Page 11

K inga

Days later…

The saying “don’t poke the bear” rang heavy in my mind these days. While I tried to keep my irritation at bay and focus on the money, folks kept trying me. All I wanted was a little peace and the fact that everyone kept trying to take it baffled me. I had never been the type to ignore shit, but now I did. That was until I looked up and my streets were burning…fucking literally. Right now I should have been laid up, but instead, at four in the morning, I was staring at the trunk of a blue Crown Vic I had backed in here. I had already given Kyro a pass at Maj’s begging since they were blood but he fucked up and Maj was about to pay for it.

“Open the trunk.” I looked from Big Jay to Ayden.

Ayden nodded then moved toward the trunk of the low level detective I’d paid to pick him up.

When he did that, I moved toward the driver’s side of the car and went into my pocket. I removed the envelope with Detective June’s payment in it and handed it off.

“’Preciate you for looking out. Now do me a favor, get me everything you know on Alderman Memphis and that play for mayor he put in.”

“What are you interested in him for, West? He’ll be like all the others, claiming he can clean the streets before they toss him out on his ass too.”

“You probably right but he did something none of them ever did,” I responded, now standing up straight.

“What’s that?

I gave him a quick glare before I nodded forward. “Get me what you can and be discreet about it.”

He nodded. “I’ll be in touch.”

Once his trunk was empty, he pulled out of the garage and the door was lowered. When I turned back to the festivities, Maj was seated on a stool in the center of the room, usually where Betty, my favorite oldie, sat. She was at the shop getting a good paint job for those summer cruises.

“I told you I’d handle him, Kinga. We didn’t have t?—”

“Shut the fuck up.” I walked up behind then circled him.

He glared at me, angry, but he knew it was best to just shut the fuck up.

“I told you if I had to see you about that nigga again it wouldn’t be pleasant, didn’t I?” I picked up the hexed wrench leaning against the tool shed. In one motion I swung the tool and it made perfect contact with his knee.

He groaned through the pain. “I don’t know where he is, Kinga. I swear.”

The need to put fist to flesh overtook me and I dropped the wrench. My fist made contact with his face several times before I felt a hand on my shoulder.

That only meant one person because nobody in this room was stupid enough to pull me back.

“He can’t talk if you kill him, Kinga.” Sora’s tone was low and almost pleading.

“Probably not, but somebody who does talk will come to his fucking funeral, right?” I looked over my shoulder at my brother. When the hell had he gotten here?

Maj squirmed, then spit blood from his mouth. “He’s not doing it for himself. He’s loyal to Twan. He told me they got picked up a few weeks back. Agent Beck or something like that. Said to get off, Twan had to give up a big name. Kyro didn’t have anything to do with this. My cous?—”

“You're still speaking for somebody who knew they’d get you killed. Your blood ain’t shit.”

Sora stepped in while I walked away, trying not to finish his ass off. “Where is he at, Maj? You really want him to get this over with and not prolong it.”

“That’s my bloo—” Maj started.

“And he’s mine. I know how this shit ends. Especially for you.” Sora was trying his hardest to talk some sense into a barely conscious Maj while I was ready to finish his ass off and attend his funeral.

Maj coughed. “My grandmother’s house. He’s hiding out there.”

I laughed, wiping his blood from my hands onto my sweatshirt. “See, I swear that’s all I asked for. None of this had to happen. You made this process longer than it needed to be. Jay, handle that and make sure B comes to pick it up.”

I turned on my feet and began walking toward my office. I heard my brother’s footsteps behind me which meant he was about to hand off a lecture. “Oh and keep your eyes on Antwan,” I called out.

“Bet.” Ayden’s voice filled the space before I entered my office.

“You planned to kill that man with your hands, Kinga?”

“Probably. Won’t be the first. What you getting at, Sora?”

“You’ve changed. Don’t let somebody tryna bait you take you back there.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, but if I did, I’d agree with you.” I pulled my sweatshirt off and tossed it to the floor. “And this ain’t nothing but your rotten ass father. He wants my head because he thinks that’ll win him mayor.”

“So what do you wanna do about that?”

“Same thing I’ve ever done to any problem that arose. I don’t go picking fights. I handle situations as they arise as I always have.”

I could tell Sora was conflicted. Though Memphis had never been a father to us, in Sora’s eyes, he was still our father. I didn’t think he had ever even held a conversation with Memphis but Sora wasn’t built like me and I didn’t expect him to be. I accepted him for who he was just like he did for me.

“Aja with Harlem?” he asked, a big dumb ass smile indented into his features.

“Who else is she gonna be with? You tryna be funny.”

He laughed. “Maybe, but anyway, me and Blaze are coming over for dinner this weekend. So set that up.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes, Blaze wants to meet Harlem and remember Aja is spending the weekend with us. Blaze promised to take her to get her toes and shit done.”

I nodded. “Bet.”

I left the shop a little later, mentally all over the fucking place. Though most of my anger subsided, I still had murder on my mind. Had this been last year, I would’ve gone on a spree, starting with Maj and dropping a body a day until this situation was cleaned up and on channel seven. I didn’t though.

I pulled into my driveway and sat there for a minute, navigating to the internet to find a recipe for doughnuts. I clicked the first one I found. It said homemade glazed doughnuts. I spent a minute reading through the directions, making sure I had everything before I went in and got to working on my dough. Kneading the dough helped me get through all the shit in my mind, all of the things I wanted to do but didn’t.

Three hours later the cake plate had doughnuts on it and I was ready to lay my ass down. Too bad I heard the shower going and decided to step in with her. It was Saturday so I knew for a fact Aja wasn’t up yet.

“I didn’t know you were back until I smelled you baking. Who pissed you off?” she asked as soon as I stepped in.

“Long ass night. You missed me?”

“Course I did. It’s no fun being in your bed without you. I texted you a few times, but you didn’t answer, so I figured you were busy.”

“I was, but I ain’t never too busy for you. Call me next time, baby.” My hands found her hips, pulling her frame against me before turning her around. “Show me how much you missed me, mama.”

“Mhmm.” She did just as I asked, bending over the bench just for me. This right here was why only one body dropped this morning. I was able to come home to heaven like this.

The sight before me was beautiful, so fucking mesmerizing that I couldn’t help but stare at her, gripping my dick.

“Tell me you on something, baby, because ain’t no way I’ma be able to pull out.” I damn near begged, knowing damn well even if she told me she wasn’t I was still finna shoot up the club.

“No, I’m not,” she moaned when I began rubbing my dick against her sopping center. That shit was so pretty my lip hurt from how hard I bit into it.

“You gotta pull ou—” she started but I pushed into her so deep her words became lost. Shit, I didn’t need no words, I was as close to heaven as I could get.

By the time we made it out of the shower, I was dead tired and Harlem had all the energy in the world. Not only that, I heard Aja’s feet in the distance. Shorty was looking for some breakfast and to get on my damn nerves.

“Go to sleep, I got her.”

“You sure?” I asked, pulling my briefs over on my ass, headed in the direction of the bed already.

“Yes, she’s fine. We’ll probably go get something to eat then check on my shop and the puppies, if that’s fine with you.”

“Yeah. Call me if you need me.”

“Go to sleep. I got this. Just don’t get used to me cooking at your house.”

I caught her around the waist and pulled her into my embrace. “Too late. I done already got used to you cooking for me. Also, check the cake plate before you go.”

* * *

I didn’t know when I fell asleep, but my phone ringing against the side of my face interrupted that. I opened my eyes and the room was dark, letting me know it was late. Damn, I had slept the whole day away and something smelled good.

“Yo,” I answered, not even thinking about checking to see who could be calling.

“What’s up, baby brother? How is everything?” I pulled back and looked at the phone to make sure my ears hadn’t been playing tricks on me. It was a number I didn’t recognize but only one person called me baby brother even though I hated that shit with a passion.

“Where are you calling from?” I stood to my feet and stretched before moving to the bathroom.

“Around. What’s up with you? Everything good?”

“Seems that way. Yo’ bitch ass daddy on bullshit right now but nothing I can’t handle.”

“Memphis? The fu?—”

“Nothing conversation worthy. You wanna talk to your daughter? You know she's been asking me about y’all.”

“Damn I miss my baby. So much that it hurts my soul sometimes but I know if I ain’t the best version of myself then I can’t be around her. I can’t give her what she needs.”

I was glad he couldn’t see my face because that right there was a crock of shit. Maybe it made sense in his head, but in mine that shit was flaw… almost like our dog ass mama who ran off too. Now sure she didn’t kill our father, but she too needed time to herself and left her kids with her sibling. “I ain’t tryna tell you how to parent but at the end of the day shit happens and kids are resilient. I know you feel like you can’t face her, but don’t lose sight of the fact that this is your flesh. She’s gonna love you regardless.” After taking a much needed piss, I listened to him go on and on while I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I was grateful when he settled on his last question.

“Do you think? After everything?”

“Yup. After everything. Now, do you wanna talk to her?” I finished taking care of myself then moved back to my bedroom to put on a shirt and sweats.

“Yeah. Where is she at anyway?”

“Probably in there fucking with Harlem.” I shrugged.

“Who is Harlem?”

“My girl. She spent the day with her because apparently I passed the fuck out,” I explained walking out of my bedroom.

“So you got a girlfriend? Somebody you actuall?—”

“Get off that.”

When I entered the living room area, my eyes landed on my baby in the kitchen while Aja sat in front of the TV.

I walked the phone over to her and handed it off. “It’s your pops, shorty.”

She hopped off the couch excited, which brought a smile to my face. She had stopped asking me about them but I knew she missed them. Nobody could go from seeing and being around people they loved and not miss them. Her whole life had transformed, and though I tried to keep her life as normal as possible, I too knew it wasn’t normal.

After handing off the phone I gravitated to the kitchen where it smelled good as fuck. I hovered behind Harlem for a minute before I leaned down and kissed the back of her neck. “She didn’t drive you crazy, did she?”

“No, she’s a good kid and so sweet.”

“Yeah, when she wants something.” I kissed the side of her face.

She laughed. “Like her uncle, huh?”

“Damn, it’s like that? I'm sweet on your ass all the time.” I stepped back and leaned against the counter, taking her in. She had on a scarf type top with her back out and a pair of flared, bootcut jeans. Then her fucking hair. I loved them fucking locks on her, the way they encased her face. Who was I kidding? There wasn’t shit about this woman I didn’t like.

“Thank you for the donuts,” she said, interrupting my thoughts. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not right now. I just wanna watch you. Shit is mesmerizing.”

She turned around and looked at me. “Watch me what?”

“Cook. Just like you like cooking for me, I like watching you do it.” Who was I kidding? Err’thing in me wanted to say fuck this dinner and carry her back to my bedroom. We could worry about dinner later. Everything about Harlem made me insatiable. Even when I was dead tired, like this morning, I couldn’t not touch her.

“Stop looking at me like that and come taste this.” She held up a spoon for me to taste whatever was in the big ass pot.

“Can’t help it. I’m ’bout ready to get dinner ready so we can get to dessert and no I ain’t talking about those damn donuts.”

She giggled. “Down, sir, your niece is still very wide awake.”

“That’s cooking too. She has a TV and iPad in her room. You checked on your dogs today?”

“Yeah, they’re all fine. I’m probably gonna take them to the shop with me this week. Get their up to date weights and check in with everything necessary there.”

I nodded.

“Now are you going to come taste this or not?”

I did as she asked, watching her as she pushed the spoon into my mouth. I didn’t know what she put in my mouth, but at this point I didn’t give a fuck. It tasted good.

I leaned down and kissed her because that shit was sexy…so fucking sexy.

“Uncle, my daddy said he’s gonna call later.” Aja entered the kitchen, breaking up the eye contact between me and Harlem.

“Aight.”

“Uncle Sora is at the front door.”

Confusion swept my features as I looked down at Harlem and pecked her lips once more. “Let me see what he wants.”

When I reached the door I was expecting it to be just my brother on some hovering shit but at the sight of Blaze as well I was all the way thrown off.

“Told you we were coming by for dinner.” Sora walked in behind Blaze who I hugged immediately as they entered.

“You ain’t say today.”

“Oh, I didn’t? Well shit, we are here now and it smells good in here. What sis cooking?” Sora’s ass was loud which brought my niece running to where we were.

While she hugged her Uncle Sora, I walked Blaze into the kitchen to meet Harlem. When we got there, Harlem was lining shells up in a silver pan.

“Baby, this is Blaze, Sora’s fiancé. Blaze, this is Harlem.”

They smiled at one another, greeting each other in that way women did before Blaze scooted onto the stool in front of the island where Harlem was cooking. For a moment I just watched them talk back and forth. It happened easily, no force necessary because their energies weren’t the same but definitely similar.

“You’re spoiling him. Like for real,” Blaze said, sipping from the glass of water in front of her.

“And? She supposed to spoil me ’cause I’ma spoil the fuck outta her regardless.” I looked up and made eye contact with an amused Harlem.

Blaze laughed. “Exactly what the hell have you done with Kinga? ’Cause you sir are somebody different. Gotta be. And when the hell did you start making donuts?”

The night went well. Even though I wasn’t expecting my brother and Blaze, I was glad they came. I also fucked with the fact that Harlem easily fit into my family dynamic. Though things happened fast, it was what it was.

“I really enjoyed your family today.”

“Good because they liked you almost as much as I do.”

“Almost, huh?” she asked.

My hand found the base of her neck, savoring the feel of her skin under my grasp. Blaze was right over dinner. Harlem did have me spoiled, so fucking spoiled that ever since the first time I laid eyes on her I had been consumed with the need to own everything about her.

She craned her neck to the side. “Why is this so easy?”

“What?” I leaned forward, pressing my lips against the side of her face.

“This… me and you. Why is it so easy for me to be like this with you and you to be like this with me? I may sound pessimistic but isn’t anything easy too?—”

“Everything about this is new to me, but I want you. I ain’t never wanted nobody the way I want you. Even though you came to my spot showing your ass. Shit, that made me want your stubborn ass even more.”

“You have me…right?” She leaned forward, lips against mine. It wasn’t a kiss yet, just contact.

“Tighter than I got anything else.”

“Good. I like it like that.” Her lips rubbed against mine with each word right before contact turned into a very heavy kiss. Before Harlem, I had never been the type to be putting my lips on anybody. However, with Harlem, I couldn’t keep my lips from any part of her body. She was my favorite flavor, made especially for me.

“I wanna tell you something.” She melted against me, face in my neck as she spoke. She didn’t wait for me to respond but instead continued speaking. “I had an abortion before.” Sniffles alerted me to her headspace.

“He knows?” I found myself asking without emotion. I didn’t know why it affected me but it did.

“No. He doesn’t. I don’t regret it either. Toward the end, our situation was too toxic. I never wanted to bring a child into a situation like that.”

I rubbed her back.

“Does that make you think differently of me?”

“Nah. I ain’t never gonna fault you for what you did outta trauma. Just don’t let that shit affect how you make decisions when it comes to me and you.”

She lifted and looked at me with wet lids and puffy eyes. “I don’t worry about that because my former situation is not this one. They don’t even feel the same.”

“Good. He been contacting you since you blocked him?”

She laughed. “How would he do that, Kinga?”

“Shit, I don’t know. I’m ’bout my shit. You ever block me and I’ma send CashApp requests with unlimited notes. Sending a dollar a sentence.”

She chortled like I was cracking a joke but I was dead ass serious.

“You’re a mess.”

“Probably, but I meant that.”

“No, but honestly, I heard he has come by the shop a few times, but each time I wasn’t there. I was either home or with you.”

“Where you belong. Hopefully your boy gets the hint because I’ll trunk his ass out on Madison for a few days to help him.”

She continued to laugh but I still had yet to do so. I was so serious but I loved that innocence she had. She didn’t have to see me in the same light as everyone else because she wasn’t everyone else. She was where I found peace I didn’t know existed.