Chapter 8
“So you saying these niggas just rolled up and took these niggas and y’all let ’em?” Eirian squinted at Montrez and the rest of the crew inside the small trap house.
When he pulled up, everyone was on point. Montrez’s head swayed back and forth, locs dangling in front of his face. Eirian puffed on a blunt the size of a fucking baseball bat it was so big.
“What was we supposed to do when they had enough firepower to lay us all down?” Montrez queried. “And we know about them niggas. Nobodywalks away from Finn and that nigga Rose.”
“So what? You scared of these niggas or something?” Eirian questioned, leaned back at the small square table in the dining room.
Holding court while the young gunners stood humble as hell in front of him, Eirian wanted to get busy on niggas.
Montrez didn’t answer. Someone knocked on the door, and his man next to it went to his hip for his burner before tugging it open.
Trez frowned, turning his nose up at the old, dirty, teeth missing ass smoker taking up the doorway.
“The fuck you want?” Biggs, who was on the door, barked.
“I was told to deliver something to you,” he stammered, lowering his head.
Biggs poked his head out the door and looked up and down the block. He didn’t see anything. The smoker kneeled and brought one of the boxes up. There were two more of equal size in the shopping cart he pushed around.
“The fuck is this?” Montrez went to grab one of the boxes from Biggs.
The smoker brought the other two and turned to leave. Biggs closed the door behind him and Montrez stood at the table. Pulling the first box open, immediately he turned away.
“Oh shit!” Montrez stumbled back, shaking his head.
“The fuck is it?” Eirian calmly asked, bringing himself to his feet.
He peeked inside and saw Vice’s severed head.
A cold chill swept up his spine, and he went to the other two boxes.
Each one held the head of one of the young boys.
Gripping his stomach, Montrez did his best to hold his shit in.
Eirian’s nostrils flared, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. Now it was on.
“So this is how shit gets dealt with around here?” Eirian asked, eyes up and searching the faces of the men in the room.
“Max is old school, but that don’t stop the nigga from being cold.” Montrez noted, hanging his head in defeat. “And the mothafuckas on his team move when he say so.”
“Well then, you know what they say. Hit the big nigga first and watch the rest fall down,” Eirian recited.
“You trying to go to war with them?” Montrez questioned.
“The fuck you think, Trez!” Eirian barked. “We supposed to let this shit go?”
“Nah. I just mean… I hope you ready.”
“I been ready,” Eirian told him, voice hard and disconnected. “Let me tell you something… all it takes is one move.” He held up a finger in Montrez’s face. “Y’all just stay ready.”
The door to the house opened, and in walked his brother and sister.
Rooney was the youngest. He was tall and lanky with long hair, shaved on the sides.
Today he rocked it in a fucking manbun. Just ahead of him was his sister, Sekani.
Kani was skinny or what they called slim thick.
Her size wasn’t a match for her attitude.
She knew martial arts and other shit, so she wasn’t no punk ass bitch.
A tattoo sleeve took up one arm, with more on her chest and both hands.
A small stud pierced her nose with a small hoop in her bottom lip.
Over the years her body had become a real work of art.
Kani was food conscious, keeping herself in shape.
Petite, tone and fine like Jhene Aiko but with a more melanin tint to her.
“What is going on around here?” Sekani asked, arms up as she walked closer to Eirian at the table.
“We got a problem or two.” Eirian flicked one of the corners to the boxes and backed up.
His sister leaned forward, poking her head nosily inside.
“What the fuck, Eirian!” she shouted, turning to gag as Rooney stepped forward.
“Yo, the mothafucka that did this got some dark ass shit going on inside him,” Rooney concluded, shaking his head. “What the fuck these little niggas do?” he asked, going in his pocket for a pack of M&Ms to munch on.
“I think they did something to somebody’s daughter. I ain’t too sure. Sounds like they raped her though,” Montrez confessed.
“Shit, sounds like they got what the fuck they deserved then.” Rooney shrugged. “What this got to do with us? E, this ain’t what we here for. We supposed to be in and out. You starting some shit is going to ignite a war, and you know how the fuck we give it up. You trying to take over?”
“Why the fuck not?” Eirian flared his nostrils and snarled. “We Lynches, bruh. We take over wherever the fuck we go. This shit ain’t nothing new.”
“Nah, it ain’t. It’s the same shit that got Pops killed too. That cocky shit. Why the fuck you can’t just be satisfied with what you got? We got blocks on top of blocks back in Philly, New York, nigga, sewing up the east coast. You sitting here worried about some small town in the Midwest.”
“You know exactly what the fuck this is about. If you can’t stand with me, then you can get the fuck on, bruh! You know how I give it up, and you know I can’t just let some shit ride.”
“What I know is our pops was the same fucking way, and right now, you ain’t no fucking better than him,” Rooney pointed out. “Do whatever the fuck it is you need to do here. Let me know how that shit goes.”
“Rooney, where you going?” Sekani called, watching him make his way to the door.
“Out. A nigga want to see some titties moving and ass shaking,” he replied, slamming the door behind him.
“E, what the fuck!” Sekani snapped, both hands on her hips when she faced him.
“Fuck him.” Eirian shook that shit off and glared around the room. “This shit right here… means war. I don’t give a fuck who stands in the way!” he roared.
Every soldier in the room acknowledged his order with a nod. This might not be his city now, but he wasn’t walking away. Max Ward and his people had to pay. One way or another.
Searching her drawers for something to wear after her shower, Minx adjusted the towel she held around herself.
Goosebumps clothed her skin from that chill that usually hits when you exit the bathroom while she rummaged through her stuff.
Brenyn waited for her in the guest room so she wanted to hurry.
She still had to get the food for them to watch movies.
Minx found the only clean item of clothing that she could, a slinky little black gown that she had a matching robe to.
She slipped into it, ran some deep conditioning products through her hair, and exited her bedroom with fuzzy socks on her feet.
Hair falling past her shoulders, she ran her fingers through it and floated downstairs.
Voices carried from the kitchen, and sure enough when she entered, Mille sat at the counter with Rose moving around at the stove making them something to eat.
He paused when Minx entered. She never noticed it before, but he did it every time.
He was always taken back by how naturally pretty she was.
“What’s up, Minx?” Mille gave her a cool nod while he munched on Doritos and sipped Mountain Dew.
It was his all-nighter food when he was going to be binging on his PlayStation until the sun came up.
“Try to keep it down tonight with your friends. I want Brenyn to be able to sleep when she needs to.” Minx ignored Rose and went to the cabinet to grab the popcorn for her to make.
Rose kept it simple, whipping up tacos, his specialty.
Her stomach growled as she brushed by him to the pantry so that she could grab more snacks.
“Is she going to be okay?” Mille asked, concern draping his eleven-year-old eyes.
“She will be fine. She’s just going to need some time and a shoulder and maybe an ear to vent to every now and then.”
“It’s a good thing she has you then.” Mille gave her a smile.
She loved her little brother so much. She was so blessed to have him in her life. Mille understood that his sister was very passionate and had empathy for people. Her parents also thought her opinion mattered, and they respected it.
“I love you, kid. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I mean how could you not? I’m pretty dope.” Mille declared, leaping from the counter and taking his bowl to the sink.
Minx snickered and shook her head.
“Yo, Rose, you sure you want to do this tonight? I mean, I know you don’t take losses too well,” Mille kidded, backing up toward the entryway.
“I’ll be up in a minute,” Rose responded.
“A’ight, bet!” Mille voice with enthusiasm.
He was happy to have someone else to play with. His pops didn’t have time, and Minx would play with him when she could, but it wasn’t the same as playing with Rose. Minx watched him skip out in his basketball shorts and tank top and went to put her popcorn in the microwave.
“So how long you plan on delivering the silent treatment to me, Minx?” Rose pressed, stirring his ground beef before he turned to her.
“What is it we have to talk about, Rose? Hmm? I think enough was said today. I’m tired and drained.” She leaned against the counter and waited for the timer to go off while looking down at her feet.
Coming up to her, so close she could feel every time he breathed on her, Minx froze.
Resting a hand on each hip, his eyes burned into hers.
Her heart sped up in her chest. His dark eyes searched her, down to the deepest pits of Minka Ward.
Tingling from head to toe, eventually that feeling lingered between her legs.
She’d be lying if she said Rose wasn’t always attractive to her.
He was just… Rose. Hers. In every way. She didn’t even know what that meant.