Chapter 13 #3
If nothing else, that whole ordeal solidified one truth: He was, in fact, in love as hell.
The second he looked into her eyes outside, his own feelings about their argument dissipated.
In an instant, he didn’t care about anything more than he cared about her smiling again.
He was in deep, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Cannon was still awake, staring at the television, when his phone buzzed. He saw that it was Mace, so he answered.
“Yo.” He glanced at a sleeping Nahla. She was out cold.
“Aye, guess who the hell is sittin’ in their car outside my house right now?”
Cannon chuckled. “Not Ox?”
“Hell yeah.”
After Mace went by Ox’s business, he called Cannon to say that Ox started acting shifty the second Mace mentioned that he had started working for Cannon. Cannon half expected Ox to start following Mace then, but Mace hadn’t noticed anyone tailing him.
If Cannon had to guess, Ox had used some of his contacts to find Mace’s location. Cannon still wasn’t sure about Ox’s specific involvement, but he was clearly in deep and worried. He was following Mace to try to get to Cannon, and Cannon was going to give him exactly what he was asking for.
“Aye, if you ain’t too tired, . . . you feel like makin’ a trip?”
“You know I’m down,” Mace said, sounding excited.
“Come to the address I’m about to send you. He’ll follow, I’m sure.”
“Bet,” Mace said before hanging up.
Cannon slowly and gently slid Nahla off his chest before brushing a kiss on her shoulder.
“Please stay asleep, baby.”
Cannon pulled up a few meters away from the location and waited.
The reason he invested in a safe house in that area was that he used to spend his summers out there with his grandmother.
Once Cannon’s parents died, their grandmother moved into the city so that they didn’t have to switch schools or adjust to a totally different life, but she still owned her home on the outskirts of town.
That was the address Cannon gave Mace. He would never lure an opp to the place Nahla rested her head, but the old house was only ten minutes away from the safe house, and no one had stayed there in quite some time.
Cannon was done beating around the bush with this whole situation.
He wanted answers so they could close this chapter of their lives and focus on their developing relationship.
Ox didn’t know it yet, but he was about to help him do just that.
About twenty minutes after Cannon got there, he noticed Mace’s car pull into the house slowly.
Sure enough, another car came down the road several seconds later.
Ox didn’t pull into the driveway, but it didn’t matter.
As soon as his vehicle was stagnant, Mace backed his car up quickly so that it was directly in front of Ox’s car, and Cannon pulled up and blocked him from the back.
They both stayed in their cars and waited. As expected, Ox exited his.
“Aight, Mace,” he roared. “You got me. I was followin’ you, but I got a good reason.”
Cannon grabbed his gun and got out of his car. “I can’t wait to hear this shit,” he said. Mace got out of his car next, and he was also carrying.
Maddox turned around. The fear only passed his face for a second. After the second, it was replaced with faux confidence, but Cannon already saw what he needed to see—Ox was still a punk.
Casually holding the gun at his side, Cannon said, “You stalkin’ niggas now, Ox?”
Ox chuckled, trying to appear in control of things. “Look, Cane. I already know that you know about me, so why don’t you just say what you gotta say?”
Cannon was silent for a moment. Nahla had definitely told Mr. Hill about Darius Laston and Barrett Performance Solutions. Those must have been the pieces of information that shook the sheriff up enough to hold another press conference.
“Nah, I’on know enough,” Cannon said. “So how about your punk ass start at the beginning.”
“I’m a punk because I’m makin’ a livin’? Everybody’s gotta eat.”
Cannon kissed his teeth. “You’re a punk ’cause you’re eating off stolen land—off the backs of retired civilians, . . . among other reasons.”
Ox laughed. “That’s what this is about, huh? Let’s just go ahead and address the real issue. You’re still cryin’ ’bout the past, ain’t ya? Look, you swung on a superior officer. You’re lucky you didn’t end up in jail behind that, Cane. I did you a favor.”
Cannon raised his gun. Pointing it at Ox, he took a few steps toward him.
“I don’t give a fuck what you tell yourself about that shit to make you sleep at night. I’on wanna hear none of that, bitch. The only thing I wanna hear from you is every detail of your involvement with this Lyle shit.”
“Calm down with the gun, Cane. It ain’t even that serious. Only reason I followed Mace was that I was offered a bonus to give them your location. I’m really not involved like that.”
“To give who my location?” Cannon asked.
“You know who—Lyle’s Sheriff. I don’t know if he’s running it, but he’s who I talk to.
I’m just a contractor. I handle seized property after it’s confiscated, and I’m paid for it.
I have nothing to do with taking the land from people.
It’s not my business whose land it once was. I just do the job I’m paid for.”
“Aye, Cane,” Mace said, “how the fuck did we ever think we wanted to be like this nigga?”
Cannon chuckled. “I was wonderin’ the same shit.”
“Look, man. I got involved in this because I was approached when I really needed the money. I honestly never meant to be in it this long. It’s just not that easy to get out of business with these people,” Ox said, having the nerve to sound sincere.
“Man, whatever. None of that shit matters to me, because you are a part of the system that’s threatening my woman’s life.”
Ox frowned. He looked genuinely confused.
“Wait, the reporter is your lady? I was told that she hired security. They told me who it was, and I never let on that I knew you. Anyway, since I live in Jasona, they said they would give me more money if I could find where you were keeping her. I haven’t told them shit, though, Cane. I swear.”
“Only ’cause your sellout ass don’t know shit. What else can you tell me about this?”
Looking conflicted, Ox shook his head. “Honestly, I’ve already said too much. I really can’t—”
Cannon rushed him quickly. Once he had Maddox hemmed up against the car with one arm to his neck and the other placing the gun to his temple, he spoke again through gritted teeth.
“I don’t give a damn what you were about to say, Ox. I don’t care about shit but my woman. I already don’t fuck with you. Nahla is the best reason I got for pulling this trigger on you, but I promise I’d do it for less. Now answer the got damn question.”
Ox stared into Cannon’s eyes for the longest time, and Cannon stared right back.
Ox must have seen the truth behind Cannon’s words, because he started spilling information at that point.
He told Cannon all about the parts of the operation he was familiar with.
He called several names that Cannon had heard or seen in paperwork and some that weren’t familiar, and he had Mace type them out in his phone.
By the time Ox was done speaking, Cannon was excited to go home and tell Nahla that he had connected the last missing piece.
Cannon released him.
Ox sighed. He wiped some of the sweat from his brow and said, “Cane, man, I’m sorry. When they told me you were involved in this, I told them I couldn’t do it anymore. After everything that happened, the last thing I wanted to do was cross you again.
“Them folks ain’t give me a choice. They threatened my family and me if I pulled out of this. At that point, it wasn’t even about the money; it was about survival.”
“You didn’t think to reach out to me? To see if I could help you find a way out?”
Pathetically, Ox said, “You cut me outta your life, man.”
“You ruined my damn life, Ox. You betrayed me.”
Silence fell over them.
“I did. And I never apologized to you either. I’m sorry, Cane. We were supposed to be better than that. I was supposed to be your brother, but I chose my image and career over our brotherhood. I’m fuckin’ sorry, man.”
Cannon didn’t say anything.
“Look, man. I’m done with them, I swear. After looking you in the eye again, . . . this ain’t worth it. I’ll testify. I’ll tell ’em what I know. In the meantime, I’ma get my family and leave town until it’s safe for me. If y’all end up taking this to the state.”
Cannon shook his head. “Nah, you continue to play the role. If you really are sorry about the past, prove it now. Prove it by helpin’ us end this.”
There was another pause, until . . .
“Just tell me what to do.”
Cannon took a step back.
“Keep your mouth shut about tonight, and answer when I call. You work for Nahla Avery now.”
Ox nodded. “I got you, man. Look, I really am so—”
Cannon put a hand up, not wanting to hear him say that again.
“Go home, Ox.”
Looking defeated, Maddox got into his car. Mace also got in his car and unblocked Ox. Once Ox had driven off, Mace pulled up beside Cane.
“What now?” Mace asked.
“Now we see if he answers my call. We see if he’s still a snake.”
Mace nodded. “Bet.”
Nahla, who usually had no problem sleeping through the night, stirred awake.
Smiling, because the sheets her face was buried in smelled just like Cannon, she blindly reached out to caress his chest. She frowned immediately when all that greeted her hand was cold sheets.
Her heart began to thump against her chest. Did she upset him so bad that he didn’t even want to sleep next to her?
Had she pushed him too far after all? Was he done with her?
Slowly, Nahla sat up. When she opened her eyes, there he was. Cannon was sitting across from her, in the recliner in the corner of his bedroom. She rubbed her eyes and checked the time on his nightstand clock.
Four eleven a.m.