Page 54 of The Smoke Hour

“Terry’s brother?”

“Yeah. He was catching a flight too.”

“And?”

“He told me that Terry had spent some time in the hospital a while back. His fiancée found him beaten and unconscious in his house. She called the police and EMTs. When the police questioned him about it after he regained consciousness, he swore he didn’t recall what happened.”

“So, what’s so odd about that? Maybe he was robbed, or maybe his dirty deeds finally caught up with him.”

“Maybe. I don’t know. Garrett stated he believed that Terry knew who did that shit to him. Whenever he pressed the issue with Terry, Terry would clam up until he finally exploded on hisolder brother. He told Garrett to shut the fuck up and leave it alone before he made things worse.”

“What the hell?”

“Exactly. When he told me the timing, it was right after your last meeting with Terry.”

“When I met him for dinner for the extension?”

“Yeah.”

“But he gave it to me.”

“Think about that. He didn’t do it at the dinner. Then one of his men comes around and tells you that you’ve got an extension two weeks later. Sounds fishy.”

“I don’t believe it. I’m not about to lay the blame about some shit that he got himself into on Smoke.”

My heart was tight in my chest, and I could tell by the long, extended sigh that Noel released he didn’t want to argue anymore.

“Sorry, baby girl. I just thought I should tell you.”

“Well, you didn’t really tell me anything, now did you?”

“You’re right. I love you. Go back to bed and get some sleep. I’m about to do the same.”

“Yeah, love you too,” I replied softly before I ended the call.

I lay in bed for several more minutes, but I couldn’t go back to sleep. The phone call kept bugging me, and while I wouldn’t call Terry to ask him, I could go to Smoke.

I grabbed a robe off the back of the chair, slipped my feet into my house shoes, and headed out of Smoke’s master bedroom and downstairs.

I repeatedly practiced the question so that I wouldn’t sound accusatory. I turned the corner downstairs and stopped outside of Smoke’s partially opened office door. I heard him talking, and I wondered if he was on a phone call.

“… shit that I can’t overlook. Some things just can’t be forgiven. You feel me?”

“Hell, yeah. I always knew that nigga would fuck up one day,” a strange voice responded to Smoke’s.

“Well, his fuckup is your move up, nigga. You only get one shot with me. I don’t believe in muthafuckin second chances, and I don’t believe in mistakes. Run your ship with a firm hand and keep a tight but loyal crew, and you will be rewarded. I don’t have a lot of people in my inner circle because everybody don’t need to know what the fuck I do. Don’t bring none of your niggas here to my home because only three people know where the fuck I lay my head. That’s you, Sam, and one other nigga, but he’s dead now, so that shit don’t count. You understand?” Smoke asked.

“Perfectly,” the stranger replied.

“Good.”

My heart raced in my chest as I heard my baby saying things like that. This was not the same man who loved on me, made my body feel things it never had before, and taught me to express my feelings without words. There was a coldness and nonchalance to his voice that I hadn’t heard before, one that left me with chills on my spine and fear in my heart. His words were laced with an underlying threat that didn’t need to be spoken because they could be felt.

“I’ve got men looking for Bam as we speak.”

“I’ll get some of my crew on it too,” the stranger stated.

“Cool. Now get the fuck outta here. I got some shit to take care of.”

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