Page 5 of A Player’s Prayer (Mills Brothers #3)

Two days.

That’s how long it’s been since shorty had me fucked up.

Since Tanessa and Amelia didn’t want to tell me who she was, I’ve been riding the city like a madman trying to find her ass.

I heard shorty when she said Tanessa was her coworker, so I’ve been staking out Grove’s Memorial Hospital looking for her.

She didn’t know that the longer I have to look for her, the worse it’s going to be when I find her.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Knocking on my brother’s door, I leaned against the column and waited for him to answer.

It was rare that I showed up at his house unannounced, but I needed to holler at Noemi.

Pulling from my blunt, I scrolled my phone and ignored the countless messages and missed calls I had from Erica and Talena.

Those hoes didn’t want shit but to eat this dick, and I can give them the opportunity when I finish handling business.

“Nigga, what the fuck you want?” Skip frowned as he snatched open his front door, Draco in hand. “I was this close to pushing your shit back.”

“Yeah, right.” I ashed my blunt, rolling my eyes. “My mama ain’t going for you hurting her baby boy, and you know it.” I pushed off the column and grinned. “I come in peace, middle brother. As a matter of fact, I came to holler at my sister.”

Grunting like the old man he acted like at times, he moved out of the doorway and let me in.

Looking around, I was proud of the massive home he’d purchased for himself and his family.

When he found out about Gia’s stank pussy ass, he gave me the starter home he bought and wouldn’t accept a dime for it.

I’ve turned it into a straight hoe house.

“Look, man… we’re kid-free and it’s date night.” He flopped down on the sofa once we entered the sitting room. It was then that I noticed his black Armani suit. “What the fuck you want with my wife? You better not piss me off, Adrian?—”

“Babe are you—” Noemi walked into the living room as she placed her earring in her ear. She was dressed in an all-black gown and looked nice. She stopped talking and looked from Skip to me. “Is everything okay? We weren’t expecting you, Wild.”

“It’s cool. This shouldn’t take too long, sis.

And naw, everything ain’t straight.” I walked over to the snack shelf that was in the corner of the room.

I swear, Uno and Skip’s kids had the best snacks and juices.

“There was a situation at Urban Sole a few days ago, and I need your help to track this bitch down.” I frowned as I thought about how her fine ass hit me in the forehead with some money like I was some Jezebel.

“I’m killing her ass when I get my hands on her. ”

Taking a seat on the ottoman, I explained to them the incident that had taken place.

When I followed shorty outside, I could have shot her ass in broad daylight, but I didn’t need that type of attention at my place of business.

Plus, I didn’t want to stress Uno out and he tell Mama I was shooting people midday.

I wanted to hop in my ride and run that bitch off the road so bad, but I knew her time was coming.

I’d rather catch her when I can really get grimy without an audience.

“Wait!” Noemi’s laugh snapped me from my thoughts. “You mean to tell me she threw a stack of money at you after you told her to basically suck your dick for some shoes? And you’re confused about why she did what she did?”

“I’m not confused about shit.” I smirked as I threw more gummies into my mouth. “Shorty had me fucked up, and I want to tell her I ain’t the nigga to fuck with. You think you can find her?”

Saying nothing, she shook her head and left my brother and me alone. Staring at me with a blank expression, I widened my eyes as I held my hands up at that nigga. “What the fuck are you looking at?”

“Are you stupid or slow, Adrian?” He placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “Why are you always out here acting like you don’t have the sense God gave you? You can’t keep disrespecting women like that, man.”

“I don’t disrespect women.” I took a sip from the Juicy Juice carton.

“I disrespect hoes. When they give me something to respect, I’ll do that.

“ Noemi waltzed back into the living room with two laptops. “Aye, sis… I didn’t know y’all had plans tonight.

You can do the shit later. I just wanted to give you the info to look into it for me. ”

“Trust me, Wild… nothing is going to stop me from seeing the things you described in 4K.” She set up both laptops on the kitchen island and began typing. Before long, the television in the living room came on, displaying the footage from my store. “This sounds better than any jazz concert.”

We all stared at the television as the encounter between my next victim and me played.

I admit, she looked good as hell in her baby tee, cut-off shorts, and Nike slides.

Watching her push her oversized frames up on her face as she roamed the store caused me to chuckle.

As she approached the counter, I listened as she went off on whoever she was on the phone with before she and Amelia shared a laugh.

“She’s cute.” Noemi giggled as she typed away on her other laptop. “She is so tiny and doesn’t look like she’d hurt a fly.”

I said nothing as I watched her mull over whether she wanted to interrupt Tanessa and me.

My dick jumped as she nibbled on her bottom lip and contemplated.

Shorty was about a foot shorter than my six-foot-four frame and stacked in all the right places.

Leaning back in my seat, I watched as she interrupted, and the argument ensued.

The more I watched, the more I realized I was deadass wrong.

She was nice in her approach, and I didn’t have to come at her like that.

Thinking back, I’m sure I had transferred some of my aggravation with Tanessa to her short, thick ass.

“She really hit you in the face with a knot like you’re a hoe!” Skip burst out laughing as he recorded it on his phone. “I can’t wait to show this shit to Uno.”

“Bitch!” I jumped from the couch to grab his phone. “Your ass just started talking and laughing, now you’re trying to send funny videos and shit.” As Skip shoved me away, I stepped back and pulled up my Purple Label jeans to swing, but Noemi calling out to me stopped me from smacking her nigga.

“Adrian, you know you’re wrong, right?” She giggled, shaking her head at me.

“The only way I’m going to give you her information is if you promise me that you’re going to find her and apologize.

” Her playfulness went away when I walked over to where she was still typing away.

Before I could see what she had found, she slammed her MacBook shut.

“I’m serious, bro. You were out of line to talk to her like that.

Not to mention, she was a paying customer.

What if she reports your business? She can have you sanctioned or shut down. ”

Thinking over what Noemi was saying, she was right. Regardless of the store catering to the hood, I still had to maintain professionalism at all times.

“You’re right.” I sighed as I leaned against the counter. “Just because these hoes be having me fucked up, doesn’t mean I have to voice it. I should do like I usually do and throw eggs at their asses.”

“Wild—”

“I’m just playing, man, damn.” I chuckled, pulling her into me for a hug. “I’m going to do better, sis. It starts with me finding this girl and apologizing to her. I can’t do that without you, though.”

Eyeing me to see if I was serious, she nodded when she realized I was. Opening back up her computer, she typed a few more moments before I heard her printer go off in their living room. Walking over, she grabbed the papers before bringing them back to me.

“I kept it simple with her information.” She handed over her findings. “Her name is Dakota Jenkins, and she’s an RN at Grove’s Memorial.”

“She single?” I raised my brow and asked. “I need to know if there’s a nigga I’m going to have to knock out. Any badass kids I gotta kick over?”

Snatching the papers from me, I laughed at her annoyance. “Please get out of my house so I can spend time with my man. If you want to play with somebody, go to your mother’s house. She has all of her grandkids tonight, and I’m sure she can use an extra hand.”

Passing up on the offer, I kissed her cheek and dropped a stack on the counter before dapping up my brother. He shook his head before standing from the couch to walk me back outside. Skip was never one to entertain me and my shit, so I didn’t expect him to do it now.

“Look, Wild… I know you,” he said as we stepped onto the porch. The sun was starting to set, and while I needed to take my ass home, I would probably pop up at Club Honey instead. “You were wrong in this situation, so leave it at that. Don’t go bothering this girl over some shit that’s your fault.”

“I’m offended that you think so little of me.” I patted his shoulder before walking toward my truck. “I’m not about to fuck with that damn girl unless the flip of a coin tells me to.”

Deciding to let it go, he shook his head before walking back into his house. As I sat in my truck and started the engine, I thought about the girl I’ve wanted to get my hands on for two days now.

Dakota Jenkins.

Whether she knew it or not, she hadn’t seen the last of me.

I was wrong, and I was going to apologize—maybe—for my part in the altercation.

On the other hand, I had a good mind to go to her job and let her know how she had me fucked up.

That sounded more fun, and most likely would be my course of action.

Laughing to myself, I pulled out of my brother’s driveway and decided to put her on the back burner for another day.

Tomorrow, I was going to flip a coin to see if I was going to be stopping by Kroger for roses or preparing to show my ass.

Either way, I was going to pay Nurse Jenkins a little visit.