Get at Me #11
“I know you’re honorable. And you made a promise that I’d always be safe with you. So far, you’re doing a smashing job. No pun intended about the current state of your vehicle.”
The nurse walked in before I could ask her if she wanted to come sit on my face, talking to me like that.
I was grateful for the distraction because I was once again feeling shit.
The physical pain wasn’t the issue; it was the mental aspect.
The realization that someone had gotten too close and now Asha was potentially in harm’s way and I’d come close to failing her.
The idea of her being harmed did something to me and I knew it was the effect of the emotions I wasn’t trying to remember I could feel.
It took two days for me to get out of the medical facility that we had based in DC.
That was the beauty of the network that we had.
No matter where we were help was always close by and I released myself because two days down was the most I could handle.
My head was still hurting and I hadn’t discussed with anyone that I was getting out of the facility.
Except Alec.
My work car was fucked up and if I drove my personal one then I would need to pull it out of the garage at Asha’s home. I didn’t want to linger with the moves I needed to make so when he pulled up out of the facility I wasted no time sliding into his front seat.
Shifting around was uncomfortable even with the clothing Asha had left for me.
It was all casual since she thought I’d still be in the hospital but I could make it work.
Lounge pants, a t-shirt and slides were all that I had on me besides my wallet and my guns.
I wasn’t about to make this run without my gun.
“Where to?”
I pulled out my phone and tossed it to him. The address was already pulled up and I didn’t feel like saying much. My head was hurting again and I needed my energy for what we were about to get into.
“That’s his address.”
Alec nodded before handing me my phone back and I tucked it into my pocket as he pulled off from the curb.
“He know we’re coming?”
I huffed and kept my eyes closed as I felt Alec whip us through traffic. “Hell nah. Element of surprise.”
“Ah. I’ll make sure to have my shit at hand then.” Alec sounded way too excited but clearly he needed to feel useful and I was happy to give him the opportunity.
“I’d hate to think you were slacking.” I peeked my eyes open to gauge his reaction.
“Never that.” We drove silently for a few miles before I saw him glance at me from the corner of his eye. “You good?”
“Head hurts like a bitch but other than that, just bumps.”
“You sure you should be out here and not at home? I know you ain’t let wifey know that you checked yourself out.”
“They have strict instructions not to give her any information on my release and to just say that I’m resting.”
He shook his head and sighed like he was sick of my shit. “Oh, you’re trying to have her call this shit off.”
“You think she’s going to go that far?”
He scoffed and since he was the person who’d witnessed our interactions up close and personal I valued what he had to say.
“Umm, I’m sure you’ve already observed this about your wife but you’re not dealing with a weak woman. She might cut your shit off playing with her.” He laughed too damn long and too damn hard for my liking.
“This shit funny to you?”
“Yeah watching you battle how you’re feeling is funny as hell.
It’s only matched because she’s fighting her feelings even harder than you are.
Why you think I told your ass to take her out?
Y’all are too busy fighting nature and that’s the reason why the two of you can’t get your shit together with this case.
Y’all too happy ignoring the shit that could be the driving force that helps everything in your life fall into place. ”
“You back to speaking on fate and signs and everything.”
“Yeah, I am. My people might have been raised catholic but they didn’t forget our real roots. If you would stop running you would hear your ancestors screaming at you that they’re trying to send you the woman that completes your stubborn ass.”
I knew I was being stubborn and I needed to be honest about Asha potentially having something to do with the Rawlins murder but now wasn’t the time. “My ancestors should’ve known better than to do that.”
“Swear you need therapy, bruh.”
“Imagine you telling me that I need therapy. Not the OC Cartel’s top hitter.”
He grinned harder unafraid of the life he led. “So people gotta die but that doesn’t mean I am not emotionally regulated in my day-to-day life. The women who know me are well satisfied. And I’m not just talking about my dick either.”
“I’d hope you wouldn’t be talking about that shit at all. Nobody is interested in that.”
“You don’t want to make a go of this? I’m saying O, I know you've been alone but I see the way the two of y’all are.
Y’all fit. Your hurt matches hers. I never thought I would see you in female form but she’s damn near it.
Y’all are both smart as fuck and have a near-identical disdain for people.
And even though I haven’t seen it I can tell she’s just as unbalanced as you are.
She barely flinched at the crime scene photos so we know she ain’t wrapped too tight. ”
“Stop talking about my wife.”
He laughed the surprise on his face because of my vehemence. “Oh, good so you're claiming her now? Good, cause you need to.”
“I’m saying—”
“Shut up. You’re saying it because you mean it.
You feel something but go ahead and try to deny it.
You can only lie to yourself for so long.
The way you’ve been overly protective of her, ensuring that you’re getting in her way.
The way you tossed Anderson like he was nothing because he talked to her—”
I needed to heal up because that fucker was going to see me again. “He was attempting to proposition her like his attention was something that would have her working with him.”
“Oh, so jealousy.”
I sat up making my head spin cause he was playing in my face. “Nig-”
“What? You know it was so, please stop lying to yourself. It’s annoying watching somebody I respect be so gotdamn delusional. Makes me wonder if I should even consider you a friend with the way you’re walking around with blinders on.”
“Shut the fuck up and let’s go handle this business, Vega.
” I opened the door, pissed at the effort it was taking and wishing I wasn’t having these issues.
One thing was for sure. The second I found out who the fuck had put me in this situation they were gonna die slow.
Not only for what they did to me, they were going to pay for Asha having to worry about me.
And that meant I was going to beat their asses to death before it was all said and done.
It took everything in me to stay upright as we walked up to the house that was further out from the city. Vega knocked on the door as if he could recognize that I wasn’t in any condition to do it.
“Keep your head—”
“Nah. If he did this shit he’s about to lose his.”
The house was in an affluent area but one that was further out from the city center. It was quiet enough out here that people weren’t going to be out yet.
He scoffed and turned to face the door, waiting for it to open. “The fact that you’re waiting to ring the bell and not kicking this bitch in tells me you know it wasn’t him; you’re just checking the boxes.”
“I’m hurt.”
“Your head but not your legs. And you’d suffer through it if you thought he was guilty.”
He was right but I wasn’t about to tell his ass that. Instead, I turned back to the door as it opened.
“What’s good, Ori?” My cousin Hakeem opened the door with surprised confusion on his face. Surprised because I’d never been to his house and confusion at his wondering what the fuck I was doing here. He looked rumpled like we’d woken him up from a dead sleep.
“Can we come in?”
It was about as nice as I would be and I could tell he realized something was up when he glanced over at Alec.
“Is this official shit or family shit?”
“Both.”
Hakeem nodded and took a few steps back, opening the door wider to let us in.
His house was nice, the type of nice that meant his mother had been smarter with her money than Uncle James and Theo’s branch of the family had been.
I was sure that my mother’s needs had been taken care of by Pappy because he felt it was his responsibility since she was his son’s widow.
But it was clear that my cousin and his mother weren’t hurting for money even outside of the restaurants and clubs.
“What’s this about?” Hakeem stood up straight, shoulders back his right hand gripping his left wrist. His posture was defensive but I could understand the reason for him bracing himself.
“There was an accident that your cousin was involved in a few nights ago.”
“Yeah cousin Faith told me you’d had an accident but I wasn’t sure if it was something serious. We need to handle somebody?”
“Nah. We need to clear the field of suspects.”
Hakeem’s head bounced understanding why we were here. “Cool, mark my ass off the list ‘cause I ain’t do the shit. Now, who else we need to look into?” He looked between the two of us like he was ready to put in work no questions asked.
“You think we’re going to just take your word?”
Hakeem glanced at me then Alec, before he chuckled and his laughter drifted softly around the room.
“Listen, I could give two fucks about what you think about my word. Like I told his Jolly Hawaiian Giant ass I don’t want his seat.
Not trying to get Pappy or anyone else out of the way to have their seat.
I love the life I live.” His arms spread wide he did a turn in the middle of the room.
“I live like a king and I don’t have any of the weight that this nigga has to carry.
I enjoy the work I do and the money I make.
I ain’t on that diplomacy bullshit like he has to be. ”
Alec’s barked laugh echoed through the large marble foyer. “You think Ori is diplomatic? You really don’t know him that well.”
“I don’t, but his temper is far more easygoing than mine.
But what I know of him is that if he thought I was going to be on some bullshit I’d already have a bullet in my head and y’all would be ransacking this place trying to find the evidence of who I worked with to get this shit done.
Since my mama ain’t having to buy a black dress for next weekend let’s go in the kitchen, grub, and figure out what the fuck is going on. ”
He turned around unbothered and started walking deeper into the house, leaving me and Alec looking at one another wondering how the hell we lost control of the situation.
“You heard him, let’s go. I’m hungry as fuck since I missed breakfast coming to get your ass.” Alec tucked his gun behind his back and followed the direction Hakeem had walked in not bothering to wait for me.
I trailed behind him taking in how nice the place was. It was well-decorated and wasn’t finished like a bachelor’s pad.
When we walked into the kitchen Hakeem was pulling bacon and eggs out of the refrigerator.
“You know what you’re doing?”
“I ain’t dead yet, am I? Eat or not, it don’t make me no difference.” He shrugged and continued with what he was doing.
It was awkward for a few minutes because despite this being my blood I didn’t know shit about him.
“You think that you’re going to need more people with their ear to the street about this shit?” He didn’t look up from where he was cracking eggs in a bowl.
“Don’t know yet but it’s possible.”
He looked at us as he wiped his hands on a towel. “Probably necessary. You've got too much shit going on for you to be slipping. I’m not about to work under James’ bitch ass so tighten up.”
Alec chuckled at his words as he leaned against the counter. “I think I like him.”
Hakeem looked up and smirked before glancing at me.
“He does too his ass is just too stubborn to admit it. But let’s run through this shit and eat.
I just crawled my ass into bed a few hours ago.
If you're not gone let me put a bullet in somebody’s head.
Let’s get this list going so I can carry my ass back to sleep. ”