The male chuckled, “You’re moving pretty fast there. Cleaning up all her shit like a good ol’ do boy ass nigga. I see you switched phones.”
“Man, stop hidin’ and tell me who you are.”
“You don’t know me,” he replied. “But I know you. You are a crack baby. Parents didn’t want your ass and left you, hoping you would die. You let the streets raise you, and the streets will be where you die. You should’ve stayed out of this.”
I was fuming and ready to blow some shit up.
“Oh, and tell that bitch Adore, shit just getting started,” he said before hanging up.
I tried calling that number back several times, but it kept sending me to voicemail. Hollow was protecting his sister and all by keeping her away from me, but there were bigger fish to fry. I needed that nigga to let me see Adore without the sneaking shit. Dialing his number, I hopped on the highway.
“What’s up?” Hollow said on the phone.
“Where you at?”
“In town at work. Fuck you got goin’ on?”
“I’m headin’ to you,” I said before hanging up in his face.
He had a few connections that I didn’t have. Battling with a no-face and no-name ass nigga was something I wasn’t in the mood for. I pulled up to Hollow standing outside with a family. To be polite, I waited until they got in their car and left, and he waved for me to come on. Shit was funny every time I saw him in work mode. This nigga was a whole professional. Nobody but the ones close to him knew the real him.
“What’s the emergency?” He asked, closing his office door.
“Look, I kno’ you think it’s best for Adore not to be ‘round me and shit.”
“We both kno’ it’s best, Whodie.”
“Nigga, I got a random call today. Nigga knew my name and told me to tell Adore that shit is just I’ started. Now, do you think it’s best we be apart?” I stared at him, waiting for an answer.
“Muthafucka, no one can protect her like I can. Not even you, lil’ nigga.”
“Fuck you say?” I asked.
“Nigga, I ain’t tryin’ to beef wit’ you about my sister.”
“Shit, we ain’t beefin’, but I am ‘bout to state some facts, nigga. You got yo’ own family to take care of. It was me that’s been protectin’ Adore all this time. Before I even knew who you were, I was there. It really don’t matter how the fuck you feel, I will be wit’ Adore today.”
Hollow leaned back in his chair. At this point, I didn’t give a fuck how he felt. Someone was threatening my girl, and there wasn’t a nigga on this earth going to tell me I couldn’t see her today.
“Bet!” He rose out of his seat. “Bring yo’ ass on so you can follow me.”
CHAPTER 17: ADORE
Since Love was always the one doing stuff around the house and I was occupying their space, I decided to cook for them tonight. Love had texted and told me she would be home once she picked their son up, and Hollow hadn’t said anything. What I was really doing was trying to get my brother full so he could take his ass to sleep and not mind my business when I left to chill with Whodie. I had the table set when Love and my nephew walked in the door.
“Adore, you didn’t have to do all of this.”
“I’m in your house. It’s the least I can do for y’all.”
Love looked at me funny. “What are you really trying to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Adore, you are not being nice for nothing. Not to your brother anyway.”
“I need to see Whodie, and I need my brother to mind his business,” I told her.
Right as she was about to talk, Hollow walked in, cutting our conversation short. My nephew ran right into his arms. He must’ve sensed we were talking about him because he focused on us after kissing my nephew.
