Page 36 of A Kingpin’s Weakness

Seth

Bop. Bop. Bop. Bop. Bop. Bop!

Gunshots echoed sharp and steady through the range, ripping through the thick silence. Southside, Rich, and I stood there, lining up our shots like soldiers trying to find some peace.

This was supposed to clear my mind supposed to help me forget Stormi, at least for a little while.

But instead, it just made the anger burn hotter.

I kept thinking about her and how it should’ve been her I woke up to this morning.

Her I should’ve been coming home to. It’s been over a damn month since I last saw or heard from Stormi.

Since that night at Jo’s house, she disappeared. Ghosted me.

I was petty. Had Josh take her stuff from my place and drop it off at Jo’s.

thinking maybe, just maybe, she’d stick around longer if she didn’t see me before she left.

But nah. That stubborn woman. She got on that plane anyway.

Left me behind, flying back home. And now all I’ve got are these empty shots ringing in my ears and a heart full of questions I can’t answer.

“All I’m gonna say is go get your girl.” Rich’s words hit me like a punch to the gut as we stepped out the gun range and walked downstairs to the connected bar area. I tried to steady myself, but inside I was a mess rage, regret, pain twisting up my chest.

“If she was mine, she wouldn’t have left,” I muttered, voice rough and bitter, like saying it out loud might change the damn truth.

Southside smirked, mocking me with the same words as we both grabbed a stole at the bar.

“Fuck you, nigga,” I spat back, but the anger barely masked how damn broken I felt.

Rich’s voice cut through the tension. “Bra, you been walking around like you lost your soul for a month now. Go get your girl before it’s too late.”

His words stung because he was right. Here I was, drowning in my own silence and stubborn pride while Stormi was gone. gone like she didn’t even care. And Rich… He was carrying grief heavier than mine visiting graves, living with losses I couldn’t even begin to understand.

I swallowed hard, barely able to say it. “Stormi made her decision.”

I caught the bartender’s eye, voice rough as I ordered, “Three shots of Henny. And keep ’em coming.”

The burn of the liquor was a weak match for the fire inside me. Rich leaned in, steady as ever.

“I don’t mind drinking with you all damn day you my brother but that won’t fix shit. You gotta talk to her. If you can’t fix it, then at least clear the air. Life’s too short to leave it hanging.”

His words hit me deep too deep to ignore.

I wasn’t ready to admit how much I needed that talk.

I needed to see Stormi, look her in the eye.

Because last time, we were both stubborn as hell.

She ran from me scared. This time I gotta be different.

I gotta show her I’m not the enemy. I’m the only thing real in all this mess.

“You on your young boy shit when you need to be on your Anthony Hamilton shit.”

Southside threw that line at me like a truth bomb, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Says the nigga with nine kids and eight baby mamas.”

We all cracked up, tossing back our shots while the bartender kept ’em coming like it was fuel for my damn soul.

I pulled out my phone and texted my pilot, getting the jet fueled up. I was going to see Stormi.

I didn’t need her address. Got that before she dipped. Made sure she got home safe, had both her home and work info on lock. Could’ve called her, told her I was coming. Nah. Where’s the fun in that I prefer to just pop up.

“You got S3 this weekend?”

I asked, breaking through my thoughts.

“You gonna see Stormi?”

Man, I wondered who he thought was the bad guy here? She left me, I didn’t leave her.

“Nigga,” Southside chimed in, laughing as he eyed my phone. “That nigga booked the jet, over here tryin’ to play hard.”

“Man, you know I got my godson then.”

“Shit, come get mine too.”

“Nigga, you got too many. I’ll get two, that’s it. No Daddy Daycare round here.”

Rich and Southside lost it, laughing their asses off.

We chopped it up for a few more hours, then I went to pick up S3 from school.

Took him out, gave him some time before I dropped him off with Rich since I was planning to bounce for the weekend.

Got home, ate mama’s dinner before I packed my bags, and headed to the jet. Stormi wasn’t gonna know what hit her.

Knock! Knock!

Stormi had me knocking at her door like some sneaky-ass link, carrying my spend-the-night bag like I was some damn secret. I covered the peephole so she wouldn’t see it was me.

“Who is it?”

She yelled from the other side, but I kept quiet and kept knocking.

Then the door swung open. There she was with her natural hair pinned up tight in a bun, biker shorts hugging those thick-ass thighs, tank top showing off them perky breasts like damn near every inch was made for me.

I couldn’t resist. Pulled her close, wrapped my arms around her like I was trying to swallow her whole.

It’d been a damn month, and I was missing her crazy.

Her lips were still soft. Still tasted like home.

I could’ve stood there all night kissing her, lost in her until the world stopped. Then….

“Umm, Stormi, this the one?”

A deep voice came from behind her, and I almost lost my shit.

She pushed me off, but I didn’t take my eyes off that nigga.

“Yeah, that’s it. Sorry. Cameron, this is Seth. Seth, this is Cameron. We work together, been helping each other get last-minute grading done before school’s out.”

I stepped closer, eyes burning holes through the dude.

“Why you play with niggas’ lives, Stormi?” I didn’t move, didn’t blink, just stared him down.

“Hey Seth, nice to meet you,” Cameron said, stepping closer like he owned the spot.

“Stormi, get rid of your company,” I said, voice low and serious as hell, before storming upstairs toward her room.

I was giving her thirty seconds. Thirty seconds to get Cameron the hell outta her house before he left in a body bag. I needed space. Needed to clear my head. This wasn’t the welcome I was expecting.

“Seth, what are you doing here?”

She asked the moment she stepped into the bedroom, eyes searching mine like she was trying to find a reason I shouldn’t be here. I didn’t answer.

“What the fuck Cameron ass doing here?”

“We were putting in last minute grades,” she said, like that was supposed to make it okay.

I said nothing. Just walked straight into the connected bathroom and locked the door behind me. I knew she was ready to argue, ready to throw every word she had at me. But tonight I wasn’t here for that fight. I needed a moment.

Pulled out some weed and papers, rolled a joint slow, lit it, and took a hit while I sat down to shit.

I could hear her pacing outside the door, restless, waiting for me.

I wasn’t in a rush to come out. So I made her wait longer jumped in the shower, expecting the room to be dark when I came back.

But no. There she was, sitting in the middle of the bed, eyes locked on me.

I stepped out, towel tight around my waist. She glanced at me like she saw everything I wanted to give her but quickly shook her head like she wasn’t supposed to want it.

“What are you doing here, Seth?”

“I came to see you.”

“Why?”

“I need a reason, now?”

Her voice cracked just a little. “You didn’t care to see me before I left.”

“You shouldn’t have left.”

“You knew I was leaving before we even started doing whatever you call this.”

“So you don’t know what to call us?”

“No, Seth, I don’t.”

“Well, I do. We together.”

“No, we are not. I haven’t seen or heard from you in over a month.”

“You want that nigga?”

I nodded toward downstairs, knowing Cameron ass better had been gone.

“Cameron’s just a friend. We work together. I got behind on grades when I left, and he helped me catch up. Unlike your situation.”

“Say what’s on your mind, Stormi.”

I sent a quick text to Mama and Rich, an emoji, letting them know I made it.

She looked down, biting her lip. “Thank you for being my peace when I felt like my world was falling apart. But let’s be real… it’s so many reasons why we shouldn’t be together.”

“What about all the reasons we have to be together?”

“Like?”

I stepped closer, grabbed her hand, and placed it over my heart.

“Tell me your heart don’t beat like this for me. Tell me this ain’t real. I told you how I felt in Greece. I’m standing on everything when it comes to you.”

She pulled her hand away, eyes dropping to the bed, fidgeting with her fingers.

I lifted her chin, forced her to meet my eyes.

“I didn’t want to say goodbye. Stormi, I don’t think I could ever say goodbye to you. Never thought I deserved or could find someone as pure, as special as you.”

She sighed, voice soft but cold. “Let’s just go to bed. It’s been a long night.”

She slipped into the bathroom, changing into her night clothes. I threw on boxers and gym pants and climbed into bed beside her.

But it was like she built her walls back up, brick by brick after I’d almost torn them down. And I wasn’t sure how to break through again.

I laid in bed wide awake that night in silence.

I needed Stormi to tell me she was feeling the same way I was, but instead she laid there silently, maybe even sleep.

And the moment I wanted to tap her I felt her scoot her ass closer to me, repeating the same shit every two or so minutes.

I rolled her over and climbed on top of her. Grabbing her face to look at me.

“Tell me what you want, Stormi,” I inquired. Making her look at me directly in my eyes and not allowing her to look away. I stared into those peaceful gentle eyes of hers until she told me exactly what she wanted.

“You,” she finally spoke. Her chest caved in and out as she anticipated my next move, but the ball was in Stormi’s court. Not only was she going to have to show me what she wanted but I needed her to tell me.

“Stormi, tell me what you want.”