Gang of Roses: Rebel

Rain “Rebel” Crawford

Heavy rain poured from the dark gray sky as I stood in front of my older sister Rose’s grave with tears in my eyes, clutching a half-empty bottle of Moet.

The fact that I was still standing was a miracle, considering how much of it I had already drunk.

Honestly, I was surprised I had even made it to the cemetery in one piece.

Although I could barely function, I knew I had to be there for her birthday.

Rose had always hated it when I treated it like just another day, and even in death, I wanted her to know I hadn’t forgotten.

It was the least I could do for the only blood relative who had ever truly cared about me. Now she was gone, and I was alone.

Almost four years had passed since we buried her, but the grief still felt fresh.

Time hadn’t healed a damn thing. The wound remained open, bleeding beneath the surface, no matter how hard I tried to hide it.

Every day I woke up knowing Rose was gone, but her birthday always hit differently.

The date settled on my chest like a concrete block from the moment I opened my eyes.

Memories of her laugh, her smile, and the sound of her voice followed me everywhere I went.

People loved saying time healed all wounds, but they had clearly never lost someone who was a piece of their soul.

The world felt colder without my road dog in it, and some days I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to living without her.

After pouring a few drops of champagne onto the ground for her, I took a long swig from the bottle, letting the alcohol burn its way down my throat before lowering my head.

Rain continued to roll down my face, mixing with the tears I refused to wipe away as I stared at her headstone and the date she died.

Seeing those numbers carved into stone always took me back to that dreadful day.

Our crew had one mission, which was to rob a bank we had been watching for weeks and get paid.

Shit, we had pulled jobs like that countless times before, and my girl Dice had assured me she had mapped everything out perfectly.

But when it was time to move, everything went left.

There was supposed to be only one security guard on duty that day.

Instead, there were two at the bank. My sister ended up dead because one of them was pregnant, and she froze when it came time to pull the trigger.

Rose had always been the heart of our crew.

The split second she hesitated on pulling the trigger on the pregnant guard cost her everything.

The memory haunted me constantly, replaying in my head like a bad movie I couldn’t turn off.

No matter how much I drank or how hard I tried to bury it, I could still see the blood, hear the gunshots, and remember the moment my entire world fell apart.

Losing her left me with scars that would never heal and nightmares that refused to let me sleep.

“Damn, Rose,” I choked out, my voice cracking. “I still need you.”

Hearing only my own voice and not hers replying back felt like an emotional bullet piercing my chest. Man, I wanted to die.

I couldn’t tell you how many times those thoughts had crossed my mind over the years.

But I was too damn cowardly to end it myself, so instead, I kept finding my way into trouble, hoping that one day somebody else would do the deed for me.

Sadly, the thought of being reunited with my sister, even in death, brought me more comfort than facing a world without her.

That’s how much I missed her. Rose wasn’t just my sister; she was my best friend, my protector, and the only person who had ever loved me unconditionally.

She was my entire world, and when she died, a part of me died right along with her.

As I placed the yellow rose on her headstone, a tribute to the bright yellow motorcycle she loved so much, I broke down even harder.

More tears slid down my cheeks as the rain continued to pour, soaking me to the bone.

Just when I lowered my head, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

With a deep scowl spread across my face, I slowly turned around and found myself staring at my father, a man the streets knew as Titan.

Even standing in the rain, he carried the same commanding presence that had made grown men fear him.

Years might have put a few gray hairs in his beard, but it hadn’t taken away the dangerous aura that surrounded him.

The last time we’d seen each other was at Rose’s funeral when he unexpectedly showed up to pay his respects, which I found disrespectful as hell because Rose hated the son of a bitch.

He was a horrible father and an even shittier human being.

As far as I was concerned, he had no business standing over her casket pretending he gave a damn.

He was a horrible father and didn’t do shit for us.

The only thing he ever taught us was how not to depend on anybody, especially not a man.

He showed us what broken promises looked like and how disappointment could become routine.

If anything, his absence taught me to be strong, because I learned early that nobody was coming to save us.

Every lesson he left behind came from what he failed to do, not what he actually did for us.

“Nigga, what the fuck are you doing here?” I snapped.

“The same reason you’re here,” Titan replied. “Showing my daughter some love on her birthday.”

“You kidding, right? Listen here, my guy. You ain’t care about her birthday when she was alive. Your ass never brought a cake, a card, or a balloon. But now you wanna show up with some funky-ass flowers you probably didn’t even pick out yourself? Nah, do me a favor and bounce.”

“Watch it, little girl,” Titan warned, his voice low and dangerous. “You may dress like a man and carry yourself like one, but at the end of the day, you ain’t one. So, change that tone and remember who you’re talking to.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. If we didn’t look so much alike, I would’ve thought he was just another man standing in the rain. We shared a last name and blood, but that was where our connection ended.

“I’m talking to the same nigga who wasn’t around when we needed him,” I shot back. “The same clown who only shows up when somebody dies? Miss me with that tough-guy shit, Titan.”

“Rain, you’d better watch how you’re talking to me.”

I grimaced when he called me by my government name. He hadn’t called me that in years, so hearing it roll off his tongue felt strange. For a moment, I almost didn’t recognize it coming from him.

“If I don’t, what you gonna do, huh?” I challenged him. “Beat me like you used to beat every woman you were with?”

“Don’t keep pushing me,” Titan warned. “I advise you to take that drink and leave so I can pay my respects before I break your neck.”

“Man, fuck you, Titan. You lost the right to check me a long time ago. So if you came here expecting respect, you’re in the wrong place.”

Titan showed me that niggas involved in gang life weren’t shit, and I damn sure wasn’t about to waste my time being cool with a motherfucker who didn’t care about raising his kids.

All he ever cared about was stacking paper and chasing pussy.

He ran through so many women that I didn’t even know who my own mother was.

From what Rose told me, our mom got tired of being cheated on and beaten damn near every day.

That’s why she eventually left. The fucked-up part was that she wanted to take us with her, but Titan refused to let her.

Instead of allowing us the chance at a better life, he kept us right there in his toxic world while he continued doing whatever the hell he wanted.

So my mother walked away, and Rose was left to pick up the pieces and raise me the best she could.

She was barely more than a kid herself, but she did everything in her power to make sure I was loved and protected.

And somehow, despite all of that, this sorry son of a bitch still expected respect.

I took another swig from the bottle before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

Just as I thought he was gonna leave without causing a scene, he tossed the roses to the ground with a snarl and grabbed me by the throat.

That nigga’s hand was so damn big he only needed one to choke life out of me.

His fingers wrapped around my neck as he jerked me forward, forcing me onto my tiptoes.

The bottle remained clenched in my hand while I fought to pull in a breath.

Titan stared down at me with murder in his eyes.

Even after all these years, he was still a monster of a man.

The rain rolled down his face as his grip tightened, reminding me exactly why grown men feared him.

I clawed at his wrist with my free hand, trying to break loose, but it was like fighting a damn grizzly bear.

“Watch your fucking mouth,” he growled.

My lungs burned, but I refused to look away.

If he expected me to beg, he was out of his fucking mind.

Still, panic surged through me as I felt myself growing weaker with every passing second.

Dark spots began dancing across my vision, and no matter how hard I fought, his grip never loosened.

That’s when I remembered I still had the bottle in my hand.

With the little strength I had left, I swung and smashed it against the side of his head.

The glass connected with a sickening crack, causing his grip to loosen.

When he finally released his grip, I gasped for air and stumbled backward while Titan staggered to the side, one hand flying to his head.

Before he could recover, I drove my foot between his legs.

The kick landed squarely between his thighs.

A pained grunt ripped from his chest as the bastard doubled over, clutching himself while rain poured down around us.

“Fuck!” he growled.