Page 25 of The Cancer I Chose (BLP Signs of Love #4)

As the firetrucks cleared Prosper Ave, the sun began to set low in the sky.

It created a ring of fire in the sky that reflected how I felt.

The block grew quiet in reverence, even though everyone was outside with us, standing in front of what used to be the big house.

My feet felt heavy as I walked closer to the damage.

The firefighters had let us know the fire was started by an accelerant, which meant it was intentionally set on fire.

I already knew that though. This had lame ass Zero’s name written all over it.

Where I lived with my family was no secret.

After he promised nothing was off limits, I didn’t blame him for trying to double back on my family after Nuri’s brother shot her.

He thought this shit was going to make me bend, but all he’d managed to do was piss me the fuck off.

My rage simmered beneath the surface of my skin. My hands were sore from how tightly my fists were balled up. I didn’t scream. I didn’t yell. I didn’t cry. I just stood there and stared with a clenched jaw and bleeding heart.

I prowled around the property, able to remember so many beautiful moments with my family in the big house.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was our safe and happy place.

Something people in this neighborhood admired and saw as a symbol of strength.

In the midst of the jungle we lived in, we’d been able to build some solid shit that stood the test of time.

Zero tried to ruin that, which brought on a wave of guilt to mingle with my anger.

A bubble of shame was lodged in my throat, making it so hard to breathe.

I kept thinking about what would’ve happened if someone had been home when they set it on fire.

I couldn’t imagine having anyone else I loved in the hospital right now.

Nuri being there was all I could handle, so I was thankful to God that we were all safe.

As I stood there, all I could hear was the eerie intro to 21 Savage’s “Red Opps,” causing a wicked smile to spread on my face.

I even bobbed my head to the murder music and did a little jig.

They’d managed to awaken the deadly beast that’d been sleeping peacefully in me.

He loved this fucking shit and was ready for straight bullshit.

Zero thought I was the same little boy he left alone in his trap houses while he allowed his mother to be slutted out or drugged up.

But what he failed to realize was that little boy was dead and gone.

Today, I stood tall as a man who didn’t need to say too much to prove a point.

I was about that action and wasn’t going to hesitate making him regret ever fucking with me.

He should’ve stayed in whatever hole he’d crawled into for the last ten years.

It was cool though. He was going to find himself in another hole, but this one would be permanent.

He thought he still had a name in these streets, but mine was greater and more feared.

“I can see by the look in your eyes that nothing is going to stop you from causing hell, so what I am going to ask you to do is give me a little time to do some research. See what I can find out.” I turned my head slowly to look at my father.

I swiped beneath my nose and chuckled humorlessly.

“Fuck,” he cursed. He ran a hand down his face. “You about to fuck shit up, ain’t it?”

I never got the chance to respond because I heard a little commotion behind me. The crowd parted as a nigga I didn’t know came limping over with a smug grin. I don’t know if he thought that limp shit made him look cool, but it looked like he had a damn disability more than anything.

I spun around and met him before he could set foot on our land. I folded my hands in front of my body as the gang took up various positions surrounding him. This nigga was so fucking cocky that he didn’t realize he’d walked straight into the belly of the beast.

When he realized I wasn’t going to say anything, he chuckled. “My father said to sign the papers, and all of this could end. I heard your girl is in the hospital, and now you’ve lost your precious big house. How much more will you lose? Stick to rapping, sign the papers, and it ends today.”

He reached into his back pocket and tried to hand me another bitch ass manila folder. I ain’t reach for that shit as I continued to grill him. My jaw ticked as the anger I was trying to keep a lid on began to simmer to the surface. My gaze shot over to Jah.

“Clear the block.”

He didn’t hesitate to begin ushering people back to their homes with the help of Burg and Man Man. Lazer stood behind Zero’s son with a scowl on his face. The nigga looked from side to side, still not picking up on the gravity of the situation he was in.

“I forgot they said you was a mute ass nigga. What? You don’t understand what the fuck I said? Sign the fucking papers, retard ass nigga. I got somewhere to fucking be.” He began doing hand motions imitating sign language, trying to be funny.

I genuinely smiled like a Cheshire cat. My favorite thing in the world was being underestimated.

People thought that because I didn’t say much, I didn’t have a backbone.

Yeah, my past might’ve given me a slow start in the speech department, and I had some insecurities about that, but it didn’t change who I was at my core.

Zero thought one of those characteristics was pussy, and he was about to learn that was so far from the truth.

My days of being bullied were long gone.

I was the bully now. I got excited when Jah came back.

“All clear. Light his bitch ass up.”

He lifted his bandana over his mouth before backing up. Lazer, Man Man, and Burg all did the same. Ole boy with all the mouth fell silent when he realized they were all standing around him with demonic glares and their mouths covered.

I saw him visibly gulp. By the time he returned his eyes to me, I’d slid mine over my mouth too. That grin from before was still on my face beneath it. He finally understood what the fuck was about to happen to him.

I reached into the waistband of my sweats and pulled out a Glock. He held his hands up, looking for a way to escape, but all the Reapers on the block had him boxed in.

“Aye, boe, what the fuck? This is a friendly house call to end things. If you do anything to me, shit is only going to get worse.” All that bass from his voice was gone now, and he thought he was scaring somebody.

“Good.” He seemed shocked that I’d finally spoken. I walked closer to him, taking the safety off my gun. “I hate to be the one to tell you, but your father doesn’t love you. The only signature going on those bitch ass papers is your brain matter, pussy.”

He opened his mouth but was silenced by my putting a bullet between his eyes before emptying the clip in his ass. His body violently shook from all the blunt force trauma as he hit the ground, gasping for air.

I walked over to him, feeling even angrier.

This nigga really thought he was going to come to the ashes of my home and press me.

I snorted... Yeah, aight. We weren’t called Reapers for nothing.

Death lurked in the shadows whenever we were in the room.

I wasn’t one to be fucked with, and it was time for the streets to remember that.

When a puddle of blood surrounded him, I bent down to pick up the folder.

I took my time opening it to grab the papers inside.

Taking the palm of his hand, I pressed it into the blood like it was paint and then applied it to the annulment papers.

It looked like some art your kid would do in preschool.

I thought it was very symbolic since this was Zero’s son after all.

The last thing I did was use his finger to draw the Dutch Reaper logo.

I stood up as a blacked-out van pulled to a screeching halt in front of us. Bear and Novell hopped out wearing all black, ready to clean up.

“Drop him off at one of his father’s businesses. Don’t make it lowkey either. I want the streets talking.” I folded up the papers and then stuffed them in his pocket. “Make sure Zero gets these too.”

I spit on the dead body, then walked away to where Jah, Lazer, Man Man, Burg, and my father were. I lowered my bandana, and they all did the same.

“Let’s go huntin’ gang,” I happily declared.

Jah shook his head. “They don’t even know they woke up a fucking lunatic.”

Burg shook his head with a grin. “Nah, not a lunatic—a Reaper.”

A Week Later...

“Bingo!” I declared happily as I shot to my feet.

I’d pulled up at the hospital to sit with my wife. She still hadn’t woken up yet, but I was trying not to think about what it could mean because, for now, I still had faith she would pull through. God didn’t bring me this far to let me down like that.

Jah lifted his eyes from his phone. “What is it?”

“Pops came through. He’s got that nigga’s lo. We gone.”

That was all that needed to be said for him to stand up. His phone was already pressed to his ear as he walked out of the room ahead of me.

I exhaled heavily as I stared down at Nuri. I bent down and placed a kiss on my baby’s forehead. “Your husband is about to handle shit, then I’ll be back for you.”

When I looked up, my mother was staring at me with all her emotions written all over her face. I knew she was afraid for me, but I didn’t need her fear right now. I needed her spiritual covering.

“Cover me in prayer, Mama.”

She nodded. “I never stop praying for you. I know you didn’t ask for any of this, and you will always do whatever it takes to protect the people you love.

I may not always agree with the things you do, but I respect you and know the man I raised you to be.

” She glanced down at her daughter-in-law.

She began rubbing her hand lovingly. “Get ’em for Nuri. This sweet angel doesn’t deserve this.”