Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
MAKARI “HAVOC” SANCHEZ
TWO NIGHTS LATER
Tonight was the memorial for Sincere, which I decided to host at his recreational center. It was the first thing he opened after taking over the streets, and I thought it was fitting as a place to remember him.
I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that he was gone.
Although I’d known he was sick and that it would eventually take his life, I’d deluded myself into believing he would still be around longer than he stayed.
The only thing that brought me peace about it was knowing I was there for his final moment and that he went peacefully in his sleep.
I was just glad I followed my intuition to be there that final week because I had no idea that he would leave me so soon.
Everyone came over to give me their condolences. I felt like a proud son seeing how many people came out to say their goodbyes. As I looked around the room, my eyes landed on Kairi.
She and Sincere had bonded over time, so I knew I couldn’t keep her away.
The drive here was a silent one. There was so much to say, yet nothing at the same time.
She wanted to talk to me about it, I knew it in the way she would draw her breath as if she was thinking about what to say first, but she never did.
I, too, had a whole lot to ask her, but I just couldn’t.
My heart wouldn’t allow me to speak to her because every time I saw her face, I saw my brother, who shouldn’t have died. I was living in a mental war, and I couldn’t see the end.
As I continued to stare at her, I noticed she looked pale—a little gray compared to her usual brown skin. It had me wondering if our situation was making her sick or if it was the guilt. If there was something else, she hadn’t told me.
Her eyes glistened as she stood there staring back at me. My heart wanted to believe what she said. That it was an accident, but my rage just wouldn’t let me.
Instinctively, I wanted to go over to her, to pull her into my arms and fight to find a way out for us, but I stayed in my spot. Our eyes locked on each other as if we were the only two people in the room. If only things could be that simple, for it to be just the two of us.
For some reason, I made one step forward, allowing my heart to lead the way.
“Havoc, it’s time for your speech,” Lennox approached, stopping me in my tracks. I continued to look at Kairi before I nodded and walked away.
I took my place on top of the stage and grabbed the mic. The room silenced, and everyone gave me their attention.
My chest expanded with pride as my eyes danced around the room, taking in all the faces that held Sincere in such high esteem. I knew that everyone in this place had a connection because of him and would miss him just as much as I was going to.
“Thank you all for coming, I truly, truly appreciate it, and I know that Sincere would, too.” I started smiling as I looked out into the sea of people.
Then my eyes met with Kairi’s again. A sudden pang of pain circulated through my body.
This wasn’t how I expected things to be after we got married.
We should have been standing side by side and not opposite.
I held her gaze for a few seconds before I put my attention and mind on what I was there to do. She and I will just have to wait.
I somehow made it through my speech and came down from the stage. By now, things were starting to wind down as guests gave me their final condolences before going their way.
Shakur and Oblique ensured the rest of the guests left until it was only us left. I let the cleaning crew come in, and then I went to find Kairi.
She was sitting out in the foyer with her head down, but she lifted it when she heard me approaching.
Her eyes looked dull—she was definitely sick but so was I.
“Let’s go,” I said. She stood to her feet and stepped toward me. I didn’t step back like I normally did.
“I—”
“We’re ready to go,” Shakur said, which made Kairi stop talking. She gave me a sad look and then stepped around me. I turned to watch her leave with her brother right behind her. I sighed and followed.
Oblique was the last to leave, and after making sure everything was secured and security was there to wait for the cleaning crew, I turned to say bye to my crew. A scowl instantly hit my face when I saw Sony, his pops, and their crew walking up to us.
I pushed Kairi behind me and faced them. They weren’t part of the people I ever saw Sincere fuck with, so needless to say, I never invited them. So, there was no reason for them to be here.
“Y’all lost?” I asked, my eyes on Sony. Ever since I beat his ass, that nigga had been keeping a low profile, but I guess with his daddy, he found his balls. That made me and Shakur laugh because we both knew that he wasn’t about that life.
Sony’s face twisted, but he quickly recovered. I noticed he tried to look at Kairi behind me, but my body was covering hers.
“You have a fucking problem?!” I barked. Viper smiled. Without even having to ask, I knew it was him who was the leader of this shit, even if Sony wanted to act like it was him.
The rest of the crew, both mine, my brother’s friends, and that of Sincere’s came around the corner. I thought they had left, but thankfully, they hadn’t. Now we outnumbered them, not that it would have stopped me from doing anything. I only feared God.
Sony and Viper turned to look at them. I expected them to retreat, seeing as now we had more with us than they did, but surprisingly, they stood their ground.
I turned to look at Shakur, Trini, and Oblique because something in my gut was telling me they wanted the whole crew here.
The fuck was going on?
I hadn’t called them and knew neither had Shakur or Oblique, so did that mean it was Sony or Viper’s doing?
Sony smiled at me and said, “I wonder if Sincere knows you poisoned your own brother to get the throne.”
My body stiffened, and the wind knocked the breath out of me when he said that. Viper laughed, seeing I didn’t have any comeback.
Although it was a lie regarding me being the one to do it, my brother had, in fact, been poisoned, and I couldn’t deny that.
“Man, move on with that bullshit,” Shakur waved him off.
“Ask him, if you don’t believe me,” Sony said. Again, my mouth was wired shut. I could feel my stomach churning.
I noticed the way Oblique looked at me, and then he simpered.
“What’s he talking about, Havoc?”
“You know damn well I would never hurt my brother for no fucking spot!” I spat at Sony. His shoulders hunched.
“I think you did. I think you knew that Sincere was gonna choose him, so you made sure he wouldn’t,” Viper added. I made a step toward him to knock his fucking head off, but Kairi pulled me back. I turned to look at her, and she was shaking her head.
“I think, since Hell was my best friend, that this throne belongs to me,” Sony said.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about! I didn’t poison my fucking brother!”
“Then tell us how he died,” Viper probed. I opened my mouth and closed it again. I wasn’t the one who did it, but could I really tell them who did?
It was clear that Sony or Viper had been watching me because how else did they find that shit out?
“It wasn’t him!” Kairi jumped from behind me and yelled. I turned to look at her, wondering why the hell she opened her mouth.
“Ohhhh, you got your bitch to do it for you!” Viper accused.
My eyes searched hers, my heart pounding because she had no idea what the fuck she just did by revealing it was her.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed some people moved from behind me and stood over with Viper.
Most of them were Hell’s friends who chose to follow me after Sincere handed it over to me.
They were buying the bullshit Sony was feeding them.
The rest stayed where they were, but by now, half were standing with me and the other half, against me.
“Fuck this shit,” Shakur said before pulling his gun, which made everyone else do the same.
“Stay behind me,” I instructed Kairi as I pushed her behind me and pulled my shit too.
Whooop! Whoop!
Red and blue lights suddenly flashed, and we all hid our guns as cops slowly approached.
“Do we have a problem?” one of the officers asked.
“No problem, Officer, we’re just coming out of an event,” Viper said, pointing at the recreational center behind me that still had a picture of Sincere out front. “We were just leaving.”
Sony looked over at me with a triumphant smile on his face.
“See you soon,” he mouthed before walking away with his father and half of my fucking crew!