It only took him a few minutes to enter his mother's building and make his way to her tiny third-floor apartment. They had lived there for as far back as he could remember, but Ginette was funny like that. Even when Miego was bringing in more cash than anyone could really account for, she still refused to move. She said it wasn't worth the headache to always have people watching and talking. She refused to be somewhere she wasn't wanted.
“Hey, Ma, you looking for me?”
“Just wondering where you were is all.” His mother looked Miego in his eyes after he kissed her on the cheek and positioned himself on the arm of the floral printed armchair that she sat in.
“Your brother has a game tonight. You going?”
“I already told you I was going, Ginette,” Miego said playfully, calling his mother by her name, which she ignored.
Ginette was more focused on keeping tabs on her oldest son. She couldn't stomach the stress of him being locked up again.
“Good, you don’t need to be sitting around here doing nothing. You need to get out, do something with yourself, baby.”
Miego chuckled. Something like what, go serve the block that got him locked up in the first place? That was basically all he knew.
“I hear you, Ma. Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.” There was no point in him telling her his real plans, which were to hook up with some old connections and find a way to make a lot of money real fast so he could find something legitimate to do.
“I know you will, baby. Trust me, I know you will.” Ginette patted her son’s arm and offered up a reassuring smile.
“I’m heading out for a few, but I’ll be back in time for Tron’s game. You need anything?”
“Where you going, Miego?” Ginette looked up at her son, knowing that him leaving meant the potential to get caught up in something. She stood and placed her hands on her hips.
“Not far, I’m about to go check Kia out for a minute.”
Ginette frowned at her son when he mentioned Kia. He laughed a little under his breath as his mother turned and headed toward her bedroom. The idea of him being anywhere near Kia, since she was with him the night he got knocked, pissed her off.
“You need to stop messing with that trifling ass hoe. She ain't shit, and she damn sure ain't no good for you. She spent all your money while you were locked up, and then started fucking around with all your people.” Yanna rolled her eyes from where she was sitting on the sofa.
“Chill, Yanna, mind your damn business.”
Miego cut his eyes at his sister and her expression was serious as fuck, which made him laugh. He wasn’t about to argue with her about Kia, so he just let it go. He knew Kia wasn't about anything, and aside from sex, she didn't have shit to offer him.
“You know she ain't shit, but it’s cool, though. When she gets your ass caught up, don’t say a damn thing, i’ight.”
Yanna didn’t even bother to look in his direction again. She just lifted the remote off the sofa next to her and began flipping through the channels.
“Trust me, I ain't fucking with her like that. I just want a quick nut.”
Yanna looked up at her brother and scrunched up her face. “That hoe is nasty, and you're nasty for fucking with her. You gon’ catch something, and you shouldn't trust her hoe ass. I still don't get how she walked away from that shit and you didn't. Hell, you never know, she might be the reason why your ass got knocked in the first place.”
Miego looked at the strained expression on his sister’s face. The way she laid all that out, he knew that it had been on her mind for a minute. He’d thought the same thing a few times, and the idea was still in the back of his mind, but there was a part of him that just couldn't believe that Kia would do something so foul. He’d paid all her bills and made sure she was good. She didn't have shit after he went to jail, so it wasn't like she had another come up waiting in the background. It just didn't make sense. Either way, he didn't really trust her either, but he didn't feel that she was the reason behind everything that had gone down.
“Just be careful. I know you got history and everything, but these hoes ain't loyal, and I don't want to have to fuck her up. You know I will. Shit, cancel that, I do want to fuck her up.” A devious grin formed on Yanna’s face.
“Man, gon’ with that shit. You just wanna lay hands on her. I’m not fucking with you like that.” Miego mushed his sister in the head and she punched him in the shoulder.
“Yeah, I do, so what? For real, though, be careful. What’s your plan, anyway?” She looked over her shoulder to make sure her mom hadn't popped up on them. “You back yet?”