Page 22 of A Kingpin’s Weakness

Rich

Man, I been blowin’ Lia’s shit up since we left the warehouse.

Texts, calls and nothing. Shorty was ghost. I hit all the usual spots from our crib, her mom’s house, her sister’s spot, even her homegirl’s place.

Nada. Her lil’ ass was gone . Soon as I found her, she was gettin’ put on location sharing indefinitely.

Take a page outta Seth’s paranoid ass playbook. Can’t risk this again.

Last place I left the damn library at her college. It was Tuesday, and I knew she ain’t have class. So, if she wasn’t chillin’ with her girls, she had to be buried in a textbook. That’s Lia. Books before bullshit.

Ring. Ring.

“Yo.”

“You bringing Lia here?” Seth’s voice came through, a little breathless like he was mid move with some product.

“Yeah, soon as I find her ass.”

Seth’s voice came through the line like static wrapped in judgment.

“Find her? Nigga, where she at?”

“Shit, I’m ’bout to check her school.”

He got quiet, the way he do when he ’bout to slide into Big Bro mode like I asked for advice.

“Rich, you supposed to know where your girl at, at all times.”

I shook my head, already annoyed. “Nigga, that’s not our relationship.”

“Still.”

Beep. My line beeped. It was Lia calling. Saved by the bell.

“This Lia. I’ll hit you when we headed your way,” I said.

“Bet.”

I clicked over before she could hang up.

“Why the fuck you ain’t answerin’ your phone?” I snapped.

She snapped her teeth immediately and I smiled she always came with fire.

“I was studyin Midterms comin’. Phone on DND. What’s up with you? Thought yo ass would be knocked since you dipped out in the middle of the night.”

“Business.”

There was a pause just long enough for doubt to slip in. “Hope it’s just business. Not no bitch.”

I sighed and rubbed my temple. She always came for the jugular when she felt somethin’ off. And I couldn’t even blame her.

“Lia, don’t start. I’m comin’ to get you; need you to go to Seth’s crib.”

“For what?”

“Shit poppin’. You gotta be put up.”

I could hear her shifting, probably grabbin’ her bag, already movin’ like she knew what time it was.

“I’m downtown at school. It’s gon’ take me at least forty-five to get back.”

“I’m fifteen out. Stay there.”

“And my car?”

“I’ll have somebody come grab it.”

She didn’t argue. That’s what made Lia different.

She could bark all she wanted, but when it came down to it, she listened.

'Cause she knew I wasn’t movin’ outta fear.

I was movin’ outta love and outta protection.

But still, my stomach was tight. Shit was shifting fast. Too fast. And when things move like that in the city, somebody always gets caught slippin’.

“Excuse you?” She ain’t even say that to me.

“Who the fuck you talkin’ to?” I asked, already sittin’ up straighter, stomach startin’ to turn.

“I don’t know. Some old, creepy-lookin’ man.”

Then I heard his voice, like a ghost from a nightmare you buried. “That’s Rich?”

I paused.

“Tell him it’s Ronnie. He know me. Matter fact, lemme see the phone.”

I stopped breathin’.

“Have you lost your fuckin’ mind? Gimme back my phone!” Lia snapped.

Then him again, low and smug, “Shh. Grown man talkin’.”

“Ronnie, if you touch her, if you breathe on her?—”

“Why you and Seth got such touchable women though?” he laughed, real sick like. “I see why you keep her locked down. She almost bad as Stormi.”

My hand gripped the wheel so tight, my knuckles cracked.

“This between me and you, Ronnie. What’s up?

” I floored it. My Charger roared like it felt the rage in me.

Highway blurred past me as I was zooming by exit signs, leaving behind cars and fury.

I was movin’ like death couldn’t catch me like I’d kill it before it caught her.

“You young boys think y’all untouchable,” he said. “But nah. Y’all got hearts. Soft spots. Mama’s, women, and kids. Take that from you and y’all crumble.”

He was talkin’ about Ms. Serena and about S3. He was talkin’ about takin’ the last good pieces we had left.

My moms? A ghost. My pops? Never gave a fuck. Grandma held me down, and she died right after I walked that stage like she was just waitin’ to see me make it.

“Keep it G, Ronnie,” I said through gritted teeth. “This a man’s world. Leave the women and kids out of it.”

“Why would I?” he laughed again, slower this time. “It’s so much more fun watchin’ a real nigga break when his bitch get dropped.”

Then I heard her. “Please don’t. No, don’t kill me!”

“LIA!” I felt like my scream went to deaf ears. I took the exit at damn near 90. The whole car shook, but I ain’t slow down. I couldn’t.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

Silence. My ears rang. My chest cracked.

Then Ronnie’s voice slid back in like a knife in the dark. “Come get your bitch. I’ll leave her out here for you.”

Click.

“LIA!!!” I screamed into the phone like it could reverse time, like if I yelled loud enough, God would have no choice but to rewind this shit.

I pulled up on campus like the devil was on my bumper. Didn’t park. Door barely open before I was sprintin’. Then I saw her. Slumped by the library steps. Blood trailing down her side. Her hands pressed to her stomach. Shakin’. Eyes rollin’.

“LIA!” I dropped to my knees like my legs gave out.

“Baby no. I’m here. I’m here, baby. You okay. I got you.”

“It hurts, Rich,” she whispered.

Her voice didn’t even sound like her. It was soft. Fadin’. That shit scared me more than the blood.

“I know, I know. Just breathe. I’m gon’ get you help. You gon’ be good, baby.”

“I think—" She choked on blood before she could get the words out. “I think I’m dying.”

“Nah,” I said, my whole body tremblin’. “Don’t say that I got you. I got you, Lia.”

She blinked real slow. Her lips quivered. “I love you, Rich.”

I held her face in my hands like she was the only real thing left in the world. “I love you too. Forever, baby. You hear me? Forever . ” I picked her up, and her blood soaked right through me. I ain’t care. Her eyes were closin’. Her breathing was shallow.

“Somebody help me!” I screamed so loud, birds flew out the trees. But the campus was dead silent. Cold.

I laid her in the seat, ran to the driver’s side. One hand on the wheel. One on her chest. Feelin’ for the rise and fall.

“It’s forever, baby,” I whispered. My voice cracked and I kissed her hand. “Just stay. Please stay.”

But then. Her chest stopped movin’, and her eyes stopped blinkin’.

“No. No! No!” I slammed the steering wheel with both fists.

“LIA!!!” I roared so loud it felt like the sky should’ve split open.

Then I leaned over. Closed her eyes. Kissed her lips one last time. Still warm. Still hers. And just like that, she was gone. Gone, and I ain’t just lose my girl. I lost everything.

She was months away from her Master’s. She had plans. Real ones. She talked legacy. She talked clean money. She talked about takin’ me with her into a better life. And I let this fuckin’ life take her instead.

Nah. Nah, fuck that. Ronnie took her from me. Now I’m takin’ everything from him. Blood, family, and loyalty. All of it . Burnin’ this whole fuckin’ city down if I have to. He want a war? He just declared one.

Now it’s on me. Literally. I looked down at my shirt.

Her blood dried dark across my chest. Like a reminder.

Like she was still there, tellin’ me to never forget.

I drove in the direction of Seth’s house with Lia’s lifeless body sitting next to me.

She was supposed to be safe. That’s all I had to do, just get her to Seth’s crib.

One job. One fucking job. Get her there, and she’d be alright.

Forty-five minutes later, I was pulling into Seth’s estate.

This nigga had security everywhere patrolling the grounds, strapped up with ak47s, like the president and his family rested their heads behind those walls.

I hit Seth’s name on my phone, hand damn near shakin’.

He picked up after one ring.

“I saw you pull in, bruh. Y’all come in.”

“Where S3?”

“In his room playin’ the game. You comin’ in?”

“Yeah. But I don’t need S3 to see me.”

That made him pause. “What’s up, bruh?”

“Meet me in your office. We need to talk.” I ended the call. Didn’t wait for a response.

Got out the whip, walked around, and opened the passenger door like I wasn’t carryin’ the world’s biggest weight in my chest. She was still there.

Still warm. Still beautiful. And still gone.

I scooped her up in my arms bridal style.

Like I was carryin’ her across a threshold.

But it wasn’t no ceremony. Wasn’t no new beginning.

This was the end of somethin’. Maybe the end of me.

She felt light. Too light. Like a body without a soul.

Security saw me as I stepped into the courtyard. Two dudes I knew from the block who watched too much, but never said enough.

“Rich, you good?” one of them called out.

“Yo, what happened?” the other asked, eyes stuck on the blood down my front.

I ain’t answer. Didn’t even look their way. Just kept walkin’, eyes locked on the front door. Every step felt like a countdown.

Seth’s crib was quiet, too quiet. I could hear S3’s game upstairs, little man talkin’ trash into his headset. Oblivious.

Good. Me and Seth had made a promise the day my godson was born he would never see this side of us. Never see the weight we carried. Never see what the streets really cost. That promise was damn near broken right now.

I stepped inside. Door clicked shut behind me. I was halfway up the stairs when I heard her voice.

“Rich?” Stormi.

She’d just stepped out of the bedroom, towel still in hand, her hair damp like she’d just washed the day off.

Then she saw the blood. Her eyes snapped wide, and when they dropped to what I held in my arms, her breath left her in a choke. One hand flew up to cover her mouth, like that could hold in the scream building inside her.

“Oh my God. What…what happened? Are you okay?”

I didn’t say a word. Because no, I wasn’t okay. And I wasn’t sure I ever would be again.

Then her voice cracked open the silence.

“SETH!” It hit the walls like thunder. Seconds later, he was in the doorway, shirtless, eyes wild.

He moved to her fast, placing a steady hand on her arm, easing her out of the way. “Watch out, bae.”

Then his eyes hit what I was holding. His whole body went still. “Rich…” His voice dropped, almost like he didn’t want to say it. “What happened to Lia?”

My throat clenched. I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even look at her face again. Not like this. Not broken, not still. Not cold. I didn’t have it in me to say Ronnie’s name. Not like it wasn’t killing me every second it echoed in my skull.

Seth didn’t ask again. Just nodded once, jaw tight, and guided me into the room behind him. Stormi followed, silent now, sitting on the edge of the bed like her legs didn’t belong to her anymore. Her gaze stayed locked on Lia. On what used to be her. Her lips moved. No sound.

Seth closed the door behind us, then turned to me.

Quiet. Waiting. Finally, I looked up, voice cracked, hollow.

“He killed her.” My eyes burned. My whole body trembled around the weight in my arms. “That fuck nigga killed my baby.” Then I dropped.

Knees hit the floor, body folding around her.

I held her tighter, like I could still warm her up.

Like maybe if I didn’t let go, she’d come back. But she didn’t. She wouldn’t.

I had lost the love of my life. My peace. My person. And the man who took her was walking around like he hadn’t just ripped out the core of me. Like he wasn’t supposed to already be six feet under, rotting with the rest of the cowards.

Seth crouched beside me, his voice low, steady. “I’ll call and have them come pick up her body.”

“I got her, bruh.” My voice cracked.

He reached out, and I flinched. Instinct. Pain. Something twisted. I held her tighter. “I just I just had to get her here so she could be safe right?”

He nodded. Swallowed hard. “Okay. Let’s just lay her down, a’ight?”

“Where?”

“My office,” he said gently. “Come on. I’ll make sure it’s clear.”

He cracked the door, glanced both ways down the hall, looking for S3. Coast clear. We moved. I carried her across the hall like she was still breathing. Like maybe if I moved fast enough, the night would rewind.

I laid her down on the black leather couch, slow, like I didn’t want to wake her. Seth pulled the throw blanket from the chair and draped it over her, careful. Like she could still feel it.

Then he gripped the back of my neck and pulled me in, locking me in a hug so deep and tight it almost shattered me. “Nigga,” he whispered, voice thick. “I’m sorry. He gon’ pay for everything.”

I didn’t blink. Didn’t move. “I want him now, Seth.”

He stepped back. “I’ll go to the meeting. Talk to the crew. King’ll be there.”

“Bruh, I’m ridin’ on this one.”

He looked at me hard. “You need some time.”

“And I’ll take that when we deliver Ronnie’s body to his mama.” I met his eyes. Voice calm. Final. “If I don’t kill her too.”