Goon
The sirens could be heard in the distance, and we were playing it too close.
Capri clued Navy’s family in on what to say, while Ro handed his gun off to Don as he kissed Navy.
“My jet soon as you’re done here, Pooh,” he told her, then looked at her parents. “Y’all, too.”
Ro nodded his head while Avril walked over towards Don, giving him a hug. Not any hug, one of those hugs that you could only get from a mother. I lived for those hugs from my own. Made even the coldest nigga warm.
“Listen to me both of you.”
Avril looked at both Menace and Don. Almost like she was talking to her own sons. Worry was etched in her face, as she looked at them. “You both be careful out there. You have a wife and son, and you have a wedding to finish planning with your fiancée.”
Menace stared her in the eyes, something he hardly ever did. Nodding his head, he agreed with her. “Make sure your parents are on the jet with you, too. I don’t want any family in this city.”
Avril squeezed his arm. “Wheels up soon as we’re finished here. We promise.”
Capri kissed her husband. “Call my—”
“Already spoke to your pops.” He kissed her back.
She kissed him once more before she pulled her badge out of her purse while Aimee did the same. “Aim, you need to get ghost, too. Don’t need anyone knowing we’re connected.”
Aimee nodded. “I already wiped out the security cameras, and the backup servers.”
Corleon looked at her phone, then looked down at her with pride in his eyes. He was like a proud father, pleased that she knew what to do without his input or guidance.
I felt a shaky hand on my back and saw a spooked Inez standing beside me.
With all the shit that had happened, I had forgot her ass told me that Forty was the Red Hook Killer. “Goo, please… don’t leave me.”
I could tell that she was high, but the fear in her eyes and the way her body trembled was real. It also told me that something happened.
No matter how pissed or disappointed my cousin made me, I was forever going to have her back. She never had to question that. At the same time, she was telling me that one of my niggas, an Inferno God, was the killer.
We loaded up in the truck, Menace got in the back with Corleon and Inez. “Relax, I got you… chill, breathe,” Corleon spoke to Inez as she slightly started to panic.
“I…I’m so…sorry,” she stammered, fixing her hair because she was embarrassed.
Corleon didn’t look at her with pity or disgust. He looked at her like a woman who had a lot of demons she was currently battling. “You’re good. Hold onto my arm.”
Inez became stable on her feet, climbing into the back of my truck, and then into the backseat. Corleon got in the seat next to Menace, and I pulled out the back, just as the sirens were coming the opposite direction.
No sooner than I hit the next block, I heard motorcycles and saw Cappadonna’s truck behind mine. Quasim must have called the Gods, because they were riding beside us as we made it to our next location.
“Nez, how the fuck did you know where I was?” I questioned, not being able to wait any longer.
It wasn’t like I shared locations with my family. They knew if I was gone I would resurface.
“Navy told me.”
I looked through the rearview mirror. “You liad.”
“Mi a tell yuh di truth, Goo, she di one weh tell mi,” she spoke back in patois. We were all fluent, and whenever we got around people, we often spoke in it.
“They speaking French and don’t want us to know,” Menace said, as if the shit was the truth.
Corleon paused, then busted out laughing while looking on his phone. “Fuck up, Mens.”
“Then how you knew, Nez? A lot of shit not adding up for me.” I continued to look between her in my rearview, and the street ahead of me.
“Auntie told me… said you and Zoya went to an engagement party for Avril’s daughter… one of Navy’s influencer friends posted.”
“Put her on the list to die. Get ready with me to meet my fucking maker,” Menace spoke to himself, because he wasn’t paying attention to any of us.
“She said Forty tried to kill her.” I decided to let everyone in on what Nez had told me. “Find it real funny that you tell me that shit before niggas started shooting. Nez, what the fuck did you get yourself into?”
Menace finally stopped looking out the window and looked at my cousin. “Want me to…” he looked at me.
Inez nearly screamed. “Goo, I swear I had nothing to do with that… I… I was just as scared.”
“Calf doesn’t know how to drink milk… it just does when its born,” Menace added, and I didn’t know where to go with that piece of information he gave. What the fuck did a calf have to do with this situation? I’m sure once I sat down and had time to actually digest the shit, it may make sense.
“Chill, Mens,” Corleon spoke.
Me and Menace made eye contact through the rearview mirror, and it was understood – without words. He understood that just like he would give it up for his siblings, I would do the same when it came to my cousin. Nez was shaken up. Everything in my gut was telling me that she wasn’t lying to me.
Something happened.
“This shit is payback for what happened at Jerk and Lime?”
Corleon looked up from his phone. “Nah… this shit wasn’t some bullshit crip and blood beef.”
“I get anxious when shit don’t make sense, Bruster.”
“Take me to my crib,” Corleon said, and before I could ask where his ass lived, the GPS routed for me. I switched lanes and headed towards the location it was giving me.
Everyone split up. Capone and Cappadonna went to make sure their wives got to their destination safely and were going to meet us at Core’s house after.
Soon as we turned down the street with thick ass greenery on both sides, the GPS disappeared.
“Keep driving,” Corleon said.
Listening to his ass, I continued to drive through the greenery until it opened up to black iron gates. I stopped where a call box should have been. Core hit something on his phone and the gates opened up. I drove up toward the house, amazed that this nigga lived here. Shit was amazing to witness.
I never took seeing my niggas win for granted.
Every time I went to visit Capone and Cappadonna and came through those gates, it almost brought tears to my eyes.
The shit was amazing to be driving through this neighborhood that was filled with their family.
As someone big on family, the shit was impressive to me.
We arrived at the front of the house, where he exited the whip, lifted the seat and assisted Inez, as she climbed from the back. She looked at the house and then back at him amazed that he owned this.
“Look at me. I’m only saying this because everybody thinking the shit… you need to get refreshed. When you enter the house, the room down the hall to the right is the spare bedroom. I have workout clothes in the closet and things in the bathroom to wash up. Take a shower and get refreshed, okay?”
This was the first time shame had entered my cousin’s face. She never felt shame each time we had to pull some random nigga from her body while being fucked, or when me and Khaos were forced to see her naked and exposed.
She never felt ashamed.
In this moment, as she looked from Core, I could tell she was embarrassed. As we entered the house, he directed Inez to the spare room and then came back toward the foyer.
“Appreciate that, Core.”
He dapped me up. “Don’t even mention it. It means nothing when it comes from someone familiar. I’ve been there and done that.”
He and Menace shared a look with each other. “We’re well versed in junkies, Gordon.”
“What the fuck, Menace?”
Corleon squeezed my shoulder. “Ignore his ass. Just know we’re familiar.”
We headed down the opposite hall towards the basement. From the stairs, you could see his backyard with the pool. Core put in a code and opened the doors. I stepped out the room, then inside, and looked back at the door.
“How in the fuck?”
Menace was used to it because he went and took a seat near the computers.
“Yeah, I usually get that same reaction.”
It was known that Corleon was a tech genius and was into hacking. Everyone knew the shit, but seeing this was different. This nigga had the world on surveillance and could see everything with just a few strokes of a key.
Menace leaned forward and typed a few things, and we saw the inside of the Rezvani with Stevie and Dennis inside.
Zoya was sitting in the back while Stevie and Dennis were in the seats in front of her. She and Stevie were talking, but we couldn’t hear them until Menace pressed a button.
“Love you, Wonder.”
I half expected her to be spooked that her man’s voice was coming through the speakers, and he was nowhere near her. “Love you more, Mavie… be safe for me, okay?”
“K, Boo.”
I walked toward the screens and sat down. “She can hear me?”
“I can, Goo.”
I smirked. “I love you, Zoya.”
She blushed. “Love you, too, Gerald. Try not to die, okay? Would really suck to do this alone.”
I shook my head. “I’ll try, my dear.”
She smiled, looking up, not sure where she should have been looking.
She was so fucking beautiful. Even with worry etched on her face, she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever lay eyes on. “You good?”
“I guess. What’s the plan? Ask Menace, he knows I’m nice with the aim.”
Menace nodded his head. “True.”
“Stop fucking playing with me. Take yo’ ass on that jet and I’ll see you soon.” She folded her arms, and I knew what she was doing. “Hold that breath if you want.”
“Whatever. Be very careful. So careful it’s almost like you have to live for someone,” she spoke in code.
“Got to live for a lot of people, Ms. Lawyer lady.”
“Stop fucking playing with me now.”
I laughed. “What you gonna do?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you.”
“Bet. I love you, my dear.”
She blushed. “l love you, too.”
When I turned around, both Menace and Corleon were staring at me.
“You finished?”Core asked.
“Didn’t take both you niggas as haters,” I chuckled, sitting in the second office chair, while Corleon pulled up another.