34. Draco
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
DRACO
M y Cali Girl : Good morning, beautiful. I hope you’re having a good day at work, and if you’re not, let me know who I need to shoot when I come up there or how much money it’s gon’ take to make your day better. Oh, and just a little warning, we shall see each other again… real soon.
It was 11:10 a.m., but I waited until 11:11 to send the text. I usually would send her texts at 11:11, 2:22, 3:33, and 4:44. Why? I wanted Cali to believe the universe sent me for her―if she paid close attention to shit like that. Cali was at work, so I didn’t expect her to text me back right away. However, I was sure once she saw it, she would. Then again, sometimes her ass would be petty as fuck and wait hours to respond.
After taking another hit of my blunt, I put it out, then exited my whip and headed over to my target’s house, which was Cali’s crib. However, I wasn’t there to see her; I was there to have a talk with her so-called nigga.
Most people would ring a doorbell then stand back and wait for someone to answer the door, but I wasn’t most people, so of course, I kept ringing the doorbell until the nigga answered. If I thought anyone else was there with him, more so Cali’s kids, I probably wouldn’t have done that shit, but I knew they were at her mama’s crib because I saw her drop them off there earlier that morning before she headed to work. Hence, how I knew she was at work. Yeah, I was stalking her ass, but just that morning so I could get my plan together. Moments later, the door swung open abruptly. Jayceon stood in the frame with a gun pointed squarely at me.
"Who the—” His words came to a halt as he registered my presence. “What the fuck do you want, nigga? Cali ain’t here if she’s who you’re looking for,” Jayceon spat, his voice a mix of confusion and disdain.
I smirked, unphased by the weapon aimed at me.
“Oh, I know exactly where she is. But haven’t you ever heard that you shouldn’t point a gun at someone unless you plan on using it?” I replied, my tone steady, matching the intensity of the moment.
Recalling my karate training from years ago, I moved with surprising speed, effortlessly disarming him. In a fluid motion, I snatched the gun from his grasp and leveled it at him. Jayceon’s eyes widened in shock; he hadn’t seen my counterattack coming. The look of shock mixed with respect on his face was evident as he slowly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, realizing he was no longer in control of the situation.
“It ain’t fun when Draco got the gun, is it?” I taunted. “See, the only reason I didn’t shoot you the other day when I had a gun pointed at you was because Cali probably would’ve been mad at a nigga. I’m not saying she would’ve been mad at me for killing yo’ ass, but probably because I did it in her house. Either way, I don’t like when she’s sad or mad, so maybe that’s the only reason you’re still breathing, nigga. Secondly,” I stepped closer where we were damn near nose to nose, “calm the fuck down, nigga. You came off a lil’ too strong. I don’t want to have to give you three black eyes. I know we only have two, but I’d find a way to add another one some kind of way.” I drew back and lowered the gun.
“So, it was you, huh?” he said, lowering his hands.
“Me what, nigga?”
“Who did this shit.” He pointed at his face.
“Nah, my nigga. If that were me, you’d be in intensive care somewhere, if not dead, but you damn sure wouldn’t be talking to me.”
I was definitely the nigga who did that shit to him. However, I couldn’t reveal it at that moment. Not that I was scared to; I was just sure had I, it possibly would’ve messed up my plans.
“Now, let’s start our greeting over, shall we? I need you to be in a calm state when we talk.”
“How can I help you, nigga ?” he gritted in a more polite tone.
“Now that greeting was a lil’ better. You still need to work on your fuckin’ manners. But I have a proposition for you,” I said, getting down to business.
He chuckled. “And what kind of proposition could you possibly have for me, nigga?”
“One that could possibly save yo’ fuckin’ life, nigga .”
The smirk he wore instantly faded.
“What the fuck you talking about?”
“Word around town is, you owe somebody a whole lot… well, it may be a whole lot to you, but yeah, some money, and if that nigga doesn’t collect in said days, as in today , well… it’s off with you and yo’ brother’s heads, nigga.”
“Who the fuck told you that shit?”
“I just said word around town, meaning the streets talk, nigga! The real question is, who doesn’t know about that shit?! Which is why I’m not understanding why you’re not out here hustling, trying to get that shit back! You must be on break or some? All I’ma say is, while you’re sitting around here wasting time, little do you know, you and your brother are on borrowed time. As soon as midnight strikes, y’all niggas gon’ be running around here like John Wick was, with a bounty on y’all head. Unlike him, though, I’m sure y’all won’t stand a chance or an hour if that long.”
Jayceon seemed to be in deep thought.
“I can tell the gears are turning in that head of yours. What you thinking?”
“I’m listening.”
“I figured me giving you a glimpse into your possible future would do the trick. So, I want to fuck your girl,” I came right out and said. “Hell nah, that shit doesn’t even sound right,” I added.
“You’re damn right it doesn’t!” Jayceon retorted.
“Oh, it’s going to happen. I just got to word it a little better so it doesn’t come off like I’m begging or need your permission. Okay, so what about I’m going to fuck your girl? Wait, that shit doesn’t sound right either. Damn! Okay, I got it for real this time! I’m going to fuck my girl. That sounds better, right? Yeah, I think that’s more like it!”
“Nigga, what?” he asked, confused, staring at me with his head cocked.
“To make a long story short, I can help you out with your lil’ debt. Actually, I can resolve your problem with just one call.”
Jayceon tugged at his beard. “Is that so? So, what’s the catch? ’Cause I know you wouldn’t do no shit like that for a nigga like me just off the rip.”
“Hell nah, nigga! I couldn’t give a fuck if you lived or died after today! I just came to let you know that I’m going to fuck your girl… today .”
He chuckled. “Okay. So, I see where this is going. So you came here to ask for my permission to fuck my girl in exchange for the clearance of my debt.”
It was my turn to laugh.
“Do I look like a nigga who needs to ask permission for anything from another nigga? You don’t have to agree to shit because it’s gonna happen regardless. I only came here to tell you to make sure you’re not here around 4:00 when that shit is gonna go down. I mean, you can show up at your own risk, but I really need you out of the way so you don’t interrupt our time like you did last time. But, if you do come here, remain outside until you see me exit the house. As a matter of fact, you even have my permission to put your ear against the window to listen to her moaning my name. That’s the catch. My private time with Cali in exchange for your debt being cleared. However, if you come inside the crib while I’m here or if I get word that you mentioned this shit to her, it’s off with yo’ head, nigga, and I’ll be the nigga doing the slicing.”
“Shid, handle yo’ business then. It’s always money over―”
I pressed the gun into his cheek.
“Call her a hoe, and your debt will be cleared without me making a single call!”
“Look, just make the call, nigga, and you ain’t gotta worry about me!”
I smirked, then removed the gun. “I thought you’d see things my way.”
I pulled out my phone, but instead of calling the person, I texted them. Within seconds, Jayceon’s phone rang.
He looked at me with raised brows.
“You should pick that up,” I advised.
Jayceon retrieved his phone from his pocket and answered it.
“So, me and my brother are good?” Jayceon asked, verifying after he and the guy exchanged a few words.
Jayceon nodded, so I assumed the person said yeah.
“So, you really got it like that, huh?” Jayceon asked after he got off the phone.
“Yeah, I do. It pays to know certain people… literally. Now that I’ve held up my end of the bargain, I need you to do the same. Oh, and don’t think you’re all the way in the clear… just yet. I can easily send another text or make a phone call, and things can go back to how they were just ten minutes ago. I’ll be back around 4:00, although I don’t expect to see you.”
With that, I prepared to leave, but not before returning his gun and removing the bullets first.
“Get this shit! And the next time you point this muthafucka at me, you better kill me, nigga, ’cause next time I won’t be so gracious if I’m the nigga holding the gun,” I promised him and left.
As I headed back to my whip, I walked with a sense of empowerment over him, but that uplifting spirit faded when I saw my mama’s name flash across my phone screen.
Taking a deep breath, I answered her call.
“Yeah, Jessie?” I greeted her with my usual casual tone, addressing her by her first name.
“Well, hello to you too, son. If you have time today, would you mind coming by to take me to the store to get some groceries?”
Despite how I felt about my mama, I still made sure her bills were paid and she had food in her house, but as far as giving her money, that shit was a no-go.
“I really don’t have time to come and get you to take you, but what you need? I can stop by to get it myself.”
“I’m sure you have some time to spare. You just don’t want to give it to me. Never mind, Draelon. Just forget I called or asked for anything,” she said, then hung up.
I tossed my phone in the passenger seat and threw my head back on the headrest.
My mama and I had a very strained relationship. She was the reason I didn’t believe in love. She caused me to have a somewhat fucked up childhood, and I still couldn’t find it in my heart to forgive her. There were times I wanted to just disown her ass completely, but I guess one percent of my heart still cared for her enough not to just say to hell with her completely.
Since I had some free time on my hands, I decided to take her to the grocery store and wherever else she needed to go that day. As long as she was done with whatever she had to do by 4:00, because I wasn’t missing my appointment with Cali for nobody.