“Ayy.”
I stopped in my tracks when I heard a whistle come from the top step of their house and saw it was Hov standing up there,holding Faith, who wouldn’t let him put her down for a minute. She reminded me of how Amira was at that age. Clingy as hell to her daddy, but my boy was enjoying every bit of it.
“Birthday girl!” I spoke to Faith as I walked up on them. She was the perfect mixture between Ciara and Hov. Pretty like her mama and brown skin like her daddy. She was mean like him too. She was only nice to my family and her family. Everybody else could kiss her ass. When I think about it, that was just like someone else I know, her pops.
“Say what’s up, Uncle Crew. Ask him to take you to see the clown.”
“Oh, you're trying to be funny nigga. I forgot you knew I was scared of them muthafucka’s.”
“Nigga you know I know everything about your ass, but I was coming out here to tell you. Actually, hold on.” Hov stopped talking after looking at Faith. He put her down on the ground.
“Go get mama or grandma.” Faith hesitated at first until Hov’s grandma turned around and started calling for her attention.
“Anyway. I wanted to tell you that Gio was just caught up at a bus station in Little Italy about an hour ago.”
“Caught up like he was seen or he’s now in the past.”
“The past. That nigga is no longer existing. The deed is done.”
I exhaled, slapping hands with Hov after hearing the news.
Hov made it his personal vendetta to track down Gio and get rid of him because of the snake as shit he did to me. Hov said because I had his back when he was down, he was going to forever have mine. He's been looking for that nigga since before I got sentenced.
“Who got his ass?”
“Amir, did. You know that nigga like a fuckin FBI agent when it comes to finding mutha fuckas. Shit, I’m still sure he’s the one who found your spot back then. He’s the best hitman I’ve ever hired for sho.”
I squinted my eyes.
“Oh, so the nigga better than I was? That’s what you're saying, bro?”
“Uhh, well.” Hov smiled, pushing me playfully.
“I’m fucking with you nigga. There wasn't nobody more deadly than the Slim Reaper.”
“You god damn right!”
I talked my shit because I knew I was that nigga back in my day. I haven’t killed a man since we took out the Quatar family at that funeral that day. Now, with Amir on the roster and that nigga Elijah, who asked for work, Hov and I retired from doing any dirty work. Any vendettas we had, we gave to them to handle, along with Scotty and Bam overseeing it all and they did their jobs pretty well. Me and him were able to be family men now without needing ski mask ever.
“Nigga, I talked to your old girl Bria this morning when she called my wife to wish Faith a happy birthday, she asked about you.”
“Oh yeah? Where is she living now?”
“She said she up in Virginia near her niece somewhere. She told me that she had a nice little spot and an office space to practice law in again. That money we gave her after finding out she looked out for your case got her set up nice, from what I’m hearing. I’m glad they believed what she said about that niggaand didn’t strip her of her license. Now she thriving and he got 20 years for obstruction of justice.”
“Good for that dumb ass nigga.”
“Oh, yoo-hoo.” Our conversation was interrupted and we turned towards the street to see by who.
“Hi, Jehovah.” Ciara and Pernelle's homegirl, Mindy from the center, walked up in the yard holding a bag in her hand.
“Where do I put my gift? I know I’m early, but I wanted to see if Ciara needed any help setting up.”
“Thanks. I’ll show you where you can sit them over here.” Hov grabbed the bag from her, and they walked away.
I ran back across the street to check on P, and when I walked through the door, the commotion from the kitchen made me pick up my pace in stride.
“Oh lord Jesus!”
