15. Asif

HOURS LATER…

Feeling Anastazia move from me and sit up abruptly jolted my ass awake. This was the first time she’d stayed the night with a nigga, and I was already getting used to the shit. So initially, when I opened my eyes, I assumed she was trying to creep out until I saw her come from the bathroom and go stand to peer out of my floor-to-ceiling windows.

“You can’t leave yet, baby,” I said, watching the way she looked in the short, silk dress she’d brought over. Her curly hair was down, sweeping against the milky brown skin of her shoulder blades.

“I’m not leaving.” She turned to me, halfway smiling, but I could see in her eyes the shit was forced.

Sitting up, I padded to my drawers for some boxers and went to stand behind her, wondering if she’d seen some shit, even from this high up.

“You aight?” I bent down to kiss her neck. She was even shorter than I realized, and I guess it was because she usually always had shoes on around me.

“You know, I never wanted to stay the night with you because I have really bad insomnia and nightmares still,” she stated softly, still looking out over the city of Beverly Hills.

“About?”

“Cedric and the stuff he would do or what I think he’s gonna do. He was legit put on this Earth to ruin my life, so I know he’s gonna wake up.”

I sat down in the chair near us and brought her to sit down in my lap. I didn’t like the fact that she was still afraid of that nigga, but I had to push my fucking ego to the side and realize it didn’t have shit to do with me directly. She hadn’t been away from that nigga that long and was still dealing with the fallout of shooting his ass, so I couldn’t expect her to just not give a fuck or be afraid anymore.

“I always keep shit transparent with you, baby, so I’m gon’ keep the same energy right now.” I stroked my beard. “When he wake up, I’m gon’ let him live until the trial concludes, and then I’m killing him. Only reason I’m gon’ wait is because I don’t want him dying to be somehow pinned on you. But once you in the clear, he gone.”

Putting her hand to the side of my face, she kissed me before hugging my neck. I made her straddle me so I could hug her body closer to me.

“Thank you,” she whispered so softly I almost didn’t make it out.

“And don’t worry about concealing shit from me. I knew what the deal was when I came at you. I don’t expect you to be trauma free. I’d rather you have them fucking nightmares here with me.” When she pulled back to look down into my face, I said, “I’ll only hold you as tightly as you need me to, ’cause I know you don’t like it.”

“I like it, I just… It reminds me of when I would be held all night and couldn’t go use the bathroom. I will do better.”

“Nah, you don’t need to do better. This shit is a process, baby, so we gotta take it as it comes. For now, I’ll keep shit light, and you let me know as time goes on when I can progress.”

“Okay.” She simpered, pretty as hell.

Standing, I kept a hold on her as I carried her to the bed. We lay down, but she turned to face me, pecking me slowly. Reading her eyes and body language, I surmised she wanted to cuddle and shit like this. Bringing her into me, I lay on my back, rubbing hers as she rested her head on my chest. It wasn’t long after she threw her leg across me that her ass was fast asleep.

Walking into the warehouse dungeon room, I spotted Grady looking accomplished as two niggas sat tied up in wooden chairs.

“This is them, Sif. It was retaliation for murking one of theirs for killing Ram,” he explained.

I went to stand in front of the two young niggas whose eyes were already glistening just like their foreheads as they whimpered like some fucking poodles. I read them niggas for a minute, trying to detect their energy and I could tell by their body language they were the culprits.

I shook my head as I retrieved my heat, not understanding why niggas this age put their lives on the line by starting wars with muthafuckas out of their league.

“Ple—” one attempted to beg, but his head was dropped backward due to the bullet I’d put in his dome before he could get the shit out.

The other one, witnessing his boy get smoked, began to move about in attempt to break free from the tightly tied rope, so I dropped him too.

“Anybody else?” I asked.

“Nope. I checked.” Grady went to untie the dead bodies. “So we good now?”

“Still don’t trust you, nigga,” I said, making him look back at me. He was squatting down, unfastening the rope.

“What?” He stood.

Tsking, I said, “Yeah, I thought on it, and I can’t trust you. And if I can’t trust you, I can’t fuck with you.” I shrugged.

“This ’cause of Stazi? ’Cause that’s the only hiccup we don’ had, Sif! Yeah, we bickered over me trying to move up, but what nigga ain’t trying to move up?” He frowned, arms flailing damn near as he tried to plead his case.

“It ain’t got shit to do with Anastazia. I don’t like how you move, how you go about shit. You sneaky, and I can’t have no sneaky muthafucka in my camp. I also can’t let a nigga live that used to be in my business but ain’t no more.” I put the gun to his head, startling him as if this shit was gon’ go any other way.

“Sif, come on?—”

A knock on the door sounded off, interjecting Grady’s pleas.

“Asif?” Anastazia’s voice sounded off, making me exhale heavily, gun still trained on Grady.

She was right at the fucking door and would hear it. Though I tried to keep Anastazia in the loop, I didn’t need her knowing about shit that had nothing to do with her ass. And my baby was nosy. If she heard a gunshot, she would be asking me about the shit until kingdom come.

Glaring at Grady, I tucked my gun and made my way to the door, taking deep breaths to calm myself down before opening it to see her beautiful, innocent ass face.

“What you need, love?” I tried to sound normal.

She regarded me for a minute like she was trying to read me, then asked, “Did you order the supplies from the list I gave you? I don’t see the boxes.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes darted around behind me, making me look. The two soldiers I’d just smoked were laid out in clear view as Grady did his best to attempt to shield them from her.

“I got it, Sif,” he told me, so I stepped out, shutting the door behind me. Anastazia’s eyes were still bulging as she blinked rapidly, trying to remain normal.

“Do they need he-help?” she asked.

“Nah, it’s too late.”

“Oh—”

“Go to my crib, and I will see you tonight, aight?” I wanted her out of here so I could add Grady to that list of bodies soon to be stinking in the room.

The door opened, and Grady stepped out saying, “I got everything done that can be done for now. They in the umm,” he glanced down at Anastazia, “solution and shit. I’ll get at you later.” Grady rushed off, and I had to grind my teeth so I wouldn’t explode.

“Come on.” I took her hand and started to lead her out, already thinking about how and when I could catch Grady’s ass and murk him. Fuck.

“Are you gonna get the stuff?” she quizzed, and I could see all in her body language that she was spooked.

“I already did; it’s just not here yet.” I opened her driver’s side door.

“When are you coming?” she asked once in the car, gripping the wheel like she was terrified. I hated to see this shit, especially because I didn’t know if she was just terrified of what she saw or me. She was a nurse, though, an accomplished one, so something told me dead bodies didn’t have her feeling fearful as fuck right now. It was instead me.

“Some hours.” I leaned into the window to kiss her. “Yo’ shit will be here tomorrow.”

She nodded, so I stood upright, sinking my hands into my pockets as I watched her reverse then pull off. Fuck.

Later that night…

Stepping off my elevator, I was relieved to see Anastazia’s small shoes right there, placed neatly against the wall. For a minute, I didn’t think her ass was gon’ be here.

Venturing to the back, clutching the roses I’d procured for her, I stopped in my tracks seeing Sophie dozed off in the middle of my bed.

“I need to get some shit for her,” I said.

“She’s fine for now.” Anastazia simpered softly before fixing the covers over her and standing to approach me. “Thank you.” She admired the flowers.

“Welcome, love.” We kissed before I led her to the love seat near my fireplace. Once we were both seated, I said, “I didn’t mean for you to see that shit. I forgot to tell you don’t come downstairs, but I honestly didn’t think you ever would.”

“I usually wouldn’t, but I wanted to stock that stuff while I had free time, and one of the guys said you were down there.”

“They did, huh?”

“Yes, but don’t get mad at them. I made them tell me where you were.”

“No need to protect niggas who got more bodies than a cemetery, baby.” I leaned back into the seat, and she scooted into me. “I ain’t gon’ trip on that shit, though, this time.” I winked.

“Good.” She touched my beard after setting the flowers down on the other side of her. “I know what you do and how things like that happen, I’ve just never seen it firsthand. That was new for me, to almost witness you killing someone or people.”

“I know, and it’s gon’ be the last time unless I’m doing it to keep you out of harm’s way.” I pondered for a second, then asked, “You not afraid of me, right? I can’t take you being scared of a nigga.”

Only a coward muthafucka wanted his woman to be afraid of him. A real nigga wanted her respect.

“No, not in the boogeyman way.” She giggled softly, and the shit made me smirk. “More so in the, okay, he’s about that life kind of way.” She picked her head up briefly off my chest to peer up at me with that lingering smile.

“I can take that.” I nodded.

“Are you hungry? I made food at my mom’s and then brought it over here.” She got up. “I can warm it up for you.”

“Uh uh.” I shook my head, taking her hand and bringing her back to stand in front of me. “I wanna fuck then eat.” I reached under her dress to grip her panties.

She looked across the room at Sophie knocked out.

“She’s right over there.” Anastazia pointed.

“This big ass room, she ain’t gon’ hear or see shit. Long as we stay on this couch and you keep quiet.” I made her lie down on the plush loveseat as she simpered up at me, watching me climb between her butter soft ass legs.

She looked even prettier against the flicker of the damn flames, melanin vibrant as fuck.

“I love how you take your time.” She cooed as I sucked on her collarbone before doing the same to the top of her breasts. “I need to get some birth control.”

“I’ll pull out.” I removed my pullover and shirt in one move before placing my shirt under her so a nigga would have a place to land when I withdrew.

Revealing my dick to press at her already leaking opening, I gripped her small frame to keep her ass close to me while we kissed.

“Shit,” she cooed softly once I broke through the entrance.

Gripping one of her thighs, I spread it outward to give me more room while biting down on her soft ass shoulder so I wouldn’t call out from the feel of her tight, wet ass pussy. I could tell by the way chills ran throughout my fucking body I wouldn’t last long at all. This shit only happened with Anastazia.

Slowly, I kept grinding until I was fully inside, feeling her pussy throb around me as she whimpered against my lips. Pushing the top of her nightgown down, I devoured her nipples, loving the way this woman tasted.

“That was ’sposed to be my baby,” I told her once I came up from having my fix.

The thought of another muthafucka doing this shit with Anastazia drove a nigga crazy already. Nobody deserved this shit but me. These other niggas didn’t want this woman the same way I fucking did. To other muthafuckas, she was a beautiful woman they could possibly see some shit with, but to me, she was a nigga’s future. I’d go to war for it and would bet on everything I loved that no muthafucka walking this Earth would outlast me.

“I know.” She sniveled, trembling slightly as she coated my shaft.

“Don’t trip, though. She still is.” Staring down into her eyes, I said, “I want you, your body, yo’ conversation, and all ya attention, love. Fuck.” I felt myself at my peak as her soft fingers brushed along my back.

“It’s yours,” she whispered, soft thighs quaking against my sides as she came again.

The next morning…

Walking out from my closet in Nike track pants and a white T-shirt, I spotted Sophie sitting up in the bed. Her mama was still laid out, most likely from the dick down I’d given her ass.

“What you doing up?” I smiled, feeling a little out of whack from having slept on the couch in the living room. While the shit was comfortable, I had to sleep a certain way so I wouldn’t roll off that muthafucka in the middle of the night.

I had other bedrooms, but because they were located in the back, a nigga ain’t feel comfortable sleeping there. It was unlikely a muthafucka would bust off in my shit, but if they did, I needed to be up front where the living room and master bedroom were, especially since I had Sophie and Anastazia here.

“Breakfast?” Sophie replied, little brows tapping her hairline. She was cute as fuck, looking just like Analicia.

“Uh,” I checked my AP to see it was six a.m., “what you eat for breakfast?” I picked her up to carry her from the bedroom so we wouldn’t wake her mama up with this conversation.

I’d showered, brushed my teeth, and dressed in order to dip out and handle some business, but that shit had been rerouted now.

“Bacon, pancakes, sprinkles,” she listed and stared at me.

“Aight, I can try. I ain’t got no sprinkles though. Can I get a pass?”

“Yes.” She nodded, but I remembered Anastazia saying that didn’t mean she meant it, so a nigga could only hope.

“Aight.” I looked around the living room. “Sit right here.” I put her on the couch, kicking myself for not having shit for her to play with. I was gon’ fix that shit ASAP though. “Huh.” I handed her my watch, and her eyes lit up. “Play with this until I finish, aight?”

She didn’t say shit, just focused on the watch, so I went into the kitchen to try and make what baby girl had requested. I wasn’t a cook for real, and usually ate cereal for breakfast or stopped by my parents to see what Lisara made, if I ate anything at all.

Eating for a nigga like me meant stopping by a burger spot in the hood with the homies, midday or by nightfall.

I kept an eye on Sophie, thanking God for this open floor plan while I followed the directions on the pancake box, like a muthafucka just learning how to read. Once I finally got the mix together, I heated the skillet. Turning around to try and figure out how the fuck I could get the batter in that shit, I ran into Sophie, standing in the kitchen.

“Here.” She reached up to hand me a small measuring cup.

Chuckling at her smart ass, I took it and put the batter in, hoping this shit came out edible. I threw that fucking bacon in the microwave, said a prayer, and let the shit ride. Hours later it seemed, I was finished, and I had definitely seen worse.

“There you go, princess.” I put the plate in front of Sophie who I’d set at the table.

“Yuck!” She stared at it. “No, no way.” Her tiny hands lifted to shake at me.

“That looks horrible,” Anastazia said from the doorway of the bedroom. She was wearing a robe, so I knew she’d taken a shower.

“Horrible is a stretch, aight. It don’t look that good, but I wouldn’t say horrible.”

Anastazia laughed as she came over toward us, getting a better look at the plate.

“It looks okay. You’re right,” she lied, turning to look up at me with a smile. Coming closer, she got on her tiptoes to hug my neck and kiss me before saying, “This was sweet. Thank you. Just wake me up next time.”

“Nah, I’m taking her picky ass to McDonald’s next time.” I gave her round ass a quick squeeze as she giggled.

Anastazia went back into the kitchen and, for the next half hour, proceeded to make pancakes, bacon, eggs, and crispy potatoes. Would have a nigga in the streets later with itis , but every time I thought about the reason why, the shit had me smirking.

“What you think?” my pops asked, smiling down at the old ass Corvette he’d purchased to fix up as we stood in his big ass work garage.

“Looks nice, but you gon’ be working on this shit for years, Pop.” I eyed it, circling the vehicle.

“Won’t take me that long, but the shit was cheap, and I’m gon’ be able to flip it for a cool twenty grand when I’m finished.” He folded his arms.

“You know you rich, right?” I jested, making him chuckle.

“I do know that, but now that you running shit within the bank, and I ain’t doing nothing else. I need something to keep me busy when my wife is working.”

Nodding, I said, “Well you got the right fucking one.” I watched as he lifted the hood. “I gotta take out one of my right-hands. Good one too.”

“Who?” He frowned, standing upright.

“Grady.”

“Why?”

“Don’t trust his ass no more, and I got a bad feeling about the nigga.”

“Aight, but you have to go on more than a feeling, Sif. You can’t be killing niggas, especially good workers, off feelings.”

“Who says? I thought I made the rules, nigga.”

“You do, young nigga.” He nodded. “But?—”

“So I ain’t really taking suggestions at the moment, Pop.” I let him know and he nodded. “Sometimes all you need is a feeling. My gut ain’t never steered me wrong with shit. Other niggas can run shit how they please, but me? I’m not letting no nigga I don’t trust run free just to get smoked when he finally pulls his plan off. Nah.” I shook my head. “I like to eliminate problems before they become problems.”

“So why you don’t trust him?” Crossing his arms, his brows dipped as he awaited my answer.

“Questions shit too much, for one, then after he and I started sparring a little bit, I get shot. Lastly, he ran back and told Anastazia some shit, trying to be messy. While it wasn’t a big deal ’cause she ain’t let it become one, I don’t like that shit. I don’t roll with niggas who gossip and act like bitches over pussy.

“He the type to wait ’til I get hemmed up to try and fuck my bitch. And if I let him live, then I deserve that shit.”

My father nodded, lips tucked in before saying, “I feel that shit, but maybe hold off until you get something a tad more solid, Sif. Sound to me like y’all just ain’t seeing eye to eye. The Anastazia shit is a red flag, but he could be just one of them tender ass niggas. They cool but get hurt over pussy easy.”

“I don’t engage with niggas that get tender over pussy. And it’s an even bigger problem if that pussy mine,” I stated, making him laugh.

“I respect it, son.”

After some pondering, I said, “A nigga I don’t see eye to eye with can’t work for me though. And a nigga who can’t work for me, that used to, is a threat.”

“Real shit, young nigga. You definitely came from my ball sac.”

“Old man, chill out.” I shook my head as he chuckled, focusing back on the engine.

“So you finally got her, huh?” He cheesed wide as hell with his corny ass.

“Fuck you mean?” I smirked, looking forward for a bit before regaining eye contact.

“Know what I mean, young nigga. You been watching her and wanting her ass ever since she started coming around.”

Sitting on the hood of the Camero parked beside the Corvette, I said, “When I first met her, I was like damn. Why the only woman I wanna fuck with gotta be married and shit. But it all worked out. And now that I got her, it’s over with. Even when I’m gone, ain’t no nigga gon’ be able to treat that woman the way I have, will, and plan to.”

My dad nodded with a smile as he listened.

“Well hurry up and have some kids so my last name can continue. Banks can’t have none, not unless she do it by stork, so it’s all on you.”

We guffawed.

I chilled with my father for a little bit, and of course, the nigga couldn’t help but to make me assist him with that fuck ass car. It was like my father had a little helper kink or some shit, to the point where I would sometimes call and ask Banks or Lisara if he was working on some shit because if he was, I wasn’t coming through. The nigga only did the shit to me but let my brothers come kick it labor-free. Back when we were young though, he did the shit with all of us.

Because of that nigga, I could open a car garage, construction company, and plumbing service with no issue.

As soon as I left, my pager went off, and it was Free telling me to call him. Once I got to my whip, I pulled out my burner for the week and dialed his ass.

“Tell me some good shit, Free.”

“Aye uh,” he huffed, “this nigga gone.”

“Fuck you mean gone?” I frowned, watching a car speed down my parents’ street.

“Like he moved, dipped, ran off,” Free explained. “His apartment is cleared the fuck out, boss.”

“Fuck!” I bellowed, hating I let Grady’s bitch ass get away.

“I’ll put the word out right now and?—”

“Nah, don’t do that. Remember, Grady from the fucking streets. He gon’ use that shit to his advantage. He gon’ either pay a nigga for information or keep his ear to the ground to figure where to go and when. I’m gon’ find him.”

“I can do it, Sif. You got other shit to focus on.”

“I appreciate that shit, Free, but I got it.”

“Aight, boss.”

Hanging up, I massaged the bridge of my nose, hating I had to take time away from other shit to hunt down Grady’s bitch ass. Free spoke facts when he said I had other shit to deal with, but I knew no one could locate Grady’s ass but me. While Free, Low, and a few other niggas were top workers, Grady could and would outsmart them, and I couldn’t have that shit, allowing Grady to get the time to build himself up or some shit. Nah. It had to be me.

Pulling off, I texted Anastazia to see if she wanted me to get something from the store.

Pulling up to my favorite liquor store off Crenshaw, I hopped out, leaving my shit running as I stepped up onto the sidewalk.

“Can I ride?” a woman called out as I dapped up a few of the niggas familiar to me. I turned to peep who it was mid dap. There were a few niggas kicking it outside. It was Friday, and niggas loved to frolic up and down the Shaw aka Crenshaw when the weekend hit.

Seeing it was Bianni, I turned my attention back to the entrance of the store and made my way inside. Bianni was Milan’s cousin and friend, too, if that’s what you wanted to call the shit. In my eyes, though, friends didn’t wanna fuck the same nigga you was fucking. Milan hung with questionable females, period, though.

The bell above the liquor store sounded off, and I knew despite not even looking that it was Bianni. I knew when a bitch wanted to fuck, and she fit the mold. However, she’d never been in my presence while Milan was absent, so I could’ve bet my whole year’s earnings she wasn’t about to pass up this chance, regardless of the fact that she was outside hugged up on another nigga moments ago.

“Hey, beautiful lady,” Ray, the flirty ass store clerk, said, making me laugh at his wild ass.

Bianni ignored him, and I could hear the clack of her cheap ass sandals as she neared me.

“You didn’t hear me speak, Sif?” she quizzed, pausing right by me and hitting me with a scent of perfume, weed, unwashed pussy, and ravioli or some type of tomato sauce. The concoction turned my fucking stomach, and it was obvious another nigga, probably just as filthy as her, had only recently been in it.

“I did.” I focused on the drinks I wanted.

Laughing, she replied, “Oh damn, okay. I see how you doing it, acting like you don’t know nobody no more now that you done fucking Milan.”

“I never knew you. ’Scuse me.” I slipped by her, heading toward the front and hating that there was now a small line. The person up front was a young woman, so of course, Ray took his time, flirting and shit with the girl who was young enough to be his great granddaughter.

“Well, Milan was telling me about a little threesome she wanted to invite me to.” Bianni came and stood next to me.

“Move over. You too fucking close.” I nudged her. She obliged, but I could see the embarrassment in her high yellow ass face.

“Anyway, when is the threesome?”

I chuckled. “You ain’t got no fucking shame, huh?” I moved up in the line, watching Ray ignore the nigga in front of me to watch the female customer’s ass as she left. When Bianni didn’t reply, looking stupid, I said, “I don’t know who the threesome is with, but wrong nigga. You said yourself I don’t fuck with Milan no more.”

“Oop!” She shielded her mouth with a laugh as she stepped up with me to the front. Ray eyed her then me, then her again before coming back to me.

“You get all the pretty ladies.” He winked at Bianni.

“Nah, nigga, this ain’t mine. At all.” I shook my head. “Not even a little bit.” I peeled off some cash as a few niggas who overheard laughed, making Bianni suck her teeth.

“Oh, okay!” Ray snickered a bit as he processed and bagged my shit up.

“It could just be us two. Milan don’t have to be there.” Bianni followed me out. “I can come with you now, and she won’t even know.” She giggled. “I taught Milan everything she knows.” She lowered her voice on that part.

Turning back to her as I stood at the edge of the curb near my vehicle, waiting for the cars to pass,I said, “I wouldn’t even let yo’ poor hygiene having ass make me a plate at a cookout, and you think I’d fuck you?” I felt my forehead crease I was so mystified.

I truly wanted to hear her thoughts because the fact that she thought a nigga of my caliber would even be remotely interested in a woman who couldn’t even bathe regularly was fucking preposterous, as Bashar would say. I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful—it wasn’t my style—but I had to keep it real and give her ass some perspective.

It only made me miss my girl even more, especially the way she smelled.

“Excuse me?” She folded her arms.

“And while you teaching Milan sex positions, she need to be teaching you how to put a towel, soap, and hot water to yo’ ass.” I stepped down off the curb to get to my driver’s seat. “Don’t offer me that pungent shit no more. It’s insulting, and muthafuckas don’t insult me and live to tell about it.”

Hopping in my car, I sped off, lip still turned up at the audacity and stench of Bianni. About ten minutes later, my phone buzzed, so I checked the shit at a red light.

Milan: Did you try to fuck my cousin?

I didn’t respond, and by the time I got to the crib, another message had been sent.

Milan: I hate you so much, Asif. Nothing is ever good enough for you. You got me, Stazi, and now you trying my cousin too? I just wish…

Choosing not to read the rest, I locked my phone after putting it on silent and headed up to kick it with my amazingly scented woman and cute ass Sophie.