“Yeah, she’s going to cuss us both out.” I laughed, still breathless. I squealed again as Quade gently lowered me back into my chair, spinning me once before letting go.
“My baby is about to be a star,” he said mostly to himself while he made his way back into the booth.
“A star!” I said in disbelief as I reached for my phone, tapping Teagan’s name. My life was about to change, and I couldn’t wait to share the news.
When the detectivecalled me yesterday, I thought he was playing. It had been damn near two months with nothing. No updates. No progress. Just silence and bullshit. After they cleared Noa’s ex, I figured the investigation was dead. The nigga had an alibi. He showed the detectives footage proving he was on-air, recording, when the fire started. Though I was glad that Noa hadn’t been fucking with a nigga that would try to kill her, I was mad that meant we didn’t know who had. I’d already stopped expecting the law to give us answers. Hell, my ear was already to the streets. But yesterday, the detective called me and said they had something, a lead strong enough for an arrest.
Apparently, the street cameras caught a license plate from a car that didn’t belong in the neighborhood. They tracked it andbrought the driver in, and he folded fast. He said he was just doing what he got paid ten grand to do. The funny part? The check came straight from Terrence Miles, CEO of Savage Row, my old label.
They booked his ass yesterday morning, charging him with solicitation of arson and attempted murder. That didn’t mean anything to him. He’d already made bond and walked out like didn’t shit happen. He had his ass back at the office this morning like he didn’t try to kill the woman I loved.
I’d been gripping the steering wheel since I’d dropped Noa off at her meeting with the design team. I’d been pissed the whole ride over here. I pulled my car into the parking lot outside of Savage Row Records. The parking lot was damn near empty. Either he’d closed up shop, or this was a late day. The news hadn’t broken to the public yet, so it was quiet. If not for the one light on, on the top floor, I would think they were closed.
I opened my car door and got out, making sure I tucked my gun in my waistband. I was still on papers, but today, I needed motherfuckers to know who to stop playing with. Ron’s truck pulled up beside mine, like we planned, and a black SUV eased in right behind him. That was Blue and Dru. They’d flown in last night as soon as Ron told them what was going on. They insisted on pulling up. They said some shit about this not just being my fight anymore.
Blue hopped out first, eyes scanning the lot, making sure the coast was clear. Dru jumped out a second later, already talking low into his headphones, probably giving instructions to the security guys who climbed out of another black SUV. They spread out like they’d done this a hundred times. One of them posted near the side entrance, the other circled toward the back.
“You sure about this?” Ron came around the hood and stared at me. “You don’t want to just let the law handle it?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “That nigga tried to kill her, man.” I took the bat from the back seat of my car. This was way past letting the law handle it. I’d spent years with this chokehold Savage Row had me in around my neck. I couldn’t name it until now. Savage Row had taken pieces of me I was still putting back together, and no matter how much I tried to move on and start a new life, they were still trying to break me. I should have pulled up on Terrence’s ass when I first got out, but I had shit to lose. Now that he’d come for Noa, I didn’t care what it cost me. It was time to send a message.
“The building is secure,” Dru said, and we moved toward the building.
“Showtime,” I said as Dru and Blue joined their security at the front door. Ron followed behind me as we made our way up the elevator. When we reached the top floor, he peeled off without a word and stood guard by the exec suite doors. I approached the main office, the same office I sat in when I inked a bad ass deal.
I didn’t knock, just swung the bat straight through the glass door and shattered it clean. Pieces of glass flew everywhere.
“What the f—” Terrence jumped like the true bitch he was. When his eyes landed on me, he shot up from his seat trying to play it cool, but his hands gave him away. His ass was twitching, a clear confirmation that he’d done everything they accused him of. “You lost your goddamn mind?” he barked.
“Nah, but you have.” I stepped through the broken door. “You sent somebody to burn my girl’s house down?”
He smirked as he sat back down in his seat. Leaning back, he crossed his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’re going to pay for that glass. Are you not tired of making me rich?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” I took the bat to the lamp that sat on the edge of his desk. He thought he was the one in control right now. That was comical.
“Little Quae Lo got a bat. What? I’m supposed to be scared?” He laughed under his breath. “Lil’ nigga, I own you.”
“You did. I’ll give you that. That lil’ nigga ain’t the one standing here with a bat, though.”
“You think you’re free? You signed a little deal, recorded some of your old tracks. You want to be a big shot,” he said. “You still breathing ’cause I let you. You eat when I say you eat. You go to jail when I say you go to jail. You’ll never be free. I made you. I reap the benefits.”
Everything in me went still as I processed his words. What the hell did he mean, I’ll go to jail when he says I’ll go to jail? I cocked my head to the side.
“What did you just say? I go to jail when?”
He smirked. “You heard me. You still never put it together, huh? Allow me to connect the dots. You were getting too loud, too independent. It was better to just put you away so I could make my money in peace.” He leaned back, like this was just another business pitch.
“So, yeah. I did what I had to do. I paid one of your little rap opps to talk greasy online, poke at your pride to make you feel small. Then I sent some hungry, young niggas to catch you slipping outside that club. I made sure they got in your face, try to snatch your chain. I made sure you had your gun on you that night. I made sure the beef looked premeditated. That lil’ young nigga dying from your gun only made it better. I thought they’d give you more than seven years, though. I’m sure they’ll give you another ten when I call about this little stunt.”
I didn’t say shit. I just stood there and let the truth sink in. All this time, I thought it was just bad luck and stupidity on my part. But the whole time, it had been a setup, a plot to make sureI rotted in jail while he cashed checks in my name. He kept on talking, but I blacked out. The only thing I saw was red as the bat connected with the desk first, sending wood and glass into the air. He jumped up, hands out.
“What the fuck?—”
He didn’t get to finish as I swung the bat again. That time, it connected with the side of his head. Terrence hit the floor hard, hands scrambling for balance. I walked closer to him and stood over him. My chest was heaving. He tried to crawl backward, but I kept walking up.
“Q-Quade, listen—” he pleaded. I cocked the bat back again, aiming dead for his skull.
“You cost me years,” I said quietly. “Took everything from me. Tried to kill my girl. I don’t need to hear shit you gotta say.”
