11. Brick #3
The familiar click of a gun cocking let me know shit was getting real on the other side of the door.
I signaled for my brothers and Haco to be cool though.
I didn’t want to run up in there and possibly get Six hurt.
I would know my opening when I heard it.
With my back pressed against the wall on one side of the door, I nodded to Ivo behind me.
On the opposite side, Staten and Haco were holding it down.
“Ain’t shit wrong with me, Leni. Yo’ ass a little slow though. Probably all that damn partying I did when I was carrying you,” Darlene snickered. “Don’t be stupid either, bitch, drop that gun right there.”
“Darlene—”
“Sixtine, don’t even start with me! I’m more pissed off at you than her.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you! You fucked everything up! Ever since that night with Skully, nothing has gone how it was supposed to. This nigga started kicking my ass and blaming me like I was the one who sliced his fucking face. I had to put up with him and his fucked-up attitude all these months because you decided to run off! Don’t worry though, baby girl. It’s all coming together.”
“What are you talking about?” Leni questioned.
“I took a chance. We been in touch for weeks, and I know you and Six been hanging out. I knew when I told you there was some money in it, you would come running like the fucking leech you are.”
“Leech? Bitch, take a long look in the mirror!” Leni squawked.
“Either way, I knew Six would come with you. I was banking on it.” A chilling stillness swept over the room, and I locked eyes with the men waiting on my cue.
Nearby, you could hear a door creak open before long, heavy footsteps padded through the apartment from a separate area.
“Oh, shit,” Leni mumbled.
“You scandalous bitch!” Six roared. The quick movements and screaming sounded like they were in there rumbling before a shot was fired.
Pow! Nodding to Staten and the others, I pushed myself off the wall and faced the door.
Bringing my size thirteen steel-toe boot up, I kicked the door open with every ounce of strength a nigga could find.
That bitch came off two of the hinges when I rushed inside, swinging my gun and doing a sweep over the room.
“Leni!” Six screamed, on the ground with her sister in her arms, bleeding out.
On the other side of the room, Darlene stood, shaken, with Skully behind her, sneering at the display.
A smoking gun was still in her hands, but she didn’t budge.
Six reached for the nine-millimeter on the floor within arm’s reach.
There was no hesitation when she raised it, aimed at her mother, and sent a shot into her chest. Darlene stumbled back into Skully, sending them both into a TV stand, where they knocked into the big screen and sent it crashing into the wall.
Both Darlene and Skully hit the ground, while the gun clattered against the cold concrete floor.
Shaken up with tears stinging her eyes, Six cradled Leni against her and rocked slowly.
Shorty was still breathing, but I knew when the blood began pouring out of her mouth in thick clots, she wouldn’t last long.
“I’m s-sorry,” she managed to utter, looking Six in her eyes.
“Fuck!” Six screamed, slamming her fist into the ground.
I’d turned, giving Skully and Darlene my back so I could check on Six. Every hair on the back of my neck raised when I heard Skully’s footsteps.
Pow!
“Argh! Fuck!” I screamed, my arm suddenly feeling like it was on fire when the bullet pierced my flesh. Muthafucka!
I turned, prepared to knock this nigga Skully down once and for all.
With the barrel of my weapon fixed on him, I was about to squeeze the trigger when Staten shouted my name.
For some reason, instead of firing off, I dove over toward Six to shield her from the gunfire.
Landing on top of her, I knocked the wind from both of us, but kept her pinned under me.
When it got quiet, I picked my head up and took in my surroundings.
Staten walked right up on Skully and hit him with a single shot to the middle of his head while standing over him.
The rest of his body was already riddled with bullets, and he wasn’t moving.
I guess he just wanted to be sure. When he was done, he turned, and that’s when I spotted Haco on the ground near the door.
Sitting up against the white walls, he held his hand against the wound in his stomach.
Sweat had already gathered at his forehead as he chuckled and tried to catch his breath.
“Well, shit. Talk about feeding a nigga to the wolves,” Haco remarked.
With even steps, Staten moved closer to him. He hovered over that nigga like a dark shadow, eyes of death dancing over him. Kneeling with his gun between his legs, bro locked eyes with Sol’s husband. It was a cold, menacing glare that I wouldn’t dare want to look into.
“Did you think we wouldn’t figure it out?” my big brother checked with him.
“Didn’t think you cared enough to,” Haco answered with a laugh. “Thought I covered my tracks.”
“You know ain’t shit new under the sun, and you ain’t as smart as you fucking think.”
“But you are.” Haco nodded to him with a wicked smile. “You used this whole shit to get at me. I didn’t think you had it in you. It was calculated. Ruthless. Very Justus.”
“I’m glad you recognize that. You caught him slipping. I just want to know one thing,” Staten presented.
“And what’s that?” Havo gagged and choked while trying to take a deep breath. Sounded like his fucking lungs were filling with blood.
“Why’d you do it?”
“You know how long I had to sit in the background, watching you and your punk ass brothers run shit when I knew I had more experience? Even Justus knew it, he was just big on that blood relation shit. Why you think he came up with all that shit in the will? He was a controlling son of a bitch who never let me forget I wasn’t born into this family.
I married into it. Then Sol wanted to constantly take his side like that nigga was God! ”
“You know what you sound like? A nigga that’s been hating from jump.
So you know what that makes you in my eyes?
” Staten questioned, jaw locked tight as he spoke through gritted teeth.
“A snake. You should already know how I get down when it comes to a muhfucka coming for me and mine. You know what else I stumbled across when we went digging around? How you and that fuck nigga Dame go wayyy back,” Staten sneered.
“Imagine that. You been trying to take me out for a minute now. Biding your time. I give you points for patience. Mine has run out.”
Pow!
Staten blew a hot one right between his eyes. Grunting like a wounded animal, Haco’s body went limp. Gasping, Six covered her mouth, and I helped her to her feet. Covered in Leni’s blood, she trembled like a leaf in the wind.
“Get me out of here,” she whispered, burying her face in my chest.
“Let’s go.” Holding her close, I guided her to the doors so we could leave.
I wasn’t worried about catching no static behind this shit.
We were in the ghetto and didn’t nobody care about a bunch of dead niggas.
The most attention it would draw would more than likely be from Haco because he was associated with Marek Industries.
Mace and the rest of our team had been on standby.
Once we cleared the bottom floor, there was no sign of a tenant or young nigga.
We quickly made our way to our vehicles so that we could get the fuck out of here.
After stopping to fill up for gas at one of those little spots I was sure didn’t have a working CCTV feed, I trailed my brothers in one car while Mace tailed me from the rear.
I held Six’s hand most of the way. For the first part of the drive, she sat with her back to me, just staring out the window.
I wanted to know what was on her mind, but I wasn’t going to pry about it until she was ready.
Eventually, she shifted so that she could face me, and there was this lost, desolate glint behind her gaze.
She hugged herself, locking her arms tight before closing her eyes and drifting off for the rest of the drive.
I pulled over to take a piss and roll up, as did my brothers, and then we were back on the road within a few minutes.
A couple of hours later, we pulled onto the estate and went our separate ways.
I couldn’t speak for them, but my black ass was tired and ready for a shower and something to eat.
Six stirred, and her warm eyes soaked in the house before she relaxed and swung her head in my direction.
“I can’t believe I slept almost the whole way.” She yawned and stretched a bit.
“Six, what the fuck was you thinking today?” I could no longer hold my tongue. She opened her mouth to speak, but after giving it some thought, she closed it and glanced my way.
“I don’t know. I was stupid.” She shook her head and tittered at something before staring out her window at the house.
“You have all this family, and it’s great.
I love being around them. I just sometimes wish I had my own family.
You probably don’t get that.” She fidgeted with her hands and stared into her lap.
“I might not all the way understand it, but that don’t mean you can’t talk about it with me.
If I was you, I would probably feel the same way.
I was fortunate enough to grow up around a lot of family.
Shit was important and instilled in us. I don’t know what I would have done without it.
So, nah, I might not be able to relate to it, but I see why you would want it for yourself. ”
“You know what I want more than anything right now?” she asked, a half-smile toying with her lips.
“What’s that?”
Creeping across the seat, she straddled me and grabbed my face.
Leaning forward, lil’ mama melted against me, every part of her on fire.
She kissed me slowly, taking her time before easing her tongue between my teeth.
This was Six in rare form. My hands fell on her backside, drawing her into me until her soft breasts and hard nipples were pushed against my chest. Six’s hands left my face, traveling down my torso until she was trying to free me from my pants by unbuckling them.
Although the shit felt good, and my dick was also ready for it, something about the moment was rushed, and this wasn’t how I pictured things with Six after all this.
“Hold up.” I grabbed her shoulders and nudged her back.
“What’s wrong?” Immediately, her forehead wrinkled in confusion while panting and trying to catch her breath.
“This ain’t how we should be doing this, mama.”
“Brick, what are you talking about?”
“You trying to lose your virginity in the car? That ain’t you, and that ain’t how I want this to go for us. I know it’s been a long day and your adrenaline is probably still pumping, but?—”
“You saying you don’t want me?” she pouted, and I hated seeing that look on her face as if I was rejecting her.
“Nah, that ain’t it.” Shaking my head, I cupped her cheek and searched her misting eyes. “I just want this to be right for you, Six. Not rushed, where you might regret it later. Maybe we can both get cleaned up, have something to eat first?”
“I was just trying to be in the moment. With everything that’s happened today, I just need to feel close to you. Closer than we’ve been. I’m ready.”
“And I’m with all that, mama. I promise.”
“It feels like you’re pushing me away because you think I’m not ready. Like I’m only doing this because of everything that happened,” Six surmised as she scooted off my lap and back into the passenger’s seat.
“Are you? Is that what made you ready? Or is it because you know you want me. Us? This?” I motioned between us with my hands. “Because that’s the only right answer. Not some knee-jerk reaction to the bullshit your mama and sister pulled.”
“You’re right. I could use a shower.” She reached for the door handle and pushed hers open. I couldn’t offer a response because she had already slammed the door shut and stomped toward the front porch.