“For what?”
“Look, I’m not gonna ask you again to step out of the car.”
Bernard huffed before releasing his seatbelt and getting out the car. The officer kneeled down taking a look at Noble, Wilde, and Zayd.
“I’m gonna ask you guys to step out as well.”
Without protest, the brothers got out the backseat and joined Bernard on the sidewalk.
“You got something in your car?” Noble whispered to him.
He nodded, eyes widened in fear.
Noble gawked in disbelief that this man had been riding around dirty with him and his brothers in the car. Shaking his head, he exhaled a sharp breath, knowing this was about to be some bullshit.
“Mr. ‘I don't have anything in my car’, what’s this?” The officer held up a bag of white substance and another package of what looked to be marijuana. They all looked at Bernard, awaiting his answer.
“That’s not mine, Sir,” he finally denied after a few awkward moments in silence.
“Oh, yeah?” The cop smirked, clearly amused by Bernard’s response. “Then whose is it?”
“It’s his, Sir.” He pointed at Noble.
“What the fuck?” he bellowed, grilling Bernard. “Nigga, that shit ain't mine. That’s yours.”
“Yeah, don't try to blame my brother,” Zayd seethed.
“It’s not mine, Officer,” Bernard continued to deny, holding his arms up. “I can guarantee it’s his.”
Noble’s mouth gaped in incredulity. His heart rate had accelerated to a range he was certain wasn’t healthy.
“Aye, this man is lying. He just picked me up from practice. I have no fucking drugs on me. He’s a liar.”
“Yeah, he’s lying!” Wilde asserted.
“Well, since you can’t figure out who it belongs to, I’m going to place all of you under arrest.”
“Noble, stop it!” Lyra screamed, holding her hands out.
He barged through his mother and grabbed his stepfather, Bernard. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why they’d chosen to provoke him. Didn’t they know how ruthless he could’ve been? Did they not know that at times, he’d decided to play the Most High and end lives for lesser? Instead of taking heed, they opted to aggravate the beast inside him, knowing when he lost self-control that no one was safe.
“You think I’m a fucking game?” Noble seethed, wrapping his arms around Bernard’s thick neck. “I’ll kill you, nigga!”
Lyra and Kaliste attempted to pull him off the man, who was six inches shorter than Noble’s six-two frame.
“You wanna talk like a man but when it was time for you to show up as one, you turned pussy.” Noble slapped him, immediately causing Bernard’s nose to bleed. “Where was your manhood when you tried to pin that charge on me, huh?”
“Turn me loose!” Bernard barked through bucked eyes.
“No.” Noble shook his head. “This what y’all wanted. I told y’all to leave me the fuck alone but you don't know when to let shit be.”
“Noble, listen, it’s my fault,” Lyra professed. “Please, let him go. Take your anger out on me.”
Glaring at his mother, he couldn’t believe how weak she had been for this man. Where was her spine? Why didn’t she stand up for him when the time permitted her to? Lyra had been such a disappointment over the years. Her ability to stand on the frontline for a man rather than her children had been jarring.
“As usual, you taking the heat for this man.” He pushed Bernard out of his grip and stood.
“Noble, you just broke my damn table,” Kaliste complained, looking at the damage.
