All the King's Men ( An Urban Love Story )

♟️Get this money♟️

Desmond was up before the sun. Looking over, he admired Jaden's round face sleeping peacefully next to him. He licked his full lips as his eyes trailed down her naked body that was wrapped up in his dark gray sheets after their night of coupling.

I could definitely get used to this, he thought as he forced himself from the bed. He took a quick shower to wake himself up so he could get his day started.

Long gone were the days of being a corner boy. On the block for days, no sleep or showers.

Desmond studied himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth, relishing the fact that his appearance didn't tell his story, like most of the niggas before him. Despite being in the streets since his teenage years, he'd never physically been harmed. He hadn't even broken a bone.

Going inside his massive closet, Desmond sat down on a chair with the towel draped around his waist. Considering what he needed to take care of today, he settled on a black Polo Ralph Lauren sweatsuit and some white low-top Air Force ones. He had to make a few stops and was trying to return home as soon as he could to spend some time with Jaden before she had to go home.

Before leaving, he plugged Jaden's phone in, placed it on his nightstand, and text her good morning knowing, she'd see it when she finally woke up.

Out the front door, down the hall, he knocked on the door to Marquis' condo.

"Who is it?" Marquis hollered through the door with some extra bravado in his voice.

"Open up, fool. You know ain't nobody else gon be up here but us." Desmond responded.

Marquis opened the door scratching his head, "What time is it?"

"Damn near seven, get yo raggedy-ass ready, you know we got shit to handle. I leave for a few days and you out here lackin." Desmond scolded as he walked inside his friend's condo.

"Man, I been sick."

"How you get sick Quis?" Desmond mean mugged him.

"Ion know." Marquis shrugged.

"So you wanna let Donte and Kirk handle shit?"

"Nah, I got it." Marquis cleared his throat. He would never leave something this big and important to them.

"Make sure, my nigga. You gotta be on your p's and q's, we can't take any risks. We got that shit coming in this weekend, and it's the last one before the summer hits."

"Bruh, you don't gotta tell me that." Marquis reminded Desmond who he was talking to. He was his second in command for a reason. "Where you finna be today?"

"I got a meeting, for another development." He disclosed. "Truthfully, Quis, I think I'm done after this. I'm tryna get as much clean money running as I can so I can be done with this other shit by the end of the year."

"Nigga, what is you talkin' bout?" Marquis looked at his friend like he'd lost his mind. "I know you not doin' this over some pussy? I seen yo lil post on Instagram."

"You know me better than that. I've been battling back and forth wit this shit for a while now. Bruh, look at all the shit we got already." Desmond remarked, "Look at these fucking penthouses we live in. Garage look like a damn car lot, ain't a payment on none of dem bitches. How many businesses you got? Barbershop, tattoo shop, and have good ass income coming from all of that. This shit ain't enough?" He implored.

"You think I wanna go back to slow money?" Marquis scoffed.

"Nah. You got more than six months to stack your bread however you want. But if we bein real, just cause I step down don't mean you have to." Desmond held his hands up in surrender, "By all means, if you wanna keep it going, you have my blessing bruh."

Marquis thought for a second trying not to say anything disrespectful. He decided to leave his feelings out of it, "I feel you. Imma get ready to hit the streets." They dapped.

Desmond was the closest thing Marquis had to a brother, but they weren't on the same page anymore.

"We gon get this money, together," Desmond told him walking out the front door.

♟️•••••♟️