Brothers

ch.twelve

Frankie had returned home about an hour ago after the big blowup that happened earlier.

While Frankie was gone and Jacob was asleep, Antonio really had time to think about everything that had went down.

All those times he thought Jacob was home alone due to Frankie working extra shifts, he was really out showing off his body in a club full of ignorant ass men. And whenever Nancy wasn't visiting or answering his calls, she was hoeing around.

It made him angry. He worked his ass off to make sure his brothers or his bitch didn't even have to worry about a thing and this is what happens.

"Toni... You can't ignore me forever." Frankie frowned walking into his brothers bedroom.

"Why Frank?" He asked

"Wha'chu mean why, I have bills to pay–"

Antonio sighed shaking his head, having "bills to pay" isn't an excuse. He tried to make enough money to last two lifetimes just so his brothers could be set.

"I'on wanna hear none of that bruh, all them nights I spent hustlin' was so you wouldn't have to worry 'bout shit"

"That's your money, not mine! You think I have fun doing that shit every night? Not everybody is built to sell drugs–"

"You should know better than to degrade yourself–"

"Degrade myself?!" Frankie shouted.

He didn't understand why his brother was so upset about this. I mean yeah– he's a stripper, but so what?

He makes his money and works hard just like everybody else.

"I'm no different from any of these other niggas that's out here trying to secure the bag." He said, "when you were in jail, I didn't touch not one cent of the money in your bank account, you wanna know why– because I don't wanna end up like your damn girlfriend– a fucking spoiled nut case."

Antonio clenched his jaw, he wasn't okay with Frankie talking about Nancy. Yeah, she did him dirty but he still loved her.

Nancy acts the way she does because of Drew. He'd given her whatever she wanted without thinking twice ever since she was born. She was used to people giving her what she wanted and when things didn't go her way, she'd throw tantrums like a child. She was rotten.

Nancy has never had to work for anything in her 20 years of life. She was cut from a completely different cloth.

Antonio sat down on his bed with his head in his hands. The thought of Frankie dancing in front of desperate ass men made him sick.

Now, he was starting to feel bad... Maybe if he would've went and got a legit job–instead of being posted on the block–he could've prevented this.

If only he'd done things the right way

"Toni... Don't beat yourself up–it was my choice, you or nobody else forced me to walk into that club and take my clothes off." Frankie said with a chuckle as he took a seat next to his older brother "You did what you could for me and Jacob and we thank you for that but I had to show him that we didn't have to depend on you for everything and now he knows– whether you like it or not, you gotta do wha'chu gotta do."

Antonio wrapped his arm around Frankie, embracing him into a warm hug.

"... I apologize for not understandin' where you coming from, I really do but I'm not and I'll never be okay with my younger brother being a stripper–"

Frankie cut him off, "that's why I went and told my boss that I would only bartend from now on while I was out."

"That's good," Toni said "I've seen a lot of shit happen to strippers that I don't wanna see happen to you..."

"You have nothing to worry about, Antonio."

"Good, 'cause you know I'll set that bitch off" He laughed.