Page 44 of Beacon Grove Chronicles 1: Hassan & Sylvia

A broad smile came over my face and nodded my head enthusiastically. “Two.”

I saw the look of surprise on their face because they were sure they knew everything about me. “Where is their mama? Hell, where are they? Does Sylvia know?” Mr. Earl was sitting up drilling me and I could see the attorney come out in him with how he was questioning me.

I nodded toward a tent not too far away from us. “She’s over there by your wife probably talking about me.”

Their heads snapped around when they saw I was nodding in the direction of Sylvia and her mama. Mr. Earl studied me again before he spoke up. “We know you ain’t claiming them kids already.”

“It’s a packaged deal and I’m more than willing to do so. I understand that kids aren’t just fun and games. Stuff is gonna get real and it has in some aspects already. I’m willing to be a support to Sylvia while she balances their needs and to step in whenever she allows me to. Again, I’m here playing for keeps.” Another sip of moonshine went down as they dissected my words.

“There go that boy that Jada Cunningham brought home. I swear something off with him.” Mr. Earl nodded and I turned to see Smoke strolling between the tents on the narrow path. He seemed irritated to be around so many people but I was sure that look on his face would change as soon as his ass got back near Jada.

“He’s with Jada Cunningham daddy of course something is wrong with him.” Mr. Tut was laughing because I was sure she’d been in front of him a time or two. Jada was several years younger than me but her antics were legendary in Beacon Grove. Everyone knew she would be a handful after a girl tried to bully her and she superglued the girl’s pigtails to her desk during nap time. The girl had to have all her hair cut off and Jada had refused to apologize. And this was when she was in kindergarten.

I gave Smoke a head nod from across the park and all I got back was a quirk of his brow. I knew that nigga was probably trying not to spaz out because this type of crowd was hell for someone like us. Well more him because he wasn’t used to it. But it was the type of setting that could get you easily caught up.

“You know him?” I turned back and Mr. Earl was looking at me cautiously.

I stifled my laugh thinking of how many missions Smoke and I had done together but I kept my answer light. “Something like that.”

“Lord, that means you’re a killa too.” Mr. Tut rubbed the bridge of his nose and I sat there shocked by his words.

“Say what?” I was laughing but I had to remember who I was talking to. This town might wear a pious veneer but everyone around here had dirt.

Mr. Tut pointed at Smoke who by now had made his way to the Cunningham’s tent and pulled Jada onto his lap.

“That boy got that gleam in his eye. It’s the one that lets you know he is always about four seconds from snapping somebody’s neck. I seen enough of it to know that look. And again, he’s with that lil Cunningham girl. The whole bloodline is a little cuckoo.”

“Mr. And Mrs. Cunningham were teachers for years. JJ is the principal.” Standing up for the Cunninghams felt like it was part of my job since the family was so deeply integrated with my job. I’d watched the backs of each of the Cunningham sisters at some point. From being their shadow to staging crime scenes.

“And they can get down with the best of them too. Look at Sylvie. She’s a paralegal but will hop up from behind that desk in a second. Looks can be deceiving. Yours aren’t though. We can see it on you.”

I wanted to press and ask what he meant by that but was interrupted when a shadow came across Mr. Earl’s face. My first instinct was to reach for my gun but I caught myself. Not quickly enough since a knowing look and a nod of confirmation came from Mr. Earl. Instead of confirming his silent accusation I turned and sighed at who was standing behind me.

This is about to get interesting.

“Y’all over here real tight with the replacement nigga. Damn shame you left and now you here for my leftovers. Couldn’t get her then but now you’re back after she’s washed up.”

Before her people could even protest one gun was on the table and the other was aimed at his gut. My hesitation had been wasted on him and I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Dave’s ass had been wearing a smug grin on his face and I was happy to have been the person to wipe it off.

“Told you his ass was a killer.” I wasn’t sure which Montrose had said that shit but I wasn’t worried about it now. I knew without being able to see him since he was on my weak side that Smoke was on alert but I tilted my head in a way that let him know I was good.

“You got to be one dumb muthafucka to fumble Sylvia in the first place. But to sit here and talk shit about her in front of her people like I won’t help them hogtie your ass and leave you in a ditch is something so far past stupid I don’t think a name has been created for it yet.” I stood up to my full height keeping the gun that was aimed at his stomach there but tucking the one under his chin back in my waist.

“Yep. Now this one I won’t say shit when he asks to marry her.” That voice definitely belonged to Mr. Tut.

“You doing too much pulling a gun and shit on me in my town.”

He was faking bravado I know he didn’t have because of the stupid shit he let come out of his mouth. “Your town? Look around, nigga. Everybody here avoiding you and your new bitch like the plague cause nobody likes y’all. Stop acting like my last name ain’t the one on the town’s welcome sign.”

“Y’all Beacons always did think y’all ran shit.” His eyes were filled with disdain and I had to wonder what I’d ever done to this nigga for him to be taking me dating Sylvia so fucking personal.

“’Cause nigga we do. Prove me wrong.” I tucked my second gun and waited on him to make a move. He was walking around with his shirt off and shit just begging for fucking attention. No one was giving it besides his family and I wondered if they’d pumped his head up to do this stupid shit. No one was standing behind him and for once everyone was minding their business. Or they were doing a damn good job of pretending to.

I was thankful for the tent because it was keeping the sun off me and allowing us a modicum of privacy.

“Yeah well we’ll see about you being around my fucking kids. I know that I’ve got rights and if you got guns and shit then there ain’t no reason for you to think you can be around them and you got a problem with me.” He was talking big shit like my girl’s lawyers weren’t right behind me listening to the petty shit he was gonna try to do.