Page 107 of Save Room for Us

“Brunch?” Sophie quizzed as we stood up now that the service was over.

“What you know ’bout brunch?” I laughed at her, adjusting her on my side as some corny ass nigga came over towardAnastazia. She was a bit ahead of us since Sophie needed me to pick up her toy wand that she’d dropped.

Grabbing the toy, I handed it to Sophie as I made my way over, not liking the way cuz was cheesing as he took my lady in, in the dress she had on.

“I’ve been praying for you, though, sista. You sholl don’t look like what you been through either.” He licked his lips but paused midway as I walked up.

“Who dis?” I quizzed, eyes looking down at him.

“Randall.” He stuck his hand out to me so I could shake it.

“You look like a fucking Randall,” I said, declining on the hand shake..

“Asif.” Anastazia bucked her eyes at me. “Randall and I went to high school together.”

“Oh, aight. Well Randall, Anastazia is a taken woman. Wasn’t sure if you peeped game, so I’m letting you know. That way, won’t be no excuses going forward.”

Chuckling nervously, he said, “Anastazia has always been taken for as long as I’ve known her.”

Chuckling myself, I said, “Oh, aight. Well, this is the first time she’s been taken by a crazy nigga. Feel me?” I let my smile fade, and so did he. “So next time you see her, keep yo’ hands to yaself. A simple head nod in her direction will suffice. But if you can’t keep them muthafuckas to yaself, I can take ’em.” The spooked expression that appeared on his face would’ve been comical had I not been dead ass serious. “God blessed me with these hands, so I ain’t above putting ’em on a nigga in the name of the Lord. Amen?”

Anastazia gasped so she wouldn’t laugh.

“Amen, brother.” He smoothed down his tie, snickering in a skittish manner as he glanced at Anastazia.

“Uh-huh. Fuck on, nigga.” I bobbed my head in the direction he needed to go.

“Ya’ll have a blessed evening.”

“You too. Bitch ass nigga,” I stated as he walked off.

“Asif, he is harmless and flirts like that all the time.” Anastazia was still slightly chuckling from Randall’s and my interaction as we walked out of the church. “He knows it will never happen, just like in school.”

“I don’t care what that nigga always does. It’s a new muthafuckin’ sheriff in town, and if he keep on, he gon’ be in that church for a whole nother reason.”

“I’m sure that man will never even look my way again.” She got in the car as I held the door open for her.

“Then I did my job.” I shut the door, then opened the back to put Sophie in the car seat I’d bought. “Ain’t that right, Soph?”

“Yep!” She nodded excitedly. “Brunch?”

“Yes, baby girl.” I chuckled at her assertive ass, pecked her forehead, then shut the back door.

As I stood upright and rounded it, Randall and I made eye contact. He gave me a disingenuous smile and then turned away.

I watched as every nigga I employed under Money Fiends came and sat down in the large room of the warehouse. It was dim in here, only being illuminated by three hanging lightbulbs on their last legs.

“I’m gon’ keep shit short and to the point.” I sat on the edge of one of the desks, feeling like a professor of a college class. “Grady is officially the opps.”

I watched niggas look at each other in waves across the room.

“We ain’t say shit yet because we been watching you niggas, seeing if he came to any of y’all for anything first,” Low stated, standing off to the side.

“Exactly.” I stood to my full height. “But now that we see he ain’t about to try to link up with one of you niggas, we can move forward. First things first, him being the opps is some information that stays in this fucking room.” I eyed everybody as they nodded. “We put the word out, and it’ll be like telling the nigga we looking for him. I want him to think I don’t give a fuck or let him go so he can pop out. The more we talk, the harder he gon’ be to find. Plus, we don’t wanna make too much noise in the streets because that noise starts traveling to muthafuckas working with twelve.”

“Why can’t we just murk his mama and little sisters? I bet you then that nigga will come out quick!” one soldier named Jere called out.

“Nah.” I shook my head, and Jere sucked his teeth, making the room go quiet as I looked his way. “You got a problem, cuz?” I questioned.

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