Chapter 15 Rayzor
My work out this morning was more intense than usual. I hit the bags harder, roped faster, doing more pushups than normal. That shit was on me bad. I couldn’t shake the feeling.
Walking out the gym, steam from my body evaporated in the air.
One headphone on, the other behind my ear.
Vigilant. The two interconnecting streets were night and day, livingly on the side.
Calm near the gym. Empty enough to see every face but packed enough for every piece of equipment to be utilized.
I couldn’t mistake what or who he wanted because he was looking at me.
Adjusting my waist, making sure my shit was locked in, I lightly jogged across the street. “Aye, you got a problem?”
He tossed out the cigar he was smoking.
“You’re weakest on your left. Always have been,” he stated.
I balled my fist. “Fuck you say?”
“You need to lean in more to your left. Weight training helps.”
“You think you can do better?”
A creepy smirk crossed that niggas cheek. Yellow teeth peeked from behind his lips. “You’re cocky just like your father was–”
I hit him quick before jacking him against the car, gun pressed into his temple. “Fuck you, nigga.”
“Still quick tempered,” he mocked, blood seeping through his lips.
Yeah, this nigga had a death wish.
I wanted to squeeze the trigger, but it was something in his eyes that made me drop his shirt.
I stepped back.
Gun still aimed at him.
His eyes dragged along with the person jogging past us.
“Have you ever thought about how lucky you are?”
“Guess I’m a lucky nigga,” I retorted.
“You’ll learn soon enough that you get all the big breaks.”
He fumbled with the handlebar on the door, opening it to the smell of cigar smoke. Without taking his eyes off me, he eased into the car, rocking it before closing the door.
I could’ve taken the shot, but my trigger finger stalled as he drove away.
Everything about that old mothafucka had my antennas going. He got away this time. If I saw his ass again, he wasn’t making it.
Later that night
Erin’s fingers were laced in mine. She was having a rough week due to transition of the company, so the workloads were heavier. We hadn’t seen much of each other since Vegas.
I had meetings and a trip that kept me on the road. We FaceTime and talk a lot, but nothing was better than seeing her fine ass in person.
“I know I say this every time we go out, but I needed this.”
I kissed the back of her hand while steering the wheel with the other. “It don’t matter how often you say it as long as you’re saying it.”
I zoned out thinking about that nigga from earlier. I couldn’t get the words out of my head. Whoever the fuck he was knew how to find me. That didn’t bother me because I’m in the public eye. It’s the shit about Pops that got me. like he knew him personally.
“Baby, you’re about to miss the exit.” Eris shook my arm.
I yanked the truck towards the highway exit.
“You alright?” she asked.
I glanced over at her with a smirk. “Yeah, I’m good.”
She eyed me suspiciously. “You sure because you never do that.”
“I’m straight baby.”
“You sure?” she questioned.
I felt like some shit was brewing as the hairs on my neck stood, then I spotted a cruiser car in the rearview.
Sitting up straight, I continued driving and pushing all that shit out the window to enjoy the night with my woman.
I made a left, they did too. It only took once for me to know what it was.
Eris was unaware. That’s what I wanted.
They flickered their lights twice.
“What the hell?” she said.
Then the sirens followed.
“What happened?” she asked curiously, glancing over her shoulder.
“Nothing. I got it. Just chill,” I told her, pulling off to the side.
I watched closely, instantly recognizing who it was.
“They’re always fucking with people. I can’t stand that shit,” she argued.
“It’s cool. Let me handle it.”
The officer had his hand on his gun, but he wasn’t going to be using that shit on me.
I let the window down. He looked inside then stepped back. “Step out of the car for me.”
“Not until you tell us–” Erin started.
“Aye, chill,” I told her.
“Ma’am, it’s best you listen to the driver,” he instructed, stepping back. “Sir, out of the car.”
“Don’t get out of this fucking car! He’ll shoot you then claim he feared for his life!” she shouted.
I leaned over, grabbing her chin. “You gotta chill, aiight.”
Her eyes bounced around mine. “What if his ass is crooked?”
I smirked.
“You trust me?”
She looked in the mirror. “It’s not you I’m worried about.”
“E.”
Protecting her was my main goal.
“Yes.” She sighed. “What does this have to do with anything?”
“Then trust ya man gon’ be back.”
She hesitated.
“Out the car!” the officer yelled.
Eris anxiously grabbed my hand. “Please, don’t.”
“Stay here.” I kissed her lips before moving my gun and unbuckled my seatbelt.
Exiting the car, I winked at her after closing the door.
When I turned around, coming face to face with the officer, that fucking smile faded. He knew he fucked up.
His boots thudded against the pavement and gravel as we walked down the shoulder of the road.
“She’s got a mouth on her. She needs to respect the law,” he taunted.
“Nah, nigga, you better respect her, fuck you saying.”
His radio went off.
“If she’s going to be part of your life, then she needs to know how to conduct herself because it could’ve been worse.”
“For who?” I asked, turning around.
He scoffed. “A match made in heaven.”
“Fuck you, Decker. What you want?” I asked, being blown.
“I wanted to warn you the place on Billings is hot, and you need to move it because they’re coming sooner or later, and it’s the latter.”
“Why the fuck you ain’t tell City?”
“Because City don’t listen, and you know I don’t like dealing with him. If I had to choose a wall to talk you between the two of you, I choose you.”
Decker’s been working with me and City for months now. He was a shiesty ass officer. Wasn’t out here serving and protecting shit. He had a coke problem that I used to my advantage. I put him on payroll. It’s a win.
“And payments due too.”
I glanced down at my Rolex to see the time.
“Nigga, it ain’t midnight.”
“Due is due.”
“Get that shit from him,” I said, walking away. “And the next time you do some shit like this, you gon’ need backup,” I threatened.
“What happened? Everything okay?”
“Always,” I replied, kissing her again.
I watched until the glow of his cruiser disappeared.
Decker knew what it was. He thought he was about the law; I’m street justice. He’d get touched by an angel fucking with me and he knew it.
“Hope that nigga ain’t fuck up the night,” I told her.
She rubbed my shoulder. “Not at all. I just glad you made it back.”
I kissed her again, then pulled away back onto the road. “Let’s go then.”
Two hours later
We made it Howell Mill where the locals and tourists kicked it.
They had a lot to do from putt-putt golf, arcades and food. Just some chill shit. Luckily for us, it wasn’t too packed out. That meant we could chill in peace.
“It’s so beautiful out.” She gazed at the stars.
I stepped in front of her, gripping her ass. “Not as beautiful as you.”
“Yo’, Rayzor,” someone called out from behind.
I turned around, pushing Eris behind me in case it was a crazy ass fan or something.
It was Gooch, he got work from us.
“Can I holla at you a minute?” He bounced on one leg.
“I’m with my lady,” I replied, grabbing her hand and turned around.
“It’s an emergency. I’ve been hitting City’s ass up all day and that nigga ain’t getting back with me,” Gooch called out.
“What he want with you, Rayzor?” Eris asked suspiciously.
“A fan, baby. Come on.”
“It can’t wait man,” he eagerly stated, alarming me.
I halted.
“Let me see what this nigga want, baby. Stand right here.”
Eris looked between me and Gooch, still not releasing my hand.
“You sure?” she questioned.
“We good, baby. You gotta breathe.”
“I try but it’s not every day my man’s a damn celebrity. And why don’t we have security with us?”
“This my city, baby. Ain’t nobody fucking with me.”
“Alright.”
She walked away, giving me space.
Gooch saw me heading toward him, and he got scared. Pushing him further up the road out of earshot way, I glanced back to see Eris on her phone.
“You can’t hear, nigga? If you see that one…” I pointed to Eris. “Run that shit somewhere else. Now what the fuck you got going on?”
“Man, my bad. I need to talk to you. I been looking for you and City all day.”
“You can’t be that stressed if you out here.”
“It’s my wife’s birthday.”
“And you running behind me instead of ya bitch?”
“Look, man, I need an extension and more product. I got hit late last night and don’t have the bread to pay y’all for it.”
I balled my fists that were inside my pockets. Lucky for him, Eris was nearby. Otherwise, he’d be making the nightly news or laying in one of these shitty ass rivers we got around here.
“What does he mean product and your ‘bread’?” Eris interrupted.
She was standing there with her arms on her hips.
“Damn, didn’t I tell yo’ ass to stand back there?” I pointed.
“I’m not a fuckin’ child, and he’s begging loud as hell. I’m sure everybody heard him if I did.”
I turned to Gooch. He threw up his hands.
“Kiss your wife and make this a birthday she won’t forget,” I warned as he backpaddled away from me.
Eris grabbed me by the shirt, getting my attention.
“Rayzor, we just had this conversation a minute ago about lying. Before you answer this question, know you’ve already lied when you didn’t tell me the truth from the jump.” She paused. “Are you in the streets?”
“Baby, come on. Let’s finish the night.”
“I’m not going nowhere else with your ass, Rayzor. This is a game to you.”
Now she had people in my business. Cameras and shit were out recording. It’s wild how nobody was out, now the whole fucking city was on standby.
I grabbed her hand. “We’ll talk about this shit at the house.”
She snatched away from me.
“Whose house? Not after what I heard.”
I groaned. “E.”