I licked my lips and shook my head, not ready to tell him yet. Yeti and Amethyst were close, and I knew telling him that he was gone would break his heart. When I got to a red light, Amethyst reached over and put the car in park.
“Amethyst--”
“What happened?” he asked, shaking his head. He turned the car off and grabbed my chin to make me look at him. “Start talking, Sunshine.”
“Pyrite called,” I said, then glanced over at the dashboard. “He um, called and said…”
“What did he say?” He looked panicked. “Is Yamari alright?” He let go of my face and went to grab his phone, but I stopped him.
“It’s not Yamari,” I said, shaking my head. “She’s okay.”
“Then what did Pyrite say that has you driving?” he questioned me. “If it’s not Yamari, then who? Four had a setback? Destyn?” I shook my head. “Yeti? That nigga is awake?” He smiled, and my heart broke for him. “That’s why you’re driving because you know I’d be excited my boy was up?” He leaned against the console and kissed me. “Man, get your fine ass out of the car, I can drive us.” He pulled back, and I grabbed his face, resting my forehead against his.
“He didn’t wake up, baby,” I said softly. I felt his breath hitch. “Pyrite called while you were in the house and said he didn’t make it. He died a few minutes before he called.”
“Nah, Sunshine, nah baby, you heard wrong.” He moved back but didn’t try to pull his face from my grip. His eyes searched mine as if he could change my words. “Nah, baby.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, wiping the tears that fell from his eyes. “I’m so damn sorry.” I kissed him, then let him go. Amethyst sat in the passenger seat, looking forward. He never wiped the tears that fell from his eyes. I started the car back up, put it in drive, and headed to the hospital.
Chapter fifty-three
Amethyst
Two weeks later…
Pastor DeCorte finished his eulogy, and I felt myself getting emotional again. Yale squeezed my hand, and I looked down at her. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but she gave me a small smile. I kissed her forehead, grateful that she was standing next to me but hating where we were. I never imagined that we’d be burying Yeti. My boy didn’t deserve this; he was a good nigga. I watched as the casket lowered to the ground and searched the crowd of people here, my eyes only stopping at Rage as she sat on the ground next to the hole her brother had been lowered into. My heart broke for her.
“I need to talk to my brothers, then we can go, alright?” I said to Yale, and she nodded. “You good over here by yourself?”
“I’m going to speak to your parents,” she said, then lifted to her tiptoes and kissed me before letting my hand go and going over to my parents.
My pop locked eyes with me, nodded, then turned back to whatever conversation he was having with Mama and now Yale. Once I was good with who she was with, I went to find my brothers. Just as I was about to approach them, the sound of sirens echoed through the cemetery. When the last car stopped, and the doors opened, we all lifted our hands in surrender.
Gift got out of the last car, grilling the fuck out of every cop as he passed them until he was standing in front of Xoey. I stood there watching as they exchanged words, then Gift arrested her. Xoey looked so damn tickled that it took everything in me not to laugh at her. Gift whispered something into her ear, and she immediately stopped playing and glared at him. She said something under her breath, and Gift smirked before shaking his head and hauling her away. Nobody moved until after Gift put Xoey into the back of his car. The police who showed up with him grilled us all before piling back into their cars and driving away.
“Somebody’s gotta call Xayne and Xia and tell them their daughter was arrested,” I said as I came to stand next to Pyrite. Citrine stood on his other side with an amused expression. This shit had to work.
“I’ll do it,” he said, nodding. “Xia is going to wreak havoc on the police station, and Xayne is going to kill anyone who says the wrong thing.”
“That nigga is going to want blood for his daughter being in cuffs,” I said, nodding. I looked forward to Xia and Xayne showing up. We needed the distraction.
“She’s safe, though,” Pyrite said, watching Gift drive away. “She’s with Gift.”
“I hope you’re right because I got a feeling none of us are as safe as we think,” I reminded him. My eyes went back to Yeti’s grave.
“We aren’t, but we aren’t blind to shit anymore either,” Pyrite sighed. He put his hands in his pockets and shook his head. “I hate that it came down to this, but it’s gotta happen.”
“It puts us in control of the situation for the first time,” Citrine said. “Now we gotta make shit shake before they realize that it’s a problem on their end.”
“Nine found out where the meeting is being held?” I asked, and Citrine nodded. “And…” My voice trailed off as I watched the DeCortes walk past us. They barely glanced in our direction as they made their way across the grounds and to their cars. “Where are they going?”
“Where do you think?” Pyrite chuckled. I quickly turned to him and lifted my brow. “Corinthians has a meeting.”
“Ain’t no way,” I said, shaking my head. Pyrite smirked and nodded. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” Pyrite answered. “They talked about it last night. Four knows he can’t stop her, and nobody else is bold enough to try and stop her.”
“I thought letting Psalms out of her garden was the worst thing we could do.” I rubbed my hand over my face. “This isn’t what I was expecting you to say.”
