commented once he was in the passenger seat.
“All facts.” He dapped me up, and I pushed forward.
Pulling up to the first building on the corner of Alexander Avenue, we double parked. I’d never done business with Koric or his brother directly because I didn’t deal on that level. I paid people to be in certain places and handle certain deals so that I could focus on the big shit. However, I knew his face after looking into him when Thyri was first introduced to Enzo. His brother, Kaleb, Thyri’s ex-husband, had removed himself from this part of the game and took his talents down to Georgia to lock down the fraud market. I assumed Koric’s heart remained in New York because he stayed in the Big Apple after having already made a name for himself in the Bronx.
