Page 43 of Maceo

I felt my jaw tighten. “He’s fine too.”

“Does he come by the cleaning company often? I’d like to treat him to lunch one day. You know, as a thank you. You’re more than welcome to join us.”

Did this bitch just invite me to lunch with my nigga?

I’d been trying to keep it cute with her, but she was about to see a side of me she wasn’t expecting. Sharina Gladden from Platt Street was about to make an appearance.

“Charity, I think you have me confused with a bitch that would play with you like that.”

“Excuse me?”

“My man isn’t going to lunch with you, and neither am I. I don’t know what type of weird shit you’re on, but I don’t like it. This is three times now that you’ve asked me about my man. We aren’t going to make it a fourth. You have that big nigga from lunch. Play it safe and stick with him, girl.”

“I was just trying to be nice,” she said, evenly.

“No. What I think you’re trying to do is fuck my man, and that, my dear, would get you fucked up. Rescued or not, I don’t play with you or any bitch like that.”

She glared at me, seemingly trying not to go off. Little did she know, I would whup her ass all up and through this gas station.

“I didn’t take you for an insecure woman,” she said.

“Insecure? Baby, I’m confident in every sense of the word. I just don’t play about what’s mine.”

She smiled. “Well… if it’s yours, then you have nothing to worry about, do you?” Blane walked over, and she slid an arm around his waist. “Have a good day, Sharina. I’ll see you around.”

I glared after her as she walked off. The bitch had nerve; I’d give her that. She wanted Maceo, and she seemed like the type of bitch who would try me, just to prove a point. I hadn’t put hands on anyone in a long time, but if she kept it up, she was going to bring the bitch out of me.

We all sataround the table at my dad’s house, waiting for him to make an appearance. We’d just gotten back from delivering Perry and her daughter to her father. The man was so damn happy to see her that he threw us each a little extra on top of what he’d already paid to have her back. We’ve ended up rescuing about twenty additional women and fifteen kids, so that took us a little longer than expected to get everybody situated. My father had safe houses all over the place. Once we dropped them off, our connections would handle the rest.

“Y’all’s daddy needs to hurry up,” Deuce mumbled. “A nigga is tired. I just wanna wash my ass and lay up with my wife and daughter.”

Kerrion chuckled. “Simping ass nigga.”

“Fuck you.”

The sound of feet shuffling across the floor made us all look back. Our father came strutting in dressed in a silk loungewearset and slippers with a blunt hanging from his lips. We all snickered as he took a seat at the head of the table.

“Yo, Pops. What are you wearing, nigga?” Smoke asked.

“Looking like a relaxed pimp,” Kerrion added.

“Both of y’all can go to Hell.” Pops took a long pull from his blunt. “Everything went according to plan?” he asked.

“Somewhat,” Deuce answered.

“The fuck you mean somewhat?”

“Thaddeus is dead.”

“Why?”

“’Cause he raised his voice at him,” Mia answered. “He slit that man’s throat.”

Our father shook his head. “I told you about being so damn hotheaded, Deuce.”

My brother shrugged. “Oh well. Y’all know how I feel about a nigga raising up on me. That means you want smoke. Around flames is the wrong time to get gassed up.”

Our father waved him off. “Is the girl back with her people?”

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