Portland?”
“Women change when they fall in love.”
“They do, but you change for the better when it's the right man. I'm sure you would know nothing about that with the way that you’ve dragged Ivy through the mud.” I sipped my water.
“Funny.”
“Who is the girl having your baby, Portland?” He looked at me surprised, and then exhaled heavily. “Yeah, I knew, I was just waiting for you to tell me which you obviously hadn't planned to do.”
“Don't worry, Jersey, it's not the same girl Kill got pregnant.” He wore a smug expression before sipping his water. After looking into his eyes for a bit, I stood up to leave. He rose with me, and then grabbed my arm lightly. “Jersey, I'm sorry. Look, sit down so I can talk to you. I didn't come here to fight; I actually came here to talk about making peace, baby girl.”
I snatched my arm and sat back down.
“What the hell are you talking about making peace? It's not that deep between you and me, Portland. You're making it sound like some fucking war or something.”
“Look Jersey, you know who your man is, right?” He leaned in.
“No shit, Sherlock.”
“No, do you really know?” He stared into my eyes, but I stayed silent, not sure what to say exactly. “Kill is a major distributor for Delaware shorty, and he can have someone killed with the snap of his fingers. Right now, he's kind of drumming up a war between his crew and me and mine. I'm begging you to talk to him, or I may end up dead.”
“What? Kill wouldn't do anything like tha—”
“Jersey, you don't know the half of what your child's father is capable of. Do you know he just stabbed some guy up at Delaware Tech? Killed him in broad daylight, shorty, and came home to sleep next to you like nothing happened. Your man is unhinged, shorty, and I need you to help me out. I'm your brother.”
I began to breathe harder than before as I processed everything Portland was saying. I knew Kill was doing something with drugs, but Portland was painting him to be some sort of murderous kingpin. He killed only when someone was threatening him or his family, like with Trixie. He didn’t go around just shanking people. That wasn't Kill, he wasn't that type, and I would prove it. The stabbing at Delaware Tech was brutal and didn't connect to Kill at all. So if he did do it, he was cleverer and sneakier than I thought.
“I'm sure you're over exaggerating, Portland, but I will talk to him about you and see how he feels. If he’s as big as you say he is, you shouldn't be a problem to him. You're not doing anything to provoke him, are you?”
“Hell no, ma, I was trying to work for the kid but he refused because of his brother and cousin. I tried to explain that I didn't care about his cousin dating Ivy, but they didn't believe me.”
“That's not true though, Portland, you do care.”
“I know, but I was saying anything to get down. The point here though, is that I'm scared for my life, and I need you to calm your boy down. He's not right in the head, Jersey. Just think, what kind of nigga would stab someone in the middle of the afternoon? What kind of man gets shot in the middle of a busy area? He's not what you think. He's way more vicious baby, and I need you to be careful. You piss a nigga like him off, and it won't matter that you're his baby mama and fiancée, he'll off your head in no time.”
I swallowed hard, but then forced a smile on my face.
“Like I said, Kill is not what you think, but I will talk to him.”
***
I'd finished having lunch with my brother, and had yet to stop thinking about what he’d told me about Kill. I knew Kill; he was my man, my baby daddy, and the guy that I loved. He would never do the shit that Portland said he would, and he would never start a war with my brother without my knowledge. I knew he didn’t care for him, but that was where it stopped. Kill didn’t seem to dislike my brother enough to murder him.
I entered the den to see Kill typing
“Women change when they fall in love.”
“They do, but you change for the better when it's the right man. I'm sure you would know nothing about that with the way that you’ve dragged Ivy through the mud.” I sipped my water.
“Funny.”
“Who is the girl having your baby, Portland?” He looked at me surprised, and then exhaled heavily. “Yeah, I knew, I was just waiting for you to tell me which you obviously hadn't planned to do.”
“Don't worry, Jersey, it's not the same girl Kill got pregnant.” He wore a smug expression before sipping his water. After looking into his eyes for a bit, I stood up to leave. He rose with me, and then grabbed my arm lightly. “Jersey, I'm sorry. Look, sit down so I can talk to you. I didn't come here to fight; I actually came here to talk about making peace, baby girl.”
I snatched my arm and sat back down.
“What the hell are you talking about making peace? It's not that deep between you and me, Portland. You're making it sound like some fucking war or something.”
“Look Jersey, you know who your man is, right?” He leaned in.
“No shit, Sherlock.”
“No, do you really know?” He stared into my eyes, but I stayed silent, not sure what to say exactly. “Kill is a major distributor for Delaware shorty, and he can have someone killed with the snap of his fingers. Right now, he's kind of drumming up a war between his crew and me and mine. I'm begging you to talk to him, or I may end up dead.”
“What? Kill wouldn't do anything like tha—”
“Jersey, you don't know the half of what your child's father is capable of. Do you know he just stabbed some guy up at Delaware Tech? Killed him in broad daylight, shorty, and came home to sleep next to you like nothing happened. Your man is unhinged, shorty, and I need you to help me out. I'm your brother.”
I began to breathe harder than before as I processed everything Portland was saying. I knew Kill was doing something with drugs, but Portland was painting him to be some sort of murderous kingpin. He killed only when someone was threatening him or his family, like with Trixie. He didn’t go around just shanking people. That wasn't Kill, he wasn't that type, and I would prove it. The stabbing at Delaware Tech was brutal and didn't connect to Kill at all. So if he did do it, he was cleverer and sneakier than I thought.
“I'm sure you're over exaggerating, Portland, but I will talk to him about you and see how he feels. If he’s as big as you say he is, you shouldn't be a problem to him. You're not doing anything to provoke him, are you?”
“Hell no, ma, I was trying to work for the kid but he refused because of his brother and cousin. I tried to explain that I didn't care about his cousin dating Ivy, but they didn't believe me.”
“That's not true though, Portland, you do care.”
“I know, but I was saying anything to get down. The point here though, is that I'm scared for my life, and I need you to calm your boy down. He's not right in the head, Jersey. Just think, what kind of nigga would stab someone in the middle of the afternoon? What kind of man gets shot in the middle of a busy area? He's not what you think. He's way more vicious baby, and I need you to be careful. You piss a nigga like him off, and it won't matter that you're his baby mama and fiancée, he'll off your head in no time.”
I swallowed hard, but then forced a smile on my face.
“Like I said, Kill is not what you think, but I will talk to him.”
***
I'd finished having lunch with my brother, and had yet to stop thinking about what he’d told me about Kill. I knew Kill; he was my man, my baby daddy, and the guy that I loved. He would never do the shit that Portland said he would, and he would never start a war with my brother without my knowledge. I knew he didn’t care for him, but that was where it stopped. Kill didn’t seem to dislike my brother enough to murder him.
I entered the den to see Kill typing
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