“Yeah, I’m washing dick I once hopped on. You real fucking funny.”
“Shit, ain’t nothing wrong wit’ it. That’s the least yo’ ass can do.”
“Can we not tonight, please? I’m tired, and I want to run this by you before I go back to Whodie’s.”
“Oh shit! Yo’ two day stay done turned into a staycation.”
I pushed Hollow out of the way and headed to see where Love was. She was just coming from laying my nephew down. Surprisingly, she stuck to her word and did not let Hollow get her pregnant again. If it was up to my brother, she would be pregnant every year. So far, my nephew was three, and there had been no new babies. Love was focusing on her career and making sure Hollow and their son had a peaceful environment.
“So, tell me what I’m supposed to be doing,” Love asked, sitting on the sofa.
“Mazi wants territory,” I started. “I was thinking of drawing him by having a big event. Love will be the face of it. She’s an investor and we all know money will draw him out. Especially if he knows it’s my event and I have someone wanting to invest. We identify him. Love distracts him to get him alone. Then Whodie and I will strike.”
My brother shook his head.
“My wife alone with a stranger and I don’t know what he looks like, is crazy as fuck. Let me look more into this nigga. See if I could get some footage or some shit. Until I know what thisnigga face looks like, don’t make a move. It shouldn’t take me more than a few days,” Hollow said.
“Fine!”
“The event sounds great. He may think he has y’all cornered, being that your crew and 239 Boyz will be in the same building. When I get back with you, we need to make plans for an ambush if the Love’s distraction doesn’t work.”
“Whatever you say,” I told him.
“Oh, and tell Whodie what we got planned. That nigga had my back during one of the hardest times of my life. We can’t do this shit without him.”
Just like Hollow said, he had photos a few days later. I sat at the table with Whodie and spread them out. Some of them were grainy because of traffic light footage. For the most part, Hollow’s guy was on point. He looked nothing like I assumed he would. He was homeless looking, maybe to just throw us off so he could walk among us. Either way, we had a face.
“I have the flyers being posted for the event. Do you think your leg will be fine for this?”
“It’s been a week. I’m good. Really ain’t no need for a fuckin’ event now that I got his face. This way, Love is safe, and you don’t have to pull Hollow into this shit. Me and 239 can handle it from here.”
“I need to be there. This muthafucka wanted me.”
Hollow looked up at me.
“Adore, I can’t guarantee you’re safe if you are there.”
“Whodie, I need to be there.”
“Fine!”
I canceled the flyer setup and let Love and Hollow know the plans had changed. For the first time, I was going to trust Whodie’s lead. He was going to show me if I could let him lead.
CHAPTER 11: WHODIE
Pain or not, I wasn’t sitting still. That wasn’t in me. Besides, a week had gone by, and I was starting to heal good. My mind was on a mission. Finishing the shit so we could all move on. By the time the sun dipped and the city lights started coming on, I was already dressed, guns tucked, and my mind on one fucking mission. Hollow had my leg wrapped so tight that every step I took felt like I was cutting my blood supply off. Pain had never stopped me before, and it damn sure wasn’t about to stop me now.
Adore stood beside me, dressed in all black as we took the elevator down to the garage, where Reese, Tone, and three more 239 Boyz were waiting. No tags on the cars, no cell phones, and guns ready. We loaded up in our cars. No one said anything to each other. Adore reached over, grabbed my hand and gave me a squeeze. I hated that she wanted to be here. My focus was now on making sure she made it back home safe.
Hollow had someone sitting on the truck. Mazi rented an Airbnb on a lake. As we got closer, everyone killed their lights. We already knew we all couldn’t just drive down in there. I left Reese with Adore in the car.
“Adore, look at me,” I told her. “Do not get out of the car. You have yo’ gun on you. If you see that muthafucka come out of that house, you take his ass out. Don’t think, just shoot. You hear me?”
She nodded her head in agreement.
“Reese, my nigga, don’t let shit happen to her. If I don’t make it back out, you take her straight to Hollow.”
“I got her, bruh.”
