“Aye, I told you they ain’t stop making guns when they made yours.”
Turning around, my eyes locked with Teddy, who stood there with a vicious look on his face. His gun was pointed right at Brooklyn. Once the shots went off, Brooklyn was instantly pushed out of the way. I closed my eyes and screamed, along with everyone else that stood outside. When no other shots were heard, I opened my eyes only to see Zoo, laying on the ground next to my foot and PJ running through the crowd, trying to get to him. Most of the people started to run the other way, while Sin and his family made their way over to us.
“Zoo, nooo! Baby, get up. Please get up,” PJ cried out, trying her best to lift him up.
Hysterically, I looked around for Brooklyn but the only sign of him was the back of his head, running through the crowd behind Teddy.
CHAPTER 1
BROOKLYN
Throwing my truck in park, I ran through the doors of the hospital in search of my family. After not being able to catch Teddy, I turned back just in time to see the ambulance driving off with Zoo. Bri was the only person still standing there crying and waiting on me to come back to her. Everyone else had gone on to meet the ambulance at the hospital. My heart wasn’t racing, it was more of a slow beat as if it would stop soon if it beat any slower.
Thoughts of my cousin being hurt badly, fucked with me with each second that went by. I didn’t know what got hit on Zoo before I ran after Teddy. I just felt myself being pushed down, hearing the gun shot, seeing my cousin hit the ground, and that nigga Teddy running off. That was all I needed to see to make me get my ass up and go after him.
Zoo and I argued a lot but I’d tear the world up behind him and Sin. Any of my cousins, really but Sin, Zoo, and I were just the closest. The others had families and were doing their own shit now so we kept in touch and fucked with each other when needed. As shorties, when it came down to us fucking up niggas at school, Sin always wanted to ask questions like what they do? When that shit happen?
We didn’t give a fuck about thewhy,we were gon’ bang regardless. When it came to me and Zoo, we were like two bullets in a double barrel shot gun. Once you fucked with one of us, we both came at chu’ full force. He’d always had my back and I’d had his, too. This shit right here, ain’t no different. I promise, I was on that nigga Teddy’s head like a fucked-up fade. That nigga had to feel me.
“Where the fuck my cousin at, bruh?” I banged my fist against the granite countertop between each word that I shouted at the lady behind the desk.
“I’m sorry, Sir, who is your cousin?”
“Bitch stop playing with me before I smack that lifting ass lace front off yo’ head. They just pulled up, so how the fuck you don’t know who I’m talkin’ ‘bout?”
“Brooklyn calm down. She’s just trying to get more information about him.” Bri’s voice usually soothed me but right now, at this moment, it only pissed me off.
Turning to her, I yelled, “How the fuck can I be calm when she’s not telling me where my cousin is?” When Bri jumped back, I knew I’d scared her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
Bri put her hand up to my face to shush me. “His cousin's name is Zeus Smith.” She directed to tell the lady, who immediately started tapping on her keyboard.
“BROOKLYN!” Hearing Sin’s voice, I looked up then ran over to the door he was standing by.
Bri was on the heels of these fucked-up ass shoes I had on. If I would’ve had something else on my feet, then catching Teddy’s ass wouldn’t have been a problem. I blamed Sin for making up dress up. Talkin’ ‘bout don’t wear no sneakers. I should have told that nigga sneak deez nuts, ‘cause I ain’t wearing these no-grip, gon’ definitely slip-ass shoes.
“How is he?” I immediately asked because I was anxious to get answers.
“We don’t know yet. They told us to wait in here and someone would be out here soon to talk to us.” I’d already started thinking the worse.
“FUCK!”
“Bruh that's a cemented-ass wall, stop punchin’ that shit.” Sin pulled me back and bear hugged me. “Be cool or they gon’ put cho’ ass out of here. I’m fucked up behind this shit, too, but we gotta keep it together for auntie. You see she’s over there cryin’ and you actin’ like this, won’t make shit better for her or Zoo, so calm the fuck down.”
“Fuck that. This shit is all my fault. We should have bodied that nigga when he popped up at Bronx’s house on that bullshit.”
“This isn’t on you,” Bri spoke up, followed by her hand rubbing my back. Jerking away, I stepped aside to look at her.
“Who am I supposed to blame... you? ‘Cause this is yo’ nigga that’s out here on dumb shit and just don’t know he just signed his fuckin’ death wish. On my mama, I’m not gon’ rest until I find that nigga.”
“Don’t put that on me!” my mama’s weak voice yelled out. I didn’t see her sitting in the corner next to my daddy until she spoke up.
“But Brooklyn—”
“Let him go cool off. Don’t follow him,” Sin told Bri as I walked off.
She had tears coming out of her eyes, and as bad as I wanted to wipe them away, I wasn’t. She needed to feel the fucking results of her fucking with a fuck nigga.
Hours passed by and still no word came back about Zoo. I had finally walked back over to where my family sat but I didn’t see Bri. Naomi and PJ were still sitting there next to Zoo’s parents. PJ was still crying as if it just happened. She hadn’t calmed down yet and I saw why. They had just gotten back on good terms and then this bullshit happened.
