Page 6 of Sugar Baby
“Where thefuckis my money?” he asked with a low voice that made me shiver.
I extended my hand, and Tyreek put the handle of the bag inside. Cash took it gently, but there was still enough force for it to make my arm jerk. A huff escaped me because if it was anyone else, I would have cursed his ass out. But this man? The man who had killed a man by breaking his skull with his bare hands? He could snatch whatever he wanted, and I wouldn’t say a thing. I wouldn’t even try to shoot his big ass. My bullets would probably bounce off his chest like it was a shield of steel.
An annoyed sigh escaped Cash as he looked in the bag. I was confused because it was fifteen thousand. Lord knows I didn’t want to pull that from my safe for this bullshit, but I’d do whatever for my cousin. I looked over at Tyreek and the guilt on his face told me all I needed to know before any words left Cash’s mouth.
“How much is this?” Cash asked.
“Fifteen thousand,” I answered confidently.
“Where’s the rest?”
“What rest?”
Shoving the bag into my chest, he clenched his jaw as he looked at Tyreek. “Why you wasting my time, lil nigga? What did I tell you when you copped my shit?”
“If I was late, it was a thousand every day you didn’t get paid.”
“What!” I yelled, rearing up in my seat. I had my seat belt on, so the force knocked me right back. “How many days are you late, Tyreek? And why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Well, when they didn’t mention it yesterday, I figured I didn’t have to pay it.”
The men that surrounded the car laughed, but Cash’s face remained stone.
“How many days?” I reiterated.
“Thirty.”
“So you owe this man forty-five thousand dollars?” Chuckling, I shook my head as tears filled my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. My heart raced as I tried to come up with a solution, but honestly, I had none. I didn’t have that much money saved. The only thing I could do was get a loan, and I really didn’t want to have to do that, but I would. Turning to face Cash, I nibbled my bottom lip out of a nervous habit. “I-I don’t have that much, but I’ll pay you back on his behalf. If I knew what he was up to, I would have been taken care of it. Please don’t hurt him. He’s only eighteen, and even though he made a really dumb decision, he’s super smart. If you can give me a little more time, I can get a loan and?—”
Cash lifted his hand and silenced me. “What they call you?”
“Baby,” I answered.
“Where you from?”
“Here.”
His head jerked as he scowled. “Here where?”
Smiling, I relaxed a bit more in my seat. “The Belly.”
Yellow Grove was called The Belly because it was the literal center of Rose Valley Hills. The Belly was where I was born and raised, though it may not have looked like it. Now, I stayed on the outskirts of The Belly. If I went to the left, I’d be in the hood. If I went to the right, I’d be in the downtown entertainment district, which was considered one of five of the most affluent neighborhoods of Rose Valley Hills. It was crazy because I would hear sirens from police cars and ambulances all day every day yet still felt safe. If I went a couple of blocks up, the live music that was often played in the entertainment district replaced that.
“Who your people?”
“You wouldn’t know them. Just know I’m from here.”
“Was that your catering company from the party?” one of the men from yesterday asked from behind Cash.
“Yeah. Sugar Baby Caters. That’s me. My name is Sugar Baby, but everyone calls me Baby.”
“That’s your real name? I thought that was just a nickname,” the loc’d man said. “Everyone was raving about your food when we were scoping the place out,” he said casually.
“Get out,” Cash said as he stood upright. He opened my door while I unbuckled my seat belt.
“Cash, please. Keep this between us,” Tyreek begged. “My cousin has nothing to do with this. She’s just trying to help me out.”
Ignoring him, Cash took hold of my hand and helped me out of the car, which was weird. I wouldn’t have expected him to be such a gentleman but whatever. I guess I shouldn’t expect or assume anything with a man like him.
