Page 43 of The Smoke Hour

His words weren’t easily deciphered, but I knew that was what he asked.

“Nah, nigga. That’s easy work. I might be doing that anyway, just on GP. You’re giving her the extension she needs to repay you since she won’t let me do it. And the next time I find out you said shit to her, about her, or let my name come out ya mouth, that’s a bullet in your grandma’s head.”

Terry’s eyes widened. I learned that his grandmother raised him, and he cherished her.

I smashed my fist into his face again and released him until he fell backward. I kicked him several times before I kneeled and beat the shit out of him until he was unconscious.

I wiped down the few things that I touched before I slipped outside, hopped into my car, and headed to the office where I worked for my car sales business. I washed up and changed out of the black running pants and hoodie I’d worn and exchangedthem for a pair of army green True Religion cargo pants, a white Balmain T-shirt, and some white Jordans. I sprayed some cologne on, put my jewelry back on, and brushed my hair. Once I checked myself out in the mirror, I was satisfied that I was fresh and ready to roll.

I checked my phone and saw that I had a missed call from Kaifiya by five minutes. I immediately returned her call.

“Hello?” I could hear the tremble in her voice, and that shit pissed me off. It made me wish that I’d put a bullet in his head after all.

“Aye, yo. You don’t sound too good. You want me to run through?”

“My roommate is here, and he’s got company. Not that it matters, but I just don’t want to be here tonight.”

“Bet. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Aye?”

“Yes?”

“Pack a bag.”

“Are you sure?”

“Did I stutter?”

“Thank you, Smoke.”

I ended the call, headed outside, and placed my clothes in the bin that I used for these things. I set fire to it, closed the top to secure it, and locked that shit.

Within ten minutes, I was heading out to the parking lot to hop in my car and head to her place.

Kaifiya was sitting outside on the hood of her car with her bag looped on her arm when I arrived.

“Why didn’t you stay inside and wait for me?”

“I didn’t want to bring their mood down. They’re in the living room having game night.”

“That’s your place, Kaifiya. You need to be safe.”

“And I am. I feel safe and comfortable in my neighborhood.”

I reached out a finger and wiped her wet eyelashes.

“You’re too beautiful to be crying.”

“I just wished that I didn’t owe him shit.”

“I’ll take care of it. Just say the word.”

“Smoke, that’s going from owing one man to the next.”

“Not the same.”

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