by K. C. Mills
“You letting Laken knock you off your square, Siah. Get your head right, man. We ain't never let another man affect what we do, with business or personal shit, and we’re not about to start now. If we need to ride and go put a bullet in this muthafucker, then let's just do that shit. I need you on point, Siah.”
“I’m good. I slipped for a minute, but it won't happen again. As for Laken, in due time, but right now, we need to get our house in order. Did AJ hit the streets yet?”
I noticed that Jock hadn't said much about him, but we did have a lot going on. Either way, every time we put someone new on the streets it was a trial period. They didn't know shit about how we operated, and worked under supervision until that line of trust was there. That took a while because dudes were forever trying to catch you slipping. It was either greed or jealousy, but both had detrimental consequences, none of which we were willing to deal with. So, we always kept a tight leash on our new people. With him showing up at the same time that Laken mentioned having someone on the inside, I had to question his credibility too.
“Yeah, he’s putting in work. So far he seems legit. Laid back, but hard working. Sims said he respects authority and is willing to get his hands dirty, so I guess we good on him for now, but time will tell. You know how I feel about that. Shit, for all we know, he could be the snake.”
I nodded. Jock was serious about his soldiers. We were both good with reading people. I was a little better at it, but we both took that shit serious. Loyalty was important because you couldn't have an empire without it. One weak link or one ounce of bad blood could be the beginning of the end, especially if you don't catch that shit early enough to get it under control.
“Aight, well I’m about to make some calls and move some shit around, so I’ll hook up with you later.”
“Yeah, I need to ride through the block and start mapping shit out. We good on our next shipment?”
“Far as I know, but I’ll get with Mayo and then hit you up.”
Jock nodded as he stood, not really concerned. That was another thing that I handled. Our connect was a family member to the supplier that my father used back in the day, so I always dealt with them in regards to product. Jock would always be there for the deliveries, but as far as ordering and setting the deals, that was my shit.
The bad thing was that I was fucking his niece, and even though it wasn't serious to me, she always assumed that we were more than we really were. I kept it causal, not wanting to hurt our business relations. Had I known who she was when I first met her, it would have never happened, but the deed was done. The first time Jock and I traveled to Mayo’s home on Long Island and I laid eyes on Claudia, I damn near had a fucking heart attack. She kept it cool, though, and never let on that we knew each other. But we did end up fucking in Mayo’s pool house. After which, she mentioned that she handled her uncle’s books, and looked forward to seeing more of me. Jock didn't like it, hell neither did I, but what was done was done and we both had to deal with that shit.
“I’m out, bruh.” Jock walked over and dapped me before looking down at Nonie’s phone. “Stop doing stupid shit, Siah. She can only take so much before she walks. I know you don't want that, so stop doing stupid shit.”
I smiled but didn't respond. He was right though. I just couldn't control certain reactions, and when it came to Nonie, all logic flew out the window.
Jock
When I hit my second stop, first thing I noticed was Royce’s car, and my sensors began to go off. This wasn't his shit, which meant that he had no business being over this way. Royce handled things across town, so it didn't make sense for him to be here. I stepped out my ride, but not before retrieving my piece from under my seat. Once it was in place, I traveled up the steps of our spot.
“What up, Jock?” E nodded but kept it moving, heading across the street. I could tell he was working from the way his eyes were moving around the block.
“What up, E? Hold up, youngin’.” I called out after him, causing E to double back and meet me in front of the house.
“What’s Royce, doing over here?” I questioned as soon as E was close enough to hear me without me having to yell.
“Shit if I know. That nigga just showed up. He’s in there burning one with Brodie.”
“Oh yeah?” That shit really struck a nerve. How the fuck you on the clock, but you outside your area getting high? That's just some disrespectful type shit.
“Yeah, Brodie counting up for you, should be done by now. Sales are good, Jock. We killing shit around here.” E grinned with pride.
He was one of our youngins. E was seventeen, but worked harder than most of the grown ass men we had. E had ambition, and I liked that shit. He would be moving up, but we had a slow process of elevation. You couldn't let people rise too quick, or that shit would go to their heads. But if E hung in there with us, he’d eventually get promoted to a first lieutenant.
“Aight, that’s what's up. Keep that shit up and I see big things for you, E.” I dapped him and let him go about his business. No sense in keeping him from money.
Upon entering the house, I instantly got pissed. “Brodie was bagging up money while he and Royce were chatting it up. I was good on that part, but this nigga, Royce, had an open bottle and was burning. He was clearly lit as a muthafucker, and on company time. Not only was he out of his zone, but this muthafucker was chilling like there wasn't money to be made. I knew he had his issues and shit with the whole Siah and Nonie thing, but fucking up on the job was a sure fire way of ending his life.
“What up, Brodie? You got that shit ready for me?” I asked, eyeing Royce while I spoke to Brodie.
“Yeah, we good. Shit, Jock, I might need a few more people if we keep pushing weight like this.” Brodie’s eyes moved to Royce because he had yet to acknowledge me. Instead, he lifted the bottle he was drinking from, turned it up, and then followed it with a hit from the blunt in his hand.
“Aight, we can talk about that. Let me look at the numbers and I’ll get with Siah on that,” I responded with my eyes still on Royce. This nigga still hadn't acknowledged me, so I kindly stepped to his ass, grabbed a fist full of his shirt and yanked him out of the chair he was sitting in.
“Once he was on his feet, he tried to knock my hands away. I had him by about twenty pounds, so he just grabbed my hands and mugged the fuck outta me.
“The fuck, Jock? Why you handling me?” Royce asked angrily.
“Nah, my nigga, the better question is why the fuck you sitting here in the middle of the day chilling like you don't have work to do, and why the fuck you in my shit without acknowledging my presence?”
“I just came to check out my man, Brodie. My shit is good or I wouldn't be here. We're making money, we’re on target to exceed our goals, so I took a minute.”
I shoved him away from me and smirked. “Nigga, if you making money, then you don't walk away, you stay your ass there and make more. I shouldn't have to tell you that shit. Business is business, and you don't just walk away and decide you gon’ chill for the day. Did you clear that with me?”
“Nah, you right.”
This nigga was pissed, I could see it in his eyes. It wasn't just about the way I handled him, it was deeper than that, which meant that he wasn't gon’ be around much longer. I didn't trust his ass and I was ’bout to let Siah know that he needed to be dealt with. I knew the second shit came out about Nonie and Siah, that Royce was gonna be on some bullshit, but he was making money, more than he could make anywhere else.
We ran Jersey. There were a few smaller operations, but they only existed because we allowed them to. We took a piece of their action as payment for letting them operate, so even if he left us, he’d still be working for us in a sense, but for less bread. That’s why I couldn't understand why this nigga couldn't get his feelings in check and think about his pockets instead of his heart, but fuck it. If he wanted to be all emotional and shit, he could walk.
“You might want to head back across town. You wa
nna chill, do that shit on your time, but right now, you’re on our clock.” I pointed at him and could see Brodie out the corner of my eye watching. I could tell he was nervous as fuck, so I needed to see what was up with that, but I wanted Royce gone first.
“Aight, I’m out. I’ll check you later, Brodie.”
“Word, we’ll get up,” Brodie said just as Royce reached for the bottle he had been drinking from.
“Nah, leave that shit. You don't need it. You got work to do and you can't do that shit if your ass is drunk.”
Royce mugged me for a minute before he held up a closed fist to me. I ignored that shit and he smirked. “You right, I’m out though. I’ll catch you later, Jock.” Royce turned to leave and when I heard the door close, I focused on Brodie.
“The fuck that nigga doing over here?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the table where Brodie was counting money again.
“Shit, I don't know. He just showed up.”
“What he say?”
“Nothing really, just asked if our sales were up and then told me theirs were up at his spot. Then he started talking about some new chick he was fucking with. That was about it, ’cause you showed up.”
I sat there processing for a minute. Shit didn't add up, and I was damn sure not feeling it. Royce, of all people, knew how we felt about business hours. You put in work, you stay in your zone, and that shit wasn't negotiable. There was no reason for Royce to be over this way.
“Y'all cool like that?”
Brodie placed a stack of money in the counter and then looked up at me. “We cool, but not like we hang out or no shit like that.” I was reading Brodie’s eyes as he spoke. He maintained eye contact and didn't flinch. He seemed relaxed and unmoved under my stare, so I could see that he was telling the truth.
“Aight, finish that shit up and I’ll be outside. I’m ’bout to make a few calls.” I stood and started toward the front, before I stopped. “Yo, did he say who the new chick was?”
“Nah, just some random he met while he was across the bridge. Said she bad as fuck though, and he’s into her.”
“New York, huh?” I questioned, more to myself, even though I said it out loud.
Brodie nodded and I continued to the front door. When I got out front, I dialed Siah. We needed to have a conversation about Royce. This nigga couldn't be trusted, and I had a feeling that him finding some new chick who just happened to live in New York wasn't a coincidence.
“Yo, ya boy on some snake shit, Siah. We need to handle that muthafucker.”
“Who’s that?” Siah asked calmly.
“Royce. I got over here to pick up from Brodie and this muthafucker is over here chillin’. Bottle of Ace, puffing and shit like he wasn't on the clock.”
Siah was quiet for a minute and I knew he was thinking. With everything going on, I knew he hadn't given much thought to the whole situation with Royce.
“Aight, put some people on him. Let's see what he's up to first.”
“Already done. And another thing, Brodie said he mentioned a new chick. Somebody he met across the bridge, so you know that shit seems suspect as hell.”
“New York,” Siah said randomly. “Aight, well just make sure we keeping an eye on that muthafucker. I hate when a nigga lets pussy trump his finances. Apparently he still in his feelings, but that’s cool, we got something for that.”
“You think he linked up with Laken?” I asked, assuming Siah had the same thought.
“Fuck if I know, but we’ll find out soon enough. Until then, limit his access. Make him think everything is cool, but after you switch shit up, don't let him know. Make sure his team’s on point, and make it clear that if any of them let him know we watching him, their families can start planning services.”
I chuckled at the intensity in Siah’s voice. He was pissed, and ready to shoot the first thing moving. Like me, he couldn't stand a snake ass nigga, and it seemed like we had one a little too close to home. Royce had just signed his death certificate, and that muthafucker didn't even know it.
I ended my call with Siah and checked in with Brodie. After I collected our money, I headed off to collect from the rest of our spots and then decided to run up on Kizzie. We needed to get some shit straight, and she still hadn't told me if she had actually took that Plan B. We argued about that shit damn near all night after we left the club last night, but she refused to tell me. I didn't get why she was being so difficult about it, but I decided to let it rest for a minute so we could both calm down.
Right now, I was heading her way and a decision was about to be made about us. Either she was with me or she wasn't, but I wasn't going to keep playing these games with her little ass. You could only push me so far before I kept it moving and didn't look back, and Kizzie was getting dangerously close to that.
*****
I called Kizzie’s phone twice on the way, and each time, she didn't answer. I figured that she was just ignoring me, so I planned to just fall through her spot anyway. The second I pulled up, I knew some shit wasn't right. Kizzie’s car was in the driveway with the door open, and Red’s car was behind hers. I always had eyes on her, so I knew that nigga’s ride. I made it my business to be able to recognize him, just in case he pulled some fuck shit on me one day.
His shit was parked like he had just rolled up on her cause it was at an angle, blocking her car. Things just didn’t feel right, so I got out and looked around. Being that it was late in the afternoon, the neighborhood was quiet. Nobody was out, but I was still cautious of my surroundings because you never know.
Removing my gun from under my seat where I had placed it after hitting all my spots, I made my way to Kizzie’s front door, but not before checking out her car. Her purse and phone were still on the passenger seat, which set off all type of alarms. With that, I was convinced that something wasn't right, which had me instantly heated. If this muthafucker had laid a hand on her, I was about to have a body on my hands. No matter how confused Kizzie’s ass was, I damn sure wasn't about to let anybody hurt her, and especially not this muthafucker.
When I reached her porch, I stood quietly for a minute to see if I could hear anything. I didn't know what Red was capable of, and even though he couldn't get with me, he seemed like a solid ass dude. I didn't want to step through the door to bullets flying. It was quiet on the other side, so I tried the knob and the door gave way. I held my gun up, using the door to shield my body as I stepped in. My pulse started racing the second I did. I could hear Kizzie crying, and then that nigga’s voice yelling at her.
“Shut the fuck up, Kizzie, I told you this shit ain't over. You’re mine, and you’re always gonna be.”
“Red, please don't, just leave,” Kizzie pleaded.
I felt my grip tighten on my gun as I stepped completely into her living room. I shut the door quietly behind me so that they wouldn't know that I was in the house.
When I was a few feet away from Kizzie’s bedroom the commotion had my heart racing because from what I was hearing, I knew that he had her pinned down on the bed and was trying to get at her. I could hear what sounded like her struggling on her bed. I had been in that shit enough to know the sounds it made.
Taking a deep breath with my gun held high, I made one last step, which gave me a visual of what was going on. Sure enough, Red was on top of Kizzie. He had one of her legs in the air, while he forced himself on her, and I blacked out. One shot to the back of the head and then I heard Kizzie scream so loud that it snapped me out of my zone.
Blood was splattered all over her face and body while she struggled to push Red’s dead weight off of her. I quickly got it together and grabbed Kizzie by the waist, pulling her from beneath him. Her arms were around my neck and she held onto me like her life depended on it. She was crying with her face buried in my chest. I stood there holding her until she got it together enough to hold her head up.
“He…”
I cut her off before she could explain. I didn't want to hear shit about what the nigga had d
one or was gon’ do. He was gone, and she didn't have to worry about him anymore.
“Go get in the shower.” I kissed her forehead and looked down at her, but she didn't move.
She just pressed her face against my chest. She wasn't crying anymore, but her body was still trembling. I lifted her chin so that she could see my face.
“Kiz, go get in the shower. You can't stay here, and you have blood all over you. I need to make some calls, so go get in the shower, shorty.”
Kizzie nodded and stepped away from me, mindlessly moving through her room. She stopped when she had to pass the foot of her bed were Red’s lifeless body lay. I grabbed her hand and guided her toward the bathroom. After the water was on, she stripped out of her clothes and pulled the curtain back to step inside. I left her there and closed the bathroom door behind me.
I knew that her head was all fucked up. I had killed plenty of times before and had been around others who dropped bodies, so this wasn't shit to me, but for Kizzie it was a big deal. She had the little gun I got for her and she knew how to use it. I made sure of that. But having a gun versus having a body on one, were two completely different things. She wasn't built for shit like that, and I was cool with that. As long as I was around, she didn't need to be.
Kizzie always asked questions about what was going on in the streets. It was like she was drawn to it, but I knew deep down inside that she couldn't hang. This just proved it. My shorty needed me for shit like this, and I was gon’ be there. Fuck a decision being made about us. I just made it for her, and not just because I had to put a bullet in Red either. Kizzie was mine, and that meant that she didn't need any other muthafucker out there trying to step to her. She didn't have to like it, but it was what it was.
By the time I finished calling my people to come get her house in order, Kizzie still hadn't come out the bathroom yet. I threw a blanket on Red’s body so that she wouldn’t have to see it and went to check on her. When I pulled the curtain back, I found her sitting in the tub with her arms around her knees. Her head was down as the water poured over her body.
