Chapter 16
Nina
“I don’t know, babe. I think I like the black pants with the shirt better. What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I’m too indecisive about this kind of shit.
I’ve never dressed like no preppy ass nigga before,” Cole replied, standing in front of the mirror.
He had over five thousand dollars’ worth of merchandise on, and I could tell he was happy, mainly because I was footing the bill.
I’d convinced him to come to the Gucci store and change up his style just a little so he could fit into the rooms I was taking him in now that we were dating for the moment.
I was trying to spoil him because of the commitment he made to get rid of Cyn for me.
Even though it felt like he kept putting it on the back burner every time I brought it up, I was letting him do him for the time being.
He was the professional killer here, and I didn’t want anything done sloppily that could ever get back to me.
“Tell me this, Nina, would you fuck with me faster in these black pants or the red ones?”
“To be clear, Cole, I’ll fuck you in clear pants so that question is redundant to me.”
I joked, to stroke his ego.
“How about I take a picture of you to show you how the fit looks from an outside perspective? You’re standing too close to the mirror and can’t get the full effect.”
“Yeah, take a picture and scoot all the way back so I can see what motherfuckers see from afar when I’m rocking this shit,” he replied.
I reached into my purse to grab my phone, but it was dead. We’d been out all day, and charging my phone was the last thing on my mind.
“Babe, my phone’s dead. Let me use yours.”
“I guess that’s fine,” he said, handing his phone over to me, unlocking it, and pulling up the camera.
“Okay, turn this way,” I said, holding the phone up and snapping a picture.
“Now turn to the side so that I can get your side profile.”
As Cole turned, a message popped up at the top of his screen.
The words that stood out to me in the message were, Get Hawk.
My heart jumped so hard I almost dropped the phone.
“You done, Nina? Let me see the flicks you took?”
Cole reached for his phone, but I stepped back.
“No, I am not, turn to the back, let me get that view.”
I replied.
Instead of taking the picture, my thumb slid straight into his messages. I clicked on the most recent one while Cole’s back was turned to me.
We have to get Hawk asap. I need money and I'm hoping to snatch a chain or watch off that dead mutha fucka
I read it more than once, almost blowing my cover by not moving fast enough.
“You done?” Cole asked.
“Yeah,” I said quickly, snapping one last picture and handing him his phone back.
Now I knew why he was so nonchalant about killing Cyn, and that was because Hawk was the real target.
I should’ve known. Hawk was a gangster, fine, paid, and powerful. Everything Cole wanted to be. In just two weeks, I’d learned Cole had ambition and drive, but also a small, limited mindset. Killing was his only way up, and pulling out his gun was his only way of showing power.
Even though I was using that hitman mentality to get what I wanted, I knew it wouldn’t satisfy me in the end. I needed someone on my level, someone who protected himself without doing unnecessary shit.
As we walked out of the store, I finally asked, casually on purpose.
“So, babe, when are you getting after that bitch Cyn? I saw that she got a new car two days ago. That bitch is still spending all my money like crazy on dumb shit.”
“And so is Hawk.” He replied, dryly, as if the conversation was getting on his nerves.
“But I will get to it when I can,” he replied as we walked through the mall. “
I got bigger fish to fry right now, baby.”
“Bigger fish like what? Killing her shouldn’t take that long. I mean, pew pew and then go and fry your other fish.” I wrapped my arms around one of his, and he leaned down toward my ear.
“Nina, we're in a packed hotel. I don’t really want to talk about a hit on someone’s rich wife right now.”
“I just want to know what you mean by saying bigger fish to fry? I thought I was your number one priority. I thought whoever fucked over me, you took personally. Now it feels like you're pushing it to the side.”
“What I have to do on my end besides taking care of you is my business. You told me what you want, and I heard you, so trust me, I’ll do it. And I don’t want to hear about this shit no more, especially not in public, iight.”
He was dodging the real answer and talking in circles like usual, but now I knew why. That text had told it all.
Because my chest was tight and my nerves were shot, that question about Hawk was plaguing me and couldn’t be ignored.
“Do you plan on killing Hawk, too, Cole?” I asked while I had the nerve built up.
“If you do, just tell me. I’m your girl, and I will be your wife one day. We have to be open with each other,” I lied, hoping he would feel comfortable enough to tell me the truth.
He shook his head, jaw clenched like he was holding back.
“Whoever else I handle after that bitch is my business, Nina.” He looked ahead as we walked through the casino.
“But if you're planning on killing Hawk, then can you just tell me. I deserve to know.”
He stopped walking.
“Nina, you still love that nigga, don’t you?”
“What? No.”
“Yeah, you do. Don’t fuckin lie to me.”
“I’m not lying to you. I’m just asking a question.
You're sitting here acting like I’m begging you not to kill him.
Is that what you think? If Hawk dropped tomorrow, you think I’d run to the police?
” I played it off as if I weren’t really concerned when I was panicking now.
I may not think Cole is half the man Hawk is, but I do believe he is a full-blooded killer.
One who has no morals or fear when it comes to killing someone. Especially someone he is jealous of.
“Shit, I can’t tell if you don’t love the nigga, you seem pretty pressed to know about my plans with him when it shouldn’t be any of your concern. That nigga killed my mama, and you think I’m going to let that shit slide?”
“What?”
“You told me your mama was dead the other day.”
“She has been for a long time.”
I stopped in my tracks, and then Cole stopped, turning around to face me.
“To be completely real with you since you saying you want to be my wife, Proc killed my mama, Anne, who adopted me when I was eleven years old. He took out her and my old foster siblings. That's the truth.”
He saw the confusion in my eyes and decided to explain even further.
“So that nigga Josiah, who Proctor just got off for murdering, is one of my foster brothers. I didn’t tell you that shit because it didn’t matter much at the time, but now that he’s touched one of the only ladies I care about, it’s up from here. Is that a problem with you?”
“No, no, of course not. I understand Cole.” I lied with a straight face.
“Now let’s get in this fucking car and go home. I’m tired.”
He walked off before me because I was stuck in place after the revelation he just gave me. Now that I know Cole wanted Hawk dead, I know it was up to me not to let that happen. Cyn can die at any moment, but Hawk can’t. I don’t care what Cole thought he did.
Truth is, if Hawk dies, my hope for real happiness dies with him because even after all this time, I still love him, and I’m supposed to be Mrs. Hawk Proctor.