Chapter 8
eight
“When are you going to do something with that hair?” Dania asked with a glint of detest, as Cairo strolled through the small living room of the apartment.
This had been the longest running stint of him looking like this.
Dania hadn’t pointed it out to either man that the string of losses further broke something he buried deep beneath his surface.
Cairo looked at her over his hiked shoulder then touched his mane.
“When you start minding your business,” he quipped playfully. “And since that ain’t happening no time soon, get used to it.”
Her detest deepened and her shoulders bounced. “I’m not the one who has to sleep with you.”
“I’m not a deeply religious nigga but I thank God for that. Couldn’t imagine having your hot ass breath in my face every damn morning,” he shot, making Dania frown and toss a pen she was using to fill out an application toward him. “You missed.”
“Hold your big ass still, I won’t miss you again,” she huffed. “Where you been anyway?”
For as long as Cairo had known Nate, he’d known Dania.
She was the girl around the way; daughter of a pastor who spread more than the word of God and ultimately went to prison for misappropriation of funds and trafficking narcotics.
All in the Lord’s name, of course. Since Dania’s life was turned upside down, she’d become a little sister Cairo didn’t know he needed.
“You and Nate got that same affliction, huh? Can’t Mind Yo Black Ass Business Itis,” Cairo commented looking her over. “And you full of it.”
Dania waved him off. “That doesn’t answer the question, Cairo. Where you been, who you been with?”
“Ay, Nate! Come get this nosy ass girl,” Cairo called down the hall.
“He at La Casa Taco. I got thirty minutes to be in your business,” Dania chimed, sitting next to him and tucking her legs underneath her.
“Leslie said she saw you at Gary’s donuts with some cute fish out of the water looking girl.
You got a girlfriend, Cairo, and didn’t tell me? I feel some type of way.”
“Leslie needs to mind her scamming ass business,” Cairo muttered. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Not yet,” Dania said in a sing-song voice.
“You forget I know you. You don’t like people.
In fact, you’re either putting someone through the concrete, blowing something up…
or being a recluse. But you’ve been all over the city, and over in CK territory.
Yeah, you got her marked and that smirk on your face tells me all I need to know. ”
Cairo swiped a hand over his face. “Get out my business, D.”
“So when am I meeting her?” Dania continued to press.
“Mm,” Cairo grunted. “While you’re deep diving into my shit that don’t have nothing to do with you…I’m going to get into your mix.”
Dania pulled into a deep sigh as Cairo gave her a pointed look. “I’m keeping it.”
Cairo nodded with a small smile on his face.
“But you got to keep him out of trouble,” Dania added. “And by that, I mean keep Tiny out the mix.”
Cairo’s pleasant expression was zapped from his face. “What does that mean, D?”
“It means…” Dania took a deep breath. “Tiny is a liability. I know he’s your boy. I know how this gang shit works but…he’ll have you all in prison.”
“Is he running his mouth?” Cairo questioned. There was a rule when it came to how Cairo moved around in the streets. Keep a low profile, don’t be flashy, and never tell anyone where the money came from. “Who told you that?”
“No one had to tell me anything. I’ve seen it. Up and down the block with bitches, slapping niggas with money. Talking about the jobs. He’s going to get y’all in some bullshit. I’m not going to one of those prison baby mamas yelling on the call. Like my momma. I won’t be her.”
Cairo held his hands up just as Nate appeared from the short hall. “I hear you. I got him.”
“Good.”
“You know I got him right?” Cairo posed, ensuring Dania had his assurance. On his life, he would make sure Nate would be a family man and Dania would have the stability she longed for.
“Fuck y’all in here whispering for?” Nate asked, zapping the sibling moment. “You two niggas trying to set me up?”
Dania rolled her eyes and stood up. “I would’ve just taken you out in your sleep. Don’t nobody want to conspire with this zealot of mania.”
“Got damn a zealot of mania?” Cairo jeered. “I like that.”
“See, crazy as all hell,” Dania huffed, standing up.
Nate caught her by the wrist and pulled her in for a kiss. Dania accepted and offered him a small smile and the announcement he’d been waiting on for days.
“I’ve decided to keep it,” she softly spoke against his lips. “Make sure your ass comes back home how you left.”
Nate’s glee couldn’t be hidden. From the couch, Cairo stood, trying not to take in the evident display of love and safety between the two.
He loved that for his boy; how even here, in the treacherous concrete jungle, they had each other and held on.
Cairo’s mind flashed to Kamilla, a flutter maneuvered from the cavity of his chest to the pit of his stomach.
“Aight, enough of the shit. We got some moves to make. And before you start popping off again, Dania, I’m bringing his ass back in one piece.” Cairo preceded Nate out of apartment and down the steps to his car. Nate happily followed him and got in the passenger side.
Cairo pulled off from the apartments and looked at Nate.
“You happy as hell aren’t you, nigga?” Cairo asked with a small smile.
“You heard what she said? Yeah, I’m going to need a big lick. You got something up your sleeve?”
Cairo swayed his head. “Not today. We need to pull up on Tiny and then I got a move to make.”
“Nigga,” Nate spoke with amusement. “What moves you got to make?”
“Studio,” Cairo spoke plainly.
“Studio. Yeah, and what else, nigga? Huh, you look radiant and shit? All that self-care and shit. You taking bubble baths now?”
“First of all, fuck you,” Cairo spoke with slight laughter. “Second you see how tall I am, I’m not getting in no damn tub.”
“So you thought about it? Considered it on one of those lonely nights. Played some soft R solidifying why he had the credibility he had.
Cairo leaned over Tiny’s limp body and grumbled as he snatched the flag off him. “Whatever move you make, do it without fuckin’ protection, nigga.”
With that, he straightened his spine and walked back to the double-parked car and got back inside. Nate got inside and Cairo tossed him the flag. “Put the word out, Tiny’s done.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yeah. That nigga’s greed and ego is going to drag all of us down. I’m not fuckin’ having it,” Cairo grumbled.
Cairo was on the brink of something good, he could feel it and he wouldn’t allow someone else’s missteps to drag any of them down. When it came to leading, the hard choices needed to be made before they were forced upon him.
“How are we handling jobs then?” Nate questioned.
“Keep the trap on lock. If anyone sells to him, or fronts him a reup, I’m coming for them too. Tiny is going to fuck up and we’re going to lay low until he gets himself out our fuckin’ way. Aight?”
Nate nodded his head before responded. “Bet. All this is stimming from that last job?”
“Nigga wanted to steal fucking stamped gold bricks. Do you know the hell we could’ve caught from trying to break that down. I’m not doing it. I made Dania a promise.”
“Oh, so y’all were plotting on me,” Nate blew, lightening the mood.
“Yeah, to keep you out of jail and with your family. Stay close, nigga, she’s not coming for my head.”