Page 15 of Juke (DeLuca Brothers #4)

Boom

Me and the boys were posted up in the living room, talking through how to get back at Juke. Yesterday’s fight was still fresh, and my ego was still bruised.

“We hitting him where it hurts,” I said, leaning forward.

Dre nodded. “So, how we gone do that?”

Before I could answer, the door swung open, and Nessa walked in with face screwed up.

“What’s yo’ problem?” I asked.

She dropped her bag on the chair. “That nigga Juke been acting real brand new since that Sophi bitch been ’round.”

“Perfect. I can help you fix that.” I smirked.

“You’on even fuck with him.” She cut her eyes at me. “Why would you help me?”

“Because you can help me,” I said. “I just need you to get him somewhere by himself. That’s it.”

“Nah, Boom.” She shook her head. “I’m not getting in the middle of yo’ shit with him.”

“You’ll do the shit if I tell you to,” I warned.

She frowned. “No, the fu—”

I grabbed a handful of her hair, not enough to hurt bad but enough to make my point. “You’re my fucking sister, Nessa. You gone do what the fuck I tell you to do. And if you don’t, I promise you’ll wish you had.”

“You serious right now?” She whimpered.

“Deadass.” I let her go, stepping back. “Figure the shit out… then come talk to me.”

She grabbed her bag again and walked out without another word.

I looked back at the boys. “Now… where we at with the rest of this?”

Dre leaned forward. “If we get him alone, we can catch him before he gets backup. Clean hit. No crowd. No eyes.”

“Exactly,” I said. “We keep it quick, keep it quiet. Nessa’s gone be the bait. Soon as he takes it, we move.”

“She ain’t gone like that shit. You know she loves that nigga.” Tay smirked.

“She ain’t gotta like it,” I said flatly. “She just gotta do it.”

We went over the timing, who would be where, and how we’d block his exits.

The plan was shaping up. I could already see it playing out, but in my head, I knew Nessa wasn’t built for this.

She was in love with that bitch ass nigga.

If she had any fucking sense, she would jump at the opportunity to pay him back for the bullshit he put her through over the years.

Family or not, she was just another piece on the board, and I was about to move her exactly where I needed her to be.

***

a few days later…

Me and Tina were strolling through the mall, moving at her pace while she ducked in and out of stores, picking up every other thing like she might buy it. I didn’t mind. Watching her in that fitted dress was worth the trip.

“You’ve been staring at me all day,” she leaned in and whispered.

“That’s because I’m plotting on a place I can take you and bend you over right quick.” I smirked.

She grinned, and about to answer before my phone buzzed with a call from Nessa.

“What?” I answered.

“You said this was supposed to be easy.” She snapped. “But every time I turn around, Juke’s got that Sophi bitch up under him. How am I supposed to do what you want if he won’t even pay me no attention?”

“That’s sounds like some shit you need to be figuring out, but you better figure it the fuck out. Do whatever you’ve been doing.”

“You ain’t hearing me,” she shot back. “That bitch is always with him. He ain’t checking for me like that.”

“I’on care if he checks for you. I care about him being in the right place when I say so. Do whatever the fuck you gotta do, Nessa. I’on care how you gotta do it either. If that means getting that Sophi bitch out the way, then do that shit.”

She was quiet for a beat, then said, “You asking me to do this, but you’on see―”

“Cut the bullshit,” I interrupted. “You worried ’bout the wrong shit. Just do what the fuck I said.” I didn’t give her a chance to respond before I hung up.

Tina tilted her head at me. “What was that about?”

“Nothing,” I said, slipping my phone back in my pocket.

We’d barely made it three steps before this dude stepped out from near one of the stores. He was tall, broad, and clearly sizing me up like he was trying to figure if he wanted to approach me or not.

“Aye, you know a girl named Sophi?” he asked.

“Who the fuck is asking?” I snarled.

He lifted his hands slightly, smirking like he knew he was stirring some shit up. “She’s my girl. Least she was, ’til she dipped while I was locked up. I’m just tryna find her so we can talk.”

I stared him down for a few seconds. “What makes you think I know her?”

“’Cause I heard her name when you were on the phone.”

That’s when it clicked. I let a slow grin spread across my face. “Yeah… I know exactly who she is, and I know who she with now—a nigga named Juke.”

“Oh, yeah?” His jaw ticked.

“Mhm.” I stepped in close enough for him to catch my meaning. “You really want her back? I can help you, and you can help me in the process, by taking that nigga out.”

He didn’t even hesitate. “Bet. What’s your number?”

We swapped info, and I typed his name into my phone… Rio.

“I’ll be in touch,” I told him, putting my phone back into my pocket.

When I turned back around, Tina was eyeing me. “What the hell was that about, Cardell?”

“Opportunity,” was all I said. “Just found me the perfect one.”

We kept walking with Tina still side-eyeing me like she wanted to dig deeper, but I wasn’t telling her shit.

The less she knew, the better. In my head, though?

The pieces were starting to fall into place.

I’d been looking for a way to pull Juke out of pocket and make him vulnerable.

Now, out of nowhere, here comes this strange ass nigga claiming the same girl that Juke calls himself with.

Rio didn’t even realize he just signed himself up for something bigger than getting his girl back.

He was gone be my distraction, my pressure point.

I didn’t need him to like me, or trust me.

I just needed him to want her bad enough to follow my lead.

I smirked to myself, already picturing the way his face would look when I started taking shit from him piece by piece, and he’d never see it coming.