“Yes, Kale. I told you that begging stuff wouldn’t always g?—”
“Get me what I want… I know I know.” She finished my sentence for me and damn near jumped into my lap. She was indeed my baby, and I was definitely lying. I was always gonna give Kale whatever she wanted and support her in any way because I never wanted her to feel how I felt. A mother’s support was different from any other. Of course, I would know because I yearned for it for so many years.
My mother and brother laughed, and I shook my head.
“You got that mouth from ya mama, lil’ bit.” My brother smirked in her direction.
“My mama said I didn’t get my smart mouth from her. She said I got it from my grandma.” She looked toward my mama, and I looked in a different direction.
“Oh, did she now?” my mama questioned as she peered over at me.
I didn’t expect to enjoy catching up with and spending time with my mom and brother, but I guess it was the things that we least expected in life that brought us the most joy. Once Kale and I finally made it home, she went her ass to sleep, and I ended up in my office. I had a few plans and contracts to look over before I closed my eyes for the night.
SAVIOR
Days later
“Get the fuck outta here. I don’t wanna hear that, Zay. I told you I wanted all of my money, or I was coming through and cutting that bitch ass nigga’s hand off. So take my money off his fucking limb,” I yelled into my phone at my stupid ass cousin, Zay. He wanted to act like he was with the shits, but when I sent his stupid ass on a job, he liked to bitch up. The only reason he was even a part of my organization was because of my mother’s constant shit and begging me to take his stupid ass under my wing. I didn’t get on because somebody took me under their wing. I put myself on in this game.
Standing to my feet, I walked from my bed to the large window and looked out of it. I had the world at my fingertips, and I still felt like I was missing something. Watching thesunrise let me know that it was my time to rise and handle my shit.
“Come back to bed, baby,” Mel’s sleep-filled voice called out to me.
I looked over my shoulder and shook my head. “Don’t you feel the sun rising, shorty? That means it’s time to bounce.”
She sucked her teeth. She knew me too well to play that sleep-in shit in my bed. Mel was fine as fuck, but she was lazy and just looking for the next nigga to play house with and keep her up. It was pretty bitches like her that thought they were smart, but she had the right nigga. I wasn’t finna fawn over her looks or even get lost in her eyes. I was just tryna fuck and send a bitch on her way. Most bitches didn’t grasp that concept, but Mel had. She liked to forget it from time to time, but she got it after I reminded her.
Within seconds, she threw my cover from her body and stomped into my washroom. Her emotions and expectations weren’t my problem, so I didn’t bother following her and inquiring on what was wrong. I found myself walking toward my closet to find my fit for the day. I didn’t have much to do but meet up with my boy Taurus and the city’s business management. They had to have a fresh list of businesses for me to check out. I made a living off saving in-trouble businesses and protecting them for a small fee or net interest share. Almost everything I did was legal, and the other shit was nobody’s business.
Once I had taken care of my hygiene and all of that, I walked back into my bedroom. I wasn’t surprised to see Mel fully dressed and standing near the door with an attitude.
A slight chuckle escaped my lips. That was typical shit and the exact reason I didn’t take games seriously. As I approached her, I pulled a few bills from my pocket and held them out forher. She was always slow to take them and quick to say the same thing every time.
“You’ve never had to pay me to fuck you.” Her attitude started to disperse.
“I don’t pay you to fuck. I pay you to leave.” I opened my front door, holding it open for her to exit first. Once we stepped onto the elevator, I pushed the button to go down to the lobby.
Mel started to speak, but the elevator stopped and opened. My eyes immediately went to shorty and the little girl who stepped onto the elevator. Her ass was simply fucking beautiful. I was glad I had my shades on because the way I was staring at her made my ass uncomfortable. I had never been rendered stuck by no bitch, but that one right there had me stuck for a few moments.
“But Mama, you said when we got here, we could get a dog.” The little girl was begging.
Shorty pushed the lobby button and then looked down at her daughter. “Kale, who’s gonna care for the dog when you start going to school and I’m at work?”
“Grandma, or Uncle Mil. Or you can take it to the bar with you. Just leave him in your office.” She smiled charmingly at her mother.
Shorty laughed and shook her head while she put a pair of designer shades on her face. “How about we finish this conversation in the car and you call your grandmother? Let her know we’ll be there in a few.”
“She said she’d meet us at the bar today. She had errands to run.”
It took everything in me not to chuckle. I was too busy checking shorty out the moment the elevator stopped at the lobby. We all ended up walking in the same direction because there was only one way to the parking garage. I couldn’t help but admire her frame. She was slim-thick as fuck with long, curlyass hair flowing down her back. I could tell from the untamed thickness of it that it was hers. Then my eyes wandered down to the Dior Retro Ones on her feet. Her shoe game was proper along with her child’s. Lil’ mama had on a pair of black and red Yeezy 350 Boosts. I watched them all the way until they walked to a black G-Wagon.
“I see you checking that bitch out.” Mel’s voice alerted me that she was still near. I had forgotten about her whole fucking presence.
Instead of responding, I chirped the key for my own car and got in. I didn’t give a damn what she saw me do. She wasn’t my bitch.
Once I dropped Mel off to her people’s place and checked some things out, I went about my business. I was meeting Taurus and Mike, the city’s business manager, at a little tavern that had just opened up in my territory a few weeks back. From what Taurus said, they had a good burger, and the space was nice. I hadn’t stepped foot in there since I put Manny, the former business owner, out of business for refusing to pay my taxes. Hopefully, the new owner caught my flow and didn’t test me. When I walked into the space, I immediately caught what they were talking about. It was definitely nicer than it used to be. Shit, somebody had put some serious coin into that motherfucker. It was a nice little lowkey spot with Jay-Z playing in the background. I wasn’t talking about the new shit either.
I took a seat across from Mike and looked around.