She couldn’t argue with me. Her instincts wanted to have this beef against Solae that most main girls and side bitches had with each other, but she realized that Solae was innocent from ever hurting her. Rah had done this, not Solae.
 
 “True,” she finally replied with anod.
 
 “And she doesn’t deserve to lose her kids and her life because of that nigga.”
 
 She nodded again. “Also, very true.”
 
 “Then you gonna do it?”
 
 She sighed. I had made some sense but there was still apprehension all over her face, and even some fear was creeping in. “I don’t know, Fabe. I mean, he is probably going to be right there in the courtroom.”
 
 “And? He can’t kill you while you’re on the stand. And I am sure if you let Solae’s lawyer know that you fear for your safety, he will make sure that you’re good.”
 
 Again, she sat there thinking while playing with her hair.
 
 Finally, she said, “Okay, I’ll do it. Tell her I will help her.”
 
 I was relieved. I know that Rah was my blood, but Solae deserved the help. She deserved for as many people as possible to look out for her. And I was man enough to look past the blood that ran through my veins and give her that. Besides Rah being my brother, I knew the kind of man that he was. I cared about my niece and nephew too much to have that motherfucker being their only parent.
 
 My phone started vibrating on the table. I glanced down, saw the name lighting up the screen, and shook my head before hitting ignore.
 
 Aaliyah tilted her head. “Who’s that?”
 
 “Jackie,” I muttered. The phone buzzed again almost immediately. I ignored it a second time. “She’s still calling, even after I checked her when she popped up here.”
 
 Aaliyah smirked playfully. “Want me to make her stop calling?”
 
 I shook my head with a low laugh. “Nah, let her blow up the line all she wants. That shit don’t move me. You the only one I’m worried about.”
 
 RAH
 
 It was after midnight, so the neighborhood in Auburn Gresham was quiet as I crept through it in an old beater I had borrowed from the crackhead that cleaned Black Ice for me every morning, for fifty dollars and free beers whenever he came through. I was driving with thoughts of money making my dick hard. Nell was sitting next to me and could tell his bitch ass was nervous. Lavell was in the back seat talking on his phone with some broad.
 
 Finding the alley that I needed to go down, I made a left and made my way down it.
 
 “It’s that house right here on the right.”
 
 I followed Lavell’s finger as it pointed to a small red brick house. It looked real old skool, like the old couple living inside of it hadn’t updated it since the 60’s. I smiled as I saw the flimsy back door that Lavell had already seen while casing the house over the last two nights.
 
 “Come on. Let’s get in and out.”
 
 I parked the beater right behind the house so that when I got my hands on the money, I would be able to get outta dodge fast.
 
 We hopped out, burners at our side. Lavell and Nell had pressed that they didn’t want to hurt these old people. They didn’t want any more blood on their hands. But fuck them niggas and their conscience. I planned on leaving no witnesses.
 
 As we hopped the short fence and ran through the backyard, I felt my cold heart finally warming up. If nothing else made me smile, knowing that money was coming put a big ass grin on a nigga’s face.
 
 As planned, I kicked the backdoor in. Then we quickly made our way inside. I was expecting to soon hear the voices of an old man or woman, but heard nothing. We raced in and out of every room, trying to find them. Once in the bedroom that looked like theirs, we saw the empty, made bed.
 
 “Ain’t nobody here,” Lavell said, sounding relieved.
 
 “Take me to the stash,” I told him. “Hurry up!”
 
 Lavell scurried out of the room like a puppy leading his master. I followed him up the stairs with Nell behind me watching my back. Lavell led me to a large bathroom. Once inside, he went straight for a large closet that was inside. The shelves were full of toiletries and towels. He squatted down and removed the floorboard.
 
 “Bet! It’s here!” he said.
 
 “C’mon, simple nigga!” I barked. “Get the shit and let’s roll!”