Page 13 of On Everything 2

Hov

The next morning

The drive-through line at McDonald's always tested my fuckin patience.

You would think that this artificial ass food would be easy to cook, and I hate that Cashmier is even feeding this type of shit to my kid.

She waited until she was pregnant to start eating unhealthy, but at least she is eating now.

I just hope this trip to take her to get something to eat is really about that and not about anything that has something to do with us.

"Why can't I get Bam to cook you some broccoli and carrots and shit and drop it off for you to eat?"

"I do not want broccoli even if Bam cooks it. I am craving a double cheeseburger with extra onions."

I shook my head, taking my foot off the gas pedal just enough to go up to the window.

"Hi, sir, you had the double cheeseburger, extra onions with a medium fries and a medium Sprite."

I handed her my bank card, and she swiped it before sending me to the next window. After collecting the food, I headed towards the penthouse, while Cashmier tore into the fries straight out of the bag.

"You know, Hov, I'm really, really worried about my dad. I keep calling him, but he won't answer. I'm starting to think something bad happened to him. He's never missed out on an obligation or a duty."

"Don't think like that. Remember, I told you not to stress about the shit. You stress, and we lose the baby. His ass probably just had to get away from the pressure in the city for a moment."

"Maybe you're right. I hope you are right.

Shoot, I wonder if anyone checked at the cabin in North Dakota for him.

As a matter of fact, let me tell my mama someone should call the police there to check.

Maybe the politics and the mayor's race are getting to him.

I for sure hope that if he is in hiding for a mental break, that he snaps out of it before the major media gets a hold of his disappearance. "

Cashmier pulled out her phone, and I did too, taking the time to text Ciara.

I hadn't heard from her since last night when she said she had a headache, so I chalked the shit up to her just being asleep.

Now that it's 11:00 a.m., I'm starting to worry about her.

Definitely got to get her up out of Castle Hill as soon as possible.

Me: I'm coming by to check on you. I can no longer be patient about where you at.

I closed out of the message and turned the music up so there would be no room for small talk in the car with Cashmier.

Once we got to the condo, I got out and walked around to Cashmier's door to let her out.

"Let me guess, you have things to handle."

"It shouldn't be a guess. I do, and I will be back in a few hours."

"Why can't I just go with you to handle whatever business you have. I don't mind sitting in the car. I'm tired of being up in the house alone."

Cashmier sat with her legs hanging out of the car with her arms folded like a child's. Her throwing fits like a kid wasn't new to me; it was just more annoying now because my patience with her has run thin.

"Cash, come on, will we have to go through this every time I have to go make money? Why you acting new to this shit?"

I tried talking to her gently, hoping that would work. I even laid a kiss on her forehead and prayed that soften her up. It didn't tho. When I pulled my lips away from her forehead, she rolled her eyes viciously at me.

"Jehovah, I will be like this forever now because I am scared for my freaking life! Did you forget that I was kidnapped while you were out in the streets? Do you really want that to happen again?"

"Why would you ask that dumb ass question?"

"Because I have to ask it when it comes to you. It's like you want to ignore the fact that I need attention and protection, and that's making me look at you sideways."

"Cash, I'm really not trying to hurt your feelings right now, so just go in the house and lock the door. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Pssh, whatever."

She got out and slammed the car door. I sat there and made sure she got inside before I took off from the front of the building to my first stop, Ciara.

As soon as I pulled the keypad up to call her line, my phone rang with an incoming call from Scotty.

With him having family in every borough of New York City, I gave him the task of finding out who this Regina bitch was in the picture with my father.

At first, he suggested posting the bitch on Facebook, but I didn't want mutha fuckas in my business.

This was some shit I wanted to handle on the streets just in case things don't go as planned and some street shit has to take place. I don't need nothing traced back to me.

"Yo, what's good?"

"Nun much, brodie. Just ate a fucking bagel outside the building to get a little fresh air. How's the new spot coming along?"

"It's coming along pretty smooth. Primo and the other boys are working their ass off from the updates they're giving me. I should have another nigga in your position by the time it's done, so you can go back to making all them bad ass kids."

"Word to my mother I'll chop my balls off before I have another kid."

"Tell that to Kim."

"Shit, she feels the same. She will probably sew her pussy up before she lets me shoot another seed in her."

I had to laugh at this nigga.

Scotty and I have been working together for so long; he was like a brother to me.

Not as close as me and Crew, but I would die for this nigga too.

I met Scotty when he was working with my father as a youngster in their crew.

My pops put him on his team when he found him at one of his car washes.

Said Scotty hustled so hard up there, he could only imagine how he would hustle in the streets for real cash.

He wasn't lying either. Scotty is the hardest-working man in New York.

Shit, but with all those kids, he has to be.

"But yo, I was calling you to tell you that I still haven't run across someone who knows where this bitch is, but as soon as I do, you know I'm getting back to you."

"I appreciate the update, man. This shit is more than about business, so make sure you're checking every corner for this bitch."

"You know I got you, bruh, safety."

"Safety."

Finding my little brother was a necessity to me, even if my grandma thought it was for no reason. Whether my father claimed the little nigga or not, I deserve to know who is walking around with my same blood. Especially now since my father is gone.

When I pulled up to Castle Hill, I parked illegally as I did most of the time and ran upstairs to Ciara's spot. After knocking on the door a few times, I was about to walk away when the door finally opened, and standing there was a punk ass shirtless nigga.

“Who the fuck are you?”

"I'm the owner of this apartment. Your name, Hov, right?"

He smirked like something about my visit was funny.

"Where the fuck is Ciara?"

"Oh, my wife, she is in the bed. I'm Kairo."

The satisfaction over this nigga face made me want to lay his ass out and for good with a bullet to his temple.

"Oh, you're the nigga who put a slug in Diablo. Which means that you are also the man who's been playing with Ciara's feelings since high school."

Kairo shrugged his shoulders like he didn't give a fuck.

"I ain't gone hold you, Ciara is always telling people that shit to make herself feel better for fucking around on me. I'm sure you got some of that recently. Tell the truth, it was good, wasn't it?"

The way this nigga was smirking in my face, I couldn't help but punch the fuck out of his ass. After swinging my fist into his jaw, he went back through the door, grabbing his cheek, and I placed my hand on my pistol.

"Am I Dave Chapelle or Kevin Hart to you nigga? Ain't shit funny about my presence. Now get the fuck up out of here nigga."

"You wilding. This is my spot with my wife. How the fuck are you going to?"

I punched this nigga dead in his face again because why the fuck was he still talking to me?

"Nigga, did you hear what the fuck I just said?

Get down the fucking hallway so that I can talk to MY bitch!

" I leaned in his face, and that mug he was trying to have was only a mask over the fear in his eyes.

I could tell by the way the corners of his mouth were shaking and the tremble of his chin that he was scared.

Kairo grabbed a shirt from the couch and slid it over his head as he walked out of the apartment. I closed the door and turned the latch on the lock to make sure this nigga couldn't sneak back in here.

I put my gun back in my waistband and stepped through the apartment that was filled with balloons, roses, and other shit that was a cheap ass attempt at romance. When I got to the bedroom door, I twisted the knob and pushed myself in with my shoulder.

She didn't hear me entering the room while she laid there tangled in the covers, but from her exposed shoulder, I could see that she was completely undressed.

"Ciara." I shook her body by her ankle.

"So, this is why I couldn't get in contact with you?"

"Huh?" She turned over, rubbing her eyes.

"Hov, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. I see you've been laid up with your old nigga? So you going back to that bum ass nigga?"

"Going back to Kairo sounds like hell."

She held the side of her head while squinting her eyes against the sunrays streaming through the thin, ass curtains in here. The fact that her ass was pretty as hell in this light only added to the anger I felt in this moment. That punk ass nigga didn't deserve to wake up to this. I fuckin did.

"How did you get in here, Hov?"

"That nigga let me in."

"Kairo, he is still here?"

"Nah, I made him leave, but that's beside the point. Why is he here if you were done with him? I thought the nigga was locked up. So, this is the type of game you've been playing?"