“Man, I want blood and cash ain’t gon’ sedate me.”
“Novi was in that fucking car, Rob. I’m not going for none of that dumb shit.”
My brother looked in my face and I knew that nigga was trying to get a read on me. I kept my face blank while he searched for whatever it was he felt he needed.
After we’d taken two lives, we’d gone back to our regularly scheduled programming. Shit hadn’t been able to be linked to us and the people that knew I’d been threatened and was just reacting weren’t the kind of people to get cops involved so we’d been walking around chilling like it had never happened.
Rob eventually nodded.
“Alright. Then, what’s the plan? What do you want to do, Kaleo?”
“I want to call all this shit a wrap to be honest. I’m not selling the shop and if I have to die about it, cool, but I don’t want to do this back and forth shit. Either declare war or fucking don’t, but playing the middle is done.”
“So you want to apply a lil pressure and see if I can get them to throw a white flag?”
“If it’ll let me keep the shop and keep Novi out of harm’s way, sure.”
“Alright.” Rob exhaled. “I’ll see if there’s something I can do to help that.”
“Cool. In the meantime, let me lock down a hotel for me and Novi.” I exhaled. “I can’t have her staying here knowing that stupid shit happened in the parking lot. The last thing I need to worry about is her walking to or from her car alone and getting grabbed up.”
“Well, lock it in for tomorrow. She’s already sleeping tonight and I’ve got guys downstairs and outside. I’m sure she’ll be good tonight.”
“Rob,” I said his name and locked eyes with him. “If anything happens to November while I’m not here I’m go light yo’ boys up.”
“I hear you.” He nodded.
“Good.” I let my head fall backwards and just let my eyes rest while my mind wandered.
Rob and I sat side by side in silence for several long moments before I got an idea.
“I think I’ve got an idea,” I said.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I sat up. “I say we start the war and end it.”
“Just tell me what you need and it’s done,” Rob assured me.
“Cool. Do you have a gang spot you can sacrifice?”
“Like an old one that we don’t use anymore?”
“Yeah, and don’t have an attachment to.”
Rob paused as if he was thinking.
“I think I have something like that.”
“Cool.” I pushed myself up. “Come on.”
Rob didn’t ask anymore questions. He just hopped up.
I followed him out, noting where each of his friends were standing. He was leaving five of them sitting around with Novi which I appreciated. If he wasn’t, I was sure I wouldn’t have been able to leave her side.
Rob and I climbed into one of his friend’s cars and I went to work trying to get my shit together. called a twenty-four hour tow truck while we went so I could arrange for something to be done to my whip. I booked a hotel for two nights. I reached out to someone to see if there were apartment cameras facing the parking lot. I found a rental car online, scheduled a pick up and paid for it.
By the time I finished, Rob was stopping at the gas station I’d requested. We hopped out, purchased every gas can they had to offer and got all of then filled to the brink. Then, we hopped back in the car and headed out to Rob’s old hangout spot. We did a quick run through to make sure nobody was inside and there was nothing of importance inside. Then, we walked through throwing gasoline near each of the entrances before setting everything on fire.
