Page 20 of Welcome to the Table
Klarity thought the shit was funny. I should’ve let her loose to whip her ass, but we had other shit to do, and I had to get Raven home.
“You got a wild one, huh, Hellcat?” Calliope asked and laughed.
“And you got a snake, huh, Calliope?” He didn’t laugh at that. “And a scary one.”
They laughed at that statement, but Klarity didn’t.
“Look, I gotta get her home, and I’ll meet y’all at headquarters,” I spoke in code. I put a screaming Raven back in the car, and everybody took off in a different direction. Now, I was about to get in her shit.
Someone was out for blood, and they were coming for the family. It was time we brought shit to the table so it could be handled. I didn’t like this shit, and I didn’t see the niggas who started shooting first. The crowd was too thick for me to see where it was coming from, but bodies were dropping, and people were running for their lives.
We didn’t have beef with anyone, but it wouldn’t be hard to find out who they were. I had connections, but I needed to get shit straight before I made any moves. I was surprised by Raven. Her mouth was vicious, so I knew her hands were worse. I carried her back to the car and put her inside. I fixed her clothes and her hair, trying to calm her down.
“Don’t ask me shit that you ain’t ready for the answer to, Hellcat.” She put her hand to my face to shut me up. That didn’t stop shit because I had some shit to say before I dropped her ass off.
“Don’t put yo’ fucking hands in my face, first of all. All I was gonna say was that shit you did made my dick hard. Youclaiming a nigga already. I could fuck with it,” I told her, and she smiled.
“It’s just something about that bitch I don’t like. I don’t know her, but the way she carries herself, I don’t trust her. But give me some time, and I will find out. Your brother shouldn’t trust her either, but that’s on him. I ain’t like the way she was talking to you, so I had to step in because I ain’t letting you disrespect a woman. That’s what the fuck I’m here for.”
That shit made my black ass blush for real.
“So, you plan on sticking around for a while, huh? Are you still in school?” I asked, changing the subject.
“No, I been graduated with my master’s in accounting. I’m good with numbers, but I decided to stay in the city because Memphis is boring, and I’m an only child. I make my own money, and the nigga you heard me on the phone with was me breaking up with him because I was tired of him planning trips for us and never showing up. He knows what’s up,” she said as I drove underground to the garage.
I got out and went around to open her door, then we walked to the elevator in silence. I felt her looking at me.
“Today was wild, but you stood on all ten ’bout me. I like that shit, but I know you have a soft side, and that’s what I need to see. I don’t need a Bonnie, I need a Raven,” I told her, breaking the silence.
“So, you never had a woman willing to stomp a bitch’s face behind you? Do you see how the fuck you look? I’d jump for mine every time.”
I didn’t know how to answer that. In high school, I beat niggas’ asses because of the way I looked, but females tended to like that shit. That was a story I would tell her at another time when I had an opportunity.
“How old is your young ass, anyway?” she told me out of the blue.
“What makes you think I’m young? We might be the same age,” I said.
“I have been watching you for a while, Hellcat, and your mannerisms give wild and free on top of young,” she said as we got to her floor. She pressed the stop button to prevent the doors from opening.
“I’m twenty-five, Raven. Now, what?” I told her, folding my arms across my chest.
“And I’m thirty-two. I knew I was older than yo’ ass, but it’s cool,” she said, backing me against the wall. Her eyes never left mine.
“There is a story in your eyes, Hellcat, that I know you want to tell me. In due time, I will listen, but you have to trust me first, and I get it.” She reached into my jean pocket for my phone and put her number in. She called her phone before putting it back in my pocket.
Raven backed me into the wall behind us and kissed my lips while pulling my dreads. I wrapped her in my arms as we made out like two teenagers. Tongue sliding, lips sucking the other. I wish I didn’t have to leave her. She stepped away and pressed the button for the doors to open.
“Use it when you need it. No matter what time of day or night, I’ll always be here,” she said, and the doors closed.
I was fucked up because her game was smooth like butter, but if she thought she would play with me, I would make her body parts smooth like butter.
I went back down to the garage and hopped in my Camaro because I was over the Spider. That motherfucker brought trouble. I reached for my phone and called Calliope to get his location.
“Nigga, I’m sitting in front of the door, and Grove is sitting in his shit. I ain’t going in there until you get here because youknow Melph hates to say shit twice, so come on,” he said and disconnected the call.
I could only fucking imagine what the fuck this nigga was about to tell us if he called a meeting.
Chapter 4
