19. Bust Back #2
“I-I’m okay! I’m fine,” she called out, tear-filled, brown eyes meeting mine as she popped her head up from between her legs. My heart finally started beating again as I looked back just in time to see the car disappearing down the dark, empty street.
“Fuck!” I mumbled to myself as I put my truck in drive so we could get the fuck out of there before the police pulled up.
* * *
“What the fuck happened?” The sound of Ma’s screeching voice as she stormed in the door snatched our attention.
I was sitting on my couch as Pistol stitched up the cut on my arm.
Kilo was pacing wildly like he was one wrong word from crashing the fuck out.
Peep made it through the whole ordeal without a scratch and was in bed.
“I really don’t fuckin’ know. I noticed someone trailing us about halfway from Ki’s. They pulled up and started shooting. I hit one of ‘em, but they got away after that. I-I don’t know,” I said as I sat there fuming.
“What the fuck happened to your truck? I thought you had bulletproof glass installed? You fuckin’ know better!
” I closed my eyes, waiting on the inevitable head smack, but it never came.
I looked up at her and frowned at her expression.
Usually, I could read her like a book, but that night I had no idea what she was thinking.
“How’s Destiny?” she asked, looking away and wringing her hands together.
“She’s a little shook up, but fine—in bed resting,” I huffed. Before I could tell that crazy lady not to go in there bothering my wife, she had stormed off in the direction of our bedroom. I sighed and rubbed my hand over my face.
“She good?” Pistol asked, looking just as confused as I was.
“Fuck if I know,” I muttered. She didn’t even check on me, the nigga who was bleeding before she ran off to Des, but I was used to being treated like an employee and not her child.
“So, what the fuck are we gonna do about this shit?” Kilo asked. I could tell by the look on his face that he was ready to set some shit off.
“I fired the investigator,” I grumbled. “The nigga wasn’t on shit, just charging me for nothing. Eden heard about what happened and she’s pissed. She said she would use her connects and get back with me. I really didn’t want her involved, but she didn’t give me a choice.”
“Man, fuck this! Them niggas tried to kill you and my sister! I’ma go out there and handle this shit tonight!” Kilo said, chest puffed out as his pacing intensified.
“Who you gon’ handle, Ki?” Pistol grunted.
“We still don’t know who the fuck did it!
” I looked down at my phone to see Zion texting me to tell me he was sending me a complete security detail ASAP.
I started to text him back and decline, but the thought of my girl curled up and scared on the floor of that truck had me graciously accepting.
“I’on give a fuck about that. I’ll go through any nigga who said something sideways about any of us and pick em off one by one! Starting with every nigga on the South.”
“You sound stupid as fuck, nigga!” Pistol growled, giving him a look that let him know he really meant that.
“Fuck you, Pissy P! At least I ain’t sittin’ around scared and waiting on them niggas to hit us again,” Kilo barked. I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly where this was headed.
“Nigga, who the fuck you talkin’ to?” Pistol roared, raising to his feet. I knew if these two got into it, it would make an already rough night even worse. Pistol always went for blood, and Kilo never knew when to stop.
“Aye,” I huffed, standing up between them. “Both of y’all shut the fuck up!”
“But he—” Kilo started, but I abruptly shut that shit down.
“I said shut the fuck up!” I spat. “You ain’t about to go off on some ill-thought-out killing spree to end up getting yourself hurt or worse.
We gon’ handle it, but we gotta be smart about it.
And you,” I said, turning to Pistol. “Calm the fuck down. You know this lil’ nigga just emotional right now.
I talked to Kar, and he let me know none of his niggas was on that.
They knew better than to start a war with us.
” Kar was one of the OG’s on the South. We didn’t fuck with each other, but there was a mutual respect.
He made it abundantly clear that no one under his operation was involved.
“Fuck you, Brick,” Kilo huffed and looked off.
He would never admit it, but I knew that the thought of something happening to one of us scared the fuck out of him.
I knew it because I felt the same way. I would burn down the fuckin’ city for my brothers and my mama, and now that I had that angel-faced problem in my bed that only added to the flames.
A few moments later, Ma came back in the room, and I sent all them niggas home. I tipped back into our bedroom and stood in the doorway for a long time, just looking at Peep’s peaceful face as she laid there in the dark.
“I'm not asleep,” she mumbled in the darkness.
“Well shit, baby. You could have said that ten minutes ago while I was standing there looking at you like a fuckin’ weirdo,” I said with a chuckle as I slinked fully into the room.
That was the most normal I felt since that shit went down.
I sat on the edge of the bed and continued to just look at her.
She sat up, tucking her legs up under her and gently touching the bandage on my arm.
“Are you okay? Let me see,” she urged.
“I'm good,” I promised her. “It’s just a little flesh wound. Pistol got me right.”
“You scared me,” she said with a heavy sigh. Once we were out of danger and I was trying to check on her, she was freaking out because I was bleeding. She begged me to go to the hospital, but I convinced her that I was okay.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry for all of this shit,” I huffed.
“It isn't your fault. I'm fine,” she assured me.
“It is my fuckin' fault, Des. It's my job to keep you safe. I failed,” I said solemnly.
“Brick, I am okay,” she said softly. “Not a scratch on me.”
“But that shit never should have happened. Niggas know better, and if they don’t, they ‘bout to find out real soon. If something would have happened to you…” My voice trailed off as I fumed, clearing my throat to try to dislodge the lump forming there.
“Wait…” Panic washed over her face. “What are you going to do?”
“I already told you not to ask questions you’re not ready to hear the answer to, baby,” I said softly, kissing her forehead. I knew one thing, once I found out who the fuck was targeting us, they wouldn’t have to worry about my brothers because they would have to see me personally.