Chapter 10
CARTER LEGEND
“Who in the fuck is that nigga next to her, though?”
“Red, you acting like you don’t know Brian. That’s Asad’s friend.”
This nigga was tripping. I didn’t know how the fuck we ended up at the same restaurant with Noni, Milana, Asad, Ferris, and Brian.
The very person I was trying to keep him from was within his reach.
Since we were in a public place, he knew I wouldn’t be able to stop him from going over there without making a fucking scene.
When I saw Brian grab Noni’s hand, I knew that was why Bali was pissed. The only problem with that was I knew Red saw that shit, too. His face was redder than the color of his nickname. He nodded repeatedly. I knew he was trying to calm himself down.
“Man, why don’t we just go find somewhere else to eat.”
“Hell, naw. I ain’t finna let her ass run me off.”
“I would much rather that than seeing you throw your career away over this shit by losing your temper.”
“I’m good,” he said a little louder than necessary.
Noni turned and noticed us sitting here.
She smirked, and I knew the shit was finna hit the fan.
That was why Bali came back early. For her to not want to be with her people, I should have known that it was really bad.
Noni leaned closer to Brian, and he put his arm around her.
He didn’t see us. I wondered if Asad had told him that Noni was his lil brother’s ex.
He couldn’t have for Brian to still be trying to get at her.
“She tryna get a rise out of me. You right. Let’s get the fuck out of here, before I go over there and jack her ass up.”
I huffed. This nigga and Noni were toxic as fuck.
They were both full of shit. I had to admit, Red had started this shit, though.
I just had a feeling Noni would finish it.
I dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the table to pay for our drinks, and we stood.
Just as I walked toward the exit, I saw Red quickly make his way to their table. Fuck!
“You really showing your fucking colors tonight. You never loved me . . . bringing this shit here when you know I got a fucking job to do.”
“Red, we are no longer a couple. I can do what the fuck I want.”
“Couple?” Brian asked.
“That’s what I was trying to tell your no-lip reading ass,” Asad said.
He stared at Noni with a slight frown on his face as Red continued.
“You tryna fuck my head up. I know I fucked up, but this is my fucking career you fucking with. What if I went to the clinic with another woman? You wouldn’t take too kindly to that shit, would you?
This shit is fucked up. You know I’m familiar with Brian. That’s okay. Yo’ ass full of shit.”
“Nigga, if you don’t get the fuck on,” she said as Brian frowned at her and shook his head.
We were garnering plenty of attention, so I said, “Come on, man. Let’s go.”
“Yeah. I see why Bali didn’t wanna be around yo’ ass tonight.”
Noni’s face turned completely red, and she looked like she was about to unleash her savage. When she stood from her seat, I pulled Red away from her, and we headed out of the restaurant, only for her to follow us, talking shit.
“She don’t wanna be around me, because I was trying to appease a sorry muthafucka like you. A nigga that’s so insecure with who he is as a man that he wants his woman to do whatever he say and be under his control. Fuck you. You don’t even deserve to be named after your father.”
Before I could stop that nigga, he grabbed her by the arm. “What the fuck you say to me?”
“Shit! Man, let’s go!” I yelled as I tried to get him into the truck. “Noni, carry yo’ ass back inside the restaurant. You making this shit worse.”
She shot me the finger as Red released her, slightly pushing her away from him. She brought her hand back and popped him in the mouth. That nigga grabbed her and pinned her against the truck, holding her by the neck.
“You got way too much mouth, Noni, but if you gon’ put yo’ hands on me, that means you giving me permission to put my hands on you. You think you can go toe-to-toe with a man? We finna find out.”
He put his other hand around her neck as well while she tried to fight him.
I was struggling, trying to get him away from her.
Asad appeared at his side and helped me pull him away from her while Milana restrained Noni.
I was so fucking thankful they came after her, because this wasn’t gonna end well.
He was trying to have Storm all up in his shit.
Noni’s neck was red, and Squared’s face was red where she hit him. He jerked away from us and got in the truck, the place he was trying to go to avoid all this shit. After he closed the door, Noni yelled, “That’s yo’ ass, nigga!’
I walked over to her, pointing in her face, and said, “Shut the fuck up. He was trying to avoid this shit. That nigga love you, and he trying to work on himself. He couldn’t get better because y’all muthafuckas are toxic together.
You’re no better than him. You ain’t gotta worry about shit else when it comes to him.
Real shit. You caused all this shit tonight, and I’ll be glad to tell anybody who needs to know that shit, including your dad.
I see why Bali didn’t wanna come. She knew you were on some fuck shit. ”
Her lip twitched like she wanted to get at me, but instead, she just walked away.
It was rare I cursed at a woman, but she had me hot as fuck.
I typically kept my cool and was laid-back.
Noni was trying to fuck up everything this weekend.
I was going to do my best not to let her win, though.
Red and I would be on our shit tomorrow, even if I had to get Mrs. Tiffany to get her the fuck away from us.
“I’m going to be with your family, baby, if you’re looking for me in the stands.”
I frowned slightly. I hated this shit. She wanted no parts of her family, namely Noni, and I could tell that shit was eating her up inside.
I pulled her to me and kissed her head, then her lips.
I’d told her what happened last night, and she was so pissed.
She wanted to go fuck Noni up, but she made the decision to handle her after we got back home.
She said she refused to cause more drama and throw me off my game.
I wished Noni respected Red the same way.
It was one thing to break up with Red and still show up here, but to intentionally fuck with him was wrong.
She knew that nigga was easily distracted.
This was that nigga’s career she was fucking with.
I had no clue she could be this fucking evil.
Bali wasn’t even this bad . . . well, who knew if she would be had our situation been anything like theirs.
“I’m sorry all this shit went down. For once, it wasn’t Red’s fault.”
“I know. I don’t even know who she is right now. Honestly, I don’t blame Red. He should have choked the shit out of her. That’s what the fuck I’m gon’ do when we get home.”
“Well, that will be between y’all, but I can’t have my boy fucking up his life, losing sponsors and shit over his temper.”
“Please make sure Mister Red prays over him real good. We didn’t come all this way for y’all to be off your game. I wanna wish him luck, but I know seeing me may make him lose it on me. Then all that shit I just said will be for nothing, because I would have his head all fucked up.”
I chuckled as my mama and Treasure approached us with huge smiles on their faces. “Hey, daughter-in-law!” my mama said.
She’d been calling Bali that for a while.
It was one of the first times I saw Bali blush with anyone besides me.
After hugging my mama and sister, I was about to walk away, but Red Squared, Uncle Red, Dad, Mythic, and Epic walked up on us.
Squared went straight to Bali and said, “I know you probably heard. I’m sorry about last night.
I can’t tell her that, because I’m still somewhat angry. I just—”
Surprising everybody, Bali wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. “Fuck all that. That shit is on her. All you need to be worried about right now is fucking up those steers. Understood?”
It was like Squared relaxed immediately. He smiled slightly at Bali, and she said, “You tell anybody in my family I hugged you like that, I’ll make sure you don’t make it to Vegas. You won’t even see me coming.”
He chuckled as he gave her a bigger smile and a chuckle. “Thank you, Bali. That means a lot, especially coming from you.”
“Thank me by breaking that steer’s legs.”
“You got that shit.”
I slapped his hand and pulled him in for a one-armed hug, then kissed Bali on her lips. “I love you, girl.”
“I love you more, Carter Legend. See you after Red’s event.”
“A’ight, baby,” I said as I bit my bottom lip and walked away from her.
“Man, I ain’t never seen Bali that mild. Whatever the fuck Noni did had to be bad for her to be hugging your ass,” Uncle Red said.
I chuckled. “Not too much on my baby, na.” Everyone chuckled. “She also said to make sure you prayed over Squared ‘real’ good.”
He nodded and smiled as Squared slid his hand down his face.
My boy was bothered, but I needed him to get himself together.
Aunt Shana was already in the stall, waiting for him.
When she saw us, she smiled and came toward us.
However, when she saw her baby, she went right to him and pulled him in her arms.
That was that nigga problem. She babied his ass.
He thought he was supposed to always get his way.
Noni taught his ass differently. I hated to admit it, but had Red not fucked up first, we wouldn’t be in this situation.
That admission didn’t excuse her behavior, though.
She was fucking evil for that shit she pulled.