Chapter 32
Protection
The nigga went silent after she had that run-in with him. We ain’t here shit ‘bout that nigga Gio, but that still didn’t mean my girl wasn’t affected. I watched her shut down, not wanting to go out with her girls to eat or shop; all she did was go to work and come home.
Her days off were normally spent with her girls taking over the city, or with me at the store, wanting to learn how to design and make rings.
I didn’t like that she felt like she couldn’t live.
It wasn’t loud, she wasn’t crying, wasn’t complaining, wasn’t asking me to fix shit. But I could see it in the way she moved, the way she wanted to stay closer to me. The energy that she gave off wasn’t like it used to be.
I didn’t like it, but I was going to fix it.
I was getting ready for work, watching her toss and turn as she slept, when my phone rang—Keith was calling.
I picked it up quick and moved out of the room.
“You coming in today?” he asked.
“Yeah, everything cool?”
“Yeahh… we’ll chop it up when you get here.”
We got off the phone, and I went back in the room to see Islah sitting up in bed on her phone.
“Good morning, baby,” I said, leaning into the bed for my morning kiss.
“Good morning, my luv,” she said softly.
“How are you?”
“Good, why didn’t you wake me?”
“Because I wanted you to get your rest. You feel like working today?”
She tilted her head. “Why did you ask me like that?”
“Because you don’t have to,” I shot back.
She smiled. “I’ma go to work. I miss my girls, but we might be here when you get home.”
“I know you are a lil’ worried about that nigga, maybe no news is good news.”
She nodded as she got outta bed. “I hope so.”
We headed out after Islah got dressed, and I dropped her off at work and told her the driver was on standby if she needed him.
I pulled off once she got in the elevator and headed to the store.
Islah wasn’t the only one who had a lot on her mind. I was an established nigga in my city, well known—the last thing I needed was for some clown ass nigga with nothing to lose to drag me down to their level. I was smarter than that. I made it out the hood, but I didn’t forget how to move.
When I got to my store, my staff was already busy. A few rappers slid through to pick up something quick for the night, and other customers were looking for shit for their loved ones. I moved through with a smile on my face, spoke to everyone, and then moved to my office.
I lit my blunt, sat back, and worked on some pieces while I thought about what moves I was going to be making next when Keith knocked on my door and walked in.
“You good, Boss?” he asked, taking a seat.
“Yeah, I’m straight. Did you find him?”
Keith smirked. “My young ho works at a hotel. She said she got some niggas stayin’ there from outta town. I had her work her magic, and she found out they were from Cali, three niggas, one named Gio.”
I nodded. That was the shit I liked to hear.
“Get the room number.”
Keith sat up. That nigga has been waiting for me to come outta retirement.
“We pullin’ up?” he asked.
I laughed under my breath. “Nah, not yet, just want to know where the nigga is at.”
Keith stood up. “I got you.”
After he walked out, I sent Islah a message checking on her. She sent me a picture that put a smile on my face, but it should have been the other way around.
I grabbed my blunt and went over to my design table and finished the ring I was workin’ on for her. Once I was done, I stared at it.
That lil’ ring was the start to so much for Islah and me. My only worry was that nigga, and her sayin’ no because he’s still around.
I put that shit to the side when I heard my name being called from the showroom.
My nigga Kai slid through. I could see him on the cameras talking to Keith; he was one of the niggas I grew up with in East Atlanta.
But now, the nigga was a rapper. I laughed to myself, listening to his loud ass and acting like my store was his home.
I stepped outta my office to see him and his crew walking around my shit, looking at everything. Before I could even say anything, Kai grinned at me.
“’Bout time yo ass came out. What the fuck you doin back there, hiding with a bitch?”
I laughed as I dapped him up. “My lady at work, wussup with you, Kai?”
“I need some new shit, some fire shit. I knew you were the only nigga to come to in the city.”
“You already know. Come on, let’s get to work.”
I took Kai and his niggas into my office, and they rolled up. We chopped it up for a lil’ bit, talking about the old neighborhood, and what he’s been up to. But once the lighter flicked, we got down to business.
“Iight nigga,” I said, reaching for my sketchpad. “Talk to me, what you lookin’ for?”
Kai started throwing ideas, and I listened, taking it all in, until it sounded fucked up.
“Nah,” I said, shaking my head a lil’. “You stacking too much; it’s going to be too busy. My work is not busy.”
“Well, shit nigga, you the designer nigga. Tell me what you think?”
I continued to draw, letting him and his niggas talk. Once I was done, I took the blunt out my ashtray.
“You want this shit to hit,” I said, lighting my blunt. “You let it breathe.” I turned my design around and showed it to him.
Kai leaned forward, looking at it; his niggas did too. Kai then looked at his nigga, who gave him a smirk. Then they both looked at me.
“Mannnn, that shit cold!” Kai yelled out.
His nigga nodded. “Hell yeah, I’ma have to get a piece from you, real talk.”
Without further conversation, Kai slammed ‘bout four or five stacks on the table.
“Down payment nigga, let me know the rest of the bill when you’re done.”
I stood up, dapped them up, and they headed out. I sat back down, rolled myself another blunt, and went back to work on Kai’s piece, thinking about all the shit that was going on. I worked on Kai’s shit until Keith knocked on my door.
“Iight nigga, I closed up.”
I looked up, checked the time, and my phone to see that Islah had texted my shit a few times.
“Oh shit,” I said, standing up. “I’ve been in my zone, let me get outta here.”
I grabbed my designs, Islah’s ring, my other shit and walked out with Keith. I locked up, and he dapped me up.
“You coming in tomorrow?” Keith yelled at me as he headed to his car.
“I don’t know yet. I was in that room thinking. I’ll let you know.”
I hopped in my car and pulled off. On my way home, I picked up some flowers, some more smoke, a bottle of wine, and went home.
When I got home, I heard music coming from inside.
I unlocked the door expecting to see my girl in there with her girls, but instead, the house was dark, candles lit.
When I got to the end of the hallway, I saw my girl standing at the island with two plates, a smile on her face.
I could have proposed right there. She had on a tight silk, dark orange dress and gold accessories. Her hair was wavy, but up in a messy bun.
“Hey, baby,” she said softly.
I placed my things down and handed her the flowers as I took her into my arms.
“Hey, mamas, you look and smell so damn good.” I squeezed her tight in my arms.
As I pulled away, I looked at the plates: steak, fresh green beans, homemade mac and cheese, and rolls.
“Damn, my baby threw down, didn’t you?” I looked around the living room, and she had fixed a table by the window. “I thought your girls were sliding through?”
She smirked. “They did…Then I nicely put them out. I wanted to do something special for you.”
I watched Islah walk around the island and put the roses in some water. She smiled at me, and I realized I was staring hard as hell, but she looked so damn good.
“Let me fix us something to drink,” I said as I was trying to pull my shit together. I don’t know if it was because of the ring, but I don’t know, man…baby girl been giving wife vibes since I laid eyes on her, and that dinner sealed it.
I fixed her some wine, and I needed something stronger. I met her at the table just as she was placing the plates down. I placed the glasses down and wrapped my arms around her waist, swaying her to the music.
“I like it…”
“Like what?” she asked.
“That smile on your face.”
We sat down and dug into the dinner she prepared.
It was amazing; the setup was amazing; she was amazing…
it was like even though we didn’t speak much throughout the day, we both knew what each other needed.
Our conversation through dinner was light, a lot of laughing, and her talking about things she didn’t even know I was already planning.
Sitting back, letting her talk, I could see that a lot of the worry her ex was giving her was fading to the back, and I was getting my girl back.
After dinner, Islah cleaned up while I rolled my blunt sitting at the table. When I took a puff and glanced over at her, floating around the kitchen vibing to the music, I could already see my future with her.
“Fuck me if I’m right…” I said, making her stop and tilt her head at me.
“You love a nigga, don’t you?”
She laughed but didn’t respond to me. I let it be, letting her finish what she was doing while I smoked, vibing to the music as well.
After a few minutes, I felt arms around my neck along with her lips.
“Now, what was that you asked me?”
I smirked, kissing her arm. “I said…. Fuck me if I’m right, but you love a nigga… don’t you?”
She walked around to face me, then took my hands into hers, pulling me up. Islah looked up at me, while I stared down at her, my hand resting softly on her waist.
“I do,” she said, trying not to blush. “I do love you.”
I lifted her chin and kissed her. She pulled herself into me as she wrapped her arms around my neck. She pulled back from me for a second. “Fuck me if you love me.”
I smirked and picked her ass up, kissing her as I walked down the hallway. Islah wrapped her legs around my waist, tight as I placed her back against the wall, taking a break to nibble on her neck.
She moaned softly; I felt her legs shaking, and I continued to the room, tossing her on the bed and pulling that dress down.
I licked my lips as she sat up and helped me undress.
As I got on the bed with Islah, her legs wrapped around me again, but this time, I slid my hard, curved dick inside her, making her moan loudly.
I kissed on her softly as I held her up, making her take every inch of me while I kissed and bit her neck.
“FUCK, LOVE!” she screamed.
I loved to hear her scream my fuckin’ name. It was soft but loud, and when her legs tightened around me, I went deeper.
She dug her nails in my back.
“I love you,” she said into my ear.
“I love you more,” I said back. I then pulled up to get a better view of her.
My eyes traced up and down her body, watching her go crazy while I hit her spot over and over, and over again. I spat on her clit, then took my thumb, rubbing it while keeping the same speed. Her back arched, her eyes rolled, and then she nutted all over my dick.
I slid out of her slowly, listening to her tryin’ to catch her breath, when she sat up and took my still hard dick down her throat.
“FUCK, ISLAH!!!” I yelled out, taking a handful of her hair for support. “Slow down, baby girl.”
I know she heard me, but she didn’t listen. She went crazy suckin’ my dick, spittin’, slurpin’, twirling her tongue up and down my dick while she slid it in and out of her mouth until my dick spit in her mouth.
She swallowed it with a smile on her face.
“That’s my good girl,” I said, leaning down to kiss her.
I laid down in the bed, and she laid her head on my chest. I rested my hand on her thigh, and we just lay there in silence, listening to the music that was still playing in the living room. In that peace that we had, I knew that she was the one for me.
“I don’t want Gio to hold us back,” she said softly.
I smiled. “What you mean?” I already knew, but I still asked.
She sat up and looked at me, wrapping the blanket around herself. “I don’t want Gio to hold us back. I don’t want him to be the reason why our relationship don’t move forward.”
I nodded. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
Her eyes lit up. “Yes, baby! Even my girls see I’m not comin’ off you.”
“Take off work. I don’t give a damn if you get fired. I want to take you on a trip.”
She screamed as she leaned over, hugging and kissing me.
Islah didn’t even know; all I needed was her okay—to know she was ready. I was about to show her what the rest of her life was about to look like.