Page 41 of Another Constant

When we walked in, the aroma of good barbeque hit my nose. The space was decorated like an old school Famous Dave’s with the red plaid plastic tablecloth and wooden outside tabling. I remember Harlem telling me how much she and her girl loved this place. I could smell why, but I didn’t want anything in here. I was eating at Harlem’s tonight, then fucking her real good and eating again.

I stood at the door scanning the spot for Maj’s fat ass. Then I spotted him. He was sitting at the table in the corner, face all in his phone. That was the quickest way to get murked out here. Then again maybe not. As I approached the table, I peeped buddy to the left of him get up like he was about to stop me.

Jay stopped him in his tracks, with a pistol to the gut and a warning to stand down.

“What’s up, Kinga? I didn’t know you were stopping by.” Maj caught me just as I slid into the seat across from him.Too slow.

“You want my blocks.” I wasn’t asking; I was making a general statement.

“Nah, man, what yo?—”

“Obviously you do. Your boy seems to think they’re up for grabs. That I’m one of the lil homies. Do I look like one of the lil homies to you?” I wasn’t letting him get a word in, I couldn’t. Unc said you instilled fear in a man by letting him hear and feel you speak. With every word from my lips I knew Maj was tensing because one, I had walked in his joint and popped up on him, and two, I was unpredictable.

He grimaced. “Hell nah. Which one?”

“Kyro.”

He looked at me, face filled with confusion and seemingly emotion. “What did he do?”

I shook my head.How can you run the streets and not know what’s happening on your blocks or with your youngins?

“I’m already hearing he wants my blocks, then a shooting happens and I hear he was the one behind the gun.”

He shook his head. He was truly clueless in this and that pissed me off. I could’ve handled Maj right here and went home. Problem was handling him gave me blocks I didn’t want nor need. I had no desire to overtake anything he was doing because I was on bigger things.

“He’s new to this shit. He doesn’t know the chain of command like you or me. Let me handle him and I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

I gave him a skeptical look. I didn’t know too many willing to go to bat for their workers. I mean, yeah, have their back, but if they fucked up? I was letting them deal with the consequences of their actions. It was what it was.

“He’s my auntie’s only kid. I can’t let her lose him because I put him in the streets.”

I nodded. “Any more transgressions I’m coming for your head, and on my mama, I won’t miss.”

I was on my feet leaving the restaurant less than a minute later. I hoped my warning was enough because I meant every word. It was cool to get money with blood until blood got in the way of money. I’d never had that problem with my blood because we were all go getters, with only one goal in mind.

“Do you think he’ll make sure he gets his boy in line?”

“Nah. Anytime somebody under you does something on their own, they don’t respect your authority. Blood or not, Kyro ain’t listening to him, and when he doesn't, things will be handled and those blocks will be up for the taking.”

“You don’t want them?” Jay asked.

“Hell nah. Too many problems and I got bigger fish to fry. Shit, you do too, so don’t be getting no ideas.”

He chortled.

When we arrived back at the shop, I was tempted to go back in and work on the oldie, but the way my stomach was rubbing my backbone, I was going straight to Harlem’s. Aja was with Sora and Blaze for the night, meaning I didn’t have to get up at the top of the morning to get her to school.

I was about fifteen minutes from Harlem’s when my phone started ringing. The center console let me know it was my auntie, which I was shocked about. Ever since she moved, her old ass had been busy. Shorty became a social butterfly within weeks of moving out there. Though I acted like I had a problem with it, I didn’t. I was glad she wasn’t cooped up but instead living her life and moving around. When Unc died suddenly, that shit broke her but she tried not to let it show.

“What are you doing up this late, old woman?”

“Minding my grown business. And I oughta hang up on you because that’s damn sure not how you answer a damn phone, Kinga.”

I chuckled. “You right, it ain’t. My bad, Auntie.”

“Nope, not your bad. You’re deliberate. Now before I find myself cursing you out, how have you been?”

“Life's been on bullsh—some other stuff right now, Auntie,” I answered honestly.

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