Chapter 3 #2
He dragged his hand down his face and shook his head. “I want what’s best for this team and for you, Reaper. But you know if it comes down to it, and I have to choose, I’m choosing this team every time.”
My jaw clenched, and I felt like something in my chest seized tightly. “So you’re kicking me off the team?”
“No. I’m asking you to think about putting them first whenever we’re handling team business. Don’t get so caught up in that girl and so blind to what she makes you feel and how she makes you behave that you fuck shit up for the rest of us.”
“She doesn’t make me feel any type of way, and I’m the only one who chooses to behave the way that I do. I’m not controlled by anyone else, so quit with the dumb shit.”
“Don’t let that shit happen again. If you do, you know that you’re looking at a penalty fine or suspension, whichever the team votes on.”
“I’m not on that shit, Chopper. You know that y’all need my black ass on this team.”
He pointed two fingers at me and replied, “You’ve been warned.”
I waved him off and turned around at the same time as he did. He headed out of the club, and I headed back to the table. The fellas were talking about an upcoming race. Charlyse was deep in conversation with her female best friend, Tunisia, who was sitting on her husband, Karter’s, lap.
I dapped him up as I approached the table. “When did y’all get here?” I asked.
“Walked right past you and Chopper when y’all were talking a minute ago,” Karter answered, frowning. “I’ma need you to be more aware of your surroundings, bruh.”
“Yeah, you got that right.” I dragged my hand down my face again and took my seat.
Charly turned away from Tunisia and looked at me. Leaning forward with her elbows resting on her knees, she asked, “You good?”
I frowned a little and then smirked. I hated it when she worried about me. She was a good girl who didn’t need the problems that often followed me. “Of course, I’m good, baby girl.”
“What did Chopper want?”
“Nothing. He just wanted to check on me and make sure that I was good after that shit went down between Chrome and me.”
“He’s trying to suspend you or penalize you?”
“Nah,” I lied.
She really did need to quit worrying about me so much. She had her hands full with other things, and I didn’t need to be one of those things. It would only create further problems in her life and mine.
“Charly!”
Hearing her name barked like that caused the entire table to turn around and look. I scowled, and my fists clenched at my sides, and my teeth ached because I had my jaw tightly clamped.
“Chill,” she whispered, placing her hand on me as she pushed up to stand.
All eyes at the table glanced my way, and I rested my fists underneath the table to get control of myself. I didn’t want anyone to see that I was tweaking, but I wanted to give the appearance of composure; however, they knew me better than that.
“Aww, shit. That nigga’s eyes are glowing,” Van “Shine” Monroe declared.
“Not tonight. It’s time to chill and enjoy the rest of the night, Reaper,” Jayvion “King” Baker declared.
I watched as she walked over to her nigga, and for my boys’ sake, I remained chill. I could tell that she was arguing with him by the way she crossed her arms defensively over her body and her facial expressions.
He moved toward her, and she flinched. That fucked up my whole world. I stood, and Tunisia grabbed my arm. “Don’t make it worse for her, Dom.”
“The fuck is you saying, TT?”
“Aye, calm down. She ain’t did shit to you,” Karter replied.
“I’m just saying that if they’re arguing, and you go jump in, that’s only going to make their argument worse. She can handle her own relationship issues,” Tunisia warned.
I shook my head.
“Y’all know how that nigga is when it comes to Charly,” Gary “Freeway” Jones remarked. “I don’t know why y’all are wasting your time trying to talk sense into him.”
“I’m just going to check out the scene, make sure they’re all good,” I declared.
“Fuck.” Deronte “Bear” Baker shook his head.
I calmly strode over to where Charly and Ramon stood. I overheard the end of his comment.
“. . . all up under that nigga like he’s your man instead of me. I’m not tolerating that disrespect, Charly.”
“Y’all good over here, fam?” I asked, walking up behind him.
He turned around slowly and dapped me up. “Yeah, Dom. We’re good. Just checking on Charly because she wasn’t home when I got in from work like she promised she’d be,” he stated, staring back at her.
Charly’s arms were still crossed, and she wasn’t looking at him but at me. I could see the plea in her eyes, and it made me want to do something to him.
“She was safe.”
“I can see that.”
“You know I would never let anybody hurt her, Ramon.”
He scratched his eyebrow and chuckled under his breath. “Yeah, I know.”
“So chill out. Why don’t you come and have a few drinks with the fellas and me?” I suggested.
“Hey, love. You’re up. Jamal’s waiting for you,” Rachel, a bartender, stated as she passed us and patted Charly’s shoulder before Ramon could answer my question.
“I uhm . . . I gotta go,” Charly declared nervously, looking between Ramon and me.
Ramon’s jaw clenched, and he nodded. Grabbing her close, he hooked an arm around her waist, kissed her lips, and replied, “I’ll see you at home tonight, baby.”
Jealousy shot through me and pierced me through the heart like a flaming arrow.
“Okay,” she replied, pressing her hands against his chest. Charly pulled away and rushed to the bar with a final glance at me. She scowled and tilted her head, demanding that I chill out. When my eyes turned away from her, I found his eyes on me.
“You good?” Ramon asked.
“Yeah. I’m all good. You coming to get that drink or what?”
“Nah, li’l bruh. I’m good. But you be easy though. I’m out.”
My fists clenched by my side as I watched my older brother stride out of the club.