Chapter 1
Kannon
“Kannon, why do you keep asking me the same question? I won’t be home for a few days. What the hell are you up to?”
My eyes raced to my brother’s name shining on my digital dashboard. “Seriously, Junior? A girl can’t call and check on her big brother?”
“Fuck no! I do the checking ’round here. I better not hear about you sneaking around my shit, Kannon.”
“Sneaking? My name holds weight. I don’t have to sneak and do a damn thing.”
“Yeah, okay. I want you to remember how much weight your name holds the next time you cut up. You’re not bigger than the program; you’re a part of it.”
“All right. You’re turning this into something deeper than it needs to be. I’ll see you when you get back. Bye!” I groaned while ending the call. “He gets on my damn nerves.”
My best friend, Nola, leaned forward and squeezed my shoulder from the back seat. “You’re sitting here dressed like a hoodlum. Stop acting oblivious to why he’s on your case.”
“Wow. I thought you were my best friend. Are you on my side or his?”
“Yours, and as your partner in crime, it’s my job to tell you shit you don’t want to hear.”
I sucked my teeth as my back met the cool, leather seat. Though she was down to ride, Nola was a princess. The Instagram model didn’t like to get her hands dirty, and she called her brothers whenever she needed to be rescued. She only tagged along for ratchet shit when she was bored.
“Nola, if you’re going to whine, we can drop you off at home,” my cousin,Yari,spoke from the passenger seat. “You act like we’re going to rob a bank. We’re just going to rough aniggaup for being a dog. We look good too.”
Like a pack of hyper teenage girls, we danced in our seats and rapped along to Cardi B’s new single. Though I had two siblings, the bond I shared with Yari and Nola fulfilled my desire to be a part of a genuine sisterhood. Being first cousins, Yari and I were tight like white on rice. Nola and I met in high school and had been besties since the ninth grade.
In the middle of our turn-up session, Yari lowered the music. “Kannon, what happened to Alisha coming with us?”
“She changed her mind once her man called and mentioned dinner.” I rolled my eyes. “We don’t need her. We can handle this. We’re doing a simple shakedown, then we’ll be on our way.”
Nola’s peal of laughter reached the front of the truck. “I still can’t believe you got me out here bussin’ a mission for your homegirl. I’m not mad though. I love doing damage to a no-goodnigga.”
“Then you’re in the right place, baby.”
I turned down the block of our destination at midnight, then cruised up the street. For a Thursday night, the street was busy, yet considering the neighborhood was a dopehead’s oasis, I should’ve known better.
“Damn, it’sa lot of peopleout here,” Nola complained. “Y’all sure it’s a good idea to handle this tonight?”
“Nah. Tonight is the night.” I grabbed the folder from my glove compartment. “I did a little research on dude. He fucks the lady who runs the motel, picks up money, then he leaves. We shouldn’t have to wait long for him to show face.”
“Good.” Yari chimed in. “What’s his name? I don’t remember you telling us.”
I stretched my neck and opened my mouth, prepared to be as elusive as possible, but I got tongue tied when my target came into view. A few addicts hanging in the alley called out to him, yet he kept moving. There was no urgency in his stride, so I assumed he had a gun on him.
“It’s showtime, ladies,” I announced as I pulled up behind the car he approached.
On our bully shit, the three of us covered our faces with black ski-masks and hopped out the truck with the engine running. The man reached for his waistband when we got close, but Yari kicked him between his legs before he could getaholdof his pistol. As solid as he was, it was comical to watch him drop to his knees and wince in pain.
“You weren’t fast enough,” I teased while lowering myself so we were eye level. “Are you hurt, pretty boy?”
He grimaced. “Bitch, have you lost your muthafuckin’mind?”
“Maybe, but the moment you reneged on what you owe my brother, you lost your fucking life.”
With a smile on my face, I pulled my hands from the pocket of my hoodie. No one questioned my moves until I stuck the needle of my latest concoction into the side of his neck, sending the large man to the damp pavement.
“Kannon! What the hell?” Nola snatched me back by my shoulder. “Why did you put him down?”
