Chapter 7 #2
I was able to breathe a little easier, knowing he wasn’t bluffing.
I was leaving Ledesma’s slick ass to Shio.
Had Reuchie still been on board, that would have been his job.
The game wasn’t ending, though, just because one of my key players was down.
Since he was out indefinitely, I had to move some pieces around the chessboard to ensure nothing was forgotten or left behind.
Just had to fucking pivot at the last minute, but I was confident that Shio was the man for the job.
I nodded. “Now… Back to what the fuck you niggas doing back here.”
“You canceled on us. We figured we’d catch you while you’re available.” This new nigga shrugged while leaning back in his chair, crossing his hands at his abdomen.
He was dressed down in gym shoes, denim shorts, and a sleeveless top.
Belt chains hung decoratively on the right side of his shorts, and that shit must’ve been some Memphis or Atlanta shit because it damn sure wasn’t the Bay.
I couldn’t remember which city the nigga was actually from, but he’d have to calm all that extra shit down.
When his lanky ass showed up in a suit that was damn near too tight and nearly too fucking short, I immediately said, “Fuck no.” I’d seen them on the camera and called a flag on the play.
I also wasn’t in the mood to hear what their asses had to say, so I texted Shio saying I’ll catch them next time.
If he was going to join my organization—because I’d already known that’s what he wanted, just like I’d known he’d existed the whole time—he needed his shit to be cut and sewn correctly.
According to Uncle Reuchie’s made-up ass rule book, I couldn’t outright deny Tunan a seat at the table.
As long as he met the requirements, he was in.
But I didn’t have the fucking time to keep playing matchmaker with these niggas.
I couldn’t for the life of me understand how hard it was for a nigga to get a hoe and put a ring on her.
Jagoda Bay was crawling with bitches. Hell, if they couldn’t find one in this city, it was hundreds, shit thousands, of other cities to choose from.
The more connections I made, the more money I made, and the more money I made, the more money I had to fucking hide and invest. Time was money, and even though I’d grown a tad bit fond of these Cuppacio niggas, I’d invested way too much time into being the fucking love doctor since our families merged.
Now here they were, back like I’d set up another time to meet, running down on a nigga and shit like that could make me move faster than I was ready to.
As I stared between the two, I tried to come up with at least one good reason to say, “Fuck no.” I didn’t have the patience for this shit here with these untamed Cuppacios.
The deeper I get in this mob shit, the more I see why my deadass daddy let his men run amok.
Overseeing the niggas was worse than managing a hundred toddlers.
Then, I had to do this shit all over again in a couple of years when the little Cuppacios grew up. Yeah, nah. This shit was beyond me.
“The problem with you Cuppacio niggas is, I already have a whole slew of y’all that haven’t fulfilled your duties to get married.
Out of four niggas, only one of you done tied the fucking knot, and that shit damn near cost me my sister.
I just want to shoot all you niggas dead and be done with it, but then ya done made babies and shit, and I’ll have to repeat the killings when those muthafuckas get old enough to hold a fucking gun. ”
I paused. These niggas always managed to get me worked up, and my usual way of dealing with people that made me uncomfortable wouldn’t work in this situation. Teaching myself how to be a boss was draining a motherfucker. Inhaling quietly to myself, I looked up at Tunan.
“I like to give folks a fair shot, pun in-fucking-tended. The way I’m feeling, though… I don’t want to add another Cuppacio to my roster.”
No one spoke. Rut and Matteo looked damn near uninterested.
Shio dropped his head, and I knew that nigga was plotting on how to make me change my mind.
I watched Tunan intently in the silence.
The nigga didn’t wear his feelings on his face.
He kept his expression neutral and his breathing even.
He was hanging onto my words—I could tell by the way his eyes stared right back into mine.
I didn’t know Tunan, per se. However, I’m familiar with his people.
His sister’s best friend was married to my homie, Goal, and I’d seen a few of Tunan’s other brothers in passing.
The Payne brothers were known to be solid.
I felt I still needed to feel this one out, though.
He wasn’t thirsty to get in. He hadn’t dick-rode his way into my space or had acted hard up to join our organization.
He’d been out of jail more than a month, and the guys had all met up several times since his release just to kick shit.
I’d only seen him twice: once when he showed up last week on the camera, and now.
That shit spoke volumes without me knowing of him and his family.
“Aite. You in.”
Shio lifted his head and his expression matched Tunan’s, but I could see a half-grin form on Tunan’s face before he said, “Cool,” with his wannabe down ass.
“Slow down, lowdown. I wasn’t finished. You in only if you can get married in—” I held my watch up to my face to look at the time. It was two hours until midnight on a Wednesday night. “Three weeks. Well, twenty days. You passed day one since it’s nearly midnight.”
“What?” both brothers yelped simultaneously.
Rut and Matteo were falling out laughing at this point, but I was deadass serious.
“How the fuck am I supposed to do that shit? Plus, ain’t y’all got a rule that says no divorce? Three weeks not enough time to find a quality wife.”
Shio placed his hand on his brother’s chest, and they shared a look before standing.
“Yeah, take y’all asses on. Make sure you lose some money on the way out. My daughter needs a new pair of earrings.”
Delicate Mafia didn’t need shit; I just loved talking shit. She had enough jewelry to rock a different piece for three months straight. Still, I was buying my baby some new diamonds. She could get whatever the fuck she wanted with her pretty ass.
“Three weeks is more than enough time,” I said as the pair walked toward the double doors.
“I found my wife in a day on my first day out, got her pregnant, and popped up when the baby was due. I kidnapped her ass and forced her into signing papers she thought was from the mailman when, in reality, it was a marriage certificate. Her marriage certificate.” I chuckled at the memories that felt so long ago.
“You got an advantage, nigga. You Cuppacios niggas kind of slow, so I see now I gotta put time clocks on that ass. You either get married in two weeks, or you can’t sit with us. ”
“You did what?” Tunan had stopped walking and looked so confused at my story.
I wasn’t repeating a damn thing. I said what the fuck I said, and I ain’t regret shit about how I’d locked Dasani down.
Tunan sneered after realizing what I said. “Hold up… Never mind that. You just said three weeks—”
“Yeah, well asking all them fucking questions made me lose my train of thought. We can make this shit a day if you want to keep going. Oh, and make sure you niggas at my house next Friday at six for my wife’s Sniff-and-Sip party.
Don’t be late and don’t come to my shit empty-handed.
Matter of fact, bring a monetary gift for Mrs. Rinaldi.
” I flicked my wrist to emphasize jewelry or diamonds.
These niggas know I didn’t play about my Childish Titties.
“You dismissing us, gave me an impossible-ass timeframe to get married, and now you inviting us to a party? What the fuck is a sniff and sip? Ion do no drugs outside of weed,” Tunan said in a harsh tone.
Matteo stood up. “Nigga, what the fuck you tryna say?”
“Do we look like we play with our fucking noses, nigga? Sniff and sip. My wife is launching a fragrance line, goofy. Now, get the fuck out! I need to be attending a wedding or shown a marriage certificate in the next thirteen days. I told these niggas they had to have weddings, but since I’m a nice guy, I’m granting you the courtesy of going to the courthouse.
Plan a real wedding eventually, though. We likes to celebrate ’round this muthafucka.
See y’all selves out, and don’t forget… spend big before showing up at my house, niggas. Oh, and Tunan?”
Looking fed up with my shit, he asked, “Wassup?”
“Keep yo’ hands to yourself. We don’t beat bitches over this way; only the pussy. Adios.”
When I saw that Tunan had served time due to domestic violence, I couldn’t do shit but shake my fucking head. Those damn Memphis niggas were out of control.
“Bye, Ike,” Matteo called out as they finally left the room.
“Aye, yo’! You wild as fuck.” Rut chuckled at our antics.
“Wild as them animals Preston likes to foster. Them niggas know I ain’t wrapped too tight.”
Matteo was back on his phone, typing.
“How’s Pearla?” I finally asked after we were interrupted by the Twin Towers brothers.
In the last few months, I’ve taken a liking to Pearla.
She made her way into my heart, and I’d pulled down on her a few times.
She was eating now, out of bed more, and looked like she wasn’t losing any more weight, so that was a good sign.
She was too fucking young to be down bad about a nigga.
I didn’t know if it was killing niggas, seeing Grind shot, or his marriage that had her hiding away from the world.
She had us all wrapped around her damn finger, though.
If she went too long without texting me, I would pull up on her at Rio’s.
Now I understand why Matteo had done the same with my sister back when shit was chaotic. It was family over everything.
“She good.”
“Even if she’s not, she will be,” I assured. “That nigga, Grind?”
It wasn’t much retaliation needed because Pearla had stepped for him.
Even though that nigga was married, he better empty his fucking pockets for Pearla when he woke up, if he woke up.
She was the reason why he had a fighting fucking chance.
All a girl had was her innocence until she didn’t.
Once a good girl turned bad, it was no going back.
Thankfully, Pearla was still a good girl, even though she and that little crew of hers were on some young and wild shit.
Pearla has been too damn heartbroken to run the city with their asses lately, though.
Her mood had forced all of them to sit the fuck down somewhere.
“Only reason I’m still spending my money on his hospital bills is because that nigga is showing signs of brain activity,” Matteo responded with a scowl on his face.
I nodded, not ready to elaborate on my thoughts concerning Grind just yet.
In my opinion, there were two positives to this situation with Grind.
The nigga was already married, so if I offered him a seat at the table, he wouldn’t take me through loops and hoops like those fuck niggas from Chicago.
And, he was still in a coma, so hopefully, he wouldn’t wake up until Pearla was clear across the country, living her best life with her degree in hand.
I think ten years of not communicating will do them both some good.
The nigga was still expected to send her a hefty check for the rest of her life, even if he had to pass the money through us.
He was forever indebted to my little cousin.
That hustling-ass nigga had fumbled the realest chick he would ever have by his side. But it was cool, though. Unlike the Cuppacio women, a Rinaldi woman didn’t need a man for shit. Real talk.
Chuckling randomly, Rut switched the subject. “You really gave that nigga two weeks to find a wife, though?” Rut smiled in disbelief.
“Hell yeah, I did. He better pluck a bitch off the street and get that shit done. I should have did the rest of them niggas the same way. They popping out babies before rings; gone have us ’round here deep as fuck like the Brady Bunch. Have niggas calling us the fucking bastard bunch.”
“You stupid. I’m ’bout to take Pearla some food before I take it in. Lil’ Gas Station wanna paint together tomorrow, and a nigga need a good night’s sleep.”
Rut started laughing, while Matteo looked at him like he was crazy.
“Chill, Rut. Don’t get his grumpy ass started,” I said, hiding my smirk. I stood, grabbed my two phones, and looked at Teo. “I’m sliding, too, nigga. Rut gone make sure the spot stay hot. I need to chop it up with ole Pearla P and remind her niggas ain’t shit.”
“It’s a school night, nigga.” Matteo frowned with his territorial ass.
Ignoring him, I led the way. “It’s Spring Break, nigga. Ain’t no school. Now, come on before them worrisome-ass Cuppacio niggas come back in here. I can only take them niggas in doses.”
“They don’t die, but they damn sure do multiply,” Matteo added.
“Shit. Tell me a fucking ’bout it.”