Chapter 6 #2
“I’ma do what I always did. Move on. A man like me don't get stuck on shit that clearly won’t work. You of all people should know that.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, because as soon as I went to college, I got a call about some hoe sitting on your lap. You definitely move on fast.”
“That wasn’t shit. I was only trying to soothe the pain. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Silence engulfed them as Faith Evans crooned in the background.
This was the part Noble hated about breakups.
The yearning that seemed to be never ending.
The emptiness because your person wasn’t around.
Nothing mattered during the transition from love to no more.
It was something he wished he could skip.
“I’m about to go.” He stood. “Give me a hug.”
Danira got up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Noble hated to compare but her body didn’t fit right in his arms anymore. The only form he wished to feel was his Pumpkin. Noble pulled back as Danira gazed at him.
“Good looking out on the talk. You still got the ability to make me feel better.” He smiled.
“That’s nice to know.” She leaned in and kissed his lips.
They always had a farewell kiss until they met again. It was endearing but not in a romantic way. Almost like a be good kiss.
“I’ll holla at you later,” he told her.
“Alright.”
Danira walked him to the door, and Noble left the house. In a way he felt a bit light. Still, the void from Irish’s absence wouldn’t be soothed for a long time.
Rio pushed out a frustrated breath. Everything that could go wrong had, and he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t made any strides up until now.
Trying to locate Cali and her lover had been harder than expected.
Rio pulled up at Douglas’ house, only for his guards to turn him and his crew away.
He went to Enya’s house, demanding her whereabouts just for her and her husband, Kip, to claim they didn’t know.
The only place left was Bria’s home, but he didn’t know where she lived.
Currently, Rio sat at the table with Noble, Jovanis, Zayd, and Wilde on one side while Douglas and his men sat across. Per usual, Douglas was dressed in a tailored suit with his loud cologne filling the room.
“We need to come to an agreement,” Douglas stated. “I can’t have you trying to kill my daughter, Rio. I know you understand my position.”
“I don't give a fuck about your position,” Rio sneered, grilling him. “That lil’ hoe you raised tried to take me out with her side nigga. You should know what type of time I’ma be on.”
Douglas’ jaw clenched before sharply exhaling. He turned to Noble.
“What can we do to make this go away? You have to know that if something happens to my daughter, that a war will ensue. I’ve already alerted the mob so they're on standby, ready for whatever call you make.”
Noble’s brows furrowed. “You said that to say what?”
Douglas reclined in his seat. “Read between the lines, Noble. I know you aren’t familiar with me because of my departure from TLM, but I never come to play.”
“Nigga and?” Wilde chuckled. “The fuck that’s supposed to mean to us? We don't give a fuck how you coming. What you need to be worried about is that snake-ass daughter of yours.”
“Facts,” Zayd added.
Douglas chuckled. “You two still trying to prove yourself, huh? Tuck let y’all cause all kinds of chaos. You're one of the reasons the organization went to the gutta.”
“And now it’s on top again,” Noble asserted. “Now if you want to keep your daughter safe, I suggest you watch your mothafucking mouth coming at my brothers.”
Douglas’ nostrils flared before he pushed a sinister smile on his lips. “I’m willing to pay a fee for your troubles. Although, I know my daughter didn’t set you up.”
“Why? Because she’s trustworthy and was a faithful wife?” Rio sarcastically asked.
“No, because she would never want you dead. Cali may be a lot of things, but she has never given that she wanted to have you killed.”
“You don't know her ass at all.” Rio scoffed. “She’s selfish as fuck.”
Douglas shrugged, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair. “I’m not disagreeing with you.”
“500 K,” Noble announced.
Douglas’ forehead creased as confusion settled on his features. “Excuse me?”
“That’s what we need to lift this bounty.” Noble smirked at him.
“You gotta be motherfucking joking!” Douglas boomed. “$500,000 is a lot of money.”
Jovanis smacked his lips. “You was just talking that gangsta shit a minute ago. Don't be cheap, Doug.”
“There’s no way you think that figure is fair!” Douglas argued.
Noble peered at Rio. “How long were you in the hospital? Weeks, right? You suffered what… head trauma, broken bones, and a coma.” Rio nodded then Noble looked at Douglas. “I say that’s a good start. Shit, it’s the least you can do.”
He shook his head. “Hell no.”
“Listen, you can either pay that or pay for a funeral. Which one you want?” Rio snapped, growing impatient with his father-in-law.
Douglas exhaled sharply, looking over at his men, who had clenched jaws as well.
“I have to discuss this with Devyn.”
“Do what you gotta do but you got until tonight to agree to our terms. If you don't, your precious daughter will still have that red dot on her.”
Douglas gave him a smug smirk. “You know, I never liked your arrogant ass, Noble. You left Tuck high and dry and now you're sitting here like you're the fucking man.”
“Nigga, I am the man and if you keep talking slick, I can show you by adding more zeroes to that fee. So, holla at me and tell me what I should do.”
Pressing his lips together, Douglas stood, pulling down the sleeves to his collared shirt.
“We’ll be in touch.”
“Aye,” Rio called out, “and when you pay, ‘cause I know you ain't stupid, let Cali’s ass know to get ready for that divorce. Oh, and make sure she knows that she ain't getting shit either.”
Douglas snorted, filing out of the room with his men in tow. Soon as the door closed, Noble looked at Rio.
“You sure about all this?”
“Yeah,” Rio snarled. “I ain't letting no bitch get away with trying to set me up.”
“And she was cheating,” Wilde instigated. “That hoe gotta die just off that alone.”
Noble shook his head, silently hating how Wilde hyped Rio up to do the unthinkable. Granted, he was enraged and he should’ve been, but he didn’t think killing Cali would take away the sting of betrayal.
“I got a move to make,” Jovanis announced. “I’ll holla at y’all.”
He shook hands with everyone except Noble, which didn’t bother him a bit.
“Man, if we get into a war with Noir Mob, that shit gon’ be epic,” Wilde spoke with so much zeal.
Zayd smacked his lips. “Dummy, that ain't gon’ be epic. That means more bodies and more attention from the law, you stupid-ass nigga.”
Wilde waved his hand, snidely. “Man, I knew your soft ass would say that. That’s why you ain't fit to take over. Right, Noble?”
Not willing to get in between their rift, he stood and walked out of the room. Zayd was right. A war between them and Noir Mob could turn more than deadly. It could become catastrophic if Douglas didn’t agree with their terms.
“You been cool?”
Jovanis shrugged, knowing there had been nothing cool about his disposition, but Tuck knew that already.
“I can’t say that I have.”
Tuck smirked, reclining in his seat. “You one of the toughest niggas I know. You getting soft on me now?”
Jovanis cut his eyes at him. “Fuck you.”
Tuck chuckled, bobbing his head. “So, what happened?”
“What you think? She loves that nigga and I hate that shit.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe she allowed another man into her heart.”
The thought of Irish falling in love with Noble was equivalent to him drinking a bottle of poison. His insides burned with envy, prompting him to feel ill for most of the day.
“You gotta let that girl live her life, Van. Shit ain't fair. If she’s happy with my cousin, then let her be.”
“Then what? Who I’ma have if she’s wrapped up in him?”
Tuck sighed but didn’t verbally respond. Everything was so complicated in his life. In fact, his existence had always been so chaotic. He never got a chance to have an easy ride. Jovanis’ days had been filled with more peaks and valleys than Six Flags Great America.
“Say, bruh, stand on your own two feet. Why you always need somebody in your corner?” Tuck fussed at him.
He had no clue how much of a lifeline Irish had been to him. They went through so many troubling times together that it was easy for him to be codependent on her.
“I don't wanna talk about this shit no more. Next subject.”
“I see you keep that watch on.”
Jovanis glanced down at the Rolex and smiled. “This is my favorite one.”
Tuck leaned forward and picked at his nails. “I’m worried about you, bruh.”
Jovanis scoffed. “Now you worried about me. You ain't been worried. You been carrying on, avoiding the obvious.”
Tuck smirked. “What’s the obvious?”
“That you a selfish bitch and you allowed me to fall in love with you, knowing you didn’t feel the same way about me.”
Tuck licked his lips before giving Jovanis full eye contact.
No one knew. There hadn’t been an inkling about their dealings with each other.
Tuck preferred it that way, but Jovanis didn’t.
After all the years of searching for a love to fulfill him, he found it in Tuck.
Their love affair started after a night of drinking.
Tuck paraded himself as this misfit that fucked different woman each day of the week.
He was tough, a leader, and dangerous when the time permitted itself.