“What’s good, Grue? Ain’t seen you ’round here in a minute,” Flip, the president of the Hellraizers, said to me.
“Yeah, been staying out the way.”
“I heard you got a lil shorty. Congratulations, my baby.”
The air seemed to thicken, and I stared at him as if he just spat in my face. I saw Ruger stand from leaning on his bike.
“You still trying to race that lil raggedy Street Glide?” Ruger asked, redirecting the conversation.
Flip looked from me to Ruger and chuckled. “I’ll show you how raggedy it is when I dust you in it.”
“What you trying to do?” Ruger asked.
“Bet ten?”
“That’s my wife’s play money. Double it if you're confident.”
“Oooh, I’m confident as fuck.”
“Then it’s on. When the lights go down. One trip around the complex,” Ruger suggested.
Flip nodded. “Bet.”
“Oh, this gon’ be good. We gon’ need some popcorn,” Jax said, and they all chuckled.
Ruger turned to me. “I’ma let my mans show you up,” he said, talking to Flip but looking at me. I could tell he was tryingto redirect my thoughts because I felt my chest tightening at just the mention of what occurred back in Tennessee.
“I hope you ready to get dusted, Grue,” Flip jested.
“I’m always ready for a good time,” I said.
Ruger gave me a small smile and a soft nod just as the emcee announced Knowledge's arrival on stage. We all headed toward the front of the stage, and my eyes traveled to Autumn. Her bright smile and the sun bouncing off her pretty-ass skin had me mesmerized.
Fuck Knowledge.
I had the best seat in the house.
The show was lit. Knowledge, Christian, and K Millz did their thing, as usual. When I saw Autumn rapping the lyrics to almost every song, I think I became obsessed. She had the whole classy, bougie, ratchet vibe down to a science. I was amazed at how she could be in a serious, professional conversation one minute, then, the next, she was throwing up gang signs. When she bent over and started twerking that ass, I was outdone.
Once the concert was over, I found her, Kenzi, and Willow talking to Kamilla Moring, K Millz’s twin sister, and K Millz’s wife, Kera. We locked eyes, and without me saying a word, she excused herself from the circle and headed over to me. Once she made it to me, I stood from leaning on my bike, towering over her.
“Ready to talk?” she asked.
“You done making me jealous of that skirt?”
“Focus, Mr. Abara. This will only work if you become a willing participant.”
I rubbed my beard and licked my lips while staring directly into her eyes. “See, saying shit like that makes my filtered thoughts unfiltered.”
“I’ll try to be mindful of what I say from now on.” She looked around, then looked back at me. “Let’s walk to the nextblock. I saw a water fountain at the entrance.” I nodded, and we walked away from the noise, down the block. We didn’t speak for the two-minute walk to the fountain, but the silence wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable, nice—needed.
I wasn’t sure how to open up and talk about the shit that ran through my mind every day. It wasn’t easy talking to people I didn’t know, but I wanted somebody to help me sort this shit out.
“You mind if I smoke?” I asked.
“No, whatever makes you comfortable,” she replied. I pulled the blunt from behind my ear and the lighter from my pocket. I lit the tip and took a couple of pulls before I felt some of the anxiety leave my body.
She looked at me when we sat down on the edge of the fountain. “First, I want you to know that I’m on your time. We can start with the good, then the bad, or vice versa.”