Page 21 of Just Like Summer

Cairo leaned over Tiny’s limp body and grumbled as he snatched the flag off him. “Whatever move you make, do it without fuckin’ protection, nigga.”

With that, he straightened his spine and walked back to the double-parked car and got back inside. Nate got inside and Cairo tossed him the flag. “Put the word out, Tiny’s done.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yeah. That nigga’s greed and ego is going to drag all of us down. I’m not fuckin’ having it,” Cairo grumbled.

Cairo was on the brink of something good, he could feel it and he wouldn’t allow someone else’s missteps to drag any of them down. When it came to leading, the hard choices needed to be made before they were forced upon him.

“How are we handling jobs then?” Nate questioned.

“Keep the trap on lock. If anyone sells to him, or fronts him a reup, I’m coming for them too. Tiny is going to fuck up and we’re going to lay low until he gets himself out our fuckin’ way. Aight?”

Nate nodded his head before responded. “Bet. All this is stimming from that last job?”

“Nigga wanted to steal fucking stamped gold bricks. Do you know the hell we could’ve caught from trying to break that down. I’m not doing it. I made Dania a promise.”

“Oh, so y’all were plotting on me,” Nate blew, lightening the mood.

“Yeah, to keep you out of jail and with your family. Stay close, nigga, she’s not coming for my head.”

nine

She was irritated. Every day she had to come here and deal with QaMeesha’s stank ass, personality included, the more she forced herself to daydream about the day she got out of here. Almost three hours had passed since the midday rush, Kamilla was due for a break and QaMeesha was holding her up. Handing a bag of tacos through the front order window, Kamilla caught Martez from the corner of her eye.

“Here we go,” she muttered to herself.

“Lil’ Milla,” Martez slithered, like the snake he was. “You cute in that uniform.”

Kamilla rolled her eyes and quirked her lip in tandem, showing how disgusted she was by his mere presence. “Are you here to order or get on my nerves?”

Martez gave her that look. That look that was inappropriate for someone who deemed themselves a family member to another family member. Ever since her breasts came in fully, he’d given her that look and everyone assumed she was being dramatic. Martez was a snake along with a creep, and she was far from dramatic.

“Why you playing like that? Like I’m not your favorite person?” he crooned, leaning into the window, closing space between them without permission.

“Back up,” she hissed, holding her hand up. “Are you ordering or-”

“Kamry!” QaMeesha shouted the wrong name yet again. “Girl, I will fire your ass. All this fuckin’ attitude you’ve been giving people all day.”

The only one Kamilla had been giving an attitude was QaMeesha. When she walked in the restaurant, it looked like she hadn’t even cleaned it. There was no one to fire up the grill or load the register or do any of the opening things. When QaMeesha appeared from the back office, she barked and bitched about the state of the restaurant, blaming Kamilla for how it looked.

“Don’t pay this girl no mind,” QaMeesha huffed and rolled her eyes. “What you here for, Tez? What can I get your fine ass?”

Martez gave her a lustful look as he bit his lip. “Shit, what you trying to give me?”

QaMeesha bit her lip. “I got something in the back.”

Martez groaned, looking over his shoulder at the pair of losers he bought with him. “Yeah, let me get that. Ay, Hype, look after my cousin, aight?”

Kamilla caught the eyes of the set of clowns who held her at gunpoint not even a week ago. The bruises on their faces evidence that they remembered whatever it was that Cairo did to them when he walked them out the store. This time when she looked at them, there was an absence of fear.

Hype’s eyes followed Martez around the corner to do and pay for whatever QaMeesha was offering. When the pair was out of sight, Hype rubbed his bruised chin and nervously looked around. “Ay, look. I didn’t mean no harm.”

“For putting a gun to my head or…” Kamilla quipped, sizing him up. “Getting caught doing it?”

“Look,” Hype spoke in a lowered tone. “Tez is out his mind, but that nigga C4, I don’t want no problems with him. He’s made it clear that fucking with you is going to be a problem.”

“But yet you choose to follow behind Martez knowing where it’s going to land you?” Kamilla asked with a hum. “You’re as stupid as you look.”