Chapter 12 #2
“Hell yeah, and on top of all that, he’s been feeding me drugs and women so I wouldn’t know something was off.
As soon as I started asking questions, the nigga started moving funny.
He told me he bought Carteay for me, to keep me occupied, and I’m still too dumb to appreciate everything he did to make me.
I told the nigga if you made me, make another me. ”
“That don’t excuse the shit you did to her!” I barked.
“I know, man. I’ll be the first to admit that I made some fucked-up decisions.
I been going to meetings and trying to get sober.
He’s the one that hipped me to that shit.
I could stay up for two or three days working on an album and that shit would go platinum.
I lost sight of why I started doing that rap shit in the first place.
Carteay is a good girl. She don’t deserve none of this.
I let them get in my head and make me treat her like property.
Cease a sick dude, and I’m even worse than him for letting him get to me. I want to try to make that shit right.
“I been getting my paperwork together, because I don’t know what kind of deal Carteay got, but that nigga been trimming. She uses a label accountant, so she might not even be able to sift through the bullshit,” Cyrus explained.
“The information my people found should be enough to force the sale if you still want to go through with it, Bro.”
Not only had Kross dug up information on Ceasar’s fucked-up business practices, but he had uncovered two different affairs with women who weren’t even old enough to drink. He was paying the rent and tuition for one of them and had a baby on the way by the other.
“I want Carteay free any way I can get it,” I said.
“Well, I’m about to sue his ass before Cheyenne files for a divorce,” Cyrus divulged.
“What if his wife already knows he’s cheating?” I asked.
“That ain’t the point. The barely legal women he’s financing is just to let him know how much we know. He’s being financed by the 3rd Street Mafia. That’s going to put it over the top,” Kross chimed in.
“But don’t The Force run the 3rd Street Mafia?” I frowned.
“Now you get me. I made some calls. He’s out after the next meeting, which happens to be Monday.
After that, he can either sell or go to prison for money laundering.
I got the whole paper trail. I’ve already spoken to Cheyenne, and she’s willing to sell the business if she can keep a ten percent stake for her kids.
Him going to prison will be considered abandonment, and she gets his shares too.
She’s supposed to ask him for a divorce tonight.
She will be in touch in the morning. She wants a quick sale. ”
“Send me the numbers,” I said, nodding.
“Kannon, don’t touch him until we get all this shit cleared,” Kross cautioned.
“I ain’t so much as breathed on the man. He’s the one trying to kill me.”
“Stand down, Bro,” my brother reiterated.
“Say that at my funeral, nigga,” I snapped.
“Just give us two days. You need to get a lawyer on this shit, and Cheyenne needs to sign the forms I sent her.”
“Are we good?” Cyrus asked me.
“We ain’t never gon’ be good, but you can live for now.”
He had the nerve to laugh like I wasn’t dead fucking serious. “If you don’t start spending time with your grandma, I promise I’ma bust your ass for old and new.”
“I got you, man. She showed me a picture of her new grandson. I actually thought you were fucking with me about that bingo shit.”
“Kannon, you still taking that boy grandma to bingo?” Kross questioned.
“Once a week at eleven in the morning like clockwork.”
He scoffed. “But I’m the crazy one.”
“Hell, he won’t do it. She’s nice. He’s lucky I liked her, or I would have snatched that walker and pushed her ass down the first day.”
“She’s the man’s fucking grandma, Kannon. What you gon’ do when she finds out who you are?”
“Tell her that she raised a bitch. I’m sure she already knows that though. She talks enough shit about how her grandson never has time for her but is all over the TV, flashing money.”
“I’m trying to do better,” Cyrus added.
“Don’t try. Do.”
“One more thing, is she still pregnant?” he questioned.
I turned to him and shook my head. “Don’t worry yourself with that. It sounds like you got enough problems.”
“I don’t want nobody thinking I’m not in my child’s life.”
“We don’t want you in our lives.”
“Let her know I want to help her out of this shit,” Cyrus requested.
“I already said I’ll let you live, lil’ nigga. Don’t push it.”
One of Cyrus’s guys laughed, reminding me that they were in the room. Cyrus smiled too. “I got ya,” Cyrus said before leading his team out of the hotel room.
“She’s pregnant?” Kross asked from behind me.
“We’re not telling anybody yet. Well, I take that back. I heard her telling her mom.”
“Is it yours?”
“It don’t matter,” I said, turning back to face him.
“I know, Bro. I’m just asking.”
“Even if he wasn’t mine, that puts a rush on things. It’s a good thing that Cy realized that he wasn’t as much of a problem as he thought he was. I can’t keep letting the clock run on that bitch ass Ceasar though. Bro, he tried to kill us!”
“I get it, Bro. You know if no one else gets it, I do. How you want to run this?”
“I’ll give him the two days and let his wife set everything in motion.”
“Be strategic, Bro. I’m not losing or leaving my wife behind because you’re heated right now. You gotta move like there will be a tomorrow. Sounds like you got a little one to consider now. You know you don’t want to leave him behind like Dad did us.”
Why did a lump instantly form in my throat?
I shook it off before responding. “I can’t take no threats lightly, Bro. The last time . . . the last time I slept on a threat—”
“Audrey died,” Kross said, finishing my statement. My eyes shot to him. He was looking off into space.
“She said she had it under control, Bro. She thought they were harmless threats.”
“I know, Kannon. There was a note on her desk. Something about asking for your opinion about some messages or something, and she scribbled in that you thought she should mention them to me.”
“I shoulda done something.” My voice cracked, but I didn’t try to hide it.
“There was nothing you could do, and you know it. That woman was as strong willed and hardheaded as they come. That’s why I loved her.”
“It’s not too late for Carteay though.”
“You’re right. She’s off the grid for now. You sure she’s good?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. Kross and I both knew you could never be too sure.
“Just give us two days. Leave her wherever she is until then. Patience, grasshopper.”