Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
“Don’t I always?”
“What the hell is Royal London?”
“Buckingham Palace and some other stuff. Viv said this area is called that because Queen Elizabeth II takes her route—”
“Blah, blah. Just have some weed and food around me.”
Troy shook his head. “God, I hate dealing with broken-hearted Jazz. She’s so rude.”
I flipped him off and left.
“Such a lady.”
“Blow me, Troy.”
“I’ve already got one sister begging for it, I don’t need another one.”
I yawned. “You’re such a gentleman, using incest humor during a very heartfelt family reunion.”
Chapter 9
Chase
Sophia and I entered the first building. No one followed besides my five guards. They kept their guns in their holsters and their gaze on the crowd with each step. Tension thickened the air. Only the squeaking of the door and our footsteps sounded in the air. The rest remained hushed.
I glanced at Sophia. She’d placed her glasses on her face—tortoise shell frames with gold plated metal and rose-tinted lenses. Those aren’t cheap. Is she getting other income besides the budget I gave her? I’d seen Lucy buy a similar pair. She had a thing for tortoise shell.
As she strolled next to me, the crowd of angry faces flashed along her glasses. A huge smile spread across her face. She laughed, long and loud as if she was sauntering into a party held for her.
Are these faces really for me? Or are they actually for her?
If it was her, part of me wondered what she’d done to be so despised. The rest hated them and yearned to shoot them all down if they said anything disrespectful. In the end, Sophia birthed Jasmine. They would have respect for her mother, whether she deserved it or not.
Inside the building’s lobby, tiny doors to mailboxes decorated both walls. A few people opened the little, metal doors as we approached.
Two elevators stood in front of us, big metal green ones with tiny windows in the center of each. Rust outlined the edges. The up and down buttons sat on the side with most of them cracked or burned. An out of order sign hung on the right one. I pressed the button for the left. The fractured surface scraped against my skin.
Rap music blared from an apartment near the elevators. The beat hit hard. I couldn’t help but move my head a little. Maybe it was the liquor.
“Hustle hard like a criminal, hungry and homeless.” The bass boomed with the man’s voice. “Robin hood. Steal from the rich and give to the hopeless.”
A chuckle came from my side. I turned to Sophia as she laughed some more.
“Stay ten steps ahead of the game, I’m focused. Dumbledore to these bitches. Hocus pocus.”
I nodded to the beat. “Apparently, he’s a Harry Potter fan.”
She lowered her sunglasses and winked at me. “Aren’t we all?”
Well, this morning is going great. Mom and I are bonding. Maybe a rainbow will appear and a unicorn will take a shit on my shoes.
It was difficult not to get even more enraged. Benny had Jasmine; he’d forced his will into my life. And her mother stood on my side, enjoying herself. Even worse, I had to walk with the woman, and go up to a sick bastard’s apartment, all to get Jasmine back.
The angry rapper continued, “Mutilate genitals, until the blood flow quit, murderer of the rap game. Every song is a hit.”
“So apparently, this song is more of a résumé,” I said.
“Hip hop used to be about stories, now they’re just bragging.”
“Wouldn’t know. My ears have always remained in a capsule. I can’t seem to get away from 60’s and 70’s music.”
“Revolution, soul music, and the flower movement.”
“Good times.” I checked my watch. “These elevators are pretty slow.”
Sophia giggled again.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
She pointed to the out of order sign. “I’ve grew up in the Chops all my life, and I don’t think this elevator ever worked. We’re going to have to walk part of the way to Benny’s spot.”
“Why’s that?”
“These elevators are skip-step.”
I checked behind the guards. Some of the people from outside now stared at us through the front entrance. Two young boys kept the doors open. More men had arrived. They didn’t look like friends.
Five guards. Five guns. That’s a lot of people out there. They can come in here right now, and we wouldn’t all make it out of here alive.
“Look at the elevator, Chase, not behind you at them. Don’t make them think you’re scared. That’s why they’re lurking like that. They think you’re shook. You’re not shook, right?”
I faced the elevators. “No, but I’m not stupid either.”
“You’ve never had to pretend, huh?”
“Pretend?”
“Yeah, pretend you’re not who you say you are.” She shook her head. “No wonder my daughter loves you. You say you’re the boss, and you are the boss.”
“I am.”
“Are you the boss?”
“What?”
“Are you?”
I pressed the button again. “Yes.”
“Good. Then act like it. Bosses don’t look back. They keep their eyes forward. Fuck these people.” She laughed again.