Page 4

“Why you so fuckin’ nervous.” Her eyes got wide, I guess from me calling her out.

“I, ummm---” She tried to retrieve her hand from mine, but I tightened my grip. I almost caught myself about to laugh with how fucking scared she was acting. Then again, she should have every right to be scared. She was in the presence of a cold-blooded killa. I killed people for lesser fuck ups.

“Calm the fuck down and stop saying umm and shit. You acting real skittish and I don’t like that.” Just to fuck with her, I rubbed my thumb over the top of her soft-ass hand. That’s the real reason why I hadn’t loosened my grip. Her hands were so fucking soft that it felt like silk. My thoughts were getting the best of me because I was ready to press her for those digits but realized that I couldn’t be fraternizing with bitches that worked for me.

I released her hand and I saw her take in a deep breath and quickly walk the fuck away. Shaking my head, I had the right mind to stomp back there and snatch Era up and ask her why the fuck did she have this bitch working at my restaurant. Not wanting to make a big deal about shit, I waited for Era to come behind the redhead and apologize for her actions.

While Era could be seen coming from the back where the chefs prepared all the food at, I shook my head in satisfaction because she was already bringing out my favorite meal. Steak with lobster and mashed potatoes with my secret sauce that I created years ago. The same sauce that had my competitors coming to sit and dine just to figure out my ingredients.

Mr. Brownston, my deepest apologies, sir.” I liked how when we were out in the open, Era kept shit professional. “I have some good news.” She leaned close and talked low. Era looked like a black Barbie doll. Her skin was close to being pitch black but flawless. Every single feature on her was perfect as hell and she was a beautiful curvy voluptuous chick. Sexually I wasn’t attracted to her, but I always acknowledged and told her how beautiful she was.

I knew deep down and real soon Era was going to make it big with her singing shit. She sounded like a fucking angel.

“NFL player Soulful Hurtz rented out the entire restaurant. I should have the dates provided soon.” I smiled at that and forgot all about even being mad about the water being spilled all over me. Soulful was my boy. I met him at the last super bowl and thanked his ass for putting millions in my pockets from betting high on him. I told him all about the street team I had and on his free time he would come down and watch and give my coaches some tips.

Soulful was a real down-to-earth street nigga that still kept shit a hunnid. I had nothing but respect for the young nigga. He had a hard life growing up and wasn’t ashamed of none of that shit. What made it even better was that he didn’t even know he was supporting my franchise by showing his face here. I don’t even think the nigga knew that this shit was mine.

Before I could respond back to what it was I had to say, Sosa was walking up with a big ass smirk on his face. Era eyed him and kind of rolled her eyes on the sly. I never saw her act that way towards anybody, so I wondered if my boy was smashing her.

“I’ll have another waiter come up and serve y’all. Call me later so I can run a new menu by you first.” She offered that soft smile as Sosa took a seat ignoring Era like he had no clue on why she was suddenly giving him the stank face.

“I got you, and I think I want you to fire redhead. She too fuckin’ ditzy.”

“She’s just having a bad day; I can reassure you that she will be better next time. Mr. Brownston.” Deciding not to get on Era tough, I allowed her to walk away. I slapped hands hard with Sosa. I pointed to the back of Era and raised my brows as Sosa shrugged and playfully chanted Chief Keef’s song. Nigga swore he was really like that.

“These bitches love Sosa!!” I shook my head and offered his nutty ass a crooked smile.

“The fuck is up nigga?” This was my dog, we both stayed so busy that when we did cross paths, we liked to celebrate each other’s success. It was never like me to count the next niggas pockets but with my ear down to the streets Sosa was supposedly getting money, or so I thought. One of my Generals put a bug in my ear about the nigga. I just had to hear it from the horse's mouth before I believed anything.

“Shit, out here making it happen. You already know.” I used my thumb and index finger to pull at my beard hairs as I eyed him seriously.

“My nigga, Honor been telling me that you been needing that work from the slaughter gang niggas. Now if you in a bind nigga, I can front you a brick or two half price, but that’s it. You know I ain’t with the handouts.” I brought that up first before we caught up about other shit like the football games, we both planned out yearly. My General was an ill ass bitch that always kept shit a buck with me. Honor said that she ran across Sosa at the club months back and he told her he needed to do some business with me. A nigga like Sosa didn’t come to me for shit regarding drugs because he had his own connections. I already figured the nigga must have taken a hit and needed a handout or help with some shit.

The only thing with that is, I didn’t give a fuck how cool I was with a nigga. Every man had to figure they own shit out. Since Sosa was my nigga, I decided to let him come to me on his own and I’d tell him face-to-face what I had on my mind regarding the situation. Niggas knew that my meaning of fronting some shit came with a hefty fuckin’ price.

“Man, that dike ass bitch doesn’t know what she talking bout. I don’t need any help like that; it’s just our distributor has been trying to knock us over the head with interest fees.” He looked at me briefly and then placed his focus on the new waiter that came to the table.

He placed his order and then looked back at me.

“Man, I’m just trying to cop my girl a bigger house and eat a lil more. Work with cha boy.” I nodded my head and cut into my steak. I already peeped the game; I was gon’ work with Sosa, but he just proved to me that he was struggling. A nigga that was really getting it didn’t too much care about the price of the work but the quality.

I entertained the nigga a little longer before I got up and stretched. Deciding to hit the club and hang out a little longer with my nigga Sosa, I told him to meet me at one of my favorite strip clubs. You gon’ have to kill that nigga! I shook my head and sparked a cigarette soon as I got outside waiting for valet to bring my Bugatti to the front of Beastly Cravings. That voice was really starting to agitate the fuck out of me now. I just hoped it didn’t fuck with my judgment when it came time to take care of business.

Chapter Three

SOULFUL HURTZ

“Did you have to wear all that pink to my game man?” I chuckled at Roberto and his entourage. I didn’t care that he came to my game so flamboyant, he was like a big brother to me. Always there when I needed him the most, especially when I lost my mom five years ago to a drug overdose. Roberto, Sovereign, and Inferno had become my family and was there no matter their busy schedule and I was forever grateful to have them every step of the way.

Roberto clapped his hands super loud and one of his security guards handed him over a portable pink fan. Moving his imaginary hair out of his face he batted his long false lashes.

“Did ju have to have me on the front line amongst common folk? I tell ju, I wanted sky box seats. I don’t want a body tan until di summer.” He talked in his thick Spanish accent, but never missed a beat checking his surroundings. No matter what the blogs assumed and said, Roberto flew in for every game of mine, confusing people. One moment he was dressed like a real ass nigga then the next he’d be wearing pink, his favorite color.

First the blogs would say Roberto was my secret lover until I introduced him to a couple of peers as family. Then they connected the dots and somehow tied him to Mexico. I told him to fall back on coming to so many games. I didn’t want the feds looking into him. He rolled his eyes hard at that shit and still came anyway claiming he was the law and that the federales couldn’t touch a piece of hair on his skin.

Roberto seemed super chill and nice as fuck to the people outside of his close-knit circle. The cartel knew him as being a deadly monster that didn’t take excuses or disrespect to say the least. His father ended up retiring and letting Roberto take the throne following in his father’s shoes but worse Roberto ended up being the cause of a lot of other head cartel men heads being cut off along with their bodies thrown in ditches.

He married a woman that was just as deadly as him and don’t ask me how it was possible that he got himself a husband too. Even though he had a man and a woman he still messed around openly with different people. I never dug too deep into that shit because I didn’t care to know. He spoiled my sisters and sent gifts and money even though I was already rich monthly, Roberto never gave none of us space to breathe properly and miss him. He used his private jet almost every week to fly back and forth. His security would beat on the door and Roberto would be standing at the front door with his hands on his hips and all the theatrics would begin from there.