Page 33 of Grace's Redemption

Six

MASE

Iswung my feet off the side of the bed. I looked over my shoulder. They woman I met last night, sound asleep.

I grinned.

I fucked her into a coma. She liked it rough and I accommodated her request. I dropped a couple of bills on the nightstand, she wasn’t a pro, but it was a nice gesture on my part. She told me her story, something about running away and a better life.

I half listened.

She may be insulted at first, but she’d appreciate it.

I put the do not disturb sign on the door and left.

I secured my bag to the back of my bike and heard the buzzing noise.

I pulled out the burner phone duct taped to the side of the compartment under my seat.

I looked at the caller id and my heart dropped. It was Derrick. He was the only one who knew the number. He was told not to use it, which meant some shit had gone down. He respected me enough to not use it to simply brag to me about some woman he fucked. Or some banger he roughed up.

I doubt he’d have used if he was in trouble, which meant it was either my dad, Mattie or Grace.

I flipped the phone open, squeezed my eyes shut, and waited.

“Mase.” The anguish in his voice crawled into my heart.

I clutched my chest and rubbed it with my knuckles, the way you’d do to an unconscious patient to revive them.

I hadn’t spoken.

“Mase man. It’s Mattie.”

I dropped to my knees. I rested a hand on my bike.

“Fuck. He’s gone.” Derrick sobbed in the phone. “I’m sorry man, but he’s gone.”

I rested my head on my arms. My body warred with itself. My heart felt the sadness and despair, my brain went for an all-consuming anger so quick, it scared me.

“How?” Was all I could manage.

“Vipers.” Derrick said. “They did it in our home. Gunned him down last night as he was coming back. They had to be waiting for him.”

“He was alone?” I held my hand up. I gripped the phone so tight, the case cracked.

“We were on a ride, fucked up some Vipers shit in Pennsylvania and Maryland.”

“This was payback.” I stood up.

“Maybe. But, the timing’s all off …” Derrick voice trailed off.

The anger side of me won out. I cracked the phone in half. I didn’t need to hear any more. I jumped on my bike and kick started it. I revved the engine. The mean noise matched the roar in my heart. I did a mental calculation. If I rode straight through, I’d be back home in three days. Or, I could drive thirty minutes to the nearest airport and be home in four hours.

Fuck me. No one would let me on a plane like this.

I palmed the handle of the gun in the back of my pants and pulled it out and secured it in front of me.

I walked the bike out of the parking space and turned it, I squeezed the handle and took off.