“I’ll go ahead and write his number down,” I told the woman.
She didn’t hesitate to give me Ceasar’s number. Once I had the number, I summoned Frisky, who still happened to be quiet at the moment.
“Komm.”
My command had Frisky on her feet. Even though she was unruly, I could tell that she had some level of training in the past. Kross would be able to whip her into shape in no time.
“I can’t wait to see how much she improves,” the woman raved.
“Neither can I,” I said before giving her the note.
Instead of relying on Frisky to walk on her own, I picked her up and carried her to the truck. I opened the passenger side and put Frisky on the floor with the food before moving around to hop in.
Ceasar’s housekeeper, or whoever she happened to be, was actually a nice lady. I hated for her to get fired for giving me his dog, but I couldn’t concern myself with her well-being. Carteay was the most important thing in the world to me. Fuck Ceasar and his barking ass dog.
Ceasar,
Hey, man. Sorry I missed you. I stopped by to chop it up about some business. We need to discuss a sweet and innocent songstress that you might know. Since you weren’t here, I decided to take Fido with me as a reminder that you need to get at me. I ain’t hard to find.
Bring Carteay to me then hit me up when you’re ready to talk about contracts or sales. It doesn’t matter which. I was going to buy her out of her contract until I thought about your pet dog putting his hands on her. Since you don’t know how to control your animals, I’ll take Fido off your hands.
You might need to think about planning a few funerals, might not. It’s really up to how you want to move. Just make sure you have your good suit out of the cleaners. You’re going to be busy for a while, my guy. There’s blood on anything connected to me, know that.
Carteay is mine.
From the coffee shop on the corner from Big Time Records, I had a clear view of Cyrus’s car. There was no telling how much money he’d wasted souping that thing up. Not that I was hating. It was just a thought. It was all about to be irrelevant.
I kept Frisky’s leash wrapped around my hand as I sipped my lemon balm tea. I kept my eyes on the door of the building, waiting for Cyrus or Carteay to emerge. It didn’t matter which of them came out first, but I couldn’t lie; I preferred to see her. I’d called Carteay two more times just for the hell of it as I waited.
It didn’t take long before Cy walked out of the building with two of those big worthless niggas he liked to keep around on his heels. I watched them turn toward the parking lot as I took another swig of my drink. As he strolled, I reached in the pocket of my jeans and pulled out a burner phone.
Holding my finger on the button, I took a deep breath before pressing send. The explosion that shook the table didn’t catch me by surprise, but I jumped just in case any cameras in the area happened to catch my reaction. Just in case Carteay was in there, a bomb squad clearing the building would bring her out without me having to drag everybody out one by one until I got to her.
In no time at all, the block was flooded with police cars and ambulances. Unfortunately, no one was hurt. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I took it out of my pocket and threw my head back when I saw that it was Kross, yet again.
“What!” I barked into the receiver. I didn’t need him trying to chastise me right now.
“Memorial Hospital, room 223,” he said. “I don’t know what kind of shape she’s in, bro. My wife’s sister Joss is a doctor there. Some lady brought her in saying she was a Jane Doe. Joss recognized her and asked Doc to tell me since she knows you two are friends. She’s in a private room, and Joss knows you’re coming for her.”
My heart dropped through the ground as Kross’s words registered. I had to get to her. I picked Frisky up and headed for my truck. I didn’t realize my phone was still to my ear until Kross started talking again.
“Don’t make no decisions until you talk to her, Kannon.”
“I gotta take care of both of them, Bro. They did this. I don’t even know what it is, but I know they did this.”
“I’m on my way.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, my phone dinged again. It was rare when I was relieved to see Keywan’s name on my screen, but right now, I didn’t want to hear Kross’s preaching. He had no idea what I planned to do next. Neither did I, actually, but I knew he wasn’t going to like it.
Key:
This You?
I opened Key’s text message and shook my head at how quick these news outlets were. When I made it down the block to my truck, I hopped in then hit play on the video.
“There are no leads in the explosion that nearly killed the beloved rapper Cyrus Gibbs, better known as Cy the Great, just minutes ago. In the chaotic aftermath, the rapper is reported to be shaken but unharmed.”
I pushed through traffic to the hospital as I listened to the reporter drone on and on about Cy as if he were some kind of god or hero. That nigga was neither. He was just a bitch assnigga living on borrowed time. A little property destruction was nothing compared to what I wanted to do to him depending on what I found when I made it to the hospital.
