CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
CASH
Cash hadn’t said much since the fitting.
Truthfully, nobody had. The second Najee told them Marcus had been sitting outside that school watching Max, the whole room changed. The wedding, the fitting, even the tension between him and Najee. None of that shit mattered anymore. Everybody got in formation.
Koi started making calls before Najee even finished talking.
Montana immediately called Syxe and had her, Micah, Imani, and Sevynne taken to Abington.
Newdy stepped outside for less than five minutes.
Whatever call he made must’ve reached God himself because by the time he walked back inside, all five families knew what was going on.
Then Monty raised the bounty. One million dollars.
Cash. No questions asked. For that kind of money, a nigga’s own mother would turn him in.
Now they were riding back toward Abington in silence.
Cash sat in the passenger seat watching the road blur past the window while Najee drove.
His cousin hadn’t said much either. Which somehow worried Cash more.
Because Najee wasn’t built like him. Cash was a killer.
Najee wasn’t. Cash was used to exterminating niggas like Marcus.
But when Najee got quiet, shit got dark.
His quiet was always worse. “Ayo.” Najee didn’t look over. “What?”
“Pull over.” Najee frowned. “Why?”
“Just pull the fuck over.” For a second it looked like he was about to argue.
Instead, he hit the blinker and eased the truck onto the shoulder.
The second the vehicle stopped, silence filled the cabin again.
Cash looked over. Najee was staring straight ahead.
Jaw tight. Hands gripping the steering wheel.
Then he finally spoke. “He called him the monster.” His words came out low and broken.
Cash didn’t say anything. Najee swallowed hard.
“You should’ve seen their faces.” His voice cracked. “The fear.”
Cash looked away. Because he knew exactly what he meant. He’d seen that fear before. Seen it in Jackie the night Marcus put his hands on her at the club. Najee scrubbed a hand over his face. “Jackie told me Marcus never put his hands on Max.” His jaw tightened. “But Max saw it.”
The words hung between them. “He saw what Marcus did to her.” Cash felt something ugly settle in his chest. Because children always saw more than people thought they did.
Always. Najee stared through the windshield.
“He called him a Monster though.” This time his voice was barely above a whisper.
“Max aint scared of much.” His laugh was short and humorless. But he’s terrified of Marcus.”
For a long moment neither of them spoke. Then Najee looked down at his hands.
“The worst part of it all, is Max had to carry this alone all week.” The words sounded like they physically hurt him.
“And I had no idea.” Cash looked away. Because for the first time since this whole thing started, he finally understood what Jackie meant to Najee.
Not just Jackie, but Max too. And suddenly none of the jealousy shit even mattered anymore.
Cash let out a slow breath and dragged his tongue across the inside of his cheek.
“Well, you know what we do to monsters, cuz. Najee didn’t answer, but his hand tightened around the steering wheel.
Cash kept his eyes fixed through the windshield.
“Same thing we do to snakes.”
His voice stayed calm. Matter of fact.
“We cut their fuckin’ heads off.”
Najee’s jaw flexed once. The pulse in his temple jumped, but he still didn’t speak.
The truck went quiet. Neither man needed to say anything else. The decision had already been made the second Marcus stepped outside that school. Cash finally turned his head and looked at his cousin. “Don’t even trip.” His jaw locked. “Marcus is a dead man.”