Page 30 of Another Constant

“You think I give a shit?” I had a lot of stress on me right now, so him giving me excuses on top of everything else irritating me wasn’t good enough.

“I’m at Grandma’s house. Please don’t bring that shit over here, Kinga. You know how she is. She can?—”

I hung up on his stupid ass. I hoped he didn’t think I gave a fuck about his grandmother. Old bitch ain’t never did shit for me and my siblings and we grew up six blocks from her house. As a matter of fact, I owned three liquor stores in the vicinity of her crib. Of course they sold other shit, but predominantly liquor. It made the big bucks while all that extra stuff went stale.

Demi was the golden boy of my pops’ side of the family. They kept him away from the streets and always made him seem to be better. Thing was, he wasn’t shit but a broke ass pig looking for something to either make his career or fill his pockets.

It took me all of an hour to get myself together and pull up where he said he was. I was glad he was standing out in front of his grandmother’s house when I pulled up because I would’ve hated to storm her shit and grab him, but I would’ve.

“Yo, Kinga. Don’t start that sh—” My fist connecting with his face halted his entire statement.

He hit the ground. Quick on my feet I backed up, giving him space to stand. “Get up, bitch, and please make sure you keep that badge on.”

He stumbled to his feet, holding his face, still trying to explain. He needed to understand that no explanation would help him right now.

“I didn’t know. I didn’t know it was going down like that.”

“The fuck you didn’t. You expect me to believe that shit? I ain’t. I’ma beat your ass until you admit it.” He caught another jab, this one right in the jaw.

“It wasn’t me. It was him. It was him.” He fell to the ground like I had kicked him in his chest or something. Shit, I should have.

“Who is him?” My expression stoned as I waited for an answer.

“Your father. He’s putting his bid in for mayor. You have more control over these parts than him.”

As soon as he said that I was thrown for a fucking loop. I didn’t acknowledge the coward who was supposed to be my father for reasons unknown, but it was shit like this that made me hate his crooked ass even more. I hadn’t seen him in years. Even though we lived in the same city, we didn’t run in the same circles.

I laughed. “Well tell him if he’s coming for my streets then he has to come a little harder.” Then I hauled off and kicked the shit out of Demi. “And that’s for having me come see your bitch ass to find out.”

I left him lying right there and hopped in my truck. Blood or not Memphis better had found something safe to do because I wasn’t above spilling his blood in these streets.

* * *

“So you beat up Demi in front of his grandmother’s house today?” Sora’s voice filled the garage.

“Yup. What, did somebody call and tell on me to you?”

“No fool. You’re you. Everything you do out here travels. I’m not on no question shit, just worried. What’s up, bro?”

I shook my head. He was doing that thing he did that pissed me off, but I had to accept him caring for what it was. “The DEA raided the shop last night. All of my tools are out of order.” I glanced around at the unorganized mess, livid. “I paid Demi’s debt and kept his stupid ass alive. He owes me. All he ever has to do is tell me things before they happen. He failed last night. There was nothing in here but what if it was? Anyway, I beat his ass first to teach him a lesson, then I finished him off to send Memphis a message.”

Confusion filled his features. “What does Memphis have to do with this?”

“Yeen heard, huh? He’s running for office and needs to clean up his district. According to Demi I have more control over it than him.”

“So he handed your name off to them?”

I nodded. “Yup. Ain’t like they ain’t always had eyes on me, but to send them to my shop? That’s a new low for him. Guess he didn’t learn from when I broke his jaw.” I leaned into the back of an old black school.

I felt Sora’s eyes before he spoke. “I know you mad as fuck, but you been doing good, bro. Plus you have Aja right now, you can’t do the usual. Can you go bake something? May?—”

“I’m fine. I swear I am. What they did was his one pass. I’m too smart for them to try me head on.”

“So just like that? You’re giv?—”

A knock on the door got mine and his attention. When I lifted a smile immediately crossed my face at the sight of Harlem holding a lunch bowl and a smile indented those thick ass lips. She looked good as fuck too. She wore a pair of indigo, wide leg, distressed denim, showing too much of her fucking thighs for me, and a fitted tank top.

“Damn. You didn’t forget about me? I thought you did.” I dropped the tools I was using into the tray and picked up a rag, moving toward her. I felt my brother staring, but I was too engrossed in her presence to say anything to him.

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