Page 18 of Quasim II: King Inferno

The security cameras caught Thea pulling up in that same black expedition truck that I saw come in the mornings. She jumped out with a bag and made her way around the house, lighting and then tossing the cocktails through the window. Junkie-fish-stupid-ass had bad aim on one of the windows, and she hit the side of the house, catching the grass and everything on that side on fire.

The cameras caught Blair trying to pry the window open and her screaming for Thea, and she launched that shit into the other window. Seeing my baby like that broke something inside of me. It made me become murderous.

I didn’t like when somebody hurt her, and Thea hurt her and Elijah, so she had to die.

Blair and Elijah weremyfamily. My second chance at having something that felt good, and she tried to take that away from me. My chest felt tight thinking about the alternative.

I heard the rumble of a bike engine and could tell it was my father. As I sat in the window, clicking the pen I held in my hand, I waited for him to come tell me some shit that would piss me off.

I loved the shit out my father. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a slight resentment for him offering that peace offering after they murdered Cherie. As the head of the Inferno Gods, I understood his position and knew his hands were tied.

Still, there was this small piece of resentment that I held onto because I had been put on ice. You didn’t go against PapaInferno, and I had respect for my father. As much as I didn’t agree, I had no choice but to stand down.

“What up, Papa?” Yasin and Kincaid stood up and dapped my father. He nodded and continued towards where I was standing.

“Wasn’t Tookie, Pop.”

I never took my eyes from my house. “Bullshit.”

“Some Del Devils and CVs linked together. They’re frustrated with Tookie… said it ain’t enough to eat, and this nigga all strung out and shit. With Rich gone, he’s the leader and he ain’t been being a leader for his people.”

“Polo.” Blaze came through the front door. “Oh, Pops?”

“What up, Blaze?”

“Fuck ya!”

Pops laughed. “Shouldn’t have tried to cut me off… I invented this, Youngin’.”

“Those niggas that were in my house were venting and didn’t know I was off to the side… niggas mentioned Polo’s name.”

Polo was second in command for the Del Devils, and he was my uncle’s protege. My uncle never had any kids, and Polo was like the son he never had. He ran shit like he was the leader, and at times, my uncle allowed him to for whatever reason.

I’ve never liked the nigga and made it known that he wouldn’t bust his shit like the rest of us would. He thought he was this tough ass bitch that could take on the world.

I was tougher.

“Your house being ran through and yours being burned down aren’t connected. They ran into Blaze’s crib because you killed his brother.”

I ran back all the bodies I had been collecting and then stopped. “Damn, Sim… you out here collecting them like fucking Thanos,” Kincaid said.

“Meech.”

“Bingo. I know the shit was a contracted hit, but he knows it was you and decided to take your brother.”

“Fuck.” I hung my head.

Blaze walked over and sat on the edge of the table. “Don’t do that shit, Sim.”

“My fucking nieces… I put them in harm’s way… fuck you mean.” I looked at Blaze, and I could see the same fire I held in my eyes in his.

I also knew my brother and knew he wasn’t sleeping or eating the way he should have been. Stress was something that Blaze didn’t handle well and knowing that this was brought to his front door, I could tell he wasn’t good.

“Not on you, Sim. They came in that crib and got handled. Reason why you and Pops taught me how to handle myself and I married a woman that knows how to do the same.”

My pop stood there staring at the both of us. “It’s clear that they called for us, so who the fuck are we not to answer… they wanted the Infernos… they got them. Red told me that we can meet on mutual grounds. Guess he nervous and think some shit might pop off, even though he not involved.”

“Pops, you beat that nigga’s ass in his own crib the last time you saw him. Then you made his bitch make you coffee for the ride back to New York.” Blaze reminded our father what happened the last time he and his brother were in the same state together.

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