The streets were crowded, and my mind went to Suki.
I chuckled, dumping the blunt out the window. “What the fuck you doing, bruh?” I shook my head.
Suki was all up in my fucking head.
“It’s that fuckin’ Star. If she ain’t say shit about her I wouldn’t even be thinking about her.”
Shit between us been off. It could’ve been me having her stay the night with me when we didn’t even move like that, but shit, I wanted her with me. When I told her to lay back down, I felt lame as fuck.
But I wanted that lil’ loudmouth ass mothafucka with me that night. It could’ve been because of the shit with Rayzor and Eristhat had all of us talking and in our feelings. Honestly, I didn’t think she’d stay, but she did. It felt straight waking up to her.
Staying the night with a mothafucka felt like commitment.
Suki and I had some kind of understanding. She moved like me. That shit was cool because feelings were off the table. That also meant she was out here doing her too. She wasn’t my bitch so I couldn’t tell her who to give her pussy to, but that also made me keep her ass at arm’s length.
The last woman I loved and rode for got off the ride before I had to do a bid many years ago. One day she came to see me, the next the visits and calls stopped. The only people that came to see a nigga was family and Rayzor.
Love was too open and too unsure.
That’s why I football kick it with these hoes and keep it moving.
My burner went off.
“Yo’.”
“I got some for ya.”
I ended the call, dropping the phone back in my lap and bent the corner shaking Suki, bitches and anything that wasn’t money from my head. I couldn’t have nothing throwing me off.
The sound of the money counter was one of the few things that made me smile as I stepped into the building.
Steel tables lined the room, bricks stacked high, money piled in neat rows in formation. Workers hustling and cigarette smoke swirled thick in the air, moving with precision because mistakes weren’t allowed.
Running my finger over the stacks, each one reminded me this was the shit I was built for. What I did it for: eight siblings and a mama to take care of. Being poor and broke again wasn’t an option. They all depended on me. I owed them the life the niggas that laid down with mama and created us couldn’t provide.
I noticed something a little off. The brick was light. “This look right to you?” I asked.
The worker nervously glanced up, hands trembling, breathing speeding up.
“My- my bad, boss. I’m moving too fast.”
CRACKKK
I hit that nigga with the butt of my gun against his skull.
“Make sure all weight is accurate. Fuck y’all think this is?” I asked, walking around the room holding up the brick.
“Yes, boss,” they said in unison.
I dropped the brick back on the table. Dude got up with his head bleeding, but that shit wasn’t my fault.
“Get back to work, nigga.”
If his ass could lean, he’s good enough to work.
The room fell back into a silent rhythm like nothing happened.
That’s how you got niggas to understand.
