4. Durk
Durk
S ay Yea
“I told you niggas you can’t beat me! Being a loser ain’t in my blood!” I taunted Playa and Flip as we raced down Pentel block, driving over 120 miles per hour. Street racing at The Showdown in the daytime never gave me the thrill I got at night, but the money I earned from side bets was enough to make it worthwhile.
I refused to give Playa the chance to take the lead, so I switched gears and cut him off, only easing off the gas once speculators came into view. The crowd sang my praises when I passed the stop sign, but I didn’t have time to gloat. My happiness spun into disbelief when my eyes swept over a curvy woman with a dimpled smile. The adrenaline that once doubled my heart rate evolved into something more peaceful. I had been tearing shit up at The Showdown for seven years. I had never seen Ms. Jesse’s daughter in my neighborhood.
The members of S.O.E, their ladies, and a few nightcrawlers circled around my Grand National after I pulled up behind Church’s bike. Everybody was on their fly shit, rocking all black and wearing a letterman jacket, jersey, or vest displaying our club’s logo. While my folks celebrated my win by poppin’ bottles, I hopped out of the car and surveyed the audience, but Shiloh’s skunk-headed ass interrupted my search.
“Durk! You got that look in your eyes. I know you’re not looking for a broad instead of collecting yo’ bread.” He smirked. “There’s no way you’re going to win the bet by moving like that.”
“Who are you looking for?” Ishmael asked, joining the conversation.
The smile that eased across my face prevented me from telling him to mind his business.
“Collect my bread for me. I’ll be back,” I announced, already walking in her direction.
The closer I got to Clover, the more I recognized a few of the ladies surrounding her. From what I could tell, I had fucked none of them, so I was straight.
“What’s up, Lucky? Why are you out here with your ass out and no ring on?”
Clover blushed as she tugged on a pleated denim skirt that barely covered her cheeks. Her bouncy tresses swayed in the wind when she peered up at me. My need to touch her encouraged me to comb a piece of hair behind her ear.
“I should’ve known that was your crazy behind driving like a bat out of hell. Is this what you do when you aren’t working branding skin or praising the Lord?”
“Oh, you got jokes? The better question is...what the hell are you doing here?”
She rocked on her high heels while squeezing the handle of a purse that matched her skirt.
“Hmm, let’s just say I needed some sunlight. My cousins love these types of functions.”
“What do you like?”
She slowly shut her eyes. “Peace. I like peace.”
“You like liquor too?”
Clover caught a one-note giggle in her palm. “I do. I’ve had a few already, but I could go for another.”
I linked my fingers between hers before we traveled to where vendors had set up booths. The Showdown started as an illegal function held by local car and motorcycle clubs. Though the gathering was still against the law, the once-a-month event expanded over the years, giving small business owners an opportunity to make money.
Every few steps, Clover would ask about someone in attendance, or she would grow excited about something that caught her attention. Her curiosity made me smile, which was surprising since most people’s ignorance made my skin crawl.
After I paid for our drinks and Clover’s popcorn, we headed back to where my folks posted up. I treated Clover like my lady, lacing my hands under her arms and positioning her frame on the hood of my car. It had been a month since we met at the karaoke bar, and every time we crossed paths, she captivated my attention. The only reason I hadn’t pursued her was because of the bet I accepted two weeks ago. I didn’t want to pull the pretty lady in my shit, yet I couldn’t seem to avoid her. Part of me expected her to check me about being too close, but the thick thighed lady pulled me between her legs.
“Girl, you better cut that shit out before I slide something in you that takes nine months to get out.”
“Wow. That really turns me on.” She snickered while playfully rolling her eyes.
“You’re being sarcastic, but we know the real.” I winked. “Where are your bodyguards? I’m surprised they let you out of the house?”
“They’re staying with my parents for the weekend.”
“Oh, so you’re free until tomorrow night?”
“I’m never free. I work two jobs. Plus, somehow I’ve become a content creator.”
I grimaced at the idea of her overextending herself. “Where is the boys’ dad? He’s not helping you take care of his kids?”
“No. Calvin died five years ago.”
I kissed the back of her hand since offering condolences seemed cliché. The smile that followed made me believe she understood my silent sympathy.
“Durk, I swear my experiences with you don’t match the tales I’ve heard,” she spoke as she eyed me between low lids. “How long have you been doing...this?”
“What is this ?”
“The racing…the tattooing…everything.”
“I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, but the tattoos came into play when I turned eighteen. I’ve been racing for just as long.”
“I would think with a grandmother like Mother Jo, you would’ve been working for the Lord.” She clowned. “I can’t believe I’ve never seen you at church.”
I brushed my thumb over her chin and grinned at the sight of the dimple in her left cheek.
“Think of it as a blessing. Had we crossed paths years ago, I would have ruined your life.”
“You aren’t as powerful as you think.”
“Damn, that’s how you feel, Lucky? You don’t think I can make you weak in the knees?”
“I think your status and money make you forget you aren’t God.”
“You don’t know who I am.”
Clover’s big brown eyes drifted to the ground as if my statement dampened her mood.
“You aren’t hard to read, Durk, but that’s not a bad thing. At least a girl knows what she’s getting into when she falls in love with you. That’s not the case for most people.”
“You talk heavy, Lucky, but I can tell by your body language you’ve already let the wrong nigga get in your head.”
Her dimples made an appearance as she said, “If he was in my head, you wouldn’t be standing between my legs.”
Turned on by her words and actions, I dropped a laugh into my fist as I created space between us. “How long do you plan on staying up here?”
“I rode with my cousins, so I’m waiting on them.”
“You still want that tattoo we talked about?”
Clover’s gaze grew wide. “Right now?”
“Right now,” I declared, creeping back in the folds of her thighs. “There’s no need to wait. You’re leaving with me.”
“Who said that?”
“My bad,” I replied, removing a toothpick from between my lips. “You have a ride home. Go tell your folks. Please.”
Her brows collided above her nose. “Is that your attempt at being a gentleman?”
“Did it work?”
“It did something,” she flirted.
Clover went to inform her people of her moves while I went to do the same. As I neared my folks crowded around a photo station, I snarled at them staring at me.
“Y’all are a pack of weirdos,” I suggested. “I’m about to head out. I’ll check in later.”
Before I could get away, Stevie gestured toward Clover. “So, that’s who you plan to leave brokenhearted?”
“It’s not like that, sis. Clover is the one who saved me from drowning a few weeks again. She goes to my granny’s church, too.”
Stevie shoved my shoulder. “What does that mean? Church girls need love too!”
“Well, according to these clowns, I can’t get no love for months. I want my bread when I win, too.”
Ishmael shook his head. “No love and no pussy are two different things.”
I shrugged. “It’s all the same to me.”
“And that’s the problem,” Shiloh chimed in. “You better hurry. Your girl is waiting for you.”
I followed the way he pointed and saw Clover leaning against the passenger door of my car. She didn’t hide the fact that she was staring at me, which made my cheeks tingle. I was the one who usually had bitches blushing without a word, and now I couldn’t control my face.
Ishmael squeezed my shoulder, anchoring me from my daydream. “Are you sure you’ll be able to last a few months?”
“You haven’t had pussy in years. I’m sure I’ll be straight.”
Eshu’s Ink was twenty minutes from where we were. I took the streets instead of the freeway, giving me more time with Clover and the scent of vanilla that filled my car. Every time I got the urge to speed down a block, I reconsidered being reckless. Clover wasn’t a square, but the innocence in her smile made me handle her with care. After getting played by the only woman I had ever loved, I only fucked with women who weren’t looking for more than a fun time and good dick. Kehlani’s deceit made me vow to never switch up my program again, yet here I was drawn to a woman with two kids and a sweet spirit.
Clover was in control of the music during our ride, and she surprised me by playing everything from New York artists to more raw classics.
“What do you know about Suga Free, church girl?” I smiled.
“I didn’t spend my entire life in church. Last Sunday was the first time I visited in a few years. I’ve been helping my parents with my niece since my sister died, and lately, she’s been smelling herself. I figure if she sees me do good, she’ll do better.”
“I know that feeling. When my pops died, I had to take care of my mom and my twin.”
“Twin? There are two of you walking around?”
I chuckled. “Nah. Just one. Me and Mercy are like night and day. I had to act like a father more than her brother. I think that plays a part in how our relationship is now.”
Once we got to the shop, I parked in my spot then walked Clover into the building through the back door.
“Oh, my God, Durk! This place is beautiful. I haven’t been in a tattoo shop in years, but yours has to be the best in the city based on decor alone.” She spun around with her eyes fixated on the second floor. “Where is everyone?”
“The shop is closed on Sundays. And I appreciate the compliment. It took a lot of money and patience to make it happen. It was worth it.”
“Have you always known what you wanted to do with your life?”
“No, but I knew what I didn’t want to do, especially after years of...doing the wrong things. The more I witnessed my S.O.E brothers elevate, the more I recognized value in assets I could put my name on. I can be a gangsta forever, but I can’t be a criminal.”
A smile ruffled her lips. “I love that, Durk.”
“Call me, Destin...or Buttah,” I replied before I could stop myself.
“Oh, we’ve progressed to government and family names. Why do I get that honor?”
“My hood name is for hood rats. My lady gets special privileges.”
“Your lady?” She giggled. “You have a wild imagination.”
“I don’t think yours is wild enough.”
While Clover moseyed around the main floor, I put my jacket away then went to wash my hands and gather supplies. Afterward, I hooked my phone up to the Bluetooth speaker, hoping the music would soothe Clover’s body once I put the needle to her skin.
“Come have a seat, Lucky,” I said as I relaxed on a stool next to my tattoo chair with my sketchbook in hand. “We were drunk the night we met, but I remembered you mentioned a four-leaf clover. I drew these for you.”
Her eyes bounced from me to the sketches. Every time her focus shifted, her shoulders loosened.
“So, you think about me when I’m not around?”
“I think about you. I fantasized about you. I dream about you. Now, what?”
“Now, you get to touch me.”
Like two cornballs, we exchanged inaudible expressions before laughing.
“You think I’m bullshittin’, but here we are,” I teased as I cleaned the inside of her ankle with a wipe. “Have you had any problems out of ol’ boy since he showed up on your doorstep?”
For the first time since we had been alone, Clover tensed up. I bit down on the inside of my jaw to keep from making a big deal out of it.
“No. I haven’t heard from him. Davis and I were barely hanging on when we ran into you at the party. He has a thing about upholding his image. I don’t fit the aesthetic.”
“You should take that as a compliment. That fool was walking around in a Pro Club, fake shoes, and his edge up was lopsided.”
She laughed, triggering a batch of butterflies to move around my gut.
“You still not gon’ let me take you out?”
“Let’s see how well you do with the tattoo. If you scar me, we can’t go anywhere together.”
“If that’s the deciding factor, you won’t ever date another man again.”
Clover’s upturned eyes narrowed. “Destin...you know I have two kids, right?”
“I mean, Kid and Play aren’t invisible.” I shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re fighting something that’s destined. We met a month ago, and we’ve crossed paths three times since then. That’s not by mistake.”
Unable to keep my distance, I moved my seat so close we shared the same breath.
“Do it,” she whispered while removing the toothpick from my mouth.
My mind went blank at the sensation of Clover’s moist lips against mine. I had never been a fan of kissing, but I accepted her tongue when she slipped it into my mouth. The raspy moan that melted from her throat made me yank Clover from her seat and onto my lap. Her skirt rose above her ass, leaving me no choice but to palm her cheeks.
“Mmm, Destin.” She sighed while rubbing her pussy against my hard-on.
So badly, I wanted to pull my dick out and slip it inside of her walls, yet I knew Clover was not ready for that, no matter how horny she was.
“Can I touch on that pussy, Lucky?”
“God, yes. Please, touch me!”
Even when she begged for my affection, she was polite about it. I loved that shit.
“Right there, Destin. That feels so good.” She purred against my neck as my fingers danced around her clit.
“You gon’ bust on my fingers, mama?”
“Yes, baby!”
“What if I told you I want you to nut on my tongue?”
Our stares locked when she replied, “What if...if I said I want to cum on your dick?”
All the self-control I had went out the window when Clover’s question landed. I stood from the stool with her curves secure in my arms as I moved to the tattoo chair. I used my teeth to undo the buttons on her blouse, and Clover undid my belt and pants.
“Sit on it, baby. Don’t just look at it.”
Already in position, Clover moved her thong to the side and upheld eye contact as her pussy met its match. The warmth of her walls triggered my dick to jerk off drips of pre-cum down her canal. Something in me felt like my next breath depended on pleasing her.
“Your pussy is so fucking tight…wet,” I declared, speaking into Clover’s neck as I held onto her hips. “You got my shit hard as fuck!”
“I feel it, baby. Destin...I-I needed this so much. So bad.”
“You’re fucking bad. Pretty ass. I wish you could see how you look taking this dick!”
She swiped the outline of my ear with her tongue and twirled her waist like a belly dancer. I wanted to warn her that she was about to make me bust a nut, but I didn’t have it in my heart to tell her to stop.
In the middle of our session, Clover’s phone rang. The first time, we ignored it. The second time, she hopped off my dick and answered the call. I looked down and confirmed I had nutted prematurely, though my dick was still hard as iron.
“Wait. What? Did someone come into the house?” Clover screamed into the phone. “Okay. Stay in the inside. I’m on my way.”
From my seat, I studied Clover as she fixed her clothes.
“Tell me what’s going on,” I urged.
“I can’t talk right now. Where is my…Ugh!”
I rose from my seat. “Calm down, Clover.”
“No! No. Where is my purse? My shoes. I need to—”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her back to my chest. “I know you need to get home, but I want you to relax for me. A panic attack can sweep you off your feet, and right now, you need a clear head.”
“Durk…” She groaned. “My niece said The Pablos are at my house. This mess is déjà vu. What if—”
“Nah, we ain’t banking on shit that has not happened. I’m going to get you home, and we’re going to figure this shit out.”
I held Clover’s hand during the car ride, hoping my presence added a layer of peace to the situation. All the consideration I had when we drove to Eshu’s Ink went out the window as I sped to Clover’s house. I didn’t have all the details, but knowing a bunch of slobs had interrupted my time had me on go mode.
We were about fifteen minutes from our destination when I got the idea to call my squad for backup. Truthfully, I didn’t need a soul to shoot for me or Clover. Calling my cousins was more of a precaution for my enemies than it was for me since my family would save me from catching a body.
“Yo!” I hollered when Church picked up the phone. “I need you to meet me at Clover’s house. I texted you the address.”
“Say no more. We’re leaving The Showdown right now.”
“Bet. I’ll see you in a minute.”
As soon as I ended the call, Clover squeezed my hand.
“Destin, I think this is just some drama between teenagers.”
“What the hell does that mean? I caught my first—trust me. Age ain’t nothing but a number.”
The sight of The Pablos dressed in green and members of The Sons of Eshu in black and red loaded my sight when I pivoted onto Clover’s block. We didn’t get to exit the car before Essen rushed over to the passenger side. She didn’t appear stressed about the scene, which made me breathe easier.
“Look at the happy couple,” my cousin teased.
I grimaced at her nosy ass. “Essen, don’t start that shit.”
“What? I said nothing wrong.”
“Keep it that way, and I won’t say anything about you and Ish showing up at events together. I know you rode with him.” I tugged on Clover’s chin so she was looking at me. “Take the ladies inside and check on the home front. I’ll take care of everything out here.”
Out of my car with my pistol in hand, I passed the members of S.O.E. and headed to the middle of the street. “I’m going to ask you little niggas one time to bust a move before I bust my burner.”
A tall dude dressed in a jogging suit took the lead. “We don’t want a problem with The Sons of Eshu. We didn’t know Kya’s snake ass had ties to y’all.”
“Y’all are bold pulling up to somebody’s house without knowing who they’re connected to.”
“Blood, you need to tell Kya that! That bitch stole a brick from my stash. I’m not leaving without my shit.”
I aimed my gun at his forehead. “You’re going to give me twenty-four hours to get your shit back to you, and I’m going to give you twenty-four seconds to leave.”
“We can work with that, but that broad owes Big P an apology when he gets back in town.”
“I’ll think about it.”
The group exchanged glares and some whispered profanity, but they dispersed. The leader of the pack hung back and gave me his contact information before he followed his homies with a mug on his face.
“Damn, Durk! We encouraged you to find a woman, not start a war.” Shiloh was the first to speak once the street was clear.
“Man, those fools ain’t on nothing.”
“I mean, I don’t think it’ll turn into anything big, but I am curious about what Clover’s niece is into. The Pablos didn’t pull up for nothing.”
“I don’t give a shit why they were here. Once they have their pack, they have no reason to come back.”
We entered Clover’s single-family home and headed for the living room, where Stevie, Blaze, Essen, and Stony, O’Cyrus’s wife, sat around laughing like a pack of hyenas. Clover stood peering out the window.
“Blue! It’s time to bust a move,” Shiloh suggested, pulling his wife to her feet.
The other couples followed their lead and said their goodbyes while heading to the door, so I walked everyone outside. Essen and Ishmael pretended they weren’t leaving together, but I knew better. I didn’t understand how Church and Shiloh didn’t recognize their connection.
Before I went back inside, I got comfortable and smoked in Clover’s backyard. From the patio chair, I could hear her going off on her niece. Anger boosted her tone, but the trembles carrying her voice proved she feared for Kya.
Once the ruckus morphed to silence, I found Clover in her bedroom. She sat in a reading chair near a large window overlooking her backyard. I could tell by her fresh scent and different clothes she had taken a shower.
“What are you in here thinking about?”
Clover drew me close, reaching for my hand. “You didn’t have to call the gang over, but I really appreciate it. Kya has been getting into too much too fast. I hope people showing up at her home makes her slow down.”
“It probably won’t,” I spoke from experience as I moved to sit on Clover’s windowpane. “If she likes the fast life, having shootas pull up on her behalf will only add to her interest. Just pray she’s smart about it.”
“I’ll beat it out of her.” She curled her lips from side to side. “Hmm...Would you like to spend the night? It’s already close to 1:00 a.m., and...”
The grin that spread across my face ushered one to Clover’s face.
“Oh no, don’t start grinning.” She playfully rolled her eyes. “We will not be finishing what we started earlier.”
“I already finished, mama. You gotta keep up.”
Her mouth fell open. Seconds later, a throaty laugh left her body. “I’m not sure how to respond. Telling you my actions tonight were out of the norm seems cliché.”
“You don’t need you to convince me, Lucky. Your pussy was virgin tight, and the moan you let out runs on a loop in my head. Had I believed you did shit like that all the time, I would have protected myself.”
A shaky breath blew thinly through her heart shaped lips. “Destin, it only takes one unprotected encounter to end up with something you can’t get rid of.”
“I’m banking on it, baby.”
While Clover tossed a pile of pillows off her bed, I removed my clothes. I kept on my undershirt and briefs but placed everything else, including my pistol, in her reading chair.
Years had passed since I slept foot to ear with anyone, but I knew I had to tonight. I didn’t have faith I could cuddle with Clover and not slip into her pussy. Every time I shut my eyes I had flashbacks of her candy-coated breath against my ear. The money I had on the line didn’t cross my mind, and even now, I had no regrets about giving Clover what she asked for.
I didn’t realize I dozed off until my sights refocused. I listened closely to chatter in the distance and discovered Clover talked in her sleep. Her words were gibberish, but her body flinched. I don’t know what came over me, but hearing her cry made my chest tight.
“Aye! Clover!”
I could hear her breath hitch before she said, “I was having a nightmare.”
I sat up. The room was dark, but the moonlight beamed through her curtains, illuminating the wet streaks smudging her cheeks.
“About your kids’ father? You dream about him a lot?”
“Not a lot but enough. I didn’t mean to wake you. I can go sleep in—”
“You’re not going anywhere. How about I move up here, so you don’t kick me in the face?”
Side by side, we lay in silence until my curiosity got the best of me.
“What happened to him?”
“What happens to most black men who make money in the streets? Calvin got caught up in a drug deal gone wrong. What hurt most was losing him a year after he was released from prison; he got locked up two years after the boys were born.”
“Have you talked to God about helping you move on? My granny says it works.”
“I have. I think he’s working on me.” Clover eyed me for a few seconds. “Have you ever been in love, Durk?”
This time, I was the one to look away, placing my eyes on the ceiling fan. “Yeah. She left me with a broken heart after lying about having my baby. The night the police tossed me in jail for beating up her baby daddy, I threw my heart in the trash. No need to hold onto shit you’re not using.”
“I think your heart has found its way back to you, considering you helped my family without a second thought.” She cuddled up to me and kissed my shoulder. “Can you sing me a song? I think it’ll help me go back to sleep.”
I smiled at her lighthearted remark. “Only if you sing with me.”
We went back and forth, rapping lyrics of songs I hadn’t heard in years. Each minute reignited her comfort with me and my faith in a woman’s word. Eventually, Clover tooted her ass up against me, and I slipped my arm around her silhouette. The feel of feet on me annoyed my soul, but the sensation of her little piglets dancing against my legs felt like love taps.
“If you want to take me out, I’m down,” she spoke into the night.
“I’m not interested anymore.”
“Wait. What?”
“I’m just fucking with you. You pick the day. I’ll pick the place.” I kissed her shoulder and then growled at the sweet scent of her tresses. “Good night, Lucky.”
“Good night, Buttah .”
“What the hell?” I jumped out of my sleep and pressed my back against the headboard when I spotted the twins standing over me. “Aye! Don’t do that shit. It’s weird.”
“Are you calling us weird because we’re twins?” one of them asked.
“No. I’m a twin too. I called you weird because you were watching me sleep. The only person who can do that is your mama.”
“What are you doing in my mama’s bed?”
I smiled, recognizing the smart ass to be Tatum. “We had a sleepover.”
Pierce shook his head. “That’s a lie. My mama doesn’t allow sleepovers.”
“I’m special.”
Tatum snickered. “No, you’re not. I like your gun.”
My eyes raced to the chair in the corner then to the menace. He laughed when I yoked him up by his graphic tee. His brother went yelling for their mama.
“I’m not scared of you, Dookie Durk.”
“I don’t want you to be scared. I want you to be respectful. If I ever hear about you touching a gun, looking at a gun, or even being in the same room as one, you’re going to see me.”
“Durk!” Clover yelled from the doorway. “Why do you have my child hemmed up?”
“It’s all right, Mama.” Tatum tapped the top of my head. “We were wrestling.”
I nodded. “Right. Now, he knows who’s the champ,” I declared before tossing him on the bed. “Can you get me a towel and toothbrush? I want to get fresh before I order breakfast.”
Clover bit her bottom lip as her eyes drifted to the floor. “Durk, you don’t have to do that.”
“What I tell you about that? I want to feed you before I head out. Can I do that?”
“You can.”
After eating with Clover and her twins, I rushed home to shower and change clothes. I had appointments scheduled for later in the day, but Shiloh asked me to ride with Loso and Ishmael to pick up money from Remy Brim. Though Shiloh changed his life after meeting Stevie, he was still the most important middle man in the city. Aside from owning a strip club, he ran a delivery company that dealt with legal and illegal goods.
“I’m on my way outside,” I said, answering Ishmael’s call.
Prior to walking out of my spot, I made sure the air and lights were off then grabbed my burner and my North Face bomber. My house wasn’t as spacious as Shiloh and Church’s estates, but my three-bedroom contemporary home was new and included the amenities of a luxury hotel.
“You ready to go get this money?” Loso greeted me as I slid into the backseat of his AMG.
“Why are you acting like we’re about to hit a lick? It’s a simple pick up.”
“Tell yourself that,” Ishmael replied from the passenger seat. “Every time we deal with Remy, you clown his guards until they’re ready to fight.”
I shrugged. “They need thicker skin. They’re protecting one of the richest men on the West Coast.”
We arrived at Remy’s house right before noon. The property was large enough to house multiple families and had enough guards to protect a politician. I thought the beefed-up security was overkill, but Remy could be slimy, so I understood why he needed coverage.
Security guided us to Remy’s office, where the round man sat with a large smile on his oily face and stacks of money on his desk. No matter how many times I’d been here, I stayed on the defensive.
“Durk!” Remy cheered. “You came in here looking around. Are you looking for Junie?”
I frowned at the suggestion.
“Don’t make that face.” He eyed the ceiling. “You know…I’ve always thought you and my daughter would be a good match. She needs a man who won’t let her run him into the ground.”
“Hell no,” I spat. “She’s your brat.”
Remy let loose a belly-bouncing laugh. “Damn. I can’t even be upset. It’s the truth.” His face went serious. “Shiloh said he was sending someone in his place. I thought it would be Church. I was hoping to talk to him about some people I need...cleaned up.”
Ishmael cleared his throat and stepped forward. “You’ll have to talk to Church about that another time. Tell us why your folks weren’t able to deliver your payment to the spot?”
I studied Remy’s reaction to the question. He knew better than to speak to Ishmael out the side of his neck. The questions we asked came from Shiloh, and without Shiloh, it would be nearly impossible for Remy to get his product across state lines.
Our exchange with Remy lasted thirty minutes before we were escorted to the exit with briefcases. I may have been a few steps from the door before the sensation of someone burning a hole in the back of my head stopped me in my tracks.
“I know you aren’t leaving without coming to speak to me.”
The rasp in Junie’s voice carried a shiver up my back. All that came to mind was the way she hollered my name the last time we were together. I spun around to see the princess of the Brim clan strutting down a massive staircase. She was as pretty as a model, and her clothes made her appear more conservative than I knew her to be.
“Nah, I wouldn’t do you like that, Junie. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Lies,” she blurted out, pulling on the medallion attached to my chain. “I’m sorry I missed your grand opening. I can’t believe you left the streets for chump change. You’re hustling backward.”
“Whatever. That’s why I invited you. I like my haters to be front and center when I show out.”
She scoffed like the idea was ludicrous. “If you say so. I know you missed me. We both know there isn’t a bitch in the city who looks better on your arm than I do.”
“I beg to differ. We turn up when we’re together, but I can’t fuck with you.” I glanced over my shoulder at Ishmael and Loso. From the front door, they watched us like hawks. “I’m seeing someone right now.”
“Wow. You’re claiming someone?” Her dramatic cackle forced her to stumble back. “Since when? I had your dick inside of me three months ago. Your situation must be new or insignificant.”
“The circumstances don’t matter. I’m telling you I’m straight on what we used to do.” I extended my fist, trying to dap her up, but Junie smacked my hand down.
“I know you aren’t turning me down for the bitch you were with a few Sundays ago. I heard about how you were smiling in her face at The Showdown.”
“What the fuck? You have people watching me?”
“Of course not, but my homegirls were there. They reported back to me and said your girl doesn’t have shit on me, but she’s cute.”
“She’s fucking stunning with or without makeup,” I replied, licking my thumb then swiping it across Junie’s big ass forehead.
“Durk! You’re a fucking asshole! Why would you do that?”
“It’s a warning about what I’ll do to your bloodline if you ever go near her. A clean fucking sweep!” I snarled as I exited the house with my brothers.
Once we were back on the road, Loso and Ishmael discussed the money we collected, and I scrolled through Instagram. I never spent much time on the app, but being able to look at Clover whenever I wanted to heighten my interest.
She’s live.
I almost dislocated my thumb, moving at lightning speed to press on her profile picture. The volume on my phone was up, so her voice erupted through the truck from where I sat in the backseat. From what I could tell, she was showing off perfume and jewelry. The pieces didn’t look real, but fucking with me, she would have the real thing real soon.
Why are you on the internet without wearing your ring? I wrote in the comment section.
A spark flashed in Clover’s doll-like eyes when she realized it was me. “Buttah, cut it out. You know it’s getting resized.”
Her playing into the gimmick made me smile.
I told you it was delivered this morning. I typed back.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m waiting for you to put it on.”
I’m on my way. I commented.
She shook her head and giggled. “You are too much. Clovers,” she said, addressing her viewers. “I’m sorry about that. I’m just joking with a friend.”
Stop lying to these people, mama. You know I don’t like repeating myself.
“Nigga!” Loso peered at me from the driver’s seat. “You’re back there with your feet up. You must be talking to a bitch.”
“Don’t confuse Clover with the nightcrawlers you mess with. I’ve seen them around the clubhouse. Those bitches are bums.”
“Damn! One second, you’re turning down pussy from Junie, and the next, you’re turning up on your brothers. All this, and you haven’t smashed.”
I remained silent, but when Ishmael spun around and narrowed his eyes between the headrest and his seat, I fell out laughing.
“Bro, stop looking at me like that. You look like a creep.”
“I’m going to be a creep that’s a lot richer if you slip up.”
“Shit is already different,” I declared. “I like Clover…a lot. She saved my life, and she’s been popping up ever since.”
Loso scoffed. “You should feel even worse. She saved your life, and you’re playing a game with her.”
My even gaze turned into slits. “I think about Clover’s smile when she isn’t around. Her scent is stuck in my nostrils. I won’t even talk about how I feel watching her care for her kids. Nothing about that is a game to me.”
Loso’s head jerked back. “Wow. I guess people can change. I never thought I would see the day you would get married.”
“Married? I didn’t say all that.”
“Well, Clover seems like the marriage type. If you don’t lock her down, someone else will.”
With no regard for his driving, I scooted behind Loso’s seat and put him in a headlock. The car swerved between lanes, making us rock from left to right.
“Let him go, idiot!” Ishmael rushed to grab the steering wheel.
I snarled then slapped Loso’s in the back of his bald head. “Like I said, watch your mouth when you’re speaking on her, Mr. Clean.”
“I swear to God I’m going to beat your ass when we get to the clubhouse! Dumb ass!”