Page 36

I’ve always been able to move the way I wanted because I was never held to the same standards as Menace. He was the head of our family, connected into everything, and I was just his brother. Never getting my hands dirty, just along for the ride.

This was different.

I was no longer just his brother but working alongside him. Having niggas answer to me and make important decisions that could either make or break the family’s name.

Damn.

I sat on the stoop across from her grandparent’s building and watched her grandfather take his friend’s money. The old heads were playing while everyone else had a drink and enjoyed themselves. As the sun started to set, the kids on the block were riding their bikes and trying to race each other.

I didn’t have the driver drop me home, I came straight here because I wanted to see her. Not seeing her for a few days and knowing something was off, didn’t feel right. Fuck a shower and sleep, I needed to see what was up with my Pooh.

I’ve never been the kind of nigga that would ever crash out behind a woman.

I laughed at Menace when Stevie left his ass, and he stalked her ass while she was at the club, forcing me to fuck with the lights.

I never cared enough about a chick to garner that kind of reaction.

Even with Kennedy, I cared about her, but I never felt this irate about her being engaged.

I mean, I cared, but the shit was more because she played in my fucking face.

Lying was some shit that I couldn’t excuse or move forward with.

When Navy said her ex-boyfriend’s name, I nearly bit my driver in the head with how angry I was.

Even he became concerned while I spoke calmly into the phone.

My brother had literally given me some control.

Put in control of some shit, and I was less concerned about that and more about my baby.

“Have a beer,” Avril came and sat down next to me.

I was so in my head that I didn’t notice her cross the street. “Thanks.”

Tilting the Red Stripe back, I took a gulp and then looked down the block. “She’s my baby, you know.”

“Yeah.”

“Navy is headstrong. She comes from a longline of women who are bull headed. Patience will get you further than anything else.”

“Mrs. Perkins, I’m trying to be patient, but she playing with me.” I felt comfortable enough to tell her how I felt.

“Ma.”

“Huh?”

“Call me Ma. Mrs. Perkins is way too formal, and I don’t know how I feel about you using my name.” She nudged me with her shoulder, and took another sip of her beer.

I looked at her and she gave me a smile. “Damn, that kind of threw me off track.”

“Landon, I don’t know much about you. All I know is that my daughter smiles like a lunatic when she sees you. I also know that you have allowed an old man to drive your car because you know it makes him happy.”

“It sits in the parking garage, anyway. Better him getting use out of it.”

She chuckled. “I don’t know much about you, but I would love to. Getting to know you, means knowing where you come from. Your family. As you can see, we’re a tight knit family and when we accept you, you are family.”

“Word?”

“ Word ,” she mocked.

I chuckled. “I would like that.”

We both saw Navy turn the corner and walk down the block in her thoughts. She had bypassed Greene and Beans at the corner of the block because she was venting to herself. “Someone pissed her off.”

At the same time, a woman came from the opposite end of the block, and Avril stood up. “Cindy! Bitch, you forever late. Did you bring that?”

She waved whatever in her hand and laughed as Navy’s mom met her halfway and they spoke. I watched my baby continue to walk while ignoring everyone, but what was inside of her head. “Pooh.”

She stopped short and turned to look at me. I didn’t know if I should have called or not, because she came charging at me with her finger already extended. “You got me fucked up hanging up on me like I’m one of your bi?—”

Her words were halted when I snatched her up and kissed her on the lips. She held my face and kissed me back and then pulled back. “I got you fucked up?”

Navy couldn’t form the correct words as she remained on my lap. “Don’t be fucking hanging up the phone on me, Don!” she purposely used Don to get under my skin.

“You came, right?”

She pulled my beard. “I was coming back over here anyway, Mr. Y ou ‘Bout To Blink and Crash Out. ”

I got close to her ear. “You came, right?”

I asked the question a second time because she seemed not to understand that no matter if I hung up on her or not, she came straight here ‘cause she knew I was here. “Whatever. Why are you dressed in slacks?”

“Came straight from handling business to fucking see you and you smiling up in that nigga’s face. Should fucking punish yo’ ass.” I discreetly pinched her ass.

Navy rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t smiling up in his face. He had to talk to me about something. Why you pulled up in a damn tank, Don?”

“My ride for the night.”

“You have to ride in that?”

I laughed. “Apparently so.”

An Escalade pulled onto the block and Navy’s body tensed up. “The fuck does he want?”

The truck quickly pulled behind my whip and homie hopped out. Jett looked up from his phone, as he leaned on the truck. He watched him closely as he crossed the street toward where her family was all hanging out.

“You could have told me that you made it back.” He looked at her in my lap and then shook his head.

There wasn’t any reason for me to start shit with her family around. He was already losing because she was right where she wanted to be. I hung that phone up and she came right where she needed to be.

With me.

“Eat dirt, bitch!” she hollered across the street, causing her parents and grandparents to look at us.

“Navy Bleu Perkins!” her grandmother scolded.

“Sorry, Nana.” She winced and continued to give homie the evil eye, while he walked up to the game her grandfather was in the middle of.

When Ro came out the house, you could tell he was relieved and thought he had someone to talk to.

He looked over at his daughter, and then Antwan before he walked back down the block where his friends were leaned on bikes.

Avril and her friend had said something to him, but other than that nobody paid his ass any attention.

Antwan was used to the new attention that he got because his name was being mentioned in the news and media. He forgot that these people didn’t give a fuck who he was. Navy’s family didn’t care that he was going to the pros, they cared about how he treated Navy, and he had hurt her.

It was the same reason my wealth didn’t mean shit to them.

Ro enjoyed the Bentley but let him hear I did some fuck shit to his daughter; he’d shove those keys down my throat.

When I pulled up earlier, Navy’s grandmother watch me climb out the back and wasn’t fazed.

She gave me a hug and checked in with me, as only a grandmother could, and then sent me to the corner store to grab her cigarettes.

“What’s up with that?” I asked in her ear, kissing it.

She shrugged. “I’m stupid.”

“Navy, what are you talking about?”

“When you find out the mess I have gotten myself into, you’re going to agree with me.”

“Then tell me.”

“Not here,” she groaned.

Antwan stuck around for a little bit more, while everyone ignored him.

He finally took the hint and said bye before leaving.

Before he walked to his truck, he looked over at Navy.

She refused to give him any attention as she ate her plate of food.

Her mother called her over toward her, and she left me her half-eaten plate of food.

“You good?” Beans asked, as he took her spot as we watched both Greene and Navy kiss their grandmother as they jumped up and down.

“B, there’s something about her… shit got me feeling different.”

He snorted. “You falling for her, Don. Ain’t shit wrong with that, though. I like Greene a lot.”

“Enough to stop talking to other bitches?”

“With the way I work ain’t no time for other bitches. I also enjoy being her friend right now ‘cause she can’t offer me more.”

“Word?”

“Something about her ex-boyfriend. I got something on the calendar to go and fuck his ass up for what he did to her.” He sparked his spliff and took a pull.

“Fuck we doing for your birthday? I’m up for anything.

Got some time to dip off, and Greene, too.

Stevie been in mom mode, so ain’t really needed her. ”

I watched as Navy bumped hips with her cousin as they laughed. “Her birthday a few days after mine… really wanna do something for her.”

Beans chuckled as he choked back his smoke. “She got you like that?”

“Yeah,” I said without hesitation because that was the truth. Navy had me wanting to go out my way for her, not because she had good pussy, but because of the way she was. She never expected the shit, so it made me want to surprise her.

I didn’t take her telling me she wanted to be courted lightly. If she wanted me to buy the Chrysler Building, I would do the shit for her. It was the way she stared into my eyes when I fucked her that made me want to give her the fucking world.

“Let me know what the move is. I can go home to pack and meet you wherever.”

Navy was coming back over toward us skipping. Even though she had been laughing and joking with her family, I could see something was different in her eyes. “Tonight, we out.”

Beans stood up and blew his smoke opposite where Navy was. “Got you.”

I watched as he walked over toward Greene and said something to her. She jumped up and down excited, then slapped her hand over her mouth when he whispered something else to her.

The rest of the night I couldn’t stop thinking about what she had to tell me. Even as I helped her into the back of the truck, I needed to know what the fuck was wrong. Why would she say she was stupid? Navy could never be stupid, even if she tried.

What the fuck did she get herself mixed into?