Page 106 of Bear
“It does. I can usually tell within seconds if I want to do business with someone and Griffon, you don’t make the cut. Bear is my guy.”
“Well, you’re going to have to rethink that decision, Tito. Bear doesn’t have what it takes to run a successful drug business on the level you need. He’s a puppet. All the success you see around him is because of me. Did he tell you that shit?” Dad looked at me and flared his nostrils. I still held onto a sliver of a chuckle.
“I know of your past success but that has nothing to do with right now. Right now Bear is the king of Louisiana and that’s who I want to do business with.”
“You’re making a huge fucking mistake, Tito. Bear has no other suppliers. No soldiers. If you stick with him you’ll be his only connect and he’ll have no way of distributing. All these men belong to me. You really want to do that? Have him be your sole connect to the streets?”
“I’m not his sole connect to the streets. He can distribute his product throughmysoldiers and the smaller connectsIhave,” I informed my father, squinting through the smoke.
“What the fuck connects doyouhave, Bear?” His laughter was big and loud and it bellowed into the night clouds. “What soldiers? You mean the ones I have? You mean all these people here, partying formyhomecoming? Those connects? Those soldiers?” His voice turned to gravel as he pressed his palms against the patio table.
I caught a glimpse of Cecily flinching off to the side and I wanted her and Kareema to go in the house but I knew my girl. She’d want to stay by my side no matter how grisly things got. Dad followed my gaze and looked at Cecily too. His grin was maniacal.
For the first time in my life, I felt fear slither up my spine like an icy snake.
“You love her don’t you son? Is that why you wouldn’t let me stick my dick in her? Hmm? Made sure to keep her busy. I see it now. I get it.” He nodded and stood to his feet. I stood too. Something buried in my bones told me to.
“Good. I’m glad you get it. Took you long enough,” I said, my temple throbbing. Dad and I stared each other down, frozen in the thick tension swelling around us.
“You know what? I’ve learned a lot since I had to shoot Hawk in the fucking head. I’ve learned a lot about how I should have handled that situation. I shouldn’t have shot Hawk.” His white teeth gleamed in the darkening night. “I should’ve shot his bitch.” He pulled out his pistol and fired a shot that cracked my fucking skull with the loud pop. A bullet whizzed by my ear carrying a streak of heat. My soldiers tackled Dad to the ground while I spun around to check on Cecily.
Everything happened so fast.
Too fast.
I didn’t see Ace dive in front of Cecily but I heard them both tumble to the ground. I saw Titan draw his pistol and aim it at my father’s head while one of my soldiers stepped on his neck, rendering him immobile.
“Don’t fucking shoot!” I thundered. Titan’s black eyes were wild with temptation. The only thing that stopped him were my words.
Pure fear pumped through my veins. It was hot and sticky.
I had no idea when I’d fallen to my knees but I felt the soft soil bleeding into my pants. Blood covered both Ace and Cecily. My heart felt like it would pop at the sight.
Cecily’s cries were frantic and hysterical while Ace coughed and gurgled.
He was hit.
She was safe.
“Ace!” Cecily screamed. Once the shock wore off, she touched his chest where a singed bullet hole was saturated with his deep red blood. I let my eyes fall shut then I opened them and looked into Ace’s ice-blue eyes.
“Kill that motherfucker, Bear,” he sputtered in between shallow breaths. I rolled my lips between my teeth and nodded.
“Ace, you’re gonna be okay. Somebody call an ambulance! Why isn’t anyone calling an ambulance?” Cecily sobbed, burying her face in the bloody crook of Ace’s neck.
It was because we all knew what she refused to accept.
There was no help for Ace.
The bullet hole was right over his fucking heart. There was no coming back from that shit. My right-hand man was fading quick and it made my stomach bottom out. I’d just accepted that I could choose my own family and now I was seeing one of them ripped away from me.
“What I tell you, Dimples? I’d die protecting you. I know what I’m talking about.” He drew in a sharp, jagged breath that tore me apart inside. Pain splintered his features. I could tell he was in agony.
“Ace, you’re not going to die,” Cecily insisted.
“I am. I already know. Seen it enough times to know.” Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and Cecily lost it. I held her in my arms and kissed the top of her head. She was fine with watching other bad guys get shot and killed but it hurt when it was one of your own. She wasn’t used to that.
Unfortunately, I was well-versed.
