Page 18 of Anything Necessary for Her (Crenshaw Kings #9)

Sucking my teeth, I ventured over to where she was, getting close enough for her to look over and up at me.

“The sign-out sheet. I ain’t see it,” I lied, drinking in her pretty face, glass-like onyx complexion, and beautiful green and amber eyes.

Her enchanting, good smelling ass perfume seemed to be full of pheromones, making me foolishly stand there as she looked me over like I was a complete fucking idiot.

“Over there.” She pointed lazily before snatching her eye contact from me and giving it back to that nigga.

“Can I help you, nigga?” I low-key barked on him when I caught him watching me.

He was maybe half an inch taller than a nigga, making me think back to Asif and the Comptons making a deal out of a nigga being taller than you in front of yo’ woman.

Banks wasn’t mine, but shit, it felt like it.

Straightening my back and shoulders more than usual eliminated our barely there height gap, instantly feeding my ego.

He said nothing, throwing his hands up in mock surrender as I trod off, finding the sign-out sheet that I already knew the location of, and Waverley at the same time.

“Low! I want sushi!” She shouted, coming to stand next to me as I checked my watch for the time before scribbling it down on the sheet.

“Sushi? Baby girl, you nine.” I chuckled, taking her hand in mine and using the other to take her dance bag.

“I know, but I like it.”

“Aight.” I exhaled, shaking my head at her growing up way too damn fast as I led her out, unable to rid my mind of Banks.

Though it was true that I wanted to protect her from my antics and possible inability to do right, I also wanted to protect myself.

Going from being a terrible boyfriend and having no knowledge of relationships to taking on a woman like Banks frightened a nigga.

And seeing her this afternoon being plotted on only fed that insecurity monster.

Niggas all around LA and, shit, I was sure in other states, were lining up to fuck with Banks, so once I fucked up, another man would be right there ready to take my spot and do the shit better.

That would wreck a nigga for real. And like her, I had too much shit on my plate to be fucked up on some broken heart shit.

I took Waverley to get her sushi and grabbed myself something small before taking her home. After making sure everybody was good, including my mama, who was already soused, I dipped.

I didn’t wanna be home, alone, able to stew in my thoughts of Banks not fucking with me or Banks fucking with me before letting me know she appreciated my efforts but a better nigga had come along.

“Aye nigga, you trying to lose some money?” Free addressed me as soon as I entered what we called the kick it room of his crib.

“Not really,” I said, already smiling because I knew he, Jere, and Mitch would start talking shit. “One game and I’m out,” I conceded, making them cheer.

I ended up playing a few games before more people arrived, mainly a herd of females and two more niggas in the crew.

“I was hoping you came,” a girl named Danielle smoldered, trying to snuggle up to my side as I stood near the ongoing dice game between Free, Mitch, Jere, and now Taye.

“I gotta piss. Be right back.” I moved from her hold, and she nodded, looking as if she was anticipating my return.

Danielle gave good, sloppy, toe-curling head and let you fold her ass up in any way you wanted, so depending on how the night went, I just might end the shit with her.

That was if one of the homies didn’t grab her first, considering she, along with majority of the bitches here tonight, had fucked us all.

Sitting in the sunroom of Free’s fly ass spot, I took my phone out, venturing into the messaging app and to the thread with Banks. We didn’t text much, preferring to be face-to-face, so it was short.

Tapping her contact info, I then hit her number, placing it to my ear as the line trilled. The last message I sent her went ignored, so I wasn’t too sure if she would pick up.

“Hello?” She sighed into the phone, tired of my shit already. I didn’t give a fuck how exasperated she sounded though; I was just happy she picked up for a nigga.

“You hate me now?” I questioned like a bitch, putting the red cup of whiskey to my lips before gulping some down.

The satisfying burn it gave off as it sluiced down my throat made me grunt slightly.

“I don’t hate you, Willow.”

“So why you dis a nigga earlier for that bitch ass nigga?”

“You asked a question, and I answered it. What was I supposed to do, hold a conversation?”

“Yeah.” I drank some more.

“About what? How you’re too pussy to man up and stave off your desires so you won’t dog me out unintentionally? No thanks. You said your piece, and we have nothing else to discuss.”

I laughed, wondering if she knew she was the only person to ever call me pussy and still be breathing.

“Damn.” I glanced off and out of the windows of the sunroom to take in the big ass backyard. “Can’t even be cool, huh?”

“Not at the moment, no. I like you, and in order to stop liking you, I need to cut you off.”

I nodded after polishing off my liquor, knowing she couldn’t see me nor see how tight my chest got at her words.

Grunting, I fell back against the couch and ran a hand down my face.

“Don’t cut me off. I don’t think I could take it.”

She was silent until a few of the girls’ laughter in the other room trickled into this one.

“You’re with women?” she questioned with an undertone of disdain.

“I’m over Free’s. Didn’t wanna be home, and this the only other place I can come through to at anytime.”

“You wanna come here?”

I felt my eyes light up, though I couldn’t see them, at her words.

“You sure? You just said you not fucking with me.”

“I said we couldn’t be friends, and I needed to cut you off. But if you don’t wanna come then?—”

“Nah, I’m on my way.” I rose to my feet, stumbling a bit before I shook that shit off.

“K.” She hung up.

I pulled myself together mentally and then popped some gum before slipping out the house. Free’s was like a hotel, where I came and went whenever I wanted to without notification, so there was no need to let the nigga know I was riding out.

I listened to Kendrick Lamar the whole way to Banks, and only when it was too late did I realize that wasn’t the best idea. He already made a nigga think, but now that I had a little liquor in my system and was in my feelings over Banks, his words penetrated my thoughts even deeper.

I shambled up Banks’s walkway after climbing from my whip, ringing her doorbell and letting my head fall back to bask in the cool air of the semi-desert we lived in.

“You got here fast.” She held the door ajar to allow me in, and I could only shake my head at the tiny ass shorts she wore and the cloth material bra that did nothing to conceal her dark colored nipples.

“Why you ain’t got on a robe?” I frowned down at her as she chuckled, switching off.

Her ass wasn’t huge, but it was perfect and plump. I couldn’t say with confidence that I wouldn’t nut immediately if I got the chance to dig her out from the back.

“I’m chilling at home, and this is what I chill in,” she said as we entered her bedroom.

It was large with a walk-in closet and a bathroom off to the side that had the light on which illuminated her room since light was absent there.

Everything was baby pink, beige, and tan.

It smelled good as fuck like the rest of her house.

Some woman singing about hours and hours sang softly in the background.

I admired the few paintings on the walls as she fell onto her large, elevated bed.

“This a relaxing ass bedroom,” I admitted, picking up a paper sitting on her vanity.

“Thanks.” She tossed her phone and sat up, long hair framing her pretty ass face.

Her legs were slightly open, and I could see the obvious outline of her pussy, and that coupled with her hard nipples begging me to suck on them muthafuckas caused my dick to harden.

“Are you shy or something?” She laughed.

“Why are you just standing over there and with your hands in your pockets?”

“Honest answer?” I asked, starting to feel the liquor as I stayed in place, feeling like I was losing control of my hands, hence me keeping them safely in my pockets.

“Always.” She pushed some of her hair behind her ear.

Sucking my bottom lip into my mouth briefly and looking off for a beat, I refocused on Banks before I stated, “I wanna fuck you.”

She grinned before laughing.

“You’re not the first, Low. Come sit.” She patted her bed.

Begrudgingly, I made my way over and sat on the edge of the bed before we both laughed.

“Give me a second,” I said, nodding down to my hard dick, and she giggled.

“Would it make you feel better if I told you I wanted to fuck you too?” She moved closer toward me on her knees, giving me a front row seat to smelling her intoxicating perfume.

“No. That makes shit worse, actually.”

We shared a laugh before she sat beside me, tossing her legs across my lap. Naturally, my hands landed on her soft ass legs, moving up and down them, soothing us both.

“I can’t believe you single, Peep.” I slipped up and used the nickname she’d told me to retire.

“Other than the fact that most men become frightened when I mention I have seven older brothers, let alone when they actually learn who some of them are . . . I’m picky.”

“Then I don’t get why the fuck you checking for me.”

“I’m not anymore.” She hiked a brow, and I nodded to say I understood.

“Peep, when I said I didn’t wanna do this shit with you, it’s more than just me not being able to turn away from fucking other females.

You know what I do, and you know how girlfriends, wives, and all that other shit can get wrapped up in it.

Niggas find out a bitch got ya heart and they wanna put her in the ground. ”

“I know.” She nodded, her eyes downcast for a moment before she locked them back on mine. “My father nor my brothers would let anything happen to me?—”

“But when you mine, that ain’t their job.” I intercepted her pointless explanation. “Ain’t no other nigga gon’ be the main one looking out for my woman; brother, father, paw-paw, I don’t give a fuck who he is.”

Smirking, she replied, “You would keep me safe.”

“I would, but I don’t even wanna put you in that position, especially when I don’t know if I can treat you right, Peep. It would fuck me up if I cheated on you or put you in harm’s way. I would never get over the shit.”

“One you can control, Low.”

“I’m a destructive person, Peep.” I pleaded with her to grasp what the fuck I was saying as I watched her eyes take me in. “A lot of the shit I did to my . . . ex was because I was going through shit. When I go through shit, I stop giving a fuck about everything in that moment.”

“Stuff like what?” She pulled her legs from me and scooted closer, making me gaze off for a beat.

“Different shit with work, my family. Right now, my baby brother trying to be the next me is one of my biggest issues.”

“How old is he again?”

“Sixteen and think he a grown ass man. He don’t know shit about the game and how it swallows you the fuck up, and you never get spit back out if you play shit the wrong way.

The main niggas who perish within this shit are the ones who are hardheaded, reckless, and think they tougher and smarter than every fucking body, just like him.

It’s a dangerous ass game that you gotta know how to play. ”

“I know. He sounds like he’s bored and needs something to occupy his time. It’s summer, and niggas out here get bored and like to act out when it’s hot.”

“He in summer school.”

“Yeah, but summer school gets out at like noon from what I remember. That’s a lot of time to be doing nothing, even if you have homework.”

I nodded, agreeing with her words.

“So what you suggest?” I wondered aloud.

“They’re always looking for servers at Compton Boys Diner, and they hire high schoolers in the summer. I can see about getting him a job.”

“Shakur won’t be suspicious about you helping my kid brother?” I raised a brow. I personally couldn’t give less of a fuck about what Shakur thought, but I knew Banks cared, and therefore, I had to care somewhat.

“No. I will ask Presley to hire him.”

“But her husband is the owner, if I’m not mistaken.”

“He is, but pussy is power, ain’t you heard? If I want something from my brothers, I go through my sisters.” She winked, making me chuckle and nod at her strategy.

“I’m with that, at least until I open my own shit.”

“What are you opening?” She adjusted my hoodie, and her touch made a nigga’s skin prickle, causing my response to come out delayed due to the shock.

“Nothing yet.” I offered a confused smirk. “I need to think of some shit, though, that’s gon’ actually make money in a city that got everything.”

“Put something in the hood.” She looked off like she was thinking. “What do you like to eat?”

“Barbecue.”

“Do that. Niggas surely want something else besides Woody’s off Crenshaw and Slauson.”

I chuckled, pondering on her idea that was actually smart.

“Might be on to some shit, Peep.” My brows furrowed as I thought more on it.

“I always am.” She put her legs back across my lap, but this time, she was much closer, so when I turned to look at her sexy ass, we were damn near nose to nose.

Having the same idea, we pressed our lips together so lightly it was more akin to a brush of our mouths.

Her hand gravitated to my beard as her mouth sunk more into mine as my hand ran up her smooth thighs. We sucked one another’s lips becoming hungrier with every second, before I slipped my tongue into her mouth, making her moan.

My hand eventually landed on her round ass, giving it a rough, longing squeeze as she bit my lip. We kissed some more, passion heightening the longer the shit went on before I started to feel guilty as fuck.

Smacking her on the ass, I said, “Chill out.” Turning away and tucking my lips in, I concealed my mouth with a hand as all kinds of shit journeyed through my mind.

“Take your clothes off. We can just sleep, I promise.” She started peeling the covers back, urging me to stand.

I removed my hoodie, T-shirt, and my joggers before going to take a piss and then joining her in the bed.

“We can’t lay like this too long, Peep. My dick won’t ever go soft,” I admitted, making her laugh.

“Fine.” She turned to face me, and as if our eyes were on the same wavelength, I leaned forward to peck her slowly. “Last one,” she whispered, reading my thoughts as I bobbed my head to affirm.