6. Quameer
quameer
. . .
I tracked my baby’s jet as me and Sim sat in a hotel bar on Pl. du Casino. Sim took back his drink and looked out at the view that reminded me of a screensaver on my computer.
The palm trees, stucco architecture, fancy cars, and blue skies were enough for me to want to turn this into a trip for me and Suga. I could see her shopping while I swiped my card on whatever she wanted.
“What’s good with you, Sim?”
Quasim looked over at me, signaling for the waiter to come over with a drink. “Alright, the bathroom smells so good, and they have perfume in the bathroom, too.” Blair came and sat back down between us.
We were here for work, but having a familiar friend around aside from Skyler and Aimee would make my Sug feel better. Blair was already locked in after doing some Kill Bill shit, so I brought her along and told her the plans.
Quasim could front like he didn’t smirk when the car pulled up and Blair hopped out to board the jet with us.
“Perfume, huh? Can’t take you nowhere.” Sim chuckled while pretending to choke and slid his card across the bar. “Prada… over there.”
Blair looked at him. “Chill out, I didn’t spray that much… Are you trying to get rid of me, Quasimmy?”
“Just for a little bit, Anjo.” He licked his lips, and she smiled at him, put her sunglasses on, and slipped down from the stool.
“Well, I guess I can entertain myself in the stores,” she pretended to sulk before hightailing it out of the damn bar and into the lobby where there were a plethora of designer stores.
I laughed as I watched her do a little kick as she continued out the bar. “You like her, Sim.”
“Why you making it weird?”
“Not weird to admit you feeling Blair… it’s something we all have known for a minute.”
“Oh, word? When was the rest of you going to clue me in?” Quasim wasn’t one that showed his emotions, and after Cherie and Harley passed, the shit became worse.
I nursed my drink while he signaled for another one. My brother was my fucking world. I used to hate how he controlled my life, like making me go to college and doing shit that he never had to do, until I learned that he was doing shit that he never got the chance to do.
When our mother was diagnosed, even before then, he spent his time being the parent alongside Gams. He never got to have that childhood, or college experience that I got to have.
Quasim wasn’t able to be carefree and make mistakes because he was the leader of the Inferno Gods. There were men older who hated that he was able to step into that position, so he didn’t have time to fuck around and experience life like I did.
I was able to fuck up, fix it, and fuck up again before getting it right. Sim wasn’t afforded that same luxury, and that is why he was so hard. It was the reason why when I got on my bike, I rode behind, or beside him because he was the leader.
He ran this shit.
Quasim Inferno was the head of Inferno Gods, and I respected it and knew my role. He took so many losses behind being King Inferno, and I knew he wasn’t gracious enough to ever give himself grace, so I extended it to him.
“Blair scares you.”
“Blaze, when the fuck you become a fucking therapist?”
I laughed. “She’s a good woman… you don’t run around buying buildings for any woman.”
“She deserved that.”
“I agree. Still trying to get her to extend some free classes this way, but the way my wife wanna pay everybody their worth,” I mocked Suga, who wanted to just toss our money at everybody.
It was like the woman never heard of family discount a day of her life. Quasim laughed. “Chill out… we’re really just friends.”
“I remember being friends and now my friend is my wife and knocked up… so yeah… I know how friends end up.”
Quasim looked at me. “If it’s meant to go that way then it will, Blaze. Right now, I want to protect her cause she’s never had that. I want to learn her because no one has ever cared to do that. I want to spoil her because a woman like her deserves that. I’m big bro’… let me figure out my demons… ight?”
“You know this Chrome Viper shit not over.”
“Far from it, and I want you removed from it… You a husband and got a seed on the way.”
“Fuck outta here, Sim. I’m fucking riding out and Suga already knows. I’ve always had a seed, and always rode beside you… Gods burn the faces of their enemies,” I said the chant that my father and the old heads mostly used.
Sim smirked. “The flames burn slow because the Gods are Inferno.” He finished it and held his hand out.
I dapped him and finished my drink. “Eu mataria por ela,” he spoke Portuguese.
“Eu faria o mesmo pela minha esposa,” I replied while staring him in the eyes, letting him know that this may start off as friends for him and Blair, but I knew better.
I knew the minute that I sent Suga on that plane that the friends’ card would be off the table the minute she landed back in the United States.
“Make sure you let Ry know that I’m still decent.” He chuckled.
“Oh, so she was clowning you, so you had to brush up on it?”
Sim shrugged. “Sitting in the house watching videos of Harley speaking it inspired me.” I watched as he looked out at the view.
“She would have been just as fluent as Ryder, too.”
“Already knowing.”
Blair came back with a small bag in her hand. “You made a purchase that damn fast?”
She swung her bag and hit me. “I actually used my card for this one.”
I watched as she excitedly handed Sim the bag and waited for him to open it. “My money no good, Anjo?”
“No, trust I’m going shopping after this, but I wanted to give you this.” She was so damn excited for him to open the bag that she snatched it and handed him the gift-wrapped box.
Quasim looked at her, and opened the box slowly, pulling out a Prada card holder. “I needed a new wallet.”
“Card holder, smart ass… turn it over,” Blair flipped it over, and it was a hot stamped H on the back.
Quasim smiled as he ran his finger across the H and then looked up at Blair. “You got a heart of gold, you know that?”
“I try to have one. Wanted to give you something from me. I can’t give you a building, but this was something I can give you that means a lot to me. Every time you use it, you will think of your daughter.”
“And you.” Sim winked.
Blair blushed as she ran her hand through her short cut. “I’ll look the other way… go ahead and kiss real quick,” I teased.
Blair laughed. “Meer?”
“What’s good, Future Mrs. Inferno?”
She rolled her eyes and laughed while Sim smirked. “Fuck ya.”
With that, she pulled her sunglasses over her eyes and held Sim’s card up. “Now, I will find me something to wear for the ball… now all I need to do is find a date.” She pulled her purse up on her arm and started to walk away.
Quasim stared down into his drink, never looking up. “Anjo?”
She turned around slowly, looking at him. “Hmm.”
“Stop fucking playing with me,” he warned while she started blushing as she scurried her ass out into the lobby to do damage with my brother’s card.
I looked at Sim, and he chuckled. “She’s good for you, Sim… you both good for each other.”
Quasim looked at me. “How you know what’s good for me? I’m the big brother… don’t forget that.” He nudged me.
“Blair has had your eye for a minute. I know you got feelings for her, and you scared to give someone your heart again. You didn’t get to save Cherie, and I know that shit fucks with you. This time… you know you can protect her, and you won’t let any harm come to her. She need you, Sim… she fucking killed Jesse because your name was mentioned… Blair will protect you like you would do the same for her. Time for you to get your own Suga, too.”
He nodded his head as he rubbed the side of the glass. “I hear you, Blaze… we got other pressing issues like what the fuck is going on with Brandi?”
I took back my shot. “Oh, I’m killing her.”
Sim snorted. “You would have to stare Ryder in the eye every day knowing you took her mother from her, Blaze. I looked into some shit and Brandi isn’t doing no backstabbing shit… she just fucking Morgan. As far as Tookie, shorty fucking lonely… looking for anybody that’s gonna pay her some attention.”
“She so fucking stupid. Why the fuck would she even get herself involved in some shit like this?”
“Brandi is loyal to her father… the reason she married Martin. I know she wouldn’t do nothing stupid like working with the Vipers knowing what the fuck would happen to her and her father. Bitch just lost and probably spiraling because she see what she could have had with you.” He pulled my loc. “I know the shit with her was hard on you and fucked you up… that shit don’t even matter because you came out on top with Capri Inferno.”
I smiled. “My Sug.”
“Lady fucking Inferno.” Quasim held his cup up and then took it back, while I looked at him.
“You ready to add another one? Capri may be Lady Inferno, but when Blair steps into position, the wife of the head of Inferno Gods… the Lady Inferno.”
Sim stood up. “Come on so we can see what damage Blair is doing with my damn card.”
“As if you fucking care.” He tossed some euros onto the table and headed toward the exit.
I finished my french fries and followed behind him. We walked past all the stores until Sim stopped in front of Yves St. Laurent. Sure enough, Blair was in there trying on a pair of heels and strutting back and forth while the sales associate clapped, and she laughed.
Sim’s breath was caught in his chest as he watched her. Almost too scared to move, but his eyes were locked in on her. She happened to look up from laughing and her eyes landed on us, and she waved us inside.
I followed behind my brother as he walked into the boutique and Blair came running over in these high ass heels. For the life of me, I would never know how women wore heels as high and thin as those and were able to run and walk in them.
When Suga’s drunk ass took off down the hall in Miami in her heels, all I could do is look at her feet turning red in the heel, and how she wasn’t bothered in the least.
“What do you think?” she held onto his arm, and lifted her foot, showing us the mauve satin heels with a puff ball on them.
“They remind me of some shit that Peach’s Barbie doll wears,” I replied, and she shoved me.
Blair ignored me and looked up at Quasim for his approval, because clearly mine didn’t fucking matter. “You know, Capri wanted these, too.”
“Oh word? Then that mean I’m buying my baby a pair.”
Blair finally turned her attention back to me. “As if you know her size.”
“I know my baby’s size… thirty-seven.”
Blair nodded in approval. “I’m impressed, Quameer… check you out. Is it because you have a fucking foot fetish.”
I smirked. “Hell yeah… especially since she only paints her toes red now.”
Quasim never took his eyes off Blair as she returned her attention back to him. “You like them, Quasimmy?”
“I love ‘em… you getting them?”
Soon as she knew he approved, she took his hand and pulled him over on the couch and made him sit down. “Aye, let me get those in a thirty-seven,” I told the associate who stood there waiting to be useful.
“Yes, Sir.” He smiled and quickly disappeared, and I sat across the couch as Blair removed the heels and then pulled on a different one.
She stood up and walked toward the exit and turned around. Pretending to wave like she was royalty. “I never realized you were such a clown, Stabby.”
“Meer!” she snorted and stuck her middle finger up.
The associate came out and showed her something else while holding my box. Quasim looked at Blair, and the look in his eyes told me that he was gone over her. Blair had him wrapped around her little hand, just like Suga had me.
“I know that look.” I laughed.
He looked at me. “Then you know I’m coming behind her with a smoking gun?”
“Indeed.”