Chapter 8 #2
“As if you don’t be up this early anyway. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen you. I also need you to take me to grab this whip in Kalamazoo.”
“I hope taking that long-ass drive means you’re going to feed me.”
“Order some room service while I finish getting dressed. Make sure you get me sausages instead of bacon.” He handed me a menu.
“You mean to tell me you had a full-course meal and didn’t eat?” I asked him, smirking his way.
“I don’t want to have to tell Mama Ashlyn how her son accidentally fell from the sixtieth floor of the Renaissance building. It’ll be a shame to have to console her knowing I’m the cause of it.”
I laughed while he shook his head.
“Dial zero, punk-ass nigga. And just so you know, her sister is equally bad too.”
“Operation Takedown is in full effect.”
“You’re a fucking asshole.”
We both laughed again as he disappeared into the bedroom, and I busied myself with ordering some grub.
After eating, taking him three hours away to get his car, then driving three hours back, I was ready to take a senior citizen’s nap.
But overall, it felt good that we had a chance to catch up on what’s been going on in our lives while taking the road trip.
I could tell my boy was truly happy. This nigga had never smiled so damn hard when talking about a female.
Whatever shorty was doing to him, I wasn’t mad at it.
We pulled up to my parents’ house around three o’clock to meet up with my brothers to go pick out tuxes.
I honestly couldn’t believe I was about to put on a suit to go to a wedding instead of work or an engagement.
It was still baffling me that my nigga was settling down, and I knew I had to get my shit together because I kind of wanted the same for myself.
I wasn’t getting any younger, and MJ needed a sibling before he got too old to play with them.
We got out of the car and headed inside. I could smell food cooking, and knew Ashlyn was in the kitchen throwing down. Walking past the sitting room, I paused my stride, seeing my brothers sitting on the couches and my pops sitting in his recliner.
“Messiah. Glad you made it,” he said, eyes going behind me. “Harvey! Is that you?”
“It is. What’s up, Papa Ry?” Harvey moved toward him as my pops stood, and they embraced. “You been a’ight?”
“Always. I heard you were getting hitched.”
Harvey smiled. “I am.”
“I’ll be glad when these knuckleheads settle down with someone.”
“Negative. It’s too much ass around here to be with just one,” Mike said as Moses dapped him.
“And that’s why your little dick is going to fall off.”
“Pssh, ain’t shit little about me, Papi.”
I mushed Mo’s head as I stood, ready to go into the kitchen and snack on whatever Ashlyn was cooking. “Anyway. What’s good, Papi? Everything cool?” I asked.
His face became serious as he motioned for me to sit down. “The shipment for distribution to the East side is missing.”
“What?” Moses and Mike asked simultaneously.
“Yeah. Apparently, it was an inside job because Rico and Benson were the ones who were supposed to deliver the pills to the warehouse. Both of them have gone missing too.”
“Ain’t them ya people, Mikey?” I asked.
“Don’t even go there, bro.”
“I’m saying… those are the niggas you put in place in your absence, right?”
“Fuck you trying to say?”
“I don’t know. You tell me,” I told him, giving him the eye.
I didn’t want to suspect my brother, but his ass was moving funny. He had already taken inventory without our knowledge, and now his people, along with forty boxes of prescription drugs, mysteriously went missing.
“It ain’t what the fuck you thinking, nigga. I trust them. They wouldn’t do no shit like this.”
“You don’t know what a motherfucka would do if you give them a higher position. This is why you and Mo should have continued business as planned. Now our inventory is gone, and so are your people.”
“He’s right, Mike. You should have vetted them before giving them more responsibility,” Papi agreed.
“How long have we been doing this? And y’all think I wouldn’t vet a nigga that has been working for us for over five years?”
“Maybe he was waiting for the opportunity…” I shrugged.
Moses cut in, shaking his head, “Man, nah. I’m with Mike on this one. Rico and Benson ain’t cut like that. This had to be somebody plotting.”
“Y’all know I’m good at investigating. I can get some info for y’all. All I need is names and addresses,” Harvey spoke up.
“Do that. I wasn’t trying to ruin y’all’s day with this, but we can’t have this type of loss happen again. Losing money never sits well with me, especially damn near seven million dollars’ worth of product. Whoever’s behind this, take them down. No hesitation and no waiting,” Papi finalized.
“What if it’s your own son?” I smirked.
“Aye, fuck you, Si. For real!” Mike raised his voice, staring at me with disgust as I smirked at him. This was his fuck up; I shouldn’t have to handle the cleanup.
“None of you have any reason to steal. You all have six figures in y’all’s bank accounts, so stealing out of your own pockets is crazy business.”
“Right. So shut the fuck up, Si,” Moses countered.
I laughed, not taking him or Mike seriously. “Anyway. What is Moms cooking?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but whatever it is smells damn good,” Mike replied.
“Y’all niggas don’t even think about it. We’re about to go grub with my lady and her friends. No need to spoil ya appetites.”
“Man, this shit is still bizarre to me. You sure you ready, Harv?” Moses asked.
“Hell yeah. She’s it.”
I smirked. “Y’all ain’t meet her yet?”
“Nah. She had an emergency on this nigga’s birthday, so we didn’t get a chance to meet her. I’m starting to think this nigga cappin’ and hella delusional,” Mike said, squinting at Harvey.
I shook my head. “Nahhh, that nigga definitely ain’t delusional.”
Harv kissed his teeth before addressing me. “You can stay here and eat with Mama Ash, fucking bum.”
I laughed, knowing this nigga wasn’t playing.
“Why? You met her? What’s wrong with her?” Mike asked.
“Nothing... absolutely nothing .”
Harvey put me in a headlock, and I punched him in his stomach as Mike and Moses hollered out, egging us on.
“Hey, now! Y’all cut that out,” my mama said, coming inside the sitting room. “I thought I heard my boys in here.” She smiled, going around the room kissing our foreheads.
“Hey, Ma. Where’s Piper?” I asked.
“At a friend’s house, studying... meaning at that arcade doing what young girls do.”
“What you mean? If she’s supposed to be at her friends’ house studying, why is she at an arcade instead?” Mike asked.
“Because she thinks she’s slick and acts like we don’t have eyes all over this city! Everywhere she goes, we know about it,” Papi interjected.
“That’s right,” Mama said, rubbing on Papi’s back. “I hope y’all are hungry. I made smothered turkey legs, rice, green beans, and buttermilk biscuits.”
“As good as that sounds, Mama Ash, we have to save our appetite for dinner with my fiancée tonight.”
“ Fiancée? Really? When did this happen?” Moms asked, turning to Harvey, just as surprised as we were when he told us.
“I just proposed three months ago.”
“Oh, wow! I’m happy for you, baby! You better bring her by to meet us. Your mom didn’t even tell me!”
“I told her that I would be the one to tell my people. I’m shocked she was able to keep it quiet.”
We all chuckled before Ashlyn asked for more details. “I love that for you. When’s the wedding, Harvey?”
“July thirteenth. We’re actually on our way to pick out our tuxedos.”
“Oh, you aren’t playing, are you?”
“It’s time out for games, Mama. I’m ready to settle down and start my family.” Harvey cheesed like a goofy, and I chuckled because this nigga hadn’t stopped smiling since I laid eyes on him at Club Lucid.
“Well, you make sure my invitation is in my mail soon.”
“We’ll be sending the save-the-dates tomorrow.”
“Alright… I’m happy for you, baby.” She kissed his cheek and hugged him tight. “Well, I guess it’s just me and you, old man. Come on and eat.”
My pops stood and followed her into the kitchen. I could hear her giggling and telling him to stop, and my face twisted. I knew my parents were still affectionate toward one another, but I cringed when having to see and hear it.
“Man, come on. They about to start being on bullshit,” I said, standing.
“Yeah, we gotta move. I don’t want to be late for our reservation,” Harv said, clapping his hands together.
“I can’t wait to meet shorty. She got you moving hella sucka-ish,” Moses pointed out, laughing.
Harvey sighed before cheesing again. “Change is good, Mo. I hope the same for you one day.”
“Don’t put that evil on me. I’ma be a dog for the rest of my life.” He barked to emphasize his words..
I shook my head as we all filed out of the house.