Page 18

“Yes,” she hissed. “Shit.” It came out like a compliment to the length and girth of his dick, which seemed to keep growing. “They said them skinny niggas was toting around big dicks, but damn.”

His eyes lit up. “You wild.”

“I can get wilder…you ain’t seen shit, Malik.”

With that he tucked his throbbing dick back in, then turned to grab a blue plaid button down. Hood nigga shit was all he knew, and Blue was more than just a color to him. “Let’s roll with your hot coochie ass.”

Aku wanted to protest—wanted to take his beautiful dick into her mouth and suck some sense into him.

Affirm that he was beautiful and smart and he could do anything, but Malik wasn’t ready yet.

Maybe he never would be and she had to be okay with that.

Everyone didn’t want love like she did. Love wasn’t necessarily embedded in others like it had been implanted into her, like a seed still waiting to sprout.

And like he told her, she was too good to beg anyone to let her love them.

When he pulled the door open, Gran Betty was waiting at the end of the tiny hallway.

“Oop…” Gran looked up from the tv, turning towards Aku. So, you the reason my grandson smiling this morning?” Gran Betty stood with her hands in the pockets of her house dress and approached them.

Aku blinked nervously. “Hi.”

“Oh she is cute,” Gran Betty said, nodding. “You got a man’s name though. What’s it again? Akon?”

“Aku.”

“Bless you, baby.”

Malik snorted. “That’s her name, Gran Betty.”

Aku laughed too, ’cause that was the first time someone mistook her name for her sneezing.

Gran Betty gave Aku apologetic eyes. “I’m sorry, baby…I’m just an old ass lady that can’t hear.”

“How you can’t hear, but always in my business,” Malik challenged.

She swatted at him. “Negro, please.”

Aku could tell his family was funny as hell. It reminded her of her own. There was never a dull moment when the Moonys got together.

Myesa came around the corner, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Morning.”

Aku stood up straighter. “Hi, I’m?—”

“Pretty as hell,” Myesa cut her off, examining her. “Those freckles…you know they’re good luck?”

“Ma,” Malik leaned against the wall. “You just be makin’ up shit.”

She rolled her eyes at her son. “How you gon’ tell me? I know what I was told ‘cause I used to want freckles so bad. Gran Betty told me they were magical.”

Gran Betty nodded.

Aku pursed her lips. “I accept it.”

Myesa raised a brow. “And what y’all was doin’? Just sleeping?”

“Yes,” they both said too fast.

“Alright,” she said, eyeing them both. “Next time, I want to meet you before you in my son’s clothes.”

“I’m in my clothes,” Aku mumbled under her breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, ma’am.”

Gran Betty grinned. “I like her.”

Aku waved as Malik walked out the house behind her.

Before they could make it to her jeep, a few little boys ran up to him. “Key, you said you was gonna throw the ball with us.”

Malik looked down at Aku, even though there wasn’t much of a height distance when she was in heels. Even without heels, she was tall and her head lined up with his chest, matching his six foot plus frame. “I gotta handle something with Ms. Aku.”

One of the boys wagged his brows. “I see you, Key…she some fine shit.”

Aku snickered.

“Watch yuh mouth. You know what - hand me that ball, whichever one of y’all catch it gon’ be the quarterback today,” he challenged them as they lined up to run down the tattered street. “Go long,” he waved his hand out as he lined up, snapping back and letting the ball fly through the air.

Aku’s heart and ovaries did a weird thumping, watching him show up for the little neighborhood boys. She could tell they adored and admired him.

They all screamed, talking shit like they were twice their age. The smallest one out there caught it - doing a little dance after.

“You up, Jo’King,” Malik hollered as he walked around to the driver’s side to let Aku get in.

“That was sweet,” she flirted before getting behind the wheel.

“I’m a sweet ass nigga, Dorothy.”

When they pulled up to the beach house, Aku spotted Fink and Ben, Noodle’s security, which meant she was already getting back to work.

Aku sighed, thinking about how much their lives had changed in so little time.

She missed having her best friend around.

Now, Noodle was a full-fledged singer and someone’s wife.

She would always cheer for her and be happy, but Aku wouldn’t lie and say a little of her didn’t feel incomplete. Not envious or jealous, ‘cause Noodle was her family. But seeing everyone else so happy and living life to the fullest, made her feel like something had to be wrong with her.

Malik could see the longing in her eyes. It all started to make sense to him. Aku’s heart was so big, she wanted to share it with someone.

He would like to be the man she shared it with, but time could only tell. He was in no rush to make permanent decisions—last time he did, it went south.

“You cool?” he asked, his hand landing on her thigh, grounding her.

Aku forced a smile. “Yea,” she half lied.

He only nodded before grabbing his gun, to make sure it was tucked at his waist.

Aku stopped him. “You don’t need that here.”

He looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “See, Dorothy, I do…this muthafucka gotta stay with me at all times. If you knew the life I lived, you’d understand.”

“I understand now…but trust me.”

Malik huffed, just staring at the two burly men on the porch. Could he trust her? Should he trust her? Malik wasn’t sure…yet.

“Please, Malik.” Those almond eyes had him pulling the gun from his waist and tucking it under the passenger seat. “Thank you.” Her hand brushed against the soft stubble on his chin.

“Watch out.” Malik blushed.

Aku only snickered as they both pushed out of the truck. By now both her shoes were off her feet and she padded to the front door. Malik watched the soft sway of her hips, chewing down his lip.

They both spoke to Noodle’s security before pushing inside the front door. The woodsy scent engulfed them and the faint smell of something good made both their stomachs rumble.

“Honey, I’m home!” Aku announced. “And Kamari better not have played over all the food.”

Once Kamari heard his name, he ran full speed into her legs. “Aki!” he yelled her name as best he could. He was still learning how to annunciate words but they all knew what he was saying.

“Hey, baby,” she cooed, picking him up. Kamari paid her no more attention, once his eyes landed on Malik.

Malik winked at him, making him fall back in a fit of laughter. “What’s up, lil man?”

“Say hi, Mari,” Aku coached.

“Hi,” Kamari smiled big with his head full of hair. They’d let him start growing it back out and he was still the cutest.

Noodle came around the corner, stopping in her tracks once she saw Malik. “Oh,” she giggled like she didn’t know he was coming. Aku had already sent the SOS.

Aku rolled her eyes. “Noodle, stop playing.” She put Kamari back on his feet for him to go on about his little business. “Malik, this is my Auntie and best friend, Noodle.”

“I know who she is,” he said with a smile. “Jacory, nice to meet you.” His long arm extended for a gentle handshake.

Noodle blushed because Malik was that rugged kind of fine—the same charm that won her over with Bu. “Call me Noodle.”

He tilted his head. “Okay, Noodle.”

Next Ahvi rushed over. “I’m Ahvi.”

“I heard your food was good, can’t wait to try it.”

Ahvi smiled big, wiggling her brows at Aku like girl he is fine .

Aku gave a knowing smirk like I told you so .

She hooked her hand into Malik’s, pulling him deeper into the house. “Where the men at?”

“Out back smoking,” Noodle answered. “I handled that already.”

Malik looked between the two of them. He was from the hood, so he picked up on them speaking in code. He wasn’t too worried though, just made a mental note of it. His life had always been set up in a way that kept him on high alert.

Bu, Lunar, Pimp, and Devonte walked into the house from the backyard. The air in the room changed just that quick.

The red hat flipped backwards on Bu’s head, caught Malik’s attention. His hand went to his waist, forgetting he left his piece in the car. Those eyes Aku wanted to stare into forever, glared into her making her skin hot.

Bu wasn’t even looking at Malik when he walked in. Just sipping his mimosa and talking low to Pimp and Little Lunar like the room didn’t just shift.

But Malik felt it.

His body recognized the threat before his brain did.

That red hat was a war cry in disguise…and Malik was built to survive.

Aku felt it too. She reached for his hand as soon as he reacted to Bu or the guys stepping inside. “Please just be cool,” she whispered.

“I was cool ‘til you brought me to a fuckin’ war zone,” he bit back under his breath.

Finally looking up, Bu’s eyes went to Aku, turning into slits.

He wasn’t as active as he once was, but some shit never changed.

And he didn’t know Malik from a can of paint—didn’t even know Aku was bringing company to his house.

He started seeing red immediately. “Aku,” his low timbre made Noodle’s body shake.

Bu’s eyes swept over Malik slowly – Tall, Slim, with neck tattoos creeping up like stories waiting to be told. The intricate crip tatt sprawled above his brow had Bu angling his head.

“Man, c’mon,” Lunar said through gritted teeth, his words directed to Aku because clearly his cousin had lost her damn mind. “The fuck type of time you on, Aku?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Malik sniffed - a sign he was with whatever they were with.

“You good?” Bu was calm.

Malik blinked. “Am I good?”

Bu sipped his drink again. “That’s what the fuck I said.”

Malik’s laugh came out dark and humorless. “Man, niggas die over less.”

“Not in my house,” Noodle warned, already moving toward them.

Aku stepped closer to Malik. She thought it through, but maybe she didn’t put enough thought into it. All she knew was she had a great time with Malik and didn’t want it to end there. She liked him. Some would say too much too soon, and to that she would cuss them out.

Bu raised a brow. “Then maybe don’t bring no crab ass niggas to my fuckin’ house!” His voice grew grittier with each word he spoke, never taking his eyes off Malik.

Malik pushed forward. “The fuck you just say to me, cuh?”

Ahvi spun around. “Ayo?—”

Get back, Ahvi,” Lunar snapped.

“Shit,” Devonte hissed when he saw Pimp’s temples throbbing.

Malik stepped forward again. Aku jumped between them, palms out. “No, no, no—please don’t do this.”

“I ain’t one of your little industry niggas,” Malik growled, eyes locked in on Bu. “You not gon’ sit here and disrespect my presence when I ain’t even disrespect you...on God.”

“Nigga fuck you and them bitch ass industry niggas, Blood.” Bu wasn’t one for the back and forth, still his mouth could get reckless.

“Bitch ass nigga, show some fuckin’ respect before your blood is all over this fuckin’ house,” Malik snapped. “We don’t share no set, no code, no cloth - so walk lite.”

Noodle jumped in front of Bu before he could swing. When her hands touched his skin, she could feel his blood boiling. “Baby, please,” she pleaded, her cries falling on deaf ears. Out the corner of her eyes, she saw Pimp making his way towards Malik. “Devonte! Get him!”

Devonte did his best to stop Pimp. But when it came to his brother, all bets were off.

“Move, nigga!” Pimp tried to get out of his hold, but Devonte wasn’t a weak nigga either. He was from the streets and could hold his own.

“Bu, it ain’t like that. He’s good people,” Aku tried to reason. “Lunar, don’t let them do this.”

Lunar had gone to pick his son up, ’cause if something happened to his son, he was taking out whole families and smiling in the mug shot. He had Ahvi tangled under his arm too. “Aku, you fucked up, baby.”

“’Cause my wife ain’t on the type of time I’m on, I’ll let you walk away but make no mistakes, I will buy yo’ mama a black dress if I ever see you again, nigga,” Bu’s words felt final.

Malik had to respect it since he was outnumbered and naked with no heat. His anger shot to Aku who had tears in her eyes. “This little hood nigga experiment you got goin’ on, is over, Aku! I don’t play these kinda games.” Malik barked, making her body shake.

“Ay, my boy, you gotta talk lite to that one,” Lunar tried to pass Kamari off to Ahvi but she wouldn’t take him.

Malik’s hands were shaking and his chest was rising and falling fast. “I’m out here trying to breathe, tryna build shit…

real shit, while you sittin’ up in a safe ass house with folded towels and salmon croquettes, acting like I ain’t have to damn near die to walk in this bitch unarmed! ” he said to Aku.

Aku reached for him again. “Malik?—”

“No! Don’t fuckin’ touch me!” he snapped, stepping back.

Her hand dropped.

His eyes flicked to hers and softened for a split second—but it wasn’t enough. “I asked you not to put me in situations like this,” he said, voice trembling now because he was so mad. “I told you - I told you this shit ain’t a game to me.”

“It’s not like that?—"

“Then what the fuck is it like? You know what this means where I’m from. You know how many of my homies never made it past twenty ’cause they walked into the wrong color at the wrong time?”

Tears spilled down Aku’s face now. “I wasn’t tryna hurt you.”

He kissed his teeth. “You don’t even know me!”

Everyone just watched it unfold, like a car crash they couldn’t stop.

Malik pinched the bridge of his nose. His hands were still shaking as he turned toward the door. “I’m walking home,” he muttered.

“You not walking all the way back—” Aku started.

“I said I’m walking.”

He didn’t slam the door or look back. Malik just left ’cause it was a blessing to walk away with his life.

And with him went the rest of the morning.

Malik cursed himself as he trekked out the yard and through the well-off neighborhood.

Last night would be one for the books. Today was a reminder that him and Aku were just too different to even be friends.

She didn’t understood hood politics because if she did, he’d be eating brunch instead of ordering a rideshare to pick him up from the nearest gas station with murder on his mind.