Amber -

The next morning I had gotten up bright and early to make Jayce some breakfast before work. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink and the stove was dirty so I put on some gloves and got busy. After cleaning up and putting the dishes away, I put some bacon in the oven.

Since I was working from home this week I went to sit down in front of our HP Windows 7 computer in the living room. I was about to press the power button but released it was already on. His ass will never listen I thought to myself before grabbing the mouse.

As soon as I grabbed it the computer screen come on and I was greeted with Jayceon's Facebook account. For some reason he never logged out on the computer even after I told him too time after time. I was about to log off when the messages slot popped on the screen and some chick had sent him a message.

No don't read it Amber, give him his privacy. I thought at first but then I said fuck it, if his ass would log off like I told his ass too it wouldn't be a problem. So I tapped on the message and what I saw hurt me to the core. He was still same ol Jayceon never going to change. I highlighted the messages and printed them out.

"Baby you down here!" I heard him shout from the top of the stairs. I hurried up and logged out grabbing the papers and stashing them inside my file folder. I grabbed the folder putting it under one of my cookbooks.

"Yeah living room," I say my blood boiling. A part of me wanted to check his ass but it was too early in the morning and I didn't even feel like hearing his fucking lies and excuses. So I sucked my teeth seeing him come down the stairs struggling with his tie. This motherfucker wasn't my husband he was my son.

Everything he had was because of me. He couldn't even tie a fucking tie the right way. I helped him with a practice interview, because I knew his dumb ass would go in there and say something stupid. I told him to get back into his art because he wasn't doing anything but selling drugs, and getting high.

I was tired of that shit, I loved Jayceon down to his dirty draws but I see he wasn't ever going to change. It was time for me to boss up and make moves without him but I've lived half my life based around him, I didn't even know where the fuck to start.

"Here baby let me get it," I say playing my roll well.

I fixed his tie and he grabbed my waist leaning in for a kiss. I wanted to throw up but instead I kissed him back.

"You cooked it smell good down here?" He asked as he put on his suit jacket.

"Yeah your breakfast is on the stove," I say back I looked him up and down, after seeing those messages he was no longer attractive to me. No cheating ass man was attractive.

I wish I had the courage to leave but I couldn't, my heart was still foolishly in love with him, I had to train myself to see past that bullshit.

What in the hell did Love have to do with anything when I was constantly being disrespected. Our vows, our unity, our marriage meant nothing to him.

We were supposed to be three, me, him, and God. But he couldn't keep his penis in his pants for nothing. I didn't know what I was going to do just yet, I kept saying I was going to make some changes but now it was time to put action behind it.

"Thanks for breakfast baby everything was good," he said as he came out the kitchen wiping his mouth.

"Glad you enjoyed it," I said I started dusting off a few things on the fire place.

"I'm a call you on my lunch break," he says before putting on his coat.

Don't even bother bitch ass nigga. I thought to myself.

"Okay I'm going to drop Harlem off with Erica," I say back.

"Alright cool.. we'll see you later," he says before opening the front door.

"See ya," I say not even turning around I continue dusting and thinking of the moves I'm going to make next.

****

Jayceon -

Today was actually a pretty smooth day. We had an art viewing so the place was packed with people coming in taking pictures and going to seminars. I was in charge of teaching one of the classes. I had about twenty people in my class who wanted to learn about oil painting.

After demonstrating a few techniques I got the class ready to make some of their own pieces. I was taking the hands on proactive approach versus just standing there and talking everyone's ears off.

You could talk all day but I felt like people learned by doing. Just as I had dismissed my first seminar I heard a familiar voice. If I had of had my gat I woulda blew his brains out right here right now.

"I never thought I'd see Game in a suit teaching an art class, what you traded the weed and pills for paint and brushes?" Divine said in that thick Haitian accent as he walked up with two of his goons.

"Fuck you want Divine?" I asked as I clinched the eraser if he made any moves I was going to shove it so far down his throat he wouldn't know what happened to his ass.

"Why you so tense Game? I'm just making conversation," he said smiling wide. I sucked my teeth and flared at him. He laughed that annoying laugh before walking closer to the desk.

"Fuck you bitch!" I yelled angrily.

"I think that's what I might do fuck your bitch, that pretty little wife of yours how she doing?" He asks while chuckling.

"Fuck you say bitch ass nigga!" I yell as I come from around the table I was about to knock his ass out when his Goons walked up.

"Calm down boys, we just playing a little Game, but best believe it won't be a game for long," he says before knocking over one of my paintings and laughing that annoying ass laugh again before walking out the room.

This nigga had to go, and I was gone make sure of that real soon.

*****

Once I got off work I called Kendrick and told him to meet me at the club. Like always he came through on time. I had one of the bartenders cook us up a plate of hot wings, and fix our drinks.

"Wassup Game," Dot said as he approached the table I was sitting at.

"Wassup Dot," I say back

"You hungry they just made these fresh," I say grabbing a wing and one of the cheese fries.

"You must of knew a nigga was hungry," he said before grabbing one.

I pulled out my weed, he pulled out his and we started rolling our blunts. "I called you here cause we need to talk about this new connect, and some other business," I say before pouring me a glass of 50 cent's Effen vodka.

"I figured as much when you said it was urgent," he replies back.

"I got a meeting set up with Emilio,"

"Fuck you wanna work with the Italians for Jayce?" He asks with disappointment clearly evident on his face.

I was about to respond when a familiar voice began talking and both the front doors of the club swung open. With the sun blaring in my face I couldn't see for a second, until I squinted and once I saw who it was I chuckled and stood up.

"Damn, I leave town fo a hot second a niggas having business meetings and shit without me,"

"Rocko, wassup bro," I say before we give each other dap and a bear hug. Next to Kendrick Romelo Hodgkins was my boy.

He nodded at Kendrick, and Kendrick nodded back before they gave each other dap. I told the waitress to bring him a cigar and a drink. I met Rocko a few years back when I used to sell weed in front of the liquor store in my old neighborhood.

He bought from me all the time up until one day he approached me inquiring about how to get on with the money train. Normally I don't put niggas on but something about Rock was different, the nigga was hungry, he reminded me a lot of myself.

He was willing to do anything just to protect his family. He had a son he would do anything for, and a baby mother on that stuff who only cared about her child on the first of the month.

Every morning I would get up early, I used to live a few apartments down from the liquor store. I would get dressed and I had weed in my lil shoulder bag that hung under my sweatshirt the highest amount I carried on me was a 3.5 just in case the cops wanted to search a nigga I could easily throw the bag somewhere.

Once I showed Rock the game he learned quickly, and he never lost that hunger. When I ate he ate. After getting a large advancement i helped him get an apartment

"What's going on withchu boss, why I had to hear bout this lil meet from somebody else?" He ask holding out his hands

"I'm the same Jayceon I was before you went to Ohio nigga meaning I ain't explaining my actions to no motherfucker yo ass up and left without explanation during a drop you sent a text talm bout family issues gotta bounce and dat was it I was about to come find yo ass until you said my shit was in my mailbox cause I thought you was trying to pull a fast one on me," I said honestly before sipping my drink and then puffing my blunt before passing it to him.

"Look my fault boss I was wrong for not fully communicating but like I said I had some family shit going on my moms got diagnosed with cancer and my sister done got married to this white motherfucker and act like she can't help out with a couple medical bills," he says before passing the blunt to Kendrick.

"She good you know if you need some I got you," I say to him honestly.

"Right now she on chemo, some days she herself some days she not. I'm in the process of moving her down here you know I can't keep going back to Ohio the weed out there garbage," he says before we laugh.

"Iight get moms squared away first and then you worry about what's going on here,"

"Nah Jayce I need ends now I can't sit around seeing her like that, I need some to keep me busy, before I left we was about to hit that connect with the Italians what happened with that?"

"I got a meeting tonight with Emilio," I say

"Okay,"

"We supposed to be closing the deal on the pills and that Snow White but here's the thing we gonna do this shit smart, VIP only for the pills and the other shit I want everybody names before they enter the sections, if they want weed coo but take that shit outside, Emilio ain't dealing with nothing out of order, if shit ain't together he out just like that and I don't blame him that's how you keep shit afloat. Now the last time we had a connect shit went sideways and we had to put some Haitians under ground," I said puffing on the blunt.

"Wassup with that is that done with it?" He asks

"Come on nigga you know shit ain't never over, Divine been sending threats but he ain't bout none if he really was on that he woulda been did it but that don't mean keep yo guard down, them niggas sneaky, always think ahead that's why I'm introducing a new rotation shift in the club, I got this other gig and I promised my wife I'd be home more but I want this connect and I don't want Emilio thinking I'm not all in," I say before grinding up the weed for another blunt.

"With this new system we switch shifts and change the club opening hours with the limited time that mean we gotta get straight to the business soon as niggas hit VIP we gotta be on it," Kendrick says handing Rock the paperwork that I drew up.

"Okay I'm down,"

"Imma be up stairs handling mostly the paperwork I will show my face and mingle just to show my face but you and Kendrick are mostly in charge with everything I'm upping the security and I'm gonna recruit one mo nigga to help us run things," I say

"Who?"

"You remember Xavier the Mexican dude we ran with back in the day," I say but Rock skipped his lips and turned his head. That's the shit about him that I didn't like.

"Fuck you bitching fo?" I asked him.

"Man come on Jayce fuck you wanna fuck with his ass fo? You know ion fuck with that nigga,"

"Well you ain't gotta choice, we got time for all that bullshit iight we running a business, now we finally got a connect and I ain't fuckin' it up this time so either you in or you out," I say nonchalantly.

"I'm in bro," I looked at him sideways and he side.

"Jayce I'm in come on man, you know me nigga. I'm down with the paper route always and now that moms is sick, I'm gonna work my ass off to make sure she straight,"

"Iight...cool I believe you bro... now look Emilio was impressed with the way we handled things upstate he did head about the lil incident with the girl overdosing but when we get there tonight we smooth things over with him, I'm bringing you and dot with me to the meeting, afterwards me and the wifey throwing a party at my crib, let's we get a couple pills and get fucked up," I say before pouring more liquor in our glasses.

"I'm all in," Dot said smiling wide.

"Me too," Rock said smiling as well.

"Well then let's toast to it, new connect, fresh start, new opportunities," I say standing up. They stood as well as we did a toast before downing our glasses as they drunk from their cups I watched them both we gone see which one of these niggas gonna remain loyal to me...

*****

"Emilio will see you all now," the skinny brunette said. Rock, Dot, and myself, followed her to his office and there he sat like he was Scarface, dressed in one them expensive ass Italian suits, his silky hair slicked to the back of his head, and he had a cigar in his mouth. I hated these motherfuckers but if I wanted to expand my business and make some real cheddar I had to fuck with them.

"Jayceon my man," he says as he gets out his chair and walks over shaking my hand.

"What's good Emilio,"

"Shit just up here in this tall ass building living like a king. Kendrick how you doing man," he smiled wide. Dot nodded his head acknowledging him. Dot ain't fuck with the Italians either but he knew how bad we needed this connect.

"I don't know this other young man,"

"Rocko," he said back looking away. He needed to check his fucking attitude I wasn't with that shit.

"Come on take a seat, I hear you ready to go in business,"

"Yes I got a lil operation going on, and I believe with your connections we can be bigger than what we already are," I say to him he puffs his cigar and nods.

"I agree you been moving mad weight and bringing in paper, I've heard nothing but good things up until the OD incident," he says before grabbing his drink and taking a few sips.

"They had nothing to hold me with that was just some he say she say bullshit, she bout drugs from someone outside the club as well, so it ain't no telling if it was mine or whoever else's drugs who did it," I say convincingly

"Okay, but look my problem is, you only want it sold on the streets I want it sold on the streets and in your club," he says before puffing on the cigar.

"My club ain't for grabs Emilio," I say off back I shoulda known his slick ass was up to something.

"Jayceon listen I'm a business man, I started off where you are and one good decision lead me to where you're trying to get. Everything that I have right now, is because I made the right decisions in life, come on think about it. You sell my product in your club but the way you have for the VIP they don't buy a drink with it no product,"

I looked at Dot and he had this look on his face that I couldn't read. I looked to Rocko and he was staring down Emilio. I thought back to all the shit I put Amber through when I got arrested I didn't want to put her through that shit again.

I didn't really want to sell out the club cause I don't have time for nobody else overdosing on drugs, but then Emilio only offers you a deal once, and when you lucky enough to get it that time you don't turn it away.

"Alright cool, I'm wit it," I say

"I knew you was about it, speak with Romario on your way out, the product is ready," he says smiling.

We shook hands and on my way out Romario had three duffle bags full of cocaine ready to be sold. Rocko, Kendrick, and myself walked out of the building not knowing what the future had in store for us.

*****

Amber -

I was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the hot wings when I heard the front door open and the alarm go off and. Chewy barking. Next I heard Jayceon's voice and a few other voices.

"Hey baby," Jayce greeted as he entered the kitchen followed by Kendrick and some other dude.

"Hey, hey Kendrick,"

"Sup sis," he said before we hugged.

Jayce grabbed me and kissed me. I don't know why but I didn't feel how I used to feel when he kissed me. I used to blush and feel like a little school girl whenever he used to kissed me now since I see that he isn't going to change from his old ways, I don't even want him touching me.

I pulled away and he wasted no time stealing a hot wing, he didn't even blow he just started eating it and then hurried up reaching for my glass of water. The guys laughed at him and I shook my head.

"Fuck y'all. Oh shit bae this my boy Rocko we go way back he gonna be helping Kendrick take over the club you know so I ain't gotta be worrying," He says trying to smooth things over but I knew his ass was lying.

I already knew He wasn't fully giving up the club, I'd be crazy to think that but I was going to play along with his little game up until he got caught in more lies. I looked at him sideways as He went back to digging in the pan.

"Nice to meet you," I said before we shook hands I don't know why but the way he gripped my hand turned me on, and damn was he a fine chocolate brother. Looking just like Tupac. He instantly had me wet. I don't know if it's because Jayceon had been telling so many lies or what, but lately he hadn't turned me on.

When we were fucking this morning I got no enjoyment out of it. I laid there and fake moaned because I was sick of his shit. All he did was lie I don't know what was so fucking hard about telling the truth, but that was something you couldn't even pay him to do.

We turned our heads away awkwardly. As I went to the stove I could feel his eyes burning a hole straight through me. I went to the fridge telling my self not to look but I couldn't help it I wanted to look at him again. As Jayceon continued talking I looked up and sure enough he was watching me.

He smiled and I smiled turning my head away. I didn't know what was going on but whatever it was I instantly blocked it out my head when Jayce came and wrapped his arms around my waist and slipped a necklace around my neck.

"I got a lil some for you, I know how much you love the necklaces," He says smiling. I smiled slightly. I didn't want any gifts from him. He thought he could treat me any kind of way and then buy me a gift and give me some crappy ass apologize and everything was going to be cool. I was fed up, and tired of his bullshit.

"Iight y'all invite all the motherfuckers you know let's have a packed house in this bitch, imma go shower and then we can set shit up,"

"Iight boss," Rocko said as he grabbed some bags and leaving out the kitchen with Kendrick followed behind.

***

Rocko -

Jayceon was wilding like crazy, and Kendrick wasn't no better his ass was drunk as hell too talking to any bitch that walked up on them.