Chapter 37 Amethyst
Chapter thirty-seven
Amethyst
“She set his house on fire?” Citrine laughed, and I nodded. “Like a little fire or set that bitch ablaze?”
I pulled up the insurance photos that had been sent to me and handed my phone to Citrine. He stared down at the phone for a moment, then gave it to Exodus, who smiled proudly before handing it back to me.
“Just a little razzle dazzle,” he laughed. He picked up his glass, saluted the air, then set it back on the table. “I like her style.”
“Tulane is pissed.” I wiped my hand over my mouth and shook my head. “Nigga called me going off. Like straight pissed.”
“I would’ve too,” Citrine said, nodding. “She did some Left Eye shit to his crib, and it’s all your fault.”
“Mine?” I cut my eyes to my brother. “How the hell is that shit my fault?”
“Did you not send her ass to him six months ago? How long did you think she was going to sit and not do shit? Nigga, this is Yale we are talking about here. She might be quiet, but that doesn’t mean she’s wrapped too tight.”
“Hell, she can't be to have dealt with this nigga for this long,” Ex interjected with a laugh. “Not one of the women in our circle or tree, as Xoey likes to call it, is wrapped tight. The closest thing to normal we are going to get is Legacy, and I’m not even sure about her ass sometimes.”
“Nah, Legacy is normal,” I chuckled. “She just got with an unstable nigga who is over the top enough for him and her.”
“I’m glad you didn’t say Paxton,” Citrine said.
“Nigga, I know my woman is not wrapped too tight, which is why I love her ass. The fuck I look like having a woman who is calm and doesn’t carry a gun?” He shook his head. “That shit is boring.”
“Didn’t you take Paxton’s gun not too long ago?” I asked, and Ex shrugged.
“She got that shit back,” Citrine laughed as he ate his food.
“She was with Lavender the other day, and I ran into them at the store. I knocked on the window, and I guess I scared them. Paxton pulled her shit out so fast and had it aimed at the window. She cussed my ass out, too, and all I could do was laugh at her. She did threaten my life a few times.” He pointed at Ex.
“That girl is trigger-happy. Watch her ass.”
“Shouldn’t have tried to catch her off guard,” Ex replied with a grunt. “She ain’t scared to pull that trigger cuz she knows I’ma make that shit disappear.” He sat back and crossed his arms. “Her cussing you out was her way of showing you love.”
“She got out of the car, snatched me up like I was a little nigga, and dragged me to the back of the car. She went off on my ass so bad, and all I did was laugh; she called me a collection plate,” Citrine replied.
“Nigga, she called you what?” I laughed.
“A fucking collection plate,” Citrine answered, and I shook my head. “I was so damn stuck that all I could do was stand there and let her go off.”
“My nigga, that shit is so foul,” Ex said, shaking his head. “I apologize on my woman’s behalf because that was uncalled for.”
“It’s cool,” Citrine said, laughing. “If it were someone I didn’t know or didn’t fuck with, I would’ve snapped, but it was her, and I know she was going off for a reason.
She was right, I shouldn’t have just walked up on her car without announcing myself.
She apologized once she calmed down and then called me later and apologized again. ”
“She called you a collection plate?” He asked again, and Citrine nodded. “I know that’s some shit Krude said.” Ex picked up his phone and called his cousin.
“Say it loud and proud, lil homie!” Krude yelled. The sound of kids yelling in the background echoed through the speaker. “What’s good, Ex?”
“Have you ever called Citrine a collection plate?” Ex asked him.
Krude laughed, “Wait, y’all hold on. Let me talk to Ex right fast.” The background noise got quiet, then Krude started laughing again. “Nigga, what did you say?”
“Do you call Citrine a collection plate?”
“Fuck yeah,” Krude answered. “All the damn time. Me and Paxton were shooting the shit the other day, and she mentioned him and King Beat Box.”
“That man has a name,” Ex said, shaking his head.
“I don’t like it,” Krude replied. “I call niggas what the Lord moves me to call them. Collection plate, King Beat Box, Murderer, Harlot, Heathen, Drug Dealer, Hell Raiser.”
“That shit is rude as fuck,” Ex said. “You’re making fun of a disability.”
“I’m embracing their differences,” Krude countered. “Now, why you on my phone questioning me like I ain’t over here collecting checks from minors.”
“You back to betting with them damn kids?” I asked with a laugh. “Nigga, didn’t Madea cuss your ass out about that shit a few days ago?”
“Look, it’s to keep their minds off the Judge and Sasha shit,” Krude said. “It ain’t even for that much. Just a band buy-in.”
“A band?” My face twisted while Ex and Citrine laughed. “That’s the same buy-in we have. How the hell are you taking that much money from those kids? Do they even have that much?”
“Shouldn’t be poor,” Krude replied. “Buy-in cost is universal around here. Now get off my phone so I can go collect.”
“Bye,” Ex said, then hung up. He picked up the phone and dialed another number.
“Yes, Exodus?” His grandmother, Madea, greeted him. “What can I do for you?”
“Krude is over there betting those kids again,” Exodus snitched.
“Oh, I already know and called Nine. He’s already transferred money from Krude’s accounts into the kids’ accounts. Whatever they lose and pay him will be his money, not theirs.”
“Look at you ahead of the game, Mary DeCorte,” Exodus laughed. “It’s a reason you are the heart of this family, huh?”
“Something like that,” she laughed. “Now let me go fuss at that fool for trying to be slick. I told Judah to come in here and pretend to cry when they were almost done playing.”
“Later, Madea,” he said, then hung up the phone. “Alright now, let’s get back to this shit with Yale. She’s back?”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “She doesn’t know I know yet, but I’ve been having Rage keep an eye on her.”
“Rage as in Yeti’s sister?” Exodus asked, and I nodded. “How did you get her to agree to do that?”
“Pyrite promised to keep Infinite away from her,” I answered. “And no, before you ask, I don’t know how he did it.”
“I’m not going to.” I sat back and watched the people around us move. We were sitting on the patio of the restaurant in Citrine’s hotel. Last week was hell, and we were all on edge for Hood and Legacy’s engagement party tomorrow night. “I don’t know what to do, though.”
“I gotta go check in with Judge,” Ex said as he stood. He dropped a stack on the table for a tip because he knew that his food was taken care of. “I’ll see y’all tomorrow.” Citrine and I stood. I gave him a brotherly hug, then sat down once he was gone.
“I don’t know what to do,” I said once Ex was gone.
“About what?” Citrine asked.
“About Sunshine,” I sighed, then ran my hands over my face.
“I miss the fuck out of her. Like it’s taking everything in me not to show up to Mama and Pop’s house to see her.
” My leg started to bounce from the irritation I felt.
“Her being in another state was one thing, but to have her here? Nah, that’s something different. ”
“Then go see her,” he suggested. “I saw her this morning.”
“You did?” I questioned him, and he nodded. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“The fuck was I supposed to say, Am?” he laughed. “I went to see Mama about something, and she was there. We chopped it up for a minute, and then I left. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“The next time I saw her, I wanted to have all this shit handled with Quincy.”
“Still can’t find that nigga huh?” he asked, and I shook my head. “When’s the last time anyone has seen him?”
“We got a hit like two weeks ago of him near the airport, but that’s it,” I answered. “I’m about two seconds from putting a missing persons report out for him.”
“What the fuck is that going to do?”
“Have people on alert, put his face out there. I don’t know, I’ll say he needs medical attention or is having a breakdown because of his family situation.”
“That shit won’t work,” Citrine said, shaking his head. “Nobody is going to turn him in.”
“They will if the DeCortes do it.” I sat forward, resting my elbows on the table. “We can make that shit look like it’s a religious thing. The DeCortes’ name holds weight, and they have ties to the Kilmores. Paul’s death was just announced. Corinthians can make a statement regarding Judah.”
“You know she will never mention Judah’s name,” he cut me off. “Try something else.”
“Alright, so she won’t mention Judah, but I still think it’s the best bet. He’s going to have to show his face as the only surviving member of the Kilmores.”
“He’s not the only one left.”
“Who is left?”
“Yale.”
“Don’t disrespect her like that,” I said, grilling him. “She’s a fucking Stone. Always has been, always will be.” I stood, took my wallet from my pocket, and dropped my tip next to Ex’s. “I’m going to talk to Corinthians and see if she’ll make a statement. I’ll let you know what she says.”
**
“You’ve lost your damn mind,” Corinthians said, grilling me. We were in her office at her shop, and, no lie, I was a little nervous. I knew it was a chance she’d say no, but I had to try at least.
“Come on, Corinthians, I need this solid. Just make a statement reaching out to Quincy. He will have to respond, and when he does, I’ll handle the rest.”
“I don’t want any part of this, and you know it,” she said, shaking her head. “I keep my distance for a reason.”
“He’s Judah’s uncle.”
Corinthians picked up the letter opener that was sitting on her desk and twirled it between her fingers.
Her eyes were focused so hard on me that she didn’t blink for a few seconds.
“My son is off limits, Amethyst.” Her voice was calm but held an edge.
“I don’t associate with the Kilmores. Judah has my last name. He’s being raised by my family and me.”
“Corinthians, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”