Page 77 of 4 Corinthians

“I couldn’t look at her,” he admitted. His voice was lost, filled with regret and sadness. “I know how she is when it comes to her parents. The guilt she felt for being the only one whose parents survived that wreck. I saw how she tried so fucking hard to protect their secrets because she knew her cousins and grandparents needed to hold on to something. It didn’t matter that they were addicts, some fuck ass parents; none of their faults mattered because they were alive.” He sighed, then wiped his hand over his face. “She didn’t know I knew she was taking money from the stash house to get them help, or so she thought. They were using the money to get high. Putting that shit in Marus's pockets.”

“Where the fuck is Marus at now?”

“I beat his ass and told him he was only alive because of our history.”

“You should’ve killed him,” I said, shaking my head. “That nigga ain’t right. He knew Cross people’s history and did that shit anyway.”

“I’ll worry about him another time; right now, I gotta make sure she’s cool.”

“How the fuck are you going to do that?” I asked, confused. He’d sent her away, and now he was saying he wanted to make sure she was good? This nigga had shit backwards.

“Just watch out for her,” he answered. “I gotta let her go because I love her too fucking much. I can't tell her what I did because of the pain she will feel every time she sees me. I would rather be in the shadows, making sure she’s good than be a constant reminder of something like this.”

“Sounds like a cop out to me,” Citrine said, standing. He stretched his arms over his head, then laughed. “You don’t want to be a reminder of her pain?” he kissed his teeth. “That sounds like some you shit, not no her shit. You punkin’ out, my nigga. Y’all got years of history. I was with you when she walked into her cousin's arms and cried. I heard her scream too, remember?” He shook his head. “You runnin’ because of your own guilt. You broke the heart of the woman you love into a million pieces. Because you were scared nigga. Admit it, go apologize and beg for her to take you back.”

“It ain’t-“

“It is, whatever the fuck you about to lie and say, cut that shit out,” Citrine cut him off. “You gonna lose out on the love of your damn life because of your own fucking fears? She gonna move on, meet another nigga, marry him and have his kids and your dumb ass is going to be watching from the shadows like a damn stalker.” Citrine looked at me and smirked. “Tell him, Four.”

I knew that Citrine didn’t know my past or what I was doing with Corinthians, but his words hit too close to home. I was doing exactly what he said Nine would end up doing with Cross.

“I’m out of it,” I said, shaking my head. “That nigga being stupid.”

“Kill Marus,” Citrine said, turning to Nine. “Find that nigga, put a bullet between his eyes, then find your woman and beg for her to take you back because you were stupid. That’s my only advice to you.”

“You know for a nigga that ain’t got no woman you got a lot of shit to say and advice to give,” Nine said, looking at Citrine, then turned to me. “You too. I can't remember you ever being in a relationship, yet you got an opinion?”

“Ay, don’t turn this shit on us,” Citrine said. “You fucked up, pick up the pieces nigga, and fix that shit before it’s too late.”

***

My phone ringing pulled me from my sleep. I reached over to the table next to my bed and, without opening my eyes, I picked it up and swiped the screen. “Hello?” I mumbled into the phone.

“We got a fucking problem,” Trey said.

I sat up, wiped my hand over my face, and licked my lips. “What’s happening?”

“The client that contacted you about investing in a company,” Trey replied. I thought about the new clients I’d picked up.

“I need more information than that,” I told him.

“The one from this morning, the one wanting to invest in a barber shop chain,” Trey said, and I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. I wasn’t surprised that he knew about it. I’ve given him access to all my accounts.

“What about him?” I’d seen the request and the reports. The client was looking to double his money and not only invest in a chain but potentially start his own.

“He’s watching Corinthians and has for a while.”

“What’s a while?” I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. I flipped the lights on, set the phone on the counter, put it on speaker, then walked to the toilet. “And why haven’t you said something before now?”

“Since she opened her shop,” Trey answered.

“Almost two years nigga?” I stopped peeing and stared at the phone. “Are you fuckin’ serious?”

“I had it under control,” Trey quickly replied before I could start up. He knew I wanted updates on Cori and her safety. If this nigga had been watching for two years, then I should’ve known. “I been watching that nigga, not letting him get too close, but now Robert is antsy. He checks in with Tyrell almost daily instead of once or twice a month.”

“What the fuck happened?” I shook my dick then put it back in my shorts. “What has his ass on edge?”

“The Franklin brothers were killed,” Trey answered, and my face twisted in confusion. “Nobody knows what happened, but they are dead.”