Trey

I took a pull from the blunt and blew the smoke through my nose looking at my phone screen. I had been calling Khadijah's phone for the past three hours and she hasn't picked up, and that's very unlike her.

I ashed the blunt and stood up, leaving the balcony going back inside the house.

My phone started ringing and I instantly answered without even looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?" I asked in an aggravated tone.

"Yo bro, have you heard from D or Mo?" Korie asked through the receiver.

"Man, I been blowing D phone up and I can't get ahold of her. They supposedly went to the mall today."

"Hm, Mo told me they was goin' to the nail shop and the hair dresser. So one of them lied bro."

"Or both of them, aye you got Mo location on her phone? Cause D phone must be dead cause it ain't showing me hers." I said checking her location again.

"Its sayin' location not found." He let out a frustrated sigh.

I jogged up the steps and went in my closet to find my hoodie.

"Imma come scoop you from yo house bro cause this shit not sittin' right. D always answer the phone, even if she don't wanna talk cause she know that shit drive me crazy if ion know where she at."

"Ight, aye, what was Dijah wearing when she left the house?"

"Uh, she had on all black nigga, lookin' like a damn assassin." I shook my head.

"Mo had on all black and she took some gloves, talkin' 'bout it's to protect her nails when they get done."

"Nigga if you believed that you dumber than I thought." I laughed as I searched through my drawers. "Hold on bruh, I know I ain't trippin'."

"Wassup?" Korie asked.

"I keep my .22 in my t-shirt drawer at all times in case a nigga get stupid tryna run up in my shit. But that bitch gone and I know I ain't move it." I scratched my head and sat down on the edge of my bed.

"So let me get this straight," Korie started, "Khadijah and Monique left the house dressed in all black, both of them said they were goin' to two different places, now they not answerin' the phone, and yo gun missing?"

"Yep, sound like some trouble to me. I'm on my way bruh."

"Ight." He said before hanging up.

I jogged down the steps and locked up the house before leaving. I don't know what's goin' on but I'm gettin' nervous as fuck cause this ain't like D.

I was driving so fast, and consumed in my thoughts that I pulled up to Korie's house in no time.

"Wassup." Korie greeted me as he slid into the car.

"What's good Brodie, where lil mama?" I asked referring to Lyric.

"She with Tez, he promised her he'd take her to the zoo today so of course she didn't forget."

I nodded my head. "Bro, this shit eating me alive. I'm tryna stay calm but, I don't know what to think." I said dialing D's number again.

"We need to think about where they could've went, what issues did they have. You remember shorty from the club that spilled that drink on D?"

"Yea but D ain't pressed over no female, she would've handled her ass by now if that was bothering her." I said pulling the hair on my chin.

"Okay, what about that cat she went and took pictures with. Nemo? Or some shit."

"Nino, and nah she ain't crazy. I told her ass to dead that a while ago."

We went to the mall and the nail salons around the way but we didn't see Mo's car anywhere.

"If she took a gun, who would she have the motive to kill bro? That's the big question."

I sat and thought for a while before I put some shit together.

"Yo." I said sitting up in the drivers seat.

"You good?"

"That old bitch Maybelline!"

"Okay," he grabbed his phone and typed in something, "she at that rehab place on East Market Street."

I put the car in drive and pulled off jumping on the highway. I was swerving in and out of lanes passing cars as they blew at me scared that I was gonna hit them, but what they failed to realize is that I'm a beast behind the wheel.

We got to the center and hopped out, immediately spotting Mo's car. I shook my head and rushed into the building. There were police officers in the main lobby questioning some of the residents.

"Hi may I help you?" The lady behind the desk asked us.

"We're here to visit my uncle, this our first time coming so we really don't know the process." Korie spoke lookin' over at me.

"Okay, sure what's your uncle's name?" She rolled her chair over to the computer.

Korie looked over at the wall where some of the residents had their names and painted handprints along the wall.

"Walter Landers."

She started typing in the computer before she stopped and turned to us looking uncomfortable.

"Is there a problem?" Korie asked.

"Umm, I was just making sure you said Walter Landers?" She scrunched her eyebrows.

"Yes."

"Oh, I was just wondering because, he's uhh...white."

"So you're saying since we," he pointed between me and him, "are black, there's no way possible that our uncle could be white?"

"Well I didn't mean to offend you but that's pretty much genetically impossible." She did an uncomfortable laugh.

"He was married in, or is it that you don't think a white man would ever marry a black woman?" I interjected.

"No...I-I'm sorry I was just confirming." She stuttered.

"Confirming what?" Korie stepped closer to the desk.

"H-here's your badges, he's on the third floor room 302."

We took the badges from the lady and walked straight down the hall, looking at all the name tags on the doors.

"That's her room right there." I pointed to the open door where two officers were talking to Marlene and writing things down.

We stood to the side where they couldn't see us and tried to listen in to what she was telling the officers.

"Then she snatched the phone off of my ear and told me not to move or speak unless she tells me to, and her friend threatened me saying if I tried to call anyone she'd shoot me before anybody could get through the door." She explained.

"Okay and who are they to you?"

"The one that had the gun, Khadijah, she's my old foster daughter."

"And What was their reason behind coming to talk to you today?"

The room fell silent for a minute before she started to speak again.

"I don't want to press charges on them, and I don't want them in jail." She said.

"Excuse me? I thought that was the reason for the emergency call." One of the officers spoke.

"I pressed the emergency button because I was scared, it was just to stop them from possibly doing something but I really don't think she would've, she's a sweet girl."

"I don't understand, so what was her whole reason behind it all?" He asked again.

"When she was younger," she paused, "she lived with my husband and I. My husband did some things to her that landed him in jail, and of course she got a new foster family. Well, my husband was upset that she was the reason behind him being in jail, and he wanted her dead. So he paid someone to kill her and her family but the person only killed the family and left her alive. I guess she just now found out about it and she wanted answers. She's hurt, so I don't blame her, I really don't want her in jail because she's been through enough as it is."

"Ma'am you've already gotten us involved, we found a gun on the perp and you were assaulted, there will be a consequence. But if you don't want to press charges that's totally up to you." He explained.

She let out a loud sigh as they finished up their conversation. Korie and I backed away from the door and pretended to read the posters hung on the walls as the officers passed us and made their way down the hall. Once they were out of sight, we entered Marlene's room.

"Oh Lord." She started.

"Look, we ain't here for none of the bullshit, I just wanna know who killed Dijah's foster parents?" Korie asked.

"Like I told her, Gerald wanted me to do it, but I just couldn't bring myself to kill anyone. So I paid someone to do it for me, he watched them and learned their routines before he did it. Gerald wanted Khadijah dead but I told the guy to let her live."

"So Gerald thought Khadijah was dead?" I asked.

"'No, eventually he found out she was still alive hence the reason he was looking for her."

"So who actually murdered Khadijah's foster family that night?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"This photographer named Antonio, but he goes by Nino."

As soon as the name left her lips, light bulbs started going off in my head. So all along this nigga knew who Dijah was, he knew what he had done but didn't mention it to her and had the nerve to take some pictures of my girl knowing the shit he did.

Me and Dijah had been talkin' for a while before Dennis and Tanya got murdered, that's how she ended up staying with me. But had I known all of that was premeditated and done by him, I would've offed his ass the minute I found out.

"Hold up, hold up, hold up." Korie put his hands over his face and took a deep breath. "You tellin' me, this nigga killed her peoples and plotted the shit out, so he knew exactly who Dijah was when she went and took pictures with this clown?"

"I'm so sorry all of this is happening. But I had no idea that he would get back in contact with her, I really didn't." She pleaded.

"Get ready, come on you comin' with us." I pulled her up by her arm.

She nervously slid into her jacket and looked between Korie and I. "Where are we going?"

"You about to call this nigga and have him meet you somewhere."

"I haven't talked to him since that incident, the last time we encountered was when he gave me the pictures and I gave him the money."

"Look," Korie started, "you really pushin' it Marlene, you lucky you still alive at this point. You let yo nasty sick ass husband hurt my baby sister in the past, took the only people that actually took care of her other than our parents, and then after all of that, FAILED to mention any of it to me when you were offering to babysit my child, then pop back up and kidnap my baby and Monique, and you can deny it all you want but I don't believe you had NO knowledge of what the fuck yo husband was doin' so as far as I'm concerned you dead to me already, if you piss me off enough I just might slit yo fuckin' throat. So quit playin' wit' me and testin' my gangsta' cause I can show you." He held his hands out to the side as if he was giving her an option.

"I mean it when I say I had no idea what Gerald was doing Korie."

"And I mean it when I say I will kill you if you don't shut the fuck up and come the hell on." I lifted my shirt showing her my gun as Korie mugged her.

She walked towards the door before turning back around.

"You guys should go out first and then I'll come because if we walk out together it might raise some flags considering I've never been seen with you guys before and the incident that happened today." She whispered as she opened the door.

I looked at her and stepped closer. "If you pull some funny shi-"

"I promise I won't." She said cutting me off.

I stood there for a few more seconds before walking out with Korie behind me. We walked past the desk and sat the visitor badges in the assigned bucket and walked out and stood on the side of the building.

About a minute and a half later Marlene came walking out waving at one of the residents with a small smile. We walked over to my car and she hopped in the back, I started the car and pulled off so we could be clear of any nosey ass people.

"Call him and tell him to meet you at the Little Caesar's on Grand." I instructed.

"Like I said, I haven't been in contact with him, so I don't know his number."

"That nigga takes pictures for a living, he gotta have a contact number or something. Look it up." Korie told her.

After a few minutes of searching, we heard the dial tone from the backseat and the phone was dialing.

"Hello?" The nigga answered the phone on the fourth ring.

"Hey is this Antonio?"

"Yea this him, what can I do for you. Imma start by sayin' I'm booked up for the next two weeks so if you callin' to make an appointment it's gone be a minute, but if you callin' about pricing then I can help you with that."

"Oh no baby, this is Marlene.."

The line was quiet for a minute before he started moving around. "Uh, wassup Ms. M you good?"

"I'm fine, I need you to do something for me, handle something for me." She explained.

"Ms. M, this my business phone I ain't trynna have that on this line, I'll send over my other number and you can hit me on there."

"Okay once you send it, I'll send you the address of where I need you to meet me. I need you there in 45 minutes, it's important."

"Ight, I'm about to send it over now." And with that he hung up.

He sent the number, and Marlene sent the address, just like that we were in motion.

We pulled up to Little Caesar's about 15 minutes later and sent Marlene in while we parked and sat at a table two rows away, in listening distance.

20 minutes later, Marlene gave us the signal saying that he was here. Korie and I ordered a pizza trying to look as normal as possible, two men sitting in a restaurant with no ladies around seems a little suspect unless we were on the low.

Minutes later this nigga walked in with a navy blue fit on and a yellow SnapBack. He spotted Marlene and sat down in the booth with her and ordered a water when the waitress came over.

[A/N - I know little Caesar's isn't a sit in restaurant, but just use your imagination😂]

"Wassup Ms. M, I haven't seen you or heard from you in a minute."

"Yeah, I've been good though." She slightly looked over at us before turning her attention back to Nino.

She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat as the waitress brought his water.

"So whats good? What's this you need handled?"

"Well, there's a few people who are looking for me, and they want money, but I don't have any. As you may or may not know, Gerald was found dead a while back, and he was such a private man that he never told me where the rest of his money was. So at this point I'm cornered, so I just need them dead." She locked her fingers and laid them on the table in front of her.

"Well Ms. M, you know I don't like gettin' my hands dirty no more, but even if I did, you know I don't work for free." He tilted his head.

"I'll pay you, just say the price."

"How you gone pay me but can't pay the muhfuckas that's after you?" He leaned up in his seat.

"I know where a small amount is in the house but the bulk of his money is elsewhere...look, I really need you to help me with this Antonio." She reached over and grabbed his hand looking into his eyes.

"20 grand and I want half upfront."

I nodded my head giving her the green light to get him to go to the car with her so we could get him outside.

"Okay, I was hoping you agreed because I brought 15 g's with me. It's out in the car if you wanna come with me to get it."

He looked at her for a minute before nodding his head and sliding out the booth following her.

Korie and I waited exactly two minutes before slapping some money on the table and walking out the doors. We looked in the parking lot seeing that they weren't there, so we walked to the side of the building.

"Y'all niggas must think I'm goofy." We heard from behind us.

Nino held Marlene in front of him with a gun pointed to her temple with a sly grin on his face.

"Now why you wanna go and do that playboy?" Korie asked clearly unfazed by his tactics.

"I see you didn't learn from the last time. That's why I should've done it by myself."

"Done what?"

"Shot y'all ass. You see Khadijah, ohhh Khadijah... I wanted her bad as fuck. But she dropped me like a bad habit all for yo ass, so I watched and waited. Then I heard my OG Gerald was dead and I found out y'all had somethin' to do with it, so that was the final strike. I sent my niggas to the club to get what's mine, which is Khadijah, and knock y'all asses off. But now I see if you want somethin' done right, you gotta do it ya'self. I saw y'all niggas before y'all saw me. I got here and saw y'all drop her off at the door and I watched y'all park and go in. You can't play somebody who made the game my guy." He laughed and pushed the gun further into Marlene's head.

"So all this trouble for somebody who don't want you?" I asked lighting a blunt.

"Yea and whoever you sent to kill us did a horrible job, I wanna see them niggas with my own eyes." Korie crossed his arms.

"You won't be seeing nobody cause y'all good as dead. Why don't you make it easy and just come with me, or I'll have to kill this lady right here, right now."

"Two against one? Have you seen yourself?" I inhaled some more smoke.

At this point this nigga was delusional if he thought he could take on me and Korie alone.

"Oh you know I never come alone." I looked behind us and seen cars parked a little ways back. "So like I said, you can come on with us and I may let her live, or I'll kill her, up to you."

With a quickness I reached in my pants and pulled out my gun that already had the silencer screwed on, and shot Marlene right in between her eyes. Her body slowly slid out of Nino's grip and she hit the ground.

"Now, that shows you how much of an amateur you are, I could've just as easily shot you instead. But I decided to let you have a fair chance, and look at ya niggas, still in the car." I threw the blunt to the ground and stepped on it.

I saw a nervous look come across his face and I couldn't help the devilish grin that appeared on mine.

Suddenly I heard car doors closing and as I turned around I saw niggas pullin' out they strap, so of course Korie grabbed his.

We would be dumb to let these niggas walk up on us so we started lettin' our rounds off, his niggas was droppin' like flies before I felt a sting in my shoulder.

I turned around and Nino had his gun pointed right at me and I stepped closer to him.

"Shoot me." I said walkin' closer.

"Get back." He aimed the gun higher.

"If you was gone kill me, you would've been smoked my ass. You may be good at plottin' on people and burning down shit, but you ain't nothin' like me. I'm from the real streets and I handle mine by any means. You done came to close to my family and you did some fucked up shit, I would take my time and really make you feel some shit but you ain't worth it pussy." He tried to squeeze the trigger but was too slow, I had shot him twice in the stomach and once in the neck making his body drop right next to Marlene's.

I pulled out my phone and dialed my crew to come handle the mess. You would think someone would've saw what just went down but no sirens were heard and no one came around, but I just knew we had to get out of there before somethin' else happened. i knew the rehab center would be lookin' for Marlene soon.

We walked to the car, while I held my shoulder, luckily it was just a graze so it was no need in goin' to the hospital I just needed to see where my baby was at.

After getting in the car and pulling off, my phone buzzed indicating I had an incoming call. I answered it and put it on speakerphone.

"Hello?"

"This is a call from a federal prison, this is a call from Khadijah Watts, if you'd like to accept this call press 5 now, if—"

I cut the automated voice off by