Page 25

Crown Gravehart

" S tanding there mean mugging the hospital won't get you back in Four's room." Rize probably said the one thing everyone in the parking garage was thinking.

"Aye, shut the fuck up," Wolfe said, mushing the nigga.

"Put your hands on me, and I'ma show you where your heart's buried forreal." The little nigga was joking, but he picked the wrong muthafuckin' thing to joke about with the wrong nigga. I spotted Wolfe reaching for his heat before anyone else and stepped in front of Rize.

"Chill," I told him. Wolfe side-stepped me, moving his hand from his waist to place his gun on the hood of the car, then swung on Rize.

"I’m ‘bout to whoop your old ass?" He taunted Wolfe, who smirked, ready for whatever.

"Nigga, you not gon' speak up on some big brother shit?" I asked Honor.

"Nah." He shrugged, and I stepped out the way.

I leaned against Lynx's whip along with him and Honor and watched as Wolfe and Rize went head up. The shit was more entertaining than I thought. Wolfe was getting the best of Rize, but he still held his own, getting in a few licks Wolfe didn't see coming.

"Ight that's enough," Honor declared after a few minutes of them going pound for pound.

Rize held his hands up in surrender. But that shit was a rookie mistake. Wolfe caught him with a quick two-piece to the stomach, dropping him. On the ground, Rize wheezed, fighting to catch his breath.

"Nigga, say some shit 'bout my heart again, joking or not, and I'm ending your shit," Wolfe gritted.

"Ight, nigga, my bad." Rize coughed.

"Young nigga got hands but can't take the wind being knocked outta him. Crown, where you find this nigga?" Wolfe laughed, helping Rize off the ground. I shrugged.

"Are y’all done acting childish?" Honey asked, popping up out of nowhere, followed by the rest of the women.

"Is she still not letting anyone in the room?"

"No, but Lakelyn said she'll sit outside her room if you want to get some rest and food," Chosyn answered, doing her best not to let the tears stop her from talking.

I ran my hand over my face 'cause this shit was too much.

"Chosyn, you gotta go home. Seeing you cry is fucking me up."

"She's my best friend! What do you expect?" she shouted before burying her face in Wolfe's chest.

"We know, but you gotta chill, my heart. Let me take you home or at least to get some food," Wolfe said to her in a soothing voice I ain't ever hear that nigga speak in. "We can get your fav."

"Wolfie, it's six in the morning. Where are we going to get lobster mac and cheese with lamb chops? You know I only like it from our spot," Chosyn sniffled.

"I'll call and wake shawty up and see if she’s willing to throw some shit together for you, cool?"

"Okay." They shared a kiss, and a nigga cringed. They had to get the fuck outta here with that lovey-dovey shit.

"Ight. I'm up," Wolfe announced, dapping everyone. "Hit me if you need me," he said to me.

"The minute River lets anyone in her room, let me know," Chosyn said, hugging me.

"I got you." I hugged her back, then she and Wolfe took off.

"None of this shit makes sense." I sighed, tugging at one of my braids. "You were in the car with her, right?" I nodded toward Kysre.

After River burst open her stitches and wouldn't chill, the nurses gave her a sedative and did an overview of Kysre. Other than a couple of scrapes, she was cool and got discharged.

"Yeah."

"Ight, so what happened?"

Kyree moved closer toward her twin. She wasn't fully blocking Kysre from me, but she positioned herself in a way that allowed her to get to me before I got to Kysre.

"She seemed off that whole night. Honey and I were talking to her before her race. She was talking but seemed distant. She said something about getting a drink and went over to Rook."

"Who the fuck is Rook?" Honor asked, beating me to it.

"He’s and old head that shows up at the races from sometimes," Honey answered.

"Then why haven't I met the nigga?"

"River rarely talks to him. He reminds her too much of her past, so she keeps her distance." Honey thought she was explaining shit, but too many holes were in the story.

"Where can I find him?"

"Crown, it's not—" Honey started until Kysre gave up the info I needed.

"He owns an auto body shop in Briar Ridge. I don't know if he gave River a drink or not, tho'."

"Rook wouldn't do that," Honey defended. "He's like a father to her."

"But the nigga didn't come to see her? Some father," I scoffed.

"What you wanna do?" I gave Honor a look, confirming what he knew I was about to do.

"Fuck it. We out then. Navy, ride with Honey."

"Honor, no," Navy pleaded, holding on to this nigga's hoodie for dear life.

"It's cool. I can handle this alone. Y'all go with your women," I said to Lynx and Honor. "Rize, make sure the twins get home safe."

"Nah, you’re pulling up on some nigga alone," Honor said mean-mugging Navy. "Go home, and I'll hit you when I'm done," he told her.

I knew Navy. She would always go against her wants to obey what Honor said.

The shit seemed ideal in some ways, but in others, it came off like she lost her voice in the midst of them.

I fucked with them both. They were my siblings, but my heart went out to Navy.

Had this been something dire, she wouldn't have stopped him from coming with me.

"I'm good forreal. Go with Navy," I encouraged.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah. Ain't shit an old nigga gon' do to me that I can't do to him first."

Honor looked like he wanted to say more, but left it alone. He dapped Lynx and me, then took off hand in hand with Navy.

"Take Honey home," I told Lynx.

Like Honor, the nigga had more words but kept it short, telling me to hit him if I needed anything. Watching him and Honey drive off, I turned toward Rize and the twins.

"He's gonna make sure y'all get home."

"Nah, I'm going with you," Kyree confidently stated.

"What?" I frowned.

"I'm. Coming. With. You." She spaced out her words like a nigga was slow.

"I fucking heard you."

"Okay. Why are we still here talking instead of going to see Rook?"

"Because your ass is not coming. Rize, take them home."

"Man, bring y'all asses—" Rize went to grab Kyree by the arm, triggering something in the twins.

They both pulled out .22s and aimed them at Rize.

"Touch me, and I won't miss," Kyree seethed. Her whole fucking demeanor changed.

"We aren't just pretty faces. We don't move because a nigga tells us to.

If Kyree said we're going with you, then that's what the fuck we're doing.

Or we can call Rook and give him a heads-up about a certain Gravehart demon looking for him.

We can be assets or liabilities, your choice," Kysre warned, narrowing her eyes in my direction.

"Fuck do y'all wanna come for anyway?"

"Kysre said something about River not being able to control the steering wheel.

Before leaving the race, I heard Rook call a tow truck for the car to be taken to his spot.

If it was foul play, I wanna know and find out who did it.

I owe a lot to River, and Kysre is my twin. This shit isn't going unanswered."

"Crown, I know you’re not considering this shit. Let me take them home. Anyone can pull a gun, but it takes a ruthless muthafucka to pull the trigger and sleep peacefully at night. Twins gon' fuck around and have night terrors." Rize smirked.

"My heart's been cold for a minute. Night terrors didn't hit when a nigga started touching on me when I was five.

They damn sure ain't come when I killed that same nigga at eighteen.

I'm twenty-one now with a few more bodies, and I still sleep like a newborn baby.

Trust me, I'm good." Kyree winked at Rize.

"Shit," Rize forced out.

"Fuck it. Bring y'all asses on, but this nigga's riding with y'all." I tossed my chin toward Rize.

"Cool," they replied in unison.

"My car's out front. Meet me over there," I told Kyree, since I knew she drove here.

Walking back into the hospital, I had to fight everything in me not to go back to the fourth floor and see Four. Bypassing the elevators, I headed out the front and nodded toward the security guard I had to hem up when I first got here.

"Good lookin'." I nodded, then dipped in my car to grab a stack I usually kept for instances when I needed cash.

The nigga didn’t deserve it but I still tossed it his way, and this nigga fumbled, dropping it on the floor.

I shook my head, got back in my car, and sent Lakelyn a text.

Four didn't know it, but her moms and I talked often.

Conversations weren't more than a quick check-in, but they meant something to me.

I didn't know Emily's people and hated that shit.

They weren't dead, but she swore they would never approve of our relationship like a nigga lacked decorum.

That shit hurt 'cause a part of me felt Emily was embarrassed by a nigga.

I took Four introducing me to her mom as her wanting Lakelyn and I to have a relationship.

So I did my part, pulling up whenever Lakelyn needed me to fix something around the house or needed groceries, but couldn't make it before getting out of work.

Me:

Still not letting you in?

Mama Lakelyn:

No, but the minute she does, I'll let you know.

Me:

Thanks.

Kyree pulling up next to me gave me the focus I needed. I tossed my phone on the passenger seat before signaling for Kyree to lead the way. She took off in her Mustang GT, speeding through the parking lot.

Not one to fuck around, the second we pulled up to the auto shop and saw a car parked out front, I took aim.

Rize, Kyree, and Kysre all followed suit.

By the time we finished, the car was sitting on four flats surrounded by glass, and the body was riddled with bullets.

The four of us stood next to it, waiting for the owner to come out.

"Y'all think someone called the cops after all that shit?" Rize questioned.

"Nigga, if you scared, just say that." Kyree snickered.