“Nephew, where’s that woman of yours?” he asked with his brows raised. I knew what he was attempting to do. He didn’t give a damn about Layloni.
“She’s around.” I kept it simple, as he let out a deep chuckle, then ashed his cigar on my desktop. Taking his Stacy Adams off my table, he sat up as one of the chicks next to him started to fan him with a folded piece of paper.
“You young niggas is so stupid, you wonder why you ain’t moved up like me.”
His eyes challenged me; I kept quiet.
“Your side bitch knows where you at, but ya main bitch is with a damn enemy.”
I wouldn’t dare ask him how he knew. He probably knew before I even called him earlier, informing him on what the hell was going on.
“My best friend Carlos is dead, my nigga! You let that nigga come back out here and kill him! Not even aware… I bet you don’t even know where the fuck his momma stay either.”
“Do you know where she stay?”
“It don’t matter what the fuck I know nigga! You suppose to have shit in the clutch… I got other states to run… you so busy trying to run after these hoes… now this nigga somewhere with your bitch!” his voice elevated.
“Look Unc, I got the shit under-”
“Control? Nigga, you ain’t got shit under control. Them lil niggas that’s on your payroll should be reporting to you every single night and day! Watching shit, you ain’t got no information on an enemy except he with your bitch! You should’ve been smart enough to know he was back when Carlos came up stanking!”
Snapping his fingers, he stood up. The two women he had with him went into motion like robots, jumping at the small gesture. Taking his cigar and putting it out, one grabbed his hat and placed it on his head as he walked towards me. A look of disgust was plastered on his face. It made me feel like shit, since my father was dead and gone. Troy took me in and raised me like a son. His approval was what made me feel good, like I was succeeding at something.
“I’m heading back to Texas tonight. You so lost in the sauce, you didn’t even know I was out here… you slipping on yo game for real. You need better eyes and ears to the streets. I raised you better than this. Don’t call me, I’ll call you… and don’t make no fucking moves from now on until I say so… I’m placing you back on probation. I’m gone move a couple of hungry niggas out here to keep an eye on the nigga.”
“Probation? Come on now Unc, I got this! Why can’t we just kill him?”
“You asking me, that is why I know for a fact you don’t got shit but your dick. Like I said, you still in charge little nigga, you just on probation. I’m moving some of my niggas down here to play chess while you run shit how it needs to be ran. I expect my money on time and for operations to move smooth. That niggagot something I want and, until I figure out how to get it, he stays alive.”
Walking out the door, I stood there dumbfounded. I hated being left in the dark about shit I felt like I should’ve knew about. I had too much shit going on and needed to get a grip on everything. My first grip would be on Layloni; I was gone find her ass and put her in check real good. She had me fucked up if she thought this relationship was over. Had me out here looking stupid as fuck and wondered why I went upside her big ass head.
Chapter 7
Layloni
Istood outside the check cashing place with a smile plastered on my face. I cashed my check, now I currently had sixteen hundred dollars cash in my wallet. For once, I didn’t have to cough my whole check up to my mom. I could save; I wanted to go with Shadonna to do some shopping. I planned on spending less than four hundred on hygiene and cheap clothes. I was going to go hard saving each check. I didn’t know how I would repay King for getting me the nice hotel suite he got me.
He told me it was mine for two months and, before I could deny him of it, he gave me his back after tossing the keys on the bed. King would text me every other day, never calling, he just texted to see how I was doing. He would one-word text me and then leave me hanging during our text conversation. King was weird and stand off but a huge blessing, so I really could not complain. I didn’t know what made him handle me like he did. He treated me like he knew me for years, yet he was super distant with me.
I returned to work earlier in the week. I was blessed to not have any run-ins with Glen. Tammy or Mr. Vandross would take me to the hotel when I got off work. They knew not to let Glen in, even if he did show up at my job. So far, everything was working,but a small part inside of me was missing Glen terribly. I felt stupid for praying privately for his wellbeing. He was really all I had; he and Shadonna were the only ones really close to me who knew what I battled and the deep things I went through with my mom.
It had been two weeks since I’d seen Glen and my mom. I worried about my mom even more. Calling her last week, she cursed me out bad and told me that I had better pay her rent. She said even if she had to suck my man’s dick to get it paid, she would. Her threats didn’t bother me anymore, nor the vulgar things she would say and do around me.
Only thing I cared about was her being safe and alive. I was just relieved to hear her curse me out. I sat silent on the phone listening to her go off on me patiently then I told her I loved her and that her days of taking advantage of me were over. My mom brought in at least 2400 a month. She had about three different government checks coming in, including social security. She was a fiend, but a functioning one. That house was really everything to her; it’s what she bragged about. So, push come to shove, she had the money to pay whatever. She would just have to see how that shit would be budgeting like I had to, just to make her ass happy.
Tipping my Uber driver and hopping out, I took in my surroundings, spotting Shadonna’s high yellow self-sitting in front of Forever 21. The entrance of the mall looked so good to me, probably because I hadn’t been to a mall in so long. Soon as she spotted me, she stood up and smoothed out her silk mini skirt. She was dressed in little to nothing, you would think she was out on the track trying to make her next dollar. She was my best friend with fucked up ways to add, but I loved her like a sister.
Walking with her nose tooted up to the sky, she gave me that crooked smile, letting me know she was happy to see me. Shesported an all-white bra top that had her titties about to pop out with a white silk mini skirt. Her red bottoms hit the concrete hard, as she adjusted a nice new Fendi purse on her shoulders. The gold chains and earrings she had on made her skin glow. I felt self-conscious with what I had on; I felt like I would look like a damn charity case standing next to her.
“Girl, this new friend of yours couldn’t lace you with some new clothes,” she chuckled as she flicked her cigarette far away from us, blowing out the remainder smoke in my face, causing me to frown up. I had on the Walmart sweats and plain shirt King had bought me the day I got released from the hospital.
Shrugging my shoulders to leave the subject alone, we walked with our arms linked together inside the mall. Going inside of Forever 21 first since they had a sale, I went straight to the plus size section, finding me some nice casual dresses to wear. Shadonna made her way to me in less than ten minutes with a pile of clothes in her hand.
“Bitch, that’s all you getting in here? I need you to pick out some cute shit for the club tonight!” she spoke super loudly, causing attention that I did not want on us.
“Club? Sha, I’m not going to nobody’s club tonight…”
Waving me off, she went through the plus sized rack, picking me out a couple of more things.
