Chapter 13
Nyla’s hands were shaking on the steering wheel the whole drive, her feelings were so hurt, but her heart carried a different type of pain.
Rain slapped the windshield while her thoughts crashed harder than the storm outside.
It was almost impossible for her to see with the rain mixed with her own tears.
She couldn’t get the look in her brother’s eyes out her head, it replayed over and over again and each time it hurt a little more.
By the time she pulled up to Kyst’s house her eyes were swollen; she had been crying for days, giving him short conversation all while trying to figure out how she was going to end things.
Her chest felt tighter than a stretched rubber band, she meant what she said, she loved Kyst. The last two months had been the happiest months of her life, he did that for her.
She had called Kyst and told him they needed to talk and there she was. The door opened before she could ring the bell, as soon as her eyes landed on him, they started leaking. He frowned a little, but didn’t say a word; he pulled her into his arms then inside the house.
“What’s wrong?” he finally asked as she looked away.
Banko spoke and disappeared, leaving the two alone. Kyst never took his eyes off Nyla, she stood there in tears.
“What happened, Baby?”
The calmness in his voice made her feel safe like she could tell him anything, but how do she tell that man that her brother is a killer and he is a target if she doesn’t leave him alone?
“I told my brother about us.”
“And?”
Nyla had never said much about Chello to Kyst because it wasn’t necessary in her eyes.
“He already knew your name before I even said your name.”
Kyst gave a stale face, “How he know me?”
“My brother finds out whatever he wants. He says you and your family are in the game heavy, is that true?”
He looked her in her eyes, “Very. But what does that have to do with you?”
“He doesn’t want me in the mix.”
“Sweetheart, your brother is a drug lord also, so aren’t you already in the mix?”
Chello wasn’t the only nigga that had done his research; in that moment, she realized she was stuck in the a whirlwind with not only one, but two crazy niggas.
“How do you know what my brother does?”
“The same way that nigga know about me, but what now?”
Nyla wrapped her arms around herself, “I betrayed him.”
“You ain’t betray him, you not responsible for that nigga emotions.”
“He raised me, Kyst.”
Tears fell harder from her eyes now; her heart was breaking in her chest as the conversation carried out.
“When our mama got killed, Chello became everything. He wore every hat, brother, father, protector…everything. You don’t understand.”
Kyst stared at her for a minute before stepping away.
“So what now?” he asked with low eyes.
Nyla broke just hearing the question because she knew her answer before he asked.
“We gotta end this.”
Kyst looked at her with disgust mixed with hurt.
“What?”
“We can’t do this no more.”
He nodded, “Bet.”
“Kyst…”
“It’s cool.”
She wiped her tears quickly and walked over to him.
“You don’t understand how dangerous my brother is. He knows exactly who you are and that’s not good.”
Kyst laughed, not because she said something funny, but because he was insulted.
“Not good for who?”
“Anyone. Look, I’m not underestimating you or him, I just don’t want anyone to get hurt. He’s a killer, Kyst!”
“So. He told you everything else about me but left that detail out? I know exactly who Chello is and he knows exactly who the fuck I am.”
“That’s exactly what I’m scared of.”
“You gon’ let him control you all your life? If so, you doing the right shit by walking away from me because I can’t fuck with that.”
She dropped her head, “He’s just trying to protect me, Kyst.”
“And I ain’t?”
That question hit different because he was. Kyst protected her from stress, loneliness, and sometimes from herself. He made her feel soft and loved, but love in their world was dangerous, even deadly.
“Nyla, you think ending this gon’ stop anything?”
“It’ll stop a war before it happens.”
Kyst went silent for a second, “This shit bigger than us, baby, but if leaving me eases your mind, go ahead. But Nyla, make sure you can handle your decision.”
That statement alone made her stomach drop, she instantly felt sick. Could she go on without him? To protect him, or even her brother, she had to.
“Please, don’t make this harder for me.”
“I tried to make it easy, you let your brother make it hard, but I understand. Take care,” he walked over to the door and opened as she cried like a baby.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
Day three and Kyst had cut off all contact to Nyla, he saw her calls and messages but didn’t respond.
That shit alone was killing him, he couldn’t even lie, he missed his baby.
Love was a strong ass word, and he didn’t know if that was what he was feeling in his heart, but he knew he felt something.
His phone vibrated in his lap and pulled him out of his thoughts, thank God because he wanted to call Nyla so bad.
He picked it up and looked at the screen, a text from Londa.
Londa: It was good seeing you the other day.
He hesitated on replying to the bitch because she had been dry flirting with him since he first bumped into her. The crazy part was Kyst used to have the biggest crush on Londa back in the day and he knew one day, the tables would turn and them bitches had turned.
Kyst: That right?
Londa: Yeah, you know you had my cousin tight.
That was funny because Ty seemed like she was unbothered by his presence and that was different, but he was cool with it. Maybe she had finally grown out of that ghetto shit, but that was too much like right.
Kyst: That wasn’t “tight” Ty.
Londa: Baby, listen, she pretends well. Anyway, I’m trying to party with some Harlem niggas this weekend, what’s up?
Kyst had been handling everything Love sent his way and in his free time, missing Nyla. He could use a night out, a few drinks, and some music.
Kyst: This yo city, what we doing?
Londa: Lol. Saturday, The Kingpin, it’s a strip club, good drinks, and badd bitches.
Kyst: Bet.
Londa: Heads up, Ty’s coming out.
Kyst didn’t give a fuck about being around Ty if she was on that weird shit, they started out as friends and they used to vibe heavy before he laid dick on her.
Kyst: That’s cool. Hit me the weekend.
Londa: Just the weekend?
Kyst laughed to himself and shook his head, bitches wasn’t shit.
Kyst: What you getting at?
Londa: I’m tryna get at you.
Kyst: Gon’ head on Londa.
Londa: Lol, see you the weekend.
“Nigga, get up off the couch. Three days of crying is enough,” Banko walked into the living room.
“Crying? Fuck outta here. Why this bitch Londa wildn’ with the flirting shit? She wanna go with us the weekend.”
“Who is us? I don’t trust that bitch, nah, dub that.”
Banko didn’t like Londa, not even a little bit, and he didn’t hide it. Kyst wanted to see what was to her, but he was far from stupid, he knew Londa’s type. Part of his job was to get familiar with the city so he looked at it as work.
“We gotta step out anyway, might as well have fun doing it.”
“We don’t need that bitch to step out.”
“Oh, but we just might…She’s Chello’s bitch.”
Banko looked up from his phone, “Word?”
“Yup.”
“How you find that out?”
“Love. And Chello ain’t even the biggest problem in the city. A nigga named Cease is Chello’s biggest rival, he’s from the southside, but wants the city.”
“That ain’t our problem.”
“Yet. This is their city for now, but Harlem on the rise.”
“We ain’t got enough manpower down here for no war with these niggas.”
Kyst took a long pull from the blunt, “Lil Cap, Booka, and Woo on standby.”
Banko’s eyes grew wide, those three lil niggas alone would wipe out an entire city. Rico from the Paid In Full movie was them - bikers, killers, reckless. They were the definition of three the hard way, straight remorseful lunatics. Young, wild, crazy, and loyal as fuck to the Lucas family.