Page 39 of A Player's Prayer
Pulling up to the hood, I parked near the entrance. I didn’t have anything going on today, so I decided to see what Moneywas up to. If my girl told me I could pull up on her right now, I’d leave this muthafucka on two wheels.
“Adrian, what is it that we have to talk about?” My heart dropped at her words. “Do I love you? Yes. Do I miss you? Absolutely. It’s not about what I walked in on; it’s more about you allowing her in your space. No woman should be able to breathe the same air as my man, so she damn sure shouldn’t be able to bully herself into his home. Not only did she disrespect me, but you did too. Intentional or not, I don’t want a man who’s accessible.”
“These hoes don’t have access to me.” I frowned as my heart hammered in my chest. My stomach began to feel queasy at the thought of us being done. “I love you, Kodi. I love you more than I’ve loved any woman in my life. I’ll never accept us being over. I’ve never believed in having a person, but I know you’re it for me. You want me to gut that bitch? I’ll do it. You want me to post a billboard telling the whole world you’re mine? I did that already. Ride past the McDonald’s by your crib, and you’ll see it. We ain’t done, Kodi, and I mean that shit. You’re still mine, and I’m yours. This shit is for life.”
Disconnecting the call, I punched the steering wheel repeatedly. I know I fucked up with Kodi, but I’ll be damned if I let these bitches be the cause of me losing her forever. I get what she was saying about Ava, and I was dead wrong for allowing her into my house. After taking several deep breaths and gathering myself, I exited my truck like the man I am. Dusting my Amiri jeans off, I tossed my locs back, looking like the nigga I knew I was. On the outside, I was cool as a fan. Inside, a nigga was crying for his girl like Anthony Hamilton cried for Charlene.
“Wild Boy,” Money greeted me as I approached the stoop where he and his boys were posted. “What’s good, man? I ain’t seen you in a while. You straight?”
“I just been chilling, man.” I grabbed a bottle of water from his cooler as I scanned the area. Badass kids were running around everywhere while people were posted playing music and grilling. “I’ve just been working and staying out of the way. Getting ready for this party and shit.”
Part of me wanted to say, “fuck my birthday this year.” A nigga was heartbroken, and the last thing I wanted to do was be in the club, pouting like the sick nigga I felt like. Knowing that I for sure would be able to see my girl was the only thing that was going to get me out of the house.
“I know you’re bringing all the bad bitches out.” His boy Mike grinned as he slapped hands with a nigga I didn’t know. “How many are you going to have on your arm this year? If it ain’t Talena and Erica, you might have to fight.”
“The only thing fighting will be them hoes for their lives if they come fuckin’ with me or anything attached to me.” I could have sworn I saw Tanessa’s wide body ass walking across the complex. “Aye, I’ll be right back.”
Leaving the guys behind, I made my way through the lot, pulling my pants up in the process. I’m not one to beat on women, but Tanessa had been doing a little too much for my liking.
“Girl, I might have to call the kid’s father and see if I can top him off for the light bill money.” I heard her say when I approached her and her hoe-ass friends. “The jobs that are hiring aren’t ones I want, so I gotta make something shake.”
“Ain’t nobody paying for that week-ass head!” I startled them all when I spoke. “It’s some grannies at the assisted living who give it up better than you.”
Folding my arms, I hovered over her, and it took everything in me not to bust that bitch on the top of her head. Tanessa has always been a pain in the ass for as long as I’ve known her. From trying to give me some of her sour-ass pussy to trying tosteal from my store, she was scandalous. Today, I wasn’t in the mood, and it was too bad she was about to get all the heat I was carrying.
She smirked as she stepped toward me as if I didn’t just insult her ass. “Hey, baby. You tired of that lil’ girl yet? From what I hear, she was caught up in a little stick-up with Dr. Morrison a few nights ago. I heard that he left the hoe crying on the pavement.” She shook her head and stepped toward me again, placing her hand on my chest. “See, I knew she was a hoe. Always smiling and parading around like her shit doesn’t stink. Get with me, baby, and I’ll—ahh!”
Taking her wrist on the hand that had touched me, I squeezed it as tightly as I could before I walked over and placed her open palm on a blazing grill. Her cries of agony caused people to run over or stare, but they knew better than to intervene. Ignoring her pleas, I glared at her with all the hate that I could muster.
“Keep my girl’s name out of that musty-ass fuckin’ mouth you got.” I squeezed her wrist tighter, wanting her bones to pop. “I robbed that pussy-ass nigga, but it seems as if I should have killed his ass like I want to kill you. If I hear about you calling the board and telling another lie about my girl, I’m going to make it so that those rottweilers you call children won’t have a mother. Do you understand me, hoe?”
Shaking her head profusely, I let her go, causing her to clutch her hand and take off running. As I turned to walk away, the people near me fell all over themselves trying their best to get out of my way.
“Man, you crazy as hell!” Money chuckled when I walked back to where he was. Talena and Erica were approaching us, and at the same time, an Uber pulled up. I started to cuss the girls out for attempting to talk to me when Ava hopped her mad ass from the back seat of the Uber.
“I knew I would find you here! What did you do to my car, Wild?” she screamed at me as soon as she got out of the car. Her mouth was still fucked up from where Kodi popped her ass. “When I see your little girlfriend, I’m going to beat her ass! Look at my face, Adrian!”
Nodding, I knew it was time for me to go. With the way I was feeling, Harley was going to be attending her friend’s funeral next week. I would rather her be pissed off over some broken ribs than an unrecognizable corpse.
“Look, Ava, I don’t know what your deal is, but you’re tripping. I fucked your pussy, and you sucked my dick. That’s all that shit was!” There was a flash of pain on her face, but I didn’t know why. It had only been sex with us. I had vocalized this multiple times during our fucking. “You decided you wanted your own man, and I respected it because it was never that deep between us. Why the fuck can’t you respect me, and what I got going on now?”
“Because you’re selfish, and you don’t care about anyone but yourself!” she shouted, stepping onto the sidewalk before me. “You’ve never been able to settle for just one woman. How was I supposed to believe that things were different? And even if they were, I broke up with that guy because I didn’t want to fuck him anymore—I wanted to fuck you, so I came over to do that!”
“When you shake your head, you hear marbles, don’t you, bitch?” I turned and dapped the boys. It was still early, but it was time for me to go. “I never pegged you to be slow, Ava, but apparently I was wrong. Just know that until my girl takes me back, I will continue making your life a living hell. Even if you leave town, I’ll find you and make you miserable for every tear my girl sheds.” Eyeing Talena and Erica, I nodded in Ava’s direction. “Do me a solid and give her ass that work for a solid seven minutes. Maybe next time, she’ll think twice about throwing that pussy at a man who isn’t interested.”
Walking away, I could hear Ava as she talked shit to the girls. It was short-lived before I heard the girls cussing as the sounds of licks being thrown filled the air. Fuck Ava. Being Harley’s friend didn’t make her ass exempt from anything. She’d better hope my girl takes me back or the next time she sees me, she’ll be staring down the barrel of my Glock.
“This nigga fresher than a peppermint tonight, ain’t he?” Uno patted Skip on his chest as I stepped out of my new cherry red Bugatti Tourbillion. “He’s about to show his ass—I can feel it.”
Chuckling lowly, I adjusted the frames on my face. Dressed in Ferragamo with a custom pair of Wild Kicks from my fall collection on my feet, I felt good tonight. Looking around the lot, I took note of all the cars that flooded the space. Club Honey was always packed on the weekends, but I knew that I was going to bring the entire city out tonight. In the sea of cars, I spotted Kodi’s pearl-white Benz. Pulling up near the door, Money hopped out of the brand-new army green Jeep Wrangler I’d gotten for her birthday. After watching him move her car and park her new one in its spot, I instructed him to take the Benz to her crib.
“That girl is going to kick your ass, bro.” Skip shook his head as he dapped me up, followed by Uno. “Happy Birthday, baby boy.”
“I appreciate that. Just know… if you ever see her beating my ass, I’m exactly where I want to be.” We shared a laugh, but I was deadass serious. We headed toward the entrance of the club. The line was still wrapped around the building, and I knew some of these folks weren’t making it inside tonight. Looking around, I noticed the fellas were alone. “No wives tonight?”
“Man, you know Harley ain’t fuckin’ with you.” Uno mugged me before rubbing his hand down his face. “You’re fuckin’ up my house, nigga.”
“Correction…” I stopped him before we could go inside. I could hear the music all the way out here. Uncle Luke was telling the women to drop down to the floor, so I know they were in there having a time. “Her hoe-ass friend is fuckin’ up your house. If she wants to be mad at somebody, be mad at that bitch.” Turning to Skip, I eyed him. “Noemi ain’t fuckin’ with me either?”
