Chapter 2 - 2

As I arrive back home, the big black guy who lives across the street along with his friends are waiting at my doorstep. My heart races as I walk up to them.


“Yo, boy. You just moved in here, didn’t ya?” the big black guy asks as he stands up. I nod, nervously. My hands sweat. “Let me tell ya, boy, how things are. You see, we run this here hood. You living in our hood, means you’re on our turf. If you want to be protected, you gotta pay up. The price for our protection is a grand a month. Got it?” 


“I… I can’t afford that!” I spit out. 


“We got ways of getting our money. If you can’t pay with cash, you’ll pay with your ass. We got lots of niggas who’ll pay to bust those cheeks,” he says. The blood instantly drains from my face at the thought of being fucked by another dude. 


“There a problem here?” I look up to see the big hulk of a man that lives next door walk up. He’s taller and broader than the leader who’s trying to extort me. He looks mean, too. He’s got that look in his eye that fills me with dread. 


“Just business. Why don’t you mind your own?” the leader says as he steps up. 


“Leave the boy alone. I ain’t gonna tell you again,” the tall giant black man says. His skin is a little lighter than the other guys, but he’s thicker than a tree trunk. You can see the muscles bulge out, threatening to rip apart his wife beater. Both he and the leader are completely bald with the mustache goatee combo, but the neighbor who lives next door is all muscle, whereas the guy who lives across the street has a potbelly. 


“We just telling him what’s up. That’s all. We was just on our way,” the leader says before turning his gaze over to me. “Remember what I said, white boy.”


He and his friends take off across the street, leaving me alone with the mountain of a man. He looks at me with a stare that makes my spine standstill. “You all right?” 


I nod, silently. Words just don’t seem to come to my mouth. He looks me over. “Why don’t you come over to my house? I was just about to fix up dinner. I got enough to share. I’m Jevon, by the way.”


I bite my bottom lip and slowly nod. He comes over and puts his arm around my shoulder as he leads me over to his house. 

