Page 20 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings

Cambrie

Later that day…

“ U m, I don’t care. I told you she was sleeping, so no, I’m not letting you in,” my roommate and best friend’s voice jarred me from my slumber.

Peeling one eye open, I lifted my head off the pillow I was cuddled up to and checked the time on my LED alarm clock beside my bed. It was almost two p.m.

“You think I give a fuck about that? Let me in, Plum, so I can talk to her!”

“Why you all high strung and shit about speaking to her?” I heard Plum ask. “What did you do? And what happened to your face?”

“The fuck make you think I did something? She say something to you?”

“She got home around five this morning and went to bed. I haven’t spoken to her, but obviously, something got you tight to show up here like this. I’m not letting you in?—”

I slowly crept out of bed and padded toward my ajar bedroom door. It was closest to the living room, so in a matter of seconds, I was lingering in the doorway.

“The fuck you mean around five this morning. Where was she?”

“I—” Plum was about to come with some slick shit, knowing her.

“None of your fucking business,” I answered, sending both of their heads spinning in my direction.

“Yo’ little bully here won’t let me in.”

“What are you doing here?” I avoided looking at him because last night was still fresh in my head.

He’d really been playing in my face for the longest. I didn’t want to give him a chance to explain because it honestly didn’t fucking matter. How could we come back from this? The trust was destroyed, and there was no way I was coming second to some side baby.

“We need to talk. The fuck you mean?” he snapped, eyebrows furrowing.

“Yesterday should have made it clear how much I don’t want to talk to you, Sayer.” I started toward the door, all that anger and bitterness rising in my chest with each step.

“You can’t just cut me off,” he scoffed.

“Wait, what he do?” Plum queried, holding up a hand.

“Ain’t nothing for you to worry about. Go mind your fucking business!” he barked at her.

“Nigga, you got me fucked up.” Plum tugged on the drawer to the table beside the door and whipped out her taser.

She flicked that bitch on, making sure he saw the spark when she activated it.

“Look, I ain’t come here for this shit. Brie, call her ass off so we can talk.”

“I said everything I needed to say yesterday to you in front of your baby mama, you remember that?”

“What! Baby mama!” Plum replied. “Since when?”

“Oh, I don’t know. She’s due any day now, from what I could see. Looks like she’s nesting, so she was at his house setting up shop.”

“I know you fucking lying.” Plum’s rage swung toward Sayer.

“Why you gotta be telling her all that?”

“The truth?” I shot back. “Why would I lie for you?”

“Because you already know you gon’ come back, Brie. The fuck else you gon’ do?”

The nerve of this muhfucka! Usually, I’d say he was right.

We’d been through shit before, and I always forgave him.

He’d spoil me, take me shopping or on some trip, and I’d fall right back into the trap.

This time, he’d done too much. There was no way in hell I was getting caught staying with a nigga who made a baby on me.

I’d been foolish before, but that shit was done.

“See, this the type of shit that gets muhfuckas killed,” Plum voiced when I appeared at her side, just a couple of steps from Sayer.

“It’s cool. I got this,” I assured her, holding a hand up.

“In case I didn’t make myself clear last night, we’re done, Sayer.

Delete my number because I’ll be blocking yours.

Don’t worry about me crashing out, baby.

Go live your life with your bitch and little bastard baby and leave me the fuck alone! ”

Chuckling, he pinched the tip of his nose, and I knew he was holding back.

He wanted to put hands on me, his dark eyes bouncing around mine with a wicked simper lingering over his mouth.

Bobbing his head, he glanced at the ground before looking me in the eye.

His hand rose swiftly, gripping my throat and yanking me closer to his face.

His jaw locked tight but he breathed heavy like a dragon through his nose.

“We not over until I say we are, Brie! I don’t give a fuck how much time passed. Or who I’m with, or who you with, you belong to me!”

“Nigga, you done lost your fucking mind!” Plum stepped up and tased his ass right in his ribs.

“Argh! Fuck!” he screamed, releasing me.

Doubling over and holding his side, he winced and took deep breaths.

Plum wasn’t finished. She lifted her leg and kicked the back of his, causing his knees to buckle before she hit him with the taser in the same place.

Sayer jerked and twitched on the ground, and Plum was having too much fun.

I read that crazy glint in her eyes and stepped up to stop her before she fried his fucking brain or something.

“Plum! He’s down!”

“Bastard.” She kicked him in his back and straightened up, pushing her shoulder-length locs out of her face.

Stepping over Sayer, she entered the apartment behind me and slammed the door shut.

“He’ll be waking up in about five minutes. He knock on this door again, he’s catching a hot one.” She turned the lock to the deadbolt to secure the door and dropped her taser on the table where she got it from.

“I doubt he will after that.” I turned to pad toward our kitchen on the other side of the apartment.

“Um, why didn’t you call me last night?” Plum questioned, on my heels toward the kitchen as I thought about what I wanted to eat.

“I drove back to the facility to see Daddy and fell asleep there. They kicked me out around four. By the time I got home, you were already asleep.” I stopped at our stainless-steel Maytag fridge and pulled the door open.

“This nigga really knocked up another bitch?” Plum asked, pausing at our small island counter and resting her hand on top.

“Kendra. She’s pretty, and very much a people pleaser, and pregnant.”

“I’m sorry, Cam.” Empathy poured out of her eyes when I joined her at the counter with eggs, bacon, and shredded cheese.

“I knew he wasn’t shit, but… I never expected to walk in and find him on some domestic shit with another woman, like I didn’t even exist. She was in his house, so it’s obvious he moved her in.

I just don’t know how I was so dumb and blind.

” I decided to make an omelet, so I grabbed green and red bell peppers along with a red onion to throw in the food processor.

“Because that fuck nigga took advantage. He knew you was out here working, busting your ass, making sure all your clients had somebody else to go to when the clinic closed. I can’t even imagine how you feel right now, but…

I will say I think you are better off without him.

You know I always thought he wasn’t shit. ”

“This couldn’t come at a worse time.”

“What do you mean?” Plum frowned.

“Well, in case you forgot, I’m unemployed.

To top that off, Daddy’s facility says they can’t continue to accommodate his needs there.

He needs a more high-risk facility since he likes to wander off.

His insurance, social security, and disability aren’t enough to cover all his needs at this new place.

They are going to want a down payment up front. ”

“What? You can’t like make payments or something?”

“I got a week to come up with some kind of plan. I went over to ask Sayer for the money, and that’s when I found him with Kendra. I felt like I was the one out of place. He even told her we were done.”

“Piece of shit,” she grumbled, shaking her head.

“Well, I was up last night thinking about you and your situation, so I did put in a few apps for you. If you get a call, then it’s more than likely someone asking for an interview.

This morning, a few more were posted, and I found this freelance site too.

They post work by the hour for little odd shit. One was for a nanny position.”

“A nanny?” I repeated, grabbing the cutting board from a cupboard and coming back to the counter.

“Yes, girl. The pay is good, and you get benefits.”

“I don’t know shit about being no damn nanny.”

“Cam, you taught fifth grade, you were a child therapist and physical therapist,” Plum reminded me. “You’re also educated in childhood development and psychology. I think it would be perfect. In fact, they already asked for an interview,” she admitted in a rush before backing away from the counter.

“What! When?”

“Today. Four p.m. I got the address and everything for you. I even printed off an updated resume. I’m going to get dressed. I have to work today, but whatever you’re making, make me one too.” She winked and grinned before skipping out of the kitchen.

This damn girl. I loved her to death, but she was so invasive.

She knew me better than anyone though, so I let her get away with it.

If I didn’t tell her something, she would only dig around and pry until she got the answers she sought.

Being friends as long as we have, we were practically sisters.

She had two of her own, Peach and Pear, but they were younger than her.

Plum and I had been down since sixth grade, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world, even when she was getting on my nerves.

I didn’t have much time to get myself together.

After I whipped up one big omelet and cut it in half, I plated it just as Plum came sailing into the room.

Ready for the day in her burgundy skirt and blazer suit for the hotel she worked in, she had pulled the top half of her locs into a bun on top and let the rest hang down her back.

“Thank you,” she said, grabbing her plate and fork and muttering a quick prayer before taking a bite. “I left the résumé and info for the job near the front door. You need me to help you find something to wear?”

“No, I’m sure I can manage.” I took my fork and cut into my omelet. “Who am I meeting?”