He glared at me, as I nursed his wound. I didn't give him any eye contact, because I was feeling guilty.
He didn't say a word as I drove us to the emergency room in his car. We stayed up all night as the doctor had to give him eleven stitches. Jahrein got sleepy, and rested his head on my shoulder. His arms were wrapped around my waist, while I shook my head. This was so us. We would fight like cats and dogs, but we loved each other to a fault.
Still, we had trust issues like a muthafucka, and him hearing about me chatting with some well-known D boy wasn't going to help matters. I had enough problems as it was.
Outside of the petty drama Jahrein’s hustling day and night had paid off. He came home one morning excited about meeting a new connect. He said that he’d known these Colombian cats for quite a while. He knew that they were getting money but didn’t like fucking with most of the black hustlers around there. The Colombians didn’t like how most of the niggas handled their business, but after witnessing Jahrein in action they were impressed. So, they approached him with an offer that he couldn’t refuse. They wanted to be his supplier exclusively. Jahrein was cool with that, because they had some of the purest cocaine around.
I later found out that his connect was Jose's ass. That made me glad that I hadn't given him the time of the day.
I was happy for my man, but really didn’t grasp what that truly meant, until he started bringing home those racks. He’d sit and count every penny by hand with his boy Tony. Soon, there was trash bags filled with money sitting around the apartment. Before I could even think about having sticky fingers Jahrein would throw plenty of cash my way. Then he really stepped his game up when he came in one day and told me to get the kids together. We were going shopping.
I thought that I had style, but I guess that I’d been swimming in the low budget end of things. Cause every time I picked something up in the Galleria Mall Jahrein would tell me to think higher. I was trying to grab some Hilfiger or Ralph Lauren, but he said that I needed to think outside the box. So, we went to a few high end boutiques and I racked up. I had Iceberg, Coogi, and Gucci for days. He convinced me to buy heels even though I was a Nike’s type of chick.
He was spoiling me and the kids rotten. He bought them too many toys, and I didn’t know where to put it all. Our apartment had no more room. Lack of space didn’t stop Jahrein from buying them clothes and shoes on top of more clothes and shoes. And then he had us take family portraits while all wearing Iceberg from head to toe just to give the haters a visual of how we were getting it.
Things between Jahrein and me became better than ever. He was taking care of home in a way men twice his age couldn't. In my eyes he was King and he treated me like his Queen. Even at my school he was well respected, so much so that all the guys were scared to talk to me. They’d all play that brotherly roll before openly flirting with Jahrein’s girl. The situation with Delvin was still infamous around the school, so niggas my age were petrified to even look my way.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
One day after I got out of school, Jahrein was at home waiting on me. He was sitting on the couch with a serious look on his face. The expression he wore was not that of anger, but something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“What’s wrong, Jah?” I asked as I put Jhyrah down on the couch, while Junior grabbed a toy and sat in front of the TV.
“I need to talk to you right quick.” He told me as he picked Jhyrah up and placed her in his lap.
“About what?” I asked as I sat right next to him.
“Jose wants me to meet him in Miami.”
I’m like oh shit, he’s about to go out of town and be around all those half naked chickens while I stayed at home with our babies.
“So, what’s the problem? I know that you want to go.” I said. Wasn’t no need in him fronting for me.
“The problem is that I have to bring him some money, but I can’t take all that shit on a plane.”
“It’s that much money?”
“Yeah.” He nodded.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I need somebody to bring it out there for me.” He said as he stared into my eyes.
“I know you aint talking about me?” I asked in disbelief. He was always talking this shit about not involving me in his street activities, and now he was talking about me trafficking for him.
“Raven, I wouldn’t come to you unless I had to. Them Colombians don’t trust nobody and one fuck up could be the end for me. I can’t afford to take a loss like that. Shit,wecan’t afford to take a loss like that. What I’m bringing them could turn the most loyal muthafucka into a snake. I aint even told my niggas about this. So, what I’m saying is that you’re the only person that I can trust.” He explained.
“Yeah right.” I rolled my eyes. “First it will be this and the next thing I know I’ll be on the block slanging your rocks for you.”
He gave me a crazy look. “Girl, have you lost your damn mind? You know damn well that I would never come at you like that. This is a one-time thing and I promise to never involve you again. I think that they’re testing me anyway. You know, to see what I can handle.”
I couldn’t stop shaking my head. “I can’t believe you.”
“What?”
“Don’twhatme.” I gritted. “You want me to take penitentiary chances for you. This is some crazy shit.”
“Raven, don’t even play me like that. If it was you, I’d do it for you.”
