69. Four
Four
Cori said we needed a plan, and she was right.
Trying to go after Robert without one was suicide.
I sat in the passenger seat of Unc's car watching Buckee's house.
After I killed him, there were two more names left.
Mims and Kenbral. Everything in me said my brother wasn't on no fuck shit. That he was there for a reason.
"Unc."
"Yeah?"
"Trusting Kenbral, was that a mistake?" I asked him. There were two people I trusted to always tell me the truth, Unc and Cori. No matter what or how bad it could hurt, they didn't hold back.
Unc rubbed his hand over his mouth, then chuckled.
"If you would've asked me that a few years back, I would've said yeah.
That your brother and cousin were on some fuck shit, but now?
" He shook his head. "Knowing what I know and how Robert really is, the answer is no.
I think they did what they did to protect y'all.
Nine ain't ever gonna understand because he wasn't raised like y'all.
But you three? Y'all got a different bond.
Neither Trey nor Eight, would do anything to hurt y'all. "
"I don’t think so either," I agreed.
"Why do you ask?"
"I just want to make sure I'm about to make the right decision," I told him.
"I want this shit over with, and for it to work, I need him to do one last thing for me.
I know what I'm going to ask him ain't fair either.
He wants out. To be away from Robert and all his shit.
If I ask him to make contact one last time, he's going to put his life in danger.
" I looked over at him. "His personal life. "
"You mean his wife and daughter?" Unc asked, and I nodded. I wasn't surprised that he knew.
"Yeah."
"That's on Trey, but I think he will help. He knows what he has at home and what you are fighting for."
I nodded but didn't say anything else. Instead, I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Cori.
"Hello?" She answered. Her soft voice instantly put a smile on my face.
"You got a second?" I asked her as I continued watching our surroundings. "I want to run something by you."
"Yes."
"I got a plan on how to end all this shit," I said, then wiped my hand over my hair. "You might not like it though."
"Does it end with Robert being dead?" she asked.
"Yeah," I chuckled.
"Then I already love it," she replied. "Tell me your plan."
"You'll need the heads that I brought you."
"Why the fuck does she have heads?” Unc scoffed.
"She likes them," I answered, then shrugged.
"Normal women like flowers, candy, cards, you know, shit like that. Your woman likes heads?" Hood asked from the back seat. I turned in my seat. "Nigga, be mindful of your stitches and shit! Damn. Turn back around."
"I'm good," I laughed.
"You don’t know that," he replied. "Turn around.”
"Hood, I'm fine," I repeated.
"Uri," Cori said. "Turn around, baby. It’s a reason he's with you."
"Fine," I replied.
"Thank you," she said. "Also, Uri?"
"Yes, baby?"
"You are aware that I know you aren't at the hospital, right?" She asked.
"How?" I slowly asked. I made sure to leave after she did.
"I have your location," she laughed. "We will discuss you sneaking out later. Right now, tell me how you're going to make me fall more in love with you?"
***
"Hey, come here." I took Cori's hand and pulled her around the car.
Her cousins stood side by side, lost in their own conversations.
While I liked the fact that they had her back and wanted to make sure that she was supported, my concern was her mental health.
Coming up with this plan was last minute, but because it was, I knew it would work.
I just had to make sure she was okay. I cupped her jaw and moved her neck from side to side to make sure there were no bruises.
Pretending to black out and choke her fucked with me mentally.
Even though it was fake, the fear in her eyes was real.
"Nothing's there," she said as she wrapped her hands around my wrist. "I checked."
"Humor me." I moved her face side to side until I was satisfied. I nodded but didn't let go of her face.
"Feel better?" She asked with a small smile.
"Not really."
"Why?"
I licked my lips then kissed her. "Because for a second I saw the fear you try too hard to hide," I told her. My lips brushed against hers as I spoke. "I don’t want you to fear me, Cori."
"I don’t," she quickly said. "I never have.
" Her eyes searched mine. "I know what you thought you saw, but hear me when I say I do not fear for me or Judah's safety when we are with you.
" She cupped my face. "Okay, Uri? I'm not scared.
If I were, I wouldn't have married you. I wouldn't allow you around our son.
None of that. I would kill you if I ever found myself scared of you. "
"Say that shit again."
"I would kill you if I ever found myself scared of you."
I laughed and kissed her again. "You know that ain't what I'm trying to hear," I said. "Say that shit about our son."
"Oh, you mean Judah DeCorte-Strong? Son of Uri Strong and Corinthians DeCorte-Strong? What about him?" Her dark eyes sparkled against the moon.
"Man," I sighed and shook my head. When Kenbral told me that Judah was mine, I'd been floored.
His withholding that piece of the story changed everything.
His reason was sound. I would've gone after Robert, not stopping until one of us was dead.
More than likely back then, it would've been me.
"I swear, hearing that makes me happy in a way I can't explain. "
"Same," Cori agreed. "You being his daddy and father makes all this worth it."
I let go of her face, then looked around. Mims lived in a nice ass house. On the way from the airport, Nine hacked into his security cameras and looped his security feed so he couldn't see us coming.
"You ready for this?" Cori asked, and I nodded.
I pulled my gun from the waist of my pants, checked the clip, then looked at her. The black barber razor that she kept with her was already in her hand, ready to go.
"You know it's something about seeing a Black power couple that tickles my damn fancy," Krude said as we passed him.
"Look at them, holding hands, looking like a Black Mr. and Mrs. Smith, on their way to kill their handler and shit.
It's real romantic and shit. I can’t wait to tell my book club about this. "
"You're still in a book club?" Ex asked him.
"Uh yeah," Krude replied then sucked his teeth. "I keep trying to tell y'all I'm an intelligent nigga and shit."
"You're intelligent, yet you tell your book club about our illegal activities?" Ex questioned him. "How does that work?"
"I tell them shit like it's a book I'm reading," he said, waving Ex off. "They think our shit is just stories I've made up. I make a li’l money, and they enjoy our escapes."
Cori stopped walking and turned to him. "They pay you to tell them about what happens to us?"
"Yes." He gave a singular nod. "They are supporting a Black-owned business. I got an LLC and a team. We are legit around here."
"Who helped you get an LLC?" Cori asked. We may have all been thinking about it, but she was the only one brave enough to ask the questions. I knew asking Krude questions would end up with me having a headache.
"My. Team." He pointed to Nine and Judge. Nine stood there, one hand holding his gun and the other holding Cross' hand. She quickly let his hand go. Hit his arm, then shook her head. Nine had the nerve to look guilty.
Judge, on the other hand, stood there, arms crossed, a mug on his face. He didn't look like he cared either way. But I wasn't surprised that he helped Krude do anything. They were more alike than people realized. Krude just said his intrusive thoughts while Judge kept quiet.
"I have so many questions," Psalms said, shaking her head. "But I'm so scared to ask them."
"Same," we all said in unison.
"We will talk about it later, Lorena Bobbit. You got niggas to hack up."
"She used a kitchen knife," Cori told him, then flipped her knife around her hand. "Very big difference from what I use."
"Okay then, Ms. Cecile, you and that razor go have the time of your life," he said, then waved her off. "Let your freak flag fly."
Cori laughed, then we went to the front door. Just as my hand touched the knob, I heard the locks disengage, and I turned it. I kissed the side of Cori's head, then walked into the house.
"Upstairs first door on the left," Nine said from behind us. I nodded then headed up the steps, two at a time. Even though Cori was with me, I wasn’t letting her walk into any room first. I reached the top of the steps, then slowly opened the door.
Mims was fucking on a woman; her moans muffled by the mattress.
Without waiting, I hit him in the head with the butt of my gun, and he rolled off the woman and hit the ground.
The woman yelled, or at least who I thought was a woman.
"What the fuck?" Mims yelled as he rolled over in bed. He wasn't the one fucking; he was getting fucked!
"Now I didn't see that one coming," I chuckled, then aimed my gun at him. I looked down to the ground at Logan. "But then again, I should've." I shook my head. "Get the fuck up."
"Listen-"
"I ain't trying to hear shit you got to say, get the fuck up!" I yelled. Mims got up, covered his dick with his hand, and then stood at the edge of the bed. "How long you been fucking that nigga?"
"Since I was twelve," he answered, and I shook my head.