Chapter 25 Adore
When Reese’s body dropped, Hollow instantly jumped into action.
The blood was minimal as I watched Whodie assist in getting Reese’s body on the slab.
This was my first time seeing what my brother did to burn a body.
He cut the clothes off of Reese and removed the jewelry.
Whodie had this planned out in a matter of hours.
I asked what we would do since he was the last call on his phone, and then his phone pinged at the funeral home.
“You good?” my brother asked.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Is his body done burning?”
“Nah, it got ‘bout two more hours before it’s complete. I left him in there ‘cause I could see the hurt in his eyes.”
“Can y’all put y’all shit to the side now?”
“Man, fuck that nigga. I did this shit for you and you only. That nigga better apologize to me first.”
“Did you not start with him first?” I asked. “Hollow, I love you as my brother, and I appreciate you for always protecting me, but it’s not Whodie’s fault that I had a drinking problem.”
“Nah, he said he got rid of everything. So he lied.”
“He didn’t lie. I hid the shit from him. No one would’ve known where I hid that liquor. Shit, I forgot where it was until I started spiraling.”
Hollow being his usual mean self wasn’t taking in shit I was saying.
“When we took that shit to blows, it got personal. Then a nigga got locked up. Yeah, that nigga ain’t got to worry ‘bout me. We can do what we need to do for you, that’s it.”
“If you loved me, you’ll check yourself and realize you were wrong.”
“Shit, I ain’t never wrong. Better ask Love.”
I rolled my eyes. If I asked her, she would tell the truth. Hollow was the problem.
It was almost lunchtime when we walked out of the funeral home.
Reese’s car was gone like he was never here.
I hugged Hollow and climbed on the back of the bike behind Whodie.
They stared at each other and just nodded.
That was enough for me. Whodie started the bike and pulled off.
I rested my head on his back as he weaved in and out of traffic.
I didn’t know if we were nearing the end of this shit or just getting to the surface.
Either way, I had to have a face to face with Rico.
For him to tell everyone that he knew me was still fucking with my mind.
I knew it was bothering Whodie too, but he hadn’t said anything.
He was battling his own shit right now, and I think we both just needed the space to clear our heads.
When we got back home, we went our separate ways.
He went out back to smoke and I hopped in the shower.
There was some tension between us, and I didn’t know how long I could keep acting like it didn’t exist. If it were up to him, he would brush the shit under the rug.
I didn’t want us to be like that anymore.
When I got out of the shower, Whodie was getting ready to get in the shower.
To give him space, I went downstairs and started fixing us something to eat.
We had both been up for hours since we found out that Reese was the rat.
Some food and sleep would reset us and then we could talk about whatever it was when our minds were clear.
“Here,” I handed him a plate. “And don’t tell me you’re not hungry because you haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
“‘Preciate that.”
I later came back with my plate and drink and climbed in bed beside him. We ate and watched television in silence. The silence was starting to get to me.
“Are we okay, Whodie? If you’re starting to have regrets–”
“Adore, please! I don’t regret a fuck thang. This is my way of clearin’ my head. A lot of shit has happened over the past few months. Two friends are gone, and now I might lose you. I’m not okay, but we are okay. Can’t nobody fuck up what we got but us.”
“So, when everyone keeps saying that Rico knows me from the past, does that not bother you?”
“Not one fuckin’ bit. One thing ‘bouta nigga, he’ll say anything to get information.
Once I saw Sosa’s death certificate and Hollow gave all the information on who had his body and shit, I knew his ass was dead in real life.
Whoever the nigga is, don’t matter. I want him dead and then I can start to get my life back. ”
“You know what’s crazy? I thought making you my boyfriend was going to cause so much drama. You haven’t brought anything to my door. It’s been all me. I have to say sorry about all this shit.”
“Don’t apologize for anything. When you run the streets the way you do, you gotta kno’ that drama follows.
What it was, you thought you were I’ pill poppin’ Whodie.
I was reckless as fuck then. I worked hard as fuck to get between yo’ legs, you thought I was gonna bring drama and lose you from it?
Hell fuck nah! We locked the fuck in, Adore. ”
I smiled and leaned over to kiss him.
“I love you, Whodie.”
“I love you too, ma.”
We finished eating and ended up falling asleep while laughing at TikToks.
A week had gone by and Whodie and I were at the balloon release for Reese like we didn’t watch his ass take his last breath.
No body had been found and when his baby mama got to his apartment, she noticed all his shit was there, but he was missing.
Right now, they had him as a missing person, but his family thought he was dead.
His aunt believed he had gotten hold of some bad weed and walked away from his apartment, leaving behind all of his belongings.
We watched the blue balloons float in the sky.
“If you hear anything, let me kno’,” Whodie told his last baby mama.
“I will. Thank you for making sure the kids have what they need during this time,” she replied.
“Yeah, I got the kids for sure. Just hit me or Adore if they need anything.”
She hugged both of us before going to join his family again. Whodie and I left, heading towards his condo. My phone went off from one of my stores.
“Adore, I have a man here telling me I need to shut the store down or the Feds will raid and clear it out,” the store owner said.
“Put him on the phone,” I said, placing the phone on speaker.
This would be the first time I would speak to this mystery person. It was time to nip this shit in the bud. I was tired of hiding and running. If he wanted what belonged to me, he needed to say that shit to my face.
“Well, well, well. If it ain’t the woman behind the magic,” his deep voice said.
“You can keep the pleasantries. What do you want?”
“I know that Sosa taught you not to talk over the phone.” My hands started shaking when he mentioned Sosa’s name. “Aww, I knew that name would humble you. As you can see, I know you. I know how you run this shit ‘cause this is my shit. Sosa stole it from me, and now, I’m taking my shit back.”
“So, you worked with the Feds to take some shit from a woman,” I laughed.
“Adore, I could’ve snatched your shit months ago. I just have a habit of enjoying a bitch suffering.”
“Instead of talking over the phone, let’s talk like grown ups.”
“You want to meet face to face? That’s laughable.”
“You scared?”
“Of who? Not that nigga you with. He runs off emotions for you. Didn’t he lose a homeboy with that Mazi shit?
That was because of you. And why is his other homeboy missing?
Is that because of you too? Oh, you are talking about your brother…
not worried about him either. He’s beefing with your nigga.
See, your crew is off balance, so yeah, I’ll meet your little ass.
Just know that I’m not leaving empty-handed.
You can hand my shit over, or I’ll step over your body and snatch it from you. ”
“Fuck nigga, I’ll kill you before the thought crosses your mind to pull the trigger on my wife,” Whodie snapped.
“I don’t talk to niggas beneath me,” Rico told him.
I reached over and touched Whodie’s arm before he could say another word.
“Are we meeting or not?”
“Yeah, I’ll have this same store owner call you back with a day and location,” he said before hanging up in my face.
Whodie banged his hand on the door until the window cracked.
“I’mma kill that muthafucka!” He snapped.
“Whodie–”
“Nah,” he cut me off. “I’m not ‘bouta to sit here and let that nigga talk crazy.”
“This is what he wants. He already said you were too emotional. I need you to calm down. Let’s just go home and get our thoughts together.”
“I am emotional, but that don’t mean I’m not thinkin’.”
We pulled into the condo garage and neither of us got out. All we had was the idling engine echoing off the beams in the garage.
“He said Sosa stole from him. Why would Sosa never tell me that?”
“‘Cause some shit you just don’t need to kno’. That’s how this shit goes.”
“You don’t think I deserve to know?” I asked, turning towards him.
“I think Sosa thought you would let the dope game go. I’m sure that nigga wasn’t expectin’ you to carry this shit like you doin’.”
“So now what?” I asked.
Whodie killed the engine and headed upstairs. The second we walked in the condo, Whodie grabbed his phone and started moving.
“Who are you calling?” I asked.
“Hollow bitch ass. Since he thinks I don’t include him in shit that involves you.”
“Yo,” Hollow answered.
“We got contact wit’ this nigga again,” Whodie said, setting his phone down on the counter.
“Talk.”
“He hit Adore up through one of her store owners. His ass popped up tellin’ them he was comin’ to take over ‘cause it was his shit. Now, he’s ready to meet.”
“Of course that nigga is. Nigga feels like he already won,” Hollow said.
“The nigga thinks we’re weak.”
“Shit, we are,” Hollow said bluntly.
“Excuse me?” I yelled from across the room so he could hear me.
“You got a fed case, yo’ nigga got one dead homie, and one missin’. We just got done fightin’ and goin’ to jail,” Hollow continued. “Yeah…from the outside, we look a fuckin’ mess.”
All three of us went silent. We were the main core. Though we had a massive crew, everything he named were people that we held close to our hearts.
“So what do you think we need to do?” I asked.
“Shit, it’s simple,” Hollow said. “We let him think he’s right. We give the nigga what he wants. Make him think he’s in control. But really, we’re in control.”
“How?” I asked.
“You don’t show up weak. You show up prepared.”
“He said he wasn’t leavin’ empty-handed, so shit, I’m goin’ in that bitch on go,” Whodie said.
“I’m glad he said he wasn’t leavin’ empty-handed ‘cause neither are we,” Hollow said.
“Y’all talking like this is a shootout,” I said.
“It might be.” Whodie shrugged.
“We need to do this my way,” I told them.
“Explain,” Hollow said through the phone.
“Since he wants control, I’ll give it to him. I’ll agree to his meeting and make him think it’s just me and Whodie. I already know he’s going to try and get in his head,” I said.
“And he won’t let him,” Hollow added.
“I hope not,” I said, staring at Whodie.
“I think I’m the best person to help with that,” Hollow said. “I’ll swing by tomorrow.”