Page 13 of Gang of Roses: Dice

Bronco’s voice shattered the moment like ice water being poured over fire.

“Bruh, was you daydreaming, or is this some sort of health issue?”

His annoying-ass ripped me away from that night, instantly irritating the fuck outta me. I ignored him because, truth be told, I liked it back there.

It’s crazy how I assumed I would see her again.

Hell, she came to Monroe’s every now and then, not enough for me to know her personally, but enough to know that disappearing for two years without so much as a peep wasn’t her pattern.

“All jokes aside, is you coo?”

“Bronco, stay outta my business.”

“Well, damn. You the one over there lookin’ like you were having a staring contest with a seizure. Had me worried for a minute.”

I ignored him.

Instead, I glared at him. “Watch them words, Baro,” I said, calling him by his government.

He sucked his teeth and mugged me, but I didn’t give a damn. He’d better sort out his damn vocabulary before they passed through that motor of his, but he knew I was done playing.

“When you gonna grow up, dawg?” I seriously asked.

“When you gonna retire?” He shot back at me without missing a beat, which meant no time soon. Bronco knew I loved the hell out of my family and made a lot of moves so that the single mother who raised us would never want for nothing else as long as she lived.

Lawd knows I tried teaching Bronco the ropes, but living off me and chasing women seemed to be the only goals the nigga had. The crazy part was…he was smart as hell. Numbers came naturally to him. Just like me. Reading people came naturally to him. Hell, if he actually applied himself, he’d probably run circles around half the executives working for me.

But learning the business at Monroe’s? Nope. Bronco wanted no parts; only when I had to get active in the streets did my life have Bronco’s full attention. The only reason the dude had a degree was that I forced him to get one. Everything else, I was going to have to iron out the wrinkles in his entitled behavior.

Why did it feel like getting it out of the mud was the only true grateful reward in life? My siblings don’t know struggle, and for some reason, that often crippled them. Especially Bronco, my younger sister. Cova was only sixteen, and dance was her life; she couldn't care less about anything else.

“Come on, fool. I got stuff to do.”

“Bro, you was a beast back there. I love it when you pissed. Well…not with me, but you get it. Them bums be shaking like a forty-dollar stripper,” he said, with too much excitement. I was eighteen years older than Bronco, so he didn’t really understand the life of Radar. All Bronco knew was that his big brother’s name held weight—club, girls, freebies, etc.

“Bronco, I understand you get a high off this life, but you keep missing the lesson,” I said, catching his attention. “This shit fascinates a privileged ass kid like you, and before you poke that weak ass chest out, catch my wave, bruh. I bring you around the ugly side to show you that, no matter what, as a man, you stand ten toes down on what you said. People know the risk; they know Radar, but they still feel like a nigga too high up in this shit to slump them. I could send anyone, but you know why I came personally?” I asked, as he just listened.

“That’s yo’ bread, not them other niggas.”

“That’s the fuck right. The deadline is just that the fuckin’ deadline, but it’s a different level of disrespect when you run off with my shit. Only thing ain’t yours is what?” I questioned, knowing he knew the answer.

“People.”

“Bingo.”

“Well… umm…what’s with the G-baby chick?”

He was trying to be funny after he overheard me talking about her one day.

“Mine.”

“But I thought you said the answer was people?”

I ignored his question because he knew that when I had my mind set on something, I was going for it.

“Bronco, get you some business and drive me to the airport.”

“I was just asking. So, bruh, can I get the Bach tonight?” he asked, already knowing the answer, so there was no need for me to reply. My silence was enough. Getting my Maybach was a hell no.