Chapter 11

Eleven

Merc

Anything between us was forbidden.Keeping Neo safe was my job. A job I took seriously and couldn't allow lustful desires to cloud. Even with that logic swirling around in my mind, feelings for Neo planted themselves deeper and deeper in the center of my heart. It was taking everything inside of me not to tell her to break up with her nigga so she could know how it felt to be loved by a real one. I was truly at war with myself as I drove back home.

An incoming call pulled me out of my thoughts. At the sight of Rey's number, I accepted the call and allowed it to connect to the Bluetooth in my car.

"You good?" I checked.

"I am, but Neo's not." Immediately, I made a U-turn and headed back in the direction of his mansion.

"What's going on?"

"She took an Uber and left. Trent was at the door, and he said she was mumbling about her man playing in her face and how he had her fucked up. So I assume she's going wherever he is."

"Aight, let me get off the phone so I can track her down."

Without waiting for him to agree, I ended the call. I figured she was going back home, but I checked her location to be sure. Sure enough, that's where it looked like she was going.

What had he done to make her not only leave but leave without me?

That didn't matter right now.

I just needed to get to her and make sure she was safe.

Now that we had Chico in our possession, Gatlin was going to show up sooner or later. I didn't want her being in her feelings to lead her into a trap that he'd set up for her and to get his cousin back.

I didn't think Neo realized just how serious this was, and maybe that was my and Rey's fault. In our attempt to shield her from everything that was going on, neither of us told her that he was the head over a multi-million-dollar drug empire that his best friend and business partner was trying to get him out of.

It took me about thirteen minutes to get to Neo's place, and as soon as I turned onto the street, I saw someone with a limp crossing her lawn. Accelerating my speed, I pulled my Glock from underneath the seat. By the time I crept into the house, Gatlin was saying, "No witnesses."

"Let's talk about this," a man that I assumed to be Steven said, pulling Neo behind him.

Her eyes closed and body shook.

"Ain't shit to talk about," Gatlin said.

"You right about that." At the sound of my voice, Gatlin turned, and I sent three bullets into his chest. I walked over to him and put two more into his skull for good measure.

The screams of a woman on the couch didn't faze me. Steven shielded Neo, but she pushed him off her as she yelled, "Get off me! I hate you! I can't believe you would do this to me!"

Steven scoffed as I sent Bully a numbered code via text, requesting a cleanup crew.

"This man just killed someone in front of us, and you're standing up here yelling about me cheating?"

"You cheated on her?" I asked before chuckling. "Fuckin' fool."

"I need to get the hell up out of here!" ol' girl yelled as she tried to make a run for it, but I grabbed her and pushed her toward Steven.

"Neither one of y'all are going anywhere. Not yet anyway."

My eyes shifted in Neo's direction, and she was shaking in anger. I didn't see an ounce of sadness in her face or eyes; this was all rage. The dried-up blood on Steven's nose and lips I assumed was her doing. I needed her to focus, so I pulled her to my side.

"I have a cleanup crew coming, but I have to finish this tonight. You need to go back to Rey's until I do." When her eyes went back to them, I gripped her chin and forced her to look at me. "Whatever you got going on with him don't matter right now. Focus on me." Her eyes closed, and she inhaled a deep breath. With a nod, she gave me her eyes. "If I don't get rid of Bart tonight, this shit is going to be even worse. Bully is going to stay with you and Rey until this is over."

"What about you? Who's going with you?"

Her concern made me smile. "I'll pick up Toe, but please, don't worry about me. I'll be good."

Tears filled her eyes as they fluttered. With a nod, she wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back before placing a kiss to her forehead. After telling Steven and ol' girl to sit down and not make a move, I went outside to see if her Uber driver had left. I wasn't worried about her neighbors hearing the shooting, because I'd used a silencer. Since he was still here, I sent her back with him and told her to text me when she made it back to Rey. We hugged again, and I watched her go to the car in case Gatlin had come with someone who was waiting outside.

I made my way back to Gatlin's lifeless body and used his thumb to open his phone. After sending his father a text, letting him know I had Neo, I waited for his response. Like I figured he would, Bart told him to bring her to him. Since I didn't know where he was, I checked his contact information and hoped they shared their locations. Thankfully, they did.

Once Bully and the cleanup crew pulled up, I let Beethoven know I was on my way to him.

I didn't think Steven would snitch, knowing this man was going to kill Neo, but just to be safe, Bully had been given the pleasurable task of making sure they understood what would happen if word about what happened here spread. There was no doubt in my mind that the promise of them having the same fate as Gatlin would keep them quiet. And if it didn't, I'd gladly put a bullet between Steven's bitch ass eyes just because he broke Neo's heart.