But it wasn’t quiet enough.
The warehouse door burst open and two more niggas came running out, guns already drawn, looking around trying to figure out where the threat was.
“Light them up!” I barked.
My soldiers opened fire. The two guards didn’t even get a chance to aim before bullets ripped through them. They dropped in the doorway, bodies jerking from the impact, blood spreading across the concrete.
“Move! Move!” I ordered, already running toward the entrance.
We rushed the door, stepping over the bodies, weapons up and ready. Marco was right beside me, covering my right while another soldier covered my left. The inside of the warehouse was dimly lit, full of shadows and stacked crates. Could be niggashiding anywhere. All that I could do was hope that we’d taken all of them out.
I stopped just inside the entrance, holding up my fist again. I was listening for movement, for any sound to indicate there was life inside of the warehouse before we made our next move.
My mind was racing. Griz was in here somewhere. I could feel it. But I had no idea what condition he was in or how many more niggas we were about to face. For all I knew, this could be a trap. Could be twenty shooters waiting for us to walk right into an ambush. Maybe they had found Griz chain, and knew we’d eventually track it, and come looking.
But I didn’t come this far to turn back now.
I took a deep breath, my finger resting on the trigger of my gun. I thought about Malani one more time. About Tre. About everything I had to lose.
Then I thought about Griz. The nigga who had grown to be my brother. The nigga who’d been showing up for me and mine, without a question. A loyal and thorough ass nigga, who was the reason I was fully stepping into my position. My family.
I steeled myself, pushed all that doubt down deep, and let the cold, calculated killer in me take over. The part of me that didn’t hesitate. The part of me that did what needed to be done, no matter the cost.
I looked back at my soldiers, their faces hard and ready, waiting for my command.
I turned back toward the doors, toward whatever hell was waiting for us in this warehouse.
“I ain’t leaving this muthafucka without my boy,” I said quietly, more to myself than anyone else.
Then I moved forward into the darkness, ready for whatever came next.
The warehouse door was thrown open and I heard boots hitting concrete. Heavy. Deliberate. Without seeing his ass, I already knew that it was Savage. The nigga walked hard with a purpose. It was clear that he was angry with me, all behind the next nigga. Yeah, Grim was his big brother too, but Grim was a fucked up ass individual, and Savage knew that. I could tell that Sav wasn’t alone now. I’d been hearing the guards outside the whole time, they just never came inside. He must have gave them orders to stay at their post. The least they could have done was made themselves useful and fed me.
I wondered what was the pleasure of this visit. Maybe the nigga came to get me, in hopes that I’d lead him to his brother.I had a few ideas of where Cherish could be. Still, that didn’t mean that I would lead him there. Grim hadn’t been shit but a problem since we were kids. Growing up, he used to protect me with his life, but when I started wanting better, he started to hate my ass.
“Big bro.” His voice cut through the warehouse. “You still alive? Good. Would’ve been a waste leaving your ass here if you died before I got back. I had to make a few moves to try to see if I could get the drop on your bitch on my own.”
He came around where I could see him. Same Savage—gold teeth flashing, dreads pulled back, eyes colder than I remembered. He had a duffel bag in one hand, bottle of D’ussé in the other. Nigga looked like he ain’t slept in two days straight. And clutched that bottle like his life depended on it. Nothing had changed. This nigga was a borderline alcoholic since a kid, now I’m sure he may be full blown.
He dropped the bag in front of my chair, took a long pull from the bottle, never broke eye contact with me. Then he smiled, but it wasn’t the kind that reached his eyes. This nigga was evil as hell, and it was written all over his face. The time we’ve spent apart must have only made him colder.
“You know what’s crazy?” He started circling me slow like a shark. “All those years I spent looking up to you. My big brother Grizzley. The nigga who used to carry those big ass guns to make sure me and Grim made it home safe after pops sent his kids to do a man’s job. The nigga who took beatings from Pops so we wouldn’t have to. That’s what brothers do, right?”
He stopped in front of me, crouched down real close.
“So why the fuck you up and leave us? When shit got sticky, you dipped like a pussy! You ain’t stay and face the music to even see how shit would have turned out. Then when Grim does find you, you betray the nigga by letting this bitch go, after receiving direct orders to kill her ass.”
I stared at him. Couldn’t do shit else with this tape across my mouth. My wrists were burning, shoulders screaming, but I ain’t let none of that show in my face. My baby brother, the nigga that I loved and protected with my life was standing over me like he didn’t know what I’d do to his ass if I was loose. Savage was hunting for fear, for regret, for something he could use against me. I wasn’t giving him shit.
He stood up, took another drink, then ripped the tape off my mouth in one motion. Felt like my skin came with it but I just rotated my jaw and spit the little bit of blood on the concrete between us.
“Fuck you,” I said, voice rough. “You picking a side Sav, and you know once you cross that line with me, lil ass nigga, you gotta stay there!” I barked through clenched teeth. One thing I never allowed was a nigga to play with me or try me. I didn’t give a damn who his mammy was. Savage was treating me like a stranger off the streets, and that’s where we would stand. No brother of mine would have pulled this! Not with me.
Savage laughed, but it was cold. “There he go. That’s the Grizzley I know. Even tied to this chair, knowing I could end you right here, you still got that same energy.” He shook his head. “I always respected that about you. I knew you still had it in you, fuck nigga!”
“Then untie me so we can handle this.” I said. I wouldn’t kill my brother, but I would definitely beat his ass and show him who big brother was.
“Nah.” He took another swig. “See, that’s where you got me fucked up. You think ‘cause I got respect for you, I’m supposed to forget you lied? That you let that bitch Cherish live when Grim specifically told you to murk her? That because of your pussyass, our brother, who’s the only nigga I give a fuck about in this world—is out there right now getting tortured by the same bitch whose family he bodied?”
