Page 81 of Honey Sugar
“Can we get t-shirts that say fuck ‘em?” She laughed a little.
“Let’s do it, baby girl.” We locked pinkies and I felt the weight lift off her once and for all.
I meant every word I told her too. I didn’t give a fuck what anyone had to say about us. She was a light at the end of the darkest tunnel and I was going to have her no matter what anyone said.
Fuck ‘em.
…
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Bear was the same height as me so when we stood in front of each other, we saw eye to eye. It was like staring down Lucifer. Not the motherfucker with horns though. Bear was the quiet, sophisticated version of Lucifer that people made deals with. The kind of deals they regretted later once it was too late.
He held out his hand and I shook it. “What’s up, Shadow? How’s the family?” He smirked like he already knew. Maybe the air reeked of death and blackness. If it did, Bear would be the one to pick up on it.
“Thinning out,” I chuckled. Shit, maybe I was equally dark. Bear nodded his understanding then walked deeper into the house.
“You’re not gonna have cops crawling around the house, are you?” He strolled into the kitchen and tilted his head upward like a tourist.
“Nah. My uncle had a heart attack. It’s pretty open and shut. They don’t want to bother me and Ivy anymore.” Bear eyed me for a moment then shook his head.
“You probably won’t tell me anything and I don’t blame you but I know you had something to do with the heart attack. Your uncle was a cokehead in the worst fucking way. I know for a fact he was a piece of shit. Couldn’t have been a good guy.”
“Hey, karma did all the heavy lifting. Trust me.”
“I don’t doubt it, man.” I walked Bear toward the back of the house and showed him out back. The huge yard was fenced in with a gate that led the family cemetery. Honeysuckle bushes lined the path to the medium-sized plot. The sweet smell of them reminded me of Ivy. It reminded me of Honey Sugar and all the golden-coated memories inside.
“The backyard seems like a nice spot,” Bear said. He came to a stop and put his hands in his pockets. His gaze swept the neatly cut grass and manicured honeysuckle bushes then climbed up the weeping willow trees.
I knew when he said the backyard was a good place that he’d picked the spot for Mario to die. Bear looked at me and waited. “I think so too. That’s why I brought you out here.”
“I fuck with you, Shadow. You’re a good guy.” I didn’t know what kind of person that made me for Lucifer himself to call me a good guy. I took the compliment though. I talked to Mario today. Not too long before I took the long-ass drive down here to Sugar Bayou. He thinks he’s closing in on you. He told me he could deliver you to me. Dead.” Bear’s eyes were eerily bright like copper fire. If I hadn’t been on top of my game, they would have unnerved me.
“Oh yeah?” I chuckled.
“Yeah. So I told him to make it happen today. He should be here by tonight. At first, I thought I would leave everything up to you and my soldiers to handle but after being here for a little while I think I might stick around.” Bear smoothed the front of his shirt then walked over to the gate. “Your uncle getting buried back here?” He quizzed.
“Fuck no. He doesn’t deserve to be buried next to my mother and aunt. He’s getting cremated and flushed down the toilet. He can spend eternity with the rest of the shit in the world. Fuck him.” Bear let out a loud and hearty laugh.
“Shadow, why the fuck haven’t we crossed paths before now? You sell weed, you don’t buy from me though. Why is that?”
“I grow my own shit and I keep it low key. I’m not trying to be a soldier. No disrespect.”
“None taken. I’d love to have someone like you on my team though. You keep to yourself and you get money. I’m always looking for ways to bring in more money,” he smiled. It was a smile that seemed to be stuck somewhere between charming and menacing. It was like he didn’t know how to offer a normal damn smile.
“I bet. How old are you, Bear? You don’t look too much older than me but you’re a heavyweight in the drug game and I’ve been hearing your name for the past three years at least.”
“How old do you think I am?” He quizzed. His gaze was stone.
“I don’t know. That’s why I asked.”
“Twenty-five. I didn’t create this empire though. I know you heard about my father. I inherited it from him once he went to jail. I hated having to tell him about Wolf while he was locked up. That shit hit hard, Shadow.” I felt fucked up for standing beside Bear knowing I was the one who killed his little brother. I didn’t feel fucked up enough to confess though. Besides, Bear had a look on his face that said he wasn’t too shocked by his brother’s murder.
I watched my nervous ticks. I was careful not to stroke my beard or rub the back of my neck while I asked questions. It would have been a dead giveaway and I knew I was being studied and watched. Nothing was ever casual with a motherfucker like Bear.
“He must have taken it hard.”
“He didn’t. That’s what fucked me up. Wolf was the baby. I’m not shocked though. That’s the kind of motherfucker my father is. Plus, if I’m being honest, it was only a matter of time before Wolf’s reckless ass got shot. He thought he was invincible because I’m running shit. It doesn’t matter who the fuck you are, Shadow…being reckless will get you put in the ground every time.” Bear shrugged it off and I knew exactly what he was doing. He did it so subtly though if I hadn’t also been studying our interaction, I would have missed it.
