Reluctantly, she took the money from me. “I’m getting my shit together, Goo. Shit is hard out here, and ever since Berkeley was murdered… I cannot sleep.”
When you lived in New York City, specifically Brooklyn, everyone was connected to everyone in some way. You either attended the same high school, grandmoms dragged you to the same church, or you knew people who knew people, so you were connected.
Berkeley and Brenay were cousins. It was one thing going through shit with your best friend having an addiction, but then to lose your cousin too.
Shit was tough.
“I know… shit is fucked up.”
She started to rub her stomach. “What did I miss? How could I have helped her… I’m scared to be out here alone because what if I’m next?”
“Don’t even fucking think like that.” I stopped her before she could continue to spiral. “I’ve always looked out for you along with Inez. Would never let anything happen to either of you.”
“We don’t always have a choice, Goo.”
I hugged her, kissing her forehead. “Go home and rest.”
She nodded her head, and Etzel walked slowly behind her, making sure she made it home safely.
The reason he wasn’t using Brenay’s apartment was because he found another dumb chick to use. Brenay was dumb as shit for allowing that nigga to run drugs through her apartment.
I sympathized with her because she was grieving two people. One living and the other one alive. Plus, she was pregnant by a nigga that was no good. She was going through a lot, and I wasn’t the type that kicked you whenever you were down.
All Khaos had to do was head to the Chinese spot and grab chicken wings with pork fried rice. The nigga didn’t give a damn about me being Muslim, he was going to cook pork and eat that shit right in front of me.
I was starting to think the nigga was doing it on purpose. Trying to coach me to go back to eating swine like I used to.
“She so fucking pressed to have a nigga taking care of her that she telling anybody that fucking listen. That bitch in the Chinese spot don’t speak a lick of English other than what’s on that menu.” Khaos said, as we climbed the fire escape.
I half listened as I continued to climb to the fourth floor, while feeling the breeze. I stopped midway and closed my eyes and felt the air caress my face.
I say caress because it was so gentle. The breeze was cool and reminded me, even in the middle of being a criminal, to stop and smell the air.
“We don’t got time for you to be catching a fucking breeze, Goo,” Khaos snapped, waiting for me to move, so he could come up behind.
“Chill, close your eyes… feel that shit.”
Khaos continued to look at me and then looked below him. “I’m scared of fucking heights, and you got me out here in the middle of the night. Move before I call the police on both of us.” he snapped, and I remained until I was ready to move.
My eyes opened when I heard a car door slam and noticed the guest of the hour. I quickly hurried up toward the floor, and like I expected, the window was open. We easily slid in and knocked over a jar that held incense ashes.
“Caposcents? Hmm… I love fucking incense. Got to ask Ms. Detective lady if she like shit like this.” Khaos muttered, as he shoved the plastic with the label into his pocket.
“Leave that fucking cop alone.”
He snorted. “As you about to wife Ms. Lawyer lady… nigga, let me find my one and only.”
I turned, knowing we had other pressing issues at hand. “Except, you don’t do one and only. Leave her alone if you’re not ready for her.”
“Who the fuck said that I wasn’t ready for her?”
“I know you.” That was all I said, and he left the topic alone.
Since we were teens, we had been doing side quests, and some of those side quests were robbing homes. It used to be a crew of us going into homes and getting whatever we could. We’d take it to the pawn shop in Queens and split the money down the middle.
Recommendation: Listen to Wishing On A Star by Rose Royce
The more you ran with niggas, you learned that some weren’t as loyal as you thought they were. Some didn’t hold shit close to their chest and were the first niggas accepting a can of Pepsi in the interrogation room.
