“Man, you can’t be tripping about that shit too hard. You just had a baddie run up outta here.” He chuckled as I followed him into my kitchen. He was really about to sit down and eat my food like he hadn’t tried to ruin my relationship a few nights ago. “Blossom ain’t going no damn where. I’m just the drunken disappointment that no one takes seriously.”
“I don’t want to hear any of that drunk shit you’re talking about.” I snatched the paper plate from him before he could fix some of the chicken and rice. “You need to get your shit together because you’re going out sad. Not only are you ruining your life, but your family's. If it wasn’t for your father calling in a favor to the captain, your ass would have been arrested.”
The night of the Governor’s Gala, Rowan had pissed some very important people off with his ranting and raving. Blossom knocking him on his ass was a shock to us all, but even I was thankful that she had. The captain had called me that night since he knew I was on the scene, but by then, I had left, trying to follow up behind my girl. From what I’d heard, the governor was pissed but assured the partygoers everything was okay. I’d known him and been around this family long enough to know it was anything but fine. I didn’t know if he had said anything to Rowan about his actions yet, but I was sure he was going to.
“Listen… I didn’t come over here to argue with you, bruh.” He stumbled backward, holding onto the counter. His eyes were glazed over, his nostrils were flared, and sweat was forming above his brows.
“Are you high?” I frowned in disgust. “This is why you need to lay off that shit, man. You can’t control yourself when you’re under the influence, and it’s the people that’s around you who suffer from it. Blossom?—”
“Fuck Blossom!” he bellowed, catching me off guard. “It’s always Blossom this, Blossom that!” He slapped his hand on the counter repeatedly. “Had Blossom helped me when I asked her to, I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in now. She’s a selfish bitch, and she deserves everything that’s coming her way!”
Placing my hand on the service weapon attached to my waist, I eyed him as he continued to pace the floor and talk to himself. I’d seen him fly off the rocker a few times, but it was nothing like this. Either Rowan was high on something stronger than his usual drug of choice, or he had lost his last brain cell.
“Y’all think she’s just so perfect! You, my father, everyone!” he yelled.
“Man, what the fuck are you even talking about?” I asked, confused. “That girl loves you and helps you more than she should have to. What do you mean it’s her fault you’re in the situation you’re in? What have you done now?”
“I didn’t come over here to talk about her, TJ.” He stopped pacing in front of my dining table and eyed me. He grabbed at his unkept hair before dropping down on the nearest barstool. “I’m in bed with some dangerous people, and I need to pay over two hundred grand in a week, or they’re going to kill me.” He peered up at me with wide eyes. “I’m in debt with Dame because of a tab I ran up. Not only that, but I also haven’t been able to get in touch with Chris.” He looked up at me with pleading eyes. “We need to hit another lick or find Chris and flip the dope he has left. You have to help me!”
“Aight man, relax.”
I placed my hand on Rowan’s shoulder, taking a seat beside him at the island. All thoughts of Blossom were put on the backburner as I looked over at the glossy eyes of her brother. I didn’t know much about the Chris nigga, but if he was gone off the radar, that led me to believe Uncle Jay had found him.
“I will help you as best as I can…” I stared off for a minute because deep down I was nervous as hell. “Grab a bite to eat, and get your shit together, Row. We’re going to find Chris and come up with another plan. This time, we’re going to take everything they own.”
“Good morning, Detective Hines,” Stephanie greeted me when I stepped inside the precinct. “How are you doing today?”
“Good, now that I see you’re doing your job instead of fraternizing.” I smiled back at her, causing hers to drop. Propping up against her desk, I handed her the coffee I’d stopped and gotten her this morning. “Anything interesting going on?”
Today, I returned to my regular schedule, and I was more than ready to begin my day. I’d spent the last two off days chilling with Rowan, riding around the city looking for Chris. My gut told me he was dead, and that worried me. He didn’t know me to give much information to the McKnights if they’d gotten a hold of him, but I could never be too sure.
I no longer had inside intel to run back up in Uncle Jay’s stash house since I had to kill the bitch who was fucking one of his workers and me. That made it harder for me to know what was happening with my estranged family and to solve Rowan’s money problems. Thinking about JJ had my blood pressure rising. I didn’t care if I had to take down the father to get to the son; I was more than willing to do it. I wanted the heads of themboth, and not just for my father, but also because those niggas needed to know they weren’t on top.
I’d been so caught up with Rowan that I didn’t have a chance to pull up on Blossom. My calls were still going unanswered, so I was going to make sure I did that today. Even though I had a small roster of chicks I was fucking, no one was Blossom. Her face, her hair, and her smell were all elite, and none of these bitches was fucking with my baby, including the one currently staring at me.
“Do you have an underlying beef with me that you’d like to discuss?” Steph raised her perfectly arched brow at me as her lips descended toward the lid of her coffee cup. I could feel my dick involuntarily twitch as my eyes followed her movements. “Ever since the last time Dr. McKnight was here, you’ve had this sour look on your face when you see me, Detective Hines. Matter of fact…” She handed me the coffee and turned up her nose. “You can give this to someone else. I don’t trust you.”
Looking from her to the cup placed back on the counter in disbelief, I wanted to throw the hot liquid in her face. How dare she disrespect me like that? Not to mention, my blood was now boiling at the mention of JJ’s name.
“Fuck that nigga!” I said through my clenched teeth, causing her to roll her eyes. “How you gonna give the pussy to him and not to me? You’re just a hoe looking for clout and a handout.”
Her eyes went wide in shock before her entire face scrunched up into the sternest mug I’d ever seen. Standing, she scowled as she leaned forward over the counter. We were in a station full of personnel, so I had to keep my frustration with her challenging me under wraps. Her acting like a nigga, though, had me ready to manhandle her ass.
“Let me be very clear with you,Detective, since it’s clear that you’ve lost your mind. I am a grown-ass woman, and I can do what the fuck I want with this pussy. I’ve never slept with JJ, butif I did, what the fuck would it mean to you? He’s a fine-ass man that’s single, and you’re a hating nigga that has a woman who, in my opinion, could do better. If I decide to pop this pussy, it would be for a real nigga and not some little-ass boy that needs a badge to feel like abigman.” She eyed me for a few moments before she sank back into her seat. “The captain requested that you come see him before you get settled. Be a good officer of the law and report to your boss.”
Fuming with anger from the disrespect, I gripped my cup of coffee and hoped the cup didn’t rupture from my tight grasp. As badly as I wanted to slap this bitch, I let her make it. A nigga wasn’t trying to lose his job over some stuck-up hoe.
“Clean this shit up. Next time, I’ll have you written up for your work area not being up to code.”
“What are you?—”
Knocking the cup over that she placed back on the counter, I watched her jump from her chair and shriek as the hot liquid splashed all over her desk and clothes. Grabbing the attention of everyone nearby, I acted as if her scream had nothing to do with me. Placing my hand in my slacks, I made my way through the halls to Captain Young’s office. His office was next to mine, so the trek was familiar and short.
“You wanted to see me, Cap?” I tapped lightly on his door before entering. Meeting his glare, I could tell this wouldn’t be a friendly visit. “What’s wrong?”
“Come in and have a seat, Hines,” he said as he gestured toward the empty chairs for me to sit. “Some things have been brought to my attention that I’m not all too happy with.” He looked over the top of his glasses before shuffling a few of the papers on his desk. “Do you know a Lisa Smoke?”
“What?” I furrowed my brows because what did Lisa have to do with anything? “I mean, yes, sir… I know her. She’s a friend of mine. Is she okay?”
