Chapter 3
“Maeve.”
My best friend, Liyah, sang my name as she walked closer and pulled me into a hug.
I hugged her back. I had just walked onto campus, and she was the first person I ran into.
Liyah had been my best friend since high school.
We even planned to room together at Jackson State University, but that dream was put to bed when my dad told me I would not be staying on campus.
Although Jackson State was one of the most famous HBCUs in the country, it wasn’t the safest. That was mostly due to the school being smack dab in the middle of Jackson.
I honestly felt like campus was a haven, but no one could convince my father of that, so I was stuck staying at home and only seeing my friends in between classes.
I was thankful Liyah still wanted to be my friend, since I’d lost so many over the years.
I wouldn’t say it was hard for me to make friends, but due to the lifestyle I grew up around, I could read people easily, and I never wanted a girl to get too close to me whom I couldn’t trust. Liyah was the only girl my age who had proven that I could trust her.
“Hey, Li.”
“What you doing after class, my girl?”
She went right into her normal, trying to get me out of the house before I had to decline.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to get out with my best friend, but going out for me came with way too many extras.
I usually had to have a guard at all times, and all of them made me sick.
They would snitch and tell my father every little thing I did.
Staying home was always the safest option for my blood pressure.
“I need to figure out what’s going on with my Jeep. It’s been making some weird noises, so I want to get it looked at before it starts running bad. You know how my dad is, and if he knew that I’d been riding around like this, I would never hear the end of it.”
“For sure, and I’m sorry, sis, but I don’t blame him. You have all these fine niggas over there ready to work on your Jeep, at any time you need, and you just running it raggedy.”
“Yeah, but you know I don’t like being around them. I hate going to that compound.”
“Well, give me the keys, and I’ll do it for you. I’m sure I’ll find my first husband over there.”
We both laughed at Liyah’s running joke. She always said she would have to get married twice because everyone’s first marriage was practice for the real thing. I knew her crazy ass was serious too.
“Seriously, Maeve,” she continued. “You’ll only have to be there for a little while, and you’ll leave with a Jeep running the way it’s supposed to. Stop being stubborn like your daddy.”
“You’re right.”
“I know I am. I would go with you to ease the tension, but me and my boo thang got a few things to do today.”
“It’s okay, girl. Like you said, I should be in and out.”
“Okay, but hit me up later so we can meet up.”
“Okay, Li. I’ll see you later.”
I hugged my friend again before she sauntered off in the direction of her man. They had been dating for a while, and sometimes, I admired what they had. Harvey seemed to really like Liyah by the way he doted on her.
I knew he was probably slanging weight in the streets. I could tell a drug dealer by looking at one, but that was none of my business. As long as he didn’t get my best friend caught up in that shit, he was good in my book.
I hopped into my 2025 light pink Jeep Wrangler and headed toward the Durty Boyz compound.
My father, Bishop, had been the president of the Durty Boyz motorcycle club since before I was born, but I had always steered clear of his compound.
When I was younger, the men who worked for him were like uncles, but now that I was old enough to understand, Guard was the only one I trusted.
I could see how the club that I was told was my mother’s pride and joy descended further into blood and violence each year.
That was something I wanted to keep my distance from, and my father understood that, but what he wouldn’t understand is me having something wrong with this vehicle and not going to get it fixed.
I merged onto the highway and made the fifteen-minute drive to get to the compound.
It wasn’t outside of the city, but it was in an area that most people wouldn’t go to.
No one in the whole city of Jackson was ever stupid enough to touch me, so I could go anywhere and remain untouched.
That didn’t keep my father from having a tail on me almost everywhere I went.
Guard, my father’s right-hand man, was surrounded by men on the front porch of the clubhouse when I pulled up.
I knew most of them because they’d been around for some time, but one, I didn’t recognize at all.
I could see them shifting in their seats as I put my Jeep in park.
They were probably wondering what the fuck I was doing there and if my father would be pulling up behind me.
Guard walked up to the Jeep before anybody else could move from the porch. I hopped out and threw my bag over my shoulder. He rounded the front to meet me halfway.
“What’s up, princess? What you doing out here?”
“Something’s going on with the Jeep. Can you have someone look at it for me?”
“Of course, baby girl. Dima can handle it for you.”
Guard pointed at the guy I didn’t recognize, and my eyes followed. He was a lot cleaner than most of the mechanics who worked for my father. Too clean, actually.
“Uh, is he new?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry yourself with that.”
“Okay. Should I pull into the garage?”
“Nah, give me the keys.”
Guard took the keys from my hand and threw them to Dima. He caught them without even looking. Like he was expecting them. Expecting me.
“Walk with me.”
Guard pulled my attention from the stranger, who by this time had gotten into my front seat.
I walked behind him like he’d asked. I already knew how this conversation was about to go.
He would ask about school, then warn me to stay away from boys.
I would play innocent, as I always did, and he would still see me as the toddler he had to look out for.
“How those grades looking?” he asked.
“Always good. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that.”
“And you staying away from those knucklehead little boys?”
“Yes, I’m staying away from boys, Uncle Guard, because they’re mostly men at my school.”
“Don’t be a smart-ass.”
I laughed and nudged him in the side before he grabbed my head and put me in a chokehold. He was careful not to hurt me as I wiggled to get away.
“I’m not being smart. I love you.”
I hugged him from the side before I kissed him on the cheek. We walked farther around the compound as I caught him up on everything that had been going on in my life since the last time we’d had one of these talks.
“Did my dad tell you I made the dean’s list?”
“The dean’s list? Look at you, baby girl. Smart just like your mother.”
“Yeah. My dad tells me that all the time.”
“I’m sure he does.”
“Can I ask you something, Uncle Guard?”
“Of course. Anything.”
“Was my father always the way he is now?”
“I think you know the answer to that question, little one. Your father is who he is now because the circumstances of life made him that way. Losing your mother was the worst thing that could have happened to any of us, but especially Bishop. Grief is a tricky thing to navigate, but when he’s with you, I can almost see that side of him again. ”
“So everyone keeps telling me.” I stopped walking before I finished what I was going to say. “I’m going to go check on my Jeep.”
“Okay, but keep your attention on the Jeep only. I know these niggas ain’t stupid, but I would hate for you to get one of them killed.”
I laughed at Guard instead of replying because I knew he was serious. He was just as protective of me as my dad was, and I appreciated him for that. I could feel eyes on me as I walked back toward the porch, crossed the yard, and walked toward the garage.
As Guard said, none of them were stupid, so they could look, but none of the men in Durty Boyz would ever try me.
My father had the tightest grip that he could ever have on me.
I had trouble even dating at school, but around here, these men would not even let my father catch them looking.
I was sure that by the time Guard made it back to that porch, their eyes would be pointed in a different direction.
“What’s the verdict?”
I spoke more to the air than to the new guy since he was already underneath my Jeep. To me, he looked like any other thug my dad had working for him, so of course, I was unimpressed, but when he slid from underneath the Jeep and stood, I had to take a pause.
Being so close to him gave me the opportunity to appreciate his features that I hadn’t noticed from the porch. He closed the space between us as he used a rag to wipe the oil from his hands. Instead of avoiding my gaze like most of the Durty Boyz, he looked me straight in the eye without faltering.
“You need new tires, a front-end alignment, and an oil change. If you would’ve rode around like that any longer, you would have blew the motor on this thing.”
“Can you handle all of that, or do I need to take it to a real shop?”
I didn’t know why I was snappy, but being so close to him had me on defense. I stepped back to put at least a few inches between us, and he smirked. He knew exactly what he was doing. I couldn’t believe he had the nerve.
“I can handle anything you got, princess.”
He put an emphasis on the nickname my uncle had just called me. I had never taken it as an insult until now, but that was exactly what it was, coming from his mouth.
“We will see. I don’t have anywhere else to be. I think I’ll sit here and do my work.”
“Be my guest.”
I adjusted my bag on my back before finding the nearest seat.
He had some nerve talking to me the way he did.
I had to admit I was unimpressed when I first saw him on the porch with all the other men, but now, I was at the very least intrigued.
Most Durty Boyz were scared to even meet my gaze, let alone hold eye contact and talk to me the way Dima had. His courage had to count for something.