Chess was cooking breakfast and I just couldn't stop staring at her, like this was my little sister... even though I'm a couple of years older than her I still remember the day she was brought home from the hospital. I remember showing up to her school and yoking up this dude who called her a 'black bitch' and I remember crying when I found out she wasn't a virgin... I know it seems crazy but I was extremely protective over 'my baby' so the fact that she had slit a man's throat and didn't seem the least bit bothered by it disturbed me. I've killed people, I wasn't saying that I was innocent but Chess..... that's never been her personality and I just couldn't pinpoint the moment she became.... this. I didn't even know how to ask her about it because I still saw her as that fragile girl who was insecure about the color of her skin, but that was the furthest thing from the truth.... it took less than nothing to shot someone but to slit their throat, that took a different kind of crazy, it took a different type of person because you had to be up close and personal, you had to look into their soul and see the life leaving them...... My thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing and I quickly got up from the table because being around Chess made me nervous, when I got to the door Uno was standing on the other side with a bag over his shoulder.
"You know you can't stay here right?" I said as he walked in and tossed his bag in the corner. "Yo I'm serious, not only are you fuckin up what me and Micah got going on but then there's the whole situation with Chess.... and given what she did I'm not sure I can look past her killing someone in my house."
"Man it's only for a few days.... Preacher has been playing gospel music and you know how Santerìa is.... he's quiet but he's into that weird shyt and he be leaving his skulls and shyt all over the damn apartment... I'm too hood for that shyt, so I'll be staying here until Epic can get me a new place. Sup Baby Mom...." Uno said nodding to Chess who walked right past him without saying a word.
"See why you can't stay here? She'll either end up hauling off and knocking your ass out or sliting your throat in your sleep..... and I paid entirely too much for those comfort sets for y'all to be fuckin them up." I said as Uno made himself comfortable.
"She's not even mad forreal.... she's just acting like that because I look good as fuck and it's throwing her off, besides that shyt happened in high school and it's really your fault." Uno said looking at me. "Baby, can you make me a plate?" Uno said as Chess walked back through the living room. "She must've known I was coming over, why else would she be making breakfast in the middle of the day?"
"I don't believe this shyt...." I said pinching my nose and saying a silent prayer. True I was the one who forced Uno to leave Chess hanging on prom night, but what we had to do was too important, I would've thought that she'd be over it by now but apparently not.
"Wassup with Big Bro? He's been moody as fuck lately... you'd think he'd be in a good mood considering the last move we made cost that sexy lady a lot of men and money..... But Epic seems..... twitchy." Uno whispered.
"That nigga is probably craving oxtails and jerked chicken...." I said laughing at my inside joke. I knew Epic hadn't seen Alonzo since they got back from their little trip and the pressure must finally be getting to him. "We'll stop by the food truck on the way to his place, I'm sure that'll put him at ease......" I said getting up. "Ayo Chess, we're leaving...." I said pulling Uno to his feet and pushing him towards the door.
"Bye Baby Mom, save me a plate......" Uno called as I closed and locked the door behind us. "So what's Epic's endgame here?" Uno asked.
"Well Renee started this war, but I don't think he wants to kill her.... I think he wants to break her but the thing is.... Renee isn't some weak bitch..... we're in for the long haul so Epic and Yaseem are working on another plan of action. Killing her is the last option." I said as Alonzo texted me back letting me know Epic's food would be ready by the time we got there.
"She's hurt man.... she lost her brother, her best friend, and her goddaughter..... Epic bears some of the responsibility for those things happening. Now you know I ride for my bro... I love that nigga but he created this monster." Uno said and while he definitely had a point, bringing it up wasn't going to change what happened. "And then there's Midnight..... Epic hasn't said a word about him being the one who almost got Icon killed.... that right there is part of the reason Icon hates him..... because he expects his big brother to protect him, even against his best friend..... The only one of them that got some sense is Legend." Uno said and I really couldn't argue with facts.
"Legend has always been the smartest out of the three... the most dangerous as well, I heard he pulled up on them Fuller niggas Ondrej and Omerion and whooped both their asses..... allegedly Legend picked one of them niggas up and tossed him through a store window..... said the other one got his legs snapped.... Legend whooped his ass and once dude was knocked out, he propped his leg up and Legend climbed on the top of his car and jumped on it, snapping that muthafucker..... Do I believe it? Of course, because Micah told me." I said wondering why they haven't retaliated against Legend yet.
We pulled up to the food truck and since it was a somewhat nice day out, of course, this muthafuckin line was long as fuck, though I suspect most of the women were here to look at Alonzo and flirt with him. Once Alonzo saw my car he shouted something at the person he was working with and left the food truck, I also noticed a couple of niggas looking at his ass on the sly.... man niggas really be gay as fuck.
"Wassup Bro.... sup man?" Alonzo said nodding towards Uno. "I put a little something extra in there for him....." Alonzo said quietly as Uno got out to go talk to someone he knew from high school. "How is he?" Alonzo asked and I could hear the longing in his voice.
"Moody.... you need to go change that." I whispered and Alonzo shook his head. "Why not? A moody nigga is irrational, they don't think straight.... maybe if y'all snuck off for a weekend y'all both would be feeling better cuz, no lie you look miserable." I said looking at him. "I'ma set something up for y'all to duck off for a few days." I said and again Alonzo shook his head.
"We can't it's too risky...." Alonzo said knowing damn well he wanted some dick. "Look.... just tell him..... tell him I'm still not cooking for his friends, he should know what that means." Alonzo said dappin me up and walking back to the food truck. I didn't know what the fuck that meant, if y'all know what it means drop an emoji, I'm trying to see something.
"You ready to go?" Uno said getting in the passenger seat and reaching for the bag. "Man that shyt smells good as fuck, what's all in there?"
"Epic will toss you from the balcony if you touch his food." I said grabbing the bag and placing it gently in the backseat. We got to Epic's building keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary but the street looked clear, I gotta admit seeing those three heads out here still made me queasy.
"MAN CLOSE THAT DAMN DOOR!!!! LETTING ALL MY DAMN AIR OUT!!!!" Epic barked from the balcony and yeah..... my bro was going through it, this nigga had the air going as well as the fireplace, he was definitely going through it. "Fuck is y'all doing here..... what is that?" Epic asked and I swear he was half a second away from smiling, but then he remembered who he was and took the bag from me with a blank expression on his face.
"I figured you were probably hungry.... Alonzo told me to tell you 'I'm still not cooking for your friends' he said you should know what that means." I said and despite his best effort, Epic smiled. "Is that some kind of code for something?" I said knowing I could talk freely since Uno had joined Yaseem on the balcony.
"Nah... but thanks.... I need you to do something for me." Epic said pulling out a plate. "I need you to go check on Ezequiel, he's been holed up with that board for over a month.... he's gotta have some answers by now." Epic said looking at his food and have you ever looked at someone and just knew they were going to smash their food? That's the look Epic had in his eyes as he looked at the plate full of food.
"Yeah, want me to take Uno?" I asked and Epic nodded. "So what are you and Yaseem out there plotting?" I asked and Epic just smiled as he placed the fork in his mouth and I could tell he was about to nut right then and there. "Before you answer, I paying for you and Alonzo to go on a date.... there's a Cavs game in a couple of days that's on a Thursday night, y'all can leave out Thursday afternoon and come back Sunday night... on me."
"You know that can't happen...." Epic said and I could tell my offer was tempting. "Look just go check on Ezequiel and get back to me." Epic said taking his plate and walking off, he may say that he didn't want to go but I was still going to set up the date because even in the midst of war, the commander in chief needs to take some downtime and leave the battle up to the generals.
Ezequiel was staying in a nice little suburb far outside the city.... that's where he was STAYING the placing he had been hiding was a house in the middle of the hood, we really didn't need to be on guard here because this was our territory, one of the most protected places in the city.... but I still had my gun with me. Me and Uno walked into the house and the smell of weed hit me instantly, I was going to have a contact high within two minutes because that shyt was strong.
"Sup y'all?" Ezequiel said walking into the living room with his shirt off. "Lemme guess, Epic wants to know what's taking so long..... fine, come on I got that hoe tied up." He said waving for me and Uno to follow him. We walked upstairs and down the hall before entering a room where a woman was tied to the bed, and a vibrator buzzing loudly in her pussy. "Destiny... my boys want to talk to you." Ezequiel said pulling the vibrator from her and sticking it in his mouth before untying her.
"Y'all trying to run a train?" She asked rolling over and sticking her ass in the air. Uno tilted his head to get a better look of her playing with her pussy but I got all the confirmation I needed that I was gay because that did nothing for me.
"Nah.... we want to talk, we got some questions for you..... so if you don't mind." I said handing her a robe. "We wanna know about the events leading up to Eileen being killed.... from what I understand you were the one who told her location." I said looking into her eyes.
"Yeah.... well, it's a long story..... I'm going to need a blunt." Destiny said spreading her legs and giving me a clear view of her ovaries. "And I need some insurances....." Destiny said smiling and I looked at Ezequiel who shrugged. I wasn't going to agree to anything but I had no problem letting her believe that I would so I nodded and Destiny took the blunt from Uno and got comfortable as she began telling us about the events leading up to the first war.........