“I mean, I . . . I know you’re in the streets. I guess I never really gave too much thought on how heavily.”
He smirked. She was right, but he wanted to pick her brain a bit. “How you figure I’m in the streets? You been sayin’ that since we met.”
She shrugged. “I grew up in Ellway. I know a street nigga when I see one.”
He chuckled, and then even harder when her face scrunched up at him. He loved the freckles that littered her round face. He wanted to spend time kissing on each one.
“You ain’t wrong.” He shrugged. “Ghost is an old nigga who used to run some blocks I took over. That shit was a year ago, but my guess is he’s out for my blood because of that.”
“And now I’m caught up in it?” she asked.
He really didn’t know, and he let her know as much. “I would rather be safe than sorry. My men are cleaning the gun range up now, but we don’t know if it was anyone else there too scared to come out after they saw us droppin’ niggas. We don’t know if they had a getaway car that saw you. We don’t know if they got to the tapes and saw the footage before my men got there and saw you. Your car was there when we left. What if they ran your license plate? It’s too many unknowns, and I ain’t ’bout to play wit’ you like that.”
She stared up at him for a long time before she let out a long breath and moved toward the couch to sit down. “You talk like you got a whole team under you.”
All Prosper could do was smirk. He could tell she picked the least scary thing to comment on because, trust, he could tell she was scared. She didn’t have to be with him though.
“Somethin’ like that. You good here for a bit? I gotta hit the streets and see what’s what. There should be some snacks and stuff in the kitchen. I’ll pick up some actual food on my way back.”
She popped up from the couch with her eyes wide. “You’re leaving?”
His heart broke at the sight of the fear on her face. He wished she would let those guards down and allow him in so he couldcomfort her the way he wanted, but he refrained. He didn’t want to scare her away.
Instead, he took a step forward and grabbed her hand. “You’re safe here. I promise. I’ll only be gone a few hours.”
She looked around nervously before she nodded and whispered, “Okay, but I don’t like being kidnapped and then dumped off.”
His chuckle vibrated the space between them. “For the record, I ain’t happy about what just happened. Best believe niggas will pay in blood, if for nothing else, because they scared my peanut. But I can’t say I’m upset about the fact that I had to kidnap you.”
She rolled her eyes, some of the playful banter coming back. “I bet you are.”
He pinched her chin before he stepped away. For some reason, it felt like the hardest thing he ever had to do.
He walked toward the front door but stopped just before he exited the living room and said, “Aye, you saved my life, Teonny. I ain’t ever gonna forget that. Whatever you need, it’s yours. Just name it. And that’s for life.”
He left her standing there in the middle of the living room. By the time he got into his car, his entire demeanor changed.
Prosper was officially out for blood.
“Them niggas really just ran up on you like that?” Lamar asked as he side-eyed Prosper, who drove through the streets of Ellway with his eyes peeled.
Prosper wasn’t dumb. Better yet, he knew Ghost was a dumb old nigga, but he wasn’t that dumb. No way would he show his face after making an attempt on Prosper’s life. Still, Prosper could hope.
He nodded slowly. “Just like that, and with my shorty too.”
Lamar did a double take. “Since when you got a girl, nigga? You ain’t ever claimed a bitch.”
“Peanut,” Prosper said, as if that explained everything.
Prosper could feel Lamar staring a hole in the side of his head for several long seconds before he burst into laughter.
“Nigga, I know you ain’t talkin’ ’bout shorty at the gun range. Since when she agree to be your girl?”
Prosper clenched his jaw and stayed silent. He and Lamar had grown up together. They got into the game together, and they made all their decisions together. While Prosper was the face of the streets, Lamar was the enforcer. Neither was above nor below the other, because without one, the other would fall. They made sure they got paid the same, ate the same, and lived a life of luxury, just like they always dreamed when they were young. Lamar was the only brother Prosper had, so that nigga could get away with a lot more than the average man, like laughing at him.
Prosper let it go on for a solid minute before he cut in. “Aight, man. Enough.”
“I’m sayin’, bro,” Lamar said as he tried calming his laughter down. “It’s been how long and she ain’t give you no play? And you still walkin’ ’round here callin’ her yo’ shorty?”
