⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀KITTY STARED OUT the window of the car, squinting his eyes a bit. Pierre held the phone up to his ear as he looked out the side window and the front, up past the driver. They were on their way to the airport to leave Virginia. "Stop right hea'." Kitty demanded as they were just about to pass the BBQ shack. Pierre paused his conversation, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked over at him. "We need to go." The car still begin to slow some as Kitty unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'm hungry, I'm just tryna' see if he open."
Pierre continued to stare at him then made a gesture for the driver to stop completely and he did. Pierre pulled out a couple of hundreds and handed it to him before he exited the car. Kitty grabbed it, always gladly taking free money. He pushed the car door out once it was no longer moving and climbed out, slamming the door behind himself. He strutted up to the building, glancing around the perimeter as he noticed cameras. He made a fist as he knocked sternly, placing a hand on his hip. Kitty used his right hand to slide his shades up to the top of his head just as he saw eyes peak past the curtains as they returned back to their prior state just as quick. That seemed suspicious to him so he knocked again.
"Jimmy, open up." He said just loud enough for him to hear him from the other side of the door but not to bring any attention from distant neighbors or Pierre. Soon, the locks were undid and the door was pulled open. The nervousness was read in his face, but he did his best to cover it up. "Ma-Kitty, I haven't opened yet so 'ion quite have those wings ya' like ready. Grease not even heating up, yet." Jimmy made small talk, wiping his hands with the rag he held as he walked inside, glancing around the restaurant. It'd been a minute since he'd been in here especially since the shooting. He stopped his walking and turned to face him again.
"Nah, it's fine. I'm actually not here for food." Jimmy furrowed his eyebrows as he swallowed slowly. "Well what exactly can I help ya' with." "The shooting. .I wanna know what happened or if you at least saw anything since the place is here, right where it happened." The question he'd dreaded. He felt the sweats form and puddle in his palms as his throat grew dry. He'd wondered if Dajon had squealed, his youthfulness being his hinderance. He flipped the rag from his shoulder, starting to wipe down a nearby table.
"Ah, 'ion know nothing about that there shooting, Kit. I don't even know why'd ya' come here thinkin' I did. Ya' know my hours, I was closed by then." Jimmy replied, contradicting himself as he did.
"How you know what time it happened, if ya' don't know nothing?" Kitty squinted his eyes and loosely folded his arms. Jimmy stared back at him before he chuckled anxiously. He covered his mouth with a fist and cleared his throat. "I mean you've got cameras all around the moth—" that's when Jimmy cut Kitty off.
"I think it's time for you to go." He stated sternly. They stared intently at each other for a moment before Kitty scoffed and walked over towards the door. Jimmy waited by the door, in front of the window, to open it once he got closer. "You just better hope shit don't backfire on you. But you supposed to bring the community togetha', right? Oh." Jimmy was fixing to say something but he got a glimpse out the window, seeing who was in the far left side of the backseat of the car. He pushed Kitty towards the side, holding him. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Get down."
"What the fuck are you doin'? Get the hell off me." Kitty pushed him aggressively causing him to stagger a bit. He knitted his arched brows together strongly as he stared at him. "Hell is yo' problem, Jim? I'll whoop yo' ass you ever put yo' hands on me again."
"That's him." Jimmy stared out the window. The wrinkles and laugh lines of his face stretched lower as he stared in a trance. "Who?" Kitty interrogated, only seeing the car he'd came in. "Him, that guy. He. ." Jim begun, glancing off at him before back to the window. "He came here after the shooting."
"For what?"
"Robbed the place. I lost everything and shit in some stash ya' brother apparently had. He kept on about some suitcase, drugs and money and shit but couldn't find it. He just took mine. Was sure to get ahold of the footage from that day from the cameras too." Jimmy confessed as if it'd happened yesterday. He snapped back into reality though, realizing what he'd said and recalled why he hadn't said it before. "He threatened me to not tell anybody or he'd kill my family. My wife, Dajon, Dajon parents and the family of whoever I told. You can't say nothing, Kitty." He begged, he pleaded with his wrist in his hands. Kitty snatched his arm back and looked over him. He'd lied to his face about knowing anything, but he'd guess he'd had a good reason.
"Don't tell me what to do." Kitty spat, yanking the door open. He looked off towards the car. He stated just loud enough for him to hear from behind, "Don't tell anybody else shit." Jimmy took that as reassurance he wouldn't make the information he'd be given, known that he knew. He nodded and looked over to side, to find something to give him but had nothing but a jar of fortune cookies and peppermints. He grabbed a few of both, placing them in his hand. Kitty smacked his lips as he left and went back to the car, climbing inside.
"I know you didn't take all that time for that shit."
"He was taking too long to cook it so I left and grabbed this on the way out. I'ma want somethin' befo' I get on that plane." Kitty responded, undoing the paper of the cookie. Pierre looked at him, realizing this is what he'd have to deal with most of the time in Atlanta and shook his head, gesturing for the driver to go.
Kitty snapped out his daze as he continued to stare at the back of Pierre's head. He suckled on the blow-pop between his jaws before sliding it from his mouth slowly, a boop sound leaving his mouth as he did. The distant music in the club faded from the room they were in. Pierre counted the money swiftly before throwing another the last bit of Hennessy in his glass to the back of his throat. "It's all hea', them niggas bet not fuck it up. You ready to trick this nigga, baby?" He smirked deeply, putting the cigarette back to his lips as he turned to face him and leaned his back against the table he'd just been facing. Kitty uncrossed his legs and stood up, walking over to him slowly as his heels clanked with every step beneath his feet against the granite floor.
He placed his hand beneath his chin, looking down at his lips then back up to his eyes and muttered, "Been ready." He grabbed up the money from behind him and turned towards the door to leave the room. Pierre chuckled, loving the fire in him and made no fuss of him grabbing the money considering it was his cut anyway. He grabbed his gun and followed not far behind him, off to set the next sucker up for the night.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀THE REST OF the club continued on as it should've into the night. Bartenders worked swiftly with making drinks as drunken men surrounded them and bombarded the dancers who made their money on stage. The night's security was sure that everything stayed under control however. They'd get their raunchy fun, as long as it didn't harm the girls because that got in the way of making money. Amos not long had pulled up behind the building, jumping out to enter. His ride to clear his mind had led him there, not feeling up to seeing Apryl just yet and especially immediately after Kielce's outburst. He wanted to confront her in a calm matter and in order to do that, he had to clear his mind first.
He wasn't trying to let her see an angry side of him she wasn't prepared for. The closer he got, the louder the bass of the music thumped off the bricks of the building. He heard a couple of guys laugh and talk but quiet down once he passed by. They didn't question his presence, knowing his face now, yet they still looked over his frame. He was still the "new guy" so that liking and trust had to be earned among them. He ignored the stares and pushed the back door forward in order to enter. The beam of neon lights gleaned over his eyes and face, nearly blinding him of the sudden change of scenery. He adjusted rather quickly though, beginning his walkthrough.
He figured there could hardly ever be too much security so he'd hoped he could get some work in. He bopped his head slightly to the sounds but let out a deep expiration. He just couldn't get Apryl off his mind and why she kept her dealings with his family from him. He adverted his thoughts elsewhere. His point here was to clear his mind, no matter how intense the thought and feelings were. Catching his complete attention, he heard voices in a nearby conversation. The two males stood amongst each other as they glanced around the area. Amos recognized ones as Roman and the other, as most called him, P. Something about him didn't sit right with Amos. He felt he'd known him from somewhere he couldn't place.
It seemed as though Roman had caught him at a bad time, him being on the phone and looking as if he was trying to catch up with somebody. "Ay', y'know I heard homeboy we was lookin' fa' out the pen." Roman said just barely audibly but Amos could hear it. He buried his eyebrows just as P raised his. "The one that killed kentraiz?" Roman shook his head in disagreement. "Nah, y'know some other nigga had to been fuckin' with Rico because that bitch ass nigga was already booked by then. Fuck ass nigga back in the V with it."
P groaned in annoyance. "Nigga bout dumb as hell for going back. I just left that motherfucka' though." Roman swallowed hard, looking away as he shook his head from either side slowly. "I can't go back, homie. I still ain't getting any sleep from what I did to that kid." That's when Amos heart dropped deep in his stomach. He felt as if he was in the twilight zone. The music seemingly faded in the background for his mind and his vision blurred out everything else except the two men. Everything he'd told him the few times they'd worked together connected. He glanced to the side of Roman's face then his arm, seeing the Illuminati resembling triangle right above his elbow crease. Tatiana's words flooded his mind of what she'd overheard Dijon say. "He was lightskin, a triangle tattoo. He said he look like Maria that lil' Hispanic girl, not us, not black." That small portion rung through his mind.
He'd did it. Amos couldn't believe he'd befriended the person responsible the tragedies recently in his life. He'd walked right into the lions den. Miles away to relieve himself of the lingering problem to be shoulder to shoulder with him them. Latrell. Dyce. It all felt surreal. He deserved to feel all the remorse that weighed in his heart, Amos felt deeply. "What you want me to do, tell you to get therapy? Better get over that shit, nigga. Ay' say, I got this new bitch. Might can get her to set his ass up." That's when Roman turned towards his direction and they met eyes. Roman threw his head upward and spoke, "What's up, homie? I didn't know you was workin' tonight."
P stayed behind but locked eyes on the two. He found himself still trying to figure out the newbie. He checked his phone as Roman walked up to Amos. Amos composed himself and the boiling blood that circulated through his body. "Nah, I just kinda' showed up. Thought I was on the schedule but I'm not." He partially lied. Roman nodded. "Well we could always use the extra security, feel me?" Amos shook his head, feeling the complete shift in the energy there. "Nah, I think I'ma head back in." Amos replied, backing away slowly. Roman chuckled, taking it as him not up for any extra work but understood; remembering when he was new to it. "Aight homie, see ya'." He said to him as he walked off and left. He looked back at P as if he was in a trance. But it was as if he was because it was the first time he'd heard his voice and it was a voice he would always remember.
Amos exited the club and took in deep breaths as the night's chilled air hit him. It seemed him seeing Apryl had came faster than he expected. Along with her dealings with Kielce, he had to know her connection with these niggas. He was starting to feel uneasy about everything and just about everyone. He climbed into his truck and crunk it up, pulling out parking. He held his phone in his palm and hit down on his lip, the gleaming light from street poles glowing over his hood as he passed underneath each one. He flipped his phone facing up and unlocked it, going to Kielce's contact. They were at their differences at the moment, but he was still family. He felt he didn't have to question his loyalty of a lifetime to the loyalty of a chick he'd met only a few months ago. Besides, it was more than he thought that was being kept away from him.
He dialed the number. It rung and rung until it went to the voicemail. He only called again, this time it being declined he could tell. "Fuck." He mumbled, allowing the voicemail to say it's automated message and waited for the beep. "Aye, 'lece. I got a bad, gut feeling bra'. Some shit just don't feel right." Was the best he could articulate himself. He went silent before just clicking off the call and throwing his phone in the passenger seat. He continued to drive until his wheels stopped in the driveway of Apryl's house, staring up at it through his windshield. He had no more patience to await the answer to the secrets beyond the walls of the mansion.