Page 70 of Cannon

Riot slid into the booth across from me, Creed beside him. Neither spoke until the waitress had come and gone with their coffee orders.

“What’s this about?” Riot finally asked, his voice low and hostile.

“Smoke put a hit out on you,” I said, not bothering with small talk. “Half a million to take you out.”

Creed’s eyebrows shot up. “How do you know?”

“Because he offered me the job.”

Riot’s hand twitched toward his waistband. I knew he was carrying but I wasn’t worried because I was too.

“Relax,” I said. “If I wanted you dead, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Why you telling us this?” Riot demanded. “What’s your angle?”

I took a sip of my coffee. “No angle. Just thought you should know someone’s trying to put you in the ground. And that maybe we could work together to take him and his crew down.”

Creed studied my face, his eyes more calculating than his brother’s. “You ready to take that inheritance money our mother left you? Is that what this is really about?”

I snorted. “Da fuck? Naw. I don’t want shit from that woman. She wasn’t my mother. I’m dead-ass serious about Smoke.”

“You crazy,” Riot shook his head. “That’s millions you’re turning down.”

“He’s right,” Creed added. “That’s crazy. Money’s money.”

“I don’t need her money. I got my own.” Or I would, once I figured out how to access my crypto wallet. I had been so caught up with other things, like killing Gage and working on the club, that I hadn’t hired a hacker yet.

“So why the warning?” Riot pressed. “We ain’t exactly family.”

“Ion fuck wit y’all but we’re still blood,” I said simply. “And Smoke’s moving against you because you’re cutting into his business and that y’all killed his nephew. Some lil nigga named Carmelo.”

Riot’s eyes narrowed. “That nigga had it coming. You know how the game goes.”

“Look, I know his operation and his crew well. I ran with them before your fuckin’ father set me up. I’m willing to give you intel in exchange for help getting to him and putting a bullet in his head…”

Just as the words left my mouth, the window next to our booth exploded inward, sending glass flying everywhere. I reacted on instinct, diving across the table, tackling both brothers to the floor as gunfire ripped through the diner. Screams erupted all around us as patrons scrambled for cover.

“Stay down!” I shouted, pulling my piece from my waistband.

I crawled to the edge of the booth, peering around the corner. Through the shattered window, I spotted a black Charger idling in the street, the barrel of a semi-automatic sticking out the passenger window.

“That’s Nero’s car,” I growled, recognizing Smoke’s son’s ride immediately. “Smoke’s son.”

I squeezed off three shots, aiming for the tires. The Charger peeled away, tires screaming against the pavement.

“Come on!” I yelled, already on my feet and running for the door.

Outside, I sprinted after the car, firing two more shots as it screeched around the corner. I could hear footsteps behind me, Riot and Creed joining the chase. The Charger was fast, but it had to slow for the turn, giving me just enough time to catch a glimpse of the plates.

We chased it for two blocks before it disappeared into traffic, leaving us standing in the middle of the street, breathing hard.

“What the FUCK was that?!” Riot spun on me, his face twisted with rage. “You set us up!”

“Are you stupid?” I shot back. “Why would I warn you about a hit and then try to kill you myself?”

“To throw us off! Make us trust you!” He stepped closer, getting in my face. “You workin’ with Smoke! Nigga, I should kill yo’ ass like my mother should’ve aborted you!”

That did it. I swung first, my fist connecting with his jaw hard enough to make him stagger. But Riot wasn’t soft, he came back with a right hook that caught me in the ribs. We went at it, trading blows in the middle of the street like we weren’t grown-ass men.