Chapter 8
Raven kissed her teeth when her doorbell rang.
Once again, Canyon’s rude ass associate was at her home to make her do some shit against her will.
She had no desire to go bag up heroin. The fuck did she look like?
But she didn’t really have a choice. Xander’s mother had the nerve to text her earlier and tell her that Xander was asking about her and wanted to talk to her.
Raven kindly blocked her ass too. Fuck her and fuck her son.
It was safe to say that she was agitated and in a bad mood.
Raven still didn’t understand why Xander’s baby mama wasn’t the one working off his debt.
Raven snatched the door open, and the sight of the man standing there smirking made her angrier. “What is your name?” she snapped. “You keep popping up at my shit to pick me up, and I don’t even know your name.”
“Your period on or some shit, ‘cus your attitude is crazy? That’s not how you ask someone what their name is.”
Raven’s eyes narrowed. “You’re trying to be funny, and I don’t have time for games.”
Gold teeth walked right up on her and invaded her personal space.
“Games? I’m too G for that shit. But check the fly shit shorty, you need to have all that attitude and shit with yo’ hoe ass nigga.
He’s the reason you’re in this shit. All that attitude and shit isn’t gon’ do shit but get on my nerves, and that might get you hurt. Get ya shit and come on.”
Raven had to literally bite the tip of her tongue to keep from going off on his ass.
She was mad enough to spit nails if that was humanly possible.
With an attitude, she stalked off behind him.
After locking her door, she followed him to a blue Acura.
Raven got in and crossed her arms underneath her breasts.
He sped down the street blaring NBA Youngboy which seemed fitting ‘cus they both had anger issues.
Diric snickered to himself when he saw how pissed Raven was.
She was cute as hell, and he was just obnoxious by nature.
She was being forced to do something she didn’t want to do, so her having an attitude was to be expected.
She did also say that she was no longer with Xander, but that didn’t matter too much either.
“My name is Diric,” he said after turning down the music just a tad.
“I don’t even give a fuck anymore,” she snapped still staring out of the window, and he chuckled.
“How long have you and Xander been broken up? You need some dick, ma.”
Raven’s head whipped in his direction so fast it hurt, but she ignored the shooting pain in her neck. “Were you raised by humans?”
Diric glanced over at her. “Watch ya mouth shorty,” he gave her a slight warning. Whether he was obnoxious or not, he didn’t do disrespect. From anyone.
“Just stop talking to me, and I won’t talk to you. Take me where I’m going and let me do what I do, so I can take my ass to my place of business and actually get paid to do some work.”
Diric didn’t know if he wanted to smack her ass or fuck her.
He usually didn’t have to repeat himself when checking a person, but Raven wasn’t backing down, and he lowkey respected that.
Maybe it was because she was fine. It was rare that anyone rendered him speechless, but Diric chose to remain quiet for a moment. Until a thought crossed his mind.
“I hope you don’t plan on going to your place of business tomorrow because Canyon needs you to run some shit to Virginia.”
Raven didn’t respond. Diric glanced over at her with one eyebrow raised. After a minute had passed with no temper tantrum from her, he spoke. “No issue with that?”
Raven continued to stare out of the window. “Nope.”
Diric decided to just leave her be. She had finally done what he had asked.
Well almost. She still had an attitude, but she wasn’t giving him lip.
He finally pulled up at the spot, and Raven followed him into the trap.
No one else was there, and she was relieved to see that it was clean.
It really looked like a regular house. There were no pictures on the wall or any fancy décor, but the plug-ins gave the home a cinnamon smell.
The living room was sparsely furnished with a blue couch and a TV that hung on the wall.
A few game systems sat on top of a small TV stand, and there was a simple black coffee table in the center of the floor.
In the kitchen, there was a small marble topped kitchen table that was only big enough to seat three people.
There was one pot on the stove, and a pizza box sat on the counter.
This trap was nicer than some actual homes that she’d been into in terms of being clean.
People with dirty houses made Raven’s skin crawl, and that was one of her biggest fears about going to the trap.
Diric placed the bookbag that he took from the car on the table.
He began removing packages of white powder, small plastic baggies, a scale, and other items. His phone was going off nonstop, but he ignored every call.
Raven found herself looking up at him and wondering if he had a girl.
She thought back to all the times Xander’s phone rang off the hook.
All the hours he spent away from home. When your man is truly in the streets, you never know what his ass is out there doing.
She doubted Diric was the type to go home and say, ‘bae I made some chick I don’t know bag up heroin today because her nigga owes my man money.
’ Like did street niggas tell their woman about their day ‘at work.’
Raven was so lost in her thoughts that she forgot she was staring, but Diric could feel her gaze on him. He looked up at her face. “You over there plotting on how to kill me?”
Raven smirked. “No. Because if I was, I’d have a smile on my face.”
Diric chuckled. He continued with his task until the bag was empty.
“Aight check this. I’m gon’ show you how to cut this shit.
It’s important that you do it right. We don’t want the shit too potent because niggas just might overdose and die more than they usually do because our shit is pure as fuck.
But we don’t want to cut it too much and make the product weak.
I’m gon’ show you exactly how to mix it and what each bag should weigh. Any questions?”
“Nope.”
“Bet.”
Diric put gloves on and showed her what to do.
Raven watched him intensely because the last thing she needed to do was mess up.
When he was done demonstrating, it was her turn to put some gloves on, and Raven went to work.
Diric sat at the table and looked through his phone.
It rang in his hand, and that time he answered.
“What up? Nah, I’m at the spot and shit. Word? I already ate, but you can def wrap a plate up for me. I appreciate that.” Then he chuckled. “Nah, baby I don’t eat pussy, but the food is a good start.”
Raven scoffed at his comment, but she kept working.
She was glad to see that he could be nice to somebody rather than acting like a barbarian all of the time.
Diric continued his conversation for a bit, then he ended the call.
Raven looked at all of the heroin before her and concluded that she’d be there at least two hours.
She was trying to move fast, but she didn’t want to make any careless mistakes either.
All she could do was pray to God that the police didn’t bust in and lock her ass up.
“You and that lame ass Xander nigga broke up for real?” Diric questioned her.
The more he saw her, the finer she seemed to get, and she wasn’t even trying.
He liked her short hair. It wasn’t the regular lace front and bundles shit that everyone else was wearing with the crazy ass baby hairs.
Her lashes were long and dramatic, but she made them look good.
Other than that, she only had gloss on her lips.
Her lips were juicy as hell too. They looked like the lips that broads were out here paying for.
“Yeap. He has a baby on the way, and I found out by seeing the gender reveal on social media. You want me to show it to you? That way you can go get his baby mama and let her work off his debt,” she stated sarcastically making Diric smirk.
“Nah, you’re the winner baby. That’s a good idea though. He lame as fuck anyway. You don’t need him. Nigga shorted my man’s with counterfeit money. That’s some real broke nigga shit.”
Raven shrugged passively. She didn’t care. Xander was literally no longer her problem. Well, he was but it was through no fault of her own.
“You gon’ be good going to Virginia alone, or do I need to chaperone you? I don’t need to reiterate that you can’t let shit happen to Canyon’s work.”
“Not at all,” she stated sarcastically. “Constantly threatening me is not necessary. I get it. And both of us will have a much better day if I go alone.” She tossed him a fake smile.
“I’d have fun with yo’ ass,” he stated knowingly, and that made Raven look up fast as hell.
Did he mean he would torture her because she talked so much shit?
Looking at the devilish gleam in his eyes, she knew that was exactly what he meant, but she knew that his torture would be something sexual.
Raven had absolutely no clue why that turned her on, but it did.
It turned her on so much so that she had to squeeze her legs together.
She didn’t even know what to say. She just shifted in her seat and got back to work.
Diric continued to stare at her for a few moments.
He was trying to figure her out. He wanted to get to know her, but he already knew her feisty ass wasn’t no Netflix and chill kind of broad.
“Let me take you out.”
His statement was so absurd, that a low chuckle pushed from her throat. “What?” Her eyebrows hiked as she studied his face. He had to be joking. All they ever did was talk shit to each other.
“I’m serious. Me coming at you about this was about business. I had to be assertive to let you know this shit wasn’t a game. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to get to know your lil’ mouthy ass. You are single, so why not?”
“Ummm because you just told me your name not even an hour ago, but you threatened my life multiple times. You are an obnoxious person that is forcing me to do something against my will. Now, you want to take me out on a date?” She was shocked.
For one, she was surprised that he even asked.
He was the type to pull out a gun and demand that she just come with him.
“I thought I already explained that to you.”
He was dead serious, and Raven had to admit that when he wasn’t being an asshole, he was even finer. She swallowed hard because she found herself seriously contemplating letting him take her out, and that was crazy as hell to her.
“Listen, if we go out, I’ll clear your debt with Canyon. You won’t have to take that shit to Virginia.”
Now, that was music to her ears, but she still had to try him. After all, he’d given her enough slick comments and rude remarks. “So, how would you know that I really want to go out with you, and that I’m not just using you to clear my debt.”
Diric kissed his teeth. “I ain’t even worried about that shit.”
Raven wanted so badly not to be intrigued by him.
She wanted so bad to make his mouthy ass beg, but he was offering to clear her debt.
She’d be a fool not to go, and she wished that was the only reason she wanted to go.
“And where would we be going?” she tried to sound like she didn’t really care one way or the other.
Diric eyed her and licked his lips. “Where you want to go?”
“You asked me out.”
“Bet. We can go to the gun range, and then we can go get something to eat.”
Raven narrowed her eyes at him. “Gun range? Who goes to the gun range for a date?”
“Me. If you gon’ be fucking with a nigga like me, then you need to know how to shoot.”
Raven drew back. “Who said I was gon’ be fucking with you like that? One date doesn’t guarantee that I’ll let you take me out again. And for as much shit as you talk, you sure you want to be in my presence while I have a gun in my hand?”
“I’m not worried about shit that you talking about. Less talking and more working. I’m not trying to be here all day.”
Raven kissed her teeth. “You really get on my nerves, and I’m not even exaggerating.”
Diric pulled a blunt from behind his ear. “You’ll be aight.”
He lit the blunt and finally stopped ignoring his nonstop ringing cell phone.
For the next hour, he smoked and answered call after call.
Some calls he was on the phone for ten seconds, some calls he was on the phone for fifteen minutes.
Raven could tell that some were women, and some were men.
When she was done, Diric cleaned up the kitchen, and they left.
Her pussy almost got wet as they walked to the car, and she noticed for the first time that he was slightly bowlegged.
Aside from the music playing, the car ride was silent. Raven was in a better mood knowing that Diric would clear her debt with Canyon. A huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. Raven literally felt like she could breathe easier. When he pulled up at her house, Diric looked over at her.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow around six, and I know you won’t be busy because tomorrow was designated for Virginia.”
Raven rolled her eyes. “You have a very bad habit of telling and not asking.”
“You saying that’s a bad habit is a matter of opinion.”
Raven let out a deep sigh. “Good-bye, Diric.”
He tossed an award-winning smile her way. “See you later, beautiful.”
Raven had to bite her bottom lip to keep a smile from forming on her face. She had never in her life met a man like Diric, and she didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.