Page 6 of All This Love
I didn’t want to allow myself to become too attached to Onyx because then if he did leave, I’d be disappointed. I wouldn’t say Ivan ever broke my heart, but I’d been disappointed too many times to count when it came to how he handled his daughter. I didn’t have the space to allow another man to come into my life and start making me feel things that I didn’t want to feel. Only time would tell how this thing with Onyx would go.
three
onyx
I could feeleyes on me and my niggas as we strolled through the club while a Bossman Dlow song blasted from the club’s speakers. We were ten deep in a sea of unfamiliar faces, and we made sure to dress to impress. The plan was to flex. Do it big and be seen. We wanted to get people talking. If Ivan was as big of a fish as some claimed he was, then he’d want to know who the new niggas in town were. Especially when Rod started selling the pure coke he had, and I started selling the premium weed that I possessed.
Scarface was still in the hospital, but I hoped that Ivan was out and about. I wanted him to see me. I wanted him to look me in my face. I wasn’t sure if he’d know that I knew he was one of the men that robbed me, but it didn’t matter. He’d find out soon enough. If he came again, I’d be ready. His pussy ass liked to plan sneak attacks, but I literally had niggas in front of, behind, and beside me. We bought three sections just because. Once we were tucked away in the VIP area, it took little to no convincing to get some of the baddest females in the city to come party with us.
Golden Waters was smaller than Charlotte, but the culture was universal. Women liked fly niggas with money. They likedto party and have a good time on someone else’s dime. The VIP sections had plush couches for them to sit on and plenty of liquor flowing for them to indulge in for free. What women liked more than money was new niggas in town with money. They couldn’t care less if we ran through every sack chaser in the city where we were from. They wanted to be able to stake claim in their city where no other female had already sampled the D or run through the pockets.
Tatum was a different breed. Her baby daddy was a dope boy, but she didn’t come off as thirsty. If she was, she was a good ass actor. Tatum didn’t give airhead; I’ll spread my legs for a wig and some shoes type shit. She drove a simple but nice car. The jewelry I’d seen her wear was real but probably no more than $400 for one piece. Her clothes were nice but not designer. She didn’t seem eager to have sex and didn’t try to make the first move.
“How did your outing with shorty go?” Rod asked as his orbs followed one of the curvy bottle girls that was serving our section.
“She’s cool. Said she’s been single for a minute, so I’m not sure if she still deals with ole boy on that level. I didn’t want to ask her too much about him and make that shit seem obvious. Whether they still deal with one another or not, I know he won’t want to see her with me. I want him to know that I’m around first. Then, I’ll pop out with her.”
Rod nodded his understanding. “First, we come take over their blocks, and then we start hitting all their bitches. Niggas gonna be mad for sure.”
“That’s what I want,” my jaw muscles flexed. “I want him to get mad enough to approach me on some real shit and not some sneak shit.”
My cousin, Travis walked over and stood to my left since Rod was on my right. “The section directly across from this one. Thenigga in the center with the white shirt on talking to shorty in the red dress. That’s Ivan.”
I sipped my drink and discreetly lifted my gaze. Sure enough, a nigga clad in a white shirt was speaking into the ear of a slim woman in a red dress. He seemed occupied, but a few members of his crew were focused on my section. My eyes darted over the sea of faces, and I recognized everyone that I’d seen at the store minus Scarface. Red dress peered in my direction, and I made it a point to burn her face into my mental Rolodex. If he was planning to send a female our way, I was gon’ be on point with that shit too. I wanted Ivan so bad my trigger finger was itching. In due time though.
Ivan’s gaze met mine, and a slight smirk formed on my face. He was too far away, and the club was too dark for me to read him, but he definitely saw me. I was out spending money for a reason. Being robbed by Ivan and his minions didn’t set me back or put me in a financial bind, but it was the principle. I could get more jewelry. Especially if I robbed his bitch ass. I was sure if he took another loss the plug would finish him. That way, my problem would be eliminated, and I wouldn’t even have to get my hands dirty.
“Misha gon’ kill my ass,” Rod shook his head as a gorgeous, dark-skinned beauty sauntered by him. “I’m trying my best, but I already know a nigga is going to end up giving into temptation.”
“How she gonna know?” I broke eye contact with Ivan and focused on Rod. “You gonna confess?”
“Hell nah, but her ass is psychic or something. I swear every time I cheat, she either has a dream or her intuition starts bothering her real bad, and she starts being annoying as hell. It’s lowkey scary.”
“Yet, you still cheat,” I chuckled.
“Damn right. I know she’s right, but she doesn’t know she’s right,” he grinned. Rod was 5’10, but he had the heart of a lion and approached women like he was seven feet tall. His slightly protruding belly gave way to the fact that he ate good, and he didn’t do the gym. Still, with his light skin and curly hair, he didn’t fit the ‘light skin niggas are out of style’ theory. Rod loved women, and they seemed to love his short ass back.
“When she kills yo’ ass, I’m not even gon’ be mad at her.”
Rod shrugged passively. “If that happens, I’ll have to accept my punishment like a man.”
All I could do was shake my head and laugh. The smile faded instantly when I noticed red dress slithering her way into the section next to mine with some of my homies in it. “Yo, watch that bitch,” I instructed Rod. “Let them niggas know that she was talking to Ivan earlier, and she’s not to be trusted. He could have sent her ass, and I’d hate to have to kill her because she was dumb enough to listen to him.”
Rod turned and eyed the woman that was talking to Joey. “I’m on that. Matter fact, I’m going to make sure they understand that we can’t trust any of these females. This isn’t our territory, and we have to keep our guard up with everybody.”
“Damn right,” I gave a curt nod. I had already been caught slipping once in Golden Waters. It wouldn’t happen again.
Two days later, I pulled in front of the shop where Tatum worked. I had texted her and asked what she wanted for lunch. It was the first time we’d spoken since our date. I didn’t have a lot of time to spend in Golden Waters focused on Ivan, but I wasn’t trying to do too much too soon. I wanted things to seem natural and organic and not like I had an ulterior motive. I wanted topiss Ivan off, but I also wouldn’t mind having sex with Tatum. I’d have a better chance of doing that if I didn’t make it seem like that was all I was after. I could be patient. Somewhat.
I decided not to go inside, so I texted Tatum to let her know that I’d arrived. Two minutes later, she ambled out of the shop dressed in black leggings, a black, cropped, top, and red, black, and white high-top sneakers. Her braids were pulled on top of her head in a bun, and she had lash extensions that made her almond-shaped eyes stand out. I couldn’t even front. Ivan had a bad ass baby mama. My favorite thing about her was probably the freckles.
Tatum opened the passenger door and got inside the car with a smile on her face. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I passed her the bag of food that she’d requested. “I don’t know when I’ll see you again, so I have to get in where I fit in.”
Tatum sighed. “The plan is to work six days a week, but I feel so guilty about it that on my one day off, I spend the entire day with my daughter. Her bitch ass father has been slacking lately, and I’ve been doing everything alone. He doesn’t even pick her up and spend time with her anymore. Lame ass.” She seethed and kissed her teeth. “But next week, she’s going out of town with my mom for three days, and I can hang out after work.”
“I’ll take that. I hope you don’t fuck with that nigga,” I frowned. “Any nigga that shits on his child is a sucka.”
