Page 54 of The Perfect Verse
“Hey.” He pulled her over to his lap. That time, surprisingly, she didn’t pull away. She was tired and angry, and she was over it. At that point, it didn’t matter what he said.
“I wanna be with you. Stop self-sabotaging shit. This is real for me, Kee. Will I mess up? Fuck yeah, but you will, too, and I’m okay with that. I have to be if I want everything that comes with you.”
“Damn, sounds like he’s about to propose,” Shonasia muttered teasingly. She fanned her face, her eyes welling up with tears. After Chaney left, she decided to stick around.
They both ignored her when his tongue slowly slid in her mouth, tasting her tears. The kiss grew hungrier, his hand wrapping around her neck, their tongues pushing and swirling around each other.
“Damn,” she whispered and frowned. “Let me go home and fuck X. I’m sending these boys back to their mama.” Scooter paused, smiling against Kaleela’s mouth. He glanced over his shoulder at Shonasia and laughed.
“You heard me. She comes with a tribe, and I’m the head bitch of it, but I’ll be damned if you fuck her while I’m sitting here.”
“I didn’t try to.”
“I don’t know, but do better. Then you won’t have to hypnotize her with dick.” He nodded, then pressed his forehead against Kaleela’s, who groaned from embarrassment.
“I’ll do better,” he whispered. “Can we find somewhere to talk without the head bitch in charge eyeing me like she’s preparing for shooting practice? Y’all Bradshaw sisters are scary as fuck.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, and I don’t need shooting practice. Unlike your cousin, my aim is steady, and shirts will be printed in your honor, courtesy of me.” She was teasing since she was genuinely happy for Kaleela. She didn’t have all the details, but ever since he showed up, there was a post of Kaleela, his lips pressed against her cheek. He tagged her, too.
“This is Solomon Black’s girl. Get back, hoes, I’m taken.”
“Kaleela, you’re good?”
She looked at Scooter, then Shonasia, then back at him. She so wanted to kick his ass, but so far, she believed him. She was just upset that his idea of breaking up went left and quickly. She also learned that men were stupid. If he were her, she wouldhave sent a few bitches to her apartment, beat her ass, and threatened her to even look Scooter’s way. She still needed to be delivered because that was still an idea she planned to put in motion.
“I’m good.” He issued his signature lop-sided grin and pecked her lips. “Later, sis. I have a nigga to go fuck.”
“Ugh, I can’t stand you. I’ll send y’all children home tomorrow when he flies out. Thank me later.”
Chapter 24
Verse Twenty-Four
“The fuck happened here?” Nazir asked, walking into the hotel room. The floor was covered with plates of food, cups, empty bottles, and even a few condom wrappers. He was once young himself, wasted a lot of time, and had more than his fair share of pussy, but never to the point that it interfered with his money.
Donovan sat up and pushed his locs out of his face. He squinted when Nazir pulled back the curtain, the sun pouring into the hotel room. He looked down and frowned when he tossed a bikini bottom off his thigh.
“Whoever she was ain’t here, but that doesn’t mean shit. You’re fucking up, and you just got started, Dread Man. They line up and will continue to line up, just to say they been with you, or worse, put some shit on you like rape or something.”
Nazir slapped a huge tray of pills on the floor. He had other artists lined up, but Dread Man was supposed to be the face of Gush Records. He’d already had great local success, but he knew he could do more, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were riding on this tour.
“I ain’t rape nobody. We just brought a few bitches back to celebrate our first show.” His plans quickly changed about returning home after he and Scooter got into a physical altercation.
“Why you ain’t tripping about Scooter? That nigga’s not even here,” he snitched.
“Exactly. He’s not, but don’t worry about his ass. Worry about you.”
He whipped out his cell phone, busily pecking away as he mumbled to himself. He needed to get this in front of his wife, CeeCee. Her PR firm proved to be valuable when it came to Gush’s clients that she represented to the point he’d only trust her when it came to his.
“And sit tight. I’m having Gank review footage,” he advised, referring to his business partner and brother-in-law. A former hitman-turned-security for Gush Records came with a special set of skills, which included handling emergencies like discarding damaging camera footage and any person who chose to hold on to it. “If I see some shit we need scrubbed, we’ll scrub it, but it’ll cost you.”
“I ain’t did shit but drink and have a few dancers dance for me before I passed out.”
“Make sure that’s the story they tell when they want to extort your ass. I thought you were in love or something? What happened to that? What if your girl sees this shit?”
“Ain’t nothing to see. I told you that already.”
He stood up to look for his cell. He remembered when Scooter kicked Serita out, even though she cried and pleaded to stay. He knew he was being petty when he invited her to their hotel room. He felt Scooter was being real judgmental about Sashay when he said he, too, had old work he was stringing along.
