1. Lawton
Lawton
Snatching the cover down from my waist, I stood from the bed and stretched. The mattress in my condo didn’t hold a candle to the one at my estate. Making a mental note to order a new one, I walked toward the en-suite bathroom so I could handle my hygiene and get my day started.
I had a few meetings lined up this afternoon, but a more pressing matter would have me shooting out of town before the sun could fully rise. After relieving my bladder, I started the shower and shed the silk pajama bottoms.
Fully engrossed in my thoughts, I stood under the streaming water and let it roll down my aching body.
Six months ago, my life had been flipped upside down, and for the first few weeks I allowed myself to mourn my failed relationship.
Adele, my businesses, and my slew of friends had been my solitude.
Even with having all those things to occupy my idle time, I still had this feeling of regret.
My regret wasn’t enough for me to completely disrupt Dahlia’s peace; therefore, I buried my ill feelings and went about my day. At night was when I felt the loneliest, leaving me to seek comfort in a few women.
The fear of history repeating itself kept me from keeping them around for longer than three to four weeks. Once the time came, I swiftly ended things and moved on without a care in the world.
Anytime I entertained company, I did so at my downtown condo that was central to my office. I couldn’t run the risk of inviting someone to my house. The stunt that Dahlia pulled had cost me a grip to fix. I refused to go through that shit again.
My condo was hardly furnished so I didn’t mind it getting fucked up along the way. Laughing at the thought, I shook my head and decided to wash up so I could get a move on.
The waft of cool air blowing through the shower had me turning my head toward the door.
“Want some company?” my latest conquest, Mia, asked, leaning against the shower door in the nude.
“No need. I’m getting ready to get out.”
Shutting off the water, I snatched my towel off the rack and secured it around my waist. Bypassing her, I stepped out of the shower and into my slippers.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“It’s still dark out. I didn’t want to interrupt your”
“Any time spent with you is an interruption I welcome. Besides, the fire blazing between my thighs is begging to be put out,” Mia flirted.
“I appreciate the offer, love. However, I’ve got moves to make,” I informed as I leaned to place a kiss on the side of her neck.
Moving through the room with her trailing behind me, I grabbed boxers and a t-shirt out of the drawer. Mia sat at the foot of the bed and watched while I dropped the towel and stepped into the boxers.
“When will you be back?”
“Later. I have a few meetings then I need to stop by the youth center to see how it’s going.”
“Will I see you later?” She waited with bated breath for me to answer.
“If time permits, you will. If not, I’ll make sure I’ll give you a call.”
Satisfied with my answer, she nodded her head and slid on the clothes she had packed in her overnight bag. After a few rounds of sex last night, she and I showered and hopped into bed.
While she handled her hygiene in the bathroom, I moved casually around the room and got dressed. Once we were both done, I ushered her downstairs to her car and slid in the back of the blacked-out SUV that was awaiting me.
“ Where to Dutch?” my driver, Baker, asked.
“Warehouse in the Heights.”
Baker tipped his head, started the truck, and pulled out of the parking garage.
The drive out of the city would take approximately three hours. Being that I only had a few hours of sleep, I closed my eyes so I could rest before jumping headfirst into business.
* * *
“Damn Dutch,” my little brother, Supreme, groaned and scratched at his stomach. “We couldn’t handle this shit during regular hours. A nigga just got in from the club.”
Staring in the face of the younger, lighter version of my pops, I shook my head and groused, “Fuck no.” Motioning for him to sit down on the tattered sofa in the center of the room, I sat on the corner of the table and got down to business.
“What’s this I hear ‘bout some young niggas selling shit on our corners.”
“Mane.” Preme shook his head in disbelief. “I been heard ‘bout it but I can never catch the niggas out handling business. I got the team looking high and low for ‘em though.”
During a conversation I was having with Supreme’s right-hand, Dreaux, I found out some new niggas had landed in town and called themselves setting up shop in our territory.
That shit was a no-go and I had killed for less.
That information pissed me off and had me interrupting my already busy schedule to pull up on Preme.
For starters, the information should’ve come from him and not the second-in-charge.
I understood Preme was his own man and liked to handle shit in his own way but if he couldn’t get it handled in a timely manner, I would have to step in.
That wasn’t something I was prepared or wanting to do being that I worked extremely hard to keep both entities of my life and business separate from the other.
“That shit ain’t good enough for me Preme. You know the rules. We eliminate all possible threats. If we let one muthafucka slide, the rest of ‘em gon’ feel like it’s okay to do it too. And that’s fucking with my money.”
“Ain’t just yo’ money Dutch. We in this shit together, or did you forget?” Preme said, agitation laced his voice.
“I ain’t forget shit,” I retorted dismissively. “I’m beginning to feel like you not taking this shit serious Preme.”
“Yeah aight. Not taking it seriously, huh,” he countered. “It’s my face on the front line of this shit. I’m all muthafuckas see while yo’ ass call the shots from the backgrounds.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the shit you do. Hell, if it wasn’t for you stepping up to spearhead this shit, none of it would be possible. I got an image to uphold and can’t get my hands as dirty as you can.”
“Yet you hit me up in the middle of night demanding my presence over some bullshit that you heard. Not once have you said ‘Preme, I’mma let you handle yo’ business.’ Nigga act like if this shit blows up, I won’t be the one catching the flack,” he hissed, venom dripping from every word.
Surrendering, I stuffed my hands in the pocket of my slacks. “Aight… I might be a lil’ testy.”
“Might be,” he huffed. “Yo’ ass been uptight since Dahlia dipped on you. We ain’t never handled business like this, and brother or not… we not ‘bout to start. I’on come down to yo’ shit tryna tell you how to run yours. I’mma need the same respect.”
“You got it,” I conceded.
“It’s ‘bout time for you to put ya’ pride to the side and get ya’ girl back. We ain’t gon’ have too many more conversations like this. I don’t work for you, Dutch. I work with you, and if you keep blurring the lines, we gon’ have an issue.”
“Ain’t happening.” I waved him off.
“Shit. Maybe you need to make things official with Adele old ass. Lord knows she been chilling in the cut waiting on you to be single.”
That garnered a laugh out of us both. “You playing but you know me and Adele can’t be nothing but friends.”
Using his hand to stroke his chin, Preme mused. “You know what I don’t understand? What the hell you saw in a woman two years older than mama?”
That was one question I’d been asked several times before and usually I would conjure up some bullshit ass answer but since this was my brother, I decided to keep it real.
“When I learned my way around a woman’s body, Adele let me fuck her in every hole. You don’t find to many women out there willing to let shit like that go down.”
“I ain’t know Adele ass was freaky like that.”
“Shit.” I laughed. “You have no idea.”
“But nigga she the same age as Mama. Like ugh.” Preme fake gagged.
I could sit up here and tell him till I was blue in the face how shit with Adele was more than sex and the only thing his ass would see was her age. Adele and my mama were best friends at one point.
When she and I started our illicit affair, she pulled away from my mama and used the divorce from her husband as the excuse. My parents, Adele, and her husband ran in the same social circle so naturally when they split, my pops took her husband’s side.
My mama tried to remain neutral, but the entire situation left a bad taste in Adele’s mouth, coupled with the fact that I was bending her ass over every chance I got.
“Exactly. Grown.” I chuckled.
“Y’all back kicking it now that you and Dah done split.
My head shook vehemently. “Nawl. Ships sailed. I’m too busy trying to enjoy my newfound singleness.”
“You miss her though,” Preme surmised and folded his hands behind his head.
“Immensely, but it’s for the best.” Gazing down at my watch I knew it was time for this visit to come to an end. “I gotta jet. I got just enough time to make it back to the city for my first meeting.”
“Yeah, I need to get going myself. I ain’t seen the inside of my crib in thirty-six hours.”
“Stay out them streets. You too old for that shit.”
Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Preme waved me off. “And have you popping up on my ass accusing me of slacking.”
“More like checking on my shit.”
“If you wanna call it that,” he rasped smugly. “Next time you come up here, you should stop by the crib and visit Mama.”
“You already know I’m not ‘bout to do that shit.” Rising from the spot I was seated on, I slid my sports coat on.
“Forgiveness goes a long way. You can’t hate her forever.”
Supreme never ceased to bring up our mother. He out of all people knew how annoyed I got at the mention of her name.
“I don’t hate her Sincere. I pay the mortgage on her house, all of her bills, on top of depositing a hefty stipend in her account monthly. Shit, I wouldn’t dare do that for someone I hate.”
Tossing a frustrated look my way, Preme maintained his stance. “Out of obligation though Lawton.”