“It needed to be understood,” I said as I finally pulled one glove off and then the other.
I tossed them both in the trunk of the car once we reached it. Sha let out another laugh, opening his door but pausing before getting in.
“Oh, it was understood,” he said. “Especially when you got to that last one. But I got a question, bro…”
“What’s that?” I raised my eyebrow as I opened my car door and stepped one foot inside.
“Why the fuck did we have to play dress up for this move?”
I laughed because Sha was really pissed about the get-up we were wearing.
“Just in case anyone saw anything, we were dressed like the players on the field. If someone did see anything, then they saw kids squabbling on the field.”
“Makes sense. Makes sense.”
I glanced down at my hands for a second, flexing my fingers before rubbing my hands together. Sha watched me for a second and then smirked.
“You back, ain’t you?”
That made me look up at him. For a brief second, I didn’t say anything. Because I knew exactly what he meant. I rested my arm against the frame of the car door as I looked out across the lot.
In the distance, I could see those boys still helping each other up off the ground. I smirked as my expression settled into something familiar.
“Never left,” I said finally.
Sha nodded like that was all he needed to hear, then he slid into his car. I took one last look back toward the field before getting in mine and then peeling off.
Chapter 21
Bleek
2 MONTHS LATER…
So much can change in such a short amount of time. MJ had finally gotten the cast taken off from his broken arm, but I knew my son, and I could tell that he was still healing. I knew that his spirit was broken. Even as I watched him get back to bouncing a basketball. He did it cautiously. Nothing about my child was cautious, but now he stepped carefully. I sat at my desk in MBs in the industrial district with a mountain of paperwork on my desk. All documents on all sales for the last quarter, as well as a supply list that I had to finalize.
Taking Tahari under my wing and showing him the administrative side of the auto business was rewarding. I gave him about two auto shops to start with, and so far, he has been good at it. He obtained information easily and was a quick learner. He would be done with his automotive courses soon, and once he was done with that, then I would teach him a thing or two in the shop under the hood of a car. I was still getting used to Maliah dating, but I was becoming more approving of her being with Tahari once I was able to know him better.
It took me two hours to complete everything. When I was finished, I stood from my chair and then did a light stretch. I had to get my ass home because I had a wife wanting a baby waiting for me at home. I locked up the building and then headed to my car. While I was fumbling with my keys, a familiar voice caught my attention.
“Well, youngin’, how you been?”
I looked up and saw Mr. Earl standing in front of me. He owned the auto paint shop right next door.
“Mr. Earl…” I said with a smile as I walked over in his direction to pound up with him, “I’ve been good, where the hell have you been, old head?”
He was draped in some overalls with a plaid shirt underneath. That was his go-to attire. When I first opened this shop, we clicked instantly. He let out a raspy chuckle, the kind that came from years of breathing in paint fumes and laughing through life anyway.
“Man, I’ve been down in Savannah with my daughter. I had to go see my grandbabies. They get to thinking I don’t exist if I stay gone too long,” he said while shaking his head like he couldn’t quite believe how fast time was moving.
“Yeah, them grandkids will humble you quick,” I smirked.
I was far from being a granddad, and Maliah and MJ better damn sure make sure that the road to that for me was very far away.
“They will,” he agreed, then his eyes sharpened just a little as he looked past me toward my shop. “But talk to me, anything been going on while I’ve been gone?”
I exhaled through my nose, already knowing where this conversation was about to go. I’m sure he had heard of the robbery. Mr. Earl’s old ass always got the scoop on everything. It didn’t matter if he was around to witness it or not.
“Yeah, actually.”
