Chapter 4 Ghana
While at the stoplight, Kenz stood, placed her hands on her knees, and twerked her ass when he said, “Look back at it.” I pointed a stern finger at her and wagged it, telling her to sit her ass down.
We were in a part of Tennessee dangerously close to Memphis, since I showed them the shelter first. I didn’t know these niggas like that.
I kept two nines and a Draco on my sides and in my boot for good measure.
These YNs didn’t give a fuck if she was on the back of a nigga’s bike who would air the whole city out with a nigga like me on his follow-up. They would still be bold and reckless and try to snatch her ass up, then her fiancé and I would be behind bars for life.
When Nich told me she was pregnant, I knew that reckless shit had to slow down.
I made sure I took my medicine frequently to keep my anger under control.
I knew she thought I didn’t care, because I didn’t express it verbally or physically, but my actions spoke for me.
I put her up nicely, gave her money to get the nursery together, and made sure she had whatever she needed or desired.
I might have been detached from my fear of being somebody’s daddy, but I wasn’t neglectful where it counted.
We pulled up to my bookstore in Cordova thirty minutes later.
It was modest in size and had books of all genres.
When I was little, I loved reading R.L. Stine’s books.
Goosebumps would always be an all-time classic to me.
When I got older, I got more into reading urban books like Dopefiend by Donald Goines, True to the Game by Terri Woods, and Animal by K’wan.
In those moments, I escaped the evil thoughts of my mind and resonated in my own little world.
But, as always, Ashanti made sure to ruin anything that made me happy.
Sometimes, I thought she did the shit on purpose to make me act out. Whenever I found myself a slice of peace, her ass would fuck it up by making me do some shit.
If I never saw her ass again, it would be too soon.
I parked in front of the store, took off my helmet, and climbed off my bike. Ruger and Kenzi did the same, and before I could get to Kenzi’s ass, Ruger pulled her to him.
“Don’t have me behind bars because you want to act the fuck out, Mona.”
“Oh my God, babe. I was just having a little fun. You know I love me some 2 Chainz.” She tossed her arms in the air and did a little hip roll. “Stop being dramatic.”
“Nah, dramatic would be me locking your ass up in the house and not letting you outside. Do we need to revisit how the fuck we met?”
I smirked and shook my head.
She giggled. “Mekai, please,” she said, calling him by his real name. Then she waved him off and turned to me. “This is it, huh?”
“Yeah.” Abara’s Bookstore was how I kept calm and didn't run my ass back to the city that raised me. When I first came out here, I was homesick like a motherfucka, but after killing those Blaze Burner bitches, I knew I had to lay low. I didn’t expect to stay, but it only made sense since Nich was pregnant, and I needed to reset.
Since I had to stay here, I figured I’d build something for myself.
“It was an empty space for a while. I rode through, just peeping the scene and shit for a couple of weeks, and saw the ‘for sale’ sign on this place. At first, I ain’t know what I wanted to do with it, but I thought of something that made me feel at home—at peace.
So, since this area is busy, and there are no bookstores within a ten-mile radius from here, I took the necessary steps and opened Abara’s Bookstore.
Got a couple of contracts with a few online libraries and a few authors that send me books. ”
“That’s dope, Grue,” Ruger said, calling me my club’s name and nodding his head in approval.
“It is. Don’t keep us waiting! I want to see the inside!” Kenzi said in excitement.
I chuckled lightly and led them inside the building.
Kaylani, my manager and Nich’s cousin, stood behind the counter with a book in her hand.
Kaylani was the only one in her family I half-liked because she and Nichelle were close.
She didn’t look at me with those judging-ass eyes like the rest of Nichelle’s family, and she was cool.
Her ass was so engrossed in the book that she didn’t even hear us come in.
“What’s up, Kay?”
Her head snapped up, and she instantly closed the book. “Oh, hey, Mr. Ghana.”
“It’s just Ghana, Kay,” I corrected her for the tenth time. “Reading again, huh?”
She chuckled. “In my defense, we are a little slow today. Figure I’d get a few chapters in before we shut down for the day, which is in the next ten minutes. What are you doing here anyway, sir?”
“Came to show my people around. This is my sister, Kenzi, and her fiancé, Ruger. Y’all, this is Nich's little cousin, Kaylani.”
Ruger gave her a head nod. “What up, doe?”
“Hiii,” Kenzi spoke.
“Hey, beautiful. I didn’t know you had a sister! It’s so nice to meet you.” Kaylani extended her hand.
“Same to you.” Kenzi smiled and accepted her hand.
“It’s beautiful and cozy in here, Ghana.
I love it.” There was a lounging area, a coffee/cappuccino station, and a listening station where they could pay at the kiosk to read along to audiobooks.
Bookshelves lined the walls, with a variety of books for customers to choose from.
“Thanks, Sis.” I walked over to the computer in the corner and took a seat while Kenzi went exploring with Kaylani, and Ruger sat in the chair adjacent to me.
“Clearly, you and your sister have a love for reading.”
I smirked. “Came from our grandmother, Zuri. Ashanti’s mother. She used to read us bedtime stories and used to make a show of it. Kinda stuck with me, not so much as Kenz.”
“Is she still around? Your grandmother?”
“Nah, . . . cancer took her. That’s when shit started to go downhill.”
“Inez is still with us. I wouldn’t know what I would do without her.”
“Your matriarch will always be your first love.”
Ruger nodded. “Indeed.”
“What was that book called again?”
“The Mind of a Man by Yasmin Cuevas.” I typed it into the search bar, and it populated on the screen. I scanned the excerpt and ordered one hundred copies to start. I pulled my ringing phone from my pocket, seeing Nichelle’s name on the screen.
“What’s up, baby?”
“Hey, where are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago.”
“I came to show Kenz and Ru the bookstore. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay. Oh! Can you go across the street to Dairy Queen and get me a mixed waffle bowl with chocolate fudge?”
I shook my head. “I’m on my bike, Nich.”
“They can put it in a container and bag it up. I’ve been craving it all day! Please, baby? I’ll suck your dick real good if you do.” She whispered the last part, and I chuckled.
“The shit will be melted by the time I get there. I got you later since we won’t be staying there long.”
“Ugh. Okay. Hurry.”
I hung up just as I heard the engine of a motorcycle.
Ruger and I both stood, thinking a nigga was being bold enough to touch our shit, but I noticed Kaylani’s boyfriend, Jeremy or Shooter, whatever the fuck his name was, pulling his little ugly-ass 2010 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic in front of my store.
I frowned because I didn’t like that nigga.
Nichelle introduced us when I first moved there at some family function they were having.
The nigga rubbed me the wrong way as soon as I saw him being aggressive with Kaylani.
I didn’t get in their business, because I didn’t really care about what the fuck they had going on, but Nichelle told me the nigga was possessive and arrogant.
I guess because he saw my colors, he got it into his head to ask questions about my motorcycle club, like he was interrogating me or some shit.
I politely told his ass not to speak to me. I didn’t fuck with niggas, especially niggas like him who liked to put hands on females and walk around like he was God. I always told Nichelle to keep his ass from around me before I put him down like the rabid dog he was.
The only reason I let Kaylani work here was because she was in her last year of college and needed the extra money. Otherwise, I would have turned her down just from who she was associated with.
“Trouble?” Ruger asked in a low tone.
“Lightweight.”
He nodded as Kaylani grabbed her stuff from behind the counter. “I’m headed out. You want me to lock up?” she asked.
“I got it,” I told her.
“Okay. Shoot, let me use the restroom first, then I’ll be out.” She set her things back down and headed toward the back, to the restrooms. I shut down the computer I was on, turned off the lights, and closed the blinds. Kaylani returned from the back, and we all left the store.
“What up, Grue?” Jeremy spoke.
I ignored his ass and locked the door to my store. I could hear him chuckle just as Ruger and Kenzi got on his bike.
“We’ll see you at the barbecue, mayne,” Jeremy said.
I looked at him, then hopped on my bike. I didn’t know if he thought I was playing when I told that nigga not to speak to me, but obviously, he didn’t catch the hint.
I hopped on my bike, turned up the Wayne track, and pulled off on his goofy ass.
When we got to the park, I realized I was only giving this shit twenty minutes of my time.
The bikes lining the parking lot full of niggas, the crowd of people under the shed, and loud music had already overstimulated me.
Ruger and I parked on the other side of the parking lot and got off our bikes.
“Twenty minutes, and we out,” I said to Kenzi and Ruger.
“Sounds like a plan.” I could see his guard was up already, so staying any longer than twenty would be suicide if one of these niggas stepped out of line.
I led the way across the park to where Nichelle stood by the table where the food was, talking to some nigga I didn’t know.
Her ass was smiling a little bit too hard for my liking.
I quickly assessed him and saw his vest with the name Flo Ridaz across his back, and his club colors and president etched into it.
Yeah, fuck that twenty minutes.
I strolled over to them casually and wrapped my arm around her waist, startling her.
“Oh! Hey, babe.”
I could see the nervous look on her face, but she hurried and fixed it by putting on a smile.
I kissed her temple. “What’s good?”
“Nothing. This is Nico, one of my childhood best friends. Nico, this is my boyfriend, Ghana.”
“What up, mane?” he asked, extending his fist to me. I gave him a curt nod, then fixed my eyes back on Nichelle. I could tell he was offended because his eyes squinted and his shoulders squared.
“You ready?” I asked, looking back at Nichelle.
She frowned slightly. “You just got here. At least get you some food before we go.”
“I’m good.”
“Kenzi, Ruger, y’all want something to eat? My aunt Carol is a chef and made the food. It’s bomb!”
“We're good for now, sis,” Ruger replied.
“Okay.” She looked up at me. “Come say hi to my mom at least.”
“Yeah, what’s the rush?” Jeremy asked, walking his tired ass over to the table, slapping hands with Nico, then started making him a plate without washing his hands or using the sanitizer on the table.
“Hey, Cousin,” Kaylani greeted, walking over to Nichelle and giving her a hug. I felt eyes on me, and I looked to see the best friend staring at me.
My frown grew deeper, and we got into an intense stare down.
“You got a problem or something, fam?” I asked.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“You ain’t gotta ask me shit. I ain’t the one looking at you, my nigga.”
“Ghana, please, baby?”
I looked down at her and rubbed my beard out of frustration. “Nichelle, go get ya shit, and let’s be out. Last time saying it.”
“Come on, Nichelle. We can barbecue at my house,” Kenzi said, wrapping her arm around hers.
“A’ight, Nich,” the fake-ass best friend said. “I’ll see you around, love.” He put his hand on her stomach, and I slapped his shit so hard and fast that his body turned slightly before he squared his shoulders and walked in my face.
“Fuck yo’ problem, mane?”
“Nico, don’t!” Nich yelled, stepping in between us and drawing attention to us. I could see Ruger push Kenzi back as I grabbed Nichelle, moving her ass out of the way.
“Kenz, take her to her car, and y’all go to the house,” I told my sister.
“No, I’m not—” Nichelle started, but Kenzi cut her off.
“Let’s go, Nichelle. It’s not up for debate.”
“This is my family, Kenzi!”
“Cousin, just go. If anything pop off, you don’t need to be nowhere around here,” Kaylani said to her.
“Ain’t shit happenin’. You stay out of it,” Jeremy told her.
“What’s going on over here?” Nichelle’s moms and aunt approached us.
“All good, Ms. Lana,” Pico said to her. I didn’t care to call that nigga by his real name or say it properly, because fuck him.
Nichelle looked up at me. “Why do you have to be this way?”
“You got five seconds to start walking to the car, or I promise I’m going to drag your ass to it.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Nico dared.
“Hey, hey. We not doing that. Chelle, go on and get home. We’ll see you tomorrow,” her moms told her.
My eyes stayed glued to this clown.
She was fucking this nigga or had fucked him before.
There was no other explanation for this nigga to think he had a right to talk to me and defend her like he was. Before today, I’d never even heard of this bum or his bum-ass club.
Nichelle stormed away with Kenzi following.
I could feel myself about to lose it as Ruger put his hand on my shoulder.
“Chill, G.” He stepped up, taking my place in front of Nico. “Listen. We don’t want no problems, my nigga. You go your way, and we’ll go ours.”
“I think that’s best for both you niggas. I ain’t gon’ fuck up the family shit. Me and Nich go way back, so you ain’t gotta be acting insecure. But you better watch ya hands next time, brewster-ass nigga.”
I stood with a blank expression on my face.
The urge to blow his fucking head off was seconds away from happening until Ru tapped me and nudged me to snap me out of it.
I scoffed and walked away with Ruger following.
I could see Nichelle’s car was gone, and we hopped on our bikes and left the scene.
I was fucking seething.
I knew I was going to have to calm the fuck down before I faced Nichelle because I was liable to snap her fucking neck for smiling in that bitch-ass nigga’s face and letting him touch her.
She got me fucked up.