Page 211 of River & Crown
"No," he answered, sharp and final.
"Okay, but if Rakim's the one causing problems, why do you have his mother?"
Honor didn't blink. "Closure. Rakim caused a rift between my family and me. Isn't that right, Rakim?"
He walked toward the dangling man, who was somehow still alive.
"This all happened because I didn't do my due diligence. I should've killed every muthafucka tied to that nigga Sincere. That was my mistake, but one I won't make twice."
He paced slowly.
"Everyone tied to Rakim's team is already being handled, but these two? I saved for us. I thought after Crown sent Lynx's head to Mary, Rakim would've disappeared, but pussy? Pussy's a nigga's greatest downfall. Honey had one of her girls on him. She convinced him to stay put at his mom's. He was three inches in the pussy when I had him snatched, and now, we're here."
Honor looked at Rakim, then, with one quick twist of the crank beside the rail, the chain holding Rakim gave out. The sound of metal grinding against metal shrieked through the room like a scream. The vat hissed violently as Rakim's bodydropped into the bubbling liquid. Heat and the stench of burning flesh rolled through the air. I turned away as chunks of skin floated to the top. My eyes landed on his mother. Strangled screams pushed from behind her gag. Her whole body shook, her eyes wide and wild with horror. I turned away from her, too. I couldn't stomach the look on her face.
"Honor, enough!" I shouted.
He didn't flinch. Just wiped his gloved hands on a stained rag and turned the crank again. The chain groaned as it pulled Rakim back up. The hook rose from the vat, and with it came what was left of him. Bones. Just fucking bones. My stomach twisted. Rakim wasn't just dead. He was erased.
"You ready?" Honor asked, voice too calm.
"For what?" I tried to keep my voice steady, but anxiety scratched its way up my throat.
"To kill her." He nodded toward Rakim's mother. Who, somehow, was still conscious.
"If we're going to work together, I need to know I can trust you. If you want to save your husband, then kill her."
Everything inside me stilled. I'd been the 'cause of death before, but never the hand that delivered it. Never the one who pulled the trigger. Never the one who sliced flesh.
"Are you hesitating?" Honor asked, tilting his head.
"She's not a threat."
"She birthed the muthafuckin' threat, Choyce," he growled. "That's reason enough."
Then he turned to Kage. "Get out."
"Yeah, okay," Kage responded with an eerie laugh.
"She'll be fine," Honor insisted, eyes locked on me. "Won't you, Choyce?"
I nodded, even though everything in me screamed no.
"Kage," I gently stated. "I'm good."
He looked at me, jaw locked tight, eyes stormy, but he left. "You better know what the fuck you're doing," he muttered as the door shut behind him.
Honor stepped closer. "What was that shit you told me outside Lucian's crib?" he asked but not really asking. "You said I had everybody fooled. That I loved this shit the same way you do. That was bullshit on your end. You love the power. The control, but you don't love what it takes to get it and keep it. This right here is what it takes. Kage won't always be there to do your killing for you."
He guided me to a steel table lined with weapons. Knives. Blades. Guns.
"Pick one," he murmured.
I swallowed and reached for a small black revolver.
"Smaller than what I usually see you carry," he whispered, stepping from behind me.
Rakim's mother sobbed, but all I heard was Honor's voice in my ear.
