"So I don't get a kiss?"

  "You said a hug."

  "I want a kiss."

  "Haven't brushed my teeth and I got grits in my mouth."

  "I don't give a damn. I want a kiss, woman."

  "You hate grits."

  "Except when they're in your mouth."

  She smiled and moved toward him and they kissed.

  Chapter 4

  Fresh texted Black and they decided to meet up at Onyx. At eleven thirty, after six bottles of champagne and about thirty lap dances, they left and headed to the Waffle House on Piedmont. Black had his gun on him but he didn't want Fresh to get caught up in his bullshit beefs. They ordered their food. Black had biscuits and gravy while Fresh ordered the pecan waffle.

  Black said, "Man, that girl Alize was really digging you."

  "You think so? Her body was banging, but that face was yuck."

  They both laughed.

  Fresh said, "I had you all wrong, Black."

  "Look, man, Jada is like a sister to me. She was one of my ex's best friends."

  "What happened?"

  "Murdered."

  "What happened?"

  "Long story but you best believe the motherfucker that did it, paid for it."

  "Oh, that was the girl she and Starr were talking about."

  "You know Starr too?"

  "My homie is talking to her."

  "Damn," Black said as he thought about Starr moving on so quickly.

  "Damn, what? What do you know? You know something about Starr?"

  "Starr is a good girl. I just wouldn't have thought she would have moved on so fast. Her man got murdered by his baby's mama."

  "Trey?"

  "You knew Trey?"

  "Yeah. Trey used to come down to the H and hang out."

  "Wait a minute. Are you Trey's connect?"

  "I don't know nothing about that," Fresh said but Black could tell he was lying.

  "Look, man, I'm not here to put your business out in the streets."

  "Yeah, we used to take care of Trey."

  "Well, take care of me." Black smiled.

  "What?" Fresh had heard him but did he really think he was going to agree to do business with someone he barely knew? He would have to ask Jada about him.

  "Look, Trey was cool, but I'm a street nigga. I'm respected all over Atlanta."

  "Being known can be good and bad."

  "Ain't that the truth." Black had more of the biscuits thinking to himself that he was sitting with the nigga that made Trey rich. He'd known that Trey had a great connection. A good connection is something he'd never really had, but he knew that if he could make Fresh and his homie like him, he would be set.

  # # # # # #

  TeTe called Black and wanted to meet up with him. She seemed a little strange but he agreed to meet with her. They met at Club Cheetahs for lunch. She told him that she would be wearing jeans. He was sitting near the stage when she walked in, and he spotted her right away. She was damn attractive for forty-five years old he thought. She wore a pair of Paige jeans and Tory Burch ballerina shoes and had a blue Goyard bag.

  Black hoped this bitch wasn't bourgeois because if she was, she was about to find out right away that he wasn't changing for nobody. She actually looked ten years younger than what she was. Her ass was a little smaller than he normally liked, but he'd decided that he would fuck her if given the opportunity.

  "Call me TeTe."

  "TeTe." He hugged and pulled her chair out for her.

  "So you're the world famous Black."

  "You've heard about me?"

  She smiled revealing sparking white teeth. "Yes, you're famous."

  "Really? You've heard of me?"

  "Black is a common nickname."

  "Yes, it is."

  "And most of the Black's I know are bad."

  "Not true. People just associate black with bad. Like the good guys wear white hats in cowboy movies. Black people are bad. All that shit is propaganda."

  "So you're good?"

  "I'll be the first to tell you I'm the bad guy."

  She laughed.

  "I like being bad," Black said.

  "I like bad boys."

  "I know."

  "How do you know?"

  "You wouldn't be here."

  "So you like going to booty clubs in the middle of the day?"

  "Is that what you think this is?"

  She scanned the area. There were four girls there—all white. Only one of them had a nice booty. One girl was so damn skinny you could see her ribs showing. She was skinny as a racehorse.

  "Look, I just wanted some food. When I want to see ass, I go to Onyx."

  "I don't believe that."

  "Why?"

  "Because if you just wanted food, we would be at a restaurant and not a strip club. I think you wanted to look at some tits and ass or else we would have been at a regular restaurant."

  He laughed and said, "So? I like tits and ass. Does that bother you?"

  "You're not my man. Why would this bother me?"

  "If I were your man, would this bother you?"

  "Maybe."

  The waitress appeared and Black ordered a hamburger and fries while TeTe ordered a shot of Patron.

  Black said, "So, what are you looking for? You obviously don't need money."

  "Is it obvious?"

  "Yes. Just looking at your jewelry. You have a Goyard bag."

  "How do you know handbags? I swear to god, niggas know more about women's shit than women do nowadays.

  "Far from it. I've bought a few bags myself. Never a Goyard though."

  "My man could have bought this one."

  "I was told you don't have one."

  "I don't."

  "See."

  "Did Jada tell you what happened to my last man?"

  "No."

  She laughed.

  "What so funny?"

  "I just thought she would have told you that's all." She paused and said, "Damn, I don't want it to be so obvious that I don't need money. Maybe I should tone it down a bit."

  Black didn't want to tell her that Jada had informed him that she had her own money.

  "Look, I got my own money, but what woman likes to spend her money if she don't have to?" TeTe said.

  "Can I ask you a question?"

  "Anything."

  "What do you do?"

  "I provide entertainment for men."

  "Oh…You're an escort?"

  "No, but I can get you one if you want."

  "Damn. You're like a female pimp."

  She laughed and said, "Something like that. If that's what you want to call it."

  "What else would you call it?"

  The waitress dropped the burger on the table and TeTe ordered another shot of Patron.

  TeTe downed her Patron and said, "I don't give a damn what they call me at long as they pay me."

  "And what do you do, Mr. Black? Your job is obviously a good one—one that allows you to go to the strip club in the middle of the day."

  "Well, I own a couple of restaurants."

  "Impressive."

  "I think so."`

  "What did you do before that?"

  "Dirt."

  She laughed and said, "At least you're honest."

  "I told you, I'm the bad guy."

  "Look, I'm looking for a real man."

  "A boyfriend?"

  "See, that's the thing with me. If you're not boyfriend material, don't say you are because then I get expectations and with expectations come letdowns and hurt and I don't like getting hurt. If I get hurt, I gotta hurt somebody."

  "Oh, I'm so scared." Black laughed.

  "No, seriously. I'm not the average woman."

  "I can believe that."

  "Right now, I just need somebody to chill with and fuck me real good. Can you handle that?"

  "What does it pay?"

  "I'm not paying you."

  "I was kidding. Calm down."

  She smiled and said, "I knew you were."

  Black ate a handful of his fries then said, "I like you."

  "I think we're a lot alike."

  "How?"

  "I think you like to be in charge and I'm used to being in charge."

  "We're both bosses."

  She smiled and said, "It might not work."

  "But it might." He smiled. "I think you need taming."

  "And you think you can tame me…young boy?"

  "I'm up for the task."

  She was smiling hard as hell. She flagged the waitress down and said, "Can you bring the check?"

  Black said, "Bring me the check. As long as I'm at this table, I pay. I'm the man."

  She laughed and said, "Give him the check."

  Black finished his hamburger, tossed a hundred dollar bill on the table and escorted her out to the valet.

  The valet guy drove her white Jag to the front of the club. Black hugged her and grabbed her ass. "I can tame that ass."

  She smiled and said, "I'm starting to believe you."

  She peeled out of the parking lot and phoned Jada.

  "Hello?" Jada's voice came through the car speakers.

  "Why in the hell did you set me up with that fool? That man don't have a loyal bone in his body. Black is the kind of man that is going to cheat."

  Jada was laughing her ass off. "Hey, I didn't know you were looking for a husband. I think you and Black are a lot alike."

  "Maybe too much alike."

  "So you don't like him?"

  "As crazy as it sounds, I like him. But I know we can never be official. He is just not relationship material. But I can tell he's a lot of fun."

  "Black is cool. Hey, girl, just have fun with him. You don't have to make him your husband."

  "That's exactly what I was thinking. Thinking that I can have some fun with him. Maybe get some dick. He probably knows how to put it down in bed."

  "I don't know cuz I've never slept with him, but he has a lot of baby mamas, so he must be doing something right."

  TeTe laughed her ass off.

  "Do I hear wedding bells?"

  "Get serious."

  "Did you really cut Eli's finger off?"

  "You think I was joking?"

  "Well, damn. I guess not. You cut him off? No pun intended."

  "Yes, I cut his ass off. Literally."

  TeTe whipped her Jag down Spring Street. She heard horns honking. Black was behind her in his Porsche. He blew kisses her way. She blushed.

  "What was that?"

  "Black is behind me blowing kisses."

  Jada laughed. "Give it a chance."

  "I can't, Jada. I can have fun. But I know myself. I will kill Black or he will kill me.

  "Hey, have fun."

  "That's what I intend to do. Talk to you later."

  "Bye, girl."

  Chapter 5

  Q met Fresh in the lobby of the Four Seasons hotel. Fresh gave him a pound and said, "Damn, dawg. I been here for almost three days and this is the first time I see you?"

  "I didn't know you were coming."

  "I'm your little brother. I'm not some random motherfucker."

  "I had some things I was doing. Business meetings. You know I'm looking into some legitimate stuff to get into around here. Besides, you were trying to get to know Jada."

  Fresh smiled. "I like her."

  "Seems kind of out there to me."

  "She's genuine. I mean, seems like she loyal. I can deal with that. You know. Hoes will be hoes. I don't need faithfulness because I ain't going to be faithful. I need loyalty."

  "How can you tell?"

  "Starr said it that night we met at the cigar bar," Fresh said.

  "Look, I know you don't want to talk about Jada. What's up?"

  Fresh looked annoyed. "Those motherfuckers still have Rico and you act like you don't give a fuck about it."

  "What do you want me to do?"

  "We have to do whatever it takes to get him back. If that means we gotta get rid of the dope, then that's what we gotta do. We're talking about somebody who's like a brother to us. Somebody that's down for us."

  "I know."

  "His kids has been calling me every day for weeks. This thing is bigger than you. I understand that you want to stop and go legitimate and shit. But this thing is bigger than you, bruh. Way bigger than you. Marcellas, Big Country and Mann are calling every day."

  Q and Fresh were suppliers to Marcellas, Big Country and Mann. Marcellas was from New Orleans, Big Country was from Memphis and Eric was from Charlotte North Carolina.

  "I made all of them rich men. They should have money."

  "What about me?"

  "What about you?"

  "I'm low on money."

  Q thought Fresh had to be joking. It wasn't possible for him not to have money. Q had counted millions of dollars with Fresh. There was no way that he could be broke.

  "I know you got money."

  "Look, man. I'm not almost forty. I'm young, I make mistakes."

  "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

  "I blow money."

  "Yeah on Lean, Loud and bitches. And on that stupid-ass record label I told you not to invest in. Every motherfucker I know that put money in the music business is broke now."

  "First of all, I left the Lean alone and I barely smoke. Look, it's okay for you to try to go legitimate—but not me. Yes, I made some mistakes, some young-boy mistakes, but that doesn't solve our situation."

  "What are you saying?"

  "Talk to Diego. Tell him that you'll take the work and then just move out of the way. I'll handle the business, so Rico can go home and everybody is happy."

  "For how long?"

  "How long what?"

  "How long is everybody going to be happy?"

  "I don't know."

  "I don't want my luck to run out." Q said.

  "I understand."

  "I haven't slept well in a long time."

  "What are you saying?"

  "I don't have the balls that I used too."

  To hear Q say this scared Fresh. Q had always been the voice of reason. He'd been like a big brother to him. He'd never known him to be afraid of anything. He didn't know what to make of it.

  Fresh's phone rang. "Rico's son."

  "His son?"

  "Yeah, man. Every day he calls me asking me have I seen his Dad. But see, you don't know that because you're not there and he don't have your number, but it's bad, man, really bad."

  "Damn."

  Fresh made eye contact with Q and said, "Look, man, I know you don't want to do it, but let's just get Diego to send the work up this one time so he can let Rico go and then we can go on about our business."

  "If we do that, he'll think that we are going to do what the fuck he says to do."

  "Swallow your pride, man. He got us by the balls. It's no time to be a tough guy."

  "I don't see what the big deal is. He knows that even if he only deals with you, the money is good."

  "He wants you involved. He thinks you're the best businessman."

  "I don't want to be involved."

  "It's not what you want."

  "I'll see my regulars and pass the rest off to you."

  "Exactly and I was thinking of dealing with this guy, named Black, I met through Jada. Knows Atlanta and Jada says he's real."

  "You trust her?."

  "Look, the man already has money. I went out with him last night and everywhere I went they treated him like a celebrity. He knows Starr. Ask Starr about him."

  "Hell, no. I can't ask her about this. I told you how she feels about me dealing."

  "I trust him."

  "Ok. Well, start off slow."

  "What the fuck you think I'm going to do? Sell him a hundred kilos?" Fresh laughed.

  "When are you leaving for Houston?"

  "Eight in the morning."

  "Okay, I'll come down this weekend and we can go talk to Diego."

  Chapter 6

  Black received a call from a private number. He answered anyway. A correctional institution. He thought it was probably K.B., his friend who'd taken the rap for Chris's murder, until he heard Shamari. Shamari never called. He accepted the call.

  "Yo, what's up, bruh?" Black said, glad to hear from his friend.

  "Same ole, same ole. You know how it is in here."

  "I know that shit too well."

  "I don't have a whole lot of time to talk, but is everybody okay?"

  "Everything is fine. "

  "Have you seen Jada?"

  "I saw her the other day."

  "She hasn't answered the phone in two days."

  "Do you need some money or something?" Black said, trying to get the attention off Jada. He didn't want Shamari to ask him about Jada's private life.

  "Jada sent me some money today, but she won't answer the phone."

  "I can go check on her if you want me too."

  "I would appreciate that."

  Black had been in Shamari's position before—in jail, calling to find out the whereabouts of his woman. Deep down inside he knew that Shamari knew that Jada was fucking someone else, but he wasn't going to be the one to confirm it. He knew this would destroy the man. She was his lifeblood, and he knew how much Shamari cared about Jada. That was the only thing that stopped Black from making a move on Jada. Plus the fact that she was Lani's friend.

  "I'll do whatever you need me to do."

  "Besides that. What else is going on, homie?"

  "Not much. Laying low. You know what I mean?" There was so much Black wanted to tell him but telling Jada's business was not something he wanted to talk about, and the other things that he wanted to say, he would never speak over those recorded phone lines.

  "Hey, I'm going to go. I'll hit you back later to see what you found out."

  "Ok, cool. Peace, my G."

  # # # # # #

  TeTe and Black were meeting at Brio's when she received a call from one of her clients. She stood and said to Black, "I'm sorry. I have to go to take care of some business."

  Black looked perplexed and disappointed.

  She noticed and said, "Don't worry. I'll pay for the meal."

  Black was not disappointed because he had to pay for a cheap-ass dinner. He was disappointed because he had noticed her legs and the spectacular tiny black dress that clung to her body. He really wanted to see what was under there.

  "What kind of man would I be if I couldn't pay for a meal?"

  "Yeah, but business comes first, unless you want to pay my bills." She smiled.