Page 27 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings
“Where am I?” he asked, peering around. “Oh, this place is called Guardian Lodge. I know y’all see all the money, jewelry, and partying and shit I be doing. But there are some good causes I put a stamp to, such as this one. It’s a housing facility for women who need shelter or refuge from trauma situations.”
He paused and I assumed he was reading comments while I printed out different job descriptions.
“Fake ass nigga,” I muttered, rolling my eyes and shaking my head.
“Yeah, see… I do give back in my spare time. I like helping people and giving them hope. This world already dark enough, you know?”
“Could you please take that somewhere else?” I snapped, spinning in my chair to face him.
“Hold up, y’all. I think somebody in here got something to say.”
“You aim that camera at me and it’s the last thing your viewers will see,” I threatened, both eyes lowering into slits.
“Damn, yeah, see some of them a little hostile too,” Brick chuckled. “Muhfuckas be ungrateful?—”
“Go to hell!” I spun to face him. “I don’t have to be grateful to you for shit! You sitting there filming and faking for the people when really you just an entitled ass nigga that thinks the world is supposed to kiss his ass. How about you turn that damn camera off? If you was really about doing good things, you wouldn’t have to film them.”
He didn’t say another word, just tapped the screen on his phone. I assumed he was shutting the live down since he lowered it at his side. Searing me with a hot glare, he flicked the tip of his nose and sniffled a little. Brick made slow strides in my direction, barely blinking. Instead of cowering, I stood slowly, ready to square up with him.
“You make it easy to see why a nigga would do something like that to you.” He nodded to my black eye.
“You should see him,” I responded with a stone face. “It’s funny how you turn into a completely different person when that camera starts rolling. Must be hard, being a fraud.”
Anger flickered behind his eyes before a callous smile curled over his lips. If his attitude wasn’t so fucked up, he wouldn’t be so bad to look at. I refused to see past that though. I’d ignored red flags before only to get fucked up in the end. That wasn’t about to happen again. The dudes I fucked with in Skully’s crew were always more loyal to him than me, especially since I wasn’t giving up no ass.
“Fuck you!” he spat, eyes swirling with darkness and burning into mine. “You don’t know shit about me or what the fuck I do for anybody. I take disrespect out of a muhfucka’s ass though. Is that what you want for yourself?”
“What I want is for you to stop talking to me.”
“Done fucking deal,” he growled, backing away from me.
“Brick!” a light, airy little girl’s voice sang as the door to the computer room closed.
When Brick turned, his entire demeanor changed, and a genuine ass smile lit up his face.
“What’s good, Kiadra?” he greeted her, squatting in front of her so that he was about her height.
She was maybe four or five years old, with sandy brown hair, gorgeous hazel eyes, and the cutest little bell pepper nose.
“Hey, Brick.” Behind her, a slim chick with the same sandy brown hair in a blunt-cut bob to her shoulders smiled.
The little girl was for sure her twin. From the little twinkle in her eyes, it was obvious she carried some kind of torch for him. In a jean dress and a pair of white slides, she rested a hand on her daughter’s shoulder and toyed with some of her curls.
“What’s up, Kiara?” Brick slowly rose, pinching Kiadra’s cheek and making her laugh. “Y’all straight?”
“We’re good. I got interviews lined up this week, and Kiadra is starting at a new daycare your mama put me on to.”
“That’s what’s up. You put in for that one at Lulu’s Café, right?” he checked with her.
“Yep. I’m meeting her Tuesday to see what she’s talking about. I’m hopeful in finding something real soon.”
“You got this, mama.”
“Was I interrupting something?” Kiara glanced past him at me.
I didn’t realize I had been focused on them. He had me so outside of my damn self that when he morphed into yet another personality, a bitch was awestruck. Now I was scrambling to act like I wasn’t eavesdropping on their little interaction. Glancing at me over his shoulder, I swear that nigga snarled and looked me up and down like I had shit on me.
“Nah. I don’t even know her. She got a chip on each shoulder, though, so watch her. I gotta bounce. I’ll see y’all later.” He pat her shoulder gently before brushing past the two of them to the door.
