“He passed a few hours ago. Ms. Tanya’s going crazy.”
Crown’s nostrils flared as Smoky and Danger reacted around him, but the news barely settled before the roar of unfamiliar bikes cut through the air.
Crown turned, snapping his head toward the entrance as he instinctively pulled his gun. A member on the rooftop did as well. With Nico at the front, The Ravens came flying by, headlights slicing through the darkness as their guns rose mid-ride. The first shots rang out like cannon fire, shattering glass and silencing the Future track that had been playing.
“Down!” Crown barked, firing with one hand while grabbing Danger by the shoulder and yanking him to the ground with the other.
As bullets ricocheted off the rail where they’d just been standing, Danger hit the pavement hard, pain shooting up his leg as he drew both pieces. He counted a few seconds, then popped back up, busting back. Two shots found their targets. One round tore through a tire, sending the bike into a violent wobble before it skidded sideways. Another caught a rider high in the neck, snapping his head back as he clutched at the wound and lost control.
From the sounds, Crown could tell there were quite a few of them. Nico was desperate, moving sloppily, and too emotional. No real strategy. Popping up at a time when most of them were together? That shit wasn’t tactical. Or maybe he thought it was. Maybe he planned to take out as many as possible in one sweep, Crown thought. But he wasn’t letting that happen.
Leader first, Crown scanned the spots where Smoky and Domo had been standing before making any other moves. Reliefhit when he saw both darting down the steps, fast and low. He shifted his focus back to the street, where more bikes roared past. Ravens fired rapidly, trying to leave bodies behind without getting pinned down. But most weren’t getting that luxury. The Knights below tore through them.
Crown tucked his Glock away and picked up the rifle leaning against the wall. Racking it, he shouldered the weapon and aimed. He fired three shots, and each one hit its mark. Three riders fell, their bikes spinning wildly out of control. Crown watched as metal and flesh smashed into the concrete, creating a chain reaction.
By now, Smoky had reached the first floor, rising from behind the wall just long enough to send a clean shot into the side of a Raven’s head. The rider went limp instantly, his body thrown from the bike as it veered and skidded across the pavement. Never far behind, Crown rushed down the steps, locking onto the last two riders bringing up the rear. He timed it perfectly. As the final one passed, he squeezed off a round and caught the prospect in the back of the head.
The drop was immediate.
And just like Crown expected, the dead weight sent the bike swerving wildly. It clipped the rider in front of him, throwing that member into a violent fishtail before he spun out and crashed hard into a nearby ditch.
“Bitch ass niggas,” Crown cursed under his breath, then called out, “Knights!”
They all moved forward, letting their guns rip until The Ravens ahead vanished as quickly as they had appeared. When it was over, Crown surveyed the lot. Bullet holes peppered the building, and shattered bike mirrors lay on the ground.
“Everybody good?” He asked.
Most voices answered back, but one didn’t, and he knew what that meant…either severely hurt or worse, dead.
Luckily, it was the first. Too much blood loss. Smoky dropped to his knees, applying pressure to Domo’s wound while Crown got their doctor on the phone immediately.
∞∞∞
After helping nurse Domo back to stable, Crown walked through his front door like Superman, hands full of bags packed with the small things Nivéa had texted him about. The way he moved, no one would’ve guessed he’d just come from a shootout. Even with all the chaos that had just taken place, he had managed to spend the last two hours shopping for the rest of her items. He set the Home Depot, Michaels, and ULINE bags next to a stack of boxes that had been delivered a few hours ago.
Laughter filled the living room before him. Caresha sat on the couch near Kerri, who cradled Nyla gently in her arms, wrapped in a blanket. Nivéa emerged from the kitchen, a fresh bottle in hand. The three were deep in conversation, already comfortable with one another.
“Sup, how y’all doin’?” Crown greeted them with a head nod.
“Hey, Crown. Thank you for having me over. Your home is beautiful.” Caresha spoke with a hand wave.
“No problem. You are welcome anytime.”
“As long as I’m here.” Nivéa chimed in, joking but with an edge of seriousness. “Hey, baby.”
“Sup, baby?” Crown smirked, pulling her in his arms and kissing her forehead.
He loved how soft she was, but adored her just as much when she stood firm about what mattered to her. He didn’t play about her either.
“Oop! Girlll, not you getting smart behind your man. Excuse the hell outta me.” Caresha teased before bursting into laughter.
“Hey, son,” Kerri added through her laughter as she rose to hug him.
“Sup, lady?”
Crown wrapped his arm around Kerri in a side hug as his hand gently ran over Nyla's hair. It was his way of letting her know that he was home.
“Nothing much. You know me. Just here checking on y’all.” Kerri told him.
