Page 45 of Maceo

“Equally?”

“Yes.”

“Is it easy for you to come to me when you need something or have a problem?”

“Yes.”

He nodded. “Since you answered yes to all of that, I’m assuming we don’t have a problem. Am I correct?”

“Yeah… Pop, what are you?—”

“So tell me why the fuck I had to hear from another organization that you’re working for them then, nigga!” he yelled, slamming his fist on the table.

I couldn’t even say shit. My head dropped to the table.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you, boy. Do you know how many connections and relationships I had to build for this empire to exist? Do you know how much I had to pay to play in this muthafucka? You can’t keep shit from me, Maceo. You can go halfway across the fucking globe to take a piss on a cotton ball, and it would get back to me.”

My gaze met his, and I could see the anger dancing in his eyes.

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? Nah, you gotta come with something better than that, baby boy. Explain to me why you would put yourself and your family at risk for the almighty dollar?”

“It wasn’t about the money, Pops.”

“Then what the fuck was it?”

“I just… I needed something that was mine on my own, a’ight? I feel disposable in this family at times, man. Deuce is in charge. Smoke handles the guns and weapons training. Steel trains for hand-to-hand combat. Jaeda is the brains. Mia is Maddie in training. What do y’all really need me for? What the fuck am I?”

“You sounding insecure as hell right now, Maceo. You are right up under your brother as second in fucking command.”

“In other words, I’m Deuce do boy.”

“No, muthafucka. You would be next in line if, God forbid, anything happened to your brother. You’re too smart to be out here doing dumb shit. You have no protection. You don’t have a reliable team?—”

“My team is solid.”

“What did I say? You ain’t got shit but you, and Shar running behind your ass. You love that girl, Maceo?”

“You know I love her, Pop.”

“Then why would you allow her to be put in harm’s way? Ain’t nothing cute about being on some Bonnie and Clyde shit when y’all ain’t on the same level. Y’all are not me and Maddie. I love Sharina. I swear I do. She’s a sweet girl, and she loves the fuck outta you, my daughter-in-law, and my grandbaby. She made you grow up a lot. But that girl ain’t built for this life. Idon’t care where she was brought up. I don’t care how well she can handle herself.

“You wanna keep her? Then keep her out of this world. ’Cause I guarantee if anything happens to her, her daddy is coming after you. She ain’t going for you laying her old man down, and I ain’t going for no nigga that’s a threat to my son. That’s the day your relationship with her ends. You talking about marrying this girl, nigga. You gotta think smarter than you’ve been thinking.

“Take it from me. Nothing fucks you up more than losing a good woman. In spite of the example I set with having multiple baby mamas, I can at least say two of my sons know how to love and commit. You give Shar the best of you. Don’t fuck that up.”

I nodded. “I hear you, Pop.”

“You hear me, but you better feel me, before you really have to feel me. You ain’t too old for me to whup your big ass.” He sat back in the chair and took a pull from the blunt. “Your contract is done.”

“What?”

“What?” He mimicked. “You heard what I said. Your contract is done, and so is this conversation.”

“Pop—”

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