said, “This shit is between us.” I rubbed the blood from the blade on his lips. “If not, everyone you love will die a slow and painful death. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
I was now more anxious to see Shorty.
MARI
“I’m outside,” I heard Kyron say, and then the phone went dead. I went into the bedroom and stood in front of my long mirror, giving myself the once-over. I was thinking about dyeing my long, thick black mane to a medium brown. I needed a change and was no longer feeling the black. And if one more person asked me if I was Eva Mendes, the chick who played Denzel’s mistress in Training Day, I was going to snap.
My Chanel dress was hugging me in all the right places. I wanted Kyron to see what he had been neglecting and what he was about to lose. He, of course, didn’t say where he was taking me; he simply said to be ready. Little did he know, tonight I was giving him his walking papers.
I grabbed my Chanel bag, turned out my bedroom light, and headed for the door, only to hear the locks turning. I stepped back, and in walked Kyron.
“I thought you wanted me to meet you out front.”
“I changed my mind.” I barely heard him. He closed the door behind him and locked it.
He had on all black, even down to the gators. He looked and smelled like money and appeared to be wearing the gauze around his neck proudly. I hated to admit it, but I was a damned fool in love. His love. I put so much into him. Into us. But it was so one-sided. Just the thought pissed me off and made me realize that I didn’t need to end things tonight. Hell, no. Not before getting back at least half of what I put into this relationship.
“Why is your face all frowned up?” he had the nerve to ask me.
“Because seeing you only makes me angry.”
He smiled. “This was always about business. You know that.”
“Business? Is chasing that bitch business?” I paused and looked at him. “Why would you let some new pussy fuck up everything we’ve worked so hard for?”
He smiled again. “Who’s been puttin’ shit in your ear?”
“Puttin’ shit in my ear? Kyron, I am not stupid, so don’t insult my intelligence. I have eyes. Were you not just laid up in critical condition? Don’t you have a patch covering your throat? Can you barley speak? Are you not chasing a married woman, acting like some common hoodlum from the block?”
He nonchalantly turned around and opened the door.
“Oh, so now you don’t have anything to say.”
“Are you coming with me or not?”
“Oh, I’m coming. This conversation is long overdue.” I brushed past him. “Remember the big picture, Kyron.”
“Why the fuck are you still here? If you don’t want to ride this thing out with me, you can go.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” I stopped and turned to look into his eyes.
“When have you known me to kid?” He was dead serious.
“Kyron, we have a game plan. We were supposed to stick to it, not come home and fall for some hood bitch and lose focus.”
“Game plan. Did you hear what you just said? Game plan. Mari, this ain’t no game out here.”
“You are the one playing the games, Kyron. Chasing some married bitch. You are more concerned with this whore than you are with business.”
“The game plan.” He chuckled.
“If you want me to scrap everything, let me know. My brother is waiting on you. And when he asks me about you, I have to choose to lie or be totally truthful. My reputation is on the line here, Kyron, and I’m not going to let you fuck that up!”
We stood in an intense stare-down. Then he smiled. Something he always does when he thinks I’m bullshitting. “Stop stressing over irrelevant shit. You look too sexy to be stressing.”
He opened the front door. I stormed to the car, stood there with my arms folded, and could only shake my head. I got into the car, entertaining the thought of going right back into the house.
When he jumped into the car, he said, “Your brother ain’t going nowhere. When I’m ready to get with your brother, I will do just that. I don’t work for nobody, and I don’t owe nobody shit.”
“So this is what’s stopping you? The fact that you’re a boss, you don’t work for anybody?”
“Exactly. I don’t need muthafuckas. Muthafuckas need me.”