Page 104 of Deuce

“You want your son to be next? Maybe your daughter. There’s quite a bit of space beside your wife. We can make it a family plot.”

He frantically went into his briefcase and pulled out a legal pad and pen. I watched as he scribbled the names down. Ripping the paper off, he handed it to me. I looked the list over, recognizing several of the names.

“I cooperated… you can let me live right?”

I chuckled. “You think that’s how this works? You confessed to a crime and I’m just gonna let you go because you told me what I wanted to know? You a funny ass nigga.”

The smile dropped from my face as I leaned in closer to him. I could smell the fear in him.

“You made me a pawn to cover up your dirty dealings. I don’t like that and I can’t have that.” I tapped the legal pad. “Confess and make it good. It better sound like that guilt was eating you alive.”

“You… you want me to write a suicide note?”

“Precisely. I mean, it has to be believable once the story comes out, right?”

“You’re insane!

I shrugged. “Slightly. Chop chop. You got five minutes.”

This nigga was snotty and crying, getting it all over the damn paper.

“Yeah, that’s it,” I coached him. “This is gonna be great for the theatrics.”

Behind me, Maceo laughed. “Nigga, what!”

“I should have had his ass record a video to leak to the press.” I tapped the side of the judge’s head with the gun. “Hurry the fuck up, nigga!”

He wrote faster, mumbling a prayer under his breath.

“Whatchu’ praying for? You think God is gonna welcome your corrupt ass into the pearly gates? How many people did you put away for years for non-violent crimes? How many innocent people are sitting behind bars because you wanted to get rich? Heaven ain’t got no room for niggas like you or me. We’ll both burn, but you first.”

He looked up at me in disbelief. I was sure when he woke up this morning, he had no idea he was taking his final breath. He placed the pen and legal pad beside him on the couch and closed his eyes. Reaching behind me, I pulled out the gun I found in his office and handed it to him.

“There’s one bullet and two of us. You only have two options, jail or the grave. Let’s be honest. Jail is gonna put you in the grave, too. You can’t run because Iwillfind you. The odds aren’t in your favor.” I turned to my brother as I stood. “Let’s go.”

We headed for the back entrance we came in through. I wasn’t worried about the judge trying to shoot me or Maceo. His life was over the minute I gave Jaeda these names to leak to the press. He would never survive in prison and the people involve would never let him live. He was dead either way.

Just as I opened the door, the gun went off. I looked back momentarily to see Edgar slumped over on the couch with blood and brain matter covering him. I shook my head. At least I didn’t have to get my hands dirty.

“Yo. What the fuck does y’all’s brother have going on?” I asked my siblings.

We were in our own VIP section at one of the local clubs. Tonight was Kerrion’s birthday, so we had to step out and celebrate my boy. Maceo wasn’t here yet, but he was on the way and so were Salima and Shar. My baby insisted on riding with her friend, because they’d been shopping and getting ready half the damn day, so I sent a car to pick her up.

“Whatchu mean?” Devin asked, passing me the blunt.

“I mean, he’s got some secretive shit going on. I feel like he went and got his ass caught up in some outside shit.”

“We don’t even move like that,” Kerrion said.

I nodded. “Exactly. I’d hate to have to beat his ass.”

Mia waved me off. “That’s a grown ass man.”

“I don’t give a fuck. We don’t work with anybody outside of the family or people that aren’t handpicked. That’s the quickest way to get caught up. It’s not like he needs the money. Shit, if he’s looking for a thrill, we can play Russian Roulette.”

Jaeda shook her head. “This is why I stay behind the computer. Y’all do too much.”

“Speaking of computer, are you done with that internet shit?”

---