Page 103 of Are You Going to Love Me

With the time they had left together, they finalized the pieces for the house and ate lunch before heading their separate ways. Staysha was certain to ensure everything Eden needed was on set, even if she wasn’t going to be present.

Stay: You deserve this! We got another brand back on the table, deets in email!

Eden: Love you

Max: Kill that shit like you supposed to do, baby

Eden: Send me my audios <3

Max: Heard you. Midnight Munchies?

Eden: Please!

Max: Got you

thirty-four

. . .

“Look at this lovesick, nigga,”Brody joked, hopping in the truck. “Kissing in showrooms, hugged up on balconies.”

“You worse than a bitch, I swear,” Maximus grumbled in laughter as he pulled away from the curb of Brody’s apartment building. “You workin’ for Love, Angie or ShadyPalms or some shit?”

“Topflight security of the got damn Trae Way MB, nigga. I gotta keep my ear to the internet streets and the actual streets,” Brody answered. “But to answer your question, BigBallerAlert been on y’all ass.”

“I know. Almost knocked them niggas out in the parking garage. A secure building, and they were waiting for us to come down.”

“A different beast comes out of you when you can’t protect your girl,” Brody stated.

“Hell yeah. I almost put one of them niggas through the fucking concrete. Which is a problem considering I left Gus dangling out a fuckin’ wall,” Maximus gritted.

“Your brother?”

“Ain’t no fuckin’ brother of mine. Nigga is a bitch nigga. Bitch made, bitch blood, bitch ass,” Maximus shared. “I need you to understand some shit, every time I see that nigga, I’m rocking his muhfuckin’ top. Every fuckin’ time.”

“Anyone else I need to know about?” Brody questioned.

“That nigga Rico. I ain’t playing about my lady or my momma. Even if her ass on that shit,” Maximus huffed.

He’d been checking in with the rehabilitation center almost every day in his quiet moments to see about his mother. The time would come when it was time for her to be released, and he needed to make sure she had somewhere to go. She couldn’t stay with him. He wouldn’t allow his peace to be tainted like that. But she had to go somewhere, and back to Trae Way wasn’t an option.

“What else do I need to know about you moving around in this gritty city?” Brody asked, looking out of the window. “Outside of the obvious.”

“We don’t look for the trouble, but if it comes, we handle it. Rap is rap, but I’m Trae Way still.”

“Got it.”

Arriving at Keon’s new spot, the pair strolled to the door. It wasn’t as big as Maximus, but with the money Maximus broke him off from the deal and the money he’d been stacking for him, it was enough to pay for it cash and kick his feet back. Before they could ring the bell, Staysha pulled the door open.

Involuntarily, Brody grunted. “Damn.”

Staysha snapped her fingers at him and shook her head. “Don’t get your ass hurt. Can’t have security walking around in a neck brace.”

Maximus snickered. “And she’ll be the one to do it. What’s good, Stay?”

“Eh,” she groaned, walking into the dining room she’d been using to keep everything on track for her clients. Keon sat at the end of the table, pecking away on his phone, a scowl on his face.

“That shit don’t sound good,” Maximus huffed.

---