A Dangerous Love 2: Can't Let Go

by J Peach

  “It don’t matter, I don’t have to work tomorrow,” she informed me, getting comfortable in the seat.

  Not saying anything else, I drove to The Shack, one of my pool halls.

  Peaches

  Blindly, I flicked through the channels as my mind replayed earlier events. I was still confused as to why he flipped like he had. He couldn’t have been offended for real.

  “Peaches, leave it here,” Kim’s hand waved in front of my face.

  My head went back and I blinked a few times before I focused on her. “Hm?” I hummed, hadn’t heard what she said.

  “What’s up with you, boo? You’ve been spacing since I got here. What’s up?” Kim pushed my feet off the couch and sat where they once lay.

  I cut my eyes at her for that action. All that damn space and she sat her black ass there. “Bitch really?” With a roll of my eyes, I moved over and sat up straight.

  “Hoe, don’t get funky with me. I didn’t do shit to you,” Kimmy snapped back before she nudged my shoulder. “Peach, what’s up fo’real?”

  A loud groan left my mouth and I turned sideways to face her. “I don’t know how to explain it. I mean, I don’t know, well I do but… I don’t know, I’m confused my damn self.”

  “Okay, now I’m confused because I have no idea what you’re going on about.” She exclaimed. “So what’s got you in a twist?”

  Might as well tell her.

  “Okay, I don’t know man what’s up with Blaze. He got pissed at me because I called him a thug and asked if he ever killed anyone. I basically told him I wouldn’t date him and all that jazz, but for some reason he just snapped, like seriously got pissed the fuck off. He was slamming doors and he gave me my key. I apologized to him, I mean, I wasn’t trying to offend at all.

  “Kim, we always talk shit whenever we’re together, so it was just kind of unexpected, you know. Anyways, after apologizing and him putting me out his truck, he said we were cool and that he’d see me later or whatever. I left the key on the seat and closed the door, next thing I know, the window is being rolled down and dude throws the fuckin’ key out then speeds the fuck off. Man, I don’t know, I tried calling him but nothing. This bullshit is really bothering me.” A heavy sigh left my mouth and my head fell back. Until I heard her gasp and focused back on her.

  “Oh, my God! Peach, you really like him,” Kimmy said, completely shocked with wide eyes.

  “That’s the thing, I don’t. Well, I do, but I don’t. I don’t know, it’s fucking confusing as hell. It’s like when he’s around me I want to literally fuckin’ kill him, hurt him–shit something. Then when he’s not, the fucka seems to pop up and I find myself wondering what he’s doing. But now that he’s mad at me, all I want to do is fix it.” My eyes dropped to my fingers as they twisted together.

  “Babe, you have it bad. But, Peaches, you can’t ask a nigga no shit like that in public. Shid, the type of dude Blaze is, I can bet any money he looking at yo ass suspicious as hell right now,” she began to explain, which had my brow coming together.

  “Wait, what you mean?” Confusion set in my body as I took in what she said.

  “Did he search you?” The seriousness in her voice threw me for a loop.

  Slowly I began to understand why he suddenly got pissed. “No, he didn’t. Wait, so you think he got mad because he thought I was asking that shit as a trap?” Knowing what I said was true, she didn’t even need to reply. Once my mind wrapped around his reasons, I got mad. “Why the hell would I try to trap him on some bullshit when King hangs with him?”

  “Peach, that don’t mean shit. What would make you ask that man some bullshit like that in public? Hell, if I ain’t know yo ass, I’d be looking at you the same damn way, no lie,” she went on to say.

  Again, my eyes rolled up in head. “I was playing, though!” The irritation in my voice was evident. I wasn’t mad at Kim because I knew she was speaking truth. I was mad at myself for even doing it. Even so, he should’ve known I was just playing.

  “Babe, I know, but you can’t play with everybody like that. Especially not Blaze. That nigga just got out and I’m sho he’s looking at everybody with the same eyes. You know the reason he was locked up because a bitch snitched on him. So take that in and think about you, a female, asking him some bullshit like that in a public place, Peaches.”

  I didn’t know a chick snitched on him, but for him to think I would do some dumb shit like that was still crazy, especially given the shit King was into. I would never, but I guess he wasn’t King and wouldn’t really know. “I fuck’d up, huh?”

  Kim’s head nodded, “Yep, you did. But you’ll fix it because you like him.” A smile stretched across her lips as her brows wiggled.

  The face made me laugh. “I can’t stand yo black ass. You right though, I’ma try to fix it.” My eyes rolled up in my head as she continued to give that same stupid look. “Kim, stop. Stupid self.”

  “Okay, just admit it though, you like him? And don’t give me that I do but I don’t bullshit, be real with me,” she picked.

  With a shake of my head, I shrugged my shoulders. “I do but—no Kim let me finish. I like him, I really do. His whole attitude and the fact he’s not afraid of King is just a plus. But, Kimmy, you know how these niggas is. He’s friends with King, ain’t none of them niggas straight, they’re all hoes. And I can’t deal with that. I mean, I watched my mom go through that shit with my dad, then Ebony put up with the same bullshit with Ha’Keem triflin’ ass. Both women I love to death, but I don’t want to be like them, stuck in the same place and dumb in love.” My head shook as I explained why I didn’t want to like Blaze.

  “Peaches, you can’t judge them all alike. Who’s to say he’s the same as them?” She questioned.

  My lips pursed together and my head tilted slightly to the left. “Kim, name one nigga that hangs with King that’s straight? Never cheated, ever. Please, name one.” I folded my arms over my chest and leaned back against the couch as I waited for her answer.

  “Dane,” she started until I cut her off.

  “Nope, Dane cheated twice. He may be faithful now, after she left his ass, but he was no different. You see, he barely hangs with King now. And if he do come out, Jennifer right there with that ass. I don’t have time to babysit no grown as man and damn sho’ can’t teach they ass how to be a fuckin’ faithful man.”

  True, wasn’t no way I was going to be stuck waiting on a man to grow up. My mom did and at the end of it, nothing, because my father never changed and she never went nowhere. She was too dependent on him. In love and dumb.

  “You can’t just judge that man like that. Maybe he is like them, but maybe he’s not. We don’t know. And you won’t until you get to really know him. I’m not saying jump in bed with him, just give him a chance. Who knows, he could end up surprising you.” Kim advised before she let out a laugh.

  “Peach, think about it, though, he must really like you. I mean, was you not in the room when he fought King for you? Girl, when King slapped you that man didn’t flinch once, he jumped up so gotdamn fast and knocked the shit outda your brother. Now name one nigga you know that would do that for a chick he barely knows?”

  The memory had my teeth sinking into my bottom lip in order to contain my smile. But the action failed and I ended up laughing.

  Seeing that, Kim hit my thigh. “Point exactly.”

  I really did like Blaze, but I didn’t want to get hurt or played in the end. Even so, what would it hurt to really get to know him? My mind replayed the petty arguments, our flirting with one another. “I have to fix this, huh?”

  Kim’s head nodded. “Yep, you do, babe.”

  Chapter 11

  Blaze

  “Blaze, why you ain’t tell me we were going to a club?” She asked, doing the same shit Peaches did, pulling the mirror down. Before she could even start doing whatever it was, I closed the mirror.

  “Man, get yo ass out. Who you tryna impress?” I asked as I turned off the truck.r />
  “I don’t know who’s in there.” Krystal answered back honestly.

  Shaking my head, I got out and heard Krystal laugh. I glanced back at her only to see she had pulled her hair from its ponytail.

  “Don’t hate, Mr. Blaze. Haters gets nowhere in life. So a pool hall, you gon’ teach me how to play?” She came to my side and I couldn’t resist grabbing her ass, Damn, it was soft.

  “I got you. What’s good, Ben,” I hit my fist to the bouncer at the door as he pulled it opened.

  “Everything good,” he replied.

  Nodding, I led Krystal to the bar. “Aye, wait up at the bar, I’ll be right back.” Standing at the bar, I called Vincent over. “Get little mama whatever she want, don’t let nobody fuck with her. I’ll be right back.”

  “Alright, Boss,” he responded and I made my way to the back.

  ***

  “AYE!” I yelled loudly, making everybody look up as I walked into the room.

  “Blaze, my nig, thought yo ass would’ve been here by now. What took you so gotdamn long?” Monte asked as we shook up.

  “Aye, y’all give us a minute,” I told the three niggas that was seated in there. Once they left, I turned back to Monte. “Shit, got caught up on this one little thing, but what’s been going on? I’m hearing niggas been actin’ stupid in this bitch.” I pulled out a chair, turned it backwards and sat down.

  Monte was the manager of The Shack, meaning he ran shit until niggas start acting stupid in my shit and I had to let they ass know who spot they were in.

  “These young mothafuckas thinking they can do what the fuck they want. You know how that shit is. I came in the other day and seen some little nigga snorting on pool table-.”

  “Wait, snorting on my table?” I asked him.

  “Yeah.”

  “Yo ass know how these mothafucka’s is. That’s why after you serve ‘em, you make ‘em leave. If they want a quick hit, you make ‘em snort it in the room in front of you. Once you do, you put they asses out. If he don’t plan on doing it right then and there, you don’t serve his ass. The fuck is wrong with you?” That was that stupid shit.

  “I didn’t serve him, Benny did,” he explained with his hands held up.

  “Benny? Benny, that’s at the front door?”

  “Yeah,” Monte responded bleakly.

  I hit him hard in the face. His chair went back and he fell out of it. “You let his ass do that and he still working here? The fuck is wrong with you, Monte? Yo ass know better. Let this be the last time this shit happen. Dumbass mothafucka’s, man.” Pushing out the chair, I left the back room, going back to the front. “Yo! Ben, bring yo ass here!” That nigga looked up at me and held up his finger. I was about to walk over there, but he started coming my way.

  “What’s up man?”

  “Come on.” I lead us to my office. Once inside I went to my desk and sat down on it. “Fuck this I hear about you serving some nigga and letting him snort on my tables.”

  “Oh,” A dumb look covered his face and he rubbed the back of his neck.

  This nigga just, ‘Oh’?

  “Before yo ass started working here, I explained the rules to you. Ain’t no ‘Oh’s’ or second chances in this bitch, all it take is one time for a fuck up to mess all my shit up. What you did was dumb as fuck. Yo, you done. Go find yo ass a nine to five that pays as good as I did. I don’t need any dumbass mothafuckas working for me. Now get the fuck outda here. Just in case you thinking about coming at a nigga sideways, remember who you fucking with.” Pulling my 9mm from the back of my jeans, I shot him twice in the shoulder.

  “Ahh shit!” He hollered out as he clung to his shoulder.

  “Now get the fuck out before you get blood on my fuckin’ floors.” Just as he got up, my office door was kicked in and I started shooting, not knowing who it was. I ain’t give a fuck.

  Don’t nobody just open my damn door without knocking.

  Once the clip was empty, I slid behind the desk as I quickly ejected the magazine I pulled the other from the pouch strapped to my ankle. I slammed it in, then cocked it back.

  “Blaze, what the fuck nigga!” King yelled.

  When I recognized the voice, I looked up to see him, then Sam peeking over his shoulder.

  “What the hell y’all niggas doing just opening up my mothafuckin’ door? Get yo dumbasses killed doing that shit, nigga knock. How many times do I gotda tell y’all stupid asses that?” I snapped on ’em, what if I would’ve shot one of their dumbasses?

  “Fuck you shooting fah any damn way?” King asked, looking his self over, then turning to Sam. “Next time yo ass open the fuckin’ door, but good looking though.” He turned back toward me with a wave of his gun. “Why you shooting?”

  “I just fired Ben. I was warning his ass not to try shit, but you niggas came busting in the door. Aye, Sam go out front make sure shit i’ight,” I instructed him, then looked around my office. With a quick glance my eyes landed on Ben, who was laid out on the floor with a bullet to the head. “Fuck man! Get his ass up off my floor. You know how hard it is to get blood out a carpet,” I asked King, getting pissed off because that nigga was bleeding on my fuckin’ floor!

  “Nigga show some type of sympathy, you just killed this man. Fuck wrong with you, B?” King asked, looking at me like I was crazy.

  “This nigga bleeding on my fuckin’ carpet, if it was yo shit I wouldn’t let his ass bleed out on yours, damn.” That nigga had his fuckin’ nerve.

  King gave me a funky look that had me sighing.

  “Fuck it, you right. Call the twins and tell ’em to come roll this nigga up and take him to the shop with the carpet. Shit was ugly anyways, I need a drink.”

  Twins were two brothers who disposed of bodies for the right price. I’d known and had done business with them for well over ten years. Whenever I called for them, they never disappointed and I never had a body surface once I called them to clean up. I didn’t know exactly where they disposed the bodies, and what I didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

  With one last glance at Benny, I stepped over him then left the room.

  Sam met us in the hall. “Everything straight out front? Why you fire him?” He questioned as they followed behind me.

  “His ass served some nigga and let his ass snort on my pool table. Then when I said something about it, this nigga gon say ‘Oh’. Like oops, the fuck. Monte ass ‘bout to go too. Shid, I ain’t got time for no fuck ups,” I told ’em as we walked out the hall to the main room.

  “You still with ol’ girl?” Sam asked, nodding toward the bar and I laughed, looking at Krystal.

  “Hell yeah, she cool man. Crazy bitch carry a razor blade in her mouth.”

  “Damn, look at her ass,” King blurted out, making me laugh.

  “I know, just stupid ain’t it. My dick crying to bust her ass wide open. I’ma beat the fuck out that shit,” I told him as we stood against the wall watching her.

  “Wait, what the fuck you mean? I thought you ass so high up on Peaches?” King asked.

  “Man, I’m done fucking with her crazy ass, on G. I goes to pick her mean ass up for lunch and she start spitting some bullshit about me being a thug and she don’t wanna date me. Then her ass waited right good until we in there and gon’ ask if I killed somebody. King, you know me. I ain’t with that shit. So shid, I gave her ass her key and that’s that.” I shrugged then made my way to the bar where Krystal stood.

  “Give me a bottle of Hennessy,” I reached behind the bar and grabbed three glasses as he handed me the bottle.

  “You fucking with that brown, let me get away from you then,” she laughed while pushing me away.

  “Man, get the fuck outda here. I ain’t gon’ do shit to yo ass yet.” Truthfully, I was most definitely gon’ fuck, just not that night.

  “Yet? You say that as if you already know you gon’ hit. Which you’re not by the way.” She laughed with a smile stretched across her face.

  “Oh, I’m gon bust yo ass open, a
in’t no denying that. I’m just not gon’ do it today because we just met. Now tomorrow, shid, you fair game.”

  Laughing, Krystal pushed me while rolling her eyes. “Nigga get the fuck outda here.”

  Moving closer to her, I brought my mouth to her ear. “Okay, when I have that ass folded, don’t say shit,” I whispered while grabbing a handful of her ass.

  Her mouth opened then closed before she settled with just shaking her head.

  “B, you ain’t gon’ introduce us to yo friend?” King asked, putting his arm on my shoulder leaning against me. This nigga is helpless.

  “Krystal, these my niggas, King and Sam. Y’all this Krystal.”

  “Hey.” She waved her hand and King took it and kissed it.

  “Hey to you, beautiful,” she raised a brow, glancing at me but smiled nonetheless. She tried to play it cool, but the color to her yellow cheeks told the truth.

  “What’s up?” Sam nodded at her.

  “Dreads, I remember you. So, are we playing pool or what?” She asked.

  King pushed me out the way, took Krystal by the waist and led her to the pool tables. “So where yo man at?” King asked her.

  I couldn’t do shit but laugh at his ass, nigga was dirty.

  “You know that nigga gon’ try to hit right?” Sam asked, pointing toward King.

  “Of course, he ain’t tho. But if she let him, I don’t give a fuck. She ain’t my bitch. Come on.” Grabbing the glasses and the bottles of Hen and Don, we went over to the table.

  “Come on, Blaze. You said you’d show me how to play.” Krystal held out a pool stick as we made it over there to her.

  I poured myself a drink then quickly downed it. After I cleared my throat I took the stick and stood behind her.

  “You got to bend over the table.” My hand pressed against her back, bending her over. She popped me as I did that. “I’m serious, bend over the gotdamn table like this,” Once again, I pushed her forward, then leaned over her, showing her how to hold the stick. “Put yo index on top of yo middle, making a little hole, and put the stick between it then push it in. Oof!” She elbowed me as her arm drew back. ‘Man, I’m serious, damn. Now break.” She broke.