Page 35

No one has spoken the whole plane ride. Just the sounds of the plane speeding through the air, and Autumn’s soft whimpers in the back of the cabin. She refused to be left behind, not after Turk couldn’t lie about how brutal the Mathers brothers truly are.

It doesn’t matter that we got in the air less than three hours after they grabbed her. Less than two after their own plane left the private airfield.

This shit is probably a recovery mission. Not a rescue mission.

Autumn and Wynter living together in Geyser City brought them closer. Wyn was always either on facetime playing her what she was working on, or dragging her to the studio on her off days. She was finally forgiving herself for all the fucked up shit she’s done to her sister.

Finally back making good music.

Still drank and dabbled, but there was a spark back in her, from being accepted back into the family. Coming around more. She even did the Tootsie Roll with Nut at his wedding.

We made amends like siblings do. She wouldn’t let me apologize, just like I wouldn’t let her apologize. She told me she forgave me while she was in rehab. I told her I forgave her right after she walked away from me.

And them niggas grabbed her up in broad daylight. In our city.

Cold part is, the way Mace described the whole shit, I know they were gunning for Brina. And of course, Sahara’s dumb ass is at the scene of the crime, afuckinggain.

I love Van, but the bitch is dead. One way or another.

Knowing we’re about to make our descent soon, I look around the cabin. Only Wyn would have all these niggas war ready for her.

Grimey, PC, and Sheisty are huddled up in the front. Grimey hasn’t stopped staring at Turk since he boarded.

The Triplets take up the middle seats. YT’s sitting in the aisle seat, her hand gripping Reem’s as he loads different clips.

Only Reem, Rico, Nut, Turk, and Autumn came with us. Ty stayed behind with Set and the women and children. At first, Set wasn’t having it. It took Nut threatening him to calm down, and wait for our word.

I shift to a standing position and clear my throat.

“Uh, we finna land. Mekhi got eyes on all three of their cribs, so we’re gonna hit them at the same time, since we got enough people. But we, uh, gone mix it up, so we all in contact with one another.

“Group A is me, Rico, Autumn and YC. Group B is Sheisty, PC, Reem, and YT. And Group C is Grimey, Turk, Nut, and Prince. She’s most likely at one of their cribs, since they most likely thought they were grabbing Brina.”

Everyone murmurs their agreement, and people start shuffling around to get acquainted. I walk past Grimey and Turk’s awkward head nods to where Rico, Autumn, and YC are congregated.

YC sighs as I sit down.

“Tighten up, Autumn. We’ll find your sister alive.”

“And how do you know?”

she snaps.

“Don’t answer that,”

Rico says as YC opens his mouth.

“Haze, we’re gonna get her back. But you need to lock in for that to happen, aight? Tienes esta.”

She nods and he hands her an AR. She runs her hands over it like an old lover, and soon her eyes are dry and alert.

“How you wanna play it?”

I ask Rico.

“We going to the youngest one’s crib. Qortez was closest to Qi and Qiari, so this was his play,”

YC reveals.

“You sure?”

Autumn asks.

He turns to her and nods.

“Ima be honest with you, because I know you can take it. These niggas are sick in the head, and thrive on torture. That’s how I know your sister is alive. And Qortez is the worst one; that’s why I know she’s at his crib. My sister was with Qiari for years, so unfortunately I know these niggas intimately. We gonna get her back, but I need you to brace yourself.”

Autumn bobs her head, swallowing.

“Okay. I’ll be straight. Thank you for being real with me.”

The flight attendant tells us we’re making our final descent, so we buckle up.

Thirty minutes later we’re disembarking and heading toward Mekhi and who I’m guessing is his wife. They’re both in tactical gear, and she’s got twin desert Eagles in each hand.

YT breaks into a sprint, nearly knocking Mekhi’s wife over as she embraces her. I follow behind, stopping in front of Mekhi.

“The baby brother is leading the way this time… You told them the plan?”

I lift my chin.

“We split up. My team’s taking the youngest one.”

“Fasho. I’m dealing with Quan’s bitch ass myself. The Mathers should be no more by the next sunrise. C’mon Love, whoever’s with you is with me.”

YT releases his girl before falling into him. Nut squeezes my shoulder before he and Turk are all in my space.

“You stay dangerous, nigga.”

“I got you.”

I knock Turk’s finger out my face, making him smirk, before we all split up.

My group climbs into an SUV, with three more following us as we leave the private airfield.

The sun’s gone down, and though it’ll never be Kenton, Northupton’s tall buildings look like something out of a movie at night. I spent so much time here, back when my homies and I were really grinding, trying to make a name for ourselves. If I wasn’t in class I was here, and then once I graduated, I damn near lived in a studio until we got our own.

Kenton had too many bad memories. Too many people who died, and who left me for dead.

Now, as we speed through the night, I don’t know if I’ll wanna be back here so soon. Especially if what YC said was wrong, and Wynter isn’t alive.

“The good news is, the nigga’s crib is only one story. Not even a basement. So there’s that.”

“And the bad news?”

Rico asks.

I bite the inside of my cheek.

“It’s a square with a courtyard in the middle, so we’re losing the element of surprise.”

“Welp. Fuck it then,”

YC grits. He presses on the gas, and smirks when a villa comes into view at the end of the quiet street.

“That gate looks hella cheap,”

he mumbles, flooring it.

“This nigga’s crazy!”

Rico cackles, holding onto the oh shit handle.

This nigga runs into the fucking gate. But the shit is cheap, though, because it doesn’t slow us down at all.

He keeps going up the driveway, making room for the cars behind us. As soon as he gets to the roundabout, we hop out and start firing at the niggas coming out the front door.

We easily overpower them, making our way through the gaudy ass house. This nigga got leopard print wallpaper and bear skin rugs. I hate a nigga who spends their money on dumb shit.

Like, a nigga pops out from behind a statue of, I kid you not, a knight. I give him three in the head just because I’m pissed.

Me and YC went right, while Rico and Autumn went left. As we check all the increasingly ugly ass rooms, we take care of two more niggas, but by the time we make it to the back of the house, it’s eerily empty.

Until we move out the second to last room into the hallway.

And see a short nigga with a fat ass lean belly full of shit holding Wyn by her neck.

Seeing her makes me curse under my breath.

She’s dirty as fuck, her head roughly shaved bald. Naked, so we see all the bruises marring her skin, and blood drying on her hands.

And worst, she looks out of it. Not even terrified. Defeated. And definitely on something.

“Take another step and I’ll blow this bitch’s brains out,”

his high ass voice rings out.

Rico and Autumn appear behind him, and Rico aims and puts one in the back of his head.

I rush forward to Wyn, who barely flinches when I grab her. That’s what I see the track mark in her arm.

This nigga… I empty my clip in his face for good measure.

“Here.”

Rico takes off his flannel and puts it on Wynter, before lifting her bridal style in his arms.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

YC nods.

“Burn this muthafucka down!”

he shouts, and the Collective men get to work as we exit this eyesore.

Rico sets Wyn into the back, but Autumn stops me from getting in the passenger.

“We’re gonna drive back, so they don’t see Auty like this. I’ll tell Turkey.”

I pull her into my arms.

“Okay. Stay dangerous foreal, Autumn. And chin up; she’s gonna need you.”

She nods on my shoulder, squeezing me before releasing me. I nod at Rico, who returns it, before they climb in and drive off.

YC slaps my back hard as fuck, showing me he got the keys to another SUV.

“C’mon, nigga. You can finally tell me your intentions with my sister. And I’m warning you; if I don’t like the answer, I’m sideswiping an eighteen-wheeler on your side.”

I sigh a deep negro spiritual sigh.

“You and her got that vehicular manslaughter shit in common.”

This nigga grins, and in the dead of night with gold slugs, this nigga looks every bit of the murderer he’s named after.

Sahara

I can’t help but bite the skin around my thumbnail off as I watch the news. Three arsons. Three victims. The last of the Mathers brothers.

God, how could I have been so stupid! I should have known Sincere was full of shit. Acting like because he knew some big time niggas from Northupton, he’d be able to take over Foe Dub.

I should have known. That nigga’s more green than me.

Still, love makes you do stupid shit. Like believe a man, trust him to lead you when every fiber in your being is telling you not to.

And now look. These niggas he supposedly knew, that he made me do unspeakable things with, went up in flames. That fat one Qortez…

I sucked it up. I did what he required because I wanted a slice of the pie. I wanted what Bully promised me before my sister grew a backbone and snitched on him. I was seconds away from finally getting a seat at the table, so close I could taste it.

And now, I’m sitting on my couch with this doofus while the walls close in.

My phone vibrates on the coffee table. From the picture I know it’s Van, so I swipe my phone and silence the call.

“What the fuck are you gonna do, Sin?”

This nigga’s rocking back and forth, eyes glued to the tv screen.

“Le-let me think,”

he stammers, as my phone behind to vibrate again.

I sigh, standing up to take the call in my room.

“Yes, Van,”

I mutter as I close the door behind me.

“YOU’VE GOT TWENTY MINUTES TO GET TO STORYVILLE BEFORE I DOG WALK YOUR DUMB ASS ALL OVER THIS FUCKIN’ CITY!”

“Who–”

“I’M TALKING TO YOUR SIMPLE ASS. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I SACRIFICED FOR YOU?! WHAT I GAVE UP FOR YOU TO HAVE A NORMAL LIFE?! AND YOU’VE THROWN IT ALL AWAY FOR WHAT?! HAVE YOU LEARNED ANYTHING FROM WATCHING ME?!”

“You weren’t strong enough to do what needs to be done to stay on top. I am!”

“You stupid bitch! I did what needed to be done when I put that nigga in jail for trying you! I did what needed to be done when I took his money and gave us a new life! And look at what you’ve done… made an enemy out of Shad and all of Foe Dub–”

“They don’t even know I’m involved–”

I’m cut off by Van’s hysterical laughter.

“God, if I cut into your head and looked down, it would be a fucking bottomless pit. Shad’s known for months your stupid ass is all into Sincere. How do you think I know the first stop he’s making is to your condo!”

Blood rushes to my ears and I have to lean on the door for balance.

“Yeah, yo ass quiet now, huh? You were never built for that life, Sahara. You let that nigga get into your head because Shad kept you away, but he did it for a reason. Now look. I’m not letting you go out like that. But I’m not saving that nigga. Get to Storyville or I’m coming to you.”

*beep*beep*beep*

I take a few calming breaths before wiping the sweat off my forehead. I thought Shad figured I was cheating, but him knowing about Sincere…

I gotta go.

Thank God all my important documents are with Van. I grab my wallet off the nightstand and walk back into the living room.

“You gotta go.”

Sincere stops rocking to ball his face up at me.

“What are you talking about?”

I lick my lips.

“You gotta go, Sincere. I’m leaving with Van, and you gotta go too.”

Sincere hops up but I hold my hand up, making him freeze.

“It’s like that, bae? We can figure this shit out.”

“It’s nothing to figure out, Sin… Shad knows.”

“No–”

“He does. And he’s on his way here. I love you, Sin… take care of yourself.”

I wipe my face and turn toward the door.

“You can’t just leave me, Sahara! I need you!”

He grabs my arm and turns me toward him so I start whacking him with my wallet.

“It’s over, Sin! We lost! It’s over!”

“Just… give me a second… to think! Fuck!”

He throws me back toward the couch.

I lose my balance and outstretch my arms to find purchase.

But I miss the couch entirely.

A wet squelch sounds off in my ears, followed by a hot flash of pain at the base of my skull.

The last thing I see is Sincere’s haunted face before my world goes black.