Page 25 of For the Love of City

“I just needed that shit confirmed, I got a good feeling about who set me up.” I rubbed my face in anticipation of what he was going to tell me.

“You know all the players or just the main one?”

That had me sitting back because his words meant there was far more going on than just the Laws. Which now had me intrigued.

“Got damn not a conspiracy to get at your boy.”

Yacouba released the cloud of smoke through his nose as he nodded. “Yeah and them snakes were closer than you thought.”

“Don’t leave me guessing who was it?”

He pulled out a phone that looked regular to the naked eye, but with the way it was lighter than the phone I held in my hand, I was sure it was some high tech extra spy shit.

I never questioned Yacouba and the access he and the Consortium had to all kinds of shit.

It was just a given that they could get information.

The hows and whys weren’t really my business.

I just knew they came through for me and looked out whenever was necessary.

And in return, we were more than ready to provide manpower and information when needed.

I took the phone and tried to keep my leg from shaking in anticipation.

I wasn’t one to react irrationally especially since I’d been having fun making the niggas I knew were coming for me sweat wondering when I was going to come for them.

I’d been out for two years and hadn’t made a move.

The Laws had been scrambling behind the scenes to keep as much talent as they could but they mainly stayed out of sight.

At least at first. They’d slowly started trying to make waves again holding talent shows and making promises to young people who were desperate in a last ditch effort to rebuild their more than depleted roster.

As soon as the shit with D-Mill and Lyric came out, plenty of people wanted to jump ship.

When it was leaked that they were stealing from their artists in deals that were more twisted than something Death Row would’ve put together lawsuits and attorney’s fees cost them whatever money they had set aside.

I scrolled through the information and didn’t want to waste too much time. I knew this nigga and his wife were freaky as fuck and I didn’t want to come across some shit that might have me with a bullet in my head for seeing something I wasn’t supposed to.

My eyes drifted over the information, which was neatly organized with names and hyperlinks.

The first three didn’t surprise me, but the bitch that was listed was surprising.

With the way she was constantly trying to be up under us, I had to wonder if it was a setup from the start or revenge on her part.

I handed his phone back to him my mind running quickly. “Times like this I wish my ass was still inside.”

“For what? Self-control?”

“Nah, so that I could handle this tonight instead of having to plan shit out.”

D-Mill’s ass was still locked up and would be getting transferred to state prison to serve his time for assault.

“What you thinking?” His eyes were lit up like he’d been waiting to get his hands dirty again for a minute.

I motioned to his phone with my head. “According to that, everything starts with D-Mill so that’s step one. At least when it comes to Lyric. The Laws though, they getting too fucking loud thinking I won’t cut up now that I got to wear loafers and shit.”

Yacouba shook his head as he finished his blunt laughing. “Not loafers, my nigga.”

“And will still cut a nigga down.”

“How you need us to move? I told you a long time ago how shit was when you became family and none of that shit changes just cause your ass is in the spotlight. How you moved when we were locked up solidified y’all and your bloodlines as being tied to mine.

And it’s been a minute since I got to have fun. ”

I chuckled and knew he was pouting for real. I knew about the rift between him and Jahmir and after he got back in the fold Yacouba was all too happy. But now it seemed he was making up for lost time and not including his friends in the madness.

“Priest having all his fun without you?”

Yacouba frowned and I knew I’d hit the mark. “Damn right. Telling us shit after the fact like I don’t like to kill people. He bout to get as bad as Liam with his fucking therapy and shit.”

I could only chuckle at how insane Yacouba sounded. “Y’all niggas are wild, bruh.”

“You still ain’t answer me.”

I was hesitant because I knew he wanted to help but this was still something the family needed to take care of. “This is something we got to do. The three of us. Giving the information is more than enough.”

“I’m over here saying we family and shit and I still can’t up my gun? Why all my niggas turning out to be selfish bruh? This some bullshit.” His big overgrown ass was really pouting about not being able to get wild.

My eyes darted around the club again trying to keep my eye out for Travis and keep an eye out for the Laws to make sure they didn’t get out of sight. “I’m sure one of y’all gone want something shot up soon, tell them niggas to stop loving on their wives so hard and get into some shit.”

Yacouba cut his eyes at me before he said some vengeful shit. “I’mma tell their asses you trying to fuck up their happy home.”

“We family so you trying to get me killed? Damn, the reversal on that pledge was quick as hell.”

He rubbed his beard thoughtfully but he spoke up. “Not killed, they might want a pound of flesh. Literally.”

I looked down at my torso and laughed. “Ain’t got that much to spare nigga, got damn.”

“You bigger than you were, lanky ass. I see you all bulked up some. You gone say who she is?” The look on Yacouba’s face meant he already knew something was up. Either because he’d been there before or because he’d had eyes on us.

“She?” I couldn’t keep the grin off my face even when I tried.

He grinned harder as he pointed at me. “It’s all over your face my nigga. But it’s cool. Long as when we check her out she comes back clean. We’ll welcome her to the family with open arms.”

“Preciate it.”

“Aye, them niggas rolling out and they mad as fuck.”

Yacouba was laughing and we turned to watch the Laws and the rest of their entourage shoot us dirty looks as they made their way out of their section.

I wasn’t bothered by it because that fake love shit they’d just tried was enough for me.

Them thinking they were being funny or that we were good with one another didn’t sit right with me.

I would hate them niggas until I took my last breath for how they tried to play Lyric, but Jury had a special dose of hatred I was reserving just for him.

“Long as they stay mad over there they can stay breathing. But if they wanna be brave I got a bullet with their name on it.”

As badly as I wanted to be methodical and not fuck up shit on the business end, the wild part of me wanted them niggas to buck.

I could imagine tossing Judge’s lame ass over the balcony and have Jury following.

Their bodies sprawled out in a heap on the dance floor below as I lit their bodies up with bullets was playing in my mind.

But the brand I had to protect meant shit like that couldn’t happen.

I’d done plenty of crazy shit in my life but I’d never been that reckless.

Despite knowing this nigga next to me could make that shit go away like it was nothing still didn’t tempt me.

I wanted to wring out the last of their money, pride and self-respect before I ended their lives.

But Smoke being ready to get active just because had me looking at him funny. Again.

I slow blinked looking at this dude but he kept his eyes trained on the Laws. “And he communicating threats instead of just killing people? Wow.”

Smoke’s eyes narrowed at me before he snidely said, “It’s called growth, my nigga.”

“I feel as though you having a personality now means you’ve reached a deeper level of depravity because now you actually have shit you give a fuck about.” I lit a blunt to calm my nerves and watched as my words hit Smoke in a way I was sure he didn’t expect.

A wide grin split his face, and I could only laugh. It was like hanging out with Jack Oswald White and not blinking an eye at the shit he did. “Damn, you might be right.”

Yacouba sat up grabbing our attention in the process. He pulled out the bottle of Prism he’d brought with him before cracking it open.

“Let that man be his version of normal for now. Ain’t no telling when he gone snap. You ain’t even let him tell you about him and Jada almost getting charged with elder abuse because Jada hit an old lady with her own cane.”

“My nigga, what?”

“That old bitch had it coming. Bumped into Sweets and ain’t say excuse me.

I was ready to hasten her to His throne but I chilled.

” Smoke shrugged and stayed leaned against the side of the couch his eyes still scanning the crowd.

I sat wordlessly trying to figure out if he was being serious but it was pointless because of course he was.

Yacouba smacking me on the arm was the only reason I stopped staring at Smoke like he was an alien in a meat suit. I turned to Yacouba and he was pouring liquor out into the glasses that were on the table. He moved them toward each of us despite Smoke staring at it like it was poison.

“I came here to chill with my people so that’s what we gone do. Trouble will always come but for now we ignoring that shit and vibing. Raise your glasses so we can get tonight started right.”