18. Rayzor #2
It was a news story that aired about an hour ago, showing Phillip holding a vigil and putting out a hundred- thousand-dollar reward for Levi.
That nigga was crying and had an older picture of Levi that looked like he’d cut Eris out of.
It was the most recent because it was of them one night we all went out.
He must’ve gotten that from her social media.
“Let me talk to her.”
“He didn’t even tell me he was going on the news. He’s never done shit for my baby, and he wanna get on the news acting like the distraught father. He ain’t Levi’s daddy. You’re more of a daddy to his son than he is. How could he make a mockery of what’s happening to my baby?”
“Calm down, baby.”
“I’m dealing with enough, Courtland. I’m tired and fucking worried,” she ranted.
“Let that nigga go on every network if that’s what he wanna do. If it’s gone bring Levi home, let him. He knows the truth and it’s fucked up he moved like that. You gotta calm down, though, baby. You ain’t no good to yourself, Levi, Erin or our unborn if you’re stressing like this.”
“I fucking hate that I ever laid down with him. I love Levi, but I fucking hate Phillip.”
I knew this was coming from a place of hurt. And after looking at the shit he sent her, she had every right to feel that way. Eris has been taking care of Levi because that nigga made her a single momma.
“Stay off social media for me, aiight.”
“I tried to tell her to stay off it, she almost chopped me down!” Suki yelled from the background.
“Where are you?”
I scanned the house.
“I’ll be home soon.”
“Okay,” her voice went flat.
The line went quiet.
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Let me get back to this and I’ll be home, aiight?”
“Be careful. And please, bring my baby home.”
She hung up.
I got out and went down to the house, checking the car to see if any of Levi’s stuff was inside.
At first, I didn’t see anything. I yanked the handle of the door, and it opened because it was unlocked.
Not even an alarm went off, nor did any lights come on.
The car wasn’t in good condition. The cloth and leather were tattered.
Food bags were on the seats- not junky shit, but it wasn’t clean either.
I tossed some shit to the side, looking for anything. The more I sought out, the more I didn’t want to find something I could use.
My heart sped up every time my eyes landed on something.
It’s a catch-22; on the one hand, I wanted to find anything because that meant it’d be close, but on the other hand, if I did find something, there’s no telling what’ll be on the other end of it. I wanted to find Levi, but I wanted him the way we left him.
There was this green thing sticking out from under one of the seats. I grabbed it. It was a small, pocket-sized dinosaur toy. Levi carried these around in his pocket.
The front door opened, and a man walked out. I hopped in the backseat, closing the door. He didn’t see me because he climbed in with ease.
“Sis, you’re worried for nothing. You said they’re running the reward for one hundred, right? Once they get that, we’ll split it and be gone.”
The muffled sound on the other end of the phone sounded like the person was panicking. I didn’t want to jump out immediately, acting on impulse. I needed to hear if anything else would come of this.
“That little talking ass nigga in there sleep. I gave his ass one of them melatonin. He dripped out too. I’m selling that Amiri with some Gucci sneakers.
That nigga Rayzor got money. I know he dripped them in that.
” He laughed. “I’ll hit you later. Find something to do to get the money before the police.
I’m not trying to keep this lil’ nigga long. ”
I sat up when I heard the call end. His eyes were wide when he saw me. City was standing in the back of the car.
“Nigga, who the…” He was silenced with one twist of his neck. His head was over his shoulder, limp. I dropped him, and he fell to the side. When I exited the car, City was already going into the house.
I grabbed his phone, then got out to get Levi.
The stairs creaked when I walked. It smelled like old carpet from the outside. There was a TV softly playing behind the door. It was unlocked as I peeled it open. I spotted Levi sleeping on a dirty, burgundy couch underneath the window.
I scanned his body to see any noticeable marks or bruises. He looked fine from the outside.
He stirred in his sleep.
“Levi,” I called out.
He moved but his eyes stayed closed.
“Hmmm,” he groaned and grunted.
“Daddy, you’re here.” He hugged me around my neck so tightly. I wrapped my arms around his little body.
“I’ll always be here for you.” I kissed the side of his head. “Levi, listen to me.”
“Okay,” he nodded.
“Who brought you here? How did you get here?”
“Uncle Tony picked me up,” he explained.
.
“Did you willingly go with him?”
“No. He– he– he… came in the grass, and when I tried to go get Auntie Rhea, he– he–he said that I was leaving with him. He picked me up, ran, and put me in a car.”
I couldn’t even listen to the story without shedding a few tears.
“City, take Levi to the car. I’ll be out in a minute.”
I handed Levi off to City.
“You’re not coming with us?”
“I have to stay back and fix something, but I’ll be out after y’all, aiight?”
I watched City leave out with Levi and watched them through the window. It took less than a minute to get back up the road.
Phillip said don’t do anything crazy until he gets there. Make sure he’s still clean for the pictures. He’s on the way. I’m waiting on the money from the wedding photos too. Then we can get the hell out of Atlanta.
My blood boiled. I could’ve killed that bitch.
This was a fucking setup. Phillip and Rhea concocted this shit together.
I already knew Rhea was Eris’s hater, but she added the lame- ass baby’s daddy to the mix.
This shit was sad. Eris loved them both at one point in time. The good ones always get fucked over.
I waited.
Less than ten minutes later, there was a knock. I opened it from behind. He must not have seen the dead body in the car.
“Let’s get these pictures sent to Eris so they can send some of this money over,” he said cluelessly as he walked into the house. I closed the door, and he turned around.
“Where…” he began to say as his words lingered off at seeing me.
He tried to run, but that nigga didn’t have speed. I had him in a headlock before he could even take his next breath.
“So, you kidnapped Levi to extort money from E?” I asked, putting pressure on him.
He was trying to throw his arm behind him to hit me, but I ducked.
He was gagging on his spit and scared for his life.
“You think that shit cool, nigga? To take my mothafuckin’ son? You thought this was gon’ be a lick.”
“I…” he stressed.
“Call Rhea.” I pressed harder.
I released him just enough for him to be able to talk. I pressed my gun to the tip of his temple. He shivered under the steel.
“I just pulled up to Eris’s house. Why the hell are all the officers around here like they’re the president? Rayzor is doing too much,” Rhea’s voice came through loud and clear.
She sounded so spiteful. Why the fuck was Eris even her friend to begin with? I warned her about Rhea, but Levi came at her hating ass expense.
“I gotta go. I’ll text you later.” She ended the call.
I didn’t need to hear shit else. Phillip’s warm tears dripped onto my arm. I felt no sympathy for him, or for what I was going to do with that bitch Rhea either.
“Don’t worry about Eris and Levi. I told you, this is my family now.”
I pushed him away from me. He stared in the face of the last man that’ll see him alive.
POW!
I sent him a single bullet to his head, dropping him. He couldn’t even fight for his life. He was gone the second the bullet pierced his brain.
In the distance, cars moved up and down the street. Life moved on as two lives were lost. The world was better without them. I felt no remorse. I’d take one-hundred lives if it meant keeping my family safe.
Rigor mortis didn’t even have time to kick in before I dipped out.
Levi had fallen back asleep when I got inside the truck. City drove while I sat in the back with him. All I kept thinking about was getting him back to Eris safely.
When we walked in, Suki and Rhea were seated on the couch with Eris and Erin.
“Mommy!” Levi yelled as he ran through the house.
Eris jumped up and ran for Levi as he leaped into her arms.
Rhea looked like she saw a ghost.
“My baby. I missed you so much,” Eris cried.
“Mommy, why are you crying?” he asked.
“I just missed you, that’s all.”
“I missed you too. I’m hungry,” he said clueless.
Eris laughed through her pain.
“I’ll get you something to eat, come on, Levi.” Erin grabbed his hand.
“Auntie Rhea, you didn’t come like you said you were.”
Rhea choked on air.
“Huh? Baby, what’re you talking about?” Her eyes bounced all around the room but never landed on anybody.
“Uncle Tony said you were coming to play with us.”
Everybody looked in her direction.
Rhea froze.
Eris’s eyes flickered.
“Rhea, what the fuck is Levi talking about? Please tell me you didn’t have nothing to do with this?” Eris rushed Rhea.
Rhea let out a nervous laugh. “Girl, you know how kids have active imaginations.”
I didn’t even wanna break this shit to her.
“Levi does a lot of things, but he’s not lying. Besides, his story is too elaborate for him to be making this up. Rhea, what did you do?”
Rhea looked around for help, but she couldn’t because Suki jumped on her, throwing her head against the wall and everything before they fell onto the floor. Suki was wearing her ass out. Nobody was stopping it either. I didn’t want Eris getting into it, risking the health of her pregnancy.
City grabbed her up.
“You let this bitch jump on me without even hearing me out?! Fuck y’all.”
“Auntie Rhea, Uncle Tony was mean. He– he– he wouldn’t even play with me,” Levi continued.
Eris dropped to her knees and coddled Levi again.
“Momma’s so sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry.”