Page 15 of A Kingpin's Weakness
“If you actually gave someone a chance, you wouldn’t be.”
“Find me someone worth the risk.”
He chuckled.
“I’ll call you when I get back. Uber pulling up.”
“Yeah. Enjoy your one day off.” I ended the call and walked into the living room only to find Jo and Ronnie standing in the kitchen, locked in what looked like a heated exchange. Voices low, but faces tight. It didn’t take much to tell when things were about to pop off.
Normally, I’d step in. Most of the time, I had to stop someone from dragging Jo across the floor. She talked big, and her mouth wrote checks her ass couldn’t cash. But tonight. I wasn’t in the mood to play referee.
“Where you off to?” Jo asked, the second her eyes landed on me.
“Dinner.”
“Where?”
“Ms. Serena invited me. Why?”
“I’m just asking. You’re supposed to be at the hospital with your brother.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow. Just needed a breather. Have you been back?”
“I’m grown. Don’t worry about me.”
“I’m grown too.” I fired back.
“You’re still my child.”
I rolled my eyes and started for the door, but Jo’s voice stopped me again.
“Stormi, you remember Ronnie, right?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Don’t be rude, chile. This man came to seeyou.”
“Came to see me? Why?” my attention now on my mother.
“You might look like your ain’t-shit daddy, but that body came from me. This man wants to get to know you.”
“Know me forwhat, Jo?”
“Shit, he might wanna marry you if you change that nasty-ass attitude.”
I looked Ronnie dead in the face.
“Ronnie, I’m sorry you wasted your time coming over here. But I never and I mean never want you to get to know me.”
“We gon’ have to get that mouth in order,” he said, like he was checking me.
“Excuse you?”
“You show respect when a man is in your presence.”
I laughed, cold and sharp. “When a man is in my presence, I show respect the way he shows it to me. Now, I don’t know what kind of freaky shit you and Jo got going on, but count me out.”
“Listen, Stormi,” he tried again. “I know we got off on the wrong foot at the hospital the other day, but I’d like to take you out.”
