Chapter 2 Adore
Running the streets as a woman came with a lot of bullshit.
Niggas either wanted to fuck you, fight you, or figure out a way to rob you.
Very few respected you. People assumed the streets were loud.
But the most dangerous moments in this life were when everything got quiet.
That’s when you knew something was wrong.
When the sirens, gunshots, and bass stopped, a nigga somewhere lurking.
I sat behind my desk at my house going through the numbers from the last two weeks.
Everything looked good on paper. The corner stores were producing.
The trap houses were steady and the club was bringing in more money since summer started.
Even with all that, something in my bones told me something was off.
Money told me a lot. My phone buzzed with Whodie’s face.
“What are you doin’?” He asked before I could say hello.
“Working as usual.”
“You ate?”
I paused.
“Yeah, yo’ ass ain’t ate. I’mma ‘bouta order you something and get it sent to the house.”
“Can’t even argue with you. Thank you, baby.”
That was Whodie, always protecting, checking, and hovering to make sure I was safe.
We talked a few more minutes before hanging up.
I shut my computer off and locked my safe so I could go and take a shower.
It was going to take UberEATS at least an hour before they brought my food.
I wanted to go out and see what the club was talking about tonight.
The club scene wasn’t my thing. I let Whodie handle that.
Every now and then, I liked to throw some money.
After my shower, Hollow was calling. I hadn’t heard from his ass all week. Rushing, I answered because his patience was thin and he would hang up after one ring.
“Damn, ‘bout time you answered the phone. What you doing?” He asked.
“Just got out of the shower and going to head to the club later. Why? I know you’re only calling me for a fucking reason. Especially since I hadn’t heard from you all week.”
“Adore, don’t start that shit. I just got back in town. I need to holler at you about something face to face. Without Whodie.”
When he said that, it sent chills down my spine. My brother didn’t have any beef with Whodie, so if he didn’t want him to hear what was said, this was important.
“Everything cool?”
“I just need to talk to you. Swing by tomorrow before I head to work.”
“Okay,” I dragged. “You got my anxiety up. Can I get a hint?”
“Phones, nigga! You know that shit. I’ll see you tomorrow, big head.” He hung up in my face.
Three hours later, I was throwing cash at the strippers as the music blared from the speakers.
I believed in investing in the strippers.
A lot of my information came from them when I was getting my hair or nails done.
The niggas didn’t have respect, but the bitches did.
Whodie had them selling pills throughout the club, and the shit was bringing in so much money that I needed to see how it was running with my own eyes.
As I let the stacks rain down on a thick dark-skinned stripper, I watched the bottle girls serving drinks from the bar while the dancers worked the stage.
Everything looked normal. If you weren’t part of the street life, you would never notice what was really happening here.
Pills were being passed between dances, and money was being moved between VIP sections.
Security made sure nobody looked too closely. The shit was smooth.
I popped the last rubber band off the stack and tossed it in the air.
The strippers squealed as the bills rained down.
The operation was running exactly how it was supposed to.
Which meant there was no reason for me to stay around any longer.
I stood up and started looking around for Whodie, but he hadn’t made it yet.
He had texted and said he would be here by now.
Instead of thinking too far into it, I headed to the bathroom.
The Remy was running through me, and I was about to piss myself.
As soon as I stepped into the bathroom stall and shut the door, the music outside faded into a dull vibration through the walls.
A few seconds later, the bathroom door opened.
“If they knew what the fuck you were doing, they’ll kill yo’ ass,” a girl’s voice whispered nervously. “I’m not about to be part of this shit with you.”
“Bitch, how they gon’ find out unless your scary ass starts running your mouth?” the other girl snapped. “Watch the damn door and make sure nobody comes in here.”
I cut my piss off so they wouldn’t know I was in the bathroom.
“And Shay,” the girl added, “Don’t go out there looking fucking suspicious or you won’t get shit tonight.”
I didn’t even bother to wipe. I pulled my panties up, fixed my dress, and quietly reached down to the strap on my thigh.
The little .22 slid into my hand like it belonged there.
Stupid bitch didn’t even check the stalls.
When I pushed the door open, I caught the girl mid-movement, stuffing small bags of pills up her pussy.
I leaned against the sink and pointed my gun straight at her head.
“If you shove one more bag up that wide ass pussy, I’mma shoot that bitch off,” I said calmly.
The girl froze instantly. Piss started dripping down her leg.
“Adore…I…it’s not what it looks like.”
“Hoe, you stealing. That’s exactly what it looks like.”
Her friend was still standing there by the door, looking like she wanted to disappear.
“How many bags you got up there?” I asked.
“About…five.”
“Bitch!” I went across her head with the gun. “So, you got racks worth of product up your pussy? What you planning on doing with it?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“You the dumbest bitch in the club.”
The blood from her head was changing the color of her blonde wig. I leaned in closer to her.
“I hate a fucking thief.”
“Please, Adore. I promise I won’t do it again.”
“Oh, I know you won’t.”
I fired my gun twice. The bullets ripped through her thigh and she collapsed, screaming.
“I want my shit outta your pussy tonight, bitch. If it gotta be cut out, it better be on the desk in one hour.”
I moved towards the door where her friend was shivering.
“Move, bitch!”
I walked out of the club like nothing had happened.
I had to get out of those pissy panties and calm down before I turned around and killed that bitch for real.
The whole time I showered, my phone was going off.
I assumed they must’ve found the bitch in the bathroom and Whodie was calling to find out what was going on.
By the time he made it here, I was going to be on two blunts, and my nerves would be calm, so I could talk calmly.
The sound of the side door to the garage slammed. I could hear Whodie’s chains before I could ever see him. A few seconds later, he stepped into the den, looking like he had just fought the whole club on the way here.
“What the fuck, Adore?”
I didn’t even move from the couch. I took another pull from the blunt and blew smoke towards the ceiling.
“I’m calm right now. So, bring your voice down before you piss me off too,” I said evenly.
“Who the fuck you talking to?” Whodie snapped. “Don’t fucking play with me like that. You just fucked up my money in the club and now I gotta pay hospital bills and shit.”
I shot up from the couch so fast the room spun for a second.
“I wish the fuck you would pay that bitch hospital bill,” I shot back. “She was stealing from us. You know I don’t play that shit.”
“You move too damn fast, Adore. Why you ain’t come holla at me first?” He ran his hands through his locs.
“What the fuck do I need to holla at you for? I’m the boss of this shit, nigga,” I fired back.
“Lower your muthafuckin’ voice,” he warned. “You already got me irritated.”
He kicked his shoes off and tossed his shirt aside, revealing the bulletproof vest.
“That bitch been skimmin’ for a minute. I was letting her hang herself.”
“Then how does the money at the club still come out right?” I asked.
“‘Cause I was puttin’ it back.”
“You fucking her?” My eyes narrowed.
“Adore…”
“Nah, she looks like your type. You probably been messing with that hoe. You been acting funny as fuck lately.”
“Man, go ‘head. You drunk and you high.”
“Nah, I’m thinking.”
“Thinkin’ wrong is what the fuck you doin’.”
He stepped closer until we were chest to chest.
“I’m out here working so you can sit back and look pretty. But if you want me in the house with you all day instead of running the streets, say that.”
“Whatever, Whodie. Just yesterday you was beating the fuck outta a nigga for speaking on me. I can’t shoot a bitch in her thigh for stealing from me? Fuck outta here.”
“That’s nigga shit. A nigga can never speak on yo’ name. But now bitch shit, I let slide until you hang yourself.”
“Do what you want. Just don’t get mad when I go play too.”
His head snapped, and he threw his head back to get his locs out of his face.
“Play where?” He looked at me, deranged.
I ignored him and started towards the hallway, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“Where you goin’ to play at, Adore?”
“Leave me alone.”
“Nah, you start this jealous, insecure shit when you drink.”
I tried to yank away, but he only gripped my arm tighter.
“Whodie…”
“Relax, man. You really need to fuckin’ chill.”
For a second, the tension between us shifted.
We had been arguing like enemies, but that was how it always went with us.
One minute, we were ready to kill each other, and the next, we remembered why we worked so well together.
Whodie kissed me, making me forget why I was mad.
I could hear the zipper of his jeans and them falling to the floor.
He picked me up without breaking the kiss.
As soon as the dick entered, my mind went blank.
“You done being crazy?” Whodie asked.
I didn’t answer, trying to be hardheaded.
Shit, maybe I wanted him to punish me. Whodie did just what I wanted him to do.
He pounded harder, snatching my breath with every thrust. Straight thug passion.
Fucking, tonguing, and gold chains hitting against each other as he dominated what belonged to him.
“Adore, you gon’ quit fuckin’ playin’ wit’ me?”
“Yes!” I whimpered.
“Good, now cum on this dick before I take it out and make you suffer.”
I did as he asked, but this wouldn’t be the first time his ass would fuck me good and not let me cum.
“We done beefin’?” Whodie asked as he pulled his pants up.
“Maybe. It depends.” I laughed.
“Now you talkin’ ‘bout maybe when my dick ain’t in you.”
“I’m done beefing with you, Whodie.”
“Good, because we need to come up with our next move.”
“I handled it,” I told him.
“Yeah, you handled it loud and wrong.”
“Yeah, well, fear keeps people in line.”
“And attentions get niggas locked up.”
I sat down beside him. That was the thing with Whodie. He never tried to take the throne from me. He always made sure I looked at things like a boss. He flicked the ash into the tray and looked over at me.
“I just got word she’s not pressing charges. But you fucked her leg up pretty bad.”
“It was a fucking .22.” I rolled my eyes.
Whodie shook his head, “You sitting here like you ain’t did shit.”
“I did what needed to be done.”
“Next time, holla at me first.”
He got up and grabbed his shirt.
“Fuck you going?”
“My spot until you sleep the liquor off. Don’t want to argue all night.”
“I’m cool!”
“You sho’? I don’t want to get comfortable after my shower and you start with the questions if I’m fuckin’ that hoe.”
“I said I’m cool.”
The next day, I pulled up to Hollow’s. He answered the door with a blunt in his hand and a pair of black scrubs on. Love wasn’t home. I hated that I missed her; I hadn’t seen my girl in a while.
“What’s so urgent?” I asked.
He didn’t say anything, just gave me his back as I followed him to the office.
“You may have a problem,” Hollow finally said.
“What kind of problem?”
“Niggas sniffing around.”
“And how the fuck would you know that before me or Whodie? Nigga, you ain’t even in the streets like we are,” I said with an attitude.
My attitude wasn’t towards him. It was more so because I was slipping, and yet again, my big brother came in to save me. I liked standing on my own. Everyone already thought I hid behind Hollow.
“Calm the little nasty attitude down. I may not be in the streets, but shit still comes to me. Now, I’m talking to you instead of Whodie because if you’re a boss, then it’s time to move your chess pieces.
Whodie can be a bit impulsive. It’s not the time for that.
Pay attention to every bitch ass nigga on your team.
Muthafuckas start out wanting information.
For the right price, a nigga will fold. Keep them big ass eyes open, sis. And I’m always here if you need me.”