“The fuck wrong with you, man? Ain’t you a security guard or some shit?”
I took a step forward, and he held his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t think so.” I snarled. “Now where the fuck is she?”
“She was with Ceasar. He left about ten minutes ago.”
“Going where? Why would she get me to come here if she was leaving?”
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.” Instead of putting my hands back around his neck, I passed the phone in my hand to him.
“Call her.”
“This ain’t my phone.”
“Did I ask you—” Instead of finishing my question, I snatched the phone and gave it to the other punk in the room. “Let me put it this way. If Carteay ain’t on somebody’s gah damn phone in the next five seconds, you can cancel all your plans for the rest of the day. You too, Urkel.”
“It’s Tyler.” The cornball spoke up.
I threw my head back because I had already done more than enough talking. I took a deep breath trying to remember someof the shit my brother said they told him in anger management. I never needed to control my anger. I usually handled shit and went about my business. I hated being tested though.
“She ain’t gon’ answer for me. She’s pissed off with me right now.” Cy spoke up.
“OK. I’m calling!” Tyler shouted.
“Put it on speaker, homeboy. I don’t trust your scary ass not to call the folks.”
The phone rang through to voicemail before he hit the end button.
“I’ll call Ceasar.”
I narrowed my eyes as I stared Cyrus down. He watched the door as he made the call. Apparently, no one answered because he ended the call. I didn’t have time to react to him before the door swung open behind me. Without looking back, I already knew what time it was.
“If one of you muthafuckas puts your hands on me, you better kill me. Cyrus, buddy, how many funerals you been to in the span of a week? You wanna break that record? You better call your dogs off before y’all have to put somebody’s mortuary on speed dial. As a matter of fact, I know a good one in the area. I’ll leave in peace for now, but I’m coming back for her,” I said before turning and pushing past Cy’s crew. When I made it to the door, I turned back. “Bring me Carteay. I’m not sure if you want to find out how I’m willing to come behind that one.”
Nobody laid a finger on me as I headed out of the building to my truck. I prayed that no one there would try to call my bluff, but just in case, I stayed put out front. I checked my app again just to make sure Carteay’s phone still picked up in the area. I punched the steering wheel when I saw that her location no longer showed up.
These muthafuckas thought I was a toy. My baby was there. Something told me that she was. I couldn’t feel her energythough. That was the only reason I left the building without her.If she isn’t here, where is she?
Her distressed call was not going unanswered. I was going to find her. I knew that I was going to make a rash decision and do some irrational shit. There was nothing anyone could do to stop me. First, I needed to call up reinforcement. I dialed my brother’s number and took a deep breath as I rested my head against the headrest. Kross answered after a couple of rings.
“Bro, she called.”
“Where are you? You need me?” he asked.
“I’m at Big Time Records. She sent her location, and it brought me here. They’re saying she’s not here, but that bitch Cyrus is in there. He claims she left with the owner, that nigga Ceasar Williams.”
“What you need?” he asked again.
“His location, his address, and anything else you can find on him. He lives here in the city. Get the same information on Cyrus and find out what security company the label uses. I think they do a lot of freelancers. That’s why my team was getting pulled in here and there when she had a show. Her phone was pinging here a minute ago, but now her location is off.”
“I’m on my way to you.”
“I’m not sitting here waiting around, Kross. Send me his address before I go back in there and get it myself,” I said, getting out of the car.
“First of all, get from in front of those folks’ building before I have to bail you out of jail when I make it there. I need about twenty minutes to get the information, Kannon. Sit your hot ass down somewhere before you catch on fire.”
I wasn’t listening to the shit Kross was saying, but his words did give me a thought. Just in case someone wanted to call my bluff, I had some motivation for their ass. My eyes stung as I thought about what they could be doing to Carteay.
Nigga, are you crying?I shook my head before trying again to get my brother to see where I was coming from.
