10
I hadn’t slept all night. After leaving Freckles, I came straight to the crib waiting to see if Dio would show up, but he didn’t. Foe called to tell me he was going to the Jects to see if he could find him or know if someone had seen him.
The longer he was out there, I knew the more trouble he would get into. I shot up from the couch because I needed to be out there searching just as my niggas were.
I went to head to the shower when I came across the family photo that sat on the wall. The one time we’d all smiled in a picture. Although my mother and father were going through the motions, this one day we smiled.
“This is not my job!”
I shouted. “Y’all fucking left me and now I don’t know what to do,”
I then whispered.
I knew Dio had become a reflection of me and guilt settled in. I thought I was being the person I was supposed to be by giving Dio space. Instead, I left room for error and for him to do the exact thing I didn’t want him to do. Standing in this empty ass, loveless ass house was doing a number on me. I was breaking by the day. I began to wonder if this the same feeling my parents had when I was out running wild and putting them in debt with my gambling habits. My years’ worth of hidden emotions was surfacing to the top.
A knock on my door snapped me out of a place my mind began to travel to. I rushed over to the door swinging it open. It was one of the niggas from the place I shoot dice at. He was beat the fuck up. Nigga probably lost a bet he couldn’t pay. I thought.
He glanced at me with his one good eye, “Man Zu, yo brother. That nigga tripping!”
“Dio? Where he at?”
“Shit man I don’t know now, but what I do know is the nigga ran up on me in broad daylight with a fucking gun.”
Fuck Dio! “Where?”
“Huh?”
“Nigga where he beat yo ass at?”
“Uh, not too far from the Jects by T-Mans Barbershop. Look, you ain’t hear it from me, but Dio killed that stripper girl. I saw him that night getting out of her car. Look, I ain’t no snitch but—”
I slammed the door in his face, “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
I shouted through the house.
Dio was out here bad. I had to get him away from here or he would for sure end up dead. There was another knock at the door. I figured it was the same nigga who had not got the signal when I closed the door in his face. It’s clear he didn’t understand, so this time I was about to beat his ass. I rushed back to the door swinging it open and ready to swing until I saw Freckles standing there.
“You ok?”
she asked as her face frowned.
I dropped my head because as bad as I wanted to dig in her guts, I couldn’t focus on nothing but Dio. “I’m-I,”
I couldn’t even talk.
“Can I come in?”
she asked.
I didn’t even say anything. I simply moved to the side, allowing her to come in and closing the door behind her. “What’s up?”
“Nothing I really just came to make sure you were ok. I know last night you got some things off your chest that you were probably not expecting to do.”
Curiosity piqued me. “How did you know where I live?”
A seductive stare rested on her face, “I know a lot about you Zeus Jackson. I did my homework,”
she winked.
Freckles did have a nigga open last night. However, it was her taking time to check on me that made me feel just a little better. The smell of her perfume straggled my nose. She moved closer and placed her hand to the side of my face. “What’s really wrong?”
My eyes bounced all over, but on her. “Hey, I’m right here. Look at me Zu,”
she called out.
Eyes on her. Freckles was fine as fuck. She also seemed to care. I didn’t want to ignore the kindness she was giving a nigga. The goal was to learn from Harvey, but also take in what Chev said that I wasn’t ready for something like this when my shit wasn’t in order.
“My brother is missing, and I don’t know where he is,”
I mumbled.
She nodded. “Ok, let’s go look for him,”
she offered.
“Wait, you’ll go with me?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t I? I can be a bitch sometimes, but I’m not always mean. Come on,”
she said heading for the door.
I pulled her back, swinging her into my arms. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Are you only doing this because y’all want to be put on? I don’t have it in me to give to you Freckles, I don’t.”
She moved from my grasp tossing her hands on her hips, “You can’t handle me even if you tried. I told you I’ve been with plenty niggas like you. You’re not special. I’m simply trying to be a friend. That is all,”
she finished.
She was full of shit. She liked a nigga and didn’t want to admit it. Whether I was beginning to feel something or not I honestly didn’t have time for her. I moved around her to grab my keys. We’d both headed out the door. She hopped on her bike, and I hopped on mine as we both took off. We had dived in and out of cars as I stopped at different places I thought I could find Dio. My phone rang and without looking I answered.
“Yo!”
“Nigga stop by my crib,”
Diamond blurted out.
“Not right now, I’m looking for Dio.”
“That’s what I’m saying, now get yo black ass over here,”
he finished then hung up.
I made a sharp right heading toward his place, for a second, I thought I spotted Dio passing by in his car going the opposite direction, but it could have simply been me tripping because of the lack of sleep. When I got to Diamond’s, I jumped off the bike heading inside when the sound of Freckles made me turn around.
“Where are we?”
Just that fast, I forgot she was following behind me. “Shit, my bad. You can leave. This my boy’s crib.”
“Ok, what does that mean?”
“It means skidaddle, go, leave, skip yo ass out of here.”
Slap!
“Aye, Freckles first and last warning, don’t put your fucking hands on me.”
“Well, respect me!”
she spat. “I’m here helping you.”
I turned away from her heading to the elevator, once it opened, I got on with her right behind me. The doors closed and I lost it. Hand to her neck. I swung her ass so fast, lifting and slamming her against the mirror. She wrapped her legs around my waist. Those big dark brown eyes were devouring mine. “Put me down,”
she whispered.
“Fuck no,”
I gritted.
She took a hand full of my locs in each of her hands. We stood there as our eyes were ripping each other a part. Fuck it! I kissed her. I was waiting for her little mean ass to push me off or slap me, but she didn’t. She embraced my kiss. My stomach fluttered. A nigga’s head felt light. Fuck was this feeling? I didn’t want it to stop. I took a few steps back, pulling the stop on the elevator.
“What are you doing?”
she mumbled.
I placed my finger to her lips as I slowly placed her down. I spun her so her face was facing the mirror as I eased my face down to the back of her head. “You watch me and don’t fucking take your eyes off me,”
I grumbled.
I eased one hand around her waist, unbuttoned then unzipped the black jeans she had on. I slowly rolled them down still keeping my eyes on her. Her eyes fluttered as her mouth open just enough to see a peek of her teeth. I nuzzled my nose in the back of her neck.
“Freckles you really don’t know the type of nigga you came across,”
I said to her as my finger slid down her pussy lips.
“Zu be careful. This pussy isn’t what you’re used to. She’s aggressive and greedy,”
she mumbled.
“Let me feed her then.”
I turned Freckles around, “Hold on.”
Without another word I picked her up sliding her legs over my head and placing her pussy lips to my face. I inhaled her freshly washed piece of heaven. I tried not to take it there with her, but I couldn’t help it. I was about to snatch Freckles’s fucking soul because from here on out in my mind she belonged to me.
“Shit!” I moaned.