Thirty minutes later, we were in the safe room of a mansion owned by Donovan Investments. I leased a few properties up and down the East Coast with them, under my main legal entity,the Blackbond Corporation. Instead of being just one room, the space was more like the size of three large bedrooms and was complete with a wall full of monitors and control board for every camera on the property and its security system. Pull-down wall beds, two couches, and a table with six chairs were on the other side of the space.
Tariq was seated in one of those chairs, his ankles shackled to the legs, hands still handcuffed behind his back as blood dripped from his arm onto the plastic-covered floor. KC leaned against the wall closest to the door while Rafe stood with his back to his brother about six feet away. I left my last survey of the security cameras to stand beside Rafe.
“You good?” I asked in a hushed tone.
Rafe was staring straight ahead, his long locs pulled up in some pretty ass style no doubt created by his cute-ass wife Camri. Tension rolled off him in waves, but it wasn’t just that. Rage and pain were mixed in. This wasn’t easy. It was necessary, but not easy and I wanted to offer to take the weight off him. I’d known Rafe since he was seventeen. Had watched him grow within the walls of the Ryders’ compound on the outskirts of Destine. Tariq had always been by his side, looking up to him, wanting to be him. This betrayal was a result of that envy. I knew it and unfortunately, so did Rafe.
“I’m good,” Rafe replied tightly, then slowly turned until he faced Tariq.
I sent a nod to KC before pulling my gun and turning with him. KC already had his gun in hand. My brother loved to shoot. Always had. He was the lead enforcer before passing the torch to Rafe, so this type of shit was his love language. I killed when I had to. Never hesitated or flinched, but it wasn’t my favorite hobby. Tonight, we were all prepared to do what we had to do, to make sure everybody—even those we considered family—knew that crossing a Ryder would always end in bloodshed.
“I hope it was worth it,” Rafe said, moving until he stopped right in front of Tariq.
“I just wanted something for myself,” Tariq said, lifting his gaze to his brother. He knew how this was going to end.
I heard his sniffles in the truck, knew the moment he reconciled his death. He wasn’t going to beg for his life. Tariq was a soldier. I knew that the day he was inked. He was in this shit for life but at some point, he decided that he didn’t want to be in it with the Ryders anymore. He must’ve forgotten that wasn’t an option.
“You couldn’t come to us and just say that shit?” I asked, because this was the part of being the leader of this organization that I didn’t like.
Just like my grandfather and my father before me, I prided myself on being a good listener, above all else. We didn’t bring anyone into the fold that I personally wasn’t one hundred percent certain of, and that meant I needed to talk to everyone who walked through the doors of our compound. I had to know everything about them, even down to their deepest fears. It was the only way I knew if I could trust them. I trusted Tariq, so this shit hurt me too.
“You knew we were talking expansion since Zeke was killed six years ago. We’ve been steadily putting shit in place to make a lot of different moves,” I continued.
“I wanted my own shit!” Tariq shot back. “Not yours or the Ryders. Mine! I earned that shit!”
Rafe smacked him with the gun and Tariq’s head snapped back. “Because of me!” he shouted. “You were in a position to earn your name and reputation in this world because I put you there! I vouched for you with the Ryders, told them you were blood and so you were tight. Itrainedyou! Put money in your pocket and taught you how to make more. Fuck, Tariq! I stood in front of you when those bastards from the Night Hawks cameafter you for sleeping with one of their bitches. I was gonna take their bullets for your dumb ass and this is how you repay me?”
Rafe shook his head.
“Me!” He slapped his chest with the gun holding hand. “Me! Your fuckin’ blood!”
His voice didn’t waver or crack, but I heard the pain behind the words. Felt the sting in my own chest.
“That time you got was bullshit!” Tariq said around the blood dripping from his mouth. “I knew you wasn’t gonna get much. Four years. Shit, man, I knew you could do that shit with your eyes shut. And I needed time to get on my feet.” He spat blood onto the floor. “If you were out you would’ve tried to stop me.”
“Iwould’vestopped you,” Rafe stated.
“And that’s why I had to get you out of the picture,” Tariq replied.
“So you planted that gun in his truck. Hired the beat cops to trail him and pull him over, then sat in that courtroom watching your brother go on trial for some shit you orchestrated.” KC shook his head. “You’s a bitchass for sure.”
“I got a baby, Rafe,” Tariq said. “Kashae had a little boy, TJ, two weeks ago.”
“Now you want sympathy?” KC asked with a dry chuckle.
Tariq shook his head. “Nah. Just want you to know the next generation is coming up behind us. Want you to do right by my seed,” he said staring up at Rafe who frowned in return.
“You asking me to take care of your son because you failed him? If you were really worried about his welfare, you wouldn’t have done this stupid shit!” Rafe raged, then huffed. “But you know what, this shit is on you. Not my nephew. So, yeah, you can go, knowing I’ll take care of him. I’ll make sure he has everything he needs to grow up happy and healthy. To live a life of respect and integrity since his father couldn’t do that shit.”
The bullet soared through Tariq’s forehead before any of us could mutter another word.
When I stepped closer to touch a hand to his elbow, Rafe’s arm was frozen in position, his finger still locked on the trigger. Slowly, I pushed down so that his arm finally lowered. “Swallow that pain. This wasn’t your fault. He was his own man, and he made his own decisions,” I said. “Grieve the brother you loved, and release any guilt before you get home to your family.”
He responded with a tight nod.
Seconds later, the buzzing of the locks disengaging sounded, and the door opened. Jam and Cash came in.
“Call Eve, get the cleanup crew over here,” KC told them.
