"Family business," he tossed out casually. "You're here 'cause of that shit that went down with Navy, right?"
"How the fuck you know about that?"
Choyce flashed through my mind.Maybe Navy was right.
"I make myself invisible, so niggas talk freely," he drawled, shrugging like it was nothing.
"Tell me what you know," I pressed, stepping closer.
"I know as much as you." Kage lifted his chin, the challenge silent but loud to a nigga like me.
"Nah," I chuckled low, "something tells me you know more. Get the fuck out and don't make me say it twice."
Kage stepped out as cool as ever, closing the door behind him before leaning against it like death wasn't seconds from being his reality.
"Speak," I ordered.
"On one condition."
"Nigga, you think you're in any position to negotiate with me?"
"Death doesn't scare me," he responded evenly. "And if you were gon' kill me, you would've done that shit already."
I laughed inwardly, appreciating the nerve it took to say that to my face.
"What's the condition?"
"Leave Choyce alone."
My brows pulled tight. "That's you?"
"Choyce is like my little sister. We got a mutual respect."
"Cool," I flatly responded. "But I can't leave someone alone I'm not fucking with."
"But she likes you… loves you even?—"
"I ain't give her shit to like or love." I cut in, seeing where this was headed. "I don't want Choyce. I got who I want at home. Speak to her 'bout all this other dumb shit and tell me what I need to know."
Kage glared at me like he didn't want to accept my answer.
"She got blinders on right now 'cause of how she feels for you. That means I gotta be her eyes. To do that, I need to know whatever she feels is one-sided. The fall out gon' be —"
"It's one side," I gritted. "I love Navy. She's the reason I'm here," I told him.
"Ight." Kage nodded. "The niggas Lucian fucks with talk too much."
"The Italians he deals with don't say shit," I corrected him.
"It wasn't the Italians who shot at Navy," Kage replied. "Lucian couldn't go to his own with that job. Them pasta-loving muthafuckas care too much about family to green light one of their own."
"Then who?"
"Lucian reached out to someone in Crimson Falls."
"You got a name?"
"Nah, but Mitch and Troy are the niggas who took the shots."
