“That’ll be easy to annul.” Trick spoke up, but Gideon didn’t miss the way his eyes darted around. For as clever as he had been thus far, Gideon realized in that moment that he really was a dumb ass. Trick really thought Glimmer was coming alone. He almost banked on it fully. The only thing that told Gideon that he had some extra precaution about the shit was because of the sound of warfare going on outside. He had his men on standby, but his plan still didn’t seem all that foolproof.
Trick definitely hadn’t expected Gideon’s big, intimidating ass to be in the apartment with them. There was a balcony door just behind Trick. Gideon would bet on it that he thought he could sneak right out there and down the fire escape with Glimmer and that they would ride off into the sunset together.
“Ain’t shit getting annulled.” Gideon took a subtle step forward, so as not to alarm anyone. All he had to do was get into arm’s reach, and this shit would all be over.
“Yeah, see, that’s where you’re wrong. I done had my eyes on that one there—” Trick pointed at Glimmer—“for a long ass time. She belongs to me, and ain’t shit gon’ get in the way of that.”
Gideon took another step forward, still remaining calm and assessing the situation. Trick’s beady eyes still darted around, and his baldhead shined with sweat.
“I don’t belong to you,” Glimmer said. He could tell she wanted to keep her voice strong, but to Gideon, she sounded broken. He gave her another vow, though he couldn’t voice it to her right now. He vowed to make sure anyone who meant her harm wouldn’t touch her ever again.
“Bitch, you do!” Trick snapped. Gideon snapped too. He made a mistake and took one large step in Trick’s direction, ready to wring the nigga’s neck, but Trick was quick. He pulled out a gun and aimed it at Gideon’s abdomen. “Not so fast, big dawg.”
“Kill him and get this shit over with,” Camille encouraged.
All Gideon could do was shake his head.
“Ma!” Glimmer cried at the same time Pup popped through the front door.
“G, everything good in here?—”
Pup’s words were drowned out by a gunshot. He got hit and went down. Glimmer screamed, and Camille cursed. Gideon barely registered any of it. He saw nothing but black as he grabbed up Trick and pulled his favorite weapon out of his pocket. It resembled a collar and leash with deep spikes. Gideon wrapped the collar part around Trick’s neck, spikes turned in toward his flesh, while he simultaneously bent Trick’s wrist back so he dropped the gun.
Trick yelped, but it was the last noise he would ever make. With a good grip on the leash of the weapon, Gideon pulled roughly. He slung Trick every which way like a damn rag doll, the spikes cutting into the man’s flesh. It was a gruesome way to die. The only sounds were the thuds of Trick’s body hitting the walls as Gideon slung him around, the gurgling sounds of blood coming from Trick, and Camille screaming.
It was Glimmer’s soft crying that finally caused Gideon to stop. Trick was long gone, and it was overkill at that point, but the nigga deserved it.
When he finally focused fully back on the room, he noticed more of the Vicious Kings were there. Haze barked orders while he held onto Glimmer, who sobbed into his chest.
Gideon took a step toward them and reached to take her from Haze’s arms, but Haze stopped him.
“I got sis. I need you to wrap this shit up with Camille and then you need to get ghost, nigga. Pigs is on the way.”
“Pup?” Gideon asked.
“Just a shoulder wound. He’ll be aight.” Haze moved to walk out of the apartment, but Gideon stopped him.
“Let her stay for this. You go ’head. We’ll be right behind you.”
Haze looked down at Glimmer. “You sure?”
“Man, give me my wife.”
Haze couldn’t argue with that. He may have been a big brother to Glimmer, but Gideon was her husband. Couldn’t shit mess with that, and he would pull that card as often as he needed to.
As soon as Glimmer was in his arms, he kissed her temple and cheeks while he checked to make sure she was physically okay. When he felt good that she was, he whispered, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
She had tears streaming down her face and snot running down her nose. She was still the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.
“I should have listened to you. You . . . you tried to warn me.”
“It’s done now, okay? We need to handle ya mama and fast. It’s your call.”
Glimmer’s eyes widened before she looked at Camille, who sat on the floor curled up in a ball, crying. The bitch had to know her time was coming.
“Why would you do this?” Glimmer asked.
“He promised to set me up for life if I could deliver you. You know I ain’t built to live this way. He would have taken care of you, Glimmer. You didn’t have to create this mess?—”
