Chapter 3
It felt like my heart would beat out of my chest as I called Carteay back for the fifth time.
Something wasn’t right. I knew it. I could feel it.
After a while, I decided that it might not be a good idea to keep calling.
Instead of continuing to blow her up, I tossed my phone in the passenger seat as I continued to race down the highway.
She called.
She sent her location, and I pinned it down to Big Time Record label headquarters. What the hell was going on? It didn’t matter. She called. I told her that I would always come when she called. No matter how heartbroken or hurt I was, I was a man of my word above all else.
Big Time Records was an hour and a half away from my house. I probably made it there in half the time. I parked in front of the door and hopped out of my truck, making a dash for the door. Almost everything was on the second and third floor, so I headed straight for the elevator.
On the second floor, I rushed up to the desk where a girl with a big blonde afro usually sat. Today, it was deserted. In fact, I didn’t see anyone. Maybe because it was after hours. I didn’t give a damn what time it was. Carteay was here somewhere, and she needed me.
“Carteay!” I called her name just for the hell of it.
She was here. At least her phone was. Since there was no one at the desk, I moved down the hall looking for any sign of life.
I felt like I’d gotten lucky when I heard voices coming from one of the offices on the hall.
I stopped in my tracks and knocked on the door, then proceeded to open it without bothering to wait for a response. Knocking was just an announcement.
Lo and behold, the one and only Cy the Great sat on the edge of a desk talking to some corny looking dude in an expensive suit. My fingers were itching to wrap around Cyrus’s throat, but I had more pressing matters at hand. I needed him to be able to talk right now.
“Where is Carteay?” I asked, not bothering to waste time with pleasantries.
“Excuse me, nigga?” Cyrus asked, scowling as he stood to his feet.
“You don’t understand English or something? Where is Carteay? She called and asked me to pick her up from here.”
“First of all, nigga, don’t ever bust up in here trying to regulate shit just ’cause you big as hell. That’s my bitch you’re referring to,” Cyrus barked.
See, I knew better than to try to do shit the easy way, but at least I tried. I could tell Kross that once the smoke cleared. Taking a step forward, I closed the space between us. The smile that spread across my lips was misleading. I always got excited when I had to get active.
“Do I look like a nigga that got time to tongue wrestle? Better yet, do I look like something to play with?” I asked, just to make sure he understood the severity of the situation.
Cyrus scoffed before answering my question. “Yeah, you kinda do, if I was an old G.I. Joe collecting type of dude.”
“That’s funny. You should try stand-up, man,” I said, closing the space between us as I snatched him to me and wrapped my bicep around his throat.
“Wait a minute!” the other guy yelled, jumping from his seat.
“Aht, aht,” I said, raising my brows, hoping all he needed was warning to stand down. Just in case it wasn’t, I yanked his phone out of his hand. I didn’t need him trying to call the goons in. I just wanted Carteay out of here right now. “We’re just talking. Right, Cy my guy?”
Of course, he couldn’t respond with my arm crushing his windpipe. A second ago, he wanted to be a comedian, but now as his arms flailed like crazy, I was sure he had made the decision to stick to his day job. Taking my attention off his guy, I looked back down at Cyrus.
“You know how much I want to end your pitiful life right now, boy? If that album wasn’t dropping soon, I would snap your fucking neck like a twig.
I like your music though. Consider me a fan if you will.
At the same time, I would hate for your album sales to go through the roof just because I killed your ass.
Me liking all that hot shit you like to pop in your songs don’t give you a pass though, nigga.
You can disappear too. While you’re calling me G.I.
Joe, add magician to the list, pussy. Now, we’re going to do this one more time.
I don’t like repeating myself, so consider yourself lucky. Where is Carteay?” I asked.
I held Cy in a chokehold for a few more seconds before releasing him. He stumbled away from me, almost falling when I let him go. He doubled over, coughing as he fought to catch his breath. I didn’t have time for this shit.
“Where the fuck is she?” I barked.
“I don’t know, man. She left.”
“Bullshit! Her location shows that she’s still here.”
“I ain’t her keeper. We were in the studio up until a little while ago. I thought she left.”
“You ain’t her keeper? You said that was your bitch, right? I should snatch your filthy tongue out your mouth for saying that. Is your mama a bitch, nigga? Say? Is that what you call your mother?”
“The fuck wrong with you, man? Ain’t you a security guard or some shit?”
I took a step forward, and he held his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t think so.” I snarled. “Now where the fuck is she?”
“She was with Ceasar. He left about ten minutes ago.”
“Going where? Why would she get me to come here if she was leaving?”
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.” Instead of putting my hands back around his neck, I passed the phone in my hand to him.
“Call her.”
“This ain’t my phone.”
“Did I ask you—” Instead of finishing my question, I snatched the phone and gave it to the other punk in the room. “Let me put it this way. If Carteay ain’t on somebody’s gah damn phone in the next five seconds, you can cancel all your plans for the rest of the day. You too, Urkel.”
“It’s Tyler.” The cornball spoke up.
I threw my head back because I had already done more than enough talking. I took a deep breath trying to remember some of the shit my brother said they told him in anger management. I never needed to control my anger. I usually handled shit and went about my business. I hated being tested though.
“She ain’t gon’ answer for me. She’s pissed off with me right now.” Cy spoke up.
“OK. I’m calling!” Tyler shouted.
“Put it on speaker, homeboy. I don’t trust your scary ass not to call the folks.”
The phone rang through to voicemail before he hit the end button.
“I’ll call Ceasar.”
I narrowed my eyes as I stared Cyrus down. He watched the door as he made the call. Apparently, no one answered because he ended the call. I didn’t have time to react to him before the door swung open behind me. Without looking back, I already knew what time it was.
“If one of you muthafuckas puts your hands on me, you better kill me. Cyrus, buddy, how many funerals you been to in the span of a week? You wanna break that record? You better call your dogs off before y’all have to put somebody’s mortuary on speed dial.
As a matter of fact, I know a good one in the area.
I’ll leave in peace for now, but I’m coming back for her,” I said before turning and pushing past Cy’s crew.
When I made it to the door, I turned back.
“Bring me Carteay. I’m not sure if you want to find out how I’m willing to come behind that one. ”
Nobody laid a finger on me as I headed out of the building to my truck.
I prayed that no one there would try to call my bluff, but just in case, I stayed put out front.
I checked my app again just to make sure Carteay’s phone still picked up in the area.
I punched the steering wheel when I saw that her location no longer showed up.
These muthafuckas thought I was a toy. My baby was there. Something told me that she was. I couldn’t feel her energy though. That was the only reason I left the building without her. If she isn’t here, where is she?
Her distressed call was not going unanswered.
I was going to find her. I knew that I was going to make a rash decision and do some irrational shit.
There was nothing anyone could do to stop me.
First, I needed to call up reinforcement.
I dialed my brother’s number and took a deep breath as I rested my head against the headrest. Kross answered after a couple of rings.
“Bro, she called.”
“Where are you? You need me?” he asked.
“I’m at Big Time Records. She sent her location, and it brought me here. They’re saying she’s not here, but that bitch Cyrus is in there. He claims she left with the owner, that nigga Ceasar Williams.”
“What you need?” he asked again.
“His location, his address, and anything else you can find on him. He lives here in the city. Get the same information on Cyrus and find out what security company the label uses. I think they do a lot of freelancers. That’s why my team was getting pulled in here and there when she had a show.
Her phone was pinging here a minute ago, but now her location is off. ”
“I’m on my way to you.”
“I’m not sitting here waiting around, Kross. Send me his address before I go back in there and get it myself,” I said, getting out of the car.
“First of all, get from in front of those folks’ building before I have to bail you out of jail when I make it there. I need about twenty minutes to get the information, Kannon. Sit your hot ass down somewhere before you catch on fire.”
I wasn’t listening to the shit Kross was saying, but his words did give me a thought. Just in case someone wanted to call my bluff, I had some motivation for their ass. My eyes stung as I thought about what they could be doing to Carteay.
Nigga, are you crying? I shook my head before trying again to get my brother to see where I was coming from.
“I don’t have time to think rational, Kross. Something is wrong. I know it. Call Blaine and have him scramble the street feed in front of the building and for the whole block starting at nine this morning. You told me to get my girl. I’m getting her.”