Page 30 of A Player’s Prayer (Mills Brothers #3)

Pss. Pss. Pss.

Slashing through three of Ava’s tires, I doubled back to place a Snickers bar in her gas tank.

I’d strategically placed sardines on the inside of her air vents too.

Jolly Ranchers were placed all over the windows, as well as bologna all over her car.

With this Georgia heat, she was going to need a brand-new car by the time I was done with her trifling ass.

I’m going into a second week without Kodi, and for every day I’m without my girl, I’m going to make Ava’s life a living hell.

Had she left me the fuck alone, I wouldn’t be wreaking havoc in her life.

Not only hers, but Kodi’s too. With Kodi, I’d been doing more petty shit like breaking into her house and messing with her things.

“That bitch better hope I don’t wring her fuckin’ neck,” I grumbled once I slid back into the driver’s seat of my truck. “Should’ve left me the fuck alone, tramp.”

Leaving the hotel where Ava is staying while she’s in the city.

The only reason she’s still here with breath in her body is because of my sister-in-law.

I don’t know or care what possessed her to come to my house the way she did, but I’m going to make her wish she had never popped her loose ass up at my shit.

Speeding through the city, my mind went to Kodi.

These past couple of weeks have really shown me just how much that girl means to me.

I can’t eat, sleep, or even work without her crossing my mind.

My dick doesn’t even get hard for these bitches like it does for Dakota.

When she caught Ava at my crib, yes, I was aroused, but it’s only because she caught me off guard.

She was a pretty, thick bitch that I’d taken down before, so I knew what it was hitting for.

No matter how my body reacted, I wouldn’t have fucked her.

I would have put her out on her ass even if Kodi hadn’t been the one to do it.

I just would have allowed her to put some clothes on.

With my thoughts consumed with her, I decided to take a chance and call her. I’ve been blocked for a few days, but I was hoping that since our birthday was coming up, she would have mercy on a nigga.

“Hello?” Her sultry voice flowed through my truck speakers, causing me to swerve. “What is it, Adrian?”

“Daddy misses you, mama.” My chest began to hurt, knowing I couldn’t have her the way I wanted to right now. “Can we sit and talk about this shit, Kodi. A nigga loves you, and regardless of what you saw, I’d never cheat on you. I’d die before I hurt you, baby.”

Pulling up to the hood, I parked near the entrance. I didn’t have anything going on today, so I decided to see what Money was up to. If my girl told me I could pull up on her right now, I’d leave this muthafucka on two wheels.

“Adrian, what is it that we have to talk about?” My heart dropped at her words.

“Do I love you? Yes. Do I miss you? Absolutely. It’s not about what I walked in on; it’s more about you allowing her in your space.

No woman should be able to breathe the same air as my man, so she damn sure shouldn’t be able to bully herself into his home.

Not only did she disrespect me, but you did too.

Intentional or not, I don’t want a man who’s accessible. ”

“These hoes don’t have access to me.” I frowned as my heart hammered in my chest. My stomach began to feel queasy at the thought of us being done.

“I love you, Kodi. I love you more than I’ve loved any woman in my life.

I’ll never accept us being over. I’ve never believed in having a person, but I know you’re it for me.

You want me to gut that bitch? I’ll do it.

You want me to post a billboard telling the whole world you’re mine?

I did that already. Ride past the McDonald’s by your crib, and you’ll see it.

We ain’t done, Kodi, and I mean that shit.

You’re still mine, and I’m yours. This shit is for life. ”

Disconnecting the call, I punched the steering wheel repeatedly.

I know I fucked up with Kodi, but I’ll be damned if I let these bitches be the cause of me losing her forever.

I get what she was saying about Ava, and I was dead wrong for allowing her into my house.

After taking several deep breaths and gathering myself, I exited my truck like the man I am.

Dusting my Amiri jeans off, I tossed my locs back, looking like the nigga I knew I was.

On the outside, I was cool as a fan. Inside, a nigga was crying for his girl like Anthony Hamilton cried for Charlene.

“Wild Boy,” Money greeted me as I approached the stoop where he and his boys were posted. “What’s good, man? I ain’t seen you in a while. You straight?”

“I just been chilling, man.” I grabbed a bottle of water from his cooler as I scanned the area. Badass kids were running around everywhere while people were posted playing music and grilling. “I’ve just been working and staying out of the way. Getting ready for this party and shit.”

Part of me wanted to say, “fuck my birthday this year.” A nigga was heartbroken, and the last thing I wanted to do was be in the club, pouting like the sick nigga I felt like. Knowing that I for sure would be able to see my girl was the only thing that was going to get me out of the house.

“I know you’re bringing all the bad bitches out.” His boy Mike grinned as he slapped hands with a nigga I didn’t know. “How many are you going to have on your arm this year? If it ain’t Talena and Erica, you might have to fight.”

“The only thing fighting will be them hoes for their lives if they come fuckin’ with me or anything attached to me.” I could have sworn I saw Tanessa’s wide body ass walking across the complex. “Aye, I’ll be right back.”

Leaving the guys behind, I made my way through the lot, pulling my pants up in the process. I’m not one to beat on women, but Tanessa had been doing a little too much for my liking.

“Girl, I might have to call the kid’s father and see if I can top him off for the light bill money.” I heard her say when I approached her and her hoe-ass friends. “The jobs that are hiring aren’t ones I want, so I gotta make something shake.”

“Ain’t nobody paying for that week-ass head!” I startled them all when I spoke. “It’s some grannies at the assisted living who give it up better than you.”

Folding my arms, I hovered over her, and it took everything in me not to bust that bitch on the top of her head.

Tanessa has always been a pain in the ass for as long as I’ve known her.

From trying to give me some of her sour-ass pussy to trying to steal from my store, she was scandalous.

Today, I wasn’t in the mood, and it was too bad she was about to get all the heat I was carrying.

She smirked as she stepped toward me as if I didn’t just insult her ass.

“Hey, baby. You tired of that lil’ girl yet?

From what I hear, she was caught up in a little stick-up with Dr. Morrison a few nights ago.

I heard that he left the hoe crying on the pavement.

” She shook her head and stepped toward me again, placing her hand on my chest. “See, I knew she was a hoe. Always smiling and parading around like her shit doesn’t stink. Get with me, baby, and I’ll—ahh!”

Taking her wrist on the hand that had touched me, I squeezed it as tightly as I could before I walked over and placed her open palm on a blazing grill.

Her cries of agony caused people to run over or stare, but they knew better than to intervene.

Ignoring her pleas, I glared at her with all the hate that I could muster.

“Keep my girl’s name out of that musty-ass fuckin’ mouth you got.

” I squeezed her wrist tighter, wanting her bones to pop.

“I robbed that pussy-ass nigga, but it seems as if I should have killed his ass like I want to kill you. If I hear about you calling the board and telling another lie about my girl, I’m going to make it so that those rottweilers you call children won’t have a mother. Do you understand me, hoe?”

Shaking her head profusely, I let her go, causing her to clutch her hand and take off running. As I turned to walk away, the people near me fell all over themselves trying their best to get out of my way.

“Man, you crazy as hell!” Money chuckled when I walked back to where he was. Talena and Erica were approaching us, and at the same time, an Uber pulled up. I started to cuss the girls out for attempting to talk to me when Ava hopped her mad ass from the back seat of the Uber.

“I knew I would find you here! What did you do to my car, Wild?” she screamed at me as soon as she got out of the car. Her mouth was still fucked up from where Kodi popped her ass. “When I see your little girlfriend, I’m going to beat her ass! Look at my face, Adrian!”

Nodding, I knew it was time for me to go. With the way I was feeling, Harley was going to be attending her friend’s funeral next week. I would rather her be pissed off over some broken ribs than an unrecognizable corpse.

“Look, Ava, I don’t know what your deal is, but you’re tripping.

I fucked your pussy, and you sucked my dick.

That’s all that shit was!” There was a flash of pain on her face, but I didn’t know why.

It had only been sex with us. I had vocalized this multiple times during our fucking.

“You decided you wanted your own man, and I respected it because it was never that deep between us. Why the fuck can’t you respect me, and what I got going on now? ”

“Because you’re selfish, and you don’t care about anyone but yourself!

” she shouted, stepping onto the sidewalk before me.

“You’ve never been able to settle for just one woman.

How was I supposed to believe that things were different?

And even if they were, I broke up with that guy because I didn’t want to fuck him anymore—I wanted to fuck you, so I came over to do that! ”