13. Kalm Alexander Savage
KALM ALEXANDER SAVAGE
Standing at the sliding door leading to the backyard, I watched Charisma in her garden.
She usually spent hours out there, but today was different.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on with her.
It began when she didn’t come to sleep in the bed with me last night, but instead, she spent the night in the spare room.
Since we’d become official, we spent every night together, so I missed having her warm and soft body beside me.
When I left for training, she only allowed me to kiss her on the cheek, and she wouldn’t look me in the eyes.
Her odd behavior had been at the back of my mind all day.
I came home to find her in the garden and figured she would come in shortly, but according to Sissy, she had been out there since they returned from her chemotherapy session earlier today.
Sliding the door open, I stepped into the humid air and had to hold my hand up to block out the vibrant rays of sunlight.
The sun would be setting soon, so golden hour had just begun.
I made my way over to my muumuu and head scarf wearing woman who had yet to notice my presence.
She looked most beautiful to me when she was dressed down like this.
Without saying a word, I scooped her up and walked her over to the bar.
Sitting her on top of it, I turned her face to me, but she snatched away.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” I demanded. “I know it’s something, so don’t start lying.
” She shook her head, still refusing to look at me.
Gripping her chin, I forced her face to me, but she shut her eyes. “Talk to me, Pretty. Please. . .”
Slowly, her lids slid open, and the tears began to fall. I kissed them away, nuzzling my nose against hers. She balled my shirt up in her hands while I patiently waited. “When I left from bringing your lunch the other day, Bryaire approached me in the parking lot,” she began.
My body stiffened, and I scowled, already knowing I wasn’t going to like what she had to say next. “Did he do something to you?” I questioned, getting pissed off in an instant. “I’ma fucking kill that nigga.”
I turned to walk away, but her hands on my shirt snatched me back. “Noooooo! He said Dice said I owed him money for leaving the club and to pay off my debts, I needed to drug you before your fight so that you’d have to forfeit.”
Her voice was so tiny that I thought I hadn’t heard her clearly.
Slowly, I lifted my eyes to hers to find her watching me for my reaction.
I got ready to open my mouth, but she rushed to finish.
“I swear, I never even considered doing that to you, baby. I would rather go back to dance at Parlay than to sabotage you and your siblings.” Her chin fell to her chest, and she sighed.
“At the very least, I was thinking if I left, you wouldn’t have to worry about them trying to mess up your future. ”
I palmed her face and pulled it forward to kiss her third eye. She slacked against me, resting her head on my chest. “Are you mad with me?”
“Hell nah. Fuck would I be mad at you for? It’s not like you did it.” I hugged her tighter to my body before I kept going. “I told you that I would protect you, and I mean it. Please trust me to handle them niggas for you. Can you do that?”
She slowly looked up at me, and her long lashes brushed against her cheeks when she blinked. I placed a kiss on her lips because Charisma was my obsession. Everything she did had me ready to snatch her clothes off and taste her sweetness.
“Yes, I can.”
I smiled down at her, running my fingers through her bouncy, black curls.
Lately, she had ditched wigs for wearing her natural hair, and I loved it.
She never had to put on another mask when she was around me.
She was still so beautiful to me when she was lounging around the house in her natural hair and no makeup.
I would make sure she got to continue living as this authentic version of herself.
Any niggas who put fear in her heart would be dealt with.
“Okay, cool. It’s handled. Stop stressin’ because I miss your smile. Ain’t seen it in two days, and a nigga about to lose his mind about that.”
Seeing her smile return, along with the light in her eyes, made me feel relieved.
Yeah . . . them niggas were going to be dealt with in one way or another.
Wasn’t nobody on this earth who was going to hold debts or threats over my woman.
Then they had the nerve to try and fuck with my fight when I needed that prize money for my siblings.
I had to focus on Charisma rubbing on my chest because, if not, the murderous thoughts would surely take over.
Women tried their best to get our attention, the deeper we headed into the club. One placed her hand on my chest with the intention to rub it down my front, but my grip on her wrist stopped her. The only woman allowed to touch me was the one waiting at home for me to handle this situation for her.
“Take me to Dice,” I said, getting straight to the point. I was ready to get this over with and head back home to lay up under my woman.
Her eyes widened when she realized how serious I was. “Um, okay, this way.”
Jahlil, Nep, and Melly all trailed behind me because I was wise enough to bring backup.
The last thing I wanted to do was underestimate these niggas, but I had a theory, though, about men who would rather threaten women than men.
They were usually all bark and no bite when it came to dealing with their own weight class.
She led us toward a back hallway then knocked on the solid black door at the end. “Come in!” a raspy voice hollered out.
“Dice, someone wants to see you.” She stepped back to allow us access to the room.
There was a fat man sitting behind the desk with a cigar hanging from between his lips.
A naked woman bounced in his lap while the other three niggas in the room watched the show.
The scene made my stomach turn, and I was so glad to have rescued my baby from this bullshit-ass lifestyle.
When I realized I recognized one of the guys in the room, I walked straight up on him and started whupping his ass like he stole something.
As a professional boxer, I knew I would do damage to him, and that was the whole point.
I didn’t know how the others reacted to my attack, but since I wasn’t alone, I didn’t think twice about them.
I brought Jah and them with me because I knew they would have my back no matter what.
After beating him to a bloody pulp, I took a step back and fixed my clothes, ignoring the blood leaking from my hands.
Turning toward the fat nigga who I assumed was Dice, I cut right to the chase.
“Never send this nigga to approach my woman again. She don’t have shit to do with this funky-ass club anymore, and she damn sure don’t owe y’all niggas shit.
” I was seething, so I spat a little when I talked.
Dice laughed and tossed his head back. I glanced around the room, looking for the joke because I was dead serious.
“Oh, now it’s a funky club, but it wasn’t all that when she was coming here every night to make her money for twelve years.
I was the only one keeping that little girl fed since she was twelve years old because, guess what?
Her mama and her grandmama were too busy getting fucked in every hole on their body.
If it weren’t for me throwing her a few hundred for keeping the dressing room clean, she wouldn’t be alive today.
You messed up my plans for her, and that’s why you have to pay up. ”
Hearing him say that had me seeing red. I balled my hands into fists and snickered darkly.
“You’re out of your rabid-ass mind, thinking you’re going to get a dime out of either one of us.
I don’t respect a nigga that makes his living by taking advantage of women.
You’re nothing but a bitch.” I looked him up and down, top lip curled enough to change my facial features.
“Leave Charisma alone. That’s my only warning. ”
“You think just because you come in here throwing your weight around and making demands that I’m supposed to get in line?
” He wiggled his meaty finger at me. “It doesn’t work like that.
I’m the boss, and I decide when debts can be cleared.
Rizz owes me. Either she pays, or you do.
I don’t really have a preference other than dollar signs. ”
I nodded slowly, seeing how he wanted to play it.
I glanced down at the nigga still curled up on the floor.
Lifting my foot, I brought it down forcefully, snapping his leg in half.
Keeping my eyes on Dice, I lifted my foot again then did the same thing to his other leg.
I was pretty sure he passed out from the pain, bringing a smile to my face.
Returning my attention to Dice, I said, “Just so we’re clear, you’re saying you’re not going to leave my woman alone, right?”
He smiled widely and clapped his hands. “You’re smart. I like that.” He pointed at me and sneered. “I’m not Bryaire. You can’t handle me like him or put fear in my heart. I will harass and threaten Rizz until I get what I want.”
“Cool,” I replied calmly with a halfhearted shrug. Backing away, I walked out of the office with my friends trailing behind me. Nothing had to be said, because they knew my thought process.
The world became mute as we made our way out the club. “You gon’ be good?” Jah asked me once we were outside. I gave him a knowing look, and he grinned. “Aight, just call when you’re ready, and it’s handled.”
“Respect.” I dapped up each of them before they went to their respective vehicles and left the club—while I walked around to the back alley and found a nice place to post up out of sight.
I was so zoned out that I couldn’t even say how much time passed. I didn’t move a muscle until I saw the back door open. Some people were carrying that nigga Bryaire out, but he was not my target, because he was already looking at a long road of healing ahead of him.
They loaded him into a truck then took off.
A minute later, the door opened again, and I saw the fat muthafucka I was waiting for.
Pulling my shiesty out of my back pocket, I slid it over my face to hide my features.
Going into my waistband, I pulled out my gat and screwed on the silencer that was in my pocket.
He was too busy rubbing on the young girl walking beside him to notice he was being watched. The sight of it disgusted me and only encouraged me to follow through. Since they were distracted, I walked up behind them and pressed the barrel of my gun at the back of his head.
“Should’ve took that get out of jail free card when I offered it to you, bitch-ass nigga,” I said through gritted teeth.
Pow!
I blew his brains out, and the feeling was satisfying.
I ignored the screaming girl and took off running back in the direction I came.
My truck was parked down the adjacent alley, so once I got there, I took off my mask and put the gun in the glove compartment.
Pulling out my phone, I sent a text message.
Me: Come over. Dinner is ready.
After pressing send, I started up and hit the gas, making the truck jerk forward in a roar.
I gained control of it and leaned back in my seat to cruise on home.
Neither of them niggas would ever be an issue for my woman again.
I told her I was going to keep her safe, and I’d kept that promise.
What I was looking forward to the most was going home and seeing her pretty-ass smile when she knew Daddy was home.