Chapter 9 #2
“Rob,” I said his name and met his gaze. “If shit went all the way left, which it won’t,” I assured him. “Take care of Novi. Make sure she wants for nothing, alright?”
“Nigga, I’ll make you sit in this car while I go to the meeting by myself if you keep this stupid ass talk up.”
“Fuck you, bitch. You couldn’t make me stay in this car if I had a hand tied behind my back.”
We both chortled but our laughs died short when a bright light blinked in our face twice.
Rob cut the engine. We didn’t exchange words.
I double checked my gun and that the safety was off.
We climbed out together. There were several men already standing in the dark dead end circle in front of us.
I looked back at our backup car. One of the guys hopped out while the rest stayed in.
I was quiet. I fell into the background and let Rob and his guy lead while we followed the men in front of us to a small square table in the center of darkness and tall grass.
“Rob,” Jimmy nodded once as Rob sat at the table across from him.
“Jimmy,” he responded.
Me and Rob’s guy each took up a side beside him. Jimmy’s men followed suit. The light from both of our vehicles were shining in on us. I resisted the urge I had to look in that direction. I kept my eyes on Jimmy and his hands.
“You never call so what do you want? To talk about the two men you killed?”
“Who said I killed your men? He asked.
Jimmy chuckled. “So, you’re denying you did it and what? You’re here to plead your case?”
“Nah. Never that. One of our spots got burned down tonight though and word on the street is that y’all had a spot lit up too.”
“Word on the street, huh?” Jimmy grinned.
“Yeah and that’s the fucking problem.” Rob leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “When I heard about your spot being lit, I’d just found out that ours was lit too.
I called this meeting because it sounds like someone is trying to make some shit seem like our fault when it ain’t.
We’ve had issues and killed people on both sides, but it ain’t been all out declared war and I’m not trying to make it go that way. ”
“You want me to believe you didn’t burn my spot down in retaliation for yours?”
“That’s right, and you should know I ain’t never duck smoke that I felt I deserved and I ain’t never cop a plea, but I’ll be damned if I take responsibility for some other nigga’s actions.”
Jimmy stared at him for a moment then another one. Then, he leaned back in his seat and sighed.
“We didn’t light your shit on fire either.”
Rob’s eyebrows knitted together. “What?”
“You heard me,” Jimmy said. “I didn’t tell anyone to light your shit on fire and I didn’t do it myself. Whatever went down ain’t have nothing to do with us.”
“With y’all or with you?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m trying to say that all my men were with me and my brother after his car got shot up. Where were yours?”
“What are you trying to say that my men burned down both of our spots?”
“Not all of your men, maybe just one or two.” He exhaled.
“Look, is there anyone in your camp that would have gained something from your spot going down or the two of us going for more blood then we already was? Shit. My blood brother is my second,” he lied.
“Who’s yours and do you think that nigga would want you dead for the come up? ”
Jimmy didn’t answer immediately but it was obvious he had someone in mind. That meant Rob’s boy had been doing a good job planting the seeds of doubt we needed. Rob had one hell of a poker face. I resisted the urge I had to shift on my feet or clear my throat.
Jimmy tapped his fingers on the table in front of him then turned to the side to look at who I assumed was his second.
“Iman, where were you when I couldn’t reach you tonight?”
“What?” Iman chuckled.
“You heard me.”
“Man, I was doing runs with Jr and you’re fucked up to even question me in front of them niggas.”
“Since when?” Jr asked.
“What?” Iman’s head snapped to the side to look at him.
Jimmy’s head slowly turned in his direction.
“What are you saying, Jr?” Jimmy asked.
“I’m saying that Iman wasn’t with me and I’m not covering for that nigga.”
“That’s not fucking funny!” Iman made a move toward him and Jimmy pulled his gun.
“You serious, Jr?”
“I’m serious,” Jr said. “I haven’t seen this nigga all day and I’m not about to be his alibi.”
“So, where were you, Iman?” Jimmy asked.
“I’m telling you where I was.”
“And that’s the story you want to stick to?”
“Nigga, it’s not a story. It’s what happened!” Iman snapped.
Rob lifted an eyebrow, a small smirk on his face. I shifted slightly on my feet.
“So, you’re locking that in?” Jimmy asked.
“What part of-”
Jimmy plucked his gun up from his lap and fired a single shot in Iman’s head that sent his body to the ground. I pulled my own gun on reflex but he wasn’t even looking at Rob, let alone me. His eyes were focused on Iman’s dead body.
We all remained unmoving and silent for a few before Jimmy cleared his throat and faced forward again.
“Sorry about that.” He forced a smile. “So, where were we?”
“We were talking about war.” Rob didn’t miss a beat.
“And what were you saying about it, Rob?” Jimmy set his gun on the table in front of him.
“Look, we lost some shit in the fire and y’all lost some shit in the fire, but honestly, I’ve got enough shit going on and money to make. I’m not interested in none of your fucking territories and as long as you stay the fuck out of mine, I’m down with squashing it.”
“After you killed two of my men and I killed none of yours? Of course you’d be ready to call it even now.”
“The two men that he keep telling yo’ ass we ain’t kill?” I made a face of disgust. “You should have asked that nigga on the ground about it before you blew his motha’fuckin head off.”
Jimmy’s eyes flicked up to mine. “You want me to believe Iman set my boys up?”
“I don’t give a fuck what you believe and if you want to do this street shit, we can do it, but just be ready for whatever the fuck comes next.”
“Ain’t nobody scared of you.” Jimmy chuckled.
“You don’t have to be scared for shit to go left.”
I didn’t bring up the fact he’d lost several men and a safe house since we were acting like we’d lost a good house too and hadn’t, but I knew the thought was one he had.
“Yeah, alright.” Jimmy exhaled and looked back at my brother. “The next time some wild shit happens on this side, I don’t want to meet up, Rob. I just want you to have your best shooters ready for whatever.”
“That’s cool.” Rob smirked. “But uh, just keep in mind, this little truce or whatever is only good as long as you keep your guys off my territory and out of my family’s shop.”
“The shop is a neutral zone.”
“It feels less neutral when people are getting threatened,” I inserted.
“Alledgedly.” He grinned.
Rob nodded at that. “Alledgedly.”
“I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
Rob stood to his feet.
“We good?”
“As much as we’re going to be.”
“Good enough.” Rob nudged his head toward his vehicle. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
He didn’t offer Jimmy a goodbye and it was painfully obvious that Jimmy didn’t give a fuck about if he did or didn’t.
Rob’s friend and I let Rob lead and fell in line beside him. He stood outside of it until I was inside then hopped in beside me. He immediately pulled his gun and set it on his lap, his finger on the trigger.
We both checked the mirrors every few minutes for the first fifteen of our drive.
Then, it was like Rob deflated. He sank in his seat and took a few deep breaths once he parked outside of the crib.
“You good?” I looked over at him.
He nodded once. “As long as you’re good, I’m good, man.”
“You think this lil truce is going to stick?”
“There’s too much money going around to let war get in the middle of shit, especially since we just watched him kill his second.
He’s going to spiral a little bit and have to clean house.
He’ll be too busy building ranks to worry about us right now and if he comes back later, we’ll take care of it again. ”
“Always.” I yawned. “But for real, y’all not go be able to make moves in my shit anymore.”
He nodded. “That’s real. Give us a month or two to figure some shit out and I’ll start moving shit out slowly.”
“Cool.” I tapped my fingers on the door. “I’m going to board that fucking door up too.”
“Forever?”
“Until I sell or die.”
“I feel that.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
He freed one into his mouth.
“You upset about it?” I asked.
“Nah. It’s a little inconvenient but I’m never going to be mad at you for doing what you need to do for you and sister-in-law and I’d never put this shit before the relationship, respect and love I’ve got for you. Nigga, you my blood. You can’t do shit that’ll make me turn my back on you.”
“Alright,” I exhaled. Well if you need me, call me.”
“If you need me, call me,” he repeated. “I love you, bro.”
“I love you, man. Be careful out here.”
“Will do.”
I dapped my brother up and hopped out. I went upstairs, took a shower in the dark then collapsed in bed beside Novi. She rolled into me and I wrapped an arm around her. I kissed along her hair line and she grumbled awake.
Her hand trailed up my arm and to my neck.
“You okay?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah, shawty. I’m cool.”
“Okay. Good.” She yawned.
I let my head trail up to the back of her head and started to massage her scalp.
“I love you, November.”
“What?” She shifted and looked up at me.
“I love you, November,” I repeated.
“I love you too, baby.” She snuggled back into me and kissed the side of my chest.
“I’d do anything for you,” I mumbled.
She nodded against my skin and I smiled to myself as her breathing started to even out and she fell back to sleep against me.
The sun was rising before I let myself fall asleep too.