25. Rico
Rico
I breathe out of my mouth slowly as Pooh shifts my nose back into place.
“It’ll be a little crooked,” he mutters, turning toward the kitchen island for the bandages. “But shit, mine is, too.”
I blink back the tears, and of course this nigga is grinning. Anything to have something in common with me.
We haven’t talked much since I came back to the city with Nan and Mars, opting to let him bond with his grandson.
Ju’s been dodging my calls, but I’d planned on just pulling up on her anyway.
Now, I definitely need to. Ty-Ty peeled out of his aunt Lala’s crib immediately after I let him get a few hits in, but I saw Reem’s face as Nan and Pooh carried me out.
The nigga was furious, and it’s only a matter of time before the news spreads.
Mars needs to be far away from the fall out. Ain’t no telling how niggas will react, and I’m not dumb enough to deny this is some egregiously disloyal shit.
But, I stand by it. Nan made a call, and I backed it up. And for a little while, I had a piece of my brother all to myself, when the moments where I realized I was all alone became unbearable.
I won’t apologize for keeping him hidden. And Ty is the only nigga I’m letting tap my jaw.
“Well, he’s finally down,” Nan huffs as her little feet carry her into the kitchen. “He’s soft. Hopefully being here will toughen him up.”
“He’s not soft, Ma. He’s just never seen Rick lose a fight before.”
It feels weird hearing Pooh defend me from Nan.
It feels even weirder being this close to the nigga, and not having a biting thing to say, or fingering the bullet I keep with his name carved into it.
I’ll give him his credit privately; the old nigga is timid as fuck.
Nan called herself confiscating all the weapons Ty-Ty and I keep hidden around the condo before Pooh came over earlier this morning.
Part of me was expecting Ty-Ty to be here when we arrived.
We’d bought this place together years ago, back when I first got out of the Marine Corps.
I knew he was paying the bills for his main girlfriend’s apartment, too, but these past few years they’d been on the outs, so I figured we'd get his introduction to Mars out the way in the morning.
Alas, he was nowhere to be found. I had to stick to my original plan of letting the choppa sing at Lala’s crib.
I expected him to try to fight me, and I knew my family wouldn’t let him fuck me up too badly. A broken nose is nothing. I’d be more upset if any of my teeth were loose.
“I’m going to tell everyone it was me–”
“Nan.” I grab the ice pack off the island and gingerly place it across my eye. When she finally meets my gaze, her lips thin into a line, eyes blinking back emotion I know she hates that she’s showing.
I walk over to her and pull her into a hug, ignoring the burning sensation on my back. Of course, I would scratch up my fresh tattoo tussling with this nigga.
Curling over Nan, I whisper, “I’m good. I’m here.”
She fists my shirt and nods against my chest, but she doesn’t let go. Nan’s never been the type of grandmother that baked cookies and gave forehead kisses. She only got this sentimental when she was faced with our mortality.
Well into her seventies, Nan has slowly watched her immediate family die one by one. Everyone around her dies young, while she just gets older. I don’t know how I’ll feel when she finally goes, but I’m determined to see her go, so she doesn’t have to bury both of her grandsons.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I’d long since put it on Do Not Disturb, with only Snow, Peanut, and Ju allowed to bypass it. Pooh jokes about her being the soft one in Spanish while I fish my phone out my pocket.
P-Nutty
come to my crib now nigga
fred srsly got a kid??? b honest
“Whoever that is can wait.”
I pocket my phone, shaking my head. “Nah. Chickens coming home to roost, Pooh. Might as well get everything out tonight.” I trade the ice pack for my gun and slide it between the small of my back and my jeans. Grabbing my hoodie off the chair, I slide it on my aching muscles.
“I’ll be back.”
Pooh holds Nan back as I leave the condo. I’d already taken some painkillers as soon as we got there, so they should be kicked in by the time I make it to Nut’s.
After Ty-Ty ran off, Reem left right after. My guess is he let the cat out of the bag, since Ty-Ty was in no position to talk to anyone. Either way, I’m not upset that Mars is known.
It wasn’t easy keeping him a secret, but while I was in the city and he was tucked in Belize, it was easier to pretend.
I doubt I would have lasted longer than today with he and I both here.
Whether Mars knows it or not, they’re his family, and he does deserve to know them.
And contrary to what these niggas are probably thinking, it’s not too late for them to know him.
As soon as I peel off from the curb, I dial Snow. She answers on the third ring, out of breath.
“Richard, what the hell–”
“Where you at?”
“The Olympus Hotel. I was with Shad when Reem called and told him about Mars, but we had already pulled up to Auty’s house, so I left. Where are you? I just got settled in my room–”
“I’m finna come to you. Come outside when I text.”
“Okay,” she breathes, before we both hang up.
It takes no time for me to head downtown to the Olympus Hotel. I don’t even turn off my car when I pull into the roundabout.
Waving off the valets, I text Snow and kill off the water bottle I opened earlier.
For once, I don’t know how the fuck I’ma handle walking into Nut’s house. Being quiet isn’t an option, but there’s nothing foreal I can say that will reassure them of shit they don’t wanna believe.
Fredo does have a son. I did hide him for years. I’m not sorry about it. And I didn’t tell any of them first because I felt my family deserved to know before they did.
Yes, we are brothers. Day zero homies. I’ve killed for them, I’ve taken bullets for them. I’m a Birch Baby, and a warrior.
But I’m also a twin. Identical. I didn’t come into this world alone. But that’s what I’ve been for the last few years.
My hand reaches behind me when someone pulls on the locked passenger door. Seeing it’s Snow, I keep one hand on my gun and unlock the door with the other. She climbs in, her scent filling the car before she closes us in.
Her eyes stretch and dance all over my face as her hands trace my bruises in the air. “Geez. Tyree did damage.”
I have to restrain myself from bringing her across the dash into my lap.
It’ll be hours of hearing muthafuckas call me everything but a child of God before I can have her take care of me for once.
Even as a kid, when I’d get caught slipping, I had to always lay low.
I never wanted to bring trouble to her, but I always wanted Snow to stitch me up, put bandages on my knuckles, and kiss my bruises better.
“Pooh said my nose is gonna be crooked.”
Gently, Snow holds my chin with her thumb and index finger, turning my head from side to side as she examines my nose. Shit probably is swollen so bad, since I can barely breathe out my nostrils. I really should go to the hospital.
My eyes cross as I watch her lean forward. Snow places the sweetest, softest kiss on the corner of my lips before she leans back and shrugs.
“A crooked nose to go with your scar.”
My nose sings with pain as I snort, before I move the gear to drive. “Glad you find this shit funny.”
“Where we going? I left my wallet upstairs.”
“Snow, you’ve never needed a wallet when you’re with me, so I’on know why that even came up. But everyone’s at Nut’s, and I’m being summoned.”
Nan and Fredo swirl around in my head, so I pull over just as I exit the roundabout and throw the car back into park.
When I look over, Snow looks like a deer in headlights.
“I know you left Haze’s crib to not answer questions,” I start, before licking my lips and reaching over for her hand.
“And I get that, because those questions aren’t for you.
You have nothing to do with why no one knows about Mars, and why he’s been in Belize until now.
It’s on me. And I knew, coming here, and bringing them, I’d have to answer to that.
I’m fully prepared to answer to that. But…
I mean, if you down… I, uh, want you by my side when I do. ”
Her fingers slide between mine as she holds my hand, but she doesn’t speak. Not even when I finally shift my gaze back to her, to find her staring back at me.
She pushes my fingers back to crack my knuckles, and then cracks a smile.
“You couldn’t even last twenty-four hours,” she quips.
I snatch my hand back. “Never mind. I’ll drop yo ass back off–”
“Oh, brother,” she bellows, snatching the seatbelt out the side to buckle herself in. “Everything I say you just take it up the ass, no vaseline.”
“This ain’t the time to be funny, Snow. I already let Ty-Ty break my fuckin’ nose. I’m not letting the rest of these niggas jump me.”
“Okay, well they not finna jump you! I’m still in the car, right? We both will go down swinging.”
A corner of my mouth pulls up, and I swerve back into traffic. “Snow, you can’t fight.”
“Just because I don’t throw haymakers like Auty doesn’t mean I can’t do a lil’ scrapping!
Look, you strung enough words along to ask me to support you, so that’s what I’m doing.
Ultimately, no one has the right to judge how you and your family decided to handle Mars.
Besides, the first six months, you didn’t even know if Mars was his, so really, it’s only been five and a half years instead of six. ”
“Like that’s gonna make a difference.”
“Well, maybe not. But everyone has secrets, Rico. Including everyone waiting to jump you. I have no problem reminding anyone who tries to come at you of that.”
I grab Snow’s hand again and bring it to my lips. “We got a lil’ minute. Tell me about your day.”