Page 16 of The Deed to a Gangsta's Heart

One of his closest friends, Vincent, slept with his ex-fiancée and got her pregnant, and I couldn’t stand his other friend Everett. Dali didn’t care for him either, which was why Everett hardly came around. When he did, I usually limited my time with them. I was used to being alone anyway and couldn’t stand fake people and conversations.

I also didn’t like to be around men who tried to act hard but weren’t really about that life. If a man hadn’t done time or was afraid to do time, I usually kept my distance fromhim. I wasn’t proud of the things I’d done in the past, but they strengthened my character, gave me integrity, and hardened me. They shaped me into someone everyone in my life could trust and feel safe with, but they also made me unfuckwithable. Then there were people like Everett who thought he could joke and play with me like he knew me and there not be any consequences.

We’d met up for happy hour and I already didn’t want to come. I wanted to go straight home and lay up under Callie. She hadn’t been in my bed since that night she was tipsy, and I’d been craving her closeness. I decided today to come up with some kind of excuse to get her in my bed, so the last thing I wanted to be doing right now was being around a lot of niggas. When I told Germany I was about to head out to get home to my girl, Everett asked if she was single.

“Yeah, but she off limits,” was what I said as I pulled a hundred dollar bill out of my wallet to pay for my drinks and leave Mona a nice tip. She worked the bar with Dali’s fiancée Kassadee, and between the two of them, you had to be careful, because they wouldeasilyget you fucked up.

“You want her?” Everett asked me with a crooked smile.

“I’m not sure why you feel comfortable asking me that. We ain’t close.”

“Yeah, but we are,” Germany said. “And I wanna know too.”

I chuckled, but it was cut short when Everett said, “I mean… I’m just trying to find out if I can go for the pussy or not. She pretty as hell and she got a fat ass. If you ain’t on that—”

Me setting my Glock on the table silenced him. Germany cursed under his breath as Dali grinned and Dynasty muttered, “Aw hell.”

“My fault, bruh. I was just playing,” Everett said.

“That’s my best friend. Don’t ever let me hear you say no shit like that about her again.”

“Let’s just go,” Germany said grabbing my arm, but I calmly pulled it away.

“Nah. Since he think shit is a game, I need to make sure he understands I’m the biggest player.”

“He got it, bruh,” Dynasty said, standing next to me. “Let’s go.”

“Y’all need to get from around him,” Armor said, looking from Germany to Dynasty. “Give him some space.”

If there was one thing we hated, it was people in our personal space or when they walked up behind us with no warning. I had to tell Callie to stop walking so damn light and announce herself when she entered a room. It was a natural reflex to be on guard, and though I was comfortable having her in my home, sometimes I would be caught off guard by her presence. The last thing I wanted to do was physically react and scare her or make her feel unsafe.

Germany and Dynasty stepped back as I stood.

“You good?” I confirmed with a smile now that I’d silenced the comedian. Everett nodded as he watched me put my Glock away. “Y’all be easy.”

I tossed the hundred dollar bill onto the table and headed out. Now I really couldn’t wait to get home.

After taking a long shower,I headed to the living room where Callie was lounging and watchingThe Equalizer. I sniffed the air as I sat next to her.

“It smells good as hell in here. What you cooking?”

“Your favorite. Ribs, sweet potatoes, and spinach.”

“You love me huh?” Callie giggled as I put my head on her lap. I loved to grill and was particular about whose barbecue I ate. Callie made a sticky barbecue sauce for her oven baked ribs that I’d give a solid nine point two out of ten, and that was the highest rating I’d ever given anyone’s ribs outside of my own.

“Just a little,” she teased, pulling my hat off. As soon as her nails started to scratch my scalp, I relaxed against her.

“I could get used to this.”

“Used to what?” she asked.

“You feeding me and touching me.”

She chuckled. “I did that all the time.”

“Nah, it’s different since you’ve been living here.”

“A good different, right?”

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