Chapter Six

Rakeem

The shit that was thrown on my brother in the meeting took us both by surprise. I know how the shit goes in our circle, but our pops never mentioned or forced the shit on us. To have somebody else do it was crazy as hell, but what could he really do when the order was coming from the Head? Hopefully, he would figure the shit out so we wouldn't lose the partnership that we already built to be solid.

I watched as my brother sped off, heading in one direction while I went in another. While I'm pretty sure he was headed to the freight yard. I was going to stop by one of our clients and pay him a personal visit. Alongside the other illegal shit we had going on, we dealt with a little banking. That means that when muthafuckas needed to get a few thousands and couldn't get approved by the bank, they came to us, and we made the shit happen. When the payments don't come in time, we don't file fucking charges to get our money back. Nah, that wasn't even an option. If I had to come and collect our money, then you could almost guarantee that I'm going to leave with either my fucking money or your fucking soul. Didn't matter to me.

As I pulled up to Lander's Laundry, I stepped out of my vehicle before stepping onto the sidewalk and inside the establishment. Joseph Lander owned a small dry cleaners that the bank was threatening to take from him last year. Of course, he couldn't go to them or any other bank for a loan, because he already owed one and his house was mortgaged through another one that he was delinquent on. When I walked inside, the small bell over the door sounded to let them know they had company. I didn't even bother to wait for his ass. I swaggered straight to the back but not before locking the door behind me. When I got to the back, I didn't knock before entering. The sight before me would have been entertaining had it not been for the fact that this nigga was balls deep in some pussy like he didn't have a fucking care in the world.

"So, this is why I can't get my money? You tricking it off on hoes?" When my voice boomed throughout the office, Lander froze mid-stroke. The hoe that he had bent over his desk started screaming loud as fuck.

"Bitch, shut all that up. You weren't that damn loud while he was fucking you." I glared at her, disgusted. I'm pretty sure she knew this nigga was married. There was no way she couldn't when she worked here.

"R-Rock," he stuttered. "Wh-what can I do for you?"

"You can start by putting ya dick up before talking to me."

What grown ass man is going to look another grown ass man in the face while his dick is out? He quickly stuffed himself back into his slacks while the woman stood to her full attention, with her pussy still on full display. This was the hoe shit that pissed me off because this nigga's dick was just invading your walls, and you got the nerve to be trying to show it to me.

"Bitch, cover up that pick me ass pussy. Don't nobody want that shit but this nigga," I snarled.

Shamefully, she pushed her skirt back down over her hips and stood off to the side. She knew not to come this way because of the gun that I had resting at my side.

Taking my eyes off of her, they landed back on Lander, and he had all but five seconds to get my money.

"I didn't come here for your games, Lander. Where the fuck is my money?" I growled.

One would think that the sweat perspiring from his forehead would be from the sexcapade that I interrupted. It wasn't, though. This nigga was terrified, and he had every right to be.

"I don't have it all," he lied.

Cocking my head to the side, I looked at him, then his bitch. Her wig looked fresh. Nails didn't need a fill-in, and her dress looked a little too good to have come from SHEIN. Her wrists and neck were iced out, too. Lander caught my observation, and I saw the lump in his throat form. That made me smirk at the thought of him fearing for his life.

"You don't have it, but this bitch wearing a nice chunk of it. Didn't y'all just get back from Antigua?"

He knew he was caught, so it was no need to lie about the shit.

"Okay, I know what it looks like, but I can get it to you in a few days. You got my word," he pleaded.

"Nigga, your word don't mean shit! You didn't have a problem accepting my money, but now it's an issue when it's time to pay the fuck up. So, since you seem to have a problem getting my shit to me, let me help you out." I lifted my hand and let off a shot right in the middle of ol' girl's forehead. When I heard her body drop to the floor, I spoke again. "That should speed up the process. You probably could still get face value for that jewelry if it's still in good condition. You got forty-eight hours. I'm feeling generous since you're in mourning and shit." With a smirk, I left his office and let myself out the same way that I came in. I wasn't sending cleanup, either. Let him figure that shit out and explain what happened. I wasn't worried about him snitching either because, for one, nobody was going to do shit. Most importantly, he knew he'd be joining that bitch.

As I headed toward the middle of town to check in with my brother, my dash lit up with Teresa's name. I immediately accepted the call, since she was at the house with Lucretia.

"Everything good?" I answered.

I heard her sigh heavily and my heart immediately sank to the floor.

"She refusing to take her medicines and refusing to eat. She said she's ready to die, Rakeem. She's giving up, but she's asking to see Peace." I listened to Teresa and closed my eyes to take all of it in. The doctor warned us that most people got like this in the end. I knew it was coming, but that doesn't mean that I wanted to face the shit.

"Aight. I'll swing by my parents and get Peace. We'll be there shortly." I hung up the phone and drove the rest of the ride to my parents' house on auto-pilot. The time was coming where I needed to mentally prepare for Lucretia's death. I knew it was coming, but how can you really prepare yourself for that? How you can prepare yourself to lose the love of your life? How do you prepare to have conversations with your daughter about how beautiful and smart her mother was because not old enough to have any memories?

When I pulled up to my parents' house, I parked in my usual spot and let myself in. When I got inside, I heard Peace's little loud ass mouth before I could see her. That caused a smile to spread across my face because my baby was my peace for real. That's why I chose that name for her. I walked inside of the kitchen, and she was sitting in her booster chair eating chicken nuggets and dancing to Gracie's Corner on her tablet.

"You forever eating and dancing," I joked as I made my way over to her. She really turned up then and reached her small arms out for me to pick her up.

"She is definitely going to be in some kind of dance classes when she gets older," my mother said. When she looked at my face, she knew something was wrong.

"What's wrong, Rakeem? Is it Lu?" she asked sincerely.

Sighing dejectedly, I responded. "Yeah, but it's not what you think, but we're getting there. She's refusing to take her meds or eat. Her mama called and said that she wants to see Peace," I revealed.

The look on my mother's face was one of sorrow and pain. She didn't like the fact that I was going through this. She also hated to lose Lucretia. She loved her. Hell, my whole family did. She's been a part of this family for years and to know that we're losing her is a hard pill for everyone to swallow.

"I'm going with you," she insisted. I didn't even argue with her about it. I didn't know what I was walking into, and I probably need her in some form or another.

It took my mother all of ten minutes to go grab her purse and we were headed back out. I offered to drive her, but she wanted to drive herself. We got to my house in a little over twenty minutes and Teresa was sitting in the room beside Lucretia's bed. Her eyes were closed, but I knew she wasn't asleep.

"Hey, Reese," my mother spoke, giving Teresa a hug.

Teresa rose from the chair and returned the embrace that my mother gave her. I watch the two of them comfort each other while I walked around the bed to where the other chair was and sat down in it with Peace clinging to me. Usually my baby would be happy to see her mother, but I guess she sensed something was wrong.

"Mommy schleep?" she asked in her tiny voice.

When Lu heard her voice, she weakly pried her eyes open and gave a faint, very weak smile.

"Hey baby." Her voice graveled.

Peace looked from me to her mother and laid her head on my shoulder. The shit before me broke my damn heart, and I didn't know how much longer I could keep this facade up that I was strong because I wasn't.

"Thank you f-for bringing h-her," she responded before going into a coughing fit. My mother sprang right into action and grabbed her some ice chips and placed them in her mouth so that she could suck on them. That's been better for her than trying to suck out of a straw.

"I told you not to thank me for doing what needs to be done, Lu. She's your daughter, so of course I'm going to bring her to see you." I was holding back my own tears as I watched the ones in Lucretia's eyes to swell before they cascaded down her now ashen skin.

While our mothers did everything to make her comfortable, I watched as she silently cried. That shit tore my muthafucking soul into pieces. I literally had to watch the love of my life deteriorate right before my eyes. I wouldn't wish this shit on my worst enemy. Some days, I thought this was my karma for taking so many lives, but then again, I never killed a muthafucka just for the hell of it. Every life I took could be accounted for. I never cheated on her, so I looked at is as if I was meant to be by myself because even though she made me promise, I didn't see myself allowing myself to love another woman. The day that Lucretia takes her last breath would be the day that she takes my heart with her.

"Son, did you hear me?" My mother's voice brought me back to the present. I often found myself getting caught up in my thoughts.

"No, I didn't," I responded.

"I said, I'll take Peace back home with me. She's teething, and I know she'll be fussy later. You stay here with Lu and let me take care of her," she offered. As bad as I wanted to decline, I didn't. I needed to be able to decompress and come to terms with this and not break down in front of my child. She may not know what's going on, but like now, she can sense that something isn't right.

"Thanks, Ma. I'll be by in the morning to check on her, if not tonight." She nodded.

I knew Teresa was staying, so if I needed to leave, it would be no problem. My mother stayed a little longer until Peace started to get fussy. That was her cue to take her back to the house and lie her down. As I walked them back outside, I hugged my daughter tighter than I ever had before. My heart broke for her. She'll never have the luxury of having two parents that she could remember. Who knew if she would even remember her mother at all?

"Everything will be fine, baby. We're all hurting, so we'll all get through this together. Lu will always be our family." She assured me.

After kissing my daughter, then my mother, I headed back inside and asked Teresa to give us some privacy. The way she was breathing, I could tell that she had fallen back to sleep. That didn't stop me from sitting in the chair beside the bed and grabbing her small, frail hand. Gently rubbing my thumb across it, I held it up to my mouth and placed a soft kiss on it.

"You know, I still think about the first time that we met," I said softly. "You wanted to beat my ass." I laughed.

The day that Lucretia and I crossed paths, I was in the mall with my brother, getting ready for our birthday. It was my twenty-first and his twenty-second. We were looking for outfits and I had to pick up the grill that I ordered for today. I already had one, but this one was platinum and filled with diamonds. I was too busy smiling to notice her and her sister, and I bumped right into her small frame, knocking her and her bags to the ground. Immediately, I felt bad and reached down to help her up, but she snatched her hand back from me.

"Move!" She shoved my hand out of the way before scrambling to her feet with the prettiest frown on her face that I have ever seen. Her caramel colored skin seemed to glisten as the sun beamed through the skylight of the mall. Her blonde dyed hair was cut in a layered bob with one side swept behind her ear. She had eyes the color of honey and couldn't be any taller than five feet even. That didn't stop the giant personality that she carried around.

"I apologize, shorty. I didn't see your pretty ass." My compliment caused her to blush. As a peace offering, I invited her to our party, and we've been together ever since.

"If I could go back to that day, I would go the other way. I would be better off not knowing you than knowing and loving you, only for you to leave me, Lu. I don't know how you expect me to live, let alone love, without you in my life, baby. I just don't see it."

For the first time, I cried out in the open and not in the shower. This shit was unbearable, but I know I had to get through it. Not only for me, but for Peace. I can't neglect her of a father, too.