Bry: ??
A hard tug on my braids pulls my eyes away from that teasing cursor.
“Last night, Mom told me she wanted grits for breakfast again. Fuck him and take care of her.”
“Grits?” I croak out.
Never mind the drama waiting on my phone—Mama wanted grits for breakfast. That’s the only thing that matters to a man that’s constantly living on his own planet.
“Yeah. The grind don’t stop just because you fucked up andgotfucked up. I made hella pots of grits after getting lit.” His fingers land at the center of my ass in one of those “don’t do it again” slaps that sting so good. “Go take care of your business. Underage drinking is a no-no. I don’t care how bad you missing me.”
He scoffs. “You must not want Twitter back that bad.”
As soon as his words come out,hisphone dings like everybody on Earth woke up and realized how good of a time we were having at home.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
Ace
“Babygirl must’ve had you busy this morning.” Blake chuckles, staring at Marcus’ baggy blue Polo that Phat handed me before I left her house.
She wouldn’t peel herself out of my t-shirt and I wouldn’t make her—not even when I got his text in her bedroom.
2128045609: How about that ride you owe me? I got the 911 gassed up just for you. Meet me at the Post Oak.
It was the shittiest way to crash back onto Earth after floating on Planet Ace all morning with her legs wrapped around my head, but takers didn’t care that I watched my little lady have her first orgasm from oral while floating in the clouds at home. Takers never cared. They were just as shiesty as they were thirsty. So, I kept him waiting while I sipped on Hennessy, kissed on Phat while she cooked grits, and held CeCe’s spoon at breakfast because she said her hands weren’t working. I don’t think her eyes were either because she didn’t even notice I had on Marcus’ shirt or that I slept in Phat’s bed.
“She must’ve had yourealbusy.” He looks up at the scratches along my temples, dangling the keys to his 911 in my face. “Had me waiting all morning.”
The parking garage shakes as cars zoom in and out. I let the keys hang from his fingers.
“Yeah, I figured you didn’t have anything pertinent to discuss.”
“Now, now.” He holds up his hands, smiling and pushing the keys into my chest. “Don’t be like that. I just want the same thing your Pops wants for you.”
He turns and spreads his arms out. The Audemars Piguet on his wrist twinkles in the dark garage.
“I read inTimemagazine that you’re a Porsche man. I mean, it didn’t come out of your mouth but out your Pops’. He said you bought your first one at fifteen.” He whistles. “Fifteen. You even had a license then?”
I swallow, staring at the pitch black 911. “Nah, but I got a fat ass check under the table from Nike for hooping in a rare pair of elevens in my first high school game.”
“Ha! I’m sure it ain’t stop you from taking it for a spin and fucking off some of that fat ass check you got just from hooping in a pair of sneakers nobody can even afford. Don’t seem like anybody stopsThe Kidfrom doing what he wants.” He shrugs. “Well,almostanybody.”
His voice echoes throughout the garage while I try to ignore the taste of Cheyenne’s name on my lips. Saying it after two years is exactly how I thought it would be—bitter.
“Come on. Get in.” He taps the driver’s door. “Take me around your city. It’s yours now, right?”
He doesn’t wait for me to agree before he walks over and gets into the passenger seat.
I look over my shoulder, waiting for Phat to come out of the shadows with her little mouth twisted, telling me how much she hates corny ass Carlton Banks niggas like Blake, but I put her to bed after she cooked breakfast. My little lady didn’t know how to survive hangovers and I didn’t know how to survive random ambushes by agents.
I walk forward, yanking the door open and Blake is such a sneaky taker that the interior is set up just right with Dough blasting, candy in the console, and 1942 on the floor next to his leg.
I stoop down, sliding behind the wheel.
“Can’t have you riding around just any kind of way.” He swipes the bottle off the floor and unscrews it. “What you think?”
“I see you coming correct this time.”
