Page 77 of Breaking the Rules
Parked on the corner of 74thand Huey, Sincere lit a blunt and handed it over to Noble. He refused it, pushing it back over to Sincere before muttering, “I want all of my rage.”
Sincere shrugged his head and went back to scanning the block. Approaching them was a red Challenger with the matching headlights. Freaky Pete. His name was gifted to him due to the number of baby mommas he had and the way hepulled his opposition apart. The engine of the Challenger purred as it eased to a stop at Sincere’s driver window.
“What’s the word?” Sincere question, smoke coming out of his mouth with every syllable.
“That hoe Keysha on 73rd and Newman. She’s been fucking with that nigga for a minute. I got some shooters on the corner. Give me the word, I’ll lit that bitch up,” Freaky spoke, looking past Sincere to Noble.
“She got kids in the house?” Noble questioned.
Freaky scoffed with laughter. “Keysha don’t do shit but swallow her kids and abort them. Plus, she probably out hustlin’ another nigga to pay for the bum she got staying there.”
“The block locked down?” Noble asked another question.
“The word is out. Everyone is tucked away.”
Noble nodded slowly. “Light that bitch up and drag his ass out. He’s gon’ have to see me.”
“Bet. You’ll know when we’re ready.” Freaky took his marching orders and rolled down the block.
Sincere looked in his back seat, grabbed a black hoodie, and tossed it in Noble’s lap. “Take that shit off. Squeeze your big ass into this.”
Noble removed his shirt, balled it up, and stuffed it under the seat. Donning the hoodie, his ear perked, hearing the screech of the tires and gunshots ringing out, eager to go, Sincere held his hand up.
“You forgot the first time you did a ride along, your eager ass.” Sincere quipped. “I got you, relax.”
Sincere listened closely, waiting for the block over to go silent. Two minutes later, he crept down the block. The house they located Brixx in, tattered with bullet holes, and masked men stood at each end with their guns in hand. Brixx was on the sidewalk, bleeding from multiple wounds, groaning and cursing loudly in anger.
Sincere handed his childhood friend a pair of gloves from the glove compartment. When Noble forced his large hands into the small gloves, he stepped out. Nods of respect given by the men on the block he made sure to take care of. There was no one from the neighborhood who didn’t respect Noble or his father. The ones that didn’t…were dealt with.
It was so quiet, you could hear the echoes of Brixx’s labored breathing. It’d been a long time since Noble was this man. The beast. He towered over Brixx, studying the bullets that hit his body. Shoulder, chest, leg.
“Drag his ass in the house,” Noble ordered.
The gangsters wasted no time picking him up off the concrete and dropping his body inside. They stood off to the side, waiting for the next order.
“Stand outside. I need to talk to this muhfucka,” Noble gritted. When alone, he took his sneaker-covered foot and stomped it into Brixx’s chest until he felt a crack.
“Agghhh fuck you bitch!” Brixx gasped.
“Nah, it’s forever fuck you. While you’re in hell, I want you to replay this night over and over. Tell the devil how you ended up there. Because you don’t know how to leave well enough alone.”
“I should’ve killed that bitch when I had the chance.”
“Which time, huh? When you threw her down the stairs? While she slept, and your bitch ass only wanted a come up? Too bad you’ll miss out on that opportunity. But I won’t.”
Noble squatted down and slammed Brixx’s head into the floor until it cracked, and his labored breathing stopped. For good measure, one last stomp to the chest to crush his heart. Exiting the house, Noble looked at the men on standby. “Burn it down.”
Noble moved through the space like he owned it. Technically, he did. A few realty companies he funded brought the blocks, restored the houses. The shooters he never had to call untiltonight lived in homes that carried no debt. He learned from his father. Take care of the people who take care of you. In another life, if baseball weren’t an option, being the OG would’ve been his place. However, he didn’t dwell in love, light, and joy when he was cloaked in darkness. Love, light, and joy were brought into his world with Savanhi. He wasn’t losing that for no man or nothing.
He changed out of the hoodie and back into the shirt he wore. Sincere caught the hoodie he tossed over the top of the car and ensured it made it to the house that was catching flames. Inside the car, Sincere examined his best friend.
“You ready to see your lady?” Sincere quizzed.
“Been ready.”
Noble’s body was heavy with need. In need of her touch, in need of her warmth, and in need of her covering. Whether she knew it or not, she was his safe place, his soft landing, his crown straightener, his joy. Not having access to that would make the weight of everything he was carrying impossible to hold.
Every step, every ascent higher to the private floor, he could feel the weight of the past few hours chip away. Finally, at her door, he eased into a quiet room, finding Savanhi holding Areli close to her, Lawryn curled up in a recliner, and Remi on the other. As he took quick strides across the laminate wooden floor, his swiftness startled Lawryn and Remi from their sleep as if they weren’t supposed to be sleeping.
