Page 19 of Invisible Bars

Her smile twitched. “That’s how you talk to women? They surely don’t make men the way they used to.”

“No, that’s how I talk tointerruptions.Andtheydo; you just don’t qualify for this particular nigga.”

“I tried to warn you,” Chi said, shaking his head, then gave her a once-over. “That dress had potential; the approach did not.”

The girl huffed, spun on her heel, and walked off fast—heels clicking like regret.

Chi laughed. “Yo...I’m finna make my girl sign a waiver before sheeverasks yo’ ass for advice!”

“I’m her brother, so it's too late for that. Besides, I’ma honest muthafucka, so I’m sure I’ve given her some of the best advice she’s ever gotten.”

“Ol’ girl wasflirtingwith you, though, Grinch. You mad at that?”

“I came here to chill, not flirt. And I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t for yo’ ass.”

Chi grinned. “Nah, I know what it is… you cranky ‘cause you ain’t caught a body in a minute. Yeah, that’s it. You mad and sitting here like John Wick in a hoodie ‘cause peace and quiet don’t excite you. Nigga over here fiendin’ for chaos like it’s nicotine.” He leaned in slightly, voice lowered. “Well… don’t worry, tonight might be your comeback tour.”

A slow grin crept across my face.

Now that’s the language I loved to hear.

“Talk.”

“It’s Blu. He’s late. But that nigga ain’t just late; he skipped out on two drop-offs, gave my runner an empty envelope last week, then had the nerve to say he needed agrace period.I told him you wasn’t gonna like that. He said he’d have itthisweekend… Saturday to be exact.’”

“My weekend starts on Fridays… today.”

“I heard he’s been hosting after-hours poker games at the joint. Stupid packed. Cash everywhere.Somebody’smaking money.”

“And it ain’t us,” I interjected.

“Nope!”

See, Chi wasn’t just my nigga; he was myeyes and earsin the streets. Although I was running a legit empire—real estate, construction, high-end developments—I had another love; actually, myfirstlove. The kind that didn’t involve invoices, but invitationsto violence.

Debt collecting.

But those days, my face was tied to glossy Forbes articles, and my schedule was full of investor meetings, architectural walkthroughs, zoning calls, looking at luxury properties—shit that made me money but bored my soul. And since juggling both worlds wasn’t easy, Chi stepped in and handled the dirty tracking and was out collecting intel like overdue rent. With him being damn near kingpin status in his own lane, he kept me looped in on the kind of shit I couldn’t always see from boardrooms and skyscraper views. Chi knew who owed me, who was talking slick, and who was about to meet God—or the devil sooner—than scheduled.

People saw the nameImanio Korsand thought polished success—suits, skyscrapers, and magazine spreads. What they didn’t know was this: happiness, forme,wasn’t sipping champagne in penthouses or smiling for cameras; it was pulling up in silence, gloves on, settling a score before the sun even cracked the sky. The streets owed me, and every now and then, I had to remind them, I still collect… with interest.

I downed the rest of my drink in one gulp, then stood like it was time to clock into chaos.

“Well, that just put me in a better mood,” I said, cracking my neck. “Let’s go deliver Blu’s cutoff notice.”

Translation: lights out, permanently and payment due in blood.

Chi let out a long, dramatic sigh, like I’d just ruined his vacation by telling him we had to go home a few days earlier than expected.

“Now? Nigga, I was just getting comfortable.”

“Yeah,nownigga! If you wanted to eat yo’ wings in peace, you should’ve waited to tell me that shit.”

“I’m just saying, yousureyou don’t wanna stay alil’longer? You only madethreepeople mad tonight; that’s a personal record for you.”

“I’m trying to stay humble… a little. Now let’s go.”

Chi stood, grumbling under his breath as he scooped the rest of his food into the trash.