31. Givens
GIVENS
“She’s not gonna show,” I said, shaking my head as I looked at Krude.
He looked up from the book he was reading and sighed.
We’d been waiting at their family warehouse for the last three hours for Mercy to show up.
The more I learned about the DeCortes, the more I realized I didn’t know shit about this side of Mercy’s life.
I mean, yeah, she said she was a killer, but did I take her seriously?
Fuck no. But after seeing her slice Melissa’s neck without hesitating and from the aftermath of the park shooting, I realized that she was really about that life. And I loved her more for it.
“Light skin thug, I’m going to say this and know that it comes from a place of love, but nigga, you are getting on my fuckin’ nerves! Shut the fuck up.” He threw his hands in the air and shook his head before turning to Judge. “Is this what you be feeling like when I come around?”
“Yep,” Judge answered with a simple nod. His attention was on his phone, but I knew he was listening and paying attention to everything around him.
“Then, my nigga, I am sorry because how the fuck am I supposed to read my book in peace when this nigga won't stop talking?” he looked back at me and mugged me hard. “I am trying to figure out what the fuck happened with the Grim Reaper and her nigga, and you are talking too fuckin’ much for my liking.”
“The what?” I asked, confused as hell. Judge chuckled lowly beside Krude and shook his head.
“The Grim Reaper, nigga!” Krude said as if that answered as if that made some sense. “She’s mated to a fucking hell hound, nah not just a fuckin’ hell hound, like the damn hell hound of all hell hounds, and that nigga gotta save her from dying.”
“But she’s the Grim Reaper, ain’t she like dead already?”
“Nigga, I don’t know!” He shook his head then wiped his hands over his face. “That’s what the fuck I am trying to figure out because I am not the author. I don’t know what is going on in her damn head when she is writing this shit. But I do know that I’m stressed.”
“Then stop reading the book,” I suggested, and I knew it was a mistake the moment I said it because Judge’s head lifted so fast there was a chance he had whiplash, and both his and Krude’s faces twisted in confusion.
“The fuck would he do that for?” Judge asked.
“Because the book is stressing him out,” I answered slowly. “If it's bad, stop reading it.”
“Light skin thug, when did he say it’s a bad book?” Judge questioned. He looked over at Krude and reared back. “Nigga, is the book bad?”
“Hell no!” Krude answered. “The shit is good. The first part of this had the book club stressed. I just happened to get the ARC for it, and my nigga, it don’ started twisting and turning in ways I didn’t expect.
The best friend, Santa and Cupid's daughter, don’ turned up. Her mate is some crazy nigga that’s-.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I said, shaking my head. “Nigga, what is an ARC?”
“Advanced readers copy,” they answered in unison.
Krude’s face twisted as he mugged me, and then he shook his head.
“Of damn course, Mercy would fall in love with this uncultured nigga.” He stood and snatched his book from the table.
“We are readers in this family, light skin thug, pick up a fucking book. Learn some shit cuz ain’t no way you about to be a damn DeCorte and think being ignorant is acceptable. ”
“You’re reading a book about the Grim Reaper and her fated mate,” I said, grilling him and pointing to Judge. “This nigga be reading about educational shit. It's not the same.”
“That nigga reads educational shit cuz he’s a nerd, and my best friend likes smart niggas!” Krude tapped Judge on the shoulder. “Tell that nigga.”
“He’s right,” Judge said as he stood, then walked away.
Krude watched him go, then turned to me with a smile.
“That nigga be reading this shit, too,” he laughed.
“He just doesn’t want everybody to know, but I do.
He reads the educational shit on paperback, but anytime that nigga reading on his phone, it’s the same shit I be reading.
” He laughed. “Judge and I are a lot more alike than he wants to admit.”
“If you say so,” I said, shaking my head. If I kept talking to this nigga, I would end up with a headache.
“I know so,” he said, nodding. “The optometrist and my nigga.” He turned to walk away just as a thought entered my mind. I knew what all the DeCorte’s did for a living, but Krude.
“Krude?”
“Yeah?” he answered as he turned around.
“What do you do for a living?” I asked.
Instead of answering me, he smiled and walked away. I ran my hand over my face and sat back in my seat. I had no choice but to keep waiting for Mercy to show.
“Oh shit, it's King Beat Box!” Krude yelled as a man walked into the warehouse. He barely glanced at Krude as he walked through the room. “That nigga mad.”
“You always gotta pick at somebody,” Judge laughed from his new spot against the wall.
“Chopped and screwed knows I’m just having a good time,” Krude said with a shrug. “I ain’t scar-“
A long scream echoed through the room, and we all turned and looked at the door he went through.
“Beatbox in there putting in some work, I see,” Judge grunted.
“He is,” Krude agreed. “So let me shut the fuck up before he comes out here, and I have to shoot his ass like I did his cousin.”
“Who’s his cousin?” I asked.
“Nine,” Krude answered. “That’s Four, he’s a number.”
“Number?”
“Hell Raiser didn’t teach you shit, I see,” Krude sighed.
The door opened again, and I turned to see Mercy walk in with a serious look. She quickly put her phone in a lockbox like I had to do when I first arrived and put it away.
“What room, Krude?” she called out without looking up.
“One,” he answered, and she nodded. “And you have company.”
Mercy looked over at him, and Krude pointed at me. When our eyes locked, I knew I was with her for life. I’d fucked up, and I’d spend the rest of my days proving to her that I’d never happen again.
“Beg, light skin thug,” Krude suggested. “Like, legit beg.”
“Shut the fuck up, Krude,” Judge said.
“Uh, no nigga,” I heard Krude say, but I didn’t take my eyes off Mercy. “She’s literally about to kill his baby mama, and he's sitting there watching her like he doesn't know what’s about to happen. I don’t understand light skin niggas at all.”
“I been waiting for hours for you to show,” I said as I stood and approached her. “You mad, and that’s cool; I respect that you needed a minute, but don’t let that shit happen again.” I wrapped my hand around her throat and made her look up at me. “I love you.”
“Is this nigga macking her down?” Krude sighed heavily. “Nah, that nigga should’ve hit her with ‘There’s a thousand words I could say to make you come home. Seems so long you walked away-“
“Genesis!” Judge sighed. “Shut the fuck up.”
“I know,” she said, nodding.
“Say it back.”
“No,” she denied and shook her head.
“I knew brown skin was in,” Krude laughed. “Nigga can't even punk his girl right.”
“Why is he here?” Mercy asked with a laugh as she looked up at me. “You literally could’ve had anyone else come with you.”
“Madea made me take him,” I answered as I stared into her eyes. “Why won't you say it back?”
“Because you haven’t seen me at my worst yet.”
“I think I have,” I laughed, and she shook her head. “It gets worse?”
“Fuck yeah, nigga!” Krude answered for her. “Now, let her go so she can go kill my niece's egg donor, and we can all go home.” I laughed and let go of Mercy’s throat. “If you love her after this shit, then y’all meant to be.”
“And if you don’t, then you ain’t leaving here alive,” Judge said.
Mercy laughed and walked away; all I could do was watch her leave. I turned to Judge and Krude and shook my head. Krude was right; they were much more alike than people had realized. Krude’s humor was loud and upfront, but Judge had the best comedic timing, which did nothing but egg Krude on.
“You know grabbing a woman around the throat like that in public will have niggas side-eyeing you, right?” Krude asked, and I shrugged.
His eyes narrowed, and his mouth twisted.
“You nasty niggas into that kinky shit like Harlot and my bestie?” his hand went to his chest, and he shook his head.
“I swear I’m the only one living right with the lord! ”
“Genesis,” Judge sighed. “Shut up, nigga.”
“Oh nah,” he said, shaking his head. “I can't believe my sister-cousin’s out here being nasty!” he pretended to gag.
“Oh hell, I just realized y’all be having the sex, too!
” he dramatically put his hand on his forehead and swayed side to side.
“Let me go pray because there is no way my girl is about to be living in sin! Light skin thug, put a ring on her finger asap cuz if not, my girl is going to hell!”
“I already got it ordered,” I laughed.
Krude quickly straightened up and turned to Judge. “Pay up, nigga! I told you he was sprung and would pop the question.” He put his hand out, and Judge dug in his pocket and handed him a stack of money.
“You better be worth that stack I just dropped,” Judge said, mugging me. He pushed off the wall and headed toward the direction that Mercy had disappeared. “Bring y’all yellow asses on so we can watch this girl work, and I can get home to my woman.”
“I’m brown, nigga!” Krude yelled as we followed behind Judge. “Respect my melanin!”
“You think he loves you?” Shai asked Mercy when I walked into the room. “He doesn’t! He will do the same thing to you that he did to me. Use you, then leave you when his career becomes more important.”
“I doubt it,” Mercy denied as she shook her head.
Krude pointed to an empty chair beside him, and I sat down.
Shai looked terrible; her face was swollen and bleeding, and she was barely sitting straight in her seat.
I knew from the reports on the news and what Pyrite had told me, but I didn’t realize how badly she’d been beaten. Mercy had done some damage.