Page 2 of The Deed to a Gangsta's Heart

It wasthe most awkward date they’d been on in their six months of dating. While Luci tried to excuse and justify Adam’s quiet behavior, that didn’t stop her from being irritated. She was supposed to be at a party to celebrate with the graduating class of 2024. Though she’d gotten her master’s in marketing four years ago, Luci stayed in Memphis with her best friend Callie.

The pair had traveled there from their hometown of Jasper Lane for college, opting to live in an apartment near their campus instead of in dorms. Their parents paid their expenses to ensure they could focus on school and not be overwhelmed by the expenses and fast pace of city life. Callie had just completed her Ph.D. program to receive her doctorate in English Literature. Since Luci didn’t want to gohome without her best friend, she stayed in Memphis and worked in the marketing department at FedEx.

Callie had invited Luci to a party her fellow classmates had thrown, and Luci opted out of going to spend the evening with her man. Now, she regretted it. Not only had Adam been detached all evening but his phone had been getting all of his attention. She looked out of the window and focused on the view of the Mississippi River. They’d gone to one of her favorite restaurants—The Lookout—for dinner. Not even having a buttery, tender steak was a good enough reason to justify feeling alone.

When she couldn’t take it anymore, Luci cleared her throat and adjusted herself in her seat. Adam’s head was lowered, brows wrinkled as he stared pensively at his phone screen.

“Is everything okay, Adam?” she asked sweetly, to which he shook his head and sighed.

Sitting back in his seat, Adam finally looked at her. “Nah. It’s my mama. She’s tripping because I told her I wasn’t doing the training next year.”

Luci licked her lips as her head tilted. Thinking her words over, she didn’t respond right away. Adam had just finished medical school and that was one of the things she liked about him.

“Are you just taking a break or…”

“Nah. I’m not doing it period.”

“Why not?”

Adam sucked his teeth as his phone vibrated again. “I’m tired of school.”

Chuckling, Luci kept her voice low when she said, “I get it. You’ve done undergrad and gotten your master’s to increase your knowledge before med school. But all youhave is your residency, right? You’ve invested so much already, babe. Do you really want to quit now?”

“Yeah, I’m done. I didn’t really want to do this anyway.”

“Then why did you?”

“For her.” He sighed and ran his hand over his face. “She had this dream for her sons. She wanted us to have careers that would not only give us stability but a solid income and prestige that she could be proud of. I never wanted to be a doctor and I hate that I didn’t stand up to her about it sooner.”

Luci hadn’t met anyone in Adam’s family, but she’d heard stories about his mother that made her question the healthiness of their relationship. His mother seemed to be clingier than Luci was used to, but she let it ride, because she’d heard that was how some moms were when the father wasn’t in the picture.

“Well, I support your decision. Maybe all you need is a break, and you’ll get back to it. If not, I’m sure you’ll make the right decision for your life.”

“Speaking of that… I think we should end things now.”

Her mouth opened slightly before it snapped shut. Blinking rapidly, Luci cupped her hands in her lap. “You’re breaking up with me?” she confirmed.

Adam nodded. “Yeah. I just don’t want to fake the funk anymore. I’m not satisfied with a lot of things in my life and that needs to change. So I think I need to just be single.”

“Oh. Um… okay.” Resisting the urge to ask what he was unsatisfied with when it came to their relationship, Luci took a gulp of her lemonade. Her eyes lifted to Adam as he stood.

“I know this sounds selfish, but it is what it is. I hope you understand.”

After placing a kiss on her temple, he walked away. As if he wasn’t her ride. As if he hadn’t left her with what would probably be a several hundred dollars bill. A quiet chuckle escaped her before she palmed her face and pulled in a deep breath. So many questions filled her mind, but the answers didn’t matter. Their relationship was over, and at that moment, she needed to pay the bill and find a ride home.

1

Remedy

As I pulledinto our estate cove, I confirmed the meeting Armor wanted to have next week. When I went to prison, I didn’t think it would lead to me meeting Armor, developing a bond with him, and getting out to start a lucrative business. We ended up getting out six months apart with him being released first. He laid the groundwork, and when I regained my freedom, we took off. Now, our real estate business pulled in seven figures a year.

We didn’t just buy and sell real estate, but we handled every part of the process. Construction, maintenance, property management, lawn care, even staging and décor.Armored Remedy Real Estatehad become a staple not just in Jasper Lane but in the Mid-South. What I was most proud of was the fact that we only employed those with a criminal record.

Our pasts were muddied with an unsavory reputation of being gangstas who were a threat to the community. Now, we served it. We were ex-convicts and that couldn’t be denied, but between us providing jobs and free and discounted housing to those in need, people began to see us as a blessing to the community. There were some who still looked at us like we were trouble, but it didn’t matter. I was legit now and out of the streets, but I was still about that life, and so was Armor, so I never worried about anyone trying or disrespecting me regardless of how they felt.

One of the perks of having connections in our small town was being able to make sure no one rented Callie an apartment or home. She thought she’d been having a hard time finding somewhere to move because the options were limited, but it was because I’d made it clear to every realtor in the city what would happen if they housed her. I wanted her to live with me and me alone. My plan worked because she was on her way back home from Memphis and my home would be hers indefinitely. She didn’t want to move back in with her parents after getting a taste of adulthood and independence, so I was the second best option.

For a while, I did consider helping her find a good apartment or rental property, but the truth was, I missed my best friend and wanted her close. We’d been inseparable since the age of five until she left for college. Well, one could argue I broke the bond first because I was arrested our last year of high school. We still saw each other when she came to visit me, but when she moved to Memphis, that stopped.

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