Page 178 of Save Room for Us

“Nigga, we know what the fuck you meant. And while you cool and all, I’ll dead yo’ ass right here for trying to be funny, muthafucka.” I stared into Free’s eyes as he nodded. “Told you ’bout that joking shit, nigga. Some shit is off-limits as a fucking topic and gon’ have you in an early grave fucking ’round with me.”

“My bad, boss. You right.” Free nodded, and the only reason the muthafucka wasableto still nod is because I knew his ass and knew he wasn’t on that with Banks.

Free talked too fucking much and was always looking for a laugh or for people to pay his ass attention. But all that shit could get him smoked, and not just by me.

“As for you,” I turned to Low, “I don’t need you coming behind Banks when I’m in the fucking room or any of her other brothers. She not yo’ girl, she not ya fucking friend, and she won’t ever be. Don’t let my baby sister be yo’ downfall, nigga. It’s not worth it. Plenty of females in the world you can come behind without dying behind, feel me?”

“I do.” Low nodded somberly. “I just know how you feel about her and wanted to check this nigga.” He gestured to Free, who sucked his teeth. “But I got you. I’m gon’ keep quiet. I don’t want yo’ crazy ass thinking shit.”

I shook my head as he and Free laughed, wearing a subtle smirk.

“Nigga think we forgot he whupped a nigga’s ass in the 7-Eleven parking lot for smiling at her,” Free recalled, only telling half the truth. That weird ass nigga was doing more than smiling.

And I’d do the shit again. Niggas knew what the fuck it was when it came to my little sister.

“Banks gon’ end up with a corny nigga who got a degree and a regular ass job.” I sipped my drink from the red cup.

“Or with someone like Bashar,” Low replied.

“Nah, that nigga too hood. She need to be with a nigga who know how to shut the fuck up when her brothers say to. We’d have to shoot a nigga like Bashar.”

The three of us erupted into laughter whilst agreeing.

I was laughing but dead ass serious. Any street nigga that called himself getting at Banks was good as dead, and I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

BACK IN THE COURTROOM…

“How are you today, Mr. Pete?” The prosecutor smiled at Cedric like he wasn’t a fucking psychopath.

I didn’t too much care for her ass with the way she was coming at my girl, despite understanding it was her fucking job.

“I’m as good as I can be, considering I can no longer walk or work,” he answered, and I chuckled almost inaudibly, doing anything to keep myself from running up on this nigga.

Be patient, nigga, I told myself.You gon’ get him.

“I understand.” She smiled curtly. “Have you ever hit the defendant?”

“Never. I may have restrained her when she was trying to hit me, but never have I done the things she claims.” He adjusted in his seat, looking like a muthafuckin’ liar. “Counselor Compton should know all about having a woman lie on him.”

“Focus, Mr. Pete,” the judge scolded.

“Yeah, don’t address me, nigga,” Bashar spat back, making the judge bang the gavel and chide his ass as well.

“Continue, Counselor Finley.”

“Thanks, Your Honor.” She nodded. “So why would she shoot you, Mr. Pete?”

“At first, I didn’t understand it, but then when I realized she was in a new relationship, I figured out that was the reason.”

“I see. Now, it’s to my understanding that you also had an outside relationship.”

“I did, but that was only because I had tried several times to break up with Anastazia, and she would make me feel bad about it, so I didn’t. But I didn’t love her anymore, so when I met my current girlfriend, it was hard to hold back,” Cedric explained, and I chuckled when Mrs. Chase scoffed and rolled her eyes. She and Lisara exchanged ‘yeah, right’ looks shortly after.

Glancing to the prosecutor’s side, I spotted Jacinta looking skittish as hell, and I guess it was because she knew this nigga was up here lying about not being a fucking woman beater.

“So let me ask what you think happened, Mr. Pete?” Finley quizzed.

“I think she knew I was at my wits’ end and about to leave her for Jacinta, so she decided to kill me, take the life insurance, and run off with her side nigga.” Cedric nodded with finality like he had it all figured out in that big ass block size head of his.

---