At 17, Candyce's small worldview is maginifed when her big brother, Ace, invites her into his world as punishment. Ace may have been an overbearing big brother at home, but in the streets he was feared and respected as a young drug dealer, proving h...
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Chapter 47
I would hate to be the captain of this sinking ship. I can't imagine what Caesar is thinking when Ace and his girl walk through the door.
"Damn, y'all don't miss a nigga. I been gone for six months and y'all don't show me no love? Don't tell me y'all prefer the change in management," Ace says.
He glances around the room. His smile drops when he locks eyes with me.
"Candy," He whispers.
Seeing the way his eyes soften when he looks at me melts my heart. It really hits me that my big brother is home. I run to him like I'm two years old again, and he's just started school for the first time. I cried when he got on the bus, and I cried when he got home. I asked him to promise never to leave me again.
Even that young, Ace knew the weight of a promise like that. Instead of lying to me, he said, "I have to go to school again tomorrow, Candy. But I'll be back. I'll always come back for you."
I'm reminded of those words when I crash into his arms.
"Ace," I breathe.
He wraps me up in his arms so tightly I stop breathing.
"Oh my god, I missed you," He says.
He laughs into my shoulder. His whole body vibrates with it. I soak it all in.
"I missed you too," I say.
Ace releases me. He plants me back on the ground and kisses me on the forehead. I smile up at him like a little kid.
"What you still doing hanging 'round here? I thought Angel woulda been laid off his hunting party," Ace says.
I look at the floor.
"We got bigger problems than Angel," I say.
Ace lifts my chin up with his finger. His eyebrows pull together as he stares me in my eyes.
"What could be worse than somebody threatening yo' life?" He asks.
I bite my tongue. I don't know how to tell him that I've been through so much that that's become the norm for me.
Ace furrows his eyebrows deeper.
"Where the fuck you get all these bruises on yo face from?" He asks.
I step out of his grasp.
"What you doing back?" I ask.
He doesn't answer right away. He just stares at me, but it's more like he's trying to see through me. He's acting like staring me down is gonna' bring him up to speed about all that's happened since he left--as if my body is made of today's newspaper or something.
