Reincarnated

ⓒⓗⓐⓟⓣⓔⓡ ⓣⓗⓘⓡⓣⓨ ⓢⓔⓥⓔⓝ

ⓡⓔⓘⓝⓒⓐⓡⓝⓐⓣⓔⓓ: ⓒⓗⓐⓟⓣⓔⓡ ⓣⓗⓘⓡⓣⓨ ⓢⓔⓥⓔⓝ

~Breezy P.O.V.~
~In The Morning~

"Aight, you ready to go?" I asked Trey with a big yawn as I held the back door open for M.C and S.P to go out through.

"You already know. We're not taking Breezon right?" I shook my head. "Aight, we'll take my car. You have any idea where Nitty might be?"

"I have no clue. I want us to go to Varo's house and talk to the twins. I bet they'll know." I closed and locked the door before I grabbed my jacket off the couch and slipped it on. The both of us headed out the door and got in Trey's car.

"Do you think Christian might still be alive?" He asked, quickly shifting a gaze my way.

"At this point, I don't even know. There's so many secrets." He remained quiet but nodded his head in agreement as we continued the drive to Uncle Varo's house.

***

"Which room is who's?" I asked Aunt Sweets since she opened the door and let us in. She was wearing bunny slippers which me laugh because the ears stood straight up but they were cute, at least for her anyways.

"The left is D1's and across is D2's. Do you boys want breakfast since you're here?" She offered still so sweetly as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Thanks Aunt Sweets but we're only here for a hot minute, we're on a busy schedule." Trey said and she nodded in understanding. The both of us jogged up the stairs and split off, leaving me to go to D2's room and Trey to D1's.

"Get up D2." I said as I slammed the door closed behind me. I didn't really mean to slam it, I just didn't realize how light the door was and just how strong I was.

"The fuck? Why are you here?" He groaned as he pulled the pillow up over his face. I grabbed that pillow and hit him across the stomach with it.

"I'm here because for whatever reasons, Nitty's ass over at the hospital." His eyes shot open so fast. "What'chu know-" I heard yelling coming D1's room and opened the door to look across. I saw the window open followed by Trey climbing out through it, yelling shit at D1. I turned back around to find D2 trying to open his window and I lunged at him, throwing him down to the ground. "What'chu know, Darius?!" I yelled.

"Alright alright, shit." He groaned. "Y'all shot him but we saw he was still breathing so we pulled him out to the back and set the building ablaze. Then we took him to the hospital and they started working on him."

"Where's he staying at?"

"His old place." He got up and rubbed the back of his neck before getting his balance. "We ain't tell you because we thought he wasn't gonna survive surgery at first. We learned he was live and well while we were on the run to Mexico. He called us and we forgot to tell you because we were runnin'."

I stood there and just glared for a minute as he seemed like he was trying to figure something out. He wandered back over to his bed and laid sprawled out on his bed among the heavy silence in the room.

"What about Christian?" I conjured up to ask. He looked up at me but didn't say anything at first. "Well? What about him? He wasn't shot or anything-"

"He's dead. There was too much rubble to get off of him and we had set the building up in flames. I'm sorry Breezy but D1 and I tried to get him out."

"Do you think he was already dead before y'all set the trap on fire?" He nodded. "Well at least he didn't have to feel the flames cooking him alive. Trey and I gotta get to Nitty, we'll meet up later or somethin', aight?"

"Sounds good and best of luck with Nitty." I dapped him before heading down the stairs and out of the house to find Trey outside trying to wrestle D1 down to the ground.

"Let him go, we're goin' to Nitty's real quick." I said and he dropped his hold on D1, following me back to the car.

"You know where he is?"

"His old house. Kind of a no-brainer and we shoulda drove by there first but oh well." It was strange driving in the direction to Nitty's house since I haven't been there since the day at the trap.

We cruised down the streets and arrived at Nitty's place. It still looked the same and I saw his car in the driveway. The both of us slid out of the car and walked up to his porch, knocking on his door, we waited patiently.

After only a few moments, the door opened and I saw Nitty with a towel around his neck and shorts on. He looked at me, then at Trey and actually smiled with a small laugh.

"Lucky I just got out of the shower and hadn't left yet. Come inside." He said stepping away from the door. Trey walked in first and I followed, closing the door behind me. "How you holdin' up? I heard about the news with Yvonne from one of the other nurses." He said so casually as he turned the corner to his kitchen. Trey and I continued to follow him and when he turned around to face us, I saw the scar on his forehead from the bullet.

"I'm holdin' up for her and I. She's distraught but not as bad as I was thinkin' since she strongly believes the child wasn't even mine to begin with. How you been?"

"My sincerest apologies for the loss of her child. I'm sure y'all requested for DNA to be done?" I nodded. "And I can finally say I've been shot." Again he laughed. "Trey, you look like the gang shit hasn't bothered you one bit."

"I got more issues with females than I do with the gang shit." Trey said with a laugh of his own. "Nah, but I try to stay unbothered."

"Why are you acting like this?" I said just staring at him. "You're acting like we all just hung out and went out for drinks the night before, ignoring the fact I wanted you dead-"

"I woulda done the same to you if the tables were turned. I got no hate to any of you. You were just doing what you needed to do to keep NBG to your name." He said back with a simple shrug but the calmest and most sympathetic look to his eyes. "You realize that in this game, we live by our own established rules and laws."

"I'm learnin' that as each day goes by." I breathed out with a sigh. "What about Christian?" He shrugged his shoulders again. "At least I got one of y'all back."

"Exactly. Either way, he wasn't gonna stop till he got his gang back. It's safe to say all three of us knew that, right?" Trey and I nodded. "Good. So lemme guess, Naiellie was hysterical to the news of my death, huh?"

"Yeah. She was blowin' up my phone with texts and calls. Then she flew out here to see your little memorial thing." I said. "You might wanna hit her ass up. The sooner the better."

"I planned on it." Trey's phone began to ring and he excused himself from the kitchen, leaving back out the front door with the phone pressed to his ear. "Amber still got her shop?"

"Last I heard, yes. Why?"

"Need some shading done. I'll stop by this afternoon." He didn't look much different at all. If anything, he looked happier now that he no longer had no more gang ties. He's now an ex member, and a happy one at that. "You alright?"

"Life is such a precious thing, Nitty. I'm learnin' that day by day and Death is the one thing that can take it all away. I'm tired of fightin' with friends and family because I thought I had lost you forever. Hell, I even thought I was done for and lately reality has just been hittin' me too hard."

"Come here." He opened his arms and pulled me in for a hug. "No more fighting, we're done with that, aight Kiddlet?" He said which got a small laugh out of the both of us.

"I'm not a kiddlet you piece of shit but aight." I let him go and started to make my way to the front door. "Tonight if you're down, stop by my crib for dinner. I'm sure Ty, August, Trey, Lolo, and DeShawn'll be there if I tell 'em."

"Sounds good. Mind if I bring Naiellie?" I shook my head. "Aight Breezy. I'll see you later- and Trey." I dapped him and vanished from his house. Trey was leaned up against the car laughing as he remained on the phone. He saw me approaching and ended his call.

"Already leaving?" I nodded. "Alls good?" I nodded again. "Aye, this calls for some turn up."

"Some turn up?" I questioned.

"Yes, like a partial turn up, not a full on turn up 'cause turn up crew still asleep." He said. "So we should go to the club-"

"To see Trina?" I asked with a cocked brow. "Marry the female already at this point, T."

"Shit, I might have. She won't even as much as go out on a date with me, let alone walk down the isle to my ass." He continued to say as he shook his head. "She somethin' fierce, lemme just say that."

"Careful with her though. She could always be up to somethin', especially since she's so comfortable with the gangs-"

"She straight. She don't fuck with gangs like that, she just cool with 'em." I'm still gonna be wary of her even though I've known her for a while... Still good just to be cautious.

"Her club ain't even open yet."

"You sure?" I nodded. "Scratch that idea. What'chu doin' today anyways? Now that we got Nitty out of the way?"

"Gotta be home because of Vonnie and Breezon." If there is one thing I don't like about my life right now, it has to be the fact I'm pretty much always stuck at home. I love my son without a doubt but I miss being able to go out whenever for however long and do whatever shit I wanna do. Right now I could be out at Romeo's, then stop by the trap and spend the rest of the day hangin' with Trey out in the streets. Breezon came along while I was still too young. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'ma hang out with the twins. D1 about to get that ass beat for what happened this morning-"

"You won't win. You just won't." He started to explain what he was gonna do and how he was gonna succeed against his little feud with D1 but I was too occupied with other thoughts right now.

Life is complicated and if someone's life is easy, they're doing it wrong.

~A Few Weeks Later~
~Arlie P.O.V.~

"Remember the days when Javier used to make the straightest coke lines? Those were the days." Varo said as we were walking back to the trap. We had just got done paying a certain kind of visit to a nigga who still hadn't paid Varo back.

"I do remember those days. They were fun and a hell of a lot better than now. Only downside was we didn't have much money to our names." He looked up at me for a second and the eyes had me laughing. "Your eyes Varito, chill out."

"I keep recounting the same twenty three hundred and each time it's like a mini orgasm. This money is just life." He said starting over again to count. "Did you ever fuck with coke?"

"Once or twice. Wasn't the kind of shit for me. You?" He nodded eagerly. "What haven't you fucked with?"

"That new drug. I don't know who has it and I'm tryna find out. Apparently that shit makes you trip out so I'm curious. Otherwise I've fucked with everything else that's blessed these streets." I wouldn't use the word blessed but to each their own.

"You don't think you're too old-"

"I'm sixteen, Arlina." He corrected and I dropped the subject. "God damn, how far away is the trap?"

"It's literally just around that corner." He didn't even listen. His attention was focused somewhere else like usual. "Why am I still friends with you?"

"We're not friends. I hate you and you hate me. We're brothers,  so I can't hate you as my brother. But as a friend, I want to kill your ass."

"Thank you for keepin' it a hundred. I've hated your ass since day one." I said laughing. "But we became brothers before we became friends which is why you're still walkin' these streets and not in the ground." I looked over to see such a proud smile on his face.

"We should go to jail again. We had even more fun times-"

"No. They do me so wrong every time." We finally got back to the trap and I shook my head when I saw Tilly Beans' car parked out front. "Kill me?"

"No can do, Arlina. Have fun with her-"

"Nope. I'm headin' out. See you around, Varito." I dapped him and dipped to my car before Tilly Beans had any chance of seeing me.

***

"You look good." Heather said when I walked up to the newest house she was currently hosting an open house for.

"Thanks. I always liked you in a business suit, but it needs to be low cut and no button up underneath- a shorter skirt would be nice too." I said giving her a kiss on her cheek. "But how's the open house?" I followed her inside and was amazed with this house too. A hell of a lot smaller but I liked it.

"Good lord, Arlie but it's going good. Slower today than yesterday- speaking of. Amber came by here with some man and your son to check this place out."

"Really?" She nodded. "How'd that go?" I never expected to hear those words or even try to imagine Amber and Heather in the same building.

"Your son is adorable but it was fine. I was nice to her, she was nice to me and I showed her the place." She said with a shrug. "Who was that man with her? If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't mind a damn thing. That's her supposed fiancé. I don't know if that's true but from what I've heard, he's proposed to her." She leaned up against the counter staring up at me blankly.

"Are you okay with that? I know it's not my business but-"

"Hurts 'cause she didn't wanna try to fix our shit and compromise but I can't force her to be with me. As long as she's happy and he doesn't do anything to Joel, I'm fine with it." Joel hasn't come back to me sad so Kyle seems to have backed off. As he should, last time he came by house I showed him a gun with his name on it. I'm so nice, I dedicated one of my guns to him.

"Well now you have plenty of you time." That I do. "What are you even doing here?"

"Wanted to stop by and say hi. I'm startin' to miss you more and more each time we spend more time away from each other."

"Oh... That's a bad thing. Don't be wasting your time with missing me. You didn't miss me all those years I kept away-"

"That was when I hated you and you wanted your parties and drugs. I like what you've become and so has Nicole, she's happy you've changed and you're being that Mom she didn't have growing up."

"I know where this is going. Trell Jr. don't you fucking dare-"

"Heather, please be mine for the last time. I'm not saying engagement or marriage, I just want you as my girlfriend for the last time." It looked like she was about to cry but she nodded her head and reached her arms around me, burying her face in my chest. "You were my first for everything else, let's make you being my first and only wife another." I said into her ear with a soft kiss to her head to follow.

"That won't be for a long time." She said. "I'm talking years-"

"We'll see. I may propose tonight-"

"No the hell you won't." She growled back at me.

"I'm kidding. One thing at a time. What time you get off?" She let me go and took a step back to look up at me.

"Seven."

"When you get home, hit me up. We're goin' for a date."

"No-"

"It's gonna be a fancy place too. So dress accordingly." I laughed and she just stared. "I'm gonna spoil you like how I should have in the beginning and you get no say in it-"

"Don't! I'll leave again."

"No you won't. I bet Nicole'll be happy to hear this, don't you think?" I continued to laugh as her blank stare remained constant. "People are showing up so I'll talk to you later on, alright?" I said when I looked out the window and then back down at her.

"Already you're stressing me out and it hasn't even been five minutes. We'll talk later." I reached down and gave her a kiss just before she walked me to the door. "Bye Arlie."

"Bye Heather." I continued on down the driveway of the house a got in my car. My phone was vibrating in the glove compartment so I reached over and pulled it out, to find Amber calling.

"Hey Amber."

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"About to head home and start packing. What about you?" I put the phone on speaker and set it up on the dash as I drove.

"Do you think we could meet up and talk?"

"Yeah. If you want you can come over. You gonna bring Joel?" I saw Trey go speeding down the block with Lexis speeding right behind?... Wow, they decided to race without me? That's such bullshit.

"Yes I am. I'll see you at your house if that's okay."

"Yeah that's fine." I was about to turn right and follow behind 'em but decided not to. I'll go for a race another day when I got the other car.

***

"So what's going to happen to this house?" Amber asked as we sat at the table like old times. I needed a break from packing and Joel wanted something to eat so I decided this was time for a small rest.

"Nicole and Lil' Dre are gonna rent it from me so they can stay up here in Oakland. I'll be permanently at the new house and everyone wins." Might as well rent this house out since I got no use for it and I don't wanna sell it.

"That's a smart thing to do. I'm sure she's happy."

"She's not that happy to know Varo's about eight houses down from her." I said with a small laugh. "What's new with you?" I looked down at her hand casually and saw no ring on her finger but she was holding the ring I originally gave her. That ring hadn't been touched since it was first placed on the table, so there was an outline from the dust that fell around the ring.

"Trying to find a bigger place. Joel's getting so big and Kyle's place is just too small for the three of us." She kept staring at the ring as she spoke. Twiddling it around in her fingers before quickly looking up at me.

"If I had known you were lookin' for a place I would have offered you and Joel this one."

"And Kyle-"

"No Kyle. This is still my house and I'm not gonna be housing some nigga. I would have let you stay here for free and I'd pay for bills and such for Joel's sake. Not Kyle's." Her face distorted into an agitated expression and I cocked a brow. "It would be like you paying for Heather, Joel and I. You gonna sit here and tell me you'd pay a water bill without any issues knowing Heather helped rack up the bill?" She dropped her gaze. "That's what I thought. I'll keep a look out for a place you might be interested in."

"Thank you." I gave a slight nod.

"Word is you and Kyle are pretty serious. It ain't my business but I'm curious to know, especially since he's around Joel."

"Yeah, we've recently become engaged and are starting to look into marriage."

"You sure you wanna get married so quick? I'm not implyin' anything, I'm just asking."

"I want to be married... I mean, do you think it's bad?"

"Personally, I take marriage very seriously, which is why I didn't rush to marry you. Just take it easy, Amber. It'd be terrible to have to go through a divorce." I said and she slipped the ring over her finger. Smiling at it in awe before taking it off.

"I see what you mean."

"Anyways, just so you're aware, Heather and I are more involved with each other- nothing serious and as always, Joel won't be anywhere near her when he comes to visit on my days." I find it to be ridiculous how Joel can't be around Heather but I respect Amber's wants when she says she wants Joel away from Heather.

"Oh. Alright." She paused for a short minute. "I'm sorry for everything." Um...

"Why apologize? You got what'chu wanted."  I didn't mean that in any kind of negative way.

"I'm just genuinely sorry for everything. Sitting here, I realize just how good you let me have it while we were together and now I'm the one who's got to make sure money is in the account for bills and food on the table." Well no one told you to get with a man who doesn't want to work and is only good for babysitting our son.

"You can't say I wasn't willing to fix us. You just didn't want to compromise with me." Joel came inside from the backyard with his bowl and we both looked at each other, hinting to drop the conversation. "I'm gonna get back to packing." I got up from the table and casually walked up the stairs.

~Trey P.O.V.~

"Ewww stop!" She shrieked when I dragged my tongue across her smooth stomach. "Trey! I don't know where the hell your tongue has been!"

"Been on you all last night and drowned in alcohol. Stop being a baby, shit." I said making my way higher up between her breasts.

"I'm about to sock your temple." I'd like to see you try with your uncoordinated ass. "Trey!"

"Can you not yell my name every few seconds? God damn, that's what my Mom would do." She squirmed away from me and hopped off the bed. "You're no fun."

"I told you I wasn't gonna fuck with you anymore." Trina laughed as she crawled back on the bed, pinning me down and straddling me. "You won't stop will you?" I shook my head. "Oh Trey." She sighed.

"I think I lov-"

"Yeah, you're that desperate to slide in? That's sad." She laughed and I pulled her down to get a kiss from her. Snaking my hands up her back and grabbing a hold of the clasp of her bra. I swear my struggle was too real and she knew.

"Dammit, Trina!" I yelled as I gave up. "This the shit that adds onto the sexual tension I have with you." I groaned in defeat. She hopped off and grabbed her shirt from the floor.

"You done trying?" I didn't answer. "You're such a child, but I'm gonna get going so I don't add to that 'sexual tension' you currently got going on. Thanks for the drinks though."

"I hate you."

"That's the way it's supposed to be. Just so you know, I'm gonna be out of town for the week so hopefully you're tension will die down."

"Where are you going?" I asked as I sat up and continued to watch her.

"Alameda. Not that far away and I'll be back before you know it." I just want you to come ride me, that's all I want since you don't be my girlfriend.

"You're killing me slowly." My morning fun is over so I might as well get up and start to get myself dressed. I haven't been out in the streets for a few days so I'm sure something new is going on by now. "But I guess I'll see you when you get back."

"You will. Promise me one thing." I snapped my head in her direction. "Knowing how you and Breezy are, promise me for the week I'm gone, I won't come back to find out you two or just you got caught up in some dumb shit."

"I'ma be straight up with you... I can't promise you that. But I promise you can get this dick when you come back-"

"Bye Trey. I'll see you when I come back." She took herself out of the room with a trail of laughter behind her.

***

Today DeShawn, Ty and I decided to have a brotherly moment. The three of us haven't really hung out in a while and we all needed to decide what we were gonna get Mom for her birthday. Even though the one thing she wants is simply something the three of us can't get her... So... Yeah.

I sat on the hood of my car as I waited for the other two to show up. I was downtown and everyone was just down here. Hell, I even saw a few of Breezy's members patrolling around.

I continued looking around till my eyes landed on Cassie. She stood outside the cinemas looking around through her purse. She was the one ex I had that when I looked at her... It brought out a certain kind of feeling. I can't really put a name to that feeling but it was a strong feeling. Not to be confused with love because I know for a fact it wasn't.

Hopping off the hood of my car, I approached her and she brought her eyes up to mine.

"Hey Cassie." I said taking a good long look at her.

"Hey Trey, how are you?" She said a little awkwardly but her awkwardness was something I found cute of her.

"I'm aight, how are you? It's been a while."

"Yeah I know huh? I've been pretty good. What are you doing?"

"Just kickin' it as usual. What about you?"

"I'm actually on a date. He's getting the tickets now." I took a small step back as she looked down at the ground for a split second. I don't think I've been in situation as awkward as this one... This is probably why I cut off exes for good. Dammit Trey.

"Oh, good shit. Well I guess I'll let you-" I was stopped when a nigga approached us. He took a good look at me and I didn't really care to look back at him. "-aye man." I said dapping him.

"What's good?"

"Shit, not a damn thing. You with her?" I asked.

"I'll be right back." Cassie said as she walked off in the direction of the bathrooms, leaving just this nigga and I here.

"You know her?"

"Yeah. I'm her ex."

"Drake." He said.

"Trey. You from around here?" He nodded.

"We went to school together. I graduated a year before you. Heard a lot about you and Breezy through school." Never seen this nigga a day in my life. I'll look in the year book when I go to Mom and Dad's later.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised you heard. Word spread fast around there." I rubbed the back of my neck because I had a weird ass itch but I was fine now. "How'd you meet Cassie?"

"At the pool." Not even gonna mention that's how I met her too. "You still in IRG?" Is Dad Old?

"Always, why?" From the corner of my eye I saw DeShawn's car pull up next to mine and I shifted my attention back to Drake.

"Just askin'. Based on the car you got, IRG does you well?"

"Breezy got me that car as a gift but IRG has yet to screw me over. What do you do-"

"Trey! Come on!" DeShawn called out

"I better get goin' anyways. See you around, Trey." He said with a certain kind of smirk and I just gave a simple nod. He headed inside the cinemas as DeShawn approached me with Ty not too far behind.

"Who was that?" Ty asked with a yawn. I looked over and peeped the hickey he was trying to cover... You failed Ty, but let me sip some much needed tea.

"A nigga named Drake. Apparently that's who Cassie shifted her interest to." I shrugged. "C'mon, let's just find Mom's gift."

"Jealous or nahh, T?" Ty teased.

"Wait what does jealous mean?" I asked and they both laughed. "I'm dead ass, the fuck does jealous mean? Uncle Varo said it was a word that didn't need to be apart of our vocabulary."

"I'm done with you." DeShawn said. "You're around Uncle Varo too much."

"I high key think he's my Dad, Lexis is yours and Uncle Arlie is Ty's. Mom's got a past and she's played both teams, so I could see all of us having different fathers. I'm not sneak dissing, I'm just bein' straight up." I said.

...Now I'm curious.

~Lexis P.O.V.~

"Daddy?" Ivanna said as she walked up to me holding something. We were in the attic and I was tryna find an old contact book.

"What?"

"What are these?" She took a seat in my lap and she fanned out a few pieces of paper.

"You know when Aunty Sweets had a big belly?" She nodded. "Well Mommy did too, five times and those are pictures of the baby in her tummy." I picked 'em up and looked at them. "Don't show Mommy these. But this one is LJ's, this one is yours, that one is Ty's, this one is Trey's."

"Is that DeShawn?" She asked.

"No. DeShawn's Mommy never gave us her pictures." Leah probably did but my ass probably misplaced them like my contact book.

"So who's that one?"

"That was your older sister but she's not with us." I looked at the ultrasound and breathed out a small sigh.

"Why not?" 

"She wanted to meet us all in a very special place. I promise you'll meet her." I kissed her little cheek and got a giggle out of her. "Where'd you even find these?"

"In that box over there. I can't find the book, though."

"Wait. Didn't you say you saw Mommy up here a little while ago?" She nodded. "Oh no. How much you wanna bet, Mommy had it?"

"Well that's good because  we were trying to find it and she has it." I just facepalmed.

"No no no, sweetie. She'll probably... Never mind." Oh this is not a good thing at all.

***

The kids were off with Varo which left me alone with Nelle. Naturally I was terrified as hell but I maintained my composure. I came down the stairs and found Nelle on the couch in her robe reading a book.

"Aye Nelle Bells." I said approaching her. She brought her eyes up to mine and smiled at me.

"Hi Lexis. What are you up to?" She closed the book and set it down on her stomach. The way her robe was though... I mean.... I can clearly tell there ain't a damn thing on her underneath that silk robe.

"I just wanted to know one thing." She nodded. "Would you so happen to have a certain book of mine that I've been looking for all day?" She sat up and a bit more of her robe opened up.

"I might have it, why?"

"Because I need to look up a nigga's name to make sure I'm sending a package to the right address. So if you could just give me the book, that would be great." She shook her head dauntingly. "Aight Nelle, let's negotiate."

"I'm all ears." You're more than just ears, and you know it.

"I just need the book. That's all, Nelle Bells."

"Alright, come and get it-"

"Nope. You're lying. You'd never make it that easy and you know it. Uh uh, not even gonna fall for your little trick." I said backing away from her couch. "Just keep the book-"

"You're acting like I'm about to murder you! You're the one who's supposed to be murdering me!" She exclaimed as she got off the couch.

"Stay on that side of the rug, Nelle! If you cross it, I'm bolting out the door and getting a motel room! All I want is the book!"

"And all I want is love-"

"No! You know that's not all- don't cross the rug!" This is what my marriage has become... I'm not even mad but yes I am not afraid to admit that I'm scared of my wife.

"Ridiculous! Fine Lexis!" She tossed me the book and I gladly took it and fled upstairs to the safety of my room. I put the book in my nightstand and fell back on the bed.

A short while later she came into the room. Still in her robe, she closed the door behind her and got on her side of the bed. Not a word was said because I know she's feeding on my fear.

"Why do you not love me?" She asked.

"I love you a lot but I'm scared of you because you hold a lot more power than you think." All I do is bring in money; she actually keeps the household in line.

"You don't show it." Well you scare me.

"I'll start showing it if you stop scaring the shit out of me."

"I'm not even doing anything."

"Alright Nelle Bells. Come here." I said motioning her to scoot over into my open arms. "I'm sorry for the lack of love."

"It's okay-"

"Did you sense that?" I asked as I sat up instantly. "I'm serious."

"What?"

"Oh God, don't tell me-"

"Mom! Dad! I'm here!" Trey called out.

"Fuck, I knew it! It's here." I groaned falling back into my pillows. "Get dressed unless you want Trey talkin' mad shit."

"I just got a quick question for Dad!" He called out as he entered the house. Nelle nearly pushed me off the bed so I got up and headed back out of the room and down the stairs to find him near the door.

"What'chu need?"

"Remember that one nigga, Joey?" I nodded. "You think he had any relations with these smaller gangs around here?"

"For all I know he could. Why?"

"Some kids were shootin' dice and they were talkin' about Rico, Joey and the small gangs. So I was curious to know." And this is how my curiosity begins.

"I'll have some members check these smaller gangs tomorrow morning.  Anybody associated with Rico is gone and as far as Joey... He's got too many connections but no one that'll go after us. Did you do somethin'?"

"I told you I overheard some kids so I was curious to know." He shrugged. "Hi Mom."

"Hi Trey." She said back. "Why are you out this late at night?"

"I don't know, just am."

"Well I don't want you driving this late. You're staying here tonight." Nelle what are you doing. "Go to your old room." Nelle no. It doesn't live here anymore. "We have stuff in the fridge if you're hungry." That's mine.

"Thanks Mom." He brushed passed up and went up the stairs. I just stood here because I know if I say something regarding Trey staying here, Nelle'll kill me.

But I made my way to the office instead. I had a few phone calls to make to try to settle this suspicion about Rico and Joey's possible involvement with these smaller gangs.