“What happened?” Donahue repeated, shaking his head. “If you’d been there, you would know, muthafucka!”
“Well, what you want me to do? How should I handle this?”
“You need me to tell you how to do your fucking job?” Donahue growled. “Fire is dead. Nickel is dead. What’s the connection? Because this ain’t some random coincidence.”
The front door to his home slammed shut, and a familiar click clack of heels against the floor moved in their direction. Shalice, Sipes’ sister, rushed inside, tan trenchcoat flapping behind her as she dropped her work bag on a nearby chair.
“I heard what happened.” Sympathy filled her eyes when she approached her brother and brought him in for a hug.
Shalice was six years older than Sipes and had to raise him when their father killed their mother and went to prison. As one of the top defense attorneys in the state, she’d worked hard to build a life and protect her brother at the same time. It wasn’t always easy working on opposite sides of the law, but she madesure to look out for him. Sipes got spoiled in a lot of ways because Shalice would go above and beyond for him, even if he was guilty. She was so good at what she did, though, that getting him off was usually effortless.
“I’m sorry.” She gripped Sipes’ face and kissed his forehead like she often did when he was little.
Nickel and Fire were his best friends, and now they were both dead. Sometimes she lay awake at night wondering when it would be her brother. She hated to think like that, but that’s what came with the territory in the life he led.
“That’s what’s wrong with him.” Donahue lifted his glass filled with bourbon and swallowed. “You keep pacifying his grown ass.”
Shalice shot a glare at him over her shoulder but quickly turned back to her brother.
“Those were your brothers in every way. I might not agree with what any of you do, but I know you loved them, and they were always there for you.” She gripped his chin.
Sipes sucked it up, taking in a few breaths before pinching the bridge of his nose and nodding to himself.
“I’mma hit the block. See what I can find out. Then deal with this Mozzi situation.”
“Okay.” Shalice forced a tight smile on her face as Sipes bypassed her to the door.
Once he was gone, she spun to face her lover, arms tucked across her double Ds as he stared back at her.
“You could have been a little nicer,” she chastised.
“Fuck that! That’s two of my soldiers! My best at that! Now I have to realign my whole fucking crew, and I’m not putting Sipes in that position. He’s too emotional, and I don’t like that shit.”
Sighing, Shalice sauntered in his direction, stopping beside him at the bar set up. He was tense, his deep onyx eyes staring off before he grabbed a cigar from an ashtray and brought it tohis lips. Grabbing his mini torch, he sparked the tip and took a deep pull.
“Sipes just lost two of the most important people in his life, Carl. Give him a little grace.”
“Grace?” Donahue spat. “If he was where he was supposed to be, this probably wouldn’t have fucking happened. He’s talking about figuring out what happened when I already fucking know!” He slammed his glass on the counter. “This was Blackmoor. They’ve been fucking with my organization for months! Starting with that heist at the Bell tower. Riddle’s shipment on Dunbar Avenue. On top of that, them muthafuckas shot at me, and Mozzi survived the attempt on his life.”
“It sounds like you might need to get a little more strategic.” Shalice reached for an empty glass and the decanter with gin inside it.
“And what do you suggest I do?” Donahue rebutted. “These muthafuckas are dismantling me from the inside. For the last six months, all I’ve been doing is taking Ls.”
“You need to make a statement.” Shalice poured herself a shot.
It’d been a long day in the office. When she wasn’t defending all the lowlifes between Kansas City and Ree Heights, she was helping Donahue with his business matters. Carl met her when she was up and coming. Shalice defended a lot of the men on his crew and got them off, leaving him very impressed with her skills. So much so that he retained her for himself, and eventually the two of them ended up in a sexual relationship.
“Mozzi Blackmoor isn’t the head of the organization.”
“I already went at Kong and threatened that bitch he was fucking with. He went and married that hoe Phoebe’s daughter.”
“You’re thinking small, baby.” Shalice stroked the collar to his powder blue button up shirt. “Audiemar is still in charge. He’s the top dog. Without him, that organization is immediatelyweakened. What is it they say? Hit the biggest nigga first and make the rest sit down. What is his weakness?”
“It was Jane. He hasn’t been the same since she died, though.”
“How did she die again?”
“Lots of speculation on that.” Donahue pulled from the cigar and exhaled. “A lot of people think that bullet was meant for him.”
