Page 2 of Bound to a Virgo Menace (BLP Signs of Love #3)

Holly Springs, Illinois

I’d been on the block all day serving. I was tired, and that chilly May night air had grabbed ahold of me. My best friend Tread stood next to me.

He could do this shit all day and night, but not me. What kept me going was the fact that I needed the money. Plus, I had my trusty astrology book with me, and that took my mind off things. As long as I could remember, I’d been obsessed with astrology.

My mom was heavy into signs. She was a Cancer, and her only kid was a Virgo.

She believed that successful relationships were with people compatible with each other.

Same zodiac sign relationships was a big no in her eyes.

My mom always told me that since I was Virgo, I should stick with earth signs Taurus and Capricorn, or water signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.

We got along great, and maybe that was because she was a Cancer. What I didn’t like was the fuck nigga she gave her attention to. Mom Dukes and her on and off again boyfriend, Tyriq, argued morning, noon, and night.

That shit fucked up my sleep pattern. Those two weren’t compatible in the slightest, but there was something about him that my mom liked. The only time I could sleep was any time I wasn’t in that house. There were times I went to Tread’s house to sleep because of their drama.

Tread’s household was just as busy as mine. We were raised by two hard working yet single black women. Our moms loved us, and we worked with them to provide for our household.

He and I met in third grade, and we’d been friends ever since. We worked for Big Tex. He was a well-known gangsta from Texas that settled safely in our little suburb. Big Tex was also the big brother of Tyriq. I hated that shit, but it was her choice. Big Tex lived on the wealthy side of town.

That same side of town was where our guy Bravo, or Vo, lived with his family. Why he wanted to be on the corner with us some days, I’d never know. Vo didn’t have to be. His family had money.

However, Vo fucked with Tread and I the long way. It wasn’t on no pity shit either. When he had shit, we had it. The shit was vice versa. Vo moved weight with us. When we wasn’t moving big weight, we were grounded and serving on a corner like now.

I blew in my hands to create a little warmth before I went back to my astrology book.

It was spring, but shit, it felt like winter here in Holly Springs.

My legs grew tired, and my stomach was in my back.

I was ready to sleep. My body and mind told me it was time to go lay it down.

I had a nagging feeling that I couldn’t shake.

Something told me to leave. I didn’t know why, but I decided to trust my instincts and body.

“Aye, boy. I think I’ma get up outta here,” I told Tread.

“Really? It’s early as hell, bro,” he replied. Tread blew into his own hands.

We both eyed a black sedan that drove past twice already. I removed my gun and cocked it. Whoever it was, was about to feel this heat. The car stopped in front of us, and the window rolled down.

It was an older black woman with her phone lit up on the dashboard. I could see the map on her phone. She looked disheveled with her hair placed behind her ear and glasses perched on her nose.

“Hey, guys, I’m sorry to bother you. Can one of you tell me where King Street is?” She pushed her glasses up her nose.

Discreetly, I cleared my chamber then put my gun away.

“It’s cool, ma’am. Drive to the end of the street and make a right. That’s King Street. Take it easy out here,” I encouraged her.

“Thank you so much, young man. Have a good evening.” The older woman sped away. I was able to relax again.

I turned back to Tread. “Bro, let’s head out. It’s a slow ass night.”

“Aight, man. Can I crash at yo’ crib? Moms got a new nigga. I don’t feel like dealing with his ass,” Tread stated.

“Shid, you know I feel you. Let’s roll to the sweet hoagie spot first. I’m hungry as hell.”

“I’m wit’ it,” Tread responded.

We strolled to the blue store first to get some snacks and blunts and our food. While we walked to my house, I asked him a question I’d been wanting to ask him for a while now.

“How far are you goin’ to take this drug shit?”

“Shid, as far as I can. I always knew I wasn’t made for the workforce or to work for anybody else. I ain’t in the business of making another nigga rich. That’s why, as soon as I get the opportunity, I’ma take over Big Tex’s empire.”

I stopped in my tracks. “How the fuck you gon’ do that? Tyriq gon’ definitely take over,” I voiced.

Tread smirked. “I’on know yet, but if Tyriq or Big Tex ass ain’t in the picture, I could easily finesse my way in.”

“That’s a big ass move,” I replied then continued to walk.

“It is, but with you by my side we can make Big Tex’s empire bigger. You know I was made for this thug life. Just stay by my side, Cache, and I got you. I’ma make you a rich ass nigga. What do you say?”

I was silent for a bit. Being rich sounded good. There were other things I wanted to do with my life, like start my own import and export business.

However, I couldn’t leave Tread hanging. He was gon’ need a loyal soldier when he took over. If I had to put my dreams on hold for a while, then I’d do so for my homie.

“I got yo’ back, bro.”

We shook up before we ascended the stairs to my house. When I stepped inside, my crib was eerily quiet.

“Mama! Where you at, OG?”

I could usually hear my mama gossiping on the phone with one of her homegirls or see her laid up on the couch with Tyriq.

Tonight, that wasn’t the case. The closer I eased inside, I noticed the house was in shambles. It appeared that some kind of struggle took place. The living room lamps were knocked over onto the floor. Her coffee table was broken with glass and had blood all over it and the two glasses next to it.

The moment my eyes registered that blood was spilled, I dropped my bags and hauled ass upstairs. I took the stairs two at a time before I made it into the hallway.

“Mama! Mama!” I shouted.

My heart pounded wildly. I ran right into her room, but surprisingly, she wasn’t there. It was clean, and nothing was out of place. My eyes scanned her room, but she was nowhere to be found. Where the fuck was she? I quickly turned when I heard Tread’s voice.

“Cache . . . she in here,” he stated, trying to hide his emotions.

He was in the bathroom down at the opposite end of the hallway. I was there in seconds. Tread stepped out of the way. When he did, my knees damn near gave out.

“Aw naw. Naw, man. Mama! Mama!” I yelled and cried.

She lay lifelessly in her bathtub under the bloody water. I collapsed to my knees and pulled her up. Her head rolled to the side, displaying the smile line that decorated her neck like a string of pearls.

There were so many cuts to her chest and stomach. I’d never seen that much blood leave a human’s body. Why? What could she have possibly done to deserve to die so tragically? Stabbing was personal, and I knew the nigga responsible.

“That bitch ass nigga! He killed her! Tyriq killed her. He took away the only person that loved me unconditionally.”

“I’m sorry, bro. This shit is fucked up, and we gon’ get yo’ revenge. I’ma go and call 911, man,” Tread voiced and exited the bathroom.

I rubbed my mama’s wet hair then kissed her forehead. My girl was gone. Gone. But that nigga was gon’ die—by my hands only.

June

Four Weeks Later

It had been the worst four weeks of my fuckin’ life. Four weeks without the woman who knew me best and loved me the most was so painful that it left a deep hole in my heart. I’d never felt so naked and alone in my life.

There was no way I’d ever be loved so greatly again. A nigga like me would never be blessed to experience a love like hers ever again. Life as I knew it was over.

I was only twenty-two with no family close by. Shit was real now. I was officially on my own.

After Mama’s funeral, the little family that did come returned back home sooner than they arrived.

No one asked if I wanted to stay with them or come to visit for a little bit.

They didn’t give a fuck about me. The feeling was surely mutual though.

My so-called family filled their bellies with the food I bought for the repast and left with no parting words.

The only support I had was from Tread, his mom, Alivia, Vo, and his entire family.

His dad, Mr. Temples, wasn’t too fond of Tread and I because of the lifestyle we led.

However, he loved his son and supported us because of him.

I was grateful. Mama had no insurance, so I had to spend most of my savings to bury her and pay off the bills.

Tread and I had been working for Big Tex since high school, but that shit was about to come to an end.

I knew in my soul that Tyriq had killed my mama. I didn’t need evidence, but the two broken glasses on the floor by the broken coffee table said he was there. If that wasn’t enough, the bloody pregnancy test that was found under the couch solidified it for me.

That was Tyriq’s motive. My mama had me at sixteen. She was still young enough to have another kid.

The only problem was that Tyriq was married with kids.

I guessed an outside baby was no good for him.

Tyriq could’ve simply abandoned the baby like my pops did me.

He didn’t have to take her away from me.

Since Tyriq made the big decision to take my mama from me, I would take everything away from him and Big Tex.

I sat in the dining room chair at Big Tex’s house.

Big Tex, his wife, Tyriq, and his wife were all hog-tied in the dining room on the floor.

I had no idea where their teenaged kids were, and I didn’t care.

Once I caught my breath, I stood and walked over to them.

Each couple was face-to-face with their spouse.

“Y’all can thank Tyriq’s bitch ass for why y’all here. I never had any intentions of ever being this monstrous, but the nigga killed my mama. The only person to ever love or give a fuck about me is now gone.

“She was ripped away from me like a fuckin’ headline in the news.

You didn’t have to kill her, my nigga. I know she was pregnant.

You could’ve easily abandoned her. Mama was a real one.

So ain’t no way she would’ve stalked yo’ ass to do anything when we worked together financially for our household.

However, you about to learn how this pain feels. ”

Tears rolled down his face as I stood over Big Tex. I pumped two slugs into the back of his head.

Next, I stood over Big Tex’s wife and pumped two bullets in her head. Tyriq’s cries could be heard over the duct tape covering his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot red. Blood trickled down from his temple from where I had hit him earlier.

That nigga was furious and fucked up, but I gave no fucks.

He took my love away from me. I’d never get her back.

Since I could no longer be happy, neither could this nigga.

I looked Tyriq dead in his eyes as I shot his wife in the head three times.

His body flinched from every shot fired.

This was a game he shouldn’t have started, but I had every intention of finishing it.

I stepped away from Tyriq’s deceased wife and walked back over to the dining room table. I set down my gun because I had something else in mind for him. He wanted smoke, so I brought the fire. I picked up my machete, then I strolled back over to him.

Tyriq’s eyes widened. I smirked at the fear in them. Yeah, he knew what time it was.

I struck him repeatedly across his back and arms. Tyriq’s blood splattered against my face and clothes, but I’d completely checked out.

That muthafucka wanted to slice up an innocent and kind woman, so he’d die the same way.

For the finishing move, I snatched his head back and slowly sliced his neck.

“Rest in shit, bitch ass nigga.”

Once I was done, I took off my bloody clothes, wiped myself down, and I slipped into my change of clothes. When I was done, I doused the dining room, living room, and kitchen with gasoline.

I collected my things then lit Big Tex’s big ass house on fire. As I walked out into the night air, I stepped over the dead bodies of Big Tex’s guards. With our silencers, it was nothing for Tread to blow them down easily so I could slip inside.

I slid into Tread’s car.

He looked at me. “You straight, Cache?”

“I’m good. Here’s the tablet and all Big Tex’s codes. I made him hand over everything before the party commenced. This is now yo’ shit. You said you wanted an empire. Well, now you got one. Oh, my street name is now Peel. No more Cache,” I revealed.

Tread chuckled. “My nigga for life. I got you, Peel. Let’s roll out and build our empire our way.”

I nodded in agreement.

Tread pulled away and drove down Big Tex’s driveway. He rolled over the dead guards, but that shit didn’t faze me. I’d checked out on life emotionally.

The streets wanted a beast, so now they got one. I watched the big fire from the side view mirror without an ounce of remorse. My mama was dead and gone now, but so was the nigga that took her away from me.