"So, do you want the narco or no? I can walk down the street and find someone who would buy it for that price," Cedric's voice was serious as he stared down the dark-haired girl who was standing in front of us.
I had agreed to go with him as back-up, but I was ready to speak to Cam after the events that went down earlier. I was worried about him.
The girl panicked at the thought of Cedric leaving.
"No, no. Sixty-five for four... I can do that," she said, digging around in her purse for the money.
I tilted my head in her direction as she stopped searching through her purse.
"I...I don't have the money," she whispered, watching Cedric.
Cedric dangled the four little white pills in the bag in front of her.
"Looks like I will be taking that trip down the street then, girl," he said, his dark eyes on her face.
"What if I you know, suck your dick for it?" she offered.
I turned to look at her again.
People would do anything to get drugs these days. They craved it so badly they would give their body away for it.
Cedric seemed to think for a moment. He touched his fingers to his lips and glanced up at the sky.
"Man, it would be nice to have my dick sucked by a cute little white bitch..." he said, glancing at me with a teasing smile.
I chuckled at him, but I knew he wouldn't do it. He wanted the money. He was just toying with her.
"Please... I will do it right now. Your friend can watch," she said, glancing at me.
Damn. A few months ago, I would have taken that offer without a blink, but now it just disgusted me. I didn't have any interest in the situation. I had who I wanted at home.
"Your offer is quite temping baby girl, but my homie and I are going to have to turn it down. These four little pills are coming with me," Cedric mumbled, motioning for me to follow him.
We walked past the girl who was whining. Our shoulders brushing together.
"Please," she begged from behind us
Cedric laughed.
"You have my number whenever you find that money, girl," he said as we rounded the corner.
We left her there with nothing. Cedric shoved the pills back into his pocket and looked at me.
"Spence. I might have to start taking you along with me more often. Got bitches offering to suck dick now," he said, rubbing his hands together before breathing hot air in between them.
"Bro, you don't know where her mouth has been. She offered to you, she offers to every brother she buys from," I said, raising an eyebrow.
Cedric shuddered at the thought.
"That's true, my man," he said as he glanced out in front of him.
The silence between us was nice, but it didn't last very long.
"I'm sorry about Cobi... I didn't realize he was a snitch," he whispered.
I shrugged my shoulders.
"I don't think anyone did. He was an old member. He knew the rules. Everyone trusted him, but sometimes people are selfish," I said, my eyes flashing to his face.
"Yeah, bro but he didn't have to put a target on your back. You've already been through the pit and that was enough torture to last you a life time I'm sure," he said, his face frowning.
He seemed deep in thought.
He had no idea. Torture was not even the best word to describe it.
"You good?" I asked.
Cedric let out a deep breath and rubbed his face with his hand.
"I've never told anyone this, so I'm hoping you can keep it between us. You feel me?" he asked.
I nodded my head as he slowed to a stop.
"I had a twin brother. We sold drugs all through our teen years together as a team. They called us 'Siamese'. Once we graduated school, we didn't know what to do with the rest of our lives. He wanted more than just selling drugs. He got power hungry. He went and found the south side gang. He fell under James' spell and the next thing I know he stopped coming back home at night. Around this time, I had built connections with Cam and he found out I could sell his product at a high speed. He asked me to join the blood. I accepted, but I always wondered what happened to my brother... Fast forward a few months and I got a call from Chicago PD. They wanted me to come identify a body," he said, folding his arms across his chest as he turned to look at me.
"It was him?" I questioned.
"Yes. He had third degree burns on his chest and back. The skin had been melted away beyond repair. Every one of his fingers and toes were broken to the point where it would have been impossible to walk without help. He had stabs to his body that pierced his intestine, leaving him to bleed out in a slow, agonizing death. All the while, his toxic screen said he had been dosed with pancuronium. The drug used to paralyze inmates on death row. He was awake during his torture, but he couldn't fight back," he breathed, letting out a deep breath.
The memories flowed back into my mind like a river. I could feel the flame as it raced across my skin. It was agonizing.
I looked back at him.
"I am so sorry, Ced."
Cedric nodded his head.
"Yeah, it's all good. I feel like you knew what he went through, that's why I wanted to tell you. You're a strong man, Spence. Don't ever forget that," he said, his eyes meeting mine.
"Just always remember that at least he died trying to get out. He didn't give up," I said, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
Cedric pushed my hand down and laughed softly.
"Don't touch me, man. Just because we had a moment doesn't mean you have permission to be my friend." He said, walking back down the alley.
I followed behind him and smiled. Before I knew it, we were back at the large metal door and it rattled as Cedric pulled it open. We stepped inside, and the warm air was welcoming. The gang was stretched out on the couch and were sprawled out on the floor in the living room. They were watching a game on tv as they finished dinner. Cedric was greeted by the gang as he fell in an empty seat on the leather couch. He propped his feet up on the coffee table.
"Anybody looking for some Watson-387? I've got four. Customer didn't have the money tonight," he said, pulling the pills from his pocket and tossing them down on the table.
Two guys on the floor shoved each other, fighting to see who could reach the pills first.
"Where's Cam?" I asked after observing my new family.
Jordan had his mouth full of food, but still found a way to answer me.
"Room. Second left," he mumbled out and Jermaine shoved his shoulder.
"Stop talking with yo mouth full," he said, rolling his eyes.
I chuckled and turned to head down the hall. I stopped in front of Cam's door. I hesitated, but I noticed the light radiating from under the door. I knocked, letting my knuckles brush against the door.
"It's open."
I pushed the door open and stepped inside his room, closing it behind me. Cam's room was the opposite of James'. Everything had a spot and it was pristine. There was no dust and no antic furniture. He had a flat screen mounted on the wall and a king-sized bed pushed up in the corner or the room. He had a desk with a large desktop computer situated in front of a window. He was posted in a large leather office chair that he spun around to look at me.
The king of the north. He didn't play any games.
His dark eyes had accumulated dark circles around them. His body was hunched over, and he leaned forward to place his hands in his hands. His biceps flexing causing tattoos on his dark skin to come to life. His gold watch shimmered on his wrist as the light reflected off it.
"You look exhausted," I said as I mad my way over to sit on the edge of his bed.
Cam rubbed his face and glanced up at me.
"You could say that," he said.
"I feel like I have caused you a lot of extra stress, Cam. That was never my intention," he said.
Cam leaned back in his chair, propping one of his legs up on the other knee and clasped his hands in front of him against his stomach. His eyes met mine.
"Spencer. My stress has nothing to do with you. I run an entire empire. A business. I hate to tell you this, but on my stress radar you are just a blimp," he said with a laugh.
I raised an eyebrow and laughed along with him.
"Ok, big dawg. No need to rub it in," I responded.
"I feel like sometimes you forget the world doesn't revolve around you," he said, using his foot to twist the chair back and forth.
I rested on my elbows on my knees.
"I could understand that. I am self-centered at times," I said.
Cam chuckled but remained silent. After a moment, I spoke again.
"So, do you want to continue our talk from earlier?" I asked, watching him.
He let out a sigh.
"We continue the talk from before Lincoln Warehouse. I don't want to talk about anything during or after," he stated his terms and his stance was unyielding as he stared me down.
There was something Cam was keeping from me and for now, I that was okay. After I saw the scene in the warehouse earlier, I think there are somethings he should be able to keep to himself.
"Deal," I agreed.
"So, where were we? Adrienne is pregnant, you don't want to be involved with the south anymore?" he asked, summarizing the conversation from earlier.
I was impressed by his memory.
I nodded my head.
"I don't know what my next step should be, Cam. I need help. I don't want to risk Adrienne's life and I don't want to risk my unborn child's life," I said.
He put his leg back down on the floor and leaned forward to look at me.
"They will try to use her against you if that is what it takes to lure you out of hiding. They are bold. Cayden is ruthless. He has no respect for human life," he said, his tone serious.
"I don't want her hurt, Cam," I whispered.
Cam seemed to be deep in thought for a moment.
"I don't want her hurt either, Spencer. She's a special girl and I've grown close to her over the past few weeks. We just have to think of a way to ensure her protection while ending the south's quest for you," he said, his eyes glancing up at the ceiling as he thought some more.
Her uncle. Chief of police. He could keep her safe. He would hate me for asking him because I promised to keep her safe and here she was in danger again. The police department would be the safest place for her. Cayden wouldn't dare of taking the whole force on.
"I know what we need to do, Cam," I stated, my eyes locking on his.
He turned his attention to me.
"Her uncle is the chief of police. I can ask him to keep her at the office late tomorrow night. I can't tell her why though. If she knew, she would stress out. I don't want to put that stress on her while she's pregnant. She's already been through enough worry from before," I said, sighing.
Cam nodded his head.
"That might be the best. Then we can guarantee her safety and can complete our task. That will take that risk out of the air. I can send a runner to Cayden. We can set the meeting point. We can make them come to us," he said, leaning back in his chair again.
"I don't want anyone to get hurt, Cam. I just want this over. I survived the pit. I removed my body of the south side. Why are they so determined to still come after me?" I asked, running a hand through my hair.
Cam pursed his lips as he touched his finger to them.
"Spencer, that's a promise I can't make to you. Someone will end up hurt. That's just a part of this whole deal, but they are your blood brothers. They will fight by your side with no questions asked. As for the answer to your question, Cayden knows no boundaries. He doesn't know when enough is enough. He must be forced to stop. He was raised on anger and pain; therefore, that is what he leads the south with now. We must step up and put a foot down. If we show no fear, he can't have that hold over us," he said, his dark eyes on me.
"The best place to do this would be the park. It's open. It's public," I said.
Cam thought for a moment and then nodded. He stood up and walked over by the door, leaning out of it.
"LD." He called.
I heard a shuffling outside the door and could see pieces of LD behind Cam's large frame. Cam whispered to him. After the exchange, he pushed the door closed and turned to look at me.
"Plan is in motion. No turning back down," he said, folding his arms across his chest.
I slid off the edge of his bed and sighed.
"I am ready for this to be over for good," I said.
He nodded his head.
"Me too. Now, I am pretty sure you have a baby mama who is waiting to hear from you unless there is something else you want to talk about?" he asked, scanning me.
Adrienne. I couldn't wait to hear about the doctor's appointment.
"No. I think we both could use some rest," I responded as I smiled at him.
He reached forward to pat my shoulder.
"Stay strong, brother," he said, stepping over to take a seat back in his throne spinning it around to look back at the computer screen.
I left his room, closing the door shut behind me.
Cam helped me plan out the next step and it started tomorrow, but for now I could relax.
I pulled my phone out of my jacket pocket, scrolling through the notifications. I unlocked it and dialed Adrienne's number. The phone rang for a second before she answered.
"Spencer!"
"Hey baby girl. Sorry it took so long for me to call. It's been a long day. Are you at home?" I asked, leaning against the wall in the living room.
Jordan and Jermaine proceeded to make kissy faces at me from the couch.
"No, actually I'm not. I am standing outside the door to the apartment."
I glanced over toward the door and stepped over to it, pulling it open. I slid my phone back into my jacket pocket as she jumped into my arms. I encircled her waist, pulling her body against me. She lifted her feet off the ground as I spun her and then set her back down.
"How dare you walk over here by yourself?" I whispered, my eyes on her face.
She smiled up at me and tapped my nose.
"I'm a big girl, Spencer. It's like a five-minute walk. Quit worrying so much. It will make you old," she said, running her hands through my hair.
I rested my forehead against hers and let out a deep breath.
"I wouldn't want you to be dating such an old man," I said, chuckling.
Her smile spread back across her face.
"Maybe I like them old," she whispered in my ear, her tongue flicking against it.
A shiver ran down my spine.
She was asking for it.
My eyes glanced over to the guys who had focused on the game for the moment. I ran my hand up to grip her chin, forcing her to look up at me.
"Maybe I like them young," I breathed, my eyes looking into hers.
She blushed.
"You want to tell me what you would do to a young helpless girl?" she breathed, continuing to play along with me.
My dark eyes narrowed.
She had no idea what I wanted to do to her. It had been so long since the last time we had sex and I was dying for a release.
"Let's go somewhere more private... I'm not into sharing," I whispered, releasing her chin and taking her hand as I pulled her out of the living room and down the hallway.
I pushed open the door to an empty room and closed it behind us. The room was dark, but neither one of us seemed to mind. We welcomed the darkness at this moment in time. I led her to the bed and we fell onto it, our bodies sinking deep into the mattress. She turned her body away from me and I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her back up against my chest. Her head rested on my arm and I nuzzled my face into her warm neck. Her breathing was soft as we laid together.
"How was the doctor?" I mumbled, placing soft kisses along her neck.
She was quiet for a second after I asked the question. I stopped my trail of kisses along her neck and she spoke.
"It was good. They told me what I already knew. They said I was nine weeks along.... They gave me a whole list of things I can't eat and can't do. They also told me what to expect and not to expect. My aunt cried the entire time. She is so over-emotional sometimes. She said in 6 months I should be able to call my mom and give her the news. It seems so far away now, but she told me it will fly by. The next time I go to the doctor, I will get my first ultrasound," she talked, and the words flowed so effortlessly from her lips.
"Your aunt loves you. She's happy for you. You should be grateful to have such a good support system. As for your mom, that is great news. I hope she will be able to come visit you. Am I invited to the first ultrasound?" I asked, smiling in the darkness.
The words sounded funny off my tongue.
My hands moved around to rest on her stomach, drawing small circles on it.
"Of course, Spencer. I want to hold your hand when we get to hear the heart beat for the first time," she whispered, moving to place her hands on mine.
That's when I knew.
"I love you, Adrienne. I cannot wait for our future together," I breathed against her ear.
She turned her body in my arms and tossed her leg over my waist. She moved her arms up my chest and pushed my jacket off. She stretched to put her lips to mine.
"I love you too, Spence. Walking down that alley was the best decision I've ever made," she whispered, breaking the kiss.
My hands moved through her hair and pulled lips back to mine.
Her walking down that alley changed my life. She gave me hope when I had none. Strength when I lacked some. Love when I surrounded by hate. She tamed the monster Cayden had created inside of me. She taught me the important things in life are the ones that you cannot live without. She taught me how to love unconditionally and the lessons weren't finished yet. It was my time to teach her.