JUNIPER

Chapter XXI

   Peyton kissed her hand and laid his head by her side drifting off to sleep. He wasn't leaving her side until it was time for her to leave the hospital.

                                💋💋💋💋💋

   Bricks made his way to his stash house in Harlem, where Silk was waiting for him unexpectedly inside. His blood was boiling and now he had an two unexpected problems to deal with. Knocking on the door three times, his main man Lucky answered the door. "Wassup my nigga?" Lucky asked. "Nothin' much. Where the problem at?" Bricks asked putting on his gloves. "Basement." "Aight. Watch the door, lemme go handle this." Lucky nodded his head, attending to his duties. Bricks slowly walked down the stairs, laughing grimacely. Bricks came face to face with his childhood friend; Marcel.
   Marcel was his brother, his family treated him like blood and it was vice versa. Bricks put money in his pockets to make him feel like a man again and even put food on his moms and ole lady's table. He loved seeing his people eat, but once you crossed him you had to go. Word around town was that Marcel was on his potnahs paper work and was dropping dimes on everybody else just to clear his own ass. But with Bricks that shit wasn't acceptable, just like Marcel had a family to feed, so did Bricks. He already had the FED's snooping around once before and now he finally knew why their pig asses was around, because they had a mouse in the trap.

    "My mans Marcelllllll! Long time, no see." Bricks said, pulling up a chair in front of him. Marcel eyes grew wide as he seen Bricks. If no one knew, Marcel did, Bricks wasn't the man to cross. The mixture of sweat and blood trickled down Marcels face, he'd already caught a brutal beating earlier but Bricks was there to finish him off. Bricks snatched the duck tape off of his mouth, causing him to yell out as some of his dry skin from his lips attached to the tape. "Agghhhh!" "So you the reason the FED's been sniffing round this bitch, huh?" Bricks asked, looking him directly in the eyes. Marcel didn't answer. "Woah. Cat gotcha tongue? But you was sangin' like tweety to them pigs huh? It really I be ya own niggas." Bricks got up from his seat and tossed his chair across the room. His blood was boiling over, it seemed lately everyone was crossing Bricks but it stopped after today. Bricks pulled his chrome Beretta from his waistline, pointing it directly at Marcel's chest. "Nigga I gave you hope again and the least you can do is look me in my eyes and tell me you a rat." Deep down inside Bricks didn't want to take Marcel from his family but he had no choice, it was either him or himself & Bricks made his decision. Marcel looked Bricks in his eyes one last time. "Yeah. I spared them a lot of shit though, it was either me or you B. And I wasn't bout to do twenty to life for this bullshit, yo. You know I love you B but I had t—", before Marcel could finish, Bricks let off three shots into his chest. He'd heard enough.

  "Wrap his bitch ass up. We gone hang his ass up between Prince & Spring. Show these mu'fuckas what we do with rats, yo." Bricks ordered. He covered his tracks, washing his hands and headed back up the stairs. He walked into his pitch black office, creeping to his desk, reaching his desk light turning it on. Silk was sitting comfortably, waiting for Bricks. "My nigga Benjamin. The man of the hour." Silk said dapping his mans up. "How long yo ass been here nigga?" Bricks asked laughing. "Nigga long enough to know you supposed to been offed Marcel's bitch ass." They both laughed. "But nah for real B, Sai damn near died today bruh." Bricks dropped his head in disbelief. He can't believe his boy came all the way to his spot for some bullshit.

   "Yo ion have time for this right now", Bricks said avoiding eye contact. "You know you my nigga til death but that's my fam too, you foul for that shit. I don't give a fuck what she did g." "You know what Silk, you my nigga and all but leave this shit to me and Sai." Bricks demanded. Silk tried to keep his composure but everything in him was telling him to spazz, with Silk, Bricks knew he met his match. And Silk never backed down from anything, especially if it had something to do with Reagan and Sai'Yanna. Silk rose to his feet. "Ima let you know like this, for her and Reagan I'll go to war. Don't let this be the reason bruh, just don't." With that being said, Silk left the stash house and headed back to the hospital. Bricks knew he could never look at Sai'Yanna the same, she betrayed his love, his trust, she seen him at his weakest. And he let her around his family, something he never did.