J ust like he assumed, Boss found West at the pool hall that they always frequented when they used to run together. They were both good at the game and it was nothing for them to walk away a few hundred dollars richer when they played against other people for money. Boss still hung out there from time to time, so a lot of people showed him love when he walked through the door.
“I left for a lil minute and this nigga became a hood celebrity and shit,” West said when Boss walked over to him.
He had niggas around him so he was loud, trying to be the center of attention just like always. Boss wanted to break his jaw when West walked over and gave him dap, followed by a brotherly hug. His actions weren’t lining up with the shit that he said to Indigo, but Boss just played along. He was sure that his real intentions would be revealed soon. All he had to do was sit back and wait.
“What’s good West?” Boss asked as he leaned up against the pool table.
“Shit, I should be asking you that question,” West replied.
It had only been a few weeks since he’d seen Indigo but he knew that she would get word of his release to Boss. When he still hadn’t seen his onetime best friend, West paid her another visit but he stayed longer the second time around.
“I can’t complain.” Boss shrugged nonchalantly.
“Shit, from what I’m hearing, you don’t have nothing to complain about,” West said, trying to fish for answers.
Boss was a complicated character, so he should have known better. For as long as they had been friends, West had never met anybody in his family. Indigo was as close as he came and Boston always said that she was the only family that he had. That baffled him too, seeing as how Boss was so in love with her.
“Don’t believe everything that you hear,” Boss replied.
“Let me rap to you for a minute fam,” West said as he sat his pool stick down and walked over to a secluded area. Boss made sure that his gun was reachable, just in case he had to use it. Not only did he not trust West, he didn’t trust none of the niggas who were in there. They showed love but that shit was sometimes a performance.
“What’s good?” Boss asked as he folded his arms defensively and looked at him.
“Damn bruh, no need for the mean mug. I’m just trying to see what’s good,” West said.
“Ain’t shit good. I’m trying to see why you keep going at my girl. It’s obviously me that you want. I’m here nigga. What’s up?” Boss questioned.
“Your girl? So you and Indigo finally stopped playing and got back together, huh?” West smirked.
“That’s really irrelevant right now. I’m sure you didn’t call me over here to talk about Indigo,” Boston noted.
“Nah man, I’m trying to link with you,” West said as he looked around the semi crowded hall.
“Link how?” Boss questioned.
“The same way we did before. Let’s get this money together just like we used to. From what I’m hearing, you got the best of the best. You switched shit up on me when I got locked up and I’m trying to get right again,” West answered.
“You got locked up nigga. Why would I keep doing the same shit that got you caught up? And I don’t know what you out here hearing but somebody told you wrong. I’m on my nine to five shit now,” Boss said.
“Come on now fam. This is me that you’re talking to. You always have a backup plan. You want me to believe that you only work and don’t hustle. You and Indigo were always about y’all money. I heard that she’s doing the damn thing with her hair business too,” West replied, repeating what Ari had told him.
“You just been hearing all kinds of shit, huh?” Boss asked with a frown.
“The streets talk nigga. You know that better than I do.” West shrugged.
“I already know. The streets talk about you too nigga. I lost count of how many times I heard some slick shit that you had to say about me. But dogs carry bones, real nigga don’t,” Boss pointed out.
“Don’t believe everything that you hear,” West said.
“That’s the same shit that I was just telling you,” Boss replied as he gave him a “now what” look.
His concentration was temporarily distracted when the back door to the gaming room opened. His mother’s boyfriend, Dennis, walked out and paused when he saw Boston standing there scowling at him. He was big and bad when Boston was a child but he was scared to death of him now. He and Boss passed words once before when Carla tried to speak to him. Boss snapped on his mother and, as her man, he wasn’t feeling the disrespect. Dennis tried to take up for her and Boss ended up knocking him out. Since then, he tried his best to steer clear of the hot tempered youngster who had his nose leaking like a faucet once before.
“Go around nigga. Don’t walk past me,” Boss snapped when Dennis headed in his direction. He only had to say it once. Dennis damn near ran to the other side of the table and away from him.
“What’s good fam? We got a problem with that nigga or something. You know it ain’t nothing for me to handle that for you,” West said as he watched Dennis hurrying out of the building.
He and Boss were cool at one time but he didn’t know his business like that. West, just like everybody else, knew the basics. No one knew about his mother giving him away to be with a man. The only reason that West knew about Ray was because his mother told him and Ari about how his uncle was killed. Boss never elaborated and they knew better than to ask.
“That’s light weight my nigga. I never needed nobody to put in work for me before and nothing has changed,” Boss noted.
“No doubt. Just know that I got your back, just like before,” West said, kissing ass.
Boss peeped game but he was good on him. He didn’t appreciate the way he kept going at Indigo with the bullshit and that was the only reason why he even entertained him with a visit.
“I’m good on that,” Boss noted.
“What’s been up with you, bruh? You still out here trying to play Sally Struthers and feed the world? Nigga must have been trying to get a medal or some shit,” West laughed.
“I do it for the cause, not the applause,” Boss replied. West didn’t need to know why he did what he did. It wasn’t his business and Boss never bothered to explain himself.
“I hear that,” West chuckled.
“I’m about to get up out of here. Welcome home nigga,” Boss said as he nodded towards West.
“Damn bruh. You really ain’t fucking with a nigga no more,” West observed.
“What part did you miss dog? I can’t do nothing for you,” Boss replied in aggravation.
West had the entire game fucked up if he thought that Boss would ever break bread with him again. He showed his true colors when he was locked up. He was a hoe and Boss wanted no parts of him. Going at Indigo to get the message to him was proof of that. Dixie’s was Boss’ spot and everybody knew where to find him.
“It looks like your uncle wasn’t the only fag in the family,” West spat angrily to Boston’s departing back.
The semi crowded room became empty and Boss had tunnel vision. In his mind, it was only him and West in the building and that’s exactly who his focus was on. West was standing there smirking while his friends laughed as his lame ass comment. He loved an audience, but Boss didn’t mind performing in front of a crowd.
Fag, the one word that his uncle Ray and Kissy despised the most. It was a derogatory term and an insult to a gay man. A word that Boss was taught to never use. The fact that West felt comfortable enough to do so was punishable by death. Since there were so many witnesses around, a good beat down would have to do.
“Oh shit!” someone yelled when Boston’s first lick connected with West’s face. West wasn’t a slacker, so he started fighting back immediately.
He wanted to say that it was the alcohol that had him losing the fight but he knew the real. Boss had hands and he just couldn’t hang with him. West didn’t care about losing the fight. He just didn’t want to fall. He knew that would be the end of it if he did. West
felt himself getting weak right before the inevitable happened. He stumbled and fell, right before the red bottom of Boss’ shoe came crashing down on his face. West hated to do it, but Boss had just signed his own death certificate.
“Run up nigga! I dare you!” Boss snapped as he pulled his gun out and pointed it at the man who was trying to creep up on him.
“You got that fam. I’m just trying to stop you from catching a murder charge,” the man replied as he held his hands up and backed away.
“Peel out Boss. Go cool off fam,” one of the managers said as he pushed him towards the door. The man was cool with Grant and he knew that Boss was his people.
“Bitch ass nigga,” Boss spat as he walked out the door and to his car. His knuckles were bruised and his head was pounding. As soon as he pulled off, he called Indigo, hoping that she could meet him somewhere.
“How was your appointment with Dr. Everette?” Indigo asked as she talked on the phone with Boss.
She and Justice had just come back from visiting his parents and she was in the process of doing their laundry. Justice had finally taken some time off from work and they spent a few days relaxing in Florida. Boston felt sick without her but talking to her every day helped a little. Lacey had been staying the night at his house, but he would have much rather Indigo instead.
“I’m sick of that bullshit,” he complained.
“Boston, please, we talked about this already. You’ve been making great progress, even though you tried to kill West with your bare hands last week,” Indigo laughed.
“Fuck that nigga! Just fuck everything!” Boss snapped angrily.
“Why are you so angry?” Indigo whispered.
“The fuck is you whispering for?” Boss fumed.
“What’s wrong?” Indigo asked.
“Everything is wrong. How you let that nigga take you away from me for four whole days?” Boston yelled.
“Are you serious right now Boston?” Indigo countered.
“Do I sound serious to you? I’m pissed the fuck off. I probably won’t even see you today,” Boss assumed.
“I just got back home an hour ago Boston. I’ll try to come see you a little later,” Indigo sighed.
“Try?” Boss yelled.
“You know what? I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with you and I’m not about to sit here trying to figure it out. I knew all that side nigga shit that you were talking wasn’t gonna last. Call me when you can act like you got some sense,” Indigo snapped before she hung up the phone. Boston kept calling back, but she kept declining his calls.
She had a frown on her face as she took clothes from the dryer and carried them upstairs to her bedroom. Justice was laid across the bed watching tv when she walked into the room looking like she was mad with the world.
“What’s wrong baby?” Justice asked her.
“Nothing, I’m straight,” she fumed as she aggressively folded the clothes.
Justice wanted to pry further but he didn’t want to make things worse. Indigo could be stubborn and her mouth was reckless at times. He knew that she would talk whenever she was ready. After a while, she had washed and folded all the clothes that they had taken to Florida with them. When she got in bed, Justice was about to pull her close to him until the ringing of her phone stopped him.
“Now what,” Justice huffed when he saw Treva’s name pop up on the screen.
Indigo looked at him and frowned, but he really didn’t care. It was always something with her cousin. If it wasn’t Monroe, it was Boston. Indigo had to leave out of the house late one night before they went to Florida to make sure that he was straight. Boston had been out there fighting with somebody and, as usual, Indigo was the first and only person that he called. She was surrounded by unstable, crazy people and she didn’t seem to see the problem.
“Hey Treva,” Indigo said when she answered the phone. Justice knew that something was wrong the minute she jumped up from the bed and grabbed her shoes.
“What happened?” he asked as Indigo talked on the phone.
“Did she say where she was going?” Indigo asked. She went back and forth with Treva for a while, asking questions and demanding answers. She grabbed her purse and keys, preparing to leave before she hung up the phone.
“What’s wrong baby?” Justice asked.
“I don’t know. Treva said that Monroe left and they don’t know where she went. She’s worried because she’s not answering her phone,” Indigo replied.
“Has she been taking her medicine?” Justice asked.
“Yeah, as far as I know,” Indigo answered.
“See, this is exactly what I was trying to tell her grandmother. It’s not a good idea for the three of them to be living together.”
“But, that’s not for you to say,” Indigo pointed out.
“It doesn’t matter who says it, it’s the truth. You’re only one person Indigo. Between your cousin and Boston, they’re gonna drive you crazy. As much as you want to, you can’t be there for everybody all the time,” Justice said.
“Says who?” she asked angrily.
“I’m not trying to argue with you, baby. I just think you need to stop being everybody’s go-to person,” Justice replied.
“I’ll be back,” Indigo said while walking down the steps.
“I’m coming with you,” Justice replied as he followed behind her.
“Nah, I’m good. I don’t need no negativity in my ear.” She frowned as she walked out of the house and slammed the door behind her.
Indigo was heading to her cousin’s apartment and praying that she returned. She didn’t want to worry their grandmothers, so she hoped that Monroe turned up soon. As she drove, she decided to call her cousin’s phone. Indigo got excited when Monroe picked up on the second ring.
“Hey Indie,” Monroe said when she answered for her cousin.
“Hey baby. Are you okay? Treva is worried about you and so am I,” Indigo replied.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I got a room. I just needed some time alone,” Monroe said.
“Okay, I understand,” Indigo coddled, trying not to upset her.
“Who is West?” Monroe asked out of the blue, confusing her cousin. She was hoping that West wasn’t dumb enough to go at her cousin because that would have been a bad move. He didn’t even know Monroe so that couldn’t be the case.
“Uh, he’s nobody important. Why?” Indigo questioned.
“I don’t like when people bother you, Indie. I heard you and Boston talking about him. Did he do something to you?” Monroe countered.
“No baby. West is nobody for you to worry about. He didn’t do anything to me,” Indigo assured her. Monroe was very overprotective of her only cousin. Indigo tried to keep a lot of things from her because she handled things differently than the average person. She had to be more careful about what she said in Monroe’s presence.
“Can you come to me, Indigo? I want to see you,” Monroe said.
“Yes, just tell me where you are and I’ll be there,” Indigo assured her. The fact that Monroe wanted to see her and possibly talk was a good thing. Most times she would shut down and not want to be bothered when she was in one of her moods.
“I’m gonna send you a text. See you soon,” Monroe replied before she disconnected the call.
A minute later, Monroe sent her location and room number. She was at the Holiday Inn not too far from the mall and Indigo knew the area well. It took her about ten minutes to get there and she went straight up to the room that her cousin had given her.
“Monroe. It’s me, boo. Open up,” Indigo said while knocking on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened and so did Indigo’s mouth.
“It’s about time your ass got here,” Boss smirked as he pulled her inside.
“What the hell are you doing here Boston? Where is Monroe?” she asked.
“She’s at home. She’s good. I needed her and Treva to help me get you here since you wouldn’t answer the phone for me,” he replied as he pressed his li
ps up to hers.
It was short notice, but he got Jaci to get the room for him. Treva and Monroe were all too happy to help and his plan worked perfectly. He had to make sure that it was something believable in order to get her away from Justice. He knew that Indigo wouldn’t have come to his house if he asked.
“Move Boston. I’m not fucking with you right now,” Indigo fussed as she pushed him away.
“I’m sorry baby but I was missing you. We barely go one day without seeing each other. That shit drove me crazy,” Boss said as he picked her up.
“I missed you too,” Indigo replied while wrapping her legs around him.
Boss wasted no time pulling their clothes off and throwing them to the floor. Indigo didn’t even care about the foreplay but that was his favorite part. She wasn’t complaining though. Compared to Boston, sex with Justice was trash. She tolerated it but she wasn’t pressed if he was too tired to deliver. Boss knew her body almost better than she did. After three hours of screaming orgasms and multiple positions, they finally settled down in the bed to relax.
“How was your trip?” Boss asked as Indigo laid on top of him. He stroked her back lovingly as she ran her fingers through his hair.
“Boring as fuck. What did you do while I was gone?” she questioned.
“Waited for you to call and snapped on everybody when you didn’t,” Boss replied honestly.
“Have you seen West since the fight?” Indigo asked.
“Fuck that nigga. I’m not trying to see his hoe ass. He doing all that talking but I’m not hard to find,” Boss replied. West was doing a lot of talking to other people but he wasn’t dumb enough to step to Boss himself.
“I just don’t want this shit to turn out bad,” Indigo said.
“Just stay strapped. Shoot first and fuck asking questions,” Boss replied.
“I need to get going. I’ve been gone long enough,” Indigo said while sitting up in the bed.
To Boston, With Love Page 15