BFF

Stay with me

Tia pov

We pulled up to this nice house—big, clean, and quiet, the kind that looked like it didn't have anything to hide. But I knew better.

Dave looked at me before we got out. "You stay with me and do what I say. I don't need your back-talking shit," he said, his voice stern, but not cold.

"Okay, Baby," I said softly.

Security stepped aside when we approached the front door. Dave scanned his finger, and the door unlocked with a beep. We walked in, and instantly, the smell of money, power, and something more illegal hit me. There were drugs everywhere—on the counters, in boxes—but no workers in sight, just one guy off to the side, watching.

Dave led me into a sleek office, the kind with dark wood furniture and soft leather chairs. The kind of place that felt too classy for what it was really used for.

He turned to me. "Yes, I'm a drug lord," he said without flinching. "I started under the man who used to run all this. He taught me the game—I was his connect. I met with people, supplied them with product, got the money. Now I'm the head. I make sure everybody under me is working."

"Where the workers at?" I asked, curious and a little in awe.

"This is my trap house," he explained. "All the product stays here. The guy you saw—he separates it for each trap house we got. We've got one in every state I supply to. They get what they need—weed, coke, pills. The delivery boys take it to the houses, and that's where you'll see the workers. They cut it up, bag it, get it ready for their state. Then I got some guys who do the exchanges."

My eyes widened. "Omg, that's how you got so much money?"

He laughed. "Yeah, I do pretty well."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Pretty well? You rich, fool!"

"Come on," he said with a grin. "Help me count this money."

My hands started aching from all the counting. Bill after bill, stack after stack. Dave was stuffing it all into bags, then locking it up in this big-ass safe like it was nothing.

"Babe, you forgot one," I said, holding up a bundle labeled 50K.

"That's yours."

I blinked. "What? Are you joking?"

"Do you ever check your bank account or you just spend money, Tia?"

"I just spend money," I said, half-laughing, half-serious.

"I put money in there every two weeks," he said.

I pulled out my phone and opened my banking app. My jaw dropped. "Baby... I got over $500,000 in here?!"

He smirked. "So that means you never check your safe at home either. I been putting money in there, too."

I grabbed him, hugging him tight. "Oh God, I said you rich... but I'm rich too."

"Most definitely," he said, kissing my forehead. "As long as I got money flowing, you do too."

I was so overwhelmed with love I jumped into his arms, kissing up his neck. My leg brushed his gun, and he shifted it to the side.

"Didn't you just get this work?" he teased.

I blushed. "With what you just told me, I'm ready to give you whatever you want."

"I already got that," he said with a wink.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I met him when I was thirteen, and now... he was everything. My man. My friend. My protector. My blessing.