I wiped blood from my mouth with the back of my hand. Maxim did the same. We circled each other on the grass, both breathing harder now.
“You done?” he asked.
“Is ya mama done?”
His eyes narrowed.
I grinned. “My bad. Reflex.”
“The dozens. That’s that Black mama side. What y’all know about that?” Juvie crowed.
Maxim moved again, and this time I was ready. He went for my ribs. I dropped my elbow and caught his forearm.
Then a hand caught the back of my shirt. Another caught Maxim’s.
“Enough!” Sergei roared.
This time, everybody stopped.
I was breathing hard, blood dripping from my mouth onto my shirt. Maxim’s lip was split, one cheek swelling already, his hair falling loose over his forehead. We stared at each other while our people held us apart.
Neither one of us looked away.
Neither one of us had lost.
Neither one of us had won.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
Sergei came down the steps slowly, wearing a black robe over dark pants. Mama must’ve had more sense than all of us because she was nowhere to be seen. His eyes went from Maxim to me.
“You are finished,” he said.
“No,” I told him.
“Yes,” he returned.
Maxim pulled his arm free from Lev’s grip and straightened his shirt. “I agree withPapa.”
I laughed, but it was humorless. “Of course, you do. Scary ass”
His bloody mouth curved slightly. “Not because I cannot continue, but because we have work. We have enemies to address. And you have a crying wife.”
That reminder hurt, damn him.
Sergei looked at me. “You needed this?”
I flexed my sore hand. “Yeah,” I admitted.
“And now?”
I looked at my brother. He looked back. Nothing was settled, not really. But I felt a little better about where we stood.
“Now we go to the warehouse,” I said.
Maxim picked up his jacket from Lev and slid it back on like he hadn’t just been bleeding in the grass. “Good. Try not to limp. It will make me sad.”
“Don’t get knocked out in front of Jesus and yo’ landscaping.”
