Page 145 of Quasim III: King Inferno

“Didn’t think you would be standing in the middle of fire, huh?” Papa said, as he switched his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other.

Meer walked into the kitchen and came back with a chair; another dated piece of furniture he wanted to make me jealous with. “Sit the fuck down.” Mina said, her voice eerie as she watched him.

This was the first time that I could see the fear in his eyes. He was afraid and looked for me to help him. With all the pain he had caused, he thought I would be the good in his life and save him.

Meer stood behind the chair and pushed his ass down into it. “Get crazy with my mama and I’m on your ass… feel me?”

Tyshawn must have thought there was a way that he could get out of here, because he nodded his head quickly, nervously, and full of faith that he would walk away. I guess when you had nothing left to lose, being delusional couldn’t hurt.

“I swear I didn’t have shit to do with anything… Polo told me he would take care of me… I… I mind my business.”

“He gave you this ugly ass house?” Capri looked around, disgusted.

Tyshawn sneered. “Always been an uppity bitch,” he muttered.

Meer pulled his head back while staring down in his face. “She got a nigga that could maintain it, too.” He mushed his head and walked around the chair.

Even though he had recovered, he now had this small limp, but if you weren’t paying attention, you would have missed it.

Everyone looked over at me as I stood next to the man that abused me mentally, physically, and sexually. Constantly told me I wouldn’t be shit and would never get the things I wanted in life. A man that made me feel like no one would ever love me, and he was all I had to accept.

“B, you can do what you envisioned doing… dreamed about and waited for to him. If that is too much, then you know he’ll be handled either way. He took so much from you and never cared. Men like him take until there is nothing left to take and then collect the hurt as a trophy. He thought he broke you, B, and he ain’t did shit,” Meer told me.

Quasim continued to stare down at him, wanting to do him in, but knew this was for me. “I learned my lesson… I’m trying to get clean and be better.”

Simmy put the gun in my hand as Tookie’s eyes became wide. He fiddled in the chair, and Papa held him still. I looked at the gun in my hand, knowing how to use it because it was Quasim Inferno who made sure I could protect myself.

Tyshawn never protected me. He had always been someone I needed protection from, and maybe had I listened to Augusta Mae, I may have never experienced all the pain and heartache this man caused.

I remembered staring up at him as he beat me and being so scared. Terrified of this man, because he put fear into my chest. He made me quiver in fear whenever he was around, and my soul always felt disturbed.

My husband showed me to never be defenseless, so I could protect myself. I looked down at him as he stared at me withhopeful eyes. Silently begging me to help him, and to use that good heart that he always made fun of.

“I don’t think I can do it,” I walked around the chair, watching him take the biggest sigh of relief.

“Guess she sp?—”

When Capri and Meer moved out of view, they knew I didn’t mean what I said. I sent a bullet right in the back of his head. “I can tell lies, too.” I mumbled.

Simmy looked over at me with this proud gleam in his eyes. Papa and Mina both nodded their heads in approval, while Capri smiled, holding her stomach.

“Taking babies to witness a murder is crazy, Pri.” Papa said, and she snorted, then crossed her legs.

“Papa, please… I can’t hold water these days.”

Quasim looked down at me as I sat the gun on the counter. “How you feel?”

“Like I’m finally closing that chapter… leaving him behind.”

He kissed my lips. “A new chapter.”

Quasim

Recommendation: Listen to Live in the sky by T.I ft Jamie Foxx

I stoodin front of Ellis’s tombstone and felt this tightness in my chest. He wasn’t supposed to be in the ground. He was so young and had so much life to live. I smiled when I thought about how he ran in the barbershop and told me that Blair was having car trouble.

Getting her to come into the shop by pretending to sell fake chocolate. All I had to tell him was to go, and he was always on go, ready to tear some shit up with his brothers. Me and Blaze weren’t twins, but I couldn’t imagine doing life without him.

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