Chapter 2
TWO
Asim
“Ten bodies in two days and neither of their pussy asses are showing face.”
Kane sat beside me, face hard and body tense.
He was just as angry and frustrated as me.
This could end with one bullet each to their domes but they were hiding.
That was the shit I didn’t understand. If Kemp and Cap were real, then why the fuck were they hiding?
Shots were fired. They landed my brother in the hospital.
Although things could have been worse, he still took an unnecessary hit.
The message was received loud and clear.
They wanted to die and I was more than willing to oblige, but they were sitting somewhere with their tails tucked between their legs instead of manning the fuck up to go to war like they claimed they were ready to do.
“And we’re about to handle two more, let’s go,” was how I chose to respond to his statement. Ten bodies were about to become twelve and one of the two about to drop was personal to Kemp. I was sure he would be surfacing soon after he got word.
Kemp knew what the hell he was doing. The only bodies we could run up on were foot soldiers.
After Amir was shot, none of their family members were accessible.
They took them off the streets, knowing what was coming, but today we found the connection between Nika and Kemp.
His little cousin Ceeze was fucking her and we lucked up on the address where they were both hiding out.
The house was small and ducked off in a part of town where no one would expect to find any of Cap or Kemp’s people.
They were hood and would forever remain that way.
Plus, unlike us, Cap and Kemp never wanted their team to live and eat the same as they did.
The first sign that one of their people was making enough money to move into cribs equally nice as theirs, they shut that shit down and cut their money.
That was some dumb ass shit in my opinion.
If anyone on my team hustled hard enough to stack major paper, that was a win for me.
It had everyone else trying to work just as hard and that meant more money flowing for all of us.
In any case, I was sure that was why Ceeze felt comfortable enough to be there chilling.
Too bad for him it was all about to come to an end.
The visual I had made my trigger finger anxious.
Kane and I stood on opposite sides of the house with a perfect view of our targets sitting on the back deck, smoking and drinking like they didn’t have a care in the world.
Not to mention, Nika was tossing back shots like she was anything but pregnant.
That would have been her only saving grace.
Possibly carrying my brother’s baby would have prolonged her life but this just proved she lied.
Amir was sure she had, but I was currently receiving the confirmation in living color.
The conversation I was privy to also wasn’t helping her case.
This bitch was heartless and had chosen her side.
“So babe, when do you think we can get back to our lives?” Nika purred, easing herself into Ceeze’s lap. He smacked her ass and grinned, exposing a mouth lined with gold.
“Not sure, I just hit Kemp up and told him to call me. He said lay low until this blows over and he can get rid of Nour and his brother. I can’t push too hard. He’s mad as fuck that I didn’t end him, but shit, they were driving too gotdamn fast. I told them to slow down.”
Nika had the nerve to laugh like the shit was amusing. “Well, I did my part. You had one chance. There’s no way I can get close to him again after this. Fuck him though. I wish you had canceled his ass.”
Ceeze gripped her face and moved in for a kiss. One that had my teeth grinding as I looked to the other side and offered a nod to Kane that it was time to move.
When my foot hit the first step, it creaked under the weight of my body, causing them both to turn in my direction.
Seconds after, Ceeze lifted a gun next to him at the same time I aimed mine.
He was scared as shit; I could see it in his eyes.
Everybody wanted to be a gangster until it was time to really prove you deserved to carry the title.
“Shit,” Nika whispered. The trembling of her body and those wild eyes told me exactly how she felt about seeing me.
“You wished he would have canceled his ass? You mean, Amir, the father of your baby?”
Ceeze gritted his teeth and peered at the side of her face. “Bitch, you’re pregnant, by Nour?”
“No, I lied. That’s how I got him there. I told you that already.”
A slow smile eased in place as I looked past them at Kane who was now directly behind Ceeze. When the barrel of his gun touched the back of Ceeze's head, he froze.
Kane spoke from behind him. “You should be more careful out here in these streets, fam. You never know who’s gunning for you or when they might appear.”
“Do it. Shit, what are you waiting on? I’m not scared to die. I’m built for this shit.” That was what his mouth was saying but the fear in his eyes told an entirely different story.
“I’m waiting on you. Let’s make a deal?” I offered, causing his regard to dart over to me.
“What kind of deal?” Ceeze’s eyes flashed with a glimmer of hope. Dumbass.
“She’s the one who got Amir there and you’re the one who pulled the trigger. The way I see it, you both made bad judgment calls and are going to pay, but one of you gets a little forgiveness. How about you handle her then we can talk about your deal?”
“Shit, I can do that.” Ceeze lifted his gun like it wasn’t anything and fired one shot that dropped Nika instantly. Blood landed on half of his body before he pushed her over completely. Kane jumped out of the way, frowning at the body about the same time Ceeze spoke up.
“So what’s the deal?”
I chuckled, shaking my head at how fucking stupid he was.
“There isn’t one.” Before he realized what was happening, I fired two shots that hit him dead center in the head and one in the chest. He dropped immediately with his phone ringing right after.
Kane stepped over Nika’s body and lifted it from the small table next to Ceeze. He smirked and held it up.
“You want me to do the honors or do you?”
I stepped up and took the phone from his hand, swiping to answer.
“The fuck you want, Ceeze?”
“As of right now, he don’t want shit but a funeral?—”
“How the fuck…Nour?”
“You shot at my brother and now you’re hiding.
That says a lot about you but I’m not surprised.
Keep hiding and I’ll keep dropping bodies.
I know how to find those that mean the most to you.
Ceeze here did everything in his power to save his life, even putting a target on the backs of the people you cherish the most. Keep fucking playing with me, Kemp. It’s not good for your health.”
I ended the call and stepped off the deck, followed by Kane.
“You think he believes you?”
“I’m sure he does now but we’ll see.”
We didn’t know much about Kemp or how to find Cap but neither of them knew that. After the lie I just told, I was sure Kemp was paranoid as hell, which meant he would slip up sooner or later. I had eyes and ears everywhere to catch him when he did.
“Everything straight up here?” My guy nodded and smirked.
“They’re really not feeling me being here but I told them there wasn’t shit they could do about it.
” He smiled wider and looked down the hall.
“There are some fine ass nurses up in here though. A few doctors too. Shit, I got a bunch I’mma have to hit up when I’m done here.
” Colt was a little too happy to be on post outside of Amir’s room.
Like it or not, we had no clue where Cap and Kemp were hiding out, so I wasn’t taking chances.
Mir was moved to a private room and I had someone on guard twenty-four-seven just in case.
Even if he refused meds, the pain he was in and the self-medication he was on had him out for long stretches.
“I hope you know better than to fuck around on the job.” My eyes leveled with his and Colt straightened his spine and squared up.
“Hell nah. I know the rules and Mir is family. I would never slip like that.”
“Good,” was all I offered before I pushed through the door and found Amir sitting on the side of the bed shirtless with sweats covering his lower half.
The sight didn’t sit well with me because it was yet another reminder of what had gone down.
The bandages covering his wounds on display had my face tight.
“You straight?”
Amir lowered his eyes to his phone before lifting them to me again. “She still isn’t talking to me but tomorrow she doesn’t have a choice.”
“They still letting you go tomorrow?”
He released a cocky laugh. “The fuck else are they gonna do? I should have been gone. They’re just trying to squeeze every penny out of me that they can.
Fuck this hospital,” he barked in a low, angry tone that I was aware was more about the fact that Learah wasn’t fucking with him than it was about having to be here.
“You were shot three times. One so close to your damn spine that you could be paralyzed right now. They needed to make sure there were no underlying issues. That’s why you’re still here. On top of that, your stubborn ass won’t do what the hell they ask you to do.”
He smirked and shrugged. “Just because I choose to self-medicate and not take that lethal shit they’re pushing doesn’t mean I’m not doing what they ask.
Shit, I’m here. I stay in this damn bed all gotdamn day, not doing a damn thing but wasting time.
I’m over it. I need to be out there with you and Kane. ”
My eyes went dark quickly. “If that’s what you think is happening when you leave here, then you might as well stay.”
“Fuck you mean if I think that’s what’s happening? I’m telling you now that is what’s happening.”
“No, it’s not.” I spoke with a finality that had his face tight.
“And you gon’ stop me?”