Page 59 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings 2: The Finale
“I mean, as far as intent goes, that’s true. But come on, I gotta have some kind of assurances myself. You get that, right?”
“Self-preservation,” I recited, blinking back tears and tearing my eyes from her. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
“Just . . . be cool. Let me do the talking. If Skully is around, don’t trip. I’ll protect you against him if I can. If I’m outnumbered, then we have a problem, and that’s where you become my meal ticket. We clear?”
“Why don’t you just shoot him on sight? That would benefit us all.”
“And here I thought you was some weak bitch. Okay, baby sis. Let’s get active.” Leni pushed the car door open.
She got out then walked around to my side of the car to join me. Together we approached the big metal door to the building. All eyes were on us, and I was just trying to fall in stride with her so we didn’t cast any suspicion on ourselves. There were some mutters and whispers, even a few catcalls as we sashayed by. When we reached the main door, we were stopped by some big, thick, hotdog-neck-looking ass nigga, looking us up and down with thirst.
“Who you here for?” he asked, sounding like a young Biggie Smalls with all that heavy fucking breathing.
“That would be our business,” Leni countered, looking him up and down. “You want to step aside, or you want to meet my little friend I got tucked with me?” she asked, hand in her pocket resting on the pistol.
Catching her drift, he reached for the steel handle and tugged on the door so it would open for us. There was this loud scraping sound as it brushed across the concrete we stood on. Stepping inside, we were immediately struck by the nasty aroma of somebody’s nasty ass meal being cooked. I swear I don’t know what that shit was, but it had me gagging and covering my nose and mouth as we moved closer to the elevator. I was very hesitant about hopping on, but Leni was determined. She pressed the button, and there was a loud noise until the elevator came to a stop on the ground floor. When the doors shifted open,it rocked the ground underneath us. I was convinced this thing had been here since the beginning of fucking time.
“Let’s go.” Leni urged me ahead of her.
The tile was chipped, and stuck to the walls of the elevator were a bunch of old flyers and graffiti people had scribbled over the years that had worn out. This was the trap, and I wanted out! Coming to a slow rumble at first, the elevator stopped, and there was a worn-out ding when we reached the third floor. Suddenly a bitch felt like she as doing the walk of death as we stepped out when those slow ass doors finally decided to open.
“Here we are.” She stopped us in front of the door to 3D.
Raising her hand to knock, she beat on it a few times before lowering her hand at her side and keeping the other in her pocket with the gun. There was no fear in Leni, and I knew I had to adapt that same mentality if I stood a chance of getting out of this alive. She was right about one thing: Brick had me in my soft era. Life was different when you had a man in your corner ready to ride for you at all costs instead of letting you go through some shit alone. I had to get through this. If for nothing else than to get back to him.
Brick
“The hell wrong with you?” Ivo asked, gripping the blunt between his fingers and bringing it to his lips.
He took a deep pull, holding the smoke in his lungs and studying the blunt before exhaling. My spirit was all fucked up behind Six and what she was on. I didn’t trust that bitch Leni. Six decided to keep in touch, and that came to Leni wanting to, of course, spend more time with my girl. I personally thought she was being too fucking nice. I didn’t give a fuck if it was her sister.
“Six talking about she taking a road trip with her sister. I got her location and shit though. Mace and some of our men on them too.” I took a glance at our text thread before setting the phone down.
My brothers and I were seated around the table inside what was technically my house, but Ivo had been staying here the last couple of days since he got back from a business trip in LA. Shit with him and Jordan was pretty much obsolete, but he hadn’t mentioned Emerald either. I was eager to chop it up with him since he’d been tied up in meetings since he got back. Staten sat across from him, gripping a bottle of Heineken in his hand as he swept a piece of lint off his dark denim jeans.
There was a tap at the door before Haco’s voice echoed off the walls and he appeared. Since he’d been home, we’d been spending time with him. He and Staten didn’t get along too much, but it was really some love/hate shit like it had always been. Haco was older than Staten, and he knew that he and Sol had a brother/sister type relationship. We all pretty much did with her. She was our father’s sister, but she was still cool and easy to talk to. Most of the time, I didn’t even think of her like that because I shared shit with her I didn’t talk about with anybody else.
She and Staten had years together before me and Ivo came along though, so their bond was different. I was her baby, but she had no problem checking me. With Staten, that nigga could do no wrong. She gave him the benefit of the doubt every single time. He could be holding the deadly weapon in his hand and standing over the body covered in blood, and she would still believe whatever transpired was because somebody did something to him. Talk about some enabling ass shit. I kind of sensed that Haco was always intimidated and even a little jealous of that relationship. I knew for a fact that Sol still went to Staten with her problems, even when he was in Chicago. He couldn’t deny Sol if she reached out.
“What’s good, nephews? What we on?” Haco rubbed his tatted hands together.
I’d never had any problems with the nigga. As far as his position at the company and what he brought to the table, he played his fucking part. Sol might have been worth more than him when it came to the numbers, but he never acted openly insecure about it. For the most part, he seemed content with his status and his life. Narrowing his light hazel eyes, he swept his hand down his sandy brown beard and bobbed his head.
“Chilling.” Ivo took another pull from the blunt and passed it to me. “What you been up to?”
“Just dropped Sol at the house. She’s helping Marcella with some last-minute shit for this party. Speaking of, I heard you called a meeting. What’s up with that?” Haco swung his head in Staten’s direction.
“Just some shit I want to get on the same page with everybody about,” bro said, tipping his glass to his lips.
It was clear from his stance that he had no intention of sharing with any of us right now. Haco hiked a brow but didn’t press as he stepped past him and sat on an identical wingback chair beside him.
“So, what’s up with you and Jordan?” I decided to change the subject, and irritation immediately flitted across Ivo’s face.
“Brick, that ain’t shit for you to worry about.”
“I know, but I’m nosy.” I shrugged. “She still coming around the house like shit sweet.”
“Far from it. I got Jason drawing up divorce papers. He’s double checking the paperwork on the pre-nup too.”
