Page 144 of Quasim III: King Inferno

“Damn, you hating because you didn’t think I would make it here. Always talking about how I’m broke, and we didn’t have shit.”

“Well, when I had to go to the pantry because we didn’t have food and you spent it to get high… no, I never thought you would get here.”

“I’m getting clean… been clean for three months.”

“Shouldn’t have become a junkie in the first place. Want a round of applause?” I walked into the living room and looked at the bare shelves over the fireplace.

While he was spending money on the cars displayed in the driveway, the interior lacked any kind of warm feeling of being a home. The furniture looked like it was the same stuff that came with the house. Our voices echoed because of the lack of furniture or fixtures in this home, and he was bragging.

“Swear I be wanting to punch you in the mouth… slick ass mouth.”

I folded my arms and smirked. “I’m not afraid of you anymore, Tyshawn. I haven’t been afraid of you for a long time… remember how I got you locked up. Has nothing to do with Quasim either, and everything to do with the kind of man that you are. A weak pathetic man that uses his strength to beat down women. Each time you’ve gone against Quameer or Quasim, you have lost. It was when I saw that, I realized truly how little you were… how much of a child you are.”

My words angered him. He flexed his hands as he looked out the backdoor into the dated kidney bean shaped pool, and Sears patio furniture. He wanted me to meet him here to show me what I could have had, and I didn’t want any of this.

I didn’t want the gold rimmed outdated fireplace, tiled countertops in the kitchen, or the ugly ass wood floors that rested beneath our feet.

“That nigga is dead, and you still think you this big bitch that run shit. You think his family gonna continue to hold you down? They allowed Polo to come in and wipe their king out… you really that stupid?”

I almost felt bad for how stupid and clueless he was. Tyshawn had been under a rock and quiet. Too busy texting me about how he wanted to be with me, that he lost contact with Polo, and all his pieces of body parts. He had no clue that Cherish wasn’t puffing her chest out anymore, because she was somewhere stanking.

“Not stupid. I would rather douche with rubbing alcohol than ever lay back down with you. Flames not only burn, they rise, too, Tooks.”

The name pissed him off because Meer always called him that. “I’m glad you came, because I’m sick of your fucking mouth… always think you fucking better because you fucked anInferno.” He came walking over to me, fire in his eyes, and ready to strike me.

He expected me to cower, and beg him not to hit me, and I remained in my spot, staring past him. “Hi, King.”

Quasim came around the corner, lifting his pants with a smirk on his face. His fangs shined brighter than usual as he locked onto Tookie, who turned to see what the fuck I was talking about. The moment he locked eyes with Quasim Inferno, he didn’t have the breath to say what he wanted.

“What up, Queen?” He responded, never looking at me because his eyes were on his target. He moved almost feline-like.

Slow...

Stalking his prey, while never taking his eyes from him.

I stood there, while Tookie nearly backed up into me. “Wha…what the fuck? They said you were dead.”

“Damn, they saying I’m dead… niggas can’t nap no more… damn.”

“Y…yeah, I feel you.” He stammered, losing all that mouth that he had moments before. I chuckled as I watched my baby.

Alive and in the flesh.

Only I knew the battles he fought to get back here, and he stood in front of one of those that tried to take his life. His tall frame filled the space between me and Tookie as I watched him. He winked at me and then looked at Tookie.

“You was about to do what?”

“I was—” He never finished his sentence because he ran toward the back door.

I took my place beside my husband, as we watched him take flight. Soon as his hand touched the door, Meer put both his hands on the glass door from the other side. “Boo.”

“What the fuck?” Tookie yelled, booking it down the hall, and no sooner than he cut a corner, we watched him walk backward toward us with Capri in front of him.

Tyshawn was five minutes from shitting his pants as he was trying to think quickly on his feet. Me and Sim stood in the middle of the floor as Meer opened the back door and stood next to Capri. He had both Inferno brothers on each side.

Looking from one side to the next, he leaped over the couch and ran toward the kitchen. “Ahhh!”

We heard him scream and watched as Mina and Papa walked his ass back to the middle of the floor. Like a scared Pitbull being taken to a loud shelter for the first time, he stared from one end to the next, not believing he had been tricked this way.

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