Royal #3
All the memories were too vivid for my liking, they almost caused me to choke over the spit collecting in my mouth. Like the pieces to a million-piece puzzle… everything started to come together in my mind and make sense.
“You gon’ die, Lulu.” My jaws clenched.
She didn’t flinch when my hand came up smooth. The weight of the gun settled into my grip like it always did when conversations stopped being conversations. Lucille just watched me, calm and poised.
“You always were quick with your hands, Royal,” she said softly.
I had no response to her mind fucking games. My finger tightened slightly against the trigger. Somewhere deep under the loyalty and the anger I still loved her and would mourn her death too, but it had to be done.
“You killed Di Lucas, and you were the mastermind behind Donnie getting chipped by La’Nova,” I said lowly.
“You say that like I didn’t have my reasons.” She frowned in disbelief.
“Donnie was shutting me out! Keeping me away from the table just how Luca did after I paid all that money to get him out of jail! Those mother fuckers betrayed me! Loyalty is everything, Roy… You know this.”
“You always got a reason for something, and none of it makes the shit right,” I replied to her bullshit.
She folded her hands neatly over the gold plated gun resting in her lap like we were discussing business over tea instead of murder.
“You pointing that gun at me,” she said in a gentle tone. “Doesn’t change what needed to happen and what will happen moving forward.”
My jaw tightened.
“What needed to happen…” I repeated slowly, “Was loyalty.”
“What needed to happen.” She cocked her head to the left. “Was me pulling the strings because I am the mastermind.” She corrected calmly.
My finger pressed harder. Fuck this shit, she got to fucking go!
I could already feel my ears ringing from the sound of the gun going off.
I could feel my body jolting backward from the kick of it and smell the gun powder fresh in my nostrils.
I also saw the affirmation in Lucille’s eyes, there was no regret…
She accepted her fate until my phone rang.
Lucille laughed a laugh that came from the depths of her soul like my phone ringtone just told the funniest joke.
“Go ahead, answer it,” she said.
I didn’t lower the gun, my eyes burned from not blinking. My aim stayed trained on the center of her forehead. I used my free hand to dig my phone out my pocket. Of course it was Luca. I answered without taking my eyes off her.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t do it.” His whisper cut through the line and into my ear.
My chest tightened.
“You ain’t here,” I stated evenly.
“I don’t need to be, Roy… The only reason she’s still alive is because I knew you needed closure.”
“Fuck closure, I’ll—”
“I’m the one—” He cut me off sharply. “I’ll be the one to kill my mother, now put me on speaker.”
I lowered the gun regretfully then placed the phone on my leg, pressing the speaker button. Lucille’s smile widened, her eyes left mine and focused on my phone.
“Good morning, Son-shine.” Lucille made her voice sound cheery.
“Ma,” Luca whispered.
Lucille leaned forward, crossing one leg over the other like this was exactly how she expected her morning to go.
“Luca,” she answered sweetly.
“My men are surrounding Roy’s house right now,” he said calmly. “Every entrance and exit.”
Her smile didn’t move.
“They’ve been outnumbering you for months now… and they will continue to wait on my word.”
That’s when something small shifted behind her eyes. Not fear, but recognition.
“I see,” she said softly. “I’ve been aware the moment I knew you figured out what I did to your grandfather.”
“If you don’t play nice until I get to you,” Luca let his whispered words linger. “You will be handled.”
Silence stretched across the room again. My trigger finger itched. Luca was always unpredictable. I knew the nigga said that she would be dealt with months ago but didn’t know that he had her followed twenty-four seven.
Lucille tilted her head slightly then smiled again like she always did when she decided a new strategy mid-conversation.
“Dinner,” she said smoothly. “Friday. Seven o clock, my estate.”
“Alright.” Luca didn’t hesitate to agree.
My stomach churned right after my phone screen went black.
Proof of Luca hanging up. I watched Lucille stand gracefully like she hadn’t negotiated a stand down between her and Luca.
She stepped closer to me, and that strong urge that I battled with when my finger caressed the trigger came back in full effect.
The smell of her floral perfume was stronger now.
“You still got time,” she spoke lowly, as her men stood behind her.
“For what?” I frowned.
“To become Don.” She smirked.
“You listen to me, I can make that happen.” Her sinister smirk turned soft, her eyes pleading for me to agree.
I stared at her for a long time, because I couldn’t believe that she really thought I would even entertain some bullshit like that. Only Lucille Bonetti could stand in a man’s house after he aimed a gun at her and still offer him a crown like she was handing out invitations instead of revolutions.
“Go,” I told her, disgusted with her presence.
“Royal—”
“You should fucking go,” I grated out slower. “Before I change my mind and kill you anyway.”
She studied my face like she was measuring how serious I was. She sighed disappointedly then dropped a bomb. A bomb that she saved for last on purpose.
“I wonder,” she sung out thoughtfully, stepping past me toward the door. “What Luca would think if he knew La’Nova was in Vegas pregnant with his child under the Reyes Mafia protection. Balani has become her confidant; she’s thriving something beautiful too.” She chuckled dryly.
Everything inside me stopped.
“What?” I said, now looking at her slim back.
“I helped her remove the tracker off her camper. So tell Luca, don’t freeze business again trying to get to her.”
One of her men opened the door for her. She elegantly walked out with her chin pointed to the sky damn near.
“Shit!” I yelled as they closed the door behind her.
There was never lasting peace in our world. La’Nova was the one thing that Luca was still weening himself off of. He hid his pain well, but as his brother, I felt the shit.
I sat still for a minute, sitting with my thoughts. Already thinking about what was to come. With La’Nova carrying Luca’s seed, he’d stop at nothing to find her ass and force her back into his world.
After all she was the cause and cure.