Chapter 14 #3
Irish went back into the room and closed the door. She needed to hear from Ivory so she dialed her number. When there was no answer, she sent her a text to call her back. Afterward, she put on her clothes and packed all of her items. Noble came into the room and grabbed her bags.
“You still don't wanna tell me where we’re going?” she tried once more.
“It’s a surprise, Pumpkin. Let your man take care of you.”
She simpered. “You ain't gotta tell me twice.”
Tuck sat with his leg bouncing while pinching his bottom lip between his two fingers.
He swiped sweat from his forehead for the umpteenth time that day as he stared at the door.
He was an antsy mess, waiting to be released from the cell.
For two days, he’d been struggling to get in contact with Hallie to no avail.
He’d even texted her from his burner phone and got no response.
“Finally,” he huffed when the doors opened.
He headed for the phones but was stopped by Champ along the way.
“Aye, you trying to do some laps?”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “I gotta find my girl.”
Champ’s brows furrowed. “What you mean?”
“I ain't talked to her. It’s been two days and she don't ever miss my call.”
Tuck didn’t wait for Champ’s response. He went straight to the phones and dialed her number.
“Pick up, pick up,” he mumbled while waiting for the operator to connect them.
“Hello?”
Tuck’s head reared when he heard the deep baritone of a man.
“Who the fuck is this?” he immediately interrogated.
“I’m Hallie’s father. Who is this?”
“Her father?” he repeated, caught off guard. “Is Hallie good?”
“Who is this?”
“I’m her man, uh, Tucker. Is she good?”
There was a paused that elevated Tuck’s heart rate. Something was wrong. Hallie always answered her phone. She never missed a phone call and now her father was on the line not saying what Tuck desperately needed to hear.
“She’s good, right?”
“I’m uh… I’m afraid not. Hallie was killed two nights ago.”
Tuck’s reality felt as though it had lost all sound.
He stood frozen, hand gripping the phone while his breath stammered inside his chest. How would he process those words?
Hallie dead? No, that couldn’t be. Tuck had put her away in a secluded area outside the city.
No one knew about her except a selected few.
How was she still able to be harmed when he ensured that she was safe?
“How the fuck that happen?” he gritted, not caring about his language.
“I don't know. It appears someone tried to rob her. The police are trying to obtain the footage outside her salon.”
“That’s where it happened?” Tuck went an octave up in tone. “Fuck!”
Deep down under his devastation, Tuck knew this wasn’t a robbery.
Noble had struck. They’d been on the chessboard and he had checked him.
Tuck foolishly thought he had his ducks in a row but Noble had knocked them over.
He hit Tuck where it stung. His precious Hallie had become collateral damage.
She’d been placed in the middle of a war, and Tuck felt like he had a sudden case of the flu.
“We’re trying to find the suspect—”
Tuck hung up the phone, unable to bear more news of her death.
Tears filled his eyes but he blinked them away.
In this dungeon, showing displays of emotion was a sign of weakness.
Tuck always had to remain on guard even though this news had ruptured his heart.
After swallowing hard, he reluctantly walked back to the pod.
All the inmates were either engaged in conversation or participating in an activity that took their minds off their current circumstances.
No one had a clue of the torrents of pain flooding Tuck.
He was a wreck. His emotions were higher than outer space as he struggled to keep his tears from falling.
This was complete torture. He couldn’t mourn his love because of the jungle he was in. His reputation had already taken a hit with the pictures of him and Jovanis. Tuck had been fighting to keep his throne untouched but this was too much.
“Fuck.” His agony suddenly turned into rage. Thoughts of Noble caused him to stalk back to his cell. “Get the fuck out!” he ordered to his cellmate.
The older white man cut his eyes at him before hesitantly making his way out. Tuck closed the door and reached under the table where he kept his burner phone. Dialing a number, he paced back and forth, impatiently waiting for an answer.
“Yeah?”
“Fucking Noble just hit my girl!” Tuck snapped.
“What girl?”
“My fucking girl,” he harshly whispered. “Why you ain't handle that nigga?”
“I thought I did but I missed.”
That statement caused Tuck to grit his teeth. “You missed? What the fuck you mean? If you would’ve handled fucking business, my girl would still be here, po-ass mothafucka.”
The silence on the other end angered him more.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah, what?”
“Listen, you gay bitch, I don't answer to you. I’ll get that man but I don't give a fuck about your girl being hit. You should've protected her better, mothafucka.”
“Fuck you say to me?” Tuck’s eyes transformed into slits. “Don't you know you can be next? You think you my only contact. I’ma tell you just like I told Van, don't end your life too early. ‘Cause it wouldn’t be much work to put your po’ ass in the ground.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Ain't no whatever. You need to come see me.”
“For what?”
“‘Cause I said so. Now don't test me ‘cause I’m on some murder shit right now. Be here.”
Tuck hung up and plopped down on the plastic mattress.
Covering his eyes, he allowed them to pour out the pain he’d been holding captive.
Tuck had taken so many L’s over the course of two years.
He’d been ordered to sit for ten years, which put a pause on his life.
His alternative lifestyle had been exposed for the entire city to see.
He had to defend his name not only on the inside but in the streets as well.
And now his heart had been taken from him.
Tuck didn’t think a war would’ve begun between him and Noble.
They were blood cousins. Their mothers were sisters, and they had grown up like brothers.
In spite of that, Noble hadn’t been loyal to Tuck.
He had shitted on him way too many times, and it was time for him to pay for his disloyalty.
Yet, Noble had snatched the rug from under his feet.
Tuck was defeated in the moment but Noble’s days were numbered.
He would stop at nothing to hear the announcement of his cousin’s death.