Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antoinette Read Free Book Online

would have a better bitch on your arm,” Raven said bluntly.
    Ethic scoffed and shook his head at her slick comment. “You should clean up that mouth of yours,” he said as he handed her the keys. He got into the passenger side as Raven started the car. She pulled away from the curb. “Don’t wreck my shit, ma, this will drive itself. All you got to do is steer,” he instructed as he leaned back in his seat.
    “I got you ... I’m not gon’ tear up your car,” she stated as she eased into traffic. “So was that your girl you were talking to yesterday?” she asked.
    “No, that wasn’t my lady,” he replied.
    “So do you have a chick?”
    He laughed as he adjusted his fitted cap, pulling it so low on his head that it almost covered his mysterious eyes.
    “You ask a lot of questions,” he said. “Why are you so interested in me? I’m a grown man. Don’t you have little high schoolers or something checking for you?”
    “Yeah, but I’m not worried about them ... I’m checking for you,” she admitted.
    “Nah, you checking for ol’ boy you were with last night,” he shot back. “That ho-ass nigga. You should watch the type of company you keep.”
    She smacked her lips and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “What, you were jealous?”
    “You wild, ma,” he said as he shook his head at her persistence. He gazed out the window as they rode through the ruthless city.
    “I saw you watching me,” she said after they’d reached the store and parked. She turned in her seat to face him.
    “That was before,” he said.
    “Before what?” she asked.
    “Before you opened your mouth to speak. You’re a young’un, ma. You don’t know shit about the world around you. You pushing grown woman whips and rocking grown woman clothes.” He tapped her temple gently as he leaned close to her ear. “But up here you’re still a baby.”
    “Boy, boo,” she replied curtly with a flip of her hand. “I’m a grown-ass woman. I’ma be eighteen in a few months,” she stated as if that made her an adult. “How old are you?”
    “Twenty-two.”
    “You can be my old head,” she replied flirtatiously. “Admit it, all the rest of these busted bitches ain’t what you into. I’m the only girl that’s gon look good on your arm.”
    “That’s the problem, shorty ... I’m not looking for a girl. I want a woman, and you not there yet.” He exited the car, leaving Raven with heavy thoughts on her mind.
     
     
    Mizan sat in his car with his automatic pistol lying in his lap as he watched people going in and out of the Atkins home. When he had originally lay eyes on Raven he had no clue that she was the daughter of Flint’s largest kingpin. His jack boy status kept him in the grimiest parts of the hood, places where Raven would never frequent. They were two individuals living in the same city, but their perceptions of Flint were drastically different. She sat at the top and looked down on the minions who inhabited the murder capital; whereas he was at the bottom clawing his way up inch by inch. Because of their differences in age and hood status, their paths had never crossed before, but all of that changed when the naïve, young girl walked into a small club on his side of town. Now that he knew who she was associated with, she was even more appealing to him. Just from being in her presence he had discovered what not many people knew: Benny Atkins home address. It was a stick up kid’s dream to be able to get inside of the infamous drug dealer’s home, and because of Raven he had been extended a personal invitation. He was not about to take the chance of a lifetime for granted. He had his man, Bull, and his brother, Boo, lurking in a parked car a few blocks away with black masks and black gloves, just waiting for the word from Mizan to run up in the house.
    I know that mu’fucka keep a safe at his crib, Mizan thought as he studied the home, watching friends of the family as they laughed and joked with