Chapter 10 Keep It A Stack
Keep It A Stack
ENZO
Iwas leaving my office and headed to Thyri’s place when I got a call from Aura, letting me know that Amil had summoned us to the diner.
According to him, whatever she wanted to talk about had to be serious because she didn’t want to talk over the phone.
I figured as much. Amil didn’t call family meetings, especially at the diner during the midday rush.
If anything, she was clear on the times she didn’t want anyone calling her phone unless there was an emergency.
If she wanted us both in the same place at the same time, then we did something.
Walking into the diner, I headed straight to the back where Aura was seated. Sliding into the booth, I dapped him up. “What’s good? Where Mil at?”
His eyes shifted past me. “She in her office. Told me to text her once you got here.”
“Well, I’m here. Text her, nigga.”
“Aight,” he said but didn’t attempt to reach for his phone.
I glanced back over my shoulder to see what had his attention. Only it wasn’t a what but a who – Danae. She made her way around the diner, greeting customers, checking on staff, and tending to her managerial duties, while this crazy nigga watched her.
I smirked. “Yo’ ass is lovesick. Stop staring so hard. That shit creeped out.”
He chuckled. “A nigga can’t admire his woman in peace?”
“Feel free to stalk when I’m not around, man. You making me uncomfortable.”
“Nigga, shut up.” He balled up a napkin and tossed it at me. “Nae say she taking a chance on us, but I gotta go at her pace.”
I nodded. “That must be some Anderson shit cause Thyri said the same thing.”
“And how’s that going?”
“She’ll be pregnant by spring.”
We both cracked up laughing, slapping fives across the table.
“The Sullivan way,” he said.
“The only way. About this meeting though. What you think Mil wanna holla at us about?”
“Shit, hell if I know.” He shrugged. “I just sent her a text. It better not be about that nigga, Naim, missing. Cause she could’ve came by the crib for that. This my only chill day.”
“You still ain’t tell her ‘bout that shit?” I asked, referring to Amil’s ex, Naim, who Aura had put down a few weeks back.
“Nah. With the holidays, new product drop, and a host of other shit, that wasn’t at the forefront of my mind.” He reached for the water on the table and took a sip.
I chuckled because killing your sister’s man and not telling her would be at the forefront of any normal person’s mind. But not Aura’s.
“Aye, how I get out this group chat shit with Kyiris? If I get one more memo about this Valentine’s Day party, I’ma block her ass on my personal line.”
“Yo, the daily reminders she been sending is crazy. Key is a trip.”
“Check your phone. She just sent today’s update. Now she want a nigga to wear his drawls outside. Fuck is she on?”
“Nigga, what?” I pulled my phone from my pocket to check the text thread. “Man, this say pajama theme. Where you get you gon’ be in yo’ drawls?” I snickered.
“Shit, that’s what I sleep in.”
“Well, get ready to be in them cause if I gotta go in there matching pajamas with Thyri, nigga, you betta hit the mall and find you some wit’ Danae.”
“Yeah, aight, man.”
Amil finally appeared minutes later. Stopping at our booth, she crossed her arms on her chest tightly and grilled us.
“What?” Aura spoke first.
“Come to the back,” she instructed.
Aura and I shot each other a confused look before getting up from the table and following her to her office.
Inside, Amil stood in the middle of her office, and her eyes bounced between the two of us before speaking. “All I wanna know is where’s the body, so I can tell this man aunt something other than I don’t know.”
Neither of us volunteered to speak, opting to let her question linger for a moment.
“I can’t provide that info for you, sis,” Aura answered. “His people just gon’ have to remember him how he was.”
I followed up after his statement. “A goofy, plotting ass nigga.”
She sighed and shook her head. Nothing about her reaction gave surprised. Irritated, yes. But not surprised. “I knew something was up once I didn’t hear from him for a couple days. But damn, did y’all have to move without giving me a heads up, Aura?”
“What you wanted me to say? Sis, I found out ya nigga was tryna snake me and build his own operation within my shit? And then what you was gon’ say?”
“I would’ve told you to give me some time to feel him out to see what was up.”
“And then once you found out what he was up to then what?” I questioned.
She cut her eyes at me. “Don’t act like y’all the only ones who bust y’all guns.”
“Oh, I know what everybody with the last name Sullivan is capable of, cousin. The difference in how you would’ve handled it opposed to how we handled it is clear in your previous statement though.
You talkin’ bout time to see how a nigga moving.
And that’s because you don’t want it to be true that the person you brought into the fold was on bullshit.
Whereas we gon’ put a nigga down without hesitation. ”
“Exactly,” Aura agreed. “So, remain as clueless as you are now. And if his people start to lean too hard on you, let me know, and they can go meet him in the upper room. It’s really as simple as one, two, three.”
She shook her head. “Damn, I really liked him too.”
Amil wasn’t fucked up about Naim’s death. She knew the rules and that everyone under the Sullivan umbrella abided by them, or you ended up missing.
“Oh, yeah? Then, why you ain’t bring him to meet Grandma Lettie then?” Aura challenged.
“I said liked, not loved, dummy.”
I stood to the side and listened to them go back and forth, same as they did when we were growing up. The shit was comical. But under the irritation and jabs, there was love and respect. And Amil knew that if Aura had to put a nigga down, it was for good reason.
I was about to cut in when my phone chimed.
I assumed it was Thyri reaching out to check in.
She would text me periodically throughout the day when she had EJ just to keep me in the loop on how his day was going.
Even though we were seeing each other, she still took her nanny role serious.
What she didn’t know was that she would soon be fired with severance pay.
I wanted to lock in for the long haul, so there was no need in her working for me anymore.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I looked down at the screen, and there was a message from Cortez.
Tez: Unc, you busy right now? I need a huge favor.
Shaking my head, I texted back.
Me: I’m too busy for bullshit so think about your favor before you ask it.
Three dots appeared on the screen, then another text came through.
Tez: My assistant principal ‘bout to call you. I need you to agree to pick me up. I’ll tell you everything once you get here.
My expression shifted, and I knew immediately that Cortez had gotten himself into some bullshit that he didn’t want his mother to know about.
My cousin, Diane, didn’t fuck around. After Cortez’s father decided early on that parenthood wasn’t a hood he wanted to reside in, she became both mother and father to a four-year-old.
And though she had a gang of male cousins, uncles, and a brother that aided in raising him, she still ran a tight ship.
Tez knew that, which was why it was my line he hit.
“What happened?” Aura asked, reading my facial expression.
I held my phone up for him to read the message, and he shook his head.
There had been plenty of times where we had to pull Tez’s collar about how he moved.
We’d always cover for him though if we got to him before Diane.
It was guy code. We stepped in, got him straight, and sent him back to her once his mind was right.
“That lil’ nigga be in more shit than a little bit. Goddamn.” Aura huffed.
“Who?” Amil asked.
“None of your business. Nosey ass,” Aura responded.
Chuckling, I replied to Cortez, letting him know that I’d be on my way to get him.
“I wasn’t even talkin’ to you, nigga. Everything straight, E?”
I nodded. “I’m sure it will be. I’ma head out. Love y’all.”
“Love you too. And take him witchu.” She pointed at Aura, mushing his head.
“Keep yo’ hands to yoself before I get my granny on the phone, and it be a problem.”
“Nigga, you act like you her only grandchild,” she argued.
“I’m her favorite. You know if I call her, she’ll get on yo’ ass. And I’m chilling here for the day.” He walked around her desk and sat in her chair. “Pull the cameras up so I can see my baby.”
“That nigga crazy.” I laughed, kissing Amil’s cheek. “I’ma holla at y’all.”
I made my way back out front, waving to Danae as I exited. Hopping in my car, my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway, figuring it was the school.
“Hello?”
A woman’s voice came through clearly. “Hi, is this Enzo Sullivan?”
“It is.”
“Good morning, sir. My name is Crystal Brown. I’m calling from Millenium Prep High School regarding Cortez Sullivan. I’ve tried contacting his mother, but I’ve been unsuccessful. Are you a family member?”
“Yes. He’s my nephew.” Calling Tez my little cousin always seemed weird to me.
“Okay. Well, there’s been a situation at the school, and we’re requesting a parent or guardian to come in, so we can get things sorted out.”
“I can do that. You mind telling me what the situation is? Is he hurt?”
“Oh, no. Of course not. If you don’t mind, we’d like to discuss the situation in person rather than on the phone.”
“No problem. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Okay. Thanks. You can come right to the main office once you arrive.”
“Got it.” The phone beeped with an incoming call from Thyri. I hung up to answer. “Wassup, Ma?”
“Hey, are you on your way here?” She sounded flustered.
“You good?” I asked, ignoring her question.
“Yeah. Just a little frustrated. I got a call from KJ’s school saying I gotta pick him up. Supposedly there was a situation, but they can’t tell me what the hell the situation was.”