Chapter 17
Seventeen
Daysha: If I knew you would withhold Kenji from me, I would’ve taken your offer to move into the condo. Noble, can you please call me? I miss my child.
Noble rubbed his tired eyes after reading her message.
It had been two weeks since Noble came back from Nirvana Sky Island.
Life had been good in the family sector.
Irish had moved onto his property, leaving the townhouse to Ivory, who was excited to have a big-girl home all to herself.
Noble had offered for her to come stay with him but she declined.
Knowing how important Ivory was to Irish, he always wanted to make her feel included.
Kenji was thriving at school and the baby was doing great.
During their last appointment, Irish requested that they wait to see the gender once she gave birth.
Noble reluctantly agreed despite him wanting to know if he would be a girl dad or boy dad again.
His street life was another story. Noble was uneasy.
He was on edge because the person who had shot at him was still on the run.
He sat in the empty lounge of a place he was contemplating buying.
Wilde and Zayd were present as well as Rio and Nuke.
They were awaiting Vic’s arrival after missing for close to two months.
Noble looked at his phone and decided to respond to Daysha.
Noble: I told you some shit was going down and you refused to let me protect you. So, I’m protecting my son instead. I’ll bring him by the shop tomorrow so you can see him.
Daysha: No, I want to be with him. I’ll just take your offer to stay at the condo. Is that cool? I’m sorry for being difficult.
Noble went to respond but the door to the lounge opened. Vic walked in, looking refreshed like his absence hadn’t raised suspicions.
“What’s up, fam?” he greeted, shaking hands with everybody.
Noble silently observed him, pulling on his chin hairs. He didn’t want to think that his friend of twenty years would snake him but anything was possible.
“What I miss?” Vic asked, taking a seat.
“Where the fuck you been?” Rio questioned, angling his head.
“Man, Moms got sick so I had to fly to St. Louis to look after her. Shit was all bad but she’s stable now.”
“Sick?” Wilde questioned. “What kinda disease her ass got that you been MIA?”
Vic chuckled. “MS. She didn’t know she had it and it got bad for her. Why y’all niggas looking at me like I’m the opp?”
Noble took note of how Nuke shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“You already know Jovanis got killed and Noble got shot at. Somebody trying to take him out and you all of a sudden disappear.” Zayd stared at him.
“Yeah, I heard but I think it’s probably that nigga, Tuck.”
“Why would it be Tuck who is trying to kill me?” Noble asked.
He had never had a conversation with Vic regarding the spat he’d had with Tuck the last time he saw him.
“I mean.” He shrugged. “That’s what I heard from Nuke.”
“Nuke, huh?” Noble turned to his cousin. “You made it seem like you only had a brief encounter with Vic?”
“Shit, I got to him while you was out of town. That’s the reason he came back,” Nuke explained.
Noble locked eyes with Zayd before reclining in his seat.
“I ain't feeling the energy in here,” Vic noted. “What the fuck is up? Y’all think I’m on some snake shit?”
“I mean, you could be.” Wilde was the first to say it. “Niggas been dodging bullets and you conveniently dip out and shit. You tell us what we should think.”
“Yeah, bro, your absence is suspect as fuck,” Rio added.
Vic’s mouth gaped as he sat back in his seat. “Y’all really think I would sneak my bro? Are y’all for real right now?”
“Prove that you was with your mama,” Zayd commanded.
“Prove it?” Vic repeated with disgust. “Now my word ain't good enough? I gotta show a fucking written excuse as to why I had to go back to St. Louis. Y’all niggas trippin’.”
“No, mothafucka, I ain't trippin’!” Noble bellowed.
“Jovanis get killed, they shoot at my wife, then come for me. You would be suspicious of everybody if it was you. Don't sit up here and act like we gotta take your word when your bitch-ass barely answered when we called. And you didn’t tell us you even had to go out of town, so miss me with that bullshit you talking.”
“Wife?” Zayd questioned. “You and Irish married?”
Wilde eyed the diamond wedding band on Noble’s finger. “This private-ass nigga don't never let us in on the new fucking developments in his life. Sassy, bitch-ass!”
Rio laughed. “Congrats, my nigga. That’s a good look on you.”
Noble couldn’t bask in his well wishes because shit wasn’t adding up with Vic.
“Alright, listen.” The bass had vanished from Vic’s tone.
“I get why you got your head on a swivel. I swear, I get it but this is me, Noble.” He pointed at his chest. “You know I would never go against the grain like that.
We family and you know I'm all about loyalty. Don't treat me like I haven’t proven myself.”
Noble pondered his speech but he couldn’t deny his intuition. It was never wrong. It had saved him over the years, alerting him of who was a snake and who wasn’t.
“Besides, I ain't talked to Tuck since last year. I ain't never went to see his ass either. Shit, the only ones who did were you and Nuke. I ain't got no communication with that nigga.”
Noble turned his head toward Nuke. “You went to see Tuck?”
He nodded. “Yeah, it was before Jovanis got killed.”
“Why you ain't say shit?”
Nuke’s forehead wrinkled. “Why would I have to say anything about going to see my cousin?”
“Nigga, you didn’t think we should know that before Noble told us all that shit about him?” Zayd interrogated, sporting a glower.
“I ain't think it was important.”
Rio sighed while dragging his hand down his face. “Nuke, come on. You on some bullshit.”
“What the fuck happened at the visit?”
Nibbling on his bottom lip, Nuke confessed, “Man that nigga sat there the entire time trying to convince me that those pictures and videos of him weren’t real. That’s basically what the whole visit was about.”
Noble was heated but kept his composure.
All of this newfound information did nothing to quiet his suspicions.
He thought back to the day he’d gotten shot at.
Nuke had been MIA until that night. At the time, Noble didn’t have any doubts but Nuke had been withholding information and to him, that was a red flag.
Abruptly, he stood, needing a minute to think through all the information that had been thrown in his lap.
“You leaving?” Wilde asked.
“I’ll holla at y’all later.”
Noble walked out the lounge and got inside his car.
He drove home and sat in the garage for a while.
He had never approached a moment in life where he couldn’t trust his family.
Vic’s story sounded like bullshit, and Nuke visiting Tuck without telling him didn’t sit right with Noble.
He wasn’t an impulsive man, opting to plan his moves to a T.
Yet, Noble was ready to eliminate anyone who seemed suspicious—including Vic and Nuke.
After a while, he got out the car and walked inside his home.
The aroma of cooked food permeated his nostrils, making his stomach grumble.
He walked down the hall and spotted Irish and Kenji at the dining room table.
She propped up his science project and took a good look at it.
Leaning against the door frame, they were oblivious to his presence.
“How does it look? Do you think we’re missing something?” she asked Kenji. She was dressed in yoga capris and a white crop top with her belly on full display.
Kenji cocked his head, peering intensely at the board. “Uh, nope. I think it’s finish. I bet I’m going to win first place at the fair.”
Irish grinned at him. “I think you are, too.”
“What y’all doing in here?” he asked, scaring them both.
“Dad!” Kenji hurried over, and Noble picked him up. He kissed his cheek then lowered him to the floor.
Noble then made his way to his Pumpkin and swaddled her in his arms.
“I missed you,” she cooed in his ear.
He found her lips and kissed them. “I missed you, too. You been taking it easy?”
She nodded as he palmed her belly. “Yeah, I didn’t do too much today. Just sent some emails and helped Kenji with his science project. How are you?”
“Cool.”
She pursed her lips, making him chuckle. “Papa, you don't look cool. You actually look annoyed.”
“Dad, Irish made macaroni,” Kenji chirped, interrupting them.
“I didn’t know that was his favorite food until he told me.” She smirked. “But I also made some baked chicken, broccoli, and rolls. Are you hungry?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, I’m going to make you a plate. Are you ready to eat, Kenji?”
“Yep!” He jumped.
“Okay, come on.” Irish grabbed his hand, and they walked toward the kitchen. Noble was grateful for moments like this. Coming home to the love of his life and his son made him feel wealthy. Most men didn’t have this with their family and Noble had that and then some.
Although frustrated, he pushed his woes to the side so he could enjoy time with his family. Still, he had to make a decision regarding Vic and Nuke. They couldn’t be trusted. A possible elimination was on the docket and that reality pained him.
Tuck entered the visitation room; his gaze scanned the area before he found his visitor.
On the way to the table, he spotted Champ engaging in an intense conversation with his lady.
Tuck sat at the table and slouched into his seat.
He stared at the person across from him while trying to fight the urge to crash out.
“I really wanna snap your neck,” he stated in a low tone.
“For what?” Daysha asked, feigning innocence.