Chapter 2
Trek Mounts
Iparked in the back lot of the nightclub. Besides the owners and managers, I was the only one with the privilege to do so. I had what they ordered, and they wanted their shipment.
I climbed smoothly out of my luxury whip and swaggered over to the door. I knocked three times, like they preferred, and the door swung open. A big ass burly security guard stood in the doorway.
His thick ass arms were folded with his chest poked out. I smirked. Niggas with muscles always wanted to flex. Only if they knew that muscles never won a fight, but that skill and knowledge were the keys.
"Passcode, nigga," the musclehead stated in a deep voice.
"Blue dope," I answered.
I wasn't in the mood to join the dick swingin' contest he subtly wanted me to engage in. It was late, and I was ready to go home so I could pick my son up tomorrow.
"Aight. Who are you and what are you here for?"
"I'm the transporter and got a delivery for Winna," I replied. That's all the musclehead needed to know.
He nodded his understanding, and the musclehead picked up his walkie and radioed somebody named Dog.
I stood with hands clasped in front of me.
The musclehead and I stared each other down until an older man and two other musclehead niggas walked behind him.
He must have been Winna, the owner, by the way they all surrounded him.
The old head stopped in front of me and extended his arm. "You must be the transporter. I see you like to keep your dealings anonymous. I'm Winna. Do you have what I ordered?" he probed with a smirk.
I placed my hand in his and firmly shook it. "Yeah, I do. I have your delivery. It's in my trunk. Follow me," I instructed.
"Sounds good to me. Lead the way."
I turned and exited the nightclub, swaggering back to my car. The trunk raised when I hit the fob, and all of us huddled around it. "Is this the nigga you been looking for?" I questioned.
Winna grinned like an addict in a trap house.
He lowered and slapped the shit out of the man hog-tied in my trunk.
"Welcome back home, Akbar. You thought you could steal a hundred thousand dollars from me and I not find yo' black ass.
Now, thanks to you, I screen the fuck outta new hires.
" He turned to his crew. "Get his ass outta there and take him to the back.
Dog, hand the transporter his money," Winna directed.
Two muscle heads snatched Akbar out of the trunk. Dog stepped up and handed me a small black bag that held the remainder of my fee. I grabbed my money and sped off in my whip. There was nothing else to be said.
That nigga Akbar was done for. I felt for him a bit, but if he was gon' run off with a nigga's money, he should've run much further than California. Cali was a hop, skip, and jump away from Chicago. Thanks to Akbar, I was two hundred thousand dollars richer.
I was halfway home when my phone chimed. My eyes briefly eyed my radio face, and it was my bestie, Travel. She and Deshoni needed to stay with me for a while. I hit the hands-free option on my radio's face and spoke aloud.
The message was sent, and I returned my focus to the road, Travel on my mind. Travel. That woman filled my head morning, noon, and night. I masked my feelings for her by calling her bestie.
Deep down, Travel was the love of my life. I wouldn't be as far in life as I am if it weren't for her. The only reason I finished grammar school and high school is because of her. Her drive, focus, and caring nature got both me and her bum ass baby daddy through school.
There was nothing I wouldn't do for her. When it came to Travel's pretty ass, no didn't exist. I never missed an opportunity to have her in my home. I wasn't sure how serious the situation was between her and Mook, but I hoped it was bad enough for her and Deshoni to stay with me for a while.
I made it outside my gate and entered the PIN code. The gates opened, welcoming me home, and I drove up the driveway. Within minutes, I was out of my whip and heading inside my home.
The alarm briefly went off because Travel set it. Good girl. She knew the routine. The first thing I always did when I made it home was wash my hands. The house was really quiet. I assumed Travel and Deshoni were asleep.
I tiredly climbed the stairs and went to her room first. I leaned against the doorway and watched her and baby boy sleep. She had my tablet playing her favorite Lofi channel. It was her go-to when I wasn't around to calm her busy mind and emotions.
Mook had no idea the treasure he had. I'd always been an observant ass nigga, and I knew a good thing when I saw it.
The first time I saw her was when she transferred into my class in the third grade.
Her dark brown skin, long pigtails, and big, round brown eyes stole my breath the first time I laid eyes on her.
Travel and her family were refugees from Haiti because a big hurricane had hit their country.
Her accent was so heavy at the time, but I understood her clearly.
At the young age of eight, I had no idea what love was, but I knew it had everything to do with Travel. From that moment on, I had to be in her space as much as I could. We're now in our thirties, and I still need to be in her space.
She kept the small night light on just in case Deshoni woke up. We discovered a while back that he was not a fan of the dark, so I got him a night light. Now, because of the soft light, I got to admire her beautiful features.
Travel's long hair was wrapped and protected under her scarf.
Her curvy frame was hidden under the thick plush blankets, but I knew her body like the back of my hand.
Travel had body. She was an absolute baddie.
If only she knew how I felt about her. I shook my head and walked to my room. Maybe one day she'd know.
<<<
I parked outside my baby mama's apartment and texted my son to come out. When Junior turned eight, I stopped going inside June's crib. She was so damn toxic.
When I'd go inside, she'd take that as an opportunity to try to seduce me or start some drama with me, and I was over that shit.
June lived in a two-flat building on the first floor, so I'd see the moment Junior walked out the door.
Now that he was sixteen, I really didn't have to go in for shit.
If he cut up in school, then I'd pick him up and talk to him at my house.
I refused to go inside her crib unless I absolutely had to.
Junior walked out the door with his backpack, and June was hot on his heels. Trek Ahmad Mounts Jr. was my twin, and he for sure had my ways, the good and bad.
Oh shit. It looked as if there was bullshit that I had to deal with today. June and I had him when we were fifteen. The one time I decided to break my virginity, I ended up with the devil's daughter.
June was one of the most manipulative and chaotic people I'd ever encountered.
Why she refused to grow up, I don't know, but by the time we turned nineteen, I parted ways with her, but not my son.
One look at Junior, and I knew he was mine.
I didn't need a paternity test. But when we split, she swiftly threw my ass on child support.
I was salty because I always made sure to take care of my boy.
I just didn't want anything else to do with her bitter ass.
June didn't see shit that way. She never missed a beat in cussing my ass out. We had joint custody of Junior, but he'd expressed plenty of times that he was ready to live with me full-time.
Her petty ass refused to agree, though. I unlocked the car doors and stepped out.
Junior and I locked eyes, and he rolled his eyes upward.
He was clearly over his morning already.
Both of them stopped right in front of me.
Before I could even open my mouth to see what was going on, June's loud ass spilled the beans.
"You need to get this boy. I came home last night from work, and he had some lil' ho laid up in my house."
"Now, Ma, why you cappin'? You know that ain't even happen," Junior interjected.
"So what happened, Junior?" I questioned with my brow raised.
"There was a girl over here, and I do like her, but we weren't laid up.
She's my partner for this biology project we have.
Ma said not to leave the house while she's not here, so I invited her over so we could get our project done.
We ate our snacks and watched a movie while we worked on our project.
By the time we were done, it was nine-thirty.
Ma came home with some new nigga she met, and I guess we ruined her night.
I told her I was sorry for not telling her I had company, but she wasn't trying to hear it.
She cussed and kicked out my classmate. I'm slightly worried if her parents will make a complaint to the school because Ma was mad disrespectful last night," Junior relayed.
I shook my head. "Thank you for telling your side, son. Go wait for me in the truck while I talk to your mom."
"Yes, sir." Junior walked away and climbed into my truck.
Once he was out of earshot, I looked at June.
"June, how many times have I told you that you have to assess the situation first before you jump to conclusions?
Nothing happened, yet you still went off on him and his friend.
Are you trying to get locked up again? You verbally assaulted somebody else's child.
If the parents make a complaint, yo' ass can be charged. "