The quiet, slow-thinking one should always be the one niggas watched. While Buck knocked off Pedro and Logan, Sparky knocked him off. Ole Buck would have been a nice addition to our crew, but if a bitch turned on his own cousin, we couldn’t trust he wouldn’t turn on us.

Learning the Colombians had a bounty on Pedro’s head, we delivered Pedro’s foul ass to them. We didn’t want shit, but got offered something even better. We now flooded the streets on an international level, from Guatemala all the way to Ecuador. Even though Banger stepped down, his name still had crazy clout.

We flew only to handle transactions face to face, but every time we showed up, there was a party. They would have women on top of women lined up, ready to give us pussy, threesomes and all. I hit a few, strapped up of course, but deep down inside, I knew I wanted something money couldn’t buy.

I wanted Iris. After all of those wasted years, I then knew what love felt like or at least I thought I did. We were taking things slow but had been kicking it for three months now. The kids still asked about Sierra, but Iris being around made things easier.

Block loved his sister, and it took some time for him to accept the role she played in trying to set Banger up. Deep down, like me, I think he felt he failed her, oftentimes giving in to her when he really should have made her step up and get her shit together.

We didn’t talk much about her, but every time Pesa smiled, I saw Sierra all over again. She and Paco were the best parts of Sierra, making me grounded and more focused. Whenever I traveled on business, they stayed with Iris. She naturally stepped up, handling four children with ease.

That weekend, we were headed to Daytona Beach just to get away. I had been gone for a week, knowing I owed her and the kids some downtime.

As soon as I pulled up to Iris’s spot, Isabella and LJ hit the front door hard, running to my truck. Just as eager to have fun, I heard Paco and Pesa laughing and making noise as they got ready to play.

“Y’all better come in here and turn off your TVs, and get your stuff! Ain’t nobody pulling y’all suitcases out of here!” she yelled, as they ignored her opening the back door.

“Mister Gabriel!” Isabella sang, wagging her tongue at me while Pesa hugged her tightly around the neck. “We been good. Huh, LJ?” she yelled, all out of breath.

“Yup,” he managed to get out while he and Paco began to wrestle.

“That’s what’s up,” I said, smiling at all of them. “Paco and LJ, get on the third row and buckle up. Pesa and Bella, have a seat where you are,” I said, getting out to go and get their suitcases.

“Gabriel, don’t do that. You spoil them,” she whined with her lip poked out.

“So, I spoil you, too,” I said lowly, reaching down and picking her up. I swung her around, causing her to laugh uncontrollably. She felt good as fuck, her thighs and butt cheeks so soft in the palm of both of my hands. “What I told you about this?” I asked her, putting her down.

“What?” she said, holding on to me. I knew she was a little dizzy, but just hearing her laugh and smile made my day. She wasn’t into cars, a bunch of clothes or fancy shit. She just wanted to be able to take care of her kids, making me want to do whatever I could to make that happen.

I stared down at her denim shorts, hugging her slim-thick frame. She had on a bright peach tank top, complementing her rich, chocolate skin. Her braids, pulled up to the top of her head, made her look like a Nubian Queen. Iris was a baddie, making the simplest shit look good.

“C’mere,” I said, pulling her into the house. “You gone finally give me some pussy?”

“Boy! You brought me in here to ask me that?” she squawked, popping my arm. “Gabriel, come on now,” she said, pursing her lips.

“A’ight,” I said, walking to the back to get the kids’ stuff. I told y’all I wasn’t fucking on nothing, but since sex was a big part of me and Sierra’s relationship, I was okay with waiting. It still didn’t mean it was easy though.

With a woman like Iris holding you down, you wanted to have it all with her. I had hoped by that weekend we could talk and figure out what was up with us. She tried to lie, pretending Logan’s death didn’t mean shit to her, but she’s human and after all, he was the father to her children.

I figured she still needed some time, but how much more made me wonder if she was playing games. I mean I knew she was interested, but our kids were damn near like brothers and sisters. I was tired of going to sleep and waking up with a damn boner.

She followed me in the room, trying to pick an argument, I guess. That was Iris. Whenever she didn’t want to talk about something serious, she switched it up fast, choosing to fuss mostly about nothing. I knew she didn’t trust the male population, but I wasn’t just any man. I was motherfucking Gank. I could be a pussy hound, but I wasn’t. If Block could give it up, I definitely could and did.

“Hey,” she said, walking around and standing in front of me. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s cool. This everything?” I asked, grabbing a Black Panther and Cat Woman suitcase.

“I don’t know. Is it?” she asked, raising that one eyebrow she loved to cock.

I wasn’t about to fuck up my weekend with the kids messing around with Iris. She knew she was me, but I couldn’t make her feel it if my actions didn’t already tell it.

“We straight, girl. Let’s hit it. I need to holla at Sparky before we head out. I forgot to tell him something.”

I just said that to fuck with her, giving me a reason to be on my cell. I hated being around her and the energy was fucked up, but I couldn’t help my dick was ready to stick something. Still, if I only wanted the pussy, I would have been fucked around. I didn’t if it wasn’t hers, so I chilled.

“Oh, I forgot something too,” she said, standing on her tippy toes as she grabbed me around the neck. She kissed me, forcing me to put both suitcases down. She wasn’t playing fair either, tongue fucking my face as she hungrily sucked and pulled on my tongue and bottom lip.

My hands traveled down her back, resting on the top of her ass. I felt her stiffen just a little, making me pull back some. She was fucking with me, but I knew it was just a test. I was ready to fuck something, but if she was going to be around in my kids’ life, she had to be more than sex. Damn, I wish I could be a fuck boy and not care, but I did. I just had to start looking at shit differently.

Wearing basketball shorts didn’t help much. My dick battled with the fabric that rested against her stomach. She was short as shit, but I knew she felt it.

“Stop,” I said, in between kisses. “We gotta go, girl.” She pulled back, landing flat on her feet, her eyes misting up. “Damn, what’s wrong, baby?” I gripped her chin, lightly squeezing it.

“I think I love you. I mean really love you, Gabriel,” she said, dropping her eyes before she looked up at me. I smiled, feeling all good inside. Just that fast I had forgotten I was lowkey upset with her.

“Shid, ain’t no thinking over here. I know I love you. You make me want to do better and be better, for real. So, why you holding out on me and I just don’t mean the pussy.”

“Well, what if I told you that I’m scared?”

“Of me?” I asked, pointing at myself.

“Of love. It hurts so much sometimes,” she whispered, her voice shaking. She wiped a tear away and sighed.

“That’s all it does? Hurts you? So, I hurt you?”

“Oh no, of course not! Why would you ask me that?” she quizzed me with confusion on her face.

“If you equate love with pain but just told me you love me, then that means I’m fucking up, and honestly, I’ve been working like hell to impress you.”

“Impress me? But why?”

“Because, you make life easier for me without even trying. My bad ass kids love you and their asses don’t like nobody,” I replied, laughing but really telling the truth. They had come a long way, I still had to put my foot in their asses here or there.

“Those angels are so precious,” she said, poking her lips out. “How could you say that?”

“Go outside and I bet you they’re into some shit. We’ve been in here, what, five minutes? Fuck that, Paco only needs two, maybe three minutes tops to get into some shit and Pesa would be the one to egg him on.”

“Don’t be telling tales on my babies. Come on and grab the kids’ stuff while I get mine.”

After locking the door, we turned only to see the truck empty, but it was still running. “Oh shit!” she screamed, taking off to see where they all went. By the time she opened the door, I watched all four of their bad asses run around the back of the truck, scaring her.

“Booooo! Here we go!” LJ screamed, followed by Pesa and Isabella laughing and cheering as Iris held her chest.

“See, I told y’all she ain’t living right,” Paco said, standing there with his arms crossed. “Dad, you gone have to watch her. I’m just saying,” he said, walking around all of them as he hopped in the truck.

I couldn’t do nothing but laugh, Iris stood there with her mouth wide open. She didn’t know if she should beat them or fall in love and laugh. Well, my ass did. I wasn’t going to laugh too hard, though. I paid for a private beach, twenty miles each way with no one but us.

I may not have gotten the pussy, but it didn’t matter. My girl just told me she loved me, and my kids were happy. There were times I looked up at the sky thanking God my life wasn’t perfect because perfect meant I had nothing to look forward to. So instead, I thanked him for second chances to try to get to perfect as much as I could.

Once we all got the kids settled in, we pulled off onto the street that led to the main highway, Iris slipping her hand in mine, squeezing it. I kissed it a few times, before she said, “And to answer your first question, tonight will definitely be the night.”

She ain’t have to say shit else, my man’s hearing it right from the horse’s mouth. I didn’t want no sympathy pussy, but something told me she was going to give me that anyway before I asked. How did I know? I told you I had eyes everywhere. One little birdie told me not only was she giving me pussy that night, but she had a pole sent to our hotel room.

Shit, I didn’’t want no pole dancer, but I was ready for my dick to do some dancing. Fuck that pole. She’d better be ready.

.