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I made brief eye contact with Diamond before walking out the back, catching that same look on her face she always had whenever I came around. The bitch didn’t even try to hide it anymore. Her eyes followed me all the way to the door like she was hoping I’d change my mind and one day put my dick in her throat like she’d asked before. Pops was paying her to suck his dick, but she had begged to suck mine for free. Shit, I wasn’t paying for anything I could get from damn near any bitch in this city.

I jumped in my car and headed out towards the house with just my thoughts and music blasting through the radio. I was cruising through the same streets now that always put my childhood best friend Flats on my mind.

Me and that nigga used to ride our bikes all throughout this neighborhood when we were kids. We'd go to Ms. Pruitt, the candy lady to get one of them sweet ass Cool cups, which was frozen Kool-Aid sold for fifty cents a cup. We would be outside all day, riding from one block to another, playing cops and robbers and shit with no boundaries to where we rode or what we did.

Flats was my nigga, and I’m sure we still would be cool to this day if it weren’t for this intersection I was approaching near the laundromat and the green store in South Park.

I still remember it clearer than I wanted to. He was crossing the street right before me because the streetlights had started to gleam and we were ten minutes away from the house, bike time. He went first, and I was about to pedal out when a car came flying through the intersection and didn't even try to slow down or swerve until the last second. The car sent Flats flying off his bike and I remember yelling his name so loud, the entire neighborhood heard me. There was so much blood, his arm was twisted up, and people were saying he was dead way before I wanted to accept it.

Hit and runs were always common around here, and to this day people were getting hit crossing these busy streets. I had never pictured the shit happening to me or my boy and his death made me madder, colder, more cutthroat than I ever had been.

When I pulled into the driveway at home, Kharti came out of the house wearing sunglasses and clutching her purse tightly at her side. I turned off the car and stepped out.

“Hey, Baby. I am glad I caught you and these lips.”

She leaned up on her toes to kiss me. I placed my hand at the small of her back and took in the scent of her perfume because Kharti always looked and smelled good. I can say, even though our marriage wasn’t conventional to me, the love I had for her was growing because she was my partner in this come up. Someone as beautiful as her wasn’t hard to love. I just wish the sex we had would produce what I needed other than just a nut.

“Where are you headed, mama?”

“About to run over to ol girl's house for a minute.”

“You know that vague shit doesn’t fly over here, so talk to me straight. Who is ol girl?” She looked off into the distance before exhaling.

“I’m going over to Toya’s house, Caine.”

“Oh, since when did she become ol girl?”

“Since nothing. Look, I’m going to go over there and take her a few things, and then I’ll be back and we can maybe get dinner tonight?”

“Yeah, we can do that. Just let me know.”

I kissed her forehead.

Kharti got in her car, and I watched her leave, before I got back in mine.

She had business to take care of with Toya, and so did I, but I knew I wouldn't get her address but one way. If I want this son

Chapter 4

Latoya

Opening the dryer, I grabbed all my whites and threw them in the basket so I could dry my color clothes. You had to fight for a spot in this laundry room at all hours of the day, which is why I’m happy I caught a time where no one was inside.

Another good thing was that it wasn’t as hot in here at this time of day, because the dryer's heat made it feel like hell sometimes. This was just another reason I missed my brother because we had a deal where I would wash the clothes and he would dry them, or vice versa. Now I have to do everything alone and carry the load around the house by myself for the first time in my life. If only I had a man who could stay out of trouble unlike Damon. One who would help me with everyday life and be a team, just like me and my brother were.

I wasn't convinced about moving out of South Hill with the money from Caine because that would be dumb, considering these apartments are some of the most affordable in Houston. Twenty thousand dollars isn't as much money as some may think, and I knew that from when my mom won that amount at the casino years ago.

We thought we were rich when she came home with all those hundred dollar bills. I remember me and Brice talking about all the things we were buying at the mall that upcoming weekend. We ended up getting a few pairs of shoes, jeans, and went out to eat a few times before it was all gone. I remember the disappointment we felt when we asked her for a PlayStation, and she said she was broke because she had to use what was left to catch up on her bills. That is when reality first hit me about money and how fast it can go.

After I put my color clothes in the dryer, I picked up the heavy ass basket of whites to go back to my apartment. Sweat instantly beaded on my forehead as I struggled across the uneven concrete, rising and dipping, which made this walk even harder. My arms started cramping within steps, and I had to sit the basket down not even halfway to my building.

“Sis.” I heard someone call me from above.

When I looked up at the second-floor balcony of building eight, I saw Michael leaning over the railing, eyes squinted almost shut because I’m sure he been smoking all day and school hadn’t saw him.

“Didn’t I tell you to call me when you needed help with something?”

“I got it, Michael. Shouldn’t you be at school right now? And what can you do for me with one arm?”