Page 13 of A Kingpin's Weakness
She sucked her teeth, arms still locked across her chest like that was supposed to make me fold. Nah. I’d already been there, done that, and healed from the burn.
“Listen,” I said, keeping my voice low so S3 couldn’t hear. “That girl in there? Not your friend. I knocked her down a few nights ago after the club.”
Her mouth dropped open, but I didn’t stick around to watch the meltdown. I climbed in my truck, started it up, and pulled off without another word.
A few minutes into the drive, I glanced at the rearview. S3 was already out cold, knocked from all the backyard running and trampoline flips. Peaceful. Safe. That’s all that mattered.
“Call Rich,” I said, letting the Bluetooth do its job.
“Calling Rich,” the system echoed back. The line picked up on the second ring.
“Yoooooo! What it do, bra?”
“We still got eyes on Ronnie?”
“Yep. Nigga moving like he ain’t just get hit for a shipment and like he don’t owe you six figures.”
I tightened my grip on the wheel. “I’ll give him the three weeks we agreed on but that’s it.”
“Still want that meeting?”
“Definitely. Streets hot. And who’s to say Ronnie the only one they tryna hit? I need everybody moving different.”
“Say less. I’ll set it up for tomorrow night.”
“Bet.”
The call ended right as I pulled up to the estate. I hit the code, and the iron gate slid open slow like it knew who it was letting in.
I walked through the front door and called out,
“Mama!”
S3 in my arms, knocked out cold. I carried him upstairs, laid him gently in his bed, then pulled the covers over him. Little man didn’t even budge. I kissed his forehead before heading back downstairs. She either in the kitchen or out in that damn garden, I thought, just as her voice met me halfway.
“I’m right here, why you yelling?”
I grinned, leaned down, and kissed my ol’ girl on the cheek then wrapped her in a quick side hug. “What’s smelling so good down here?” I asked, already drifting toward the kitchen like I was being pulled.
She stood at the stove, wooden spoon in hand, pots simmering like magic. “Made some chili, rice, and cornbread for lunch. You want a bowl?”
“Hell yeah.” I dropped onto a stool at the kitchen island, watching her fix my plate like she’d been doing my whole life.
Soon as it hit the counter, I dug in. No time for letting it cool. Man, every bite smacked. Ain’t nobody on earth touching my mama in the kitchen. Real talk, if it weren’t for her, S3 and I would be living off drive-thru bags and gas station snacks. She kept us full in more ways than one.
“How you been, son?”
“I’m good, Ma. You good?”
“Mama’s always good you make sure of that,” she said with a smile, easing into the seat beside me.
“That’s all that matters.”
“Seth, it’s not. You’ve been walking around here the last few days looking stressed. Like something’s got you on edge. Should I be worried?”
“You never have to stress or worry another day in your life.”
“I worry about you every day, Seth. I’m thankful for everything you do, everything you provide. But, every time youwalk out that door.” She paused. “I worry if you’ll walk back through it.”
