Page 6

KAIRO

" H ello," Cash said into the phone, her voice was always so subtle and sweet.

"What's up, my baby?" I asked as I took a seat on the bottom bunk.

"Hi, Ro," I could hear her walking, and I knew that she was outside.

"What you got going on early this morning?" I questioned.

"I have a meeting later at the prosecutor's office, so I'm going to grab something light from the smoothie place. I'm not in the mood for a big breakfast."

I heard a nigga in her background, and I didn't even acknowledge what she had said.

"That's a nigga calling you?" I grilled her.

"Yeah… I'm going to get an acaí bowl," she answered as I heard the cashier from the smoothie shop greeting her.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to bother you, but you're beautiful. Can I pay for your order or take you out to eat?" I heard the voice say again. She wasn't responding quickly enough for my liking.

"Fuck no! Cash, get that nigga out your face." I gritted.

"Thank you, but I'll have to decline. I'm dating someone at the moment."

"I understand. Tell him he's a lucky man." The nigga said back to her.

"Nah, he's a lucky man. Bitch ass nigga I don't need luck," I said as she started to laugh.

"Ro hush," she said once she stopped laughing.

"Every time I talk to you, it's niggas hounding you. Stay in the house." I barked.

"I can't help that. Men are men, baby." She said casually.

The line was quiet for a beat. A nigga was heated because what Cashmere didn't understand was that once I got a sample of her pussy she belonged to me.

Cash was pretty as hell, smart, and freaky.

It was no way that I was letting another nigga experience that shit.

I didn't give a fuck that she was going through a divorce, the age difference, none of that.

I wanted her and everything that came along with her.

She could fuck around and find out that there was no cap on that rap sheet if she wanted to. Then I heard her giggle.

"What the fuck is so funny?" I asked, agitated as hell.

"The guy left his number on my truck and said to call him when I get single."She laughed again.

"And that's funny?" I asked. I didn't find a fuck thing funny.

"Yeah, it was, lighten up."

"I'm dark as 12 o'clock. What's his number?" I gritted.

"I don't know. I left it in the parking lot. And even if I had it, why would I give it to you, Ro? That's messy."

"Yeah, whatever. You probably kept it to let that nigga take you out when you get bored." I snapped.

"And if I do? Last I checked, I was free to do whatever I wanted. Calm down."

"Oh, that's right?" I asked, making sure I had heard the sentence I had heard.

"Yeah, that's right, Kairo." She fired back.

I scoffed, my jaws clenched as I tried to will myself from snapping her up and saying something I would regret. But then she doubled down on it, and all I could hear was her calling me a bitch ass nigga. She didn't say the words, but her repeating that shit might as well have been the same thing.

"Aight, then fuck you. Go be free to do whatever it is you want to do." I hung up on her.

I walked into the courtroom nervous as hell today.

After me and Cash had that argument last week, we didn't speak.

She texted me two days after I hung up on her, telling me that Corey was going to defend me at trial and that she was resigning as my attorney.

Corey's ass had been nonexistent during the whole process, so to have him be the one arguing the case had a nigga on edge.

But it is what it is. I steered clear of the whole unit these last seven days because with me and Cash not talking, I was bound to hurt one of those niggas and get another charge.

She calmed me in a crazy ass way, and I missed her.

The officer brought me to the table and sat me next to Corey, who looked like he was sweating bullets.

"Have you heard from Cash? I can't get in touch with her.

" He asked. The shit made my stomach bubble.

I knew that she was mad, but I didn't expect her ass to be angry this long and not show up for real.

The judge came in and sat at the bench. As soon as he opened his mouth to address the court, Cash came in wearing the Balmain dress I brought her. I smiled. Aight, it was showtime.