Chapter 22

Since he ignored all of my phone calls, I'm relieved when I find Simon in his bedroom. His door is open but I knock twice anyway to get his attention. His hands are deep in the sea of stolen items hidden away in his closet. Although it's pretty obvious that his stash has gotten significantly smaller than the first time I stumbled in on him. He peers over his shoulder at me but doesn't rush to close the closet door. He continues poking around on the top shelf until he finds what he's looking for. When he turns around I see a crumpled up Coach duffle in his hands.

"You spending the night somewhere?" I ask.

Si doesn't respond as he walks past me to sit at his computer desk. I watch him curiously as he starts to unfold the brown bag with C's printed all over the sides. He takes his time smoothing out all of the wrinkles before reaching into the desk drawer to reveal white wrapping paper. Carefully, he begins to roll the bag in the paper until it looks like the bag came from a store and not a closet.

Then it hits me.

"Si, are you boosting this shit?!" I ask.

"If that's what it looks like," He mutters.

Trying to wrap the bag as neatly as possible is taking up all his focus. I move from the door to the side of his desk in hopes of breaking his concentration. I fold my arms over my chest and lean in is face as close as I can get with the desk in my way.

"What the fuck, Simon?" I ask.

He gives up on the task at hand since I'm in his way. He leans back into the computer chair, finally looking me in the face. His curly hair is barely held together by the elastic band keeping it in the ponytail at the back of his head. His eyebrows are bushy and pushed up to his forehead. His eyes are wide and filled with annoyance. His hands dramatically fall to his lap as he let's out a deep sigh.

"What, Candyce?" He asks.

"What you mean 'what'? I asked if you was boosting this shit," I say.

"And I answered you."

"Who's the bag for?" I ask.

"A girl."

"What girl?"

"Candyce, I'm humoring you now but I don't have to answer to you, no," He says.

He scoots his chair back into position at the desk and I push it right back.

"Help me understand something. Are you a booster or a hustler now?" I ask.

Simon shrugs his shoulders, "Sound like the same thing to me."

I roll my eyes, "You know what the fuck I mean. All that weed you came in here with a few weeks ago. You selling that shit?"

"You questioned Ace like this?" Simon asks.

"Ace ain't get arrested last night!" I say.

"Not yet at least," Simon says.

I have to take a deep breath before I forget that he's my brother too. The amount of anger coursing through my body right now is unsafe for the both of us. I can't believe he's sitting up here trying to downplay the shit he's in. If it's not one thing with him, it's another. He wanna' steal shit for no reason then he wanna boost the shit back and sell drugs on the side? I won't even attempt to understand his logic. The arrest, his attitude, none of it's making sense.

"Why you steal the shit if you only gonna sell it back? I know that's not the real reason you take it cause you just started doing this shit. Like you just started doing a lot of dumb shit," I say.

Simon smacks his teeth.

I barely hear him say "I don't have to listen to this shit," before he pushed himself out of the chair. I hurry to close the door before he could leave.

"Get out my way, Candy," He says.

I stand my ground 'cause if there's one thing I know, it's that Simon won't put his hands on me. Ace and I used to slug it out when we were younger but Simon never resorted to violence. If anything, he would leave the room just like he's trying to do now. I know that he's changed but there's two things Simon hates: confrontation and showing his emotions. That's why it's so hard for me to understand him smashing cop cars in front of the police station. Has his temper really flared up that much and I've been too caught up in my own shit to notice?

"Candyce," He warns.

"Caesar said you shouldn't leave the house until he figures out a way to help you," I say.

His face scrunches up, "What I look like taking orders from Caesar?"

"Like somebody whose grateful he did you a favor."

"He didn't though. I told him I'ma pay him back."

"You got 12 thousand just laying around?" I ask.

He flicks his eyes to the holy sanctum of kleptomania. It's brief but I notice it. I turn my attention to his closet too and that's when another realization dawns on me.

"You really think you could sell enough shit to pay him back for bailing you out?" I ask.

Simon shrugs again. His jaw locks as he stares down at me.

"I sold enough to buy the weed didn't I?" He asks.

So that's how he was able to afford the lbs of weed.

I steal another glance at his closet. It's nowhere near the hook-up he had when he bought the weed. There are only two or three more trash bags in there full of things he could sell and if it's the last things to go then that probably means they aren't worth much.

"I don't think you'll make enough boosting to pay him back," I declare.

Simon chuckles, "Who said I was gonna go straight from boosting to filling Caesar's pockets? This is just an investment. Once all this shit is gone, I'm gonna buy more from my plug. As long as I get that off then I should be able to flip it until I pay that nigga back in full. That way he ain't going around acting like he doing me favors and shit with Ace's money."

Ace's money? The fuck is that supposed to mean?

That's the second time he's taken a shot at Ace unprovoked. I shake my head, not bothering to touch that sore spot. Somehow I know bringing up Ace will only divert us from the situation at hand and I wanna figure out all I can before he's realized that he's said too much.

"Simon, four months ago you was playing Fortnite and now you think you ready to tote guns for real? Okay so you got off one pack, but you think it's always gon be that easy?" I ask.

Once again, he let's his shoulders do the talking for him. I can sense him shutting down. I decide to reel him in before he gets away from me completely.

"Who's your plug?" I ask.

He deadpans me. His expression silently asking me, "You really thought I was gonna tell you that?" He shakes his head before reaching around me to open the door. I press my body against it to close it again.

Even if he's done providing answers, I can't let him leave without telling him the dangers of the life he's trying to live. He may not be in Ace's world per say, but money, drugs and violence go hand in hand. I'd rather risk it all telling him what I've been through so far, than have him go out there headfirst and experience it himself.

"Simon, I need to tell you something."

"How long these niggas gon' be, man?" I ask.

"How I'm posed to know, nigga? I'm in the car with you," Cam says.

I mug the shit out of him from the driver's seat. If we wasn't in my car right now I'd slam his head into the window for playing with me. He lucky I ain't in the mood to be cleaning blood off my windows all afternoon.

I don't bother asking his pussy ass about the time again. Bad enough I'm spending a good portion of my day chilling in the car with him. But he kept saying lil slick shit out the side of his mouth like I won't gun-butt the fuck out his ass.

I never had a problem with the nigga but that's usually how one-sided beef work. All I can trace it back to is jealousy. I think he mad that Ace handed me the keys to the castle and left his ass outside to continue playing jester. He better take that shit up with Ace though. My patience running thin with him.

Tires crunch onto the gravel behind us. I check my review mirror and sure enough, a black Charger pulls in the parking space beside us.

Two white guys get out the car. One has on a blue Polo with khaki pants. The other one dressed more or less the same but he got grey hair. I'm guessing he's the one we came to meet since he's older and probably got more connections.

Cam reaches for the door handle. I reach behind me to get the black duffle bag filled to the brim with cash. It's about $10,000 in there to get Simon off with a slap on the wrist. By slap on the wrist, I mean only a warning to get his anger under control.

I toss the duffle onto Cam's lap. He looks up at me with a confused look on his face.

"What you waiting for? Go give them niggas the money so we can get the fuck outta here," I say.

He gets out the car. I watch their exchange out the side-mirror. Cam handles everything with ease. He talks smoothly as he double-checks the basis of the agreement. They better agree not to give Simon any court fines, jail time or bullshit ass community service. This money better come with a clean slate. Hopefully they understand that before Cam hands the bag over.

I turn my attention out to the water ahead of me. We're on the lake which is usually a hot-spot for people when the weather was acting right. Luckily, the cold weather started picking up recently so there's nobody here to witness the extortion by NOPD's finest.

I wish all law enforcement was so easily bought. I'd give up my last dollar to get Felicity off my back. She been hitting my track phone daily trying to meet. She starting to get aggressive with her threats but I ain't budging. I already knew what type of time it was with her that's why I put Keyana and Amir on a flight to Colorado weeks ago. Felicity can't find me and with Keyana gone, none of her lil' threats is enough to drive me out the woodworks. She got no other choice but to wait until I'm ready to meet again.

Cam and the officers finally start to wrap shit up. Cam's on his way back to the car when my phone starts buzzing in the cup holder. Reese's name glows on the screen.

"What's good witcha?" I greet.

"None much, fam. You got time to slide through the kitchen?" Reese asks.

"Why, wassup?" I ask.

"I wanna kick sum'n to you real quick. Shit been bugging me all day," He says.

"Something I gotta be worried about?" I ask.

Cam gets in and closes the door behind him. He starts to say something but I raise my hand so he doesn't interrupt.

"Yo, who that?" Reese asks.

"Nobody. What you was saying, bruh?" I ask.

"Candyce with you?" He asks.

As long as I've known Reese, he ain't never been one to simp. I can't do nothing but laugh. I hope Candyce ain't the reason he want me to slide all of sudden.

"Nah. I just left her house. I'ma see you ina minute, bruh," I say before hanging up.

The streets is done.

I drop my phone back in the cup holder. Cam looks like he wants to ask about the call but the mug on my face makes him reconsider.

I back out of the parking spot, turning the dial on the radio so Cam won't feel the need to talk. I'm irritated as is so if he say the wrong thing I might make good on my promise to split his head open. I'm out 20k and it ain't even sunset yet. Now here come Reese questioning me like I'm Candyce's side chick. I don't know when these niggas got so comfortable disrespecting me but I'd hate to remind them of who I am.

I don't know what Candyce is doing to this nigga's head but I wish he pull his head out ha ass. If he gotta problem with me being around her then he need to take it up with wifey. At the end of the day, I ain't his bitch and he ain't gon treat me like one. So he better tread lightly when I see him.

Reese's picture appears on my screen for the third time in the past ten minutes. I decline it once again. Even if I wasn't in the middle of a conversation, I still wouldn't answer. Hanging up in my face today? He should be grateful he isn't blocked.

"I can't believe you had to deal with all that shit on your own," Simon says.

I look up from my phone. His face has hardened and he's clearly pissed.

"I wasn't really alone. I had Caesar and Ace," I say.

Simon shakes his head, "You mean the same niggas that put you in that shit?"

"And the same niggas who got me out of it," I say.

Simon smacks his teeth again. He's been quietly listening for the most part. On the rare occasion that he does adds his two cents, I find it difficult not to paint the picture in Ace's favor. At the end of the day, I understand Ace enough to know why he made the decisions that led us here. On the other hand, Simon's on the outside looking in so it's easy for him to blame Ace for putting me in harm's way. It's as simple as adding fuel to the fire that's been burning in him since Jonah died and Ace left.

Now isn't the time to meddle in their relationship, though. Simon's beef with Ace can only be fixed by Ace himself. Since he isn't here to defend himself, I'll withhold from talking on his behalf. It doesn't matter if he understands Ace if he's able to see eye-to-eye with me. The whole reason for telling him was to nip his habit of getting into trouble before it backfires on all of us.

"When Ace left, it's not like the Feds went with him. They're still watching us closely so we gotta play it smart if we don't wanna end up ona run too," I clarify.

Simon nods his head.

Since he's listening, I decide to push it a little further.

"You should also stop selling now that you're on the police's radar," I say.

"Then how I'ma pay Caesar back if I can't sell?" Simon asks.

My brain hurries to find an answer while his earways are still open.

"I can pay him back for you," I say.

Caesar never once clarified if he expected Simon to pay him back or not. But if Simon already laid the option on the table, I don't see Caesar denying it. After all, $12,000 is a lot of money.

I'm not sure I can pay all of that back but I can deal with Caesar. I don't want Simon on the corner doing something I can do from the safety of a luxurious Loft. I'm more dedicated now than ever to get the ball rolling with the business. If I'm all that's standing in the way of Simon's trouble, than I'll stand ten toes deep in this shit so he doesn't have to.

But of course, Simon got other plans.

"Hell nah," He says.

"Simon I have more experience than you."

"You just said last night was your first time dealing and look how that turned out. No, Candy. I can do this by myself," Simon says.

It's not that I don't have faith in him. But why would I let him risk his freedom and safety when I'm more established than whatever low-level weed plug he dealing with?

"Simon, I'm set up to win. I'm running my operation alongside Ace's and Caesar's teaching me the game. I got better product and I'm not green to the game. Let me do this for you," I say.

Simon's quiet as he weighs the pros and cons of my offer. For once, I stop talking hoping he'll accept so he'll be one less thing I have to worry about. Seconds stretch into minutes before he delivers the verdict.

"I gotta better idea," He says.

This should be good.

"Let me work for you," He says.

A groan escapes the deepest part of my belly. I thought twins were supposed to have some sort of psychological prowess over each other. Simon may look like me but he's nothing like me.

"Now why the fuck would I do that?" I ask.

"I'll pay Caesar back whether you help me or not. If I gotta boost some shit or stand on corners then that's what I'ma do. I don't want him or nobody else thinking they can hold something over my head 'cause they looked out for me once. If I work for you, I can make it back faster. The faster I pay him back is the faster I leave the drug game," Simon says.

As much as I hate to admit it, he does have a point. Pushing weed is gonna' take him forever to pay Caesar back. If he would work for me then I could keep an eye on him at least. The only drawback would be that my current plan of operations doesn't suit him. Caesar and I focused my business around female workers which opened doors for nightclubs and strip clubs. The only way to pencil Simon in would be to start an entire seperate plan of action. My business is just barely off the ground though. Am I ready for not one, but two expansions so soon?

"I'm gonna do this with or without you, Candyce," Simon says.

Well, I guess that answers my question. It appears that Caesar and I have a lot of planning to do.

The line outside of the Algiers trap is exactly what I need to see to brighten my mood. Feens is lining up like we the hood's candy lady selling frozen cups for the low. I park my car and get out. Immediately, the dopeheads rush over to my car trying to clean the windows with their shirts. I run 'em off 'cause I ain't paying nobody for a job I ain't ask to get done. Then they dirty ass shirts only smearing the windows.

I climb the steps to the trap. Meech is on the porch in a black fold-up chair that's seen the last of its days. The cushion ripping the black fabric causing holes everywhere. His heavy ass ain't making it no better either. I dap off him and Hassan who sitting in a chair across from him. I make it quick so as not to interrupt their card game. I check to make sure both of them have their guns close by before walking off. It don't matter what them niggas do to kill time as long as they strapped and ready in case something happens.