25. Rico #3
“Bro, you acting like the shit you pulling isn’t foul.”
“All around, foul. We deserve to know about Mars, and Wyn deserves to be in a stress-free environment. How is this fair? You had to have known–”
“I deserve for my fucking brother to be here, Shad,” I say, cutting him off. He sets Haze on her feet, before standing to his full height like that’s supposed to do something.
“Right?” I ask, looking around, before landing on Set once again. “I deserve for Fredo to be here. He deserves to be alive. You all talking about knowing Mars; Fredo deserves to know Mars. He deserves to know his son, way more than any of you. Way more than me.”
“You niggas, man,” I chuckle, eyes dancing around the room. “Maybe muthafuckas forget, but Fredo was my brother. My twin. My other half. We were supposed to go away together, but he decided to stay behind and watch over you. And doing that, got him offed on some sucka ass shit.”
My eyes shift back to Set. “Caught up in a war over dick and pussy shit. One to the dome, all alone in another city. Then you tryna act like I’m taking advantage of Snow. Talking about moving foul and being fair… you know what would be fair for real?”
I lick my lips before smiling. “How I be feeling nigga, you and yo brother only breathing because I allow that shit, ‘cause it would break Snow’s heart. So trust me, raising my nephew away from yo bullshit is about as fair as it can get, compared to how I wanna move.”
Brina grabs Set’s arm to keep him in place. I swing my gaze over to Shad. “And I’m not gonna tell you again; you ain’t ever gotta worry about Snow. We been locked in way longer than you think. She right where the fuck she wanna be.”
“Rico–”
“Is that right,” Set says, interrupting Snow. I ignore him to meet her gaze. She knows what I’m doing, but I try to tell her silently that I’ll chill, after these niggas acknowledge what the fuck I’m saying.
Snow isn’t some weak little girl, and I’m not preying on her. She’s as clear-headed as she’s ever been, and she did that on her own. And she did that, while being around me.
“Nah, B. The fuck he mean by that?! That nigga been talkin’ greasy all fuckin’ night like he like that! But be hiding in Belize with his tail tucked between his fuckin’ legs.”
I turn, and Reem and Nut are holding Set back as he tries to advance toward me.
My grin only keys him up more.
“Rico–”
“Nah, Snow. Ay, let him through. You not Ty-Ty so please don’t think shit gon’ be sweet. I been waiting to light you up.”
“THAT’S YO FUCKIN’ PROBLEM!” Set roars, fighting with earnest. His tee rips when Reem grabs at him. “YOU BEEN WAITING! BEEN FOUL! BEEN ON BUNK! WE brOTHERS!”
“We ain’t shit, nigga! My brother is dead. Touch me and I’ll return the favor. Fuck Foe Dub, nigga.”
I wink at Shad, and hearing Set scuffle and curse louder fills me with glee.
“You’re dead to me,” Haze announces. Her eyes are wild as they go from me to Snow. “Both of you.”
I don’t hear what Snow says, because Set breaks free and hops over the couch. Nut tackles him to the ground, keeping him there as he promises that I’m gon’ see him.
When I look back, Haze is walking up on Snow, so I get in front of her.
“You need to back the fuck up, Haze.”
“No,” Wyn laughs, “let her come on. Anything to feel something huh? Sorry, Auty; even after you beat me up you’ll still hate yourself!”
“Back up, Haze,” I grit, keeping her from Snow. “You not doing shit.”
Turk pulls her out of the way to stand toe-to-toe with me. “Yo, you deadass?!”
“About my woman? Absolutely. You can get the fuck out my face, too.” I back up instead of pushing him like I really want. The niggas that wanted to get shit off they chest did that, and I’m over it.
Again, I reach out for Snow, and my chest expands when I feel her hand slide into mine.
“When you get out your feelings, you can bang my line to meet my nephew,” I announce, backing out of the room. Set and Haze are the loudest as we exit Nut’s house, but I couldn’t be bothered.
In fact, I can’t speak for Snow, but I myself feel way better than I did going in.
We’re almost to the sidewalk when I hear someone call out to us. When I turn around, it’s Nut. He jogs until he’s right in front of me, then stops, his pale face pulled into an ugly scowl.
“You wild as fuck for threatening my cousin and his brother.” He turns to Snow, and scoffs. “Even wilder for being hand-in-hand with–”
“Call me a tramp and I’ll knee you right here,” Snow hisses.
“You ain’t so fuckin’ tough just ‘cause you not high as giraffe ass. You fuck my ace over, and you gon’ see me.”
Snow fishes my keys out of my pocket and rolls her eyes at Nut. He mocks her, his face softening as he turns to me and lifts his hand.
I clasp it, our hands automatically shifting into the Birch handshake.
“You a wild muthafucka, Rico. But on Baby you know I’m stickin’ beside you.”
“I know, brodie,” I chuckle, pulling him into a hug.
“Don’t trip about them. I’ma hash it out with them and then I’ma hit yo line this week about meeting Mars. I’m glad you back, too. And I’m glad you clean, too, White Girl Wynter.”
Snow flips him off before walking away from us. After I say my goodbyes to Nut, I follow her to the car and get us out of here.
Snow’s leaning her head on the window, her eyes barely open.
Pride fills me, thinking about her finally sticking up for herself.
One regret I’ll have is letting a lot of false information fly, because everything that Snow said was true.
Not even just Turk, but everyone handled Haze with the same gloves they handled Shad, when in Haze’s case, a lot of her reality was an illusion.
She says we’re dead to her, and with me, she’s probably being real.
But not with Snow. Haze can never truly cut her sister off, no matter how much she proclaims she will.
But maybe now, instead of smoothing over whatever shit Haze said to her, they can have an honest conversation about how they grew up, and how it affected them both in different ways, and how Haze’s alienation of Snow affected her, too.
Then maybe, I can finally kill their parents like I should have done the moment they both turned eighteen.
In almost no time, I’m pulling back up to the hotel.
Snow is lightly snoring, so I pull into valet, pocket my shit, and hand them the keys, while gesturing for them not to open her door.
The tints are dark, and if she fell because they opened it all crazy, The Farrells would need to pay for the funerals of all their staff out here.
Instead, I open the door slowly, holding her head up so she doesn’t choke on the seatbelt.
“We here, Snow. What room are you in? Where’s your key?”
“Mmm, pocket… three-thirteen.”
My lips twitch as I grab her key, unbuckle her seatbelt, and lift her to my chest. She snuggles in immediately, her eyes never opening as we walk through the bright and opulent lobby to the elevators.
Her room is only a few doors off of them. A one-bedroom suite, but it’s the most basic room the hotel offers.
When I place her onto the bed, she finally flutters her eyes open.
“I can stay the night?” I ask, praying she says yes.
When her lips spread, I know she’s finna say some slick shit, so I lean forward and press mine to hers to shut her up.
She nods against me, and chases my lips when I end the kiss to stand.
“Can you check my back? Ty-Ty got me good.” I turn and lift my hoodie and tee off my torso.
I hear some shuffling before fingertips graze what are probably bruises. “Your tattoo is fine, just a couple scratches in other places. I have some ointment in my bag.”
She climbs off the bed and moves toward her bag in the chair across the room. Before she can get too far, I grab her and twirl her back to my arms.
Her hands on my chest ground me, as I once again pull nails with my teeth to tell her how I feel.
“I, uh, I know… I came off mannish as fuck back there–”
“You were right.” Her eyes shine as she gazes up at me, like she sees me. “I’m exactly where I want to be, Rico.”
I drop my forehead to hers and just breathe in her air.
“Me, too.” Those words are easy to release.
She pecks my lips as my phone vibrates in my pocket. I let her go to get the ointment, and grab my phone to open the message.
Slime
Is it true ?
I sigh, and scroll down my Favorites folder to send a recent picture of Mars.
Me
Attachment: 1 image
It’s true.
Slime hearts the image. I’m surprised he wasn’t called to Nut’s house, but then again, I wonder just how many of them knew they did more than share women.
I’d have to talk to Ju–since eventually, I want her to actually be an active mother–but I don’t see the harm in Slime knowing Mars.
If Fredo were alive, that would probably be his stepfather, anyway.
My phone vibrates again, pulling me out of my mind. When I read the message, my lips twitch, even if, for the first time tonight, I don’t necessarily want a confrontation with the nigga asking for one.
Slime
It’s a shame you’ll be reunited with Fredo before me .