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Rah: If this shit go left, I need them clean

That was the end of their messages. This shit wasn’t telling me anything. One last text thread was on the phone.

Rah: I’m done with this shit. Meek can keep distribution. Pops can hold whatever he wants to hold.

Old Man: You think you can pull your name out and the rest survive untouched?

Rah: I’m not asking permission.

Old Man: Then be ready for what comes with that.

Rah: Been ready.

For months, everyone told me there were no leads on what happened to Rah, but the leads were in the damn phone. I had no idea who any of those people were. This was something I had that Meek had no idea about. Thinking of Meek, he started calling. Usually I would answer, but right now my mind was clouded.

Meek: You home?

Me: Yes, I’m handling paperwork right now. What’s up?

Meek: Just checkin up on you.

For once, I had something of Rah’s that belonged to me before the Kings. Until I figured out what the hell my husband had been trying to do before somebody killed him, I was keeping this from everyone. Even Shameek.

CHAPTER 24

SHAMEEK

Ididn’t do what I told Kyenna I was going to do when it came to Nikki. It was easy for me to say I would handle the shit. Nikki had given me years of her life with no commitment, and to cut that off cold turkey wasn’t going to be easy. I thought of how I was going to do it every day and still hadn’t got the courage to tell her we got to chill. She was a woman, and the first thing she was going to think was it was another woman. Since I had been under Kyenna a few days, I decided to give her a break and come and see how Nikki was doing. We had only texted here and there since our last disagreement. Since I had been here, Nikki had been acting too normal. I mean, that is what I asked for. She always complained that I never made time for her. I had been missing for days, and when she opened the door for me, she didn’t complain once. She had dinner cooked and kissed me. I stood in the kitchen eating straight from the pot while she wiped down the counters. Something was off.

“You ain’t gon’ fuss at me ‘bout eatin’ out the pot?”

“What’s the point? You’re grown. If you want to stand over there and eat like somebody never taught you table manners, that’s on you.”

“See, that’s what I’m talking ‘bout. You been calm lately and I’m used to the bullshit.” I laughed and kept eating.

“Maybe I got tired of arguing with somebody that does whatever the hell he wants anyway. At some point, I had to decide if I was going to spend all my energy being mad or just let you be who you are.”

I stopped chewing for a second. The way she said it was calm, and it concerned me.

“Nikki, don’t start the passive-aggressive shit. If you got somethin’ to say, say it. I don’t do good wit’ all that readin’ between the lines.”

She tossed the rag into the sink and leaned against the counter. “There’s nothing to read between. You told me exactly who you were, and I kept trying to convince myself that eventually you would want something different. That part is on me. I’m not about to spend every night asking what warehouse you were at, who called you, or why you came through the door at whatever time you decide to show up. It gets exhausting and I need to stop acting shocked by shit I already know.”

“So, you good?”

“Overly.”

Maybe I was overthinking it. Truth is, I had enough on my mind without trying to figure Nikki out, too. I ended up acting like I had some sense and fixed myself and Nikki a plate so we could sit down and eat. We were able to have a normal conversation without me thinking about my phone or what the fuck was going on with Kyenna or any of my warehouses. We showered and fucked like we usually would. We were back to our regular shit without the nagging.

The next morning, I got up and went to my main warehouse. The changes that I had made a few weeks ago were working out great, and things were back running smoothly. Once I put my eyes on everything and did all my checks, I was heading out but was stopped when I saw a text from Kyenna.

Kyenna: You left your watch over here.

Me: Put it in yo nightstand

Kyenna: Why the hell would I do that

Me: Cause that’s where I’m going to come get it from