Mon Frere ✓

twenty-two

He rushed over to the closet and pulled down all the clothes from the hanger, making sure to search the pockets of the jackets there, but still nothing.

"C'mon!" Laurent screamed, tears running down his face as he searched frantically around the little apartment. It had to be there somewhere. There was no way Larry didn't have one. "God! Where's the goddamned gun?!"

He looked around the house one more time, but something struck his mind and he raced to the Kitchen, kneeling to the floor and throwing open the cabinets.

There it was. A black box, covered with white towels.

Laurent quickly pulled out the box and opened it. The silver gun lying in inside. He reached for the gun, and then checked for the bullets. Getting on his feet, Laurent wiped his tears with the back of his palm. Idris was going to get it, he would make sure of it.

He began to head out when he head a knock on the door. Cautiously he walked to the door and looked through the peephole, there was no on in sight. Cocking the gun, he counted to three and opened it.

"Daddy!" It was Lala.

Laurent gasped and grabbed her, pulling her into a hug. "Baby, you're okay!" He cried.

"Daddy," Lala called again, sobbing.

He didn't correct the little girl. He just hugged her tightly, grateful she wasn't harmed. "Shh, you're fine, baby."

Laurent looked around, who had dropped her off and where was the person? Then he caught a piece of paper in the little girl's palm. He collected it and walked back into the house, making sure to lock the door.

Rocking a sobbing Lala, he opened the paper and read the content.

'I don't wanna cause any harm anymore. You win' - Idris.

"Fucker," Laurent muttered. The idiot ran away after causing such damage to his baby! How could he just leave like that?

Placing Lala down on the couch, he kissed her forehead, "I'll be back, baby."

He ran out the door, and raced down the stairs only to find a black van speeding off.

"Come back here, asshole!" He screamed, causing the people on the street to look at him like he was mad.

Angry, but at the same time relieved, Laurent ran back into the apartment. He quickly placed a call across to Marcus who informed him that he had already called a few friends to back them up at the park.

"There'll be no need for that," Laurent said, his face hidden in his big palm.

"What the fuck, man? I swear I wanna tear up that motherfucka limb by limb and feed off his remnants to my dogs! They'll gobble him up like a piece of chicken leg!" Marcus yelled.

"They brought her back, Lala I mean. She's here with me. I don't know why though, but they left a note saying 'you win' and left," Laurent explained.

Marcus sighed over the phone, "After what he did to Larry, Idris' body should be floating somewhere in the dam."

"How's he?" Laurent asked, his voice lowering.

"Uh, I just spoke to Mama b, she said he's still in with the doctors."

"I see," Laurent said, his eyes welling up with tears but then he turned and saw who was looking at him. He couldn't cry in front of his niece, what reason would he give her? "I don't know what to do right now, Marcus. I want to beat the lightskinness out of Idris and now he's gone, I'm not sure anymore. I'm scared of facing Larry, of seeing him. I'm so scared." He whispered into the phone.