Page 50 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

“Fine?” I barked. “The boy ain’t eat breakfast, Shameka, and he looks dirty as fuck.”

Her expression faltered for half a second. “He said he wasn’t hungry and wanted to get dressed by himself.”

“Stop lying.”

Shameka rolled her eyes and started pushing the door shut, because that was her way of ending every conversation she didn’t want to have. But I stuck my foot in the doorway and shoved it back open. The nigga on the couch stared at me. I looked him up and down. I didn’t care who Shameka dated. Hell, she could date the damn mailman for all I cared. But the second a nigga thought he was gonna step to me over my son, he crossed a line he couldn’t uncross.

“Keep lookin’, nigga. See how that works out for you,” I threatened.

The dude frowned. “Man, who you talking to?”

A cold smile spread across my face. “See, that’s your first mistake. You think I’m talking. I’m warning you.”

The dude glanced at Shameka before looking back at me. He was trying to test my gangster. I kept staring at him. Just like I thought, the nigga ain’t want no smoke.

“I ain’t trying to disrespect you, bro.”

“Then sit your ass down.”

“Crow—” Shameka jumped back in the conversation.

“No. Since everybody wanna play in my face this morning, let’s be real. Why is my son is sitting outside hungry?

Shameka sucked her teeth. “He ate yesterday.”

I stared at her in disbelief. “What the fuck kind of answer is that?”

“He wasn’t starving,” she rolled her eyes.

The muscle in my jaw jumped. Shorty was delusional. She stood in my face acting like her shit didn’t stink. I didn’t put my hands on women, but in that moment, I felt like going upside her head. I slammed my eyes shut and took a slow, deep breath, trying to get my temper under control. The second I opened them and saw that hoe still standing there with an attitude, I went the fuck off.

“If I ever come over here and my son is hungry again while you got some nigga in here eating, I’m gonna tear some shit up. You can play with your own life if you want to, but don’t ever play with my son.”

“Pssh, whatever. You just talking,” Shameka smirked like I was calling her bluff.

“Yeah, you ain’t gonna do shit,” the nigga on the couch added.

That was all I needed to hear. I cracked my neck and pushed past Shameka, brushing her shoulder as I stepped into the apartment. Before she could grab me or tell me to stop, I was already on his ass. By the time the fool realized I was headed straight for him, it was too late. I drove my fist into his jaw, snapping his head to the side. Before he could recover, I snatched the plate out of his hands and smashed it across his head. The plate exploded into pieces as food scattered across the floor, and the nigga tumbled off the couch in a daze.

“Motherfucker!” he yelled, clutching his head.

I stepped toward him. “You got enough energy to sit here eating while my son ain’t had breakfast?”

“I-I didn’t know⁠—”

I leaned down until we were damn near face-to-face. “I don’t give a fuck what you knew, but her ass did. Don’t you ever play with me again,” I growled through gritted teeth.

I turned around and walked out before I did something worse that would have me explaining myself to a judge.

Chapter 12

Rain “Rebel” Crawford

Hennessy and grief didn’t fucking mix. My body felt heavy as I sat up on the couch and reached for the sonogram instead of the half-empty bottle. I still couldn’t believe Rose had been pregnant, and she still went through with the bank robbery. That was Rose, though. She was so damn loyal she’d put everyone else before herself, and in the end, it cost her everything, her life and the life of my unborn niece or nephew. Shit, losing Rose had already damn near broken me, but finding out a month ago that she’d been carrying a baby had me even more fucked up. Ever since then, I’d been on an emotional tailspin. Every time I looked at that sonogram, I wasn’t just reminded that my sister was gone. I was reminded that I had a niece or nephew who never even got the chance to be born, and that hurt almost as much as losing Rose herself.

After a few seconds, I finally pulled my eyes away from the mirror and reached for the light switch. Then I clicked it off and walked into the kitchen to make breakfast. I swung open the refrigerator door and frowned. The only thing sitting inside was a carton of milk. I picked it up and checked the date before immediately wrinkling my nose. It expired days ago. Between the date and the smell, there was no way in hell I was eating cereal or drinking any of it. Damn, I needed to go to the grocery store, but I wasn’t in the mood. So, I settled on the next best thing and grabbed my phone off the counter. Just as I was scrolling through the app, it suddenly rang. The caller ID flashed Crow Speed Shop, and I answered on the second ring.

“Yeah?” I answered.