Page 110 of Tangled Hearts
“Cute?” His mouth tugged into a grin. “Ain’t nobody called me that in years.”
“I didn’t sayyouwere cute, Quameek,” his name curled off her lips.
He laughed. “I know I’m a handsome ass nigga.”
Sassy couldn’t deny it if she wanted to. Hov was indeed easy on the eyes. Every time he talked, her eyes jumped from his lips to the bold ink across his neck.
“Well, don’t get used to it. I mean, every young man with a little money wanna flip something. Buy low, sell high, quick cash. That ain’t building. That’s babysitting.”
Hov tilted his head. “What’s building then?”
Always a sponge. Hov would pick up anything he felt valuable.
“Buying the block,” Sassy said without hesitation. “Owning enough where people gotta askyoubefore they change a damn stop sign.” She leaned back against the post, her bangles clinking. “You men love supplying it. Rarely do you own it. And you look like you know the difference.”
Hov glanced at the house again, chewing on her words. He wasn’t new to owning property, but he had only done it because Christian said it was smart and a way to wash his money. This felt like a seed she was planting straight in his chest.
“You talk like this all the time?” Hov asked.
“Only when somebody worth teaching is standing in front of me.” She smiled, but there was nothing soft about it. She carried herself like she’d seen too much, lost too much, and came back sharper every time.
Hov cleared his throat. “If I got more questions, can I call you?”
Sassy raised an eyebrow, amused. “I really don’t do any mentoring.”
He smirked. “That a no?”
“That’s amaybe.” She dug into her bag and pulled out a card, pressing it into his palm. “I like you but don’t waste my time. Either you serious about more than just hustling, or this conversation doesn’t leave this sidewalk.”
Hov slid the card into his pocket, watching her as she picked up her hammer again. She didn’t know him, didn’t know about Knycole, didn’t know about Qua. And maybe that was the point—she talked to him like a man who could be more than what the city expected, not just another name tied to the block.
He tried to keep his smirk to himself but felt his lips curl little by little. A brief conversation with Sassy gave him something else to obsess over while his bitch got her mind right. There wasn’t another option. Knycole would be his and they’d build something so good, their childhood trauma would vanish.
At least, that was his hope—a peaceful life with the people he loved more than breathing.
“Damn, its thick out here,” Noir nodded her head to the music while Knycole found somewhere to park. Once some of the boys from the neighborhood noticed her truck, they flagged her over, putting where the gang was.
“Ugh,” Knycole turned her lip up when she saw both Hov and Rock standing on opposite sides of the one-way road.
Noir applied her lipstick. “What?”
“Hov and Rock here.” Knycole looked between both sides, happy she had extra dark tint so neither of them knew she was looking.
Noir cackled, still in the mirror.
“Don’t laugh too hard because Cash is with Rock and Christian is posted up with Hov mugging the hell out of my car.”
Slamming the visor closed quickly, Noir’s eyes bucked when she saw it for herself.
“Laugh now, hoe,” Knycole snickered. “What we doing?”
Noir gnawed on her lip ruining the gloss she just reapplied. Grabbing her shades from her bag, she slid them on her face. “We getting out. Fuck these niggas… we outside!” She screamed turning up the radio to Outside by Cardi B. With all the dramatics, she pushed the door open to yell.“Out, where the fine niggas, side, I’m tryna find niggas!”
Noir bent over making her ass clap. The tennis skirt she wore came with flesh toned shorts attached so her ass wasn’t out.
Knycole cracked up but decided not to let her girl show out by herself. “Outside niggas love an outside bitch,” she rapped snapping her fingers hanging out the car like Noir.
The song ended, and Noir turned the music down. The block’s attention was glued to them, just how Noir wanted it. Knycole didn’t love the spotlight, but she wasn’t shy either.
