I nodded my head and took in our surroundings. Trash littered the ground; I spotted two young corner boys that looked to be no older than fourteen with their pants sagging low.
“Pull the truck up some more.” I instructed Tone.
One of the two boys across the street in front of the liquor store smoothly made a transaction to a fiend who had her two youngest children with her. She bounced up and down excitedly on her two feet with the drugs clenched tight in her hands. Her kids looked to be no older than five and eight years of age. Something inside of me clenched tightly, I shut my eyes and told myself.You can’t save them all…
When I opened my eyes back up and saw the woman and her kids again, I became determined. There was no way I could witness the look of despair on the innocent little boy’s face. I imagined his feelings and mirrored them to mine when I used to witness my mom being high out of her mind.
“I want her before this meeting is over.” I said to Dre directly.
“You got it, Grand.” Dre replied then pulled out his phone to text the group of our men that I put him in charge of.
Tone pulled the truck up slowly to the curb outside of an old check-cashing spot that got converted into a cultural office with bulletproof windows. The only culture that moved through the place was dope, the kind that tore down a thriving community and gave urban cities a bad name.
“Get out, snatch her dumb ass up have your men put her in the first truck. Be sure to gag her. Her kids take them gently and tell them that you’re there to make their mom feel better. They will be placed in the second truck. Ask them what kind of snacks they would like to eat and provide it. I want her on an eighty-day cleanse, if she have bad withdrawals, give her Owlette in rock form,” I stated. I watched Dre get out of the car with his phone now glued to his ears.
I lit my blunt then let the cherry burn while I stared back at the building to the side of me. I’ve been feeling the unspoken silence that spoke a thousand words coming from Tone. He looked at me through the rearview mirror with tension set in hisjaw. He hadn’t said much sincethatnight two weeks ago. The boots that he wore today still had Darius’s dried up blood on the laces.
I knew Tone better than anyone, he could have cleaned the blood off his shoelaces and boots, but he wanted to remind me how I lost control of my anger.
“You good?” He asked finally breaking the silence.
I didn’t look at him when the question left his mouth. Instead, I eyed my busted knuckles. Tone found some of the best fighters around L.A. for me to fight to relieve what he called pent up stress. Crushing a man with my fist almost felt better than busting a nut.
“I’m always good. You still shook?” I raised my brows at him.
“I ain’t shook. I get worried when you go that far, since you haven’t done that in a while.” He sighed
I offered him a slow nod then tapped my blunt against the window to ash it.
“I should’ve gone further.” I stated, seriously.
“You haven’t had her play for you.”
“I’m not sure if I want her too anymore.” I answered honestly.
What attracted me to Mira was how she soulfully played the violin. Her playing made me feel something that I hadn’t felt in a long time.Peace.
“Kenric, you’re not a bad person… you deserve peace.” Tone turned in the front seat to look at me.
I felt a shift in the way that I was feeling. It felt like he threw a pebble rock at the stone walls that I had built up inside of me to protect myself from cracking.
“You don’t know what I deserve Tone. Don’t say no shit like that again.” I looked back out of the window.
“Look at what all your doing for the community. You smart as fuck, you’ve rehabilitated half of the Westside, Southside, and most of Northside with Owlette. Nobody?—”
“Tone.” I cut him off.
“I don’t need you to tell me what I already know… you’ve been pushing your luck a lot with me lately. The owls back home ruffle my feathers enough.” I flicked the half lit blunt out of the window.
“Get out.” I uttered.
“Just have her play for you tonight, she’s been playing down by the dungeon.” Tone chuckled. That was enough to get my full attention.
“The men love when she plays even though she cries sporadically as she plays.” He continued.
“Where did you place her exactly?” I frowned.
Jealously spread inside of me faster than a lit fire. I wanted her playing reserved for me. Tone mentioned her crying, I thought about letting her go. Women from the past that I captured hardly cried at all. Once they experienced all of the luxuries of my building, they adapted then fell in line. I saw potential in Mira’s owl-like eyes. Potential that she didn’t see in herself. Her beauty was raw and potent; I memorized every curve and dimple attached to her body. I wanted to taste and devour her but not while she was weak.
