Chapter 10
TEN
Iso
That call from Posydiann had me feeling like I had been jolted to fucking life.
The way this was happening had to be some type of divine timing.
I was getting my life back, getting my son and my mother back, and I had come across this woman I didn’t intend to need but her nervous system understood mine.
It was a match in heaven and I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world.
I thought the big homie above hated me, but maybe not. He couldn’t, not if he’d sent me her.
“Your thoughts are heavy. Free them, handsome.” Liora’s voice cut through my thoughts, making me glance at her.
She was driving and I was trying my hardest not to die of a fucking heart attack in this car. She never drove under seventy and was lead footed as fuck.
“Yo, I’ma really die this time if you kill us driving like you’re the only person on the fucking road.”
“We good. Don’t worry. Now what’s damning you?”
“Nothing for real. Once this is handled, I can move on with my life. I guess I’m just thinking about everything this means.”
“And Lucky?” she asked, briefly cutting her eyes between me and the road.
“Your pops is looking into that. Turns out he went to see him for an alias right after I showed up to his shop. I went by today and there’s a for sale sign. Nigga picked up and got outta there.”
She shook her head. “I’m not shocked, but you can’t let that sleeping dog lie.”
“Nah I can’t, and I damn sure won’t. Every dog has its day and his is coming. I’ll have the information soon.”
“From whom?”
“Your pops.”
She laughed. “I love my father but you’re looking at a week at the max. Sissy says he’s been backed up since I went back to work. I’ll handle it for you.”
I laughed. “He told me the same thing.”
“I’m gonna help him out, probably next weekend. Kinda miss him too, but no, I won’t tell him that.”
We talked until she pulled up to the docks. The doors opened seconds later and she pulled into the warehouse.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, about to get out.
“Okay,” she responded. She had reclined her seat all the way and put her gun on her lap.
“So you ain’t gonna try to get out of the car?” I looked from her to where Posydiann, Akillah, and two of their men stood talking.
“Nope. You’re good; I’m not here. But if you’re not back at this car in about thirty minutes, there will be no other nigga standing in here. Then I’ll have it cleaned up like nothing happened. Handle your business, handsome. I’m about to take a nap.”
I laughed, getting out of the car. Even though I was laughing, I knew she meant every word.
A brief walk later and I was standing near Posydiann and Akillah.
“When Psy said you wasn’t dead, I didn’t believe him. I dead ass thought the anesthesia they gave him had fucked up his brain. Now here you are. Nigga, I poured my liquor out for you for a month straight.” Akillah greeted me with a brotherly hug.
I chuckled.
“Who’s that in the car?” Posydiann asked.
“My lady. She said y’all niggas got me for about thirty minutes before she get out the car blasting.”
They both laughed.
“Lee’s oldest daughter, right?” Posydiann asked.
I nodded.
“Know her from the car. That motherfucker is tight. I had to get at the lil homie ’bout trying to boost it. Lee been bragging on shorty for years. Only motherfucker speeding through the blocks, foot never onna brake.”
I laughed hard as fuck. “Yeah, that’s Killa.”
“That’s a good look for you. I hear she’s lethal too.”
We made a little more small talk, then headed toward where they had RJ. The closer we got to a door, the louder the yelling.
“That’s him?”
“Hell yeah. Nigga ain’t stopped yelling since I had Rocko pull him out of the trunk.”
“Open the door, Rock.” Posydiann’s voice had big a nigga standing from the corner and walking over to the big metal door.
I watched the door open and the lights cut on. On the floor, tied up in the loosest fucking ropes, was RJ. Nigga was about five-two in a fucking baby shower Burberry shirt. Laughter escaped my lips because I hadn’t seen this lil Napolean wannabe ass nigga since I was about sixteen.
“Yo, this you? In here screaming like a bitch after all the bull you pulled?”
“Fuck you. You’re supposed to be dead.” He even sounded proper. Ol’ Oreo ass nigga.
“But I ain’t. You was too busy tryna prove to your pops that you could do it, now look where you at. Tied up on the concrete floor like bait.”
“You killed my mama, motherfucker. I didn’t kill yours!”
“He didn’t. You did and maybe I had something to do with it.” Akillah’s voice had me smirking.
“This street shit ain’t tit for tat. You did some flawed mess and left your moms unguarded. Now you’re getting ready to be with her. It’s a win-win in my book.” I pulled my pistol from my back.
“Wait, before my boy sends you to go be with your OG, who put you up to this? ’Cause I know your dumbass didn’t decide to move on me or him out of the blue.
Somebody gave you strategy, I wanna know who,” Posydiann said, making me really think about it.
He was right. The fool on the floor wasn’t the mastermind nor was he in charge, but he was to take the fall because he seemed to have a legitimate gripe. Me.
RJ looked from me to Posydiann before shaking his head.
“I wanted to prove I could do it and I did it. Pete told me who the key players were and what to do to become king.”
“King, huh?” I asked.
“And you, our father doted over you and who you were without his help. He said you reminded him of himself when he was younger. That I should stick to legitimate things because I couldn’t run the streets.
I didn’t have what it took to slay beasts.
But look at him, about to do federal time and I slayed you.
You just didn’t stay dead, neither of you. ”
“Bitch, this ain’t Game of Thrones. You didn’t succeed at anything but putting Daddy in jail and getting your mama’s wig shifted.” The heavyset nigga spoke up, which had us all laughing out of nowhere.
“Yo, Rocko, man, what the fuck?” Akillah said through laughter, shaking his head.
“I’m just saying. My baby girl had me watching it with her the other night. He’s speaking their fucking language in here.”
“You right, one more question. Lucky.” I extended my gun.
He laughed. “Another nigga who hated you more than me. Five hundred thousand dollars made your cousin serve you up to me on a platter. He’s the one who brought your baby mama in. And he gave me the blocks you worked so hard to secure.”
I ended his statement for him, sending two slugs to his head. I watched him bleed out for a moment before I looked from Posydiann to Killah.
“So, toothless Pete?” Posydiann repeated as we exited the room and Rocko closed the door.
Suddenly, it seemed to have gotten so much deeper. “That’s a touchy one.”
“Why?”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and immediately went to her contact. I clicked it and put the phone to my ear. The phone rang about three times before she finally answered.
“Yes, Iso? You had about five more minutes and my nap was getting good.”
“Things just got complicated. Come back here right quick.”
“Blasting?” she asked, and I heard her chamber a bullet.
“No, Killa, just come here right quick.” I felt Posydiann and Akillah’s eyes on me the entire time I spoke.
“Okay.” She hung up and I looked at both of them.
“Y’all trust me?” I asked, knowing the way things would sound.
“Since big wheels and grape snowballs, why?” Akillah said, crossing his arms across his chest.
“Pete is more than just an old toothless pimp who runs a strip club.”
“How do you know that?” Akillah asked.
“Because I told him. I know a lot more than I should about this world and the world Pete currently belongs to. Now why are we talking about Pete?” Liora walked up coolly, standing next to me.
“Because RJ just said Pete was the one who put this together. Played it like Monopoly.”
She shook her head. “Critical, and possibly his way of maneuvering so he can stay useful to the agency. I could see it. Instead of turning you all in, he takes your place, gains your power and connections, then starts turning them in too.”
“You a fed?” Akillah asked.
“Nope. I’m a lot of things and currently not operating on US soil. So I’m not here right now, even though somebody asked me to get out of the car who is also not here right now.” She cut her eyes at me.
“My bad, Killa.”
“Mhmm. If I was here right now, I’d say he’s old. How do old people die? Not loudly or in any way to cause any sort of investigation.”
“Yo, you just lost me. You not here right now, but you’re telling us what we’re supposed to do,” Akillah responded, showing his confusion and not even trying to read between the lines.
“I mean, yeah. You didn’t die. Neither of you, so his next step would be putting your names in a file. You don’t want that.”
The entire time Liora spoke, Posydiann was quiet, studying her and her words. “She got a point.”
“Now, I’m going back to the car I should be in right now. Nice meeting you gentlemen.” She walked off without another word.
Silence filled the space before Akillah put his phone to his ear.
“Yo, Ce. Slip that old nigga Pete a hot one and make it his last.” Then he was off the phone and looking from me to Posydiann. “What? She said make it quiet. He’s about to hit his last blow.”
I didn’t mean to laugh but I couldn’t help it. Akillah was funny as fuck without even trying.
Posydiann shook his head. “Yeah, so you make him OD. Yeah fool, you’re off your shit, but whatever ends this is fine with me.
Iso, are you stepping back in and taking the blocks back or what?
” he asked, mind on business as usual. While Akillah dealt with everything concerning force, Posydiann had always been about the money.
“Nah. I’ve been away too long. Think I’ma kick it with this legit motion for a minute. See what’s to life without looking over my fucking shoulder.”
“I feel you. And Lucky?” Akillah asked.
“In due time.”
I gave the door where RJ’s body was one last look and shook my head. The thought of all this really came down to him throwing his whole life away because he couldn’t fathom his father’s bastard child being something he wasn’t.
I was parked outside of my mama’s house, the same spot I had been in the last several times I pulled up just to see them.
Those times were different from this one.
Those times I couldn’t interact. This one I was nervous as fuck like these weren’t my people.
This all just felt surreal because at a point during this journey I didn’t think I’d ever get back here. Like I’d never make it back to them.
“You know this works better if you get out of the car, handsome.”
“I know. I just can’t get the pain on my mama’s face at my funeral out of my head.”
“She won’t go through that pain anymore. You’re coming home to her and your son. Now come on. Let’s get out of this car.”
I glanced at her and she was giving me the sternest look her beautiful face could muster. “Yo, you’re not gonna always be right.”
“So you think. Now can we get out or are we gonna stalk the front door for a while longer?”
I didn’t even respond to her little rude ass. I just opened the door and got out of the car. Every step I took felt heavy, like there was something unsaid and unfelt. I closed my eyes, standing against the truck. Seconds later I felt her squeezing her hand into mine.
“Let’s go, handsome. I’m tryna meet your mama and your youngin.”
I laughed and allowed her to pull me in the direction of my mama’s house. When we finally entered the gate, the climb up the stairs felt endless. Once we reached the top, there was no turning back.
I stood there staring at the door for fucking ever before Liora rang the doorbell.
“Yep, count that as me helping, because if I let you, we’d be standing out here for another hour instead of in there.”
Shuffling on the other side of the door interrupted any response I was about to give. Then about five seconds later, the door opened and I was looking down at my mother. Tears were in her eyes and those motherfuckers were contagious because they were in mine too.
“What I tell you ’bout not looking through that peephole, lady?”
“Arsenial, my baby.” She clutched her face with her hands before I stepped in, pulling her petite body into mine. I felt her crying in my arms and that broke me. I felt how much she missed me and how much me being dead had affected her.
“You were dead. They said you died.” She spoke into my chest. I literally felt the wetness of her tears.
“I didn’t, Mama. I had to figure it out before I came back to y’all.”
She then pulled back, looking up at me. Her face was red and so were her eyes. “And did you?”
“I did. I’m back for good. I ain’t going nowhere again.”
“You promise?” she asked, looking at me in a way only she could. Even if I had any intention of lying, I wouldn’t have been able. Mama had that look about her that said no matter what I’d been through her wrath would hit worse.
“Good, now get in here and let me feed you while you introduce me to this beautiful young lady you have me crying in front of.”
I laughed at that moment, reminded that Liora was standing beside me. When I looked at her, I could’ve sworn those contagious tears had gotten her ass too. Not Killa.
When we entered her house, I immediately felt home. The familiar smells, same ass decorations, and most of all, the smell of a hearty dinner she was cooking.
“My bad, Mama. This is Liora. Liora, this is my mama.” I laughed at how that sounded and so did both of them.
My mother let me go, then moved toward Liora, pulling her into a hug without her permission. She frankly didn’t give a fuck if Liora wanted one or not.
“You are beautiful and I feel like you’re part of what brought my baby back to me.” My mother held Liora’s hands, looking into her eyes.
“She is part of the reason.” I leaned over and kissed the side of her face.
Liora cut her eyes at me before nodding in my mother’s direction. “It’s really nice to meet you, Ms. Brooks.
“Nope, baby. The way he looks at you and the way you look at him is indication enough that you don’t have to call me Ms. anything. Call me Ma.”
Liora nodded.
“Mama, where is Junior?”
“In there sleep and don’t you wake him up. He’s been running his lil tail around here terrorizing everything. Even the damn cats are hiding. Usually, Lucky gives me a break, but he done up and disappeared. Darla can’t even get in touch with him. You know she’s about ready to pop.”
I shook my head at the mention of Lucky, listening to my mother go on and on.