AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What about that nigga that was in front of your house?” I asked Chad.
“Done deal,” Ali said nonchalantly. “Took his ass out Sunday night after you left. Jericho parked in back of the house and saw the muthafucka sitting out front. He had the balls to get out of the car this time with a gun in his waistband. I shot him when he got to the porch, and Jericho pulled him through the house to the back for the crew to come scoop him up.”
“Fuck. Y’all niggas been on it. I feel fucking left out,” I said as Shy chuckled. “I’m gon’ need y’all help though.”
Everyone’s attention turned to me. “I got a woman I need to find… Darlena. Y’all already know about her ass, but I also need to find this nigga named Van Slayton. I mean, I know where he is, but I need help with efficiently taking him out. He’s gone to the authorities about what I do as far as the drug game, and I think it has some shit to do with what went down while I was locked up. They all think I was the one calling the shots when it was actually Law and Fawn. I’ll take the heat any day over pulling my sister back in this shit.”
As long as Seneca was here, I refused to link that nigga to Chelsea. That would be something they could possibly try to use against her in court. He was acting like he was barely paying attention, but I knew he heard every word going down. That nigga used to run for us, and he was as evil as they came. That was why he made so much money. He got that shit by any means necessary. For all I knew, he could also be plotting against Jericho. I didn’t trust his ass now, and I believed it was starting to be the same for everyone in the room.
“So, basically, you need this shit handled discreetly,” Ali said.
“Yeah. I can’t have anything to do with it, and neither can my people. Watchful Eyes will be compensated for the job, since I’m not really an employee. The police will be all over this. I still have some on payroll, but that shit was gonna be over in a couple of weeks. I may have to keep paying them just to make sure we stay in the clear. Vegas is working on letting me know exactly who that nigga is.”
“If nobody else has you, you know I got’chu,” Jericho said.
He didn’t know it yet, but he needed to be far away from this shit, too, because of Chelsea. I nodded as Ali said, “We got’chu, man. You always help out when we need you and without pay. We appreciate the assistance.”
“Ali, you always pay me.”
“Yeah, but you never charge. You always just say that we’re your bruhs.”
“Okay. Well, I’m paying. I can’t afford to go to jail again. I may not get out this time. Last time, I was supposed to do ten years. Law had an attorney look into my case, and after they found out I was set up and the judge was dirty, they released me. I won’t be that lucky this time. I have that feeling.”
Ali nodded, and I could tell he was in deep thought. He was probably thinking about how they would approach things. “A’ight. We’ll talk later tonight so I can get details.”
Somehow, I believed he sensed my hesitancy. Seneca stood from his seat, and everyone turned to him. “I gotta go y’all. I gotta pick up K-Baby since her car is in the shop and make sure I’m at the house for when the kids’ buses get there.”
He slapped Shy, Ali, and Chad’s hands then glanced at me and Jericho. I wasn’t sure how I became an outsider, but he didn’t say shit to me. When he walked out of the room, Ali turned on the monitor to watch him leave. When he got in his car, Ali said, “So you and Chelsea a couple or some shit now?”
I chuckled and said, “Yeah. How you know?”
He twisted his lips to the side. “You know Jericho my nigga. He told me. Congratulations. So what’s really up with Van?”
“He’s Chelsea’s boss and was tryna get at her. He was the muthafucka at the wedding with her. He’s making it seem like he’s trying to protect her, but my instincts are telling me that there’s more to it than that.”
“I knew it was more to that shit,” Shy added.
“Yeah. I didn’t want to give Seneca any ammunition against her for their court date next week. Darlena is going to be a little difficult. I need to get with Rondo on what that bitch look like. She’s in the wind. I’m willing to bet Kennedy told her I would be coming for her.”
“He’s supposed to be here tonight,” Chad said.
“Perfect.”
“So how is Chelsea holding up about the court date?” Shy asked.
Jericho slid his hand down his face. He stood from his seat and walked away, probably realizing that there wasn’t shit he could do either. I turned back to Shy and said, “She doesn’t like talking about it, but if anything is making her crumble, it’s that shit. What she went through is nothing compared to that.”
They all knew the main details of what happened in Florida, but I had a feeling I was about to learn more. Clearly, her being fucked against the wall was a trigger. I wanted to help her heal, and I knew eventually, I would. She’d helped me heal without even knowing it. Being there for her was like having a do over for everything I wasn’t able to do with Fawn. It cleansed my soul, soothed my demons, and filled my heart with something I’d never experienced… passionate love.
* * *
“You didn’t wanta traditional bachelor party, man?” I asked Jericho.
“Naw. I’ve never been one for random pussy. Seeing naked women that I can’t touch is stupid to me. It’s like window shopping gone wrong. You can see what you want but will never have. Jamel and Sandrene are rare.”
“You ain’t lying. He better be glad for friends like us. Niggas would have been trying to get with her behind his back. Where did the ladies go?”
“I don’t have a clue. The only thing I know Whitney isn’t doing is drinking. At least she better not be.”
