Page 72

Crown Gravehart

" N igga, can you hurry the fuck up?" I gritted.

"Don't fucking rush me. When's the last time you had to pick a fucking lock?"

"It's been a minute, I'm not gon' hold you." I laughed and leaned against the wall.

"Exactly. Stand the fuck still and let a nigga work. I might've been paying Rize too much money if he was able to afford this luxurious ass building. I didn't even know his ass was living in Onyx Hill until today. I thought he still had his spot in The Grove."

"Rize is good at what he does. The lil' niggas under him respect him. He's smart for getting a crib out here. No one would've suspected it."

"How did you find out about it?" Wolfe asked.

"Syn."

The door clicked open, and Wolfe looked back, grinning like he had just won us a billion dollars. I followed him inside, keeping my hand in my hoodie pocket, wrapped tight around the grip of my Glock. I hated shit had to come to this, but niggas were moving weird.

Rize's apartment was quiet and dark as shit, which could've been a good or bad thing.

"I'ma sweep the back of the crib. Clear the front."

I nodded and did a quick sweep of the loft-style apartment.

Rize's spot was too small for my liking, but I could see how it was appealing to him.

The place looked barely lived in, but that shit was normal.

Onyx Hills was too far out of the way for Rize to come back here every night.

He kept it clean, and if you didn't know this place belonged to Rize, you probably never would have.

Nothing tying this spot to him was left out for an intruder to find.

Rize was clever, and that was one reason I put him on the team.

"It's clear," Wolfe announced, coming into the living room.

"Now we wait."

Wolfe eased down onto the edge of the couch and sparked up. I stayed standing with my back against the wall.

"Did the girls make it to the crib yet?" I asked, taking the blunt from Wolfe.

"Yeah. I got an alert ten minutes ago. They're straight."

I didn't respond. My mind was working in silence, trying to piece this shit together.

River dated Sincere.

River drove the car the day Sincere shot at me.

Emily was fucking Sincere.

Emily was lining me up for Sincere.

Niggas robbed our spot, burned the money, and took the drugs.

Choyce claimed someone was trying to set up shop in Ember Hills

Ember Hills is Lynx's stomping grounds.

Lynx linked me with Syn.

Rakim is Sincere's people.

Rakim knows Lynx.

Lynx and Rize are cool.

Is Syn, Rize, and Lynx a part of this?

Is fucking Four a part of this shit?

Too many fucking scenarios and too many fucking questions went unanswered for too fucking long.

"This nigga's too comfortable," Wolfe muttered, gesturing for the blunt back. "He doesn't have no cameras, no dog, and yeah, it took me a minute to jimmy the lock, but I still got in this bitch. His shit is too wide open for him to be on fuck shit."

"Nah. A nigga who thinks he got over don't have shit to worry about. You see how Lynx's been moving like shit is cool for six fucking months," I gritted.

"You think he's been on fuck shit for that long?"

"Longer—"

The sound of keys outside the door clipped my sentence short. I tensed, sliding my gun from my pocket. Wolfe stood, a blunt pinched between his fingers and his pistol in the other hand. The door swung open. Rize walked in, mumbling some shit to the person behind him.

"How I'ma keep bringing you out with me when every time a baddie tries to slide, you wanna start blocking and acting like you're my girl."

"Because—"

Rize flipped the light switch, flooding the room with light. He froze, causing Kyree to bump into him. My gun was aimed before he blinked. Wolfe aimed his at Rize, too.

"What the hell are y'all doing?" Kyree frowned, coming from behind him.

"Go in the room, Kyree," Rize told her, keeping his gaze locked on our movements.

"I'm not leaving you with these two crazy muthafuckas," she smacked. "Let me call River and Chosyn because you niggas obviously lost y'all minds."

"I don't give a fuck who you call, but do that shit from this nigga's room," I barked.

"Watch how you speak to her, Crown. Handle me however, but don't disrespect her," Rize gritted, squaring his shoulders like he was willing to die about Kyree.

I smirked 'cause that shit was admirable.

"Tell her to go in the room, Rize 'cause I'm not a very tolerant nigga right now."

"I'm not?—"

"Kyree," he called out sharply.

"Fine, but I'm still telling River and Chosyn on y'all." Frowning, Kyree stomped out of the living room.

Taking slow steps toward Rize, I sized the young nigga up. He stood tall as if our guns didn't mean shit. His stance was that of a real street nigga — shoulders squared, chest lifted, letting us know he was standing in his truth yet daring us to question it.

"You have three minutes to convince me that you don't have shit to do with this Lynx and Rakim shit," I commanded, stopping less than a foot away from him.

"Fuck, I need three minutes for when my word should be enough.

I'm not a nigga you plucked from the litter and put to work.

I'm muthafuckin' Rivian, better known as Rize to these niggas out here.

I grew up in the muthafuckin' pink houses in Brooklyn.

Y'all niggas might not know what that means, but understand, certain shit is in my blood, and being a snake-ass nigga isn't one of 'em.

Anything I got wasn't given, including my position with y'all.

I dug myself out the mud for this shit. I put niggas I shared five-dollar Chinese plates with in hearses 'cause they were on fuck shit.

You know the type of nigga I am. Two things you can always count on when it comes to me: I put loyalty before all, and a rat nigga in the dirt. "

Rize stepped forward, his chest heaving with every word. His jaw was locked, voice sharp, and fear absent from his eyes. He wasn't pleading his case or trying to convince me that he was trustworthy. This nigga was daring me to pull the trigger if I really thought he was on fuck shit like Lynx.

"The young nigga got heart," Wolfe admitted, blowing out a cloud of smoke.

"He does." I smirked. "Go get Kyree and tell her snitching ass she's riding with us."

"I'll follow you. Neither of y'all should feel comfortable letting me sit behind y'all after the shit y'all just pulled," Rize said, smirking.

"Smart nigga," Wolfe told him, slapping his shoulder. "I'll be downstairs. Chosyn's blowing my shit up. She's probably wondering why Kysre pulled up with Phoenix and not me."

Wolfe dapped Rize up, then headed out. Rize and I remained toe-to-toe.

"You got something you wanna get off your chest?" I asked.

"Crown, you my nigga. I don't owe too many people shit in this life, but you, Honor, and Wolfe? Y'all could get a favor outta me whenever."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning if I knew Lynx was on fuck shit, it wouldn't have reached you, not 'til after I killed him, but this showed me we gotta clear up a few things.

The men I respect get one chance to aim a gun at me without consequences.

I'm young, so you might take what I say lightly.

.. but understand this, I'm a man before anything else.

I'm willin' to kill and die 'bout that shit, too. "

Rize gave me a quick once-over, then walked past me, heading to get Kyree. I could do nothing but chuckle. I respected that shit. A few minutes later, he came out carrying a duffle bag and holding Kyree's hand.

"Just 'cause Rize forgives you doesn't mean I do," Kyree stated, looking at me sideways. "And I told River what you did. She said she's putting her contacts in and throwing her glasses in the trash." She sassed, sticking her tongue out and rolling her eyes.

"Aye, you gotta shut up sometimes and let men handle shit how they do," Rize told her.

"Boy bye, because that man was going to kill you."

"I wasn't," I told them.

"I know." Rize chuckled. "You don't let niggas do too much talking."

"Exactly. Lock up and let's go."

I walked out the door and headed to the car, pulling out my phone as I walked.

Me

I better not walk in that house and see you wearing contacts. Blind or bifocals are your only options.

"A fucking gun, Cortez! Why the fuck would you point a gun at Kyree?" River spat the second I walked through the door.

Kyree's lying ass already came in the crib after I told Rize to stay back and smoke one with me.

After breaking into that nigga's house, I owed him an explanation.

I explained the situation with Sincere, River, Rakim, and Lynx as best I could.

At the end of it all, he was just as in his head about this shit as I was.

"Crown, I'm talking to you!" Four fumed, grabbing me by my hoodie.

I peered down at where she held my hoodie and then glared at her. She pulled her hand back, and I continued toward the kitchen, where I heard laughter.

"Aye, why you lying on me?" I asked Kyree, stalking toward her. Instinctively, Kysre moved toward her sister's side. It took everything in me not to flick her stupid ass out of the way. "I don't plan on touching her."

"Oh, nigga I know," Kysre sassed.

"Shit, you better not with all of us in here," Chosyn joined in, sucking her teeth.

"I didn't lie. I told her you had guns aimed at us," Kyree answered.

"The fuck you say that for when a gun wasn't pointed at you?" Rize snarled, coming up behind Kyree and snatching her by the arm.

"Get off me. That's what it felt like. I'm traumatized, okay? A lot happened, and I was drinking so?—"

"Kyree, please go to one of the rooms." Four sighed.

"Fine, but he was going to kill Rize. Tell her." She pouted.

"Kysre, come pick a room for you and your sister," Rize said, gently pulling her out of the kitchen.

Kysre rolled her eyes but followed behind him, leaving just me, Four, and Chosyn in the kitchen.

"Welp, I guess I should leave too," Chosyn muttered, already walking out before Four could ask her to stay.

"I'm going to bed?—"

"Nah, stay here. We need to talk."

I hopped onto the counter and tugged Four between my legs, arms wrapping around her waist like muscle memory. She tensed just for a second before letting herself settle into me.

"Crown," she whispered, voice breaking.

I looked down. Tears flooded her waterline. I tilted her chin and used the sleeve of my hoodie to wipe her cheeks.

"Thank you." She chuckled softly.

"You good? Are your mom and Gigi straight? No one was hit?" I wasn't in the mood to argue or be at odds with Four. I just wanted her close.

"We're good. I noticed everything before it happened."

"How'd you do that?"

She hesitated. "I... uh... I... um?—"

"Four," I rasped, steadying her. "Give it to me straight."

"Navy noticed Lynx first. When I looked in his direction, I realized he was sitting in a car I recognized... Rakim's car. I've seen it around randomly when I've been out and?—"

I pushed her back from me. "This nigga been following you and you didn't say shit?"

"Yes... well, no. I mean, I noticed the car but thought nothing of it. Not until my birthday, when I saw Rakim."

"This is why I can't fucking trust you," I muttered, jumping down from the counter.

"Because I didn't put two and two together?" she asked, brows drawn in.

"No, River. Because you figured the shit out and still said nothing. You never fucking say anything."

"A lot was happening, so I'm sorry I didn't think to tell you that a friend of my ex has been following me."

"Do you hear how stupid that sounds?" I grimaced. "Let me guess, keeping it to yourself made you feel closer to that deceased nigga, huh?"

Her hand flew before I saw it coming. The slap cracked across my face.

"Crown!" she shouted, but I was already moving.

I grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the fridge. The impact made her glasses fly off, skidding across the floor.

"This is what you want, right? For me to kill you and send you to that nigga you love?" I squeezed harder, watching the light fade from her eyes.

"C-Cort—" part of my name slipped past her lips, broken and hoarse.

"You wanna be with that nigga so bad, huh? Is life with me not good enough? Do I not love you enough? Do I not say I love you enough? What's got you strung out on bones when I'm here in the flesh, ready to give you the fucking world?"

I shoved harder into her throat.

"Crown, take your fucking hands off her!" Gigi's voice cracked through the kitchen like a gunshot.

I held on for a second longer before slowly releasing her. Four's body sagged as her lungs pulled in air, her eyes wide with shock.

"If I ever catch your hands on her again, I will kill you myself," Gigi growled.

I didn't look back. "I'm up. Make sure nobody leaves this house until I say so," I muttered, brushing past her.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Four gasped, scrambling to her feet.

"Let him leave," Gigi firmly stated. "He needs time. You'll see him tomorrow... for family dinner."

Leaving the kitchen, I didn't bother acknowledging Gigi.

I stepped outside, blood still boiling from what I had done. I stood there for a second, chest heaving. I was pissed.

At myself.

At River.

At the insecurities I couldn't seem to fucking shake.

I fucking choked her.

I walked over to my car, yanked the door open, and slid in.

I started the engine and peeled off, needing a minute to get my head right.

Niggas were gunning for me and mine, and here I was beefing with the one person who was supposed to bring me peace in moments like this.

I couldn't keep blaming her. River loved how she knew how but loving her was turning me into the man I'd sworn I'd never be. .. my father.