Page 29

Usually, we would never have this problem because the two worlds would never mix. Sin had grown up in the same neighborhood as us back in LA, but we never interacted enough for him to have recognized my voice as Ice. I pulled up my mask and watched the horror fill her face .

“But you can’t do this. You’re not supposed to do things like this. What about our oath?” she said with a voice laced with fear and confusion. I guess it was ok for her to attempt to take a life, but I couldn’t do the same, even though we were both under the same oath.

“Hmph.” I didn’t even bother to answer her.

“Brice? But…. You’re Ice?” Sin asked.

“The one and only,” I said. After I’d taken over for Cash, I still answered to Brice.

One had named me Ice but never said it in the streets.

I could only remember one time that he’d called me that in Cash’s presence, but his ass was knocked out then, so he hadn’t known either.

I started to be acknowledged as Ice when I put the mask on as Two.

From that day forward, Brice had disappeared in the streets.

Continuing with my task, I pulled the IV pole, which already had an IV bag affixed, around the table so that I could reach her arm.

I put on a pair of gloves and opened the administration set.

The closer I got to her, the more she began to pull against the restraints.

It didn’t matter; she was making my job easier.

All the fisting and tugging she was doing was making all the blood flow quickly through her veins enlarging them.

I took her hand while she pulled to get it away, easily sticking the IV needle into her hand.

“Fuck! Let her go, man. I made her do that stuff,” he said. The look in his eyes told me he believed he had some power.

“Do what stuff? I thought you just said she didn’t have shit to do with this.” I stated .

“I told her to try to get to you at the hospital. She tried to get you to holler at her, but you wouldn’t bite.” he rushed out.

“Interesting. Because no one can make you do anything, every decision we make is a choice, meaning she wanted to do it,” I said as I picked up the vial of morphine, turned it upside down, and inserted the syringe. I filled it and attached it to the IV cannula.

“Wait, wait …no, no, no…. what is that?” She shakily asked while she pleaded.

“Oh, this? This is morphine. I’m just going to give you a little bit right now to take the edge off, then I’m going to add Potassium Nitrate so that you can slowly begin to die. You’re familiar with that combination, right?” I asked.

“See, if Nurse Newton here tried to run game on me, it was weak. Because I, for damn sure, didn’t notice.

So I guess she decided to get at me another way.

She went into my woman’s room while she was fighting for her life and chose to give her a deadly combination of medicine.

Now, you’re lying there telling me that you made her do that? ”

“Ye…ye…yeah,” he stuttered out.

“Ok. Let's keep it going if that’s where we’re headed. Who made you tell her to come after me and mine?” I asked. He looked me dead in the eyes and then turned his head. I rolled the tray with surgical instruments over to where they sat between the two tables.

“Have you ever had surgery before, Sin? It hurts like a motherfucker,” I said as I picked up a scalpel.

“Especially if you’re not under anesthesia, let’s see how long you can go before you pass out.

Hmmm, where to start? How much are kidneys going for on the black market, Rock?

” I asked as I began my cut right between his ribs, where one of his kidneys sat.

His blood-curdling screams filled the room.

I quickly packed the wound with gauze to slow the amount of blood loss.

“Stop, stop, please stop,” Charise screamed out as she began to cry uncontrollably.

“Just tell him, Sin, please tell him.” She continued.

“Tell me, Sin,” I said as I picked up the scalpel again.

“Nina. Nina Nine,” he huffed through tight breaths.

“Alright. I ain’t seen her in a minute, what she got you up to, Sincere?” I asked. I was hoping for a quick response, but instead he was mute.

“Oh, no answer? Rock, did you find out what that black market kidney rate was? I need to know the price for two now,” I said as I walked around the other side of the table.

I glanced down at his body to determine if he could endure another cut before he passed out or died.

I had no way of knowing for sure without the proper monitoring equipment.

I placed the scalpel to his skin and slowly began cutting before he babbled more information.

“She’s working with the Italian Mafia. It’s some nigga named Costa. She’s moving guns and shit man. Costa gives her guns; she gives him your product.”

Mmmhmm Stealing! Shit I already know!

“Back in two thousand nine, kidneys were going for one hundred sixty thousand. I know they’re going for twice that today. Inflation a bitch,” Rock cut in.

“What else?” I asked, holding the scalpel in position .

“Wait, wait,” he said breathlessly.

“Nina told me to get with this other nurse named Ivy Smith. She told me that she could be leveraged against both sides. Told me not to fall for her, but I did. That’s why I never told her about you.

She wanted me to get her to do everything at the hospital, but I didn’t want her involved in this shit.

She’s a good woman. Nina didn’t know about Charise, but also didn’t tell me why I needed to use Ivy or how she knew her,” Sin said.

I glanced at Lynx to catch her eye. She’d heard the same information I had.

The information she was trying to piece together had just fallen into place.

I quickly tipped my head at her, and she nodded back.

“Damn, Charise, you hear that? This nigga was playing you. Now you laying on the table beside his ass and Ivy is hmm where is Ivy?” I asked.

“I didn’t tell you that for you to go after her,” Sin said quickly.

“Charise, I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” I looked at her and shook my head.

He was already going to die, so I didn’t have it in me to tell him his precious Ivy was a man-eater. I wondered if he knew she would willingly bend over for me, and any other man, for that matter. I moved back to the other side, which was covered in gauze, and began to remove it.

“You’re worried about me when you never asked yourself why Nina wanted you to finagle her in the first place.

Not to mention, Nina is still out there somewhere, probably headed to get Ivy since she can’t find you.

I’ve known her a long time, and Nina will always be about Nina and only Nina.

Anyways, let’s get this kidney out,” I said, hoping to make him talk.

“Please tell him everything so we can get out of here,” Charise said.

“Damn, I almost forgot you were here. Don’t worry, you’ll both get to leave, assuming he told me everything. Did you?” I looked at Sin, tilted my head, trying to determine if the next thing to come out of his mouth would be a lie.

“Okay, if that’s all.” I shrugged, my hands to the ceiling.

“Tell him, Sin,” Charise begged.

“Nina is not looking for Ivy because she’s out of the country.

She’s in Italy. We met downtown last weekend, and she told me not to contact her while she was away.

Costa has a thing for her. They’re always together, but she doesn’t know that I know.

She also didn’t say when she’d be back. That’s it,” he said in relief.

News I could fucking use!

“Thank you,” I said as I walked down to his feet and pretended to undo his restraints.

“When that morphine wears off, you can get Nurse Newton here to sew you back up. That’s if she doesn’t get up and finish your ass off.

Oooohhh! You know what I almost forgot, though?

I let you see my face. Can’t have that I said,” Letting off three quick shots, one head and two to his chest. Charise’s cries could be heard as Rock and I made our way out of the room.

“Go to work, Baby,” I said to Lynx as I kissed her forehead. She and Lioness descended upon the table before the door could close fully. Moments later, I heard her screams before three more shots were let off.

Guess I didn’t need that Potassium Nitrate after all. Two down. Nina and her fake ass Italian Mafia ties to go.