Chapter 10
Waking up with Cordova in my arms felt amazing.
I cooked her breakfast and had a bouquet of flowers scheduled for delivery before we parted ways.
I needed to go to the arcade and make sure they were good for a party tonight before going to see my folks.
Apparently, something had happened if they were summoning me.
A week had passed since our first date, and we’d settled into a comfortable routine.
We alternated between sleeping at her place and mine.
Quite frankly, I didn’t care where we slept as long as it was together.
Now that we’d started, I didn’t want to stop.
I’d never had a more peaceful sleep than what I got next to her.
As I pulled into the warehouse, I checked my phone to make sure Cordova hadn’t texted me back. I’d planned to take her to Rose Valley Hills this weekend before it got too cold. Whatever she asked for, whatever she wanted, I wanted to provide.
The Wife: This weekend is perfect pooh. I’m not scheduled to work.
Perfect. We’ll leave Friday morning and come back Monday morning if that’s cool with you?
After sending the text, I went into the warehouse.
By the time we were done, Cordova should have been off from work, and I couldn’t wait to get to my girl.
I couldn’t wait to lay up under her. She was truly my peace.
Yeah, I had a version of it that I maintained on my own, but Cordova was an incubator.
Whatever I gave her, she doubled. She increased my happiness and my peace, and I didn’t give a fuck how much of a sap it made me look like…
Being around her was my favorite place to be.
I valued her more than anything and planned to spend the rest of my life keeping her so happy and satisfied that she never wanted to leave me.
“Wassup?” I spoke, closing the door of Pops’ office behind me.
“Maaan, say,” Keem said. “Ya boy been on one all week.”
“Who?” I asked, leaning against the door as I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Brandon,” Pops said. “He’s been scoping out my trap houses and following my dealers.
He hopped out on a few of my young niggas and stole they product.
He made sure to tell them they could work for him if I let them live.
You know how I feel about niggas losing my shit and not having my fucking money.
He’s taunting me and trying to make me move, and you know I don’t let no nigga control me. ”
I exhaled a hard breath and tilted my head. “So what you gon’ do? I know you would usually kill anyone who let someone take their product.”
“I’ma let ’em live. If I kill ’em, I don’t want my men thinking they aren’t safe with me. It’s a certain level of fear and respect they gotta have to keep them loyal, but there’s a thin line. If they start to fear me too much, they’ll leave, and I don’t have time to bring in new men.”
“Now that he’s dragged us into this, I’m cool with us going to war,” Clover said. “He fucked up stealing that product and should have kept his focus on getting the house.”
“Well, whenever y’all make a move, just let me know. I want in,” I said, and Clover immediately shook his head.
“Nah. You wanted out, remember?”
“And I’m still out, but Cordova is my gal now, and these her people. If anyone is going to kill them, it’s going to be me.”
“You sure you want that pressure, Son?” My eyes shifted in Pops’ direction. “That’s a heavy weight to carry. You think Cordova will be okay with that?”
“She won’t have a choice. I won’t let them continue to cause issues for her or y’all. A dead threat ain’t no threat at all.”
“I would say talk to her about it first, Drake,” Nathan said. “I know she’s had problems with her people, but that’s still her blood. Whatever you wanna do, I’ma ride with you. I just wanna make sure it doesn’t cause no issues between y’all.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and seeing as she was the only person on my favorites list, I knew it was Cordova. I lifted my finger to pause the conversation as I pulled out my phone.
“You good, boo?”
“No!” she whined, then sobbed.
Without even having to hear anything else, I damn near ripped the hinges off the door trying to get out that motherfucker and get to her.