Chapter 7
R ennix
My eyes stayed on my nephew next to me clapping and gyrating at the sound of the TV.
Though when I first met him and his brother they looked like their father, over time they’d morphed into their mother’s twins overnight.
Wild, bushy, curly hair and big doe-like eyes had my nephews looking like they’d be picked on at school.
That was cool, because if anybody tried it, I was liable to show up and set the scene.
“He’ll do that shit for hours. I don’t know what it is about Ms. Rachel but she got all the kids in a cult.” G re-entered the living room holding Junior.
I nodded, eyes finding the toddler next to me again.
Lately my mind had been traveling a lot, forcing me to question the things I didn’t think about at first. First with Caya, then with her kid.
I wasn’t some sucka. I knew dating a woman with a kid ultimately made the kid a part of the agreement. I rocked with it.
“What has you looking so nostalgic? You look like you’re in here pondering life.”
I laughed. “I am. When I was out here heavy with Rem, I didn’t think about anything but it.
The hunt, the job. Survival. Now I’m four years out, and finally coming down off that high, contemplating things I never considered before.
For the first time in my whole life I’m only fucking one woman and I ain’t got no pr?—”
“Fucking,” my nephew repeated and I knew I fucked up.
“Fucking,” he repeated again, this time clapping his hands together and looking at me.
Dimitri shook his head. “You ’bouta have Beyah on my ass.”
I laughed. “He’s gonna forget.”
“Hopefully. But on some real stuff. What do you mean? Shorty you messing with is pregnant?—”
“Hel— Heck no.” I looked down at my nephew who was all in my mouth. “I’m just finally thinking about my future and what I want it to look like.”
He nodded. “I get that. One minute it’s just you and all you gotta think about is yourself and what you want.
No real purpose or anything, just you, then, without even trying, it just happens.
Somehow everything just moves along and life puts itself together through all the rough moments and best moments.
All the shit just fits together like a puzzle. ”
“Shit…shit…shit…fucking.” My nephew picked up quickly. Dimitri dropped his head in his free hand because Junior had fallen asleep that fast.
I couldn’t help but laugh because how the hell was he picking up all the bad words in every sentence?
“You find out who tried to hit your spot yet?”
I shook my head. “Nah, but I beefed up security though. If somebody is fool enough to come through on that, then they must want that pressure. I’m waiting on the security company to get back to me with the footage though and that’s irking me.
I should have to wait more than three days for the tapes, but they’re saying since I’m asking for almost two weeks of footage it’s gonna take them a minute. ”
“I told you not to go private. They be on some bull—mess. I don’t know why you didn’t do it yourself. You know they claim they have to look through it too, then they still turn it over to the police if anything is on it. Nobody has time for that.”
“I’m with you when you right. I was being lazy though, but I’m damn sure learning my lesson, because had this been back home, I would have been handled it.”
He nodded. “You know I ain’t in the streets no more, but I still got a few connections. Could probably get you a name faster than them people will get your footage back.”
“Yeah, I’d appreciate that, lil bro.” I said the lil bro part to piss him off and I knew I had when he cut his eyes in my direction.
I left my brother’s house close to seven in the evening, headed to the club. When I pulled up, something didn’t feel right, but I paid it no mind, pulling into my normal parking spot about to hop out. Something told me to grab my piece, which I did before I got out.
With my gun on my hip, I closed the door to my car and started toward the front door of the club.
Cars littered the dark lot. Apparently the security I paid for was all inside.
I wasn’t far from my car when I heard a shot, then instantly felt a stinging sensation in my side.
Stunned was an understatement, but I had no time to feel, I had my piece out sending slugs in the direction the bullet came from.
Whoever it was instantly dropped. Paranoid, I looked around as I backed up against my car, mentally noting the body on the ground.
Once I was inside, I started it up and pulled out of the parking lot.
Damn, I had never been shot before, but I guessed there was a first time for everything.
Seconds into my ride I called G. I couldn’t call Rem because he was off the grid for work.
I mean, I could get in touch with him, but the last thing I wanted to do was throw him off his focus.
“Yeah,” he answered on the first ring.
“I just got shot. I’m finna…shit…” I hissed in pain. I had been stabbed but never shot. This shit felt like it was burning into my side.
“Where you at, Rennix?” he asked, voice filled with concern.
“Leaving the club. There’s a hospital up the street. North some shit. I’m about t?—”
“Aight. I’m on my way. Stay on the fucking phone,” he demanded.
It was all a blur as to how I got myself into the hospital, let alone helped, but the whole time G was on the phone… Well, until he was standing right in front of me. His face mirrored that of Reminisce’s… damn, mine.
They admitted me immediately, seeing as how the bullet hadn’t exited. The moment I saw G’s face, I stopped trying to listen to what the doctors were saying because he was listening for the both of us.
I didn’t know when I passed out, or how long I was out, but when I woke up G was standing in the same spot, arms folded, staring at me.
“The fuck you looking at me like I’m dead for?” I mused, trying to move but feeling the pain radiate all over my body. Damn, I did get shot.
“I done left plenty niggas brotherless, but for somebody to try me on my brother. That shit is flawed.”
I laughed. “Nah, it can’t even go down like that. You talked to Rem?”
“Yeah, he’s on a flight here and your girl called the phone about eighty times. I had to answer. She’s on her way up here too. That was about twenty minutes ago.”
I nodded. “How long I been out?”
“Shit, a minute. You lost a lot of blood. You good though, they removed the bullet and stitched you up. You gon’ be in a lot of pain for a minute. But your bitch ass is alive.” He finally cracked a smile.
“Good, well not for the nig—” I couldn’t finish my sentence because my eyes landed on Cay standing in the doorway wiping her eyes. The fuck had she been crying for?
“The fuck you crying for, thug?” I asked, watching her take baby steps into the room.
“You scared me. You scared the shit out of me, Rennix.” She was at my bed, hand immediately finding mine.
“I’ma give y’all a minute. About to call and check in with Jade.”
I nodded in my brother’s direction, never looking away from Caya. “Where is Adonis?”
“With Cylah. Who shot you?”
“Why? You about to go handle that shit for me, thug?”
A small smile found its way through the worry. “If I need to.”
Her smile was contagious because through all this pain I was smiling at her. “Good to know, but nah, it’s not necessary. I’m good and so are you. I’ma need a favor though.”
She nodded. “What’s up?”
“I’m going home with you. I ain’t staying here.”
“Bu—” she started.
“I’on like hospitals. Too many motherfuckers done died in these parts. Matter of fact, we going to my house. Have Cylah drop Adonis off there.”
She looked like she wanted to rebut but didn’t. “Okay, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t just gonna let you out of here, Rennix.” Her attitude showed in the way she said my name.
I laughed. “You let me worry ’bout that.”
“Mhmm.”
Not gonna lie, I held onto her hand tightly, then stopped her when she pulled away to sit. I wasn’t going for that shit either. I felt like I needed to feel her. Needed.
“Let me grab the chair so I can sit down.”
“Naw, come up here. I’ma move over,” I offered. I was about to move over too but she stopped me.
“No, Rennix. I am not about to climb in this bed with you. You are hurt, I am not. I am going to sit over there and you are gonna st?—”
“Man, get your ass in this bed.” I wasn’t trying to hear a damn thing she was saying.
The look she gave me made the all-too serious moment so comical because she was straight mugging my ass.
“You up here with him for the rest of the night, Caya?” G asked, addressing her. She didn’t get the chance to respond because I was already responding.
“Nah, ’cause I ain’t staying. I’m going home.”
G’s expression tightened as his eyes locked on me. “You just almost lost your life and you needed blood. They ain’t finna let you out of here. You need to lay your ass up here and let these people take care of you.”
“I’on need these people to take care of me.”
“Rennix. Whose gonna take care of you then?”
“Caya got me. She went to nursing school.”
G immediately looked at Caya for a response.
“Um, Rennix. I told you I dropped out of nursing school.” She shook her head, probably regretting that she told me.
“Exactly, so you staying your ass here and sis can gladly stay with you.” Dimitri spoke to me like I was a kid and I wasn’t feeling that shit.
“Just stay. I’ll stay with you and even pull this uncomfortable ass couch closer to you.” She looked hopeful that I’d stay.
“Hell nah. You sleeping in this fucking bed if I stay in here,” I grumbled.
“Renn—fine. And don’t be looking at me like that.” The look I gave her forced her to concede.
My brother laughed, but I could tell he was relieved that I was staying tonight.
“I’m going home tomorrow. Don’t be too fucking relieved.”
He shook his head. “A bridge we’ll cross tomorrow.”
“I need to go call my sister and let her know I’m staying here. Can I get my hand back, Rennix?”