Page 128 of The Sweetest Devotion

Dominique sank in his seat beside me, nodding. “I will.”

I sent a Savon a quick text before grabbing the envelope and climbing out of my Tahoe.

Pulling the brim of my baseball cap down low, I made my way over to the bleachers where Dom’s people were crowdin’.

They spotted me just as I stepped foot on the court. A shirtless, tattooed heavy-set man wearing a durag turned his back on me, exposin’ the Beretta tucked into his waistband.

My piece was at home. An attempt to show Dominique you could move without it.

Some teenagers were shooting hoops on the court, girls and boys were playing jump rope on the sidewalks, and parents were pushing littler kids on the swing set. We were surrounded by witnesses, but some people just straight didn’t give a fuck.

Didn’t care, though. I wasn’t letting this situation go on further for Dominique.

I lifted my chin at a tall skinny guy who was hanging back, staring at me. “I’m here for Dominique.”

The heavy-set one stepped closer. “Ain’t no Dom around here. You see ’im?”

I held my envelope with a firm grip. “Whatever he owes you is all in here.”

His beady eyes zeroed in on my thick envelope and he switched his weight from one foot to the other.

Things got quiet around us as the game went on in the background. Some kid yelled “Foul!” and some parent at the benches nearby called for their daughter. Wind blew between us, inviting a scent of skunk weed to hit my senses.

I stood my ground. “Well?”

Skinny clicked his tongue and the heavier one backed off.

Most of the group looked to be late teens and early twenties. Low-level hustlers who hopefully weren’t any serious threat to Dominique’s well-being.

Skinny cut through the group and stepped up to me, sizing me up and peering into my eyes curiously. “Keith, right?”

I nodded.

“I seen you around the way. Whatchu doin’ here in this shit?” he wanted to know.

I gestured to the side, as if to illustrate Dominique. “That’s me.”

Skinny shook his head. “I ain’t know you was big brother.”

I thought of the little nickname Dominique had slipped and called me during his stay with me.Twin. I wouldn’t let it show in front of these guys, but it felt good to feel important to him. Like brothers.

I held up the envelope for emphasis. “Neither here nor there. He’s done with you and all this.”

Skinny smirked. “You think so?”

Stepping closer, I did my best to rein in my temper as I got in his face. “Know so.”

Skinny stared at me as I stared at him.His group came closer, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, letting their presence be more known.

“Is there a problem?”

Savon.

He stepped up beside me and eyed the rest of the group, prepared for whatever was about to go down.

In Skinny’s eyes, I could see he didn’t want it to go that way. Not with the money so close to his grasp.

I held it out and he slowly took it.

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