Thinking of my sister caused something in me to snap. Swiping everything from my desk, I felt myself engulfed in rage as I tore up everything in sight. The more damage I did, the more I realized it wasn’t just Blossom. It was the debt I was in that could cause me to lose my life that had me spiraling. It was the fact that I’d turned my business and life into one big clusterfuck. Lastly, it was the fact that I hadn’t had a hit in days. Chris still wasn’t answering his phone, and that was pissing me off and scaring me at the same time. I didn’t want to face the truth about my missing friend.
“Man, let me get up out of here because you have lost your damn mind.” TJ stood from his seat, shaking his head. “I thought I was going to come here, vent about my bitch, andsee if you wanted to head back to Willow Springs. I might have another in, and?—”
Knock! Knock!
Chest heaving, I stilled at hearing the taps on my door. Dragging my eyes to TJ, he sighed heavily as he walked over and opened the door. I prayed it wasn’t Dame since my week was up, and I was relieved to see it was just the delivery man. Looking from the mess around my office to me to TJ, he shrugged as he held a box in his hands.
“Delivery for Rowan Reid,” he stated from the doorway and eyed me. “That’s you?”
“Y-Yeah.” I nodded, wiping sweat from my brow. “Who’s this from?”
“No return label,” is all he said before stepping inside and handing it over. “Have a good day.”
Not waiting for me to ask anything else, he left as quickly as he came. Glancing back over to TJ, he was now propped against the wall, arms folded, with a sour look on his face.
“Listen, man, I need help…” I began to speak as I placed the medium-sized box on my desk. “I’m in a bad spot financially, and if I don’t pay some people, they’re going to kill me… and take Blossom.”
“Nigga, what?” he yelled before rushing back over to my desk. “What the fuck you mean bytake Blossom? What the fuck have you done, Row?”
“I just told you. I need money. I don’t have the drugs Chris and I split from the hit anymore, but if we could get more, I could find someone to flip it for the cash.” I began to ramble as I fumbled with the box. Using the box cutter, I ripped through the tape, and a foul odor hit me immediately. “I’ll do right this time. I’ll—Ahhhh!”
Swatting the box away from me, I watched in horror as Chris’s decapitated head rolled out of the box and around myoffice floor, aimlessly. His face was bruised badly with his eyes and tongue missing, but I knew for sure it was him.
“What the fuck?!” TJ screeched as he jumped back so Chris’s head wouldn’t touch him. “That’s a fuckin’ head!” He went still before his eyes stretched wide. “They know! They fuckin’ know!”
“Who knows what?” I shook in fear, unable to take my eyes off my friend’s head. This explained why he hadn’t returned my calls and messages. “Who could have done this?”
“Those fuckin’ McKnights!” My eyes rolled to TJ as he paced the floor in thought, continuing to spazz. “They fuckin’ found out about Chris, which means they know about you. Fuck! They might know about me, too, goddammit!”
He stopped in his tracks, snapping his head at me. I watched him grip his collar as he frantically looked from me to Chris’s head. Beginning to pace and ramble again, I tuned him out as I realized my shit had just gotten messier. I was broke, owed Dame a huge amount of money, owed my workers their salaries, didn’t have any business funding, had contracts I needed to fulfill to not ruin my company’s reputation, and now I had some niggas gunning for me because I followed up TJ’s stupid ass to rob their trap house in Willow Springs.
Looking back up to TJ, I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped my lips. Just a few minutes ago, I was him, and now he was me.
“We have to kill them! We have to get them before they get us,” he stated with finality.
I stood and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him roughly, but it was as if he was in a trance. Pushing him back, I ran my hands through my hair and began to think. What the fuck was I going to do? I didn’t even know these McKnight niggas!
“Look, you need to get the fuck out of town,” TJ spoke up as he headed toward the door, finally sounding normal. “If thoseniggas know you had something to do with that house getting robbed?—”
“Don’t you meanus?” I roared, throwing my hands up. “You pulled the trigger on four people that night, and you’re just as much in this shit as I am. I’m not going down alone! I already have Dame to deal with!”
“Nigga, what?” He was in my face instantly. “You gonna be a bitch and snitch on a nigga, Row? You think this Dame nigga is something? He doesn’t have shit on Jay!”
“You think I’m taking the blame for all of this?” I pushed him out of my face. I was dripping in sweat, and I felt as if the room was closing in on me. “You got me fucked up!”
Walking back over to my desk, I grabbed my phone and keys to leave. I needed to get the fuck out of dodge before those niggas found me. I should never have let TJ put me in those niggas’ line of vision.
“Aight, man, wait!” TJ ran up and pulled my arm. “We’re gonna figure this shit out. Don’t do nothing crazy.” He looked down at Chris’s head for the millionth time and then back to me. “We need to leave town for a minute, though.”
I eyed him momentarily before I nodded in agreement. We definitely needed to leave town because if they knew Chris had something to do with the stolen money and drugs, it was only a matter of time before they came after me.
“Okay, I’ll meet you at your house in two hours.” I pushed him out of my office, followed him onto the gravel, and locked the door behind me. I would come and remove Chris’s head once we had a solid plan. “Don’t piss me off, TJ, because I promise, I will make you regret it.”
Assuring me that he would be waiting for me at his place, we got in our own cars and went our separate ways. Periodically, I would check my rearview mirror to confirm I wasn’t being followed. Paranoia had set in at this point, and I was scaredshitless. Leaving town was the best option, but before I did that, I needed to make a stop. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be my last.
“Master Rowan? What a surprise to see you here today,” Connie greeted me as she opened the door to the Governor’s Mansion. “Is the family expecting you?”
“Damn! I didn’t know I had to make an appointment to see my own father.” I frowned, pushing past her as I eased my way inside. “Is he here?”
