Page 6 of The Mob: Shio Cuppacio
You got that breakfast video to film tomorrow, right?
Glow had caughtmy eye from the moment I set foot in Jisei’s yard. Usually, I liked my women with a bit more melanin in their skin, but the light-skinned beauty had me intrigued. She was slim, almost too slim, but she had enough ass to declare her slim-thick. We’d been texting mostly because my life wasn’t set up enough to date. Ironically, I didn’t have the time to entertain a woman, but acquiring a wife was on my priority list. Had it not been for my hectic lifestyle, I would have long ago swooped Glow off her feet. But time hadn’t been on my side.
With Demise hovering over us with our pending marriages, I knew my time frame for crowning a queen was something thatI couldn’t delay much longer. However, every time I planned on getting up with Glow, some bullshit fell in my path that I had to clean up. The twins had finally gotten it right. Vello wasn’t engaged yet, but I knew it was coming soon. I was the last one left, and instead of stressing everyone the fuck out, I was just going to propose to Glow.
On paper, Glow was perfect for me. Shit, she was perfect for any nigga. Not only was she pretty, but she was successful. She’d made a killing off of doing food reviews all over the city. Who would have known motherfuckers would get a kick out of watching someone suck on a crab leg, but with how fucking attractive she was, I would watch anything she put in her mouth too. Instead of continuing to waste her time with small talk, I hit the plus sign on the bottom left side of the screen, selected the Apple Cash icon, and sent her a stack. I didn’t know how much the breakfast food would cost, but I knew she ordered a plethora of shit to try out just by watching a few of her videos. When the money went through, seconds later, bubbles formed at the bottom of the screen.
Glow
Shio! Thank you so much! But you did not have to send me that!
It’s all good.
The highway splitinto two sections, and instead of merging to the right, which led to Sparkling City, I ventured to the left lane.
Glow
You always say that. I feel like I have to do something for you. Outside of holidays and events with your family we haven’t even seen each other. No date or anything. I gotta take you out.
Reading her message,discomfort settled in my chest, causing me to grip the stirring wheel. It would be a cold day in hell before I allowed a woman to take me out. Not that I was a sexist or no shit like that, but I did the fucking courting, and I paid the fucking tab. My woman could make all the money in the world, but I didn’t need her spending hers on me. She could blow hers like a fan, and then come and blow mine, and it still wouldn’t put a dent in my pockets. All it would do is make my dick stiff.
Glow and I made sense. She was one of Jisei’s best friends and was versed in my lifestyle. Granted, she wasn’t mob-affiliated by blood or marriage, but she’d been around us long enough to know that we weren’t regular niggas. Plus, she’d heard us call Demise Don enough times to put two and two together. I’d looked into Glow before I called myself pursuing her, and her background was clean. A few sucker-ass boyfriends, a divorced pair of parents who were still in her life, and a little sister who was a little older than Pearla is what she came with. Even though she was a content creator garnering millions of views with her food reviews, she hadn’t told a soul about who we were or what we did. I knew because I’d looked into that too. Whenever I made the time to get her to my fucking self, she was going to make the perfect bride for me. First, I had to handlethis, though.
After wishing Glow a good night, I switched the radio from Lana to Sonder. My boy, Brent Faiyaz, was in his bag when hewas part of a group. I still fuck with his new shit, but I vibed with his old shit heavy.
Things have been quiet with the mob. Everyone seemed to be settled, and these days, the only issue we had hovering over us was Grind still being in a coma. Other than that, we’d all just been playing our roles and getting this paper. Hopefully, things could stay calm so that I could seal my deal and have Don not side-eyeing me every time we were in the same room.
I’d had a long-ass day wrestling with Hobo’s big ass, and now, I had a long-ass drive. I wouldn’t be at my destination for another five hours, so I locked in, blasted my music, and enjoyed the wide open road.
Chapter 1
Tunan “Tune” Payne
“Payne! Be ready in ten!”
The guard hadn’t waited for my response; instead, he went to make his walk-through around the pod. Rubbing my hand down my face, I peered at the pile of neatly folded items. There was my extra bedding, crisp olive green jumpsuits that made up the uniform we were required to wear, and two pairs of sneakers—one being Jordan 4s and the other, all-white Forces that still looked brand new and cost a fortune to have smuggled in here. There were boxes of leftover candies and snacks.
Walking over to the pile, I picked up the only thing I would be taking with me. It was a picture that had been getting me through this one-year stint. A bright smile and a pretty face, frozen in a Kodak moment, had my heart fluttering. I hadn’t loved a woman like I loved Tuscany Payne Cherman, ever. Not even my mother received the love I had for my sister. She’d stepped up and sacrificed so much for us, and for that, I would never forget. She was my everything, and seeing her hold her second son, who looked just like his big-headed-ass daddy, got me through my darkest days in here. With his arm wrappedaround her waist was her oldest son, my nephew, Tulsaire. I loved that young nigga with my whole heart and couldn’t wait to hear what he’d been up to. One stipulation of my being behind bars was that I only conversed with my brothers. I didn’t want my sister and nephews anywhere near this place, even if it was just a phone call. I didn’t even accept letters from Tuscany.
I knew my sister was disappointed in me. I had no reason to be in this musty-ass jail serving a year’s sentence. I knew my brother, Tulscan, was outside the gates waiting for me, and I knew he would take me straight to our big sister, so she could cuss me the hell out. I was ready for that shit, too, because I knew I deserved it.
“So you out this bitch today, hunh?”
Snatching me from my thoughts as I leaned against the concrete wall with my knee bent so that my foot was planted on the peeling paint while the other was on the dirty-ass ground, I eyed my cellie. With his elbows resting on his knees, he had the look of defeat on his face, and I knew it had nothing to do with my release.
“Hell yeah,” I answered truthfully.
Typically, one wouldn’t tell an inmate that he was going home. Niggas were so slimy that they’d sabotage your chance at freedom. I didn’t fuck with too many outside of my brothers, but my cellie was cool. He was in this bitch pending sentencing. He’d undergone a speedy trial and was convicted on all charges. Now, he was just waiting for the pussy-ass judge to hand him his time.
“You know I’ma be in this bitch for a minute. Ion wanna see you come back through here.”
More than likely, when Leader was given his time, he would be moved to a federal institution. This jail was simply a placeholder. But I got his message loud and clear. He wouldn’t have to worry about seeing my face in this hoe ever again.
“I ain’t coming back in this bitch, at all. I can promise you that.”
Leader searched my eyes for what I assume was the truth, and when he got what he was looking for, he pulled a pack of index cards out of his jumpsuit pocket. When he showed up a few months ago, I had already taken the top bunk because I knew I wouldn’t be in this bitch long. I had no plans on getting comfortable. He wasn’t getting out anytime soon, so it was only right that he got the bottom bed. The nigga was only twenty-two and was facing hardcore time. I’d heard of him and his brother, Emperor, and those young niggas were moving plenty of weight in Cove City, which wasn’t too far from the A. Grown-man time was a possibility when you made grown-man money. That young nigga had run up numbers I hadn’t even seen yet. He was a product of his environment, as his father had been heavily involved in the streets at one time.
With his knowledge of the system and how the odds were never in a Black man’s favor, he knew that a lifelong sentence could be the outcome of his illegal doings. Leader wasn’t defeated because he was facing fifteen years. This young nigga was defeated because he had some shit he had to let go on the other side of the gates. More than likely, it was a bitch.
