Chapter 20
TWENTY
MYTHIC
I knocked on the hospital door, and that nigga said, “Come the fuck in.”
Maui’s eyebrows lifted, and she walked right past me into his room. “Seven! Please tell that’s not how you answer when anyone else knocks!”
He rolled his eyes as I set the to-go container on his bed tray. “Most times I do. They need to know who they dealing with.”
“I swear, Daddy couldn’t have been this bad.”
I went to him and shook his hand. “What’s up, Mythic?”
“What’s up?” I responded.
“Ready to get the fuck out of here.”
“What did they say about your leg, Seven?” Maui asked.
He went on to tell her how the bullet didn’t hit any bones or major arteries, and basically that he just had to heal.
This nigga was a trip. If Mr. Storm was like this when he was younger, I didn’t know how anybody could even stand being around him.
Dinner had finally eased up, and everyone was talking to everybody, except Red Squared.
That nigga was a hot head for no fucking reason.
He was being a hot head with the wrong one too.
Mr. Storm was fucking analyzing his ass the whole time we watched and listened to their conversation.
I was pretty sure Carter was gon’ tell him about that shit too.
Seven opened the to-go container and licked his lips. That food was good as fuck. He opened the plastic fork as I sat on the couch, and Maui stood at his side. “Daddy said you’ll probably get discharged tomorrow.”
“Yep. I’m sure they gon’ speed that shit up too. They probably ready to get rid of my ass now.”
I slowly shook my head as Maui cleared her throat. He glanced at her and frowned. “Man, don’t be clearing your throat by my food and shit. Why you just standing there?”
Maui huffed. “I just had a question. How did you find out that Mythic sent them people to rob you?”
He looked at me, so Maui glanced at me too. I was staring at Seven as well, my gaze unwavering. I should have put my fucking blade in my mouth before I left home. At least he was at the hospital to receive immediate fucking attention if need be.
Seven smirked, and said, “It’s no secret that we have mutual friends.
PJ and Ace are two of them. PJ is your cousin, and Ace is my cousin.
I feel like PJ is more loyal to you, although he tries to play the middle.
Well, Ace is more loyal to me, although he tries to play the middle too.
He overheard Adrian repeating that shit.
That’s why Ace hadn’t really been hanging with you as of late.
He told me he checked on you after I shot you though. ”
He ate some rice, then said, “I’m pretty sure PJ knew too, but he kept that shit to himself.
Adrian was a snake, dude. I’m sure you knew that shit.
I have my ear to the street a lot more than muthafuckas think I do.
Did I snitch on you? I may have hinted at that shit, but you were already on their radar.
Keep your eyes open, because those crooked ass cops that released you, they looking for yo’ ass too. ”
I frowned and stood. “What the fuck?”
“Mm-hmm. Dad said he was gonna get Watchful Eyes on y’all, but you still need to be aware too. You fucked up their pockets when you killed Adrian. Shit, you fucked up a lot of niggas pockets. If I wasn’t down, I’d help you clear those muthafuckas out,” he said as I sat back down.
Maui huffed and flopped next to me. I grabbed her hand and could feel it trembling. I lifted it and kissed her. “It’s gon’ be okay, baby. Okay? I got’chu.”
“I’m not worried about me. I know you got me. I’m worried about you and the fool with a bullet hole in his leg.”
I smirked. “Both of us gon’ be fine. Okay? We got a squad. The Hendersons and Watchful Eyes? We can’t lose, baby.”
Seven stared at us for a moment, then said, “Y’all look good together, and you seem good for each other. I’m glad we were able to clear this shit up. Maui get on my fucking nerves most times, but I still wanna see her happy.”
She shot him the finger, causing me to chuckle. Lil mama didn’t curse that much in regular conversation, so it always made me chuckle when she did. “Well, since your ass is fine, we’re gonna go. I’m gonna already have to deal with your spoiled ass when you get home.”
He nodded repeatedly. “I’m gon’ make sure I have a bell too. Y’all gon’ be running up and down those stairs.”
“Hell naw, I’m not. Aunt Vida gon’ be there. She gon’ fuck you up. You know she don’t play with your ass.”
I chuckled at their banter. They sounded like Treasure and me. Cachet and I didn’t argue nearly as much, because she always dipped behind Mama and Daddy as soon as she got done tattling.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. See you tomorrow, bucket head.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. See you tomorrow, nigga.”
Once we left out of his room, I put my arm around Maui’s shoulders. I couldn’t stop the smile that emerged. She glanced up at me and smiled too.
“What’s the smile for?” she asked.
“This shit with the family is done. We can live in peace, baby. That shit feels better than I even imagined it would.”
“It does, huh? If my dad let you make it earlier about you talking about us making a baby, he really respects and likes you.”
I pulled her head to me and kissed it. Thank you, Indigo.
I was a little tight about being around all Maui’s family at once.
I was meeting her at the diner for lunch today.
It was Friday, and she told me everyone practically chilled there until they closed.
I’d been leaving my razor blade at home, because I knew I needed to relax, but fuck!
It was hard to relax around that many muthafuckas that were once out for my blood.
I glanced over at Epic, and he said, “Chill out. It’s gon’ be cool. ”
“Yeah, you right. You staying to eat?”
“Hell yeah. I’m tryna see Malia fine ass too.”
“Shiiiid, you think I had a hard time with Storm. Marcus will kill yo’ ass, man. How old is she anyway?”
“She’s like twenty-one or something. She ain’t that much younger than me.”
“If you say so. If I were you, I would concentrate on Aaliyah or Asad’s other sister, Kambel. I know Aaliyah is like twenty-four or something, right?”
“Yeah. Kambel is too young. I think she just turned twenty. I ain’t tryna ruin her fairytale dreams. She look like a good girl.”
“Nigga, Wale said it best. The hood girls want a smart nigga, and the college girls all want a thug. You ain’t nowhere near the thug that I am though.”
“Naw, but I definitely ain’t soft either.”
“Well, rodeo niggas can’t afford to be soft.”
He nodded as he turned into the diner parking lot.
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
My arm had started throbbing all over again.
I couldn’t wait to get this fucking cast off.
I had like two more weeks until that shit could happen.
When he put the truck in park, I opened the door and hopped out.
I focused my concentration on seeing my baby.
I couldn’t wait until her house was built.
Although I liked Mr. Storm, I wasn’t trying to be in that nigga’s face like that.
He had a really strong personality, and I did too.
I could only keep it under wraps for so long.
Before I could get to the door, Maui came running out and jumped against me. She had so much trust in me. I barely caught her lil ass with my good arm. I wasn’t trying to fuck my arm up any more than it already was. I laughed as she hugged me tightly.
“What’s up, baby? You good?”
“I hate not being with you. I miss you.”
“I miss you too.”
She slid out of my arm and said, “I break ground next week!”
“Damn! That’s what’s up! I can’t wait to wake up to your beautiful face.”
She smiled and glanced at Mr. Ali. He’d been following me today.
Grabbing my hand, she led me inside. When we walked in, those muthafuckas all went silent.
I froze, knowing that I should have brought my gun and my blade.
Maui held on to my arm tightly, like she was going to protect me from all these niggas some kind of way.
All of a sudden, Ashanni started clapping and everybody else joined her.
“You muthafuckas! Had me about to crash out in here!” I yelled.
They laughed loudly and every woman in the place came and hugged me.
I didn’t recognize a lot of them, but one that I did recognize was Tiffany because she was married to my cousin, and she was at most of the rodeos my dad was at.
When she got to me, she said, “I’m proud of your rowdy ass!
You hung in there for your woman, and that’s what that shit is all about.
We all tried to talk her out of this shit.
You proved everybody wrong, although the only approval you needed was hers. ”
“Thanks, cuz.”
She hugged me tightly, and I closed my eyes, feeling the love in her embrace. After hugging people and shaking hands, Maui led me to the table with Ashanni and Asad, Milana and Ferris, and the twins. When we sat, Ashanni smiled. “I want you to know, I was rooting for y’all.”
I smiled, and she said, “Damn. You don’t have a grill in.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, that shit catches people off guard all the time. I know you was rooting for us, and I appreciate everything, Ashanni. Real shit. You kept me in the know about my babies. I will always remember that.”
I fiddled with the pendant on my necklace for a second, then kissed Maui’s head as she smiled.
When one of Maui’s aunts came to the table, she set a platter of stuffed fried chicken in the middle, then smiled at me.
“Hi, sweetheart. I’m Aunt Chrissy. We typically know everybody’s menu choices in the family. So we have to learn yours.”
I smiled big. Before I could respond, she said, “Lord, you have a beautiful smile, baby.”
“Thanks, Aunt Chrissy.”