Page 8 of ‘Til I Say When

Wonder had a duffel bag tossed over her shoulder. She approached my vehicle, and I hit the locks. She yanked the door open with attitude and placed the bag in the backseat before getting in the front. “And why do I need an overnight bag?” she asked in a sharp tone as I put the gear in reverse.

“You can kill the attitude,” I peered at her as the fragrance that she wore struggled to overpower the aroma of weed that lingered in the car.

Wonder’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me? Am I supposed to be happy about you playing with my freedom and blackmailing me? You forcing me to hold that gun, so my fingerprints would be on it doesn’t give you the right to try and control my life. I said I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“And I’d be a fool to believe that shit,” I snapped.

“The gun is just insurance, so you won’t run your mouth.

The situation with Drew is just a bonus.

Trust me when I tell you that if that nigga doesn’t bite after a week or two, fuck him.

I have better shit to do than to drag this out forever.

All you have to do is cooperate and do what I ask you to do, and this will be over before you know it. ”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“You’re staying at my crib, so I can keep an eye on you. I have two bedrooms. You can sleep in the spare.”

Wonder didn’t respond. She sat back with a huff and stared out of the window.

Future playing on the radio was the only sound in the car.

I pulled up at the club and found a parking space.

Wonder snatched her purse out of the backseat and put the strap over her head since it was a crossbody bag.

I put a piece of gum in my mouth and smirked.

“Fix ya face. We supposed to be in love, and you over there acting like you caught me cheating.”

My simper grew when Wonder kissed her teeth.

Forcing her to stay at my crib might prove to be a mistake because the way she was acting, it wouldn’t shock me if she tried to kill me in my sleep.

As we neared the entrance and the line came into view, I wrapped my arm around her neck and pulled her close.

One thing the men and women did in Diamond Cove was gossip.

Even if Drew didn’t make it out, I was willing to bet that someone that knew him would see me and Wonder hugged up.

That was all I wanted. For word to get back to him.

I lowkey respected the fact that Wonder was mad about appearing grimy.

A lot of females would have been glad to fuck with me just to piss their ex off.

Wonder wasn’t concerned with what Drew thought of her, but she didn’t want streets to think she was the type to deal with her ex’s enemy, and I could dig it.

She was gon’ have to get over it, though, because I wanted to play in Drew’s face more than I respected her stance.

I could feel eyes on us as I walked to the VIP line.

It only had five people, where the regular line had about twenty people in it.

The VIP line was moving fast, meanwhile, security acted as if they didn’t see the people in the regular line.

There was no telling how long they’d been standing there.

We were let through and since I had a section, the bottle girl immediately walked us to my area.

Pierre, his baby mama, and a few of my homeboys were going to meet me there.

I wrapped my arm back around Wonder’s neck as we walked through the packed club.

Not everyone knew who she was or who Drew was.

Some people were staring because anybody that knew me, especially females that I’d fucked, knew I didn’t do public displays of affection.

No one had ever seen me anywhere hugged up with a female.

I could be in the same room with multiple women I was sleeping with and not acknowledge any of them.

Out of all the people in the club, I knew some of my bodies were in there, and I knew they’d be shocked to see me hugging on Wonder.

In the section, I told the server to bring us a bottle of 1942. I smiled as I walked up in Wonder’s personal space. “Didn’t I tell you to fix your face? You want me to kiss you?”

Her frown deepened. “You better not dare put your lips on me.”

I inched closer. “You have five seconds to look like you want to be here with me.”

Wonder sighed hard, but her facial muscles relaxed, and she gave me a fake smile. “Are you fuckin’ happy?” she asked through clenched teeth.

“The happiest,” I gave a curt nod.

“So, what is it that you want Drew to do? Try to fight you? We’re not even together anymore. He might not even care.”

“Oh, he’s gonna care. Bet that. How long were y’all together?”

“Almost three years.”

“He’s gon’ care for sure. Why did y’all break up?”

“Because he was a verbally abusive, gas lighting, asshole, and I got tired of dealing with it.”

I licked my lips and peered into her eyes.

“He has a baby on the way. He be cheating, too? How y’all was together for almost three years with no kids, but shorty is pregnant.

You on birth control?” my gaze traveled down to her juicy thighs and when my eyes locked back in on her face, anger flickered in her orbs.

“You ask a lot of questions that don’t really have anything to do with you.” After Wonder snapped on me, she turned her back on me.

I let it go because the bottle girl was entering the section with the alcohol and chasers, and Pierre, our cousin, Kool, and Nina were right behind her. She set the tray down and asked Wonder if she wanted a drink while Pierre slapped palms with me. With a grin on his face, he shook his head at me.

“You damn sure got the right name ‘cus you wild as hell. Shorty bad, though.” Smiling wasn’t something Pierre did a lot of since Eric’s death, so I was glad he found my antics amusing.

“She is. Shorty got a mouth on her, too.” I glanced in her direction and saw Nina introducing herself.

Nina could be mean as hell and standoffish.

After years of dealing with Pierre and his BS, she had been through more than enough.

But she stuck around, so I minded my business.

I had never been in love, and I didn’t understand the back and forth, can’t leave a person alone, drama.

I could walk away from anybody without thinking twice about it.

When I had my drink in hand, I walked over to the entrance of the section to see who all I recognized in the club.

“Wilde? What up, homie?” A guy by the name of Rock called out from his section which was directly across from mine.

“I can’t call it. Same shit, different day.”

“Heard.”

I sipped my drink and watched the group of women that sauntered by the section.

One of them was smiling at me and licking her lips.

My gaze raked over her frame, and she was bad.

The tight dress she wore revealed her shapeless frame because she was skinny.

No ass or hips, but her face card was valid, so I’d still bend her over.

I gave no fucks if the ass was flat, as long as she knew how to throw it back.

I’d encountered some women with fat asses and dry pussy.

Some had fat asses and tart pussy. In a lot of cases, big butts were overrated.

Some of the best sex I’d had came from women that weren’t overly thick.

It almost didn’t feel right being out turning up without Eric.

In the area I grew up in, I was used to people dying.

It happened way too often, but when it hit so close to home, it was a hard pill to swallow.

There was no shame in my game that once Boone decided to show his face, Pierre and I would be contributors to the never-ending cycle of violence.

Killing Boone wouldn’t bring Eric back, but it would certainly make us feel better. I was sure of it.

I sparked a blunt, continued to drink, and vibed to the music.

Pierre and I talked business for a few minutes, but the night mostly consisted of getting wasted and chilling.

The alcohol she drank must have loosened Wonder up because the frown was gone from her face, and she was dancing on Nina all provocative and shit.

My manhood stiffened as I watched her slow wind to the song that was playing.

When the song ended, her and Nina giggled like most females do after doing that shit.

Playing gay was all fun and games until they ended up in a threesome, competing for the same man.

Or one of them crying because the other was pregnant.

Remembering Misha’s announcement had me kissing my teeth.

I’d damn near rather do nine months in jail than to have a kid.

It was a responsibility that gave me the ick.

I didn’t want it. There was fifteen minutes until the club closed, and I wanted to beat the parking lot chaos.

So, when the bottle girl came to close out the tab, I paid it and gave her a generous tip.

“You ready to go home?” I smirked, walking up on Wonder. The game I was playing was more fun than I thought it would be. Wonder stayed glaring at me like she wanted to slap the taste out of my mouth.

She frowned at me, upper lip slightly curling, and that made my grin broaden. I was willing to bet angry sex and makeup sex with her was a good time. “Whatever,” she rolled her eyes, and I threw my arm around her neck. That time, her body didn’t tense.

I walked over to Pierre and Nina and said my goodbyes.

All Pierre could do was grin and shake his head at me.

My arm remained around Wonder’s neck the entire walk to my car.

It surprised me when I opened the door for her, because I never opened the door for a female.

Guess I was playing the part real good. Inside my car, I glanced over at her as she put on her seatbelt.

“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but don’t try any funny shit at my crib. Damn sure don’t get the bright idea to have anybody running up in that muhfucka ‘cus after I kill them, I’m gon’ kill you.” I was serious as a heart attack and for her sake, I prayed she was paying attention.

As she normally did when I spoke, Wonder frowned. “You really need to stop threatening me. I don’t know who you think I am.”

I chuckled and started the car. If shorty only knew, I didn’t give a damn who she was. If she played with me, she was going to be joining Mazi in the afterlife.