Page 13

“I got a question, Wyn.”

We’d been blowing big buds for close to an hour now in the studio. I decided to do the feature on her album and play into that bullshit feud with Cochise.

Sahara is really filming on that damn show. She wanna be a bird bitch so fucking bad. I don’t know how her and Van are related.

“Oh God,”

Wyn groans. A condition of us being in the studio is she can’t drink before or during our sessions. I got a breathalyzer and all to check her ass. But I know she can’t function foreal without being on something, so I compromised with weed.

Shit, I need it, too.

A normal nigga would have inhaled Mace in one go. A normal nigga would have been begging her on bended knee to get a sample. Thank God I’m not a normal nigga.

I see why she gets so many niggas. I see why, man.

One whiff of her pussy and I had to shut all the way down like I was doing a skit.

Her smell… fuck. It was like catnip to me. I can’t even describe it, but I feel like even if she came around me after a long day and worked out and ate some chili cheese fries, I’d still wanna lay on my stomach and eat that pussy with my legs propped up, swinging in the air.

I just know one taste will have me gone. Brina’s right, my Ace is gone put me through the fucking blender.

Macy’s fucking dangerous. She’s sweet as hell. Kind. Funny as fuck. And so beautiful, and real. Authentic.

And holding a weapon of mass destruction between her legs.

But I’m taking the exposure therapy approach. The perineal massages should expose me to that oasis long enough that maybe I’ll build an immunity to it. I’ll hear her moans so frequently I won’t care anymore. I’ll resist tasting her after bringing her to orgasm while preparing her to birth my daughter, and then when she inevitably finds someone else, I won’t be tempted to rob and kill him and his entire family, dog included.

Because a woman like that won’t stay single for long. Hell, she’s only single now because she’s choosing to be; it’s plenty niggas who will love her enough to play stepdaddy.

And she deserves that, truthfully. She deserves a nigga that will do her right, because I can’t.

So I gotta be able to handle that. I gotta be able to let her chase her happiness. Because really, I wanna lock her and my daughter up in the basement forever.

“What’s your question? And I hope you’re not billing me for this session because you just completely zoned out.”

Wyn pulls on her wood and hands it to me.

I take it and inhale.

“You snitched on me to Tati’s dad about that party? You the only one who seen me there, and I still don’t know how he figured out it was me.”

She rolls her eyes and grabs her comp book from the coffee table.

“No, I didn’t tell. You guys left and I ran as far as I could to a gas station and called my mom to come get me. First time I met Tati’s dad was at her funeral.”

I furrow my brows.

“Then why the fuck you act like you did when I seen you at the next party? I straight up asked yo ass and you let that pussy Corey answer for you.”

She freezes before moving a piece of her blonde wig behind her ear.

“You assumed. I never actually said anything,”

she mutters.

I put the wood down.

“I snapped that nigga’s neck off the strength of that, Wyn.”

“I know.”

“Look at me, Wyn. Why the fuck–”

“Because I knew you’d do that,”

she snaps. When she turns her head towards me, her eyes are glassy.

“I knew you’d kill him, and I wanted him dead. Can we drop it?”

Her eyes are pleading me to do what she asks, and I’m stumped. Corey was an older nigga from BB, who hated on us because we had more motion. He was cooler with the old niggas before Set took over, but didn’t cause any problems or even want to be in charge. He was still a hater all the same, but still a BB, and I caught major flack for snapping his neck like that in front of everyone.

I know that’s partly why they watch me, to this day. When they asked me why I did it, all I said was there’s a reaction for every action, and lit my blunt.

“Wyn, that nigga was innocent–”

She barks out laughter.

“Corey was far from innocent, Shad, trust me. A quick death was merciful… let’s just say your friends didn’t exactly get everyone when they cleaned house the first time, but you took care of it. You take care of everyone but yourself, Shad, and it’s a gift and a curse… have you been taking care of yourself? You can’t go on like this.”

I know she’s trying to deflect, but I still I sigh and lean back.

“To be honest Wyn, the only thing that’ll make me feel better is being with my sister again… Take the day to work on some shit, and send whatever you get done to me. I’ll get up with you later this week.”

I stand and lean over to hug her before dipping out. I don’t need to be falling out around her fragile ass having a seizure, and thinking about Raya is a sure way to do that, so I just head to the Center early. I tell our groupchat, and they all decide to come early, too, so I’m only waiting a few minutes downstairs before I hear them niggas coming down.

“Y’all planned this shit? Left me hanging,”

I say with my arms outstretched.

Nut waves me off and comes dap me up.

“Shutcho crybaby ass up. Niggas all pulled up the same time. Reem and Ty was prolly together though, you know they Thelma and Louise.”

“Niggas jelly?”

Ty smirks.

“Niggas been around Van lame ass too long, talking ‘bout some jelly. She gave you the pussy yet or you still deep in the friend zone?”

Nut cackles as Turk smirks.

Only Set and Reem are stoic, both looking at me. I clear my throat and wait for everyone to settle down. We all take a seat at the conference table down here. It’s always two empty seats, one for Fredo and one for Sean.

“Wassup, Shad?”

Reem asks, giving me the floor.

I drum my fingertips on the table. Not too long ago, Turk found out one of his girlfriends, Patience, knew Cochise and kept it from us. It really ain’t have shit to do with us foreal, but because I was beefed out with Cochise and no one really knew why, he thought he could handle it on his own until he had facts.

Shit went to hell in a handbasket, quickly, and things really only just started settling down with all of us.

I get why he played it close to the chest. Patience was tightlipped, and our bros, Nut and Set specifically, have no tolerance for even perceived disloyalty. That should works when everything is black and white, but things are becoming more and more gray, and now is the time for a little finessing, something neither of them are particularly good at.

However, the info I have is directly connected to more than one of us. Nut, being the oldest, and Set, being our de facto leader, are always gonna wanna take point. Sometimes they’ll let Turk or Reem lead, but this is my domain, and it’s on me. I just don’t know if they’ll be down. To everyone at this table, I’ll always be Baby Set, no matter how many faces I shoot off.

Fuck it.

“Sincere’s the one who shot Set and Cochise.”

I can’t let them get a word in, especially because I know none of them fuck with him and only was semi cordial off the strength of me and Sean, so I continue.

“The person driving him was–”

The door opens and we all turn to see none other than YT walking in like she’s on a runway. She’s dressed in a Pucci jumpsuit and sky high heels again, and when she takes a seat at the table, she takes out a baby wipe and cleans dried blood out from under her nails.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Reemie Pooh, your move.”

She glances at Reem beside her, who’s jaw clicks, before giving her attention to me. She grabs a gun from out of her oversized purse and gestures with it for me to continue.

“You got balls the size of the Pacific Ocean coming up in here like that,”

Nut mutters, but she doesn’t pay him any mind. I wouldn’t even think she heard him if it weren’t for her hand on her gun squeezing for a second.

“YT was the one driving.”

Everyone’s pointing their pieces at her now, but she has hers aimed right at Reem’s head, since she’s sitting next to him. Her loud cackle is the only thing that can be heard, not the least bit worried.

“Oh, come on! You can ask Reemie Pooh, I don’t miss. Now can we put the guns away? I promise I don’t have much to hide.”

“Shad, the fuck is going on?”

Set rasps.

I sigh and palm my braids. This bitch isn’t necessarily a liability, but I feel like my crazy quota has already been filled.

“I’m not–”

“We ain’t ask yo ass shit,”

Nut interrupts her.

“We talking to Shad.”

“Well I’m gonna be the one talking, so be nice,”

she whines.

“Bitch–”

Before I could even blink, she aims her gun and fires at him, before going around the conference table, making my bros fire back at her. Me? I just cover my fucking eyes with my hands.

I see why I don’t take point on shit. I can’t even keep Brina’s cousin alive.

“The fuck she shoot us with?!” Ty slurs.

That makes me put my hands down, and I see everyone except Set with a dart hanging out of their throats.

Reem pulls his out, and looks at YT, who’s rising from underneath the table.

“This bitch,”

he mumbles before falling face first onto the table. The others soon follow, except for Nut, whose head is leaning back on the chair.

“Was that necessary?”

I say through my teeth.

She just dusts herself off and takes her seat again.

“They don’t need to know my personal business, Shad,”

she reasons.

“This only involves Set.”

Set looks on at her with his jaw dropped.

When she turns toward him, my bro scoots away just a little, but if she notices, she doesn’t say anything.

“I met Sincere at my court ordered therapy. He pursued me, I declined, but I dunno, he kind of wore me down since I couldn’t be around my brothers while completing the stipulations of my release. He told me he had some unfinished business with some niggas down here, so I tagged along. Figured why not, you know? He came off as a square, and I thought he’d need my help.

“It wasn’t until he was leaning out the window that I saw it was you, that’s why I swerved away. He thought shit was sweet, and ended up telling me he used to date Brina too, and let me know he specifically chose me to get closer to her, and I snapped. But someone called the police so he was able to get away, and he’s been in the wind ever since.”

YT looks at Set then and folds her hands together.

“Please, please don’t tell Baby Girl I was in the car with him… I never wanted to bring harm to her, and by extension, you. It’s bad enough she knows me as YT now… I’ll never ask for anything else. Just this.”

Set shifts his gaze to me.

“We can trust her?”

“She’s B’s cousin, and she don’t want no one from back home knowing about her fuckup. We gone handle this shit. I just wanted everyone to know what was up so it’s no repeats of the East Kenton shit.”

Set’s eyes harden.

“You ain’t handling shit, Dub. You supposed to be on a break.”

I ball my face up.

“Sincere was only around off the strength of me and Sean. He’s my problem, and I‘m solving it. I don’t need yo permission, Set.”

“And yet you asking for it. And I’m telling you, no. Me and Nut–”

“You can’t even bend two of your fingers!”

I snap, shooting out of my chair.

“You were in a coma, and that’s after dying on the table. You ain’t doing shit but being a father to my niece and nephew, nigga. I said I got this, and I do. Let me be Shotty.”

YT stands, too.

“I got him, Set. I won’t let shit happen to him.”

Set glances at her before scowling at me.

“You’ll always be Shaddy Shad to me, I don’t care if you can handle a sawed off. And you.”

He points to YT, who just grins.

“Anything happens to my brother, I’m telling B you was finna take me out, and then we both coming for yo ass. I don’t give a fuck who you kin to.”

YT nods and salutes him.

“Sir, yes sir! If it’s any consolation–”

“Come on, YT, before these niggas wake up.”

I round the table and we walk out, side by side.

“Your speech was beautiful–”

My grunt shuts her up, but she still has the most unhinged grin as she steals glances at me.

Of course she’s parked next to me, and I swear, I hear her say something about a Deezy choosing well before I turn my engine over and peel off.