A'Marionn's phone interrupted his sleep just in time. D'Kiyah had managed to stay the night, and that was definitely against his rules.
"Hello."
"You have a collect call from a DaVontae Creed. Do you accept the charges?"
"Yeah, put 'im through."
"Man, I didn't rob no liquor store," DaVontae started in before A'Marionn said a word. He was so upset about the whole situation he could barely contain himself.
"Aye, nigga, you there? I need you to swing by my girl's house and pick up that loot and the bread. I don't want her moms to find that shit in her tilt, you feel me? Plus, that nigga KeyShawn rolling around with either a bag full of weed or a bag of my money. I didn't have the time to divide the bags. I know he didn't get caught, cuz, well, his ass would be in here with me." DaVontae took a moment of silence as he kicked himself for not listening to A'Marionn in the first place.
"Cutty, you there, nigga? Feel like I'm talking to God or my conscience or some shit."
A'Marionn just sat on the phone listening to DaVontae dribble about the happenings of the previous night.
"Yeah, I'm here, but I don't feel shit. I told you what to do. You still got caught up. Only now, you have to wait on this man to drop the charges. If he decides to do so."
"A'Marionn, I would've been in here period if I had listened to you, and you know it. Part of me thinks you want my ass locked up. I want to eat and make money too. You forgot I—"
"You put me on, right?" A'Marionn interrupted. "Man, go somewhere with that bullshit. You gave me a pound of weed. I got it off. I graduated and came up with my own game plan, which I then offered to teach you, but you with that shit. Man, I got to go. I have some people I have to meet about some real money. You sit tight. Don't worry about the dro. If he yo' real nigga, the shit is already put up."
A'Marionn hung up the phone without waiting for a response from DaVontae.
Von was partly right about his assumption. With him locked up, A'Marionn didn't have to worry about DaVontae fucking up his money or being killed. If he got hurt in the game, it would weigh heavily on his heart because he didn't wish him any harm.
He loved DaVontae and, if needed, he would take care of 'im. He just wished he'd listen sometimes and start using his brain.
Von was always talking that hood shit, and he couldn't stomach it anymore. Sure, he left the hood and still ended up in trouble, but it wasn't because he did something illegal. It was because he was down for his team, and he wasn't no snitch.
A'Marionn pulled out some weed from his drawer and collected the items for his meeting. He laid out his suit and tie, his gun holster, and two weapons of choice. He was heavy in thought when he was interrupted by a woman's voice that should've been long gone.
"You aren't thinking of bailing Von out, are you? You know he belongs there. If he'd just listened to you about the drugs and money, he wouldn't be in this mess. You have much bigger and better deals going on, baby. Ain't no way you can afford to get caught up in his shit." D'Kiyah was talking, but A'Marionn was busy rolling a blunt and drowning her out.
He was loving the sex, but he could do without all the talking. She could even refrain from cooking. He could take care of himself, make a mean steak and eggs, so her time was actually up. A'Marionn didn't plan on sharing the blunt.
"So what time you getting up, girl? You know I got to make this money. I have a meeting with Frankie this morning, and I don't want to be late." A'Marionn never looked up from his blunt. He was caressing and licking it closed so seductively.
D'Kiyah started to shift in her seat a bit. She was turned on by A'Marionn in more ways than she would like to admit. She had to have him.
D'Kiyah wasn't a girl who was easily persuaded by men. They talk a lot about nothing, and she was all about action. She enjoyed A'Marionn's company because he wasn't real big on talking about what he had or what he could get.
He was all about action. That turned her on. She was money hungry, yes, but she wasn't a lazy bitch. She would do the wifey thing, protect and serve when needed, just as long as she was taken care of as well.
A'Marionn took two puffs of his blunt and started to get his shirt and tie together. "What you think of this blue, Ma?" A'Marionn finally spoke as his high was rejuvenating his sense of sociability.
"It looks good, babe, as always. Are we going to talk about Von?"
"No. You are going to get dressed and ready to go. I lock my doors when I leave the home. No one is left behind." A'Marionn lowered his eyes at D'Kiyah to indicate he meant business.
D'Kiyah couldn't deny she felt some type of way. How in the hell can he just toss me out like I was just some skank from the club? she thought.
"For real, Amari" D'Kiyah began to get her clothes together with many thoughts traveling around her brow.
A'Marionn was the kind of guy that was serious about whatever he put his mind to. He was different from junior high and high school, but he was someone she could see herself settling down with.
Dancing in the club wasn't who she was. She was a dancer, yes, but her first pick wasn't sliding down some stripper pole. Most didn't get out the hood. A'Marionn did, and that was motivation enough.
D'Kiyah didn't know exactly what he was doing, but hanging around with Von was not in his best interest. Von was still running around town like he the king or some shit.
"It's simple really. I'm about ma bread. You, you about all this love shit, and right now, that's not what I need. I have to keep my mind clear. My moves are all monetary. I don't have time to cater to a woman. I fuck somethin', and then I go home and they bounce."
D'Kiyah's nose flared at A'Marionn's ignorance. "So, money is your game plan. What is Von's role? How is he going to aid you in this whole money-over-bitches outlook?"
"Now, see, this is part of the problem as well. You talking."
"Talking?"
"Yes, talking. You're adding your two cents in matters that don't concern you. It's about me, making my bread. If you must know, my cousin ain't exactly on my team just yet. I ain't sayin' that like niggas don't trust 'im. I'm sayin' I just know he ain't ready. Von gettin' caught up in bullshit. So I will say this and only once more. Fuck love, fuck all this lovey-dovey shit: babe, this and that, let me cook for you, cater to you, etc. I take care of my own needs. I'm a man. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about what this is. I like you. You a bad one, and I must say wife material, but I can't go there with you right now."