“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“Where do you want to meet?” Cy asked.
“Pick a place. I’m a little bit out of the way, so give me time to get back.”
“You got my number. Shoot me a text and I’ll send you a location in a couple of hours.”
“Bet.”
I already knew to expect tears when I put my eyes on Carteay. I stepped closer to her and cupped her face.
“I’m getting this over with once and for all. Blaine is staying here with y’all until I get back.”
“Come back to us, Kannon.”
“Always,” I said, kissing her forehead before walking right out of the front door.
I knew if I looked back, I would hesitate. All I had to do was hesitate to make me reconsider risking my life to free hers. Not that I wouldn’t do it, but I would prolong the time. I didn’t have time to waste.
“So he’s been playing you too?” Kross asked once Cyrus was done talking.
“Hell yeah, and on top of all that, he’s been feeding me drugs and women so I wouldn’t know something was off. As soon as I started asking questions, the nigga started moving funny. He told me he bought Carteay for me, to keep me occupied, and I’m still too dumb to appreciate everything he did to make me. I told the nigga if you made me, make another me.”
“That don’t excuse the shit you did to her!” I barked.
“I know, man. I’ll be the first to admit that I made some fucked-up decisions. I been going to meetings and trying to get sober. He’s the one that hipped me to that shit. I could stay up for two or three days working on an album and that shit would go platinum. I lost sight of why I started doing that rap shit in the first place. Carteay is a good girl. She don’t deserve none of this. I let them get in my head and make me treat her like property. Cease a sick dude, and I’m even worse than him for letting him get to me. I want to try to make that shit right.
“I been getting my paperwork together, because I don’t know what kind of deal Carteay got, but that nigga been trimming. She uses a label accountant, so she might not even be able to sift through the bullshit,” Cyrus explained.
“The information my people found should be enough to force the sale if you still want to go through with it, Bro.”
Not only had Kross dug up information on Ceasar’s fucked-up business practices, but he had uncovered two different affairs with women who weren’t even old enough to drink. He waspaying the rent and tuition for one of them and had a baby on the way by the other.
“I want Carteay free any way I can get it,” I said.
“Well, I’m about to sue his ass before Cheyenne files for a divorce,” Cyrus divulged.
“What if his wife already knows he’s cheating?” I asked.
“That ain’t the point. The barely legal women he’s financing is just to let him know how much we know. He’s being financed by the 3rdStreet Mafia. That’s going to put it over the top,” Kross chimed in.
“But don’t The Force run the 3rdStreet Mafia?” I frowned.
“Now you get me. I made some calls. He’s out after the next meeting, which happens to be Monday. After that, he can either sell or go to prison for money laundering. I got the whole paper trail. I’ve already spoken to Cheyenne, and she’s willing to sell the business if she can keep a ten percent stake for her kids. Him going to prison will be considered abandonment, and she gets his shares too. She’s supposed to ask him for a divorce tonight. She will be in touch in the morning. She wants a quick sale.”
“Send me the numbers,” I said, nodding.
“Kannon, don’t touch him until we get all this shit cleared,” Kross cautioned.
“I ain’t so much as breathed on the man. He’s the one trying to kill me.”
“Stand down, Bro,” my brother reiterated.
“Say that at my funeral, nigga,” I snapped.
“Just give us two days. You need to get a lawyer on this shit, and Cheyenne needs to sign the forms I sent her.”
“Are we good?” Cyrus asked me.
