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Gabriel Santos in the mm

Reggie POV

I was pissed. He wasn't supposed to find out like this. Now we were in the room, sitting on the bed in a awkward silence. The worst part was I had to go soon but I didn't want to leave him, not in this state. Speaking of, I also had to tell him I was leaving soon. Shit was just not working out man. I groaned lowly and wiped a hand down my face.

"What's wrong with you?" He asks, crawling over to my side of the bed. His hand finds itself on my back, rubbing circles. I was tired, exhausted to be completely honest, but at the same time, I was glad to be with him, the stress was gone when we were together.

"I'm tired, and I got to stop doing what I'm doing before....before it's too late." I stress, looking up at him to see worry in his eyes as well. I knew the stuff I do put a burden on everyone's back but the pros outweighed the cons cause the truth was, being able to provide for my loved ones was priority one.

He sits back, removing his hand from my back and moving them to his lap, where he just played with them. "I have to tell you something." He whispers, almost unable to hear. I sat and waited for him to tell me what he has to say.

"I had a brother....he used to...."

Flashback.

Alonzo brother ^

"You sure?" I asked him one last time, to ensure he wanted to do this. Today was the day.

"Yea Lonny, I'm finally gon propose, but I need you to promise me something." Ali informs, staring at all his trophies and his basketball jersey. I nod and respond.

"Whatever you want I'll do it."

And I would, I loved my brother, he was everything I wanted to be. He was free, he did what he wanted, and made sure he was happy first. Something I haven't worked up the courage to do yet.

"Do something you want, do what makes you happy, don't fall victim and end up a robot, taking over dad's company just cause you have to."

"You're one to talk, you gave up basketba-"

"I sacrificed basketball, it wasn't making me happy, and when it was, dad just found a way to use it to his advantage."

I hadn't known about that, as far as I knew Ali loved basketball, he had so many scholarships before everything went wrong. Young and naive Alonzo, oblivious to the troubles ahead of him. I nodded my head, "I'll do it, I'll do what makes me happy but, but you have to stop."

He shook his head, still throwing things in his bag. "I can't do that Lonny, you know I can't. How about this, one last deal and then I'll stop." He offers, looking troubled.

This was dangerous, and a horrible idea. How could he continue the thing that cost him so much. They found drugs on him, all his scholarships disappeared, he was arrested and he couldn't even play for his team anymore. Yet he continues to work out in these streets. He didn't even have to, but he still did. A part of me knew it was to rebel against our dad. But he could have done much less rebellious or dangerous stuff. He had a child, why would he put himself in such a risky position?

"Ok Ali, but one more, and then you take Char, and Charlize out. You get married and you take care of your daughter." I agree, holding my hand to shake and he takes it.

"Deal."

*End Flashback*

"Wait so Char is..."

"My niece." He whispers lowly. "But she doesn't know, nobody does."

I sit back and digest everything Zo just told me. His brother was in the game. He use to sell drugs. But if Char was under the care of her parents that mean he never got out and they had to take care of his daughter.

I look at the clock on the nightstand and see it's getting closer and closer to when I have to leave. I pull Zo into my arms as he sniffles and wipes his tears.

"You have to go, don't you?" He asks, looking up at me with red eyes.

I sigh before nodding, "How you know?"

"You keep looking at the clock like you got someplace to be. I wanna go with you."

I sit up and push him off me, a little rougher than I planned.

"Hell no, don't ask no dumb shit like that." I say, angry now. Why would he think I'm gon let him go out in the streets?

"I can help, just once. Please." He begs, he looks at me like he needed to go. Maybe he needs to see about the lifestyle to know truly, how it is.

"One time, get dressed, but not all fancy." I demand and get up before lifting myself off the bad and grabbing my shoes.

He comes out, not completely over dressed but still looking good and I hand him the keys so he can go ahead while I make sure I got everything.

"I'm gon regret this." I whisper before locking the door and walking to the car.

---

We arrive on the corner and I see white boy Gabriel waiting, looking around nervously. I shake my head at the sight, he not cut out for this.

I day him up when I see him and introduce him to Zo.

"You new too?" He asks and I answer for him.

"He just watching, this is one time thing." I inform and he looks confused.

"Do Ty-"

"Don't worry bout that, now go sell to that customer." I nod in there direction and he walks over.

"How much money you make doing this?"

I think about it for some time. I have to give half to Ty and the amount I usually make is around $1000.

"I get around 500 a day." I inform and look out for people probably wanting to buy.

"Ayee Reg where you been?!" One of my usual customers ask before shaking my hand and we do our little handshake.

"I just been chilling. How much you need?" I ask him reaching in my pocket and waiting for his answers.

"I need like five dime bags." He says reaching in his pocket at the same time.

We shake hands once again and mid hand shake, we exchange. The weed bags into his hand and the money into mines before he walks off. I feel a nudge from my side and look over.

"How much you got?" He asks excitedly. The smile on his face is bright as ever, like he's happy.

I hand him the money and he counts it before smiling and pitting it in his pocket.

"I wanna try." He whispers, looking around and getting closer to my ear.

"No, you just count the money." I say and nod at passing people.

A black Escalade with tinted windows pulls up and I walk over slowly. They let down the window. "What all you got?" The man in the passenger side asks.

"I got whatever you need." I respond, hands still in my pockets moving the weed around. He rubs his chin hair as if he's thinking before answering.

"I need two bricks."

"Of?"

"It don't matter, and have him bring it over." He says, pointing and my eyes follow. He was pointing at Zo, who was looking in our direction also.

"Why he gotta bring it, I don't even know ol dude." I try, hoping he changes his mind but by the was he smirks and laughs I know he serious about this.

"Make it happen." Is all he says before rolling up his window and I sigh before walking over to Zo silently praying.

"What's that about?" He ask nodding over to the car on the curb. I go in the bag I brought along and pull out two bricks before handing them to Zo who looks up at me confused.

"I want you to walk over, hand him the weed, get the money and walk away." I inform, hands on his shoulder trying to stress not to be by the car for too long. He nods and starts walking over before I stop him one last time. "Put two hands behind your back if everything go alright." I say once and wink before sending him off. I was nervous, if it wasn't obvious. He wasn't supposed to he doing this, he was just supposed to watch, not end up actually selling drugs. I watch him intently and get distracted when Gabriel comes back over.

"I thought he was just watch-"

"He was supposed to be. Customer demanded he bring it over." I mutter, biting my nails as I wait for the signal. Then he finally puts two fingers up and I release a breath I didn't even know I was holding. He walks, more so skips over and shows me the stack of cash he got with a big smile.

"This is kind of easy." He says, cheering himself.

"Yea but easy money is not good money.

*Flashback*

Alonzo POV

I shouldn't have made the deal. I knew it deep in my gut, and now the guilt was taking over as I sat in the hospital waiting room. One last time, that was all he had to do, and then he was done. But it was that one time that cost him everything. I didn't know much, but I knew there had been an accident, one involving Ali, his girlfriend Charlize and his daughter Char and they all ended up here, in St. Joseph Hospital.

My mom was pacing the waiting room, while my dad was sitting in the corner, anger present on his face.

Eventually a doctor came out, grief written all over his face. "Parents of Charlize Barron?" The doctor asks and we still stand up and crowd around him to hear the news.

"I'm her mother, is she okay? Can I come see her?" Mrs. Barron bombarded the doctor with questions.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to inform you, she didn't make it, the trauma taken to her brain was far too severe." He informs and my hand covers my mouth, this can't be happening, she was just a bystander in all this, what about her daughter? What about my brother?

"What about my son and granddaughter?" My mom asks, voicing my thoughts.

"Your granddaughter, Char, has suffered significant damage but is in stable condition." He says and a sigh of relief releases through all of us.

"But we do worry that some damage has occurred to her hearing that we have to check out." He informs after a pause and worry settles in but at least she's ok for now. Our last focus was on Ali.

"And for your son, Ali, well he passed at the scene, we tried to bring him back but unfortunately, we were to late." He mutters. "A nurse will come and take you to see your granddaughter." He says and walks away, my mother's cries are heard throughout the room but I'm numb at this point. Unable to get past the fact that my brother, was dead. I looked at the photo I had save of Char and Ali and had only one thought.

He didn't hold up his end of the deal, so I wouldn't.

*End Flashback*

"Hey Reggie." A girl with a short dress and a face full of too much makeup greets. I look at her from the side and watch the annoyed look on his face.

She gets close and touches all over him and I smirk as he gently pushes her back off him. "Keke, fall back or go somewhere."

"You don't wanna hit this?" She asks and he makes sure she gets the answer is a no.

"Fine, I'll go make me some more easy money." She says and walks away from the corner.

It was only then when I realized what he meant, easy money wasn't good money.

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