If Naheem were right and they didn’t see him, then it meant June probably thought it was Mister’s sons, which was fine by me. I didn’t care one way or the other because by the end of their block party, Mister and June would have put a bullet in each other. I walked back toward the table and grabbed my purse. I glanced down at the gauze, then Naheem. “You need to get the fuck out of dodge because if this shit somehow flops, they’re coming after you and I wouldn’t want to be around for that.”
I walked off and went to leave when Naheem said something that shook my core. “Fiona, you’re not special. You haven’t tasted death as I did. You can try to pin all this on me, Clark, and Bobbi, but bitch, you know. When it’s your time, ha,” he paused. “I wouldn’t want to be there. Now lose my fucking number.”
I took a deep breath as I stepped outside. Braylen’s birthday was in two days, and I had to put on the performance of alifetime to win him over; otherwise, I wasn’t sure what I would do.
PRESS PLAY
I stood at the door as my chest heaved in and out. After that moment Piggy and I shared, there was no stopping what I wanted to do. She said she was willing to accept me for who I was, and to me, that was the green light to be who I had created over the years. I was able to be in full form as who Beans was. All of the belittling, the abuse, the pain, the loveless moments had built in me. Fiona had done something to me that changed me forever. It wasn’t just the swats to the hand, or the coat hanger to my back, but her words. Her way of controlling the way I thought about myself and her supposed love for me. The years of façade, taking advantage of a kid who thought all along his mother was simply having a bad day, yet she hated me because I wasn’t hers.
Her image always resembled a beast, lurking in a dark corner, watching and preying on me to take her anger out on. Every slap, degrading remark, hidden smile, and taunt contributed to shaping who I am. I vowed that once I wasmature and strong enough, I would never let a muhfucka cross or control me. Today was the day I unleashed.
Tyrek scooted back further into Dio’s crib. I stepped forward, leaned down, and snatched him by the leg, pulling him toward me.
Dio jumped over him, “Oh shit, nigga, are you good?”
“Dio, stop him!”Samara yelled.
Dio laughed. “Hell nah, that nigga off them shrooms you gave him. Them drugs make you do crazy shit.”
I lifted my leg and stomped on his knee. The sounds of his bones breaking were satisfying. My locs swung side to side as I bent down and pounded on his face.Pound after pound.
“Braylen, stop!”Piggy shouted.
For a moment, I paused. My head slowly rose as I glanced at Dio and nodded toward her. Dio nodded back, then looked at Samara. “Mars, I need you to trust me. Take the girls and Paige back to her house. Don’t ask any questions, just do it.”
“Wh-what about my dad?” she whined.
“Baby, we’re going to leave. Let me handle this. Just do as I asked, please.”
Samara stepped around me, “Come on y’all,” she said to the girls.
They all began to follow behind her. “Is he going to be alright?” Alyse said.
My eyes cut at Peanut, who was signing to her.
Yes. This is a Zoo thing. I’ll be over there in a minute.
Once the girls were gone, Dio closed the door. Everyone left in the room was my niggas, and I trusted them, including Scooter. To know Dio asked no questions and moved truly showed me how the Zoo got down. I turned back toward Tyrekand my lips formed a grin. “I warned your ass. Now I got to do what I got to do.”
“Please! Dungeon Master!”
My eyes widened, and before the nigga could say anything else, I let loose. I picked his head up and slammed that bitch onto the hardwood floor, over and over again. To think he was going to be with Paige, let alone insult me, and I’d let it slide, he had me fucked up. My thumbs dug into his eyes until they started to bleed. I wanted to rip his ass from limb to limb.
“Goddamn kung-fu-Beans. Just shoot his ass!” Dio shouted.
Streets stood next to me. “Beans, my nigga—”
My head snapped his way. “If any of you niggas gone be on that soft shit, take your ass over there with the girls. I don’t want to hear a fucking word!” I barked.
The sounds of Tyrek pleading for his life grew muffled. My head started to spin, and everything visible disappeared except for Tyrek and the orange glow around him. I drew my fist back and hit his ass over and over until the beaming orange light faded. I stood over his body and looked down at him. When I looked up at the guys, they stood there, shocked, but I didn’t give a single fuck. I lifted my leg one last time before it came down on Tyrek’s face, snapping his neck. Scooter came up to me, “You good, my nigga?”
I pulled my locs back, “Yeah. Aye Dio, let’s put this nigga in the tub until I can figure out how to get him out of here.”
“Fuck, man! You’re a cold nigga. That was crazy. Let me call Foe so he can send someone to clean up this shit. Right now, I need to get to the hospital. Chev’s been shot.”
I nodded slowly. Peanut and Scooter carried Tyrek’s body to the bathroom while Dio grabbed his and Samara’s things. I cleaned my hands as the guys walked toward the door. When itswung up, Piggy was standing there. She glanced down at the bloody floor, then at me. Dio brushed past us, “Y’all work that shit out on the way back to the city, let’s go!”
Everyone hurried to their cars, but I walked over toward Piggy. “I need you to trust me,” I told her.
