I nodded. “I don’t care what it costs. I just want him home.”
He gave me a nod like he already knew that, and I stood up and headed to the door. As I opened the door, Mr. Groom yelled out, “Ms. Walker.”
I stopped and turned around.
“I deal with a lot of cases with men in the streets. When situations like this happen, people start paying more attention to their spouse. I just want you to be careful.”
I smirked. “People have obviously been watching or talking. Just get my man home.”
I left his office and sat in my car for a minute. Gio told me to hold it down, so that’s exactly what I was gonna do. Gio has had lil’ run-in with the police. A lil’ police chase a few years ago, a weed charge that got dropped last year, but this shit? Police running in our shit? Has never happened. But now that I knew the lawyer was in motion, I could breathe.
I could breathe enough to focus on the next thing, the duffel bag sittin’ beside me full of bricks that were broken down and ready to go.
I pulled off and headed straight to Crenshaw. When I pulled up on the block, it was already live, but most of the people were in front of my door, watching maintenance fix it. One person saw my car, gave the nudge, and scattered as I pulled into a parking lot.
“Nosey asses,” I muttered to myself as I hopped out of the car.
The men fixing the door nodded at me as I waved, headed over to Bully’s side, walked up the steps, and knocked on his door. A few seconds passed before Bully opened his door. When he did and saw all the people watching, he moved me to the side.
“Aye, move around,” he said, gripping his waist. “And mind your fuckin’ business.”
Again, they scattered, but this time to their homes or out of the complex.
He then turned and looked at me. “You good?” he asked, walking into his place.
I followed him in, closing the door behind me.
“Yes and no.” I opened the duffel bag and showed him what I did. “Gio left work for me to take care of things while he’s away, but I don’t know if I should be standing on the corner like that.”
Bully smoked. “I got you, sis,” Bully walked up his hall and came back down with his own duffel bag.
“Do you have his phone?”
I shook my head. “Nah, my house is trashed, but I’m pretty sure they took that bitch.”
He nodded. “True shit. Give me your keys.” I tossed the keys to him. Bully walked to his door and opened it. “Come on.”
I followed him out and over to my car. He opened the back door.
“Get it.”
I tilted my head, but didn’t ask any questions, and just got in.
After closing my door, he walked around and hopped in the driver’s seat.
“Look, me and brah do this thing where we ride around and hit licks. We gonna do that today. I’ma take you to the hood where brah is respected so they can bless you.”
I smiled and leaned back in the seat.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Bully started the car and pulled out of the lot like it was just another day, even though I had no idea.
My duffel bag sat on the seat beside me while his was on the floor in front of his feet. The music was low; the windows cracked just enough to let the Cali breeze slide through.
For a minute, neither of us said anything.
Then Bully reached back and handed me his phone.
