Page 97 of Save Room for Us

After some pondering, I said, “A nigga I don’t see eye to eye with can’t work for me though. And a nigga who can’t work for me, that used to, is a threat.”

“Real shit, young nigga. You definitely came from my ball sac.”

“Old man, chill out.” I shook my head as he chuckled, focusing back on the engine.

“So you finally got her, huh?” He cheesed wide as hell with his corny ass.

“Fuck you mean?” I smirked, looking forward for a bit before regaining eye contact.

“Know what I mean, young nigga. You been watching her and wanting her ass ever since she started coming around.”

Sitting on the hood of the Camero parked beside the Corvette, I said, “When I first met her, I was like damn. Why the only woman I wanna fuck with gotta be married and shit. But it all worked out. And now that I got her, it’s over with. Even when I’m gone, ain’t no nigga gon’ be able to treat that woman the way I have, will, and plan to.”

My dad nodded with a smile as he listened.

“Well hurry up and have some kids so my last name can continue. Banks can’t have none, not unless she do it by stork, so it’s all on you.”

We guffawed.

I chilled with my father for a little bit, and of course, the nigga couldn’t help but to make me assist him with that fuck ass car. It was like my father had a little helper kink or some shit, to the point where I would sometimes call and ask Banks or Lisara if he was working on some shit because if he was, I wasn’t coming through. The nigga only did the shit to me but let my brothers come kick it labor-free. Back when we were young though, he did the shit with all of us.

Because of that nigga, I could open a car garage, construction company, and plumbing service with no issue.

As soon as I left, my pager went off, and it was Free telling me to call him. Once I got to my whip, I pulled out my burner for the week and dialed his ass.

“Tell me some good shit, Free.”

“Aye uh,” he huffed, “this nigga gone.”

“Fuck you mean gone?” I frowned, watching a car speed down my parents’ street.

“Like he moved, dipped, ran off,” Free explained. “His apartment is cleared the fuck out, boss.”

“Fuck!” I bellowed, hating I let Grady’s bitch ass get away.

“I’ll put the word out right now and?—”

“Nah, don’t do that. Remember, Grady from the fucking streets. He gon’ use that shit to his advantage. He gon’ either pay a nigga for information or keep his ear to the ground to figure where to go and when. I’m gon’ find him.”

“I can do it, Sif. You got other shit to focus on.”

“I appreciate that shit, Free, but I got it.”

“Aight, boss.”

Hanging up, I massaged the bridge of my nose, hating I had to take time away from other shit to hunt down Grady’s bitch ass. Free spoke facts when he said I had other shit to deal with, but I knew no one could locate Grady’s ass but me. While Free, Low, and a few other niggas were top workers, Grady could and would outsmart them, and I couldn’t have that shit, allowing Grady to get the time to build himself up or some shit. Nah. It had to be me.

Pulling off, I texted Anastazia to see if she wanted me to get something from the store.

Pulling up to my favorite liquor store off Crenshaw, I hopped out, leaving my shit running as I stepped up onto the sidewalk.

“Can I ride?” a woman called out as I dapped up a few of the niggas familiar to me. I turned to peep who it was mid dap. There were a few niggas kicking it outside. It was Friday, and niggas loved to frolic up and down the Shaw aka Crenshaw when the weekend hit.

Seeing it was Bianni, I turned my attention back to the entrance of the store and made my way inside. Bianni was Milan’s cousin and friend, too, if that’s what you wanted to call the shit. In my eyes, though, friends didn’t wanna fuck the same nigga you was fucking. Milan hung with questionable females, period, though.

The bell above the liquor store sounded off, and I knew despite not even looking that it was Bianni. I knew when a bitch wanted to fuck, and she fit the mold. However, she’d never been in my presence while Milan was absent, so I could’ve bet my whole year’s earnings she wasn’t about to pass up this chance, regardless of the fact that she was outside hugged up on another nigga moments ago.

“Hey, beautiful lady,” Ray, the flirty ass store clerk, said, making me laugh at his wild ass.

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