by B. Love
“And who is that, Nash?” She chuckled as she cupped her hands together in front of her. Stance widening, her head tilted as her anger increased. Losing her best friend was not on the agenda today, and the shit was really starting to piss her the fuck off. “Who better for me than you?” His stance weakened as he took a step in her direction but quickly backed back. “But we can’t be together because we’re friends, and you work with my sister. So who else am I supposed to be with?”
“So you saying you want to be with me?” Tugging her ear, Christian’s head shook as she weighed her options. Really, she had no options. If they were going to have this conversation, it should have happened way before now. “Because I want to be with you, too. But I would never put that weight on you while you were in a relationship. So I’ve been chilling… waiting my turn. ’Cause I know when I get it, there won’t be no one else after me.”
“He asked me to marry him…” she blurted, dropping her head. “Last night. That’s why I couldn’t call.” Her head lifted.
Nash’s eyes lowered to her hand as he nodded. “What was your answer?”
“I said yes,” she almost whispered. Chuckling softly, Christian wrapped her arms around herself as her heart began to slow down. “You’re right, Nash.” Leaning against the table so it would keep her steady, Christian finally accepted the truth. “I am with him because he’s safe, to a certain extent. I don’t love him as much as I probably could. And even though I worry about him doing me wrong, after I fucked him up, I’d be able to shake that shit off with no issues.
But if I was really in love with him… or with you… I wouldn’t be able to. It would hurt me too much. And I guess that’s the real reason why I’ve never wanted to even consider us being more than just friends. Because I don’t want to love you the way I know I would love you.”
He smiled softly. “So you can’t be with me… because you know how good I would be to and for you?”
She smiled softly. “It sounds crazy when you say it like that.” Nash chuckled before running his hands down his face. “But I don’t want to lose you, Nash. You’re my best friend. You’re supposed to walk me down the aisle.”
“That’s just it,” he grumbled, lowering his hands. “I’ve never wanted to walk you down the aisle, Chris. I want to see you walking to me down the aisle. But I get you, and I understand. I accept the choice you’ve made. And though I don’t support it, I’m happy just as long as this truly makes you happy.”
“Nash…” He closed the space between them. Her eyes lowered and eyebrows wrinkled. “Please…” The feel of his hands cupping her cheeks made her heart race. “I need you.” Nash placed a soft, juicy kiss to the middle of her forehead before resting hers on his. His thumbs brushed her lips as he licked his. She thought this would finally be the moment that she felt his lips on hers, but he kissed the corner of her mouth instead.
“Goodbye, Gucci.”
“Are you serious right now?” Christian watched as he ran his hand down his face and walked away. “Nash!” He continued to ignore her as he opened the door, and he didn’t bother to even glance behind himself as he walked down the hall.
Eyes blurring from her tears, Christian quickly made her way out of the game room. She alternated between speed walking and jogging down the hall… needing to get out of there as quickly as she could. It felt like the walls of the waiting room were closing in on her as her ears began to ring. Her breaths came out short, hard, and choppy as cool air smacked her face. Holding herself tightly, she scurried to her car, looking up only at the sound of Nash’s tires as he peeled out of the parking lot.
This was certainly not how she thought she would feel the day after getting engaged… but the thought of no longer having Nash in her life made her want to say fuck Tyrell and everything else.
As soon as she was in her car, tucked safely behind her tinted windows, she sobbed.
14
Them
It was Leigh’s idea that Maria not tell Christian that Money wanted to meet with her until they knew exactly what he wanted. She was in a weird space right now between Nash and Tyrell, and they didn’t want to add to her confusion with this meeting. Christian called them both in tears early this morning after having cried all night long.
What was supposed to be the best moment of her life had quickly turned to shit, and neither Leigh nor Maria could blame Nash for his reaction. What he’d said was true — Tyrell didn’t deserve their sister. Yes, he had been trying to get on some act right for the past month or so, but what about the rest of their two-year relationship?
In Leigh’s mind, he wasn’t to be trusted. All he was doing was setting her up to think he was a changed man for marriage, and he would return to his normal ways once they signed that license. And of course, Maria’s attitude was on fuck ’em. That was her solution to almost any problem she had with Tyrell. For her to say fuck him and to cut him off.
Christian had so many crazy thoughts running around in her head, and the person she usually went to to talk about them was the cause of some of them. Quite frankly, sis was going through, and Leigh didn’t want to add to that mental torture if they didn’t absolutely have to.
Instead of asking that they meet him at his warehouse, Money told them to come through while he was having dinner. That put their minds a little at ease because Money was never the type to do too much in public unless he absolutely had to. Leigh felt safe only having her twenty-two for their meeting, trusting that shit wouldn’t go left and lead to a shootout in the middle of the restaurant.
As they walked over to Money’s booth, Maria’s top lip twisted up in disgust. He was the only person sitting at his booth while his guards surrounding it. His table was literally packed with food that she was sure he wouldn’t be able to finish — but Money had always been known for his greed. As he sliced into a thick cut of steak, he looked from one sister to the other and smirked.
“Leigh,” he greeted with a nod of his head.
“This is my sister, Maria.”
“Thank you for bringing her. You can wait outside while we speak.”
“Are you fucking crazy? I’m not leaving her with you.”
“It’s cool, Leigh,” Maria assured, squeezing her arm gently. “Go wait at the bar or something.”
Leigh’s head shook as she looked from Maria to his guards. “Nah. I don’t trust him.”
“And I don’t trust you,” Money countered, setting his knife and fork down. “Not with what I have to talk to her about. So you can either leave quietly or be the reason shit gets real loud up in here.”
“Just go,” Maria pressed. “The bar is right there, sis.”
Scratching the back of her neck as her jaw clenched, Leigh hesitantly agreed with a nod and walked away. Maria waited until Leigh was seated at the bar to sit down. Her eyes went to Money, who had calmly returned to eating his food.
“What is this about?” she questioned, wanting to get their meeting over with.
“You’re a hit girl, right?” Maria didn’t answer right away. She was taught never to offer information to anyone she couldn’t trust. “You’re the scammer,” he said this time, more than he asked. “You do heists. Right?”
“You’re saying it as if you already know, so there should be no need for me to confirm.”
Money smiled with one side of his neck and chuckled before placing a piece of asparagus that was wrapped in bacon into his mouth.
“You and your sister with your smart-ass mouths.”
Growing irritated already, Maria placed her hands on the table and prepared to lift herself up soon.
“What did you want to see me for?”
“I have a job for you.”
With one swift motion of his head, Maria was being handed an envelope by one of his men. She opened it, and the sight of Ransom’s picture as he stood by one of his shipments was all she saw.
“What is this?”
“I understand that Ransom will be a formidable opponent,” Mone
y started, cutting another piece of his steak. “In order for me to make my point clear to these young bucks, I have to start plucking out the heavy hitters. Ransom is one of those at the top of my list.” His head tilted and mouth twisted to the side. “Now… I could just kill him.” Money pulled his attention away from his steak briefly to look into her eyes as he said, “And your sister… but I want to give them both a chance to do right by me because of my connection to Leigh.”
“Then why didn’t you want her over here?”
“Like I said, I don’t trust her when it comes to Ransom. Or your sister. I’ve done my research, and from what I can tell, you’re the sister who is best to go into business with. The logical one. The one always about her money and on her hustle. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you. No drama, no fucking off with men. And you’re solid in my eyes because of your relationship with Malibu.”
Malibu.
No.
She couldn’t go there.
“I’m offering you a chance to make some money and spare your sister and Ransom at the same time.”
Maria didn’t have to think twice before asking, “What’s the deal?”
“You will have exactly three weeks to accept this offer and make the first move. I want you to seize Ransom’s product and deliver it to me. This can be a one-time thing or however many it takes for him to get the message that he cannot sell in my city.
The first time I did this, I did so with a warning that he obviously ignored. This time, I need to be louder because he needs to get the fucking message.”
“What’s the message?”
“That it’s this or death.”
“And what makes you think I’m going to deliver that message?”
Money put his knife and fork back down, then looked into her eyes. “I want it to be you because I don’t want to risk the lives of my men. If they see me coming, Jax and Ransom will prepare for war. And while I am more than capable of handling it, I would prefer to do this cleanly through your hands.
You only have one option here, and that’s to get me his product and kill two birds with one stone. He won’t be able to sell, and your sister won’t either because he’s her supplier. Out of respect for Leigh, this is the only option I’m granting beyond death. You will not tell Leigh about our deal, nor will you prepare Ransom for me to strike through you until you arrive to take his shipment. This offer is on the table for three weeks. If you do not arrive at my warehouse with his product, both his and your sisters’ blood will be on your hands.”
Maria’s breath came out shaky as she stood from the booth. She stared at him for a few moments before tossing the folder at his face and walking away.
“It’s cool, let’er go,” she heard Money say behind her before he laughed. “She got some fire in her. I like that shit.”
Leigh stood and quickly made her way over to Maria. “What did he say?”
Maria’s head shook. She didn’t know if she would go through with it or not. Either way, she couldn’t tell Leigh about it. She would for sure go to Ransom, whether they were speaking or not, and warn him. It was fucked up that Money had put her in the middle of this, but Maria was willing to do whatever it took to make sure both Christian and Ransom were safe.
She had to give it to Money — he was smart as hell. On the outside looking in, it was smart to send her to take Ransom’s product. You wouldn’t expect him to bring Maria any harm. They were cool, but business and personal affairs were two totally different things. Who was to say their friendship carried a big enough weight in his mind and heart to allow her to leave with his product?
Maria wasn’t sure, and she also wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.
“Is she having a good day?” Leigh asked her aunt, Evelyn. Two weeks had passed since Valentine’s day, and it seemed as if Leigh’s life had been turning to shit ever since. There was only one person who could help her get her mind right, and that was her grandmother. Problem was, if her grandmother’s mind wasn’t right, she wouldn’t be any good for Leigh or anyone else for that matter.
Her grandmother, Ever Love Gucci, had a special place in all of her grandchildren’s lives… especially Ricky’s children. Though Ever knew Ricky was up to no good, she never forced him to get his shit together. Instead, she played her part when the walls came crashing down and stepped up when Ricky dipped. She could never take his role as their father, but she loved and nurtured them with a fierce protection that kept anyone else from hurting them.
Or, at least, she tried.
But there were children like Leigh who removed themselves from Ever’s protective wing of covering.
Evelyn looked back and shook her head. “She is, for now. You know that can change at any moment. So take advantage while you can.”
Leigh nodded as she walked through the living room on the red-carpeted floor. Ever’s home looked like the typical southern grandmother’s home. It was filled with lots of vintage furniture, family pictures, and fake plants and animal statues. Usually, the air was filled with some type of good smelling food — no matter the time of day. This morning, there was only the scent of the incense and candles burning.
And Leigh was sure that was a sign that one or two of her brothers had stopped by and were smoking, knowing damn well Ever didn’t play that smoking shit in her house.
“Y’all don’ ate?” Leigh asked, entering the small yet long kitchen.
“Nah. I was getting around to cooking, but your brothers came and I was trying to wait until they both left. Big bastards. She ain’t got enough food to be feeding them while they’re high.” Leigh laughed as Evelyn scoffed. “Nine o’clock in the morning and their asses are high.”
“Who was it?”
“Drecco and Pressure.”
Leigh nodded as she opened the refrigerator. She didn’t blame Evelyn for not wanting to cook for them. They had appetites out of this world, and it was worse when they smoked. But their tolerance was so high, Leigh was sure they hadn’t smoked enough to be high. You couldn’t tell Evelyn that, though. If she saw you puff a blunt two or three times, she would swear you were high and killing brain cells in the process.
She scratched the back of her neck as she considered what she could make for a quick breakfast. For them at least. For the past three days, she hadn’t been able to keep down anything she ate for breakfast. To supplement what she lost, Leigh had been drinking Ensures throughout the day and eating salad and soup at night. Her stomach had been all out of whack, and she had no idea why. If it was a virus, she thought it would have gotten better, but it appeared to be getting worse.
This morning, she had to shower twice to get the scent of her perfume off her. Normally, she loved the Flora by Gucci that she wore. It was her favorite scent. The sensual, sultry scent mixed with her natural scent perfectly. But not this morning. This morning, as soon as she sprayed it, she started to gag and had to take it off.
Settling on sausage, eggs, and rice, Leigh pulled out all the ingredients she would need, then made her way down the hall to speak to her grandmother before she started cooking. The sight of Ever sitting at her vanity as she pushed her gray hair back made Leigh smile as her eyes watered. Her grandmother was her superhero. It was Ever who took her in and loved on her when her mother was too drunk in depression to see to her children. Now… the idea of Ever no longer having those memories or any memories of her family at all haunted all of them.
“Hey, Grandma,” Leigh spoke, chuckling softly when Ever jumped slightly in her seat.
She looked back and chuckled herself. “Hey, baby. What you doing here?”
“I just wanted to come see you for a minute. Can you eat?”
“I can always eat. What you cooking?”
“Sausage, eggs, and rice.”
“Sounds good. You know I like my sausage a little crispy.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Ever nodded, and Leigh turned to leave. As she walked down the hall, she inhaled a deep breath and clutched her s
tomach. Drecco was still here. She smelled his strong-ass cologne and it was making her nauseous. Her face twisted up as she covered her nose. Passing the second guestroom on the right, Leigh paused. She opened the door, not surprised to find Drecco sitting in the corner rocking chair with his head buried in his phone.
“Damn nigga. Did you bathe in that loud-ass cologne this morning?”
He looked up at her and sucked his teeth before flipping her off. “Fuck you, Leigh. The shit ain’t even loud. I ain’t been home since last night. Fuck up with you?”
Leigh closed the door behind her and stepped further into the room. “What you mean, you ain’t been home since last night? Who you hiding from?”
Drecco sat back in his seat and ran his hand over his face. That would explain the incense and candles. It would also explain why Pressure had stopped by so early.
“Courtney. I fucked around and got caught slipping.” A slow smile spread across Leigh’s face as she crossed her arms over her chest. Drecco shook his head as he stared out into the distance. “She been at my crib, so I’m giving her time to cool off.”
“Didn’t y’all break up right before Valentine’s day?”
“Yea, but I got back with her like two days after. She knew I was on some bullshit, so she been watching my moves extra hard. The bitch followed me to Amanda house, right? Trails me back home. And before I could shower and shit, she tryna smell a nigga dick.
Now, I purposely didn’t shower at Amanda house because I didn’t want her to be like…” Drecco paused and lifted his hand, palm forward, in the air. With a roll of his neck and the best ghetto female voice he could muster, he said, “Why you coming home smelling fresher than you was when you left?” Leigh laughed as she sat down on the edge of the bed. “I wasn’t expecting her to follow me over there, though. So I’m just chilling for a while until she leave so I won’t have to put my hands on her. She gets real disrespectful when she mad.”
