Page 52 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings
Outside of Saga, the other three were the opposite of their father. This muhfucka never wanted to smile or laugh. Like Justus, he would sit around with a scowl on his face when he was in a good mood. Shit was just permanently etched there. Dealing with big bro, you had to be able to read his eyes, because they said way more than his mouth ever could.
Since I still lived here, I waited until everyone was gone to address Rossi in the living room where she was enjoying her night cap. She thought I didn’t know about her having whiskey and enjoying those stanking ass black cigarettes. I let her have it though, because she was that lady to me. Nobody came before my mother, and if she didn’t approve of you, chances were you wouldn’t make the cut. Our family was tight knit for a reason. There was no room for weak links among us.
“You’ve been looking like something is on your mind all night, Brick. What is it?” She sipped her drink demurely, and those copper brown eyes probed me thoughtfully.
“I’m good. Got a date though. I’m about to go get fresh and head out.” I jumped to my feet.
“I already know about thisSteal Brick’s Heartmess. I don’t know why you think you can hide that from me.”
“Armon came up with it. I just wanted you to know I’m about to talk to Six about pretending to be my girl. He thinks this is a good way to clean up my image and secure my inheritance.”
“You talking about Six from the lodge?”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“That girl has already been through enough, Brick,” Rossi warned.
“What’s the harm in offering her an opportunity? She gets paid to be my girl and she gets to live her life.”
“Why her?”
“I don’t know. She wasn’t my choice. Everybody keep trying to say how I need to be humbled, and I need a girl that ain’t scared of me and all that other sexist, feministic bullshit.”
This time my mama actually laughed as she swallowed the last of her drink. Peering into her now empty glass, she took a moment before speaking.
“I will say this, Six isn’t someone you try and manipulate. That girl has seen things and done things. So trying to play her will result in your own downfall.”
“I’m not even on that, Ma. This is for the media. I got court in like a month for that assault shit. I ain’t trying to do no time behind some muhfucka trying me.”
“Then I approve. Do whatever you have to do.”
I didn’t want to wait and see what Six would say. After my date with this airhead ass bitch Aja, I drove right over to Guardian Lodge so I could holler at her. I didn’t get an hour into the date with that thirsty ass bitch, and she had snapped a dozen or more selfies and went live. Like I get that was part of the experience, but the bitch wasn’t allowing me to initiate anything. Seemed more like she was there to get her own presence up rather than participate in what the fuck I had going on. When I arrived, Kiara and her baby girl were in the lobby chilling. She was on herlittle tablet, and Kiara lounged on the couch reading a book and taking notes like she was studying. I was trying to skate right by them and talk to Six, but Kiadra spotted me and came running right over.
“Hey, Brick!” She slid her arms around my waist and hugged me.
Smiling, Kiara closed her book and set it aside before shifting on the couch so she could also stand up. It was almost nine thirty, so they were the only two around other than Dorsey, one of the nightshift workers posted behind the counter quietly sifting through paperwork.
“What’s up, lil’ mama?”
“What you doing here so late?” Kiara questioned, sliding up on me with her books tucked under her arms and drinking me in thirstily.
I knew shorty was feeling me, but I wasn’t on that type of time with her. She had a kid, for one, and was living in a shelter type situation. Her story matched that of a lot of women in this place. Dealing with a trap nigga, have a baby by him, he goes to jail, now you taking care of his seed by yourself. I fucked with Kiara because she did look out for her daughter above anything else. Rossi had run this place for a long time, which meant I’d seen all kind of traffic come through. Kiara was a good girl who liked hood niggas. If she focused more on herself and her child, she would be alright. I just knew I wasn’t that nigga for her.
“I’m looking for Six. You seen her?”
“She was in the media room I think,” she answered, disappointment immediately displaying across her face.
“Thanks.”
Sure enough, I paused at the door, peeking through the glass window, and caught Six with her head down in a book at one of the circle study tables. She was alone, which was perfect for me. Pushing the door open quietly, I strolled inside, hoping this girldidn’t make me twist her lips up and choke her the fuck out. She didn’t pay me any attention as I yanked the chair out across from her and sat down. I wasn’t here for pleasantries or no shit like that anyway. This shit was an arrangement, so it needed to be treated like that from the gate.
“Aight. Fuck it. I need help.” I glared at Six from across the table.
I hated giving in, but Armon told me to find a way to get this girl. He said it would be like these other arranged situations out there on the internet and benefit us both in the long run. Lori Harvey was out here signing contracts to be a nigga’s girl, so there was no reason Six couldn’t do the same thing. He would get no debate from me. I just wished it didn’t have to be her. It meant I’d have to deal with Six on a regular, and I didn’t like her ass.
“Get a therapist,” she said, not even picking up her head to look at me.
There were notebooks in front of her along with a course catalog from the community college.
