“Stay up, old head!” Ivan called out with a proud smile as Titus shut the cell door behind them.
Through the glass of the small window, Kross shot him a head nod before he was ushered away. As he exited the unit and passed some cells, there were a few inmates who banged on their doors in celebration for Kross’ release. He remained sturdy for his time and didn’t fuck with nobody as long as nobody fucked with him first.
“Pretty popular here, ain’t you?” Titus chuckled.
“I’m popular everywhere, you fat fuck. Ask your bitch,” Kross smugly taunted him, earning a rough shove.
“You’ll be back in here,” Titus scoffed.
Kross shook his head. “This the last time you’ll get the chance to fuck with me without me being able to beat the fuck outta you. Remember that.”
For the rest of the journey to be processed out, Titus manhandled Kross. He didn’t give a fuck about it, though. With every door they went through, he knew he was one step closer to Cassie and Aniyis. He was pleased to find out that a few days ago, she dropped some clothes off for him to change into so he wouldn’t have to squeeze his new muscles into the Polo outfit he got locked up in seven years ago. Once he turned in his prison blues, he got dressed in a gray Nike tech. A proud smile gracedhis face as he stepped into the fresh pair of cocaine white Air Force 1’s. It had been a while since he felt fresh as fuck, and Cassie made sure he would be looking every bit of good when he walked out of those gates.
“You’re a free man, Mr. Kross Hunter,” Officer Leon smiled after she searched through all his belongings.
Kross nodded as a smile tugged onto his lips. “Y’all don’t never have to worry about me no more,” he asserted as he placed his belongings back into the box.
After the last security checkpoint, he was loaded onto a bus amongst a few other inmates who were being processed out and was taken to the release center. Upon getting off the bus, Kross felt a breeze sweep over him as the morning sun greeted him. It had been seven years since he was able to feel the air and see the sun without being barricaded in twelve-foot-tall fences that were armed with barbed-wire. A loud buzzer went off as the gates were pulled open, urging the institutionalized men to step into their newfound freedom.
As he carried everything he’d owned for the past seven years in his hands, his eyes darted around the other side of the gates in search of Cassie and Aniyis. He was able to catch some touching moments other men shared with their families as they were welcomed back while a heavy burden of disappointment weighed down on him. Cassie and Aniyis were nowhere to be found. A heavy breath aired out of him as he leaned against the gate. All he could do was wait for her to show up. Cassie was anticipating his release just as much as he was. There was no way she would miss it. Eventually, the loud engine of a candy red Lamborghini Urus drifted into the parking lot before the car came to a halt in front of Kross.
“Ain’t no way in hell that’s my lady,” he shook his head while mumbling to himself.
The door of the sports car swung open so the driver could step out. Upon seeing the thick wick locs that were wrapped up high similar to a bee’s nest, Kross knew exactly who was pulling up in the Lambo.
“Big bro!” Ezekiel jogged over to him with his arms wide open for an embrace.
A light chuckle aired out of Kross at how loud his brother could be; however, it was expected. That had always been Ezekiel. He made his way over to his younger brother, and they wrapped each other up in a brotherly embrace, rocking side to side.
Ezekiel wasn’t the best when it came to making visits to Kross since he was so caught up with his own life. Whenever he did have some time, all the visits would already be booked up by Cassie, who deserved them more than anyone since she had Aniyis. Despite not seeing his brother, Ezekiel made sure to never miss a call, and he wrote to him often. Seven years without him by his side was a hard pill to swallow, but now, that was all behind them. Kross was a free man, and Ezekiel was geeked to have his brother back.
“What’s good, baby bro? When the fuck your dreads get this long?” Kross asked, unable to avoid his brother’s hair that had now grown out to waist length if he let it down.
A smooth chuckle drifted out of Ezekiel as he shrugged his shoulder. “I been taking care of myself, eating healthy and what not. A nigga flourishing, and so is the hair. You feel me?”
Unable to take his little brother serious, Kross doubled over in laughter. “Nigga, I leave for a couple years, and you go Rastafarian on me?”
“Nigga, health is wealth. It looks like you on the same type of time. You done got swole as fuck,” he mentioned, pointing out Kross’ new physique. Before he went in, he was never frail, but he was only 24. Now, stepping out of prison at 31 years old, hewas a full-on man with the muscles to match. Lifting weights was his only therapy aside from getting into his Bible, so the extra muscles did him well.
“Had to find something to do for all that time,” Kross said with a shrug.
His baby brother nodded, agreeing with him. “Man, the hood ‘bout to go crazy soon as you touch down!” he exclaimed before grabbing the box from Kross’ hands to put it in the back seat of the car.
“Let’s keep shit chill for right now. I ain’t tryin’ to pop out when I still got shit to get in order for the fam,” Kross requested while getting into the car. He knew how his little brother could get. Everything was a reason to throw something on the grill and throw a block party that more than likely would get out of control. He didn’t need all that right now. All he wanted to do was chill and get acclimated to his family. Partying could be done later.
Ezekiel smacked his lips before making his way around the Urus to get in himself. “Man, whatever,” he said, waving his brother off.
Kross eased into the leather of his brother’s sports car. It was luxurious beyond anything he’d seen in a while. Cassie informed him that Ezekiel was pulling in paper by keeping up the work that he left behind before getting locked up, but he would’ve never imagined his little brother had been taking it to new heights that would pull in that much money. As he pulled out of the parking lot to leave the prison behind, Ezekiel caught the inquisitive look that was cast his big brother’s face while assessing the vehicle.
“Don’t trip, OG. I can have you in one of these in a week or two,” he assured him.
Quickly, Kross shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. This shit beyond me. I don’t think I can even work this.” He reachedover and pressed a button on the ceiling, prompting the large panoramic sunroof to glide back.
“Man, fuck all that! We getting you a Lambo. This shit too trim to not have you one!”
Kross simply chuckled, not up to going back and forth with his little brother right at this moment. “I appreciate you for coming through, but where Cassie at? You ain’t heard from her?” He shifted the conversation to what had been weighing heavily on his mind since stepping out of prison.
A silence engulfed the car as Ezekiel kept his eyes fixed on the road. Kross could sense that there was something his brother was withholding from him, which caused his brows to bump together. “Fuck is going on?” he asked.
