Page 34 of Only You

“You good?” he asked as he walked up.

“Yeah, man.”

“What’s up with these two?”

“Fucking Italian Mafia.”

“Shit!” he said as he ran his hand across his face.

“Remember when I told you that they were up to some shit?” he asked, and I nodded.

“The Lioness and the Lynx decided to go across the city and have lunch at the Panini Grille today. Now, what’s the problem with that, you ask? Well, let me tell you. It’s one of the fronts for the damn Italian Mafia,” Steph said.

“On my dead homies, be fucking for real Steph.”

“Oh, I’m very fucking for real.” He spoke. I’d suspected that something was up when she left the hospital so abruptly. Tay was always with a turn-up, but she walked away. I briefly thought that maybe she had changed. Briefly, who was I kidding? Tayla and Jourdan together were a hardheaded, stubborn deadly ass combination.

“What in the hell were they doing there?”

“Honestly, I think it was a fucking accident. I can’t be sure without asking them, but I’m too pissed right now,” Steph said. I put my hand to the back of my head and began to pace.

“There’s no way the Italian Mafia knows who we are, right?”

“Nah, not a chance,” he said, shaking his head.

“Nina! I’ve known Nina Nine my whole life, and this is right up her alley. She’s trying to take us off the board because that dead nigga told her to. The Washington name will always be a threat to her. Don’t you have that facial recognition shit. I was trying to wait this out, but she needs to be found expeditiously.”

“Ok, T.I., but even more so if she knows who we are. We don’t know what Julius told her, and he knew. When I get home, I’ll start the search. Tomorrow, we move,” Steph said.

“Fuck! I yelled out into the street. I finally stopped pacing and took a deep breath.”

“Steph I’m tired of this shit. This life, this looking over my shoulder, all of it. Especially losing the people I love. I will be wealthy until I die, and my children will be wealthy until they die. I can’t lose y’all not like this and I’m not trying to die in this fucked up game. I’m about to go on a fucking rampage. I want everyone who has ever even thought about bringing harm to my family in the fucking ground.”

“Then we’re about to fuck shit up then because I’ve been thinking the same. When all this shit went down with Julius, the first thing I thought was that I was too old for this shit. I’m definitely not trying to be like his old ass still running around trying to chase the crown. These young niggas can have it. But I promise you, we gone leave a reminder of why we are not to be fucked with. I’ve been working on our exit because I want my life to be quiet. I already spoke with Brody and P. I was waiting for you to say when.”

“When!”

“Then we’re out. Let’s get this shit done,” he said with finality, dapping me up. My encrypted phone buzzed in my pocket. I looked down to read the message.

“The cleanup crew will be here in five.”

“Word. You still trying to hit up Three?”

“Hell yeah, I need a drink,” I said.

“Let’s roll then.”

The atmosphere in Three was chill. The typical easy-listening music was replaced by mellow neo-soul R&B tonight. Drinks were being passed out, and the smell of leather, wood, and cigar spices filled the air. Steph and I sat in the Haven brothers’ private booth with D and Demi, waiting for Ren to show. I’d already taken down one drink and was working on another.

“What’s up with y’all two?” Devin asked. He was doing what he always did when trying to gauge the situation.

“We’re straight, why you ask?”

“Because you two motherfuckers look stressed as hell that’s why,” Demi interjected.

“Facts!” D said, using his index finger to justify his point.

“Also, you’re on your second drink and your lightweight ass doesn’t drink,” Devin said after. I waved my hand.

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