32. Asif

“Yo’ pops needs to open up a barbecue spot, nigga.” Free bit down into the rib, already drunk off his ass.

“You ain’t lying. Nigga be having me dreaming ’bout his food.” Low wiped the sauce from his hands with a napkin.

Just then, Banks walked out, grabbing the pan of food Lisara had clearly sent her out here to get. She looked over at us but didn’t say a word, like she was supposed to. I’d made it clear she didn’t need to be cool or cordial with any nigga eighteen or older, especially not niggas in my crew.

“She look just like Lisara. She gon’ be a problem,” Free said drunkenly.

“A problem for who, nigga?” I shot Free a look.

“Not for me, boss. I’m just stating the obvious?—”

“Yeah, well watch yo’ fucking mouth talking on her like that,” Low cut Free off.

“Nigga, who is you?” Free’s forehead creased as he held onto his barbecue cheeseburger.

“You trying to find out? Keep?—”

“Aye, both y’all niggas shut the fuck up.” I intercepted Low’s reply, not even knowing why he was so up in fucking arms, but I wasn’t having the shit. “Banks is off-limits in any fucking way, meaning within conversation and the fucking obvious.”

“Boss, this nigga the one you need to be talking to. All I said was she look like her mama.” Free played innocent.

“Nigga, we know what the fuck you meant. And while you cool and all, I’ll dead yo’ ass right here for trying to be funny, muthafucka.” I stared into Free’s eyes as he nodded. “Told you ’bout that joking shit, nigga. Some shit is off-limits as a fucking topic and gon’ have you in an early grave fucking ’round with me.”

“My bad, boss. You right.” Free nodded, and the only reason the muthafucka was able to still nod is because I knew his ass and knew he wasn’t on that with Banks.

Free talked too fucking much and was always looking for a laugh or for people to pay his ass attention. But all that shit could get him smoked, and not just by me.

“As for you,” I turned to Low, “I don’t need you coming behind Banks when I’m in the fucking room or any of her other brothers. She not yo’ girl, she not ya fucking friend, and she won’t ever be. Don’t let my baby sister be yo’ downfall, nigga. It’s not worth it. Plenty of females in the world you can come behind without dying behind, feel me?”

“I do.” Low nodded somberly. “I just know how you feel about her and wanted to check this nigga.” He gestured to Free, who sucked his teeth. “But I got you. I’m gon’ keep quiet. I don’t want yo’ crazy ass thinking shit.”

I shook my head as he and Free laughed, wearing a subtle smirk.

“Nigga think we forgot he whupped a nigga’s ass in the 7-Eleven parking lot for smiling at her,” Free recalled, only telling half the truth. That weird ass nigga was doing more than smiling.

And I’d do the shit again. Niggas knew what the fuck it was when it came to my little sister.

“Banks gon’ end up with a corny nigga who got a degree and a regular ass job.” I sipped my drink from the red cup.

“Or with someone like Bashar,” Low replied.

“Nah, that nigga too hood. She need to be with a nigga who know how to shut the fuck up when her brothers say to. We’d have to shoot a nigga like Bashar.”

The three of us erupted into laughter whilst agreeing.

I was laughing but dead ass serious. Any street nigga that called himself getting at Banks was good as dead, and I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

BACK IN THE COURTROOM…

“How are you today, Mr. Pete?” The prosecutor smiled at Cedric like he wasn’t a fucking psychopath.

I didn’t too much care for her ass with the way she was coming at my girl, despite understanding it was her fucking job.

“I’m as good as I can be, considering I can no longer walk or work,” he answered, and I chuckled almost inaudibly, doing anything to keep myself from running up on this nigga.

Be patient, nigga , I told myself. You gon’ get him.

“I understand.” She smiled curtly. “Have you ever hit the defendant?”

“Never. I may have restrained her when she was trying to hit me, but never have I done the things she claims.” He adjusted in his seat, looking like a muthafuckin’ liar. “Counselor Compton should know all about having a woman lie on him.”

“Focus, Mr. Pete,” the judge scolded.

“Yeah, don’t address me, nigga,” Bashar spat back, making the judge bang the gavel and chide his ass as well.

“Continue, Counselor Finley.”

“Thanks, Your Honor.” She nodded. “So why would she shoot you, Mr. Pete?”

“At first, I didn’t understand it, but then when I realized she was in a new relationship, I figured out that was the reason.”

“I see. Now, it’s to my understanding that you also had an outside relationship.”

“I did, but that was only because I had tried several times to break up with Anastazia, and she would make me feel bad about it, so I didn’t. But I didn’t love her anymore, so when I met my current girlfriend, it was hard to hold back,” Cedric explained, and I chuckled when Mrs. Chase scoffed and rolled her eyes. She and Lisara exchanged ‘yeah, right’ looks shortly after.

Glancing to the prosecutor’s side, I spotted Jacinta looking skittish as hell, and I guess it was because she knew this nigga was up here lying about not being a fucking woman beater.

“So let me ask what you think happened, Mr. Pete?” Finley quizzed.

“I think she knew I was at my wits’ end and about to leave her for Jacinta, so she decided to kill me, take the life insurance, and run off with her side nigga.” Cedric nodded with finality like he had it all figured out in that big ass block size head of his.

“Thank you. That is all.” She went to sit down.

Bashar stood up, peering down at the notes he’d been taking for a millisecond before approaching the stand.

“You said you never hit Ms. Chase?” Bashar questioned.

“Never.” Cedric wore a smug expression as Bashar nodded for his assistant to get the projector up. I saw Cedric shift his upper body uncomfortably at the sight of it as we all put our attention on it.

Clicking the small black remote to pull up several images showing Anastazia’s bruised body, which caused the whole fucking courtroom besides me, to gasp, Bashar inquired, “How would these happen?”

“Did it to herself I guess.” Cedric shrugged.

“Even this?” Bashar zoomed in, glancing between the projector and Cedric. “Some of these angles are very difficult to reach on one’s own body, Mr. Pete. The fingerprints from being choked are much too large to be Ms. Chase’s. Those belong to a man.”

Licking his chapped ass lips and shifting for the hundredth time in his seat, he replied, “Maybe her side nigga did it.” His eyes darted around because it was clear he was lying.

“I’m her only nigga, muthafucka,” I couldn’t help but to shout out.

“Sir, I will have you removed if you say one more word.” The judge pointed at me with his gavel, and I threw my hands up in mock surrender.

While Cedric glowered at me, bothered as fuck by my comment, Anastazia looked back over her shoulder with a small smirk.

Chuckling still at my comment, Bashar flipped to a new image.

“You said you didn’t want to be with her anymore, correct?” he asked, and Cedric nodded. “You’re also saying she had a side boyfriend too, correct?”

“Yep.”

“So if you didn’t want her and she didn’t want you, why couldn’t you just be the one to break things off, Mr. Pete? Because see, I’m having a hard time understanding why she would be so hard pressed to be with her side boyfriend yet hard pressed to keep you around as well.”

Cedric opened his mouth to explain, but nothing came out at first.

“That was at first. She um, she?—”

“And how did a man like you not recognize your woman was supposedly cheating? Was she that good at it? Or you just slow?”

“Muthafucka—"

“Objection!” Finley hollered out, cutting off Cedric as Bashar conceded.

“Is this you?” Bashar flipped to an image of text message conversations. “Telling her if she gets an abortion, you’ll kill her?” When Cedric didn’t answer, he changed to a new one. “Or here, where you say, and I quote, ‘If you try to leave me and be Leeci #2, I will kill you. Think I’m playing Stazi.’ What about those?” Bashar looked to the jury then Cedric for an answer.

“Nah, that ain’t me.”

“That’s your number,” Bashar confirmed and shook his head. “We also have a voicemail of you stating something similar.” Bashar let it play for the whole courtroom. When it was done, he said, “And you knew the voicemail was a recording, yet you still said all that. You never been too bright, huh?”

“Compton.” The judge spoke up.

“I withdraw the question.” Bashar threw his hands up and walked back to his table, sitting down next to Anastazia.

Cedric was bright red from how pissed off he was, grinding his teeth and looking crazy. The jury had peeped game too. Bashar had done well with purposely trying to anger him.

The judge called for a recess, so while Bashar and Anastazia met in the private room to talk along with Analicia and Mrs. Chase, I stayed outside, hoping I could run into that bitch ass nigga Cedric.

It was just my luck I saw his girl rolling him by.

“You don’t even need to worry about the outcome of this shit, ’cause soon as it’s over, you dead, nigga,” I stated calmly, leaning against the wall.

He put his hand up to make Jacinta stop, clearly feeling bold since we were in a fucking courthouse. Otherwise, I was sure his ho ass wouldn’t have had the balls to say a mumbling fucking word to a nigga like me. Nah, fuck a nigga like me, just me specifically.

“Officer, I’m being threatened,” he called out, keeping his eyes on me as he said it. I could do nothing but smile at what he thought he was doing.

“Sir?” The older black officer walked up, looking back and forth between us.

“This man here just threatened my life.” Cedric gestured to me, his girl gripping the wheelchair handles tightly as hell out of sheer nervousness.

“What exactly—Mr. St. Thomas?” The officer cut himself off and began grinning, reaching his hand out to shake mine.

“Yes, sir.” I obliged. “I don’t know how or where this nigga here misunderstood me. I simply said he deserves to die for what he did to his ex. No real threat.” I shrugged as Cedric and Jacinta looked on, both of their mouths slightly open in surprise.

“I see.” The officer shook my hand again. “Well, other than that, I just want to thank you for what you’re doing for the community. My grandson is about to buy a home through you all.”

“That’s who I did it for.” I smiled.

“Thanks again, son.” He patted my shoulder, then turned to Cedric. “Just keep your distance from each other so there won’t be any issues.” He gave Cedric a less enthusiastic shoulder pat and walked off.

“Can’t compete where you don’t compare, nigga.” I smirked as Cedric got ready to roll off.

“Nigga—”

His words were cut off when I popped him in the mouth before saying, “Don’t interrupt me while I’m talking, boy.” He was so shocked he didn’t respond. “Fact that you thought a little court security could do something when I’m above them niggas. Muthafuckas like him do my dirty work. So, like I said, you on borrowed time, muthafucka.” Looking over to Jacinta, I said, “You can be on that shit, too, if you call yaself trying to be Captain Save a Bitch Nigga. Aight?”

She nodded quickly to show she understood before I walked off.

My brothers and I crowded the outside of Tam’s off Figueroa, waiting for our food to be ready. It was late, and not many people were around this muthafucka.

A few drove by like they’d stop, but after seeing seven big niggas kicking the shit around the establishment, they kept on down the street.

“Burger so good I been thinking about it all fucking night. I can’t wait to see you, baby.” Unique eyed the restaurant as we all doubled over in laughter, everyone except Cemone.

One of Yolani’s singles from her latest album included a voice note or voicemail from Cemone, only he ain’t say burger; he said pussy. The song was everywhere because it was Yolani, and that was how her shit always performed, but even more so because of the intro with him speaking on the shit.

“Ain’t my fault you ain’t had pussy good enough to send a voice note about, nigga.” Cemone shrugged, leaning on the hood of his Lambo.

“Maybe I have, nigga. I don’t tell y’all niggas everything.” Unique lifted his brows.

“Nah, ’cause if you did, you’d be on one knee already,” Cemone replied.

“Nah, that’s not in me. I ain’t meant to be with one woman, and that’s why. She let the whole world know you simping,” Unique said, and we all chuckled.

“Shit, I love my wife. Y’all can joke all day about that shit, and I won’t give a fuck. After this, I’m taking my ass home to play with my son and then slide up inside his mama, simping in her fucking ear while I’m in it.”

We all clamored about at his statement as Lequay, Shakur, Khari, Bashar, and I all slapped his hand to agree with that shit. Unique waved us all off as the cooks started to call our order numbers.

“That simp life is where it’s at,” I added.

“Man, what you said.” Lequay nodded.

“Anyway, nigga, why you ain’t tell me our moms got into a fight?” Unique frowned.

“Wasn’t there. Wish I could’ve seen the shit though,” I said, hearing them mumble to agree.

“She around now or what?” Lequay questioned, eyes low.

“Nah, it was short lived. I knew she only popped up because she had an ulterior motive, and I was right. She made sure to shake shit up before I cut her off though, telling me my pops was fucking her best friend,” I revealed, and all of them niggas stared me down with wide eyes and parted lips, except for Khari.

“Yeah, her homegirl was… interesting.” Khari ran a hand down his face, trying to cover his smirk before taking a sip of his drink. “I fucked her, too, when she came to a show I had.”

“Nigga, you never told me that shit.” Lequay frowned, staring Khari down like he’d been betrayed, and the shit was comical.

“Aww, that nigga thought he was yo’ favorite, Khari,” Unique joked.

“That boy hurt.” Shakur egged it on as Lequay flicked them off.

“Yeah, it’s not really some shit I wanted to brag about after I found out what she was on, using me to find out where my mama worked so she could take her out,” Khari explained.

“How old was her ass? ’Cause, nigga, I was like eight when Sarika got killed.” Unique awaited an answer.

“Shit, I don’t know, but she was definitely around mama’s age or maybe a year or so younger.” Khari shrugged as we dug into our food.

“I swear you my idol, for real.” Unique bumped Khari’s shoulder, who shook his head as everyone snickered as much as they could while stuffing their faces.

“You getting too old for that shit, boy,” Bashar commented.

“Told him the same thing. Nigga tried to fuck my secretary,” I revealed as they shook their heads.

“I will have you niggas know, I got a situation going on.” Unique bit his burger.

“You gon’ tell us or what?” Shakur stated what we all thought but were too hungry to ask.

“I don’t chew with my mouth full like you, muthafucka,” Unique shot back.

“Then don’t start a statement and take a bite in between, muthafucka ,” Shakur retorted.

“Aight, can this nigga tell us whatever the fuck he trying to say, please.” Cemone shook his head.

“I know I been talking shit, but I just be fucking with y’all. Remember Daisy?”

“One you brought to the theme park.” Lequay nodded impatiently, wanting Unique to wrap the shit up.

“Right. Well, I made it official with her.” Unique smirked.

“Oh damn, I mean, I couldn’t get a read on her, but good for you, nigga. What about Allison, Ashley, whatever the fuck her name was that you brought to the last cookout? I thought you was fucking with her?” Bashar frowned.

“It’s Aurora, you non-name remembering ass nigga,” Unique replied, making us all chortle loudly.

“Nigga heard Analicia and never forgot it though.” Khari piped in, and we agreed with him.

“Aurora mine too,” Unique said, interrupting our chatter and clamoring.

“I know you not telling me you got two fucking girlfriends.” Lequay stared at him, just as we all did, confused as fuck.

“Couldn’t choose, and why should I?”

“So they cool with that shit?” Khari’s brows dipped.

“Must be. I sat ’em down and told ’em what’s up, and they agreed to the shit.”

“I hope you know they just agreeing because of who you are, nigga. You lose everything and them bitches going right with it. Ain’t no woman who really fuck with you like that gon’ agree to that shit. Yolani ain’t even want me flirting when she wouldn’t flirt with my ass,” Cemone stated, causing a wave of laughter throughout us. “I’m dead ass serious.”

“He right though.” Lequay nodded.

“That’s ’cause y’all don’t know them. I never really brought them around like that because it wasn’t no serious shit to me. I couldn’t choose, and I wanted to wait until I did. Now I have.”

“So you gon’ be faithful to both of ’em?” I quizzed.

“I am. Watch.” He winked as I waved him off.

As wild as this was, the scenario fit Unique. I could never imagine that nigga being dedicated to one woman, no matter the situation. It wasn’t the same with a nigga like Cemone, who I knew just hadn’t run into that one. Unique had messed around with women who most niggas would attempt to wife and he never would. Always said he couldn’t do it.

So while I didn’t fuck with having two women, maybe the shit would work for his ass.

“My one fucking wife is enough. I would never sign up to deal with two females’ emotions, mood swings, and all that other shit.” Khari spoke facts. “Marley live in her own spot, and she was a lot to deal with at one point. I couldn’t fucking imagine if she lived with Couture and I.”

“Fuck around and ask her to suck you up like she did last time, and now she mad ’cause that was ya other bitch,” Cemone joked.

We guffawed heavily at the thought of that shit.

“It’s all jokes now, but I don’t want y’all coming to me later saying you wish you did shit my way.” Unique bit his burger.

“I can’t wait for Pops to hear this shit.” Bashar shook his head, everyone’s faces saying the same shit.