Chasing Bliss Read Online Free

and put his drink down. “What’s up, Smoke? You got no love for your brothers?”
    Chase stood and gave them the expected one-shoulder hug.
    “That was a little weak. You feelin’ all right, Chase?”
    Before Chase could answer, Corey did it for him. “He thinks you want a favor. Can’t you tell? He’s all tight and quiet and shit.”
    Cyrus signaled for the waiter and looked at both his brothers with a gracious smile. “You would think I ask for one all the time. That’s not what we’re here for today, so relax, Smoke.”
    Chase slumped in his seat so Cyrus and Corey wouldn’t notice his shoulders dropping in relief. Whew. Now he could actually sit back and enjoy their company and have a meal with them without getting a serious case of heartburn.
    The waiter stopped at Cyrus’s elbow, and Cyrus looked at Chase. “You drinkin’, Smoke?”
    “Yeah. Give me a Rémy straight up,” he said to the waiter and then turned his attention back to Cyrus. “So what’s up, Cyrus? It’s been a minute since I saw your ass in broad daylight.” Cyrus laughed amiably, and Corey followed suit.
    “You know Cyrus is a night owl, Smoke. Negro’s like a goddamn vampire.”
    Chase smiled and shrugged, mentally noting that they’d both called him Smoke, so something had to be up, even though Cyrus said otherwise. He nodded in Corey’s direction. “Yeah? Well, you must be one, too, Corey, ‘cause I ain’t seen your ass either.”
    Corey looked at him sideways. “I would’ve hollered sooner, but me and Cyrus been workin’ on somethin’.”
    The waiter dropped off Chase’s drink, and Chase picked it up and took a sip. “Something like what? Y’all plannin’ a takeover? Need somebody greased?”
    Cyrus rolled his eyes in exasperation and then looked at him impatiently. “See? This is what I mean, Corey. You never know who you’re gonna get with this nigga. His ass is always irritated. If he ain’t in straight-up bitch mode, he’s pissin’ and moanin’ about shit in the past. Why can’t he just leave all that snide shit at home and have a decent dinner with his family?”
    Corey laughed and pushed his chair back a little. “Uh-uh, Cyrus. You wanna talk to Chase, talk to him. Don’t talk at him through me. I ain’t fuckin’ wit’ y’all and your bullshit.”
    Chase glanced at Corey and then looked at Cyrus. He felt anger building in him, forcing his jaw to clench and his fists to curl, but he held it in. “It ain’t my bullshit, Corey.”
    Corey took his cell phone out and stood up. “I got a couple of calls to make. When I get back, it would be nice to see y’all holdin’ hands and singin’ songs.” He walked away, leaving Chase and Cyrus sitting there, just staring at each other.
    Cyrus leaned back in his seat and regarded Chase for a long moment before he spoke. “You know, Chase . . .” Cyrus leaned forward with his elbows on the table, talking to him like he was a small, petulant, child. “Sometimes we all gotta do shit we don’t want to do. It’s kinda like when Mama gave us castor oil. Sometimes it’s hard goin’ down, but the end result is a beautiful thing. Know what I mean?”
    Chase smiled at his brother but narrowed his eyes. “Beautiful for who, Cyrus?”
    Cyrus returned his smile and shrugged. “You know when anything benefits me, it benefits you and Corey too.”
    “I don’t need your damn money. I don’t need your protection either. Sometimes I get the feeling that a lot of people are scared of you because they’re scared of me. Don’t you?”
    Cyrus laughed. “I don’t really give a shit why they’re scared, Smoke, as long as they stay fucking scared.”
    Chase sipped his drink and complained, “Got people callin’ me Smoke and shit? That’s fucked up, Cyrus.”
    “They’ve been callin’ you that for years, little brother. They probably don’t even know why it’s your name.”
    Chase frowned. “It’s not my fuckin’ name. It’s some shit you started