Page 19

“How did she talk you into letting her have some space?” Givens laughed as I dapped him up. I opened my door, stepped to the side so he could come in, and closed it. “I swore DeCorte was lying when she said they were going out.”

“My Pop said to give her space,” I grunted as we walked to the living room. “I can't lie, though. I’m itching to pop up on her ass.”

“You fell faster than I did,” he chuckled as he sat on the sofa and got comfortable. “At least I was strong for longer than a few weeks.”

“Lie to somebody that doesn’t know you,” I replied as I sat. “Remember, I told you to leave Mercy alone.”

“Because you’re a hater.”

“I was giving solid advice,” I said, shaking my head. “I told you she wasn’t what you thought she was.” I wiped my hand over my hair and smirked. “Was I lying?”

“Nah,” he denied and shook his head. “That shit was the truth, but it wasn’t no way I wasn’t going to fall for her.”

“Same for me and the Point Guard,” I said, nodding. “She’s my wife.”

“Damn, you know that already?” he whistled in surprise, and I nodded. “I respect it.”

“I knew you would,” I replied. “I’m going to hit up Yale and get her ring started.”

“No holding back since you figured out that stalker shit, huh?” he asked, and I nodded. “I can't believe that it was her punk-ass security guard. Since that happened, I had Nine run another background check on DeCorte’s guard.”

“You know, Legacy’s guard came through her family; shit was different.”

“I know, but I ain’t taking no chances,” he said, shaking his head. “Have you found a new guard for her yet?”

“Nah,” I answered. “I have a few people in mind, but nothing is solid yet. Since the season is about to start, she is going to be on the move, which is putting some fire under my ass to get it handled.” I wiped my hand over my mouth. “I can’t front, though; I like the carefree spirit she has been having since she knows she is safe.”

“I understand, but you can't have her out here unprotected like that,” Givens nodded. “Yeah, that nigga Jermaine gone, but that doesn’t mean you let your guard down.”

“I already know,” I said, nodding as I wiped my hand over my hair. “The only reason I’m not trippin’ right now is because she’s with Mercy, Xoey, and Purpose. If it would’ve been anybody else, I would be on her neck.”

“They went to one of Ex’s lounges,” Givens informed me. I was cool with where she was because Mercy’s cousin, Exodus , didn’t play about security, especially regarding his family. He pulled his phone from his pocket and let out a long whistle. “Did you see Legacy when she left?”

“Kind of,” I said, then sat forward. “Why?”

“What do you mean, kind of?” he laughed as he looked at his phone. “You either saw her or didn’t.”

“I was in the shower when she left, so she yelled from the door,” I said, and he nodded. “Again, why?”

“Check her IG,” he laughed, then set his phone on his lap.

I grabbed my phone from the table and pulled up Legacy’s IG. I ran my tongue over my teeth and let out a laugh. She was dressed in a cream-colored maxi dress that had buttons down the front and a deep ass split at the top and bottom; her titties were sitting right and had my mouth watering. On her feet were some tall ass heels that had me imagining her bent over as I fucked her from behind. Her hair was straight and hanging down her back. The watch, earrings, necklace, and bracelet she wore were iced out. I swiped the screen and immediately stood, making Givens laugh.

“She got me fucked up,” I said, shaking my head. “Nah, this ain’t how she’s supposed to move now.”

“Nigga, I ain’t saying this on no disrespectful shit, but that’s exactly how she’s supposed to be moving,” Givens said, laughing. “That Legacy looks like a woman that is being thoroughly fucked and is out with her homegirls kicking it. When niggas see her, they know she’s being taken care of. Sis got confidence, which is paying homage to her home life.”

I swiped the screen again and smirked. This nigga was talking all this shit, yet I knew he hadn’t seen the picture I was looking at. “So, you cool with this?” I showed him the screen, and immediately, he was on his feet and ready for action. “Nah, keep that same energy.”

“She is trying to have me kill a nigga, I swear,” he sighed as he swiped the screen to see a few more pictures. “I told her not to play with my mental, but she is doing it to see how much I will spazz.”

“It’s a reason her family calls her Hell Raiser,” I laughed as I retook my seat. “She gonna try you.”

“I know,” he agreed with a laugh. “Which is why I love her.” He swiped the screen and then started texting. “She got three minutes to respond, or I’m going to show up.”

“I’m showing up no matter what,” I said as I got back up. Legacy could have all the fun she wanted in the world, but I wasn’t letting her out of my sight in that damn dress. “If baby thought you were a problem at the club that one time over Mercy, then she has no idea what’s about to go down.”

“How much is this about to run you?” Givens questioned, and I shrugged. “Ex shit ain’t cheap, and that nigga is going to expect his money by ten tomorrow.”

“How you know?” I lifted my brow in question.

“I texted and let him know we were on our way, and he said as much,” he answered with a shrug, and I nodded. “But it's cool cuz DeCorte likes shit like this. She thinks it’s romantic.”

“She has been hanging with Xoey too long,” I laughed as we left the house. “But that’s cool cuz if they think that, then they gonna think me showing out is the best love letter there is.”

* * *

I stood atop the bar, watching Legacy dance with Xoey and Mercy. She wasn’t paying any attention to her surroundings, which didn’t do shit but piss me off. Yeah, I wanted her to have fun, but she didn’t know what was going on around her, and she was out there throwing her ass in circles. I pulled my phone from my pocket and shot her a text message.

Me:

You enjoying yourself?

I watched her phone light up in her hand, and she looked at her screen. A shy smile spread across her pretty ass face, and she responded.

The Point Guard:

Yes.

Me:

You miss me?

The Point Guard:

Yes

Me:

Send me a picture

She took a quick picture and sent it to me. I chuckled because she didn’t even realize I was standing on the bar in the background. A random nigga walked up to her; it looked like he asked her to dance, but she turned him down, and I nodded. She just saved his life.

Me:

You pretty as fuck, Point Guard.

The Point Guard:

Thank you.

Another nigga walked up to her and asked her to dance, and she shook her head no. I jumped off the bar and made my way to her.

Me:

Send me another picture

She quickly did what I asked and sent it to me. My phone dinged, and I checked it. Once again, I was in the background, and she didn’t notice. Another nigga walked to her, but she immediately told him no and gave him her back. He didn’t like that shit and started dancing on her. I pressed the barrel of my gun into the back of his head, and he stopped moving.

Me:

You want me to send you a picture?

The Point Guard:

Yes.

I took a picture of the gun in the back of the nigga’s head and sent it to her. Her phone lit up in her hand, and I chuckled when she looked at the picture. She could see herself in the picture's background and turned around to face me.

“Hey, baby,” I greeted her.

Her eyes went from me to the gun in the back of the nigga’s head, then back to me.

“Oh friend, this is not the 9-5 nigga you said we were supposed to go after,” Mercy said, laughing as she came to stand next to her. “I promise you, it’s not.”

“Hell Raiser, you talking shit like your nigga not here,” I said, looking at Mercy. Her eyes got big, and then she started looking around. “I’m pretty sure your three minutes are up, too.”

“Three minutes?” she questioned, and I nodded to her phone.

“He’s around here somewhere, plotting.”

“Fuck,” she sighed.

The music stopped, and a low chuckle echoed through the speakers. “Mercy DeCorte, soon-to-be Robbins, what did I tell you was going to happen the next time I had to show up?” Givens questioned. “This shit is on you, baby; I told you to stop testing me.” He laughed again. “Attention, if you don’t want to get shot, I’d suggest you get ghost in the next thirty seconds. Especially any nigga on that dance floor next to my woman, the twelve, and my boy and his woman.”

The crowd on the dance floor and the rest of the lounge quickly disappeared, and I let out a small laugh. The only people left on the dance floor were me, Xoey, Mercy, Legacy, and the nigga that was dumb enough to try and dance on her. The nigga I had a gun on tried to move, and I grabbed him by the back of his collar to keep him still.

“Where the fuck do you think you are going?” I questioned him. “My nigga, you are about to be used as an example of what never to do when someone sees her out.”

“Aceyn,” Legacy said slowly. “Baby, what are you doing?”

“I came to see you,” I replied with a shrug. I took her in and licked my lips. “The pictures didn’t do you justice. You look good as fuck.”

“Aceyn,” she sighed. “You could’ve said that in a text.”

“I did!” I replied. “Look at your text, I said you look good as fuck.” I nodded at her phone.

Xoey took Legacy’s phone and swiped through her text. “He did, friend,” she said, nodding. “He ain't even trying to hog the spotlight in none of y’all pictures, either.”

“Xoey, what the hell are you talking about?” Legacy questioned. “We don’t have any pictures together.”

“Yes, y’all do,” Xoey said, showing her the pictures. “Look, he’s in the last few in the background. See. I’m going to send this one to myself because it’s dope. He’s at the bar, watching you like a guardian angel or something.”

“Xoey, stop talking to me,” Legacy said, shaking her head and returning her attention to me. “Aceyn, let him go, please.”

“No.”

“Aceyn,” she sighed. “Let him go.”

“I gotta shoot him,” I said, shaking my head.

“No!” She and the nigga said at the same time.

“Yes, I do,” I said, nodding. “You said you didn’t want to dance, and he didn’t listen. Shit is disrespectful, and one thing that no one will ever do to you in my presence is disrespect you.”

“Aww,” Xoey gushed and clapped her hands together like she was praying. “That’s so sweet!” she sighed and shook her head. “Yeah, it’s a shame you’re going to have to kill him, though.” She dropped her hands and then shrugged. “RIP, random nigga from the club.”

“Xoey!” Legacy fussed. “Do not encourage him.”

“Why not?” she asked, genuinely confused. “I’ve always been the supportive friend.”

“I can't have someone’s death on my hands,” Legacy explained.

“Girl, how the hell are we even friends?” Xoey reared back in surprise. “We kill niggas, like all the time. Why are you playing like you don’t understand that?”

“I don’t have to agree with it!” Legacy yelled. She turned back to me with tears in her eyes and shook her head. “Aceyn, please don’t do this. He’s sorry; I can tell from the look in his eyes. He’s scared, and he’s sorry.”

“Are you?” I asked him.

“Yeah, man, I’m sorry. I just wanted to dance with her; she’s fine as fuck!” he explained as he nodded excessively. “I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful.”

“You learned your lesson?” I asked, and he continued to nod. “You gonna do it again?”

“Nah, man,” he said, shaking his head. “If I ever see her, I’m going the other way.”

“Cool,” I said, then hit him in the back of his head so hard, he passed out. I stepped over his body and got in Legacy's face. “You can’t go out in no shit like this without me. You too fine for that shit to be okay.”

“Definitely not a 9-5 nigga!” Mercy yelled from the DJ booth next to Givens.

“He’s not, but I like it for you,” Xoey said, pointing at us. “He’s good for the family. Ghetto and wild. The education and career are just a cover.” She pointed at me and smiled. “I love that for her!”