Page 63 of A Kingpin's Weakness
“You ready?” I asked, my voice low, heavy.
Rich didn’t speak, just nodded as we walked toward the circle of soldiers standing in the center of the warehouse. Southside stepped forward, dapped Rich up, then pulled him in too. Real recognize real.
“It’s time to suit up,” I said. “I need Ronnie and every generation before and after him.”
“I can serve Ronnie on a glass plate,” King said, stepping into the warehouse like a shadow. He greeted us, then fell back while I stepped forward. This was my war. My father’s ghost was still waiting for peace.
“I’m ashamed to say it, but Ronnie played in my face for years,” I began, my voice tightening with every word. “Thought he was solid. Thought he was blood. But that nigga was poison. I made a promise to my pops the day they lowered him in the ground I’d send his killer right to him. I was 14 then. I’m 35 now, and I’m making good on that promise.”
“Ronnie killed Seth Sr.?” Josh stepped forward, shocked. I couldn’t even form the words. I just nodded. That was enough.
“Say less,” Josh replied. And just like that, he was ready.
“I’m not forcing nobody into this. If you ain’t ready to go to war behind this, walk out now,” I told them. I meant it.
Two of Ronnie’s old crew stepped back, ready to leave. I respected it but Rich didn’t.
Pop! Pop!
No hesitation. Rich dropped both of them before they hit the door. His face was stone cold.
“Seth gave y’all a choice,” he said. “But I lost the love of my life today. You move funny, you get moved.”
I didn’t say a word. When Rich was like this, there was no talking him down. And truth be told, I wasn’t in the mood for mercy either. Ronnie wasn’t just a target he was the nemesis. And I was about to become the reaper.
Six feet under, Ronnie could finally rot, and maybe then I could go back to Stormi without losing what little of me was left. “You were lookin’ undecided too, nigga.” Rich’s voice came out low, but it was the kind that made your blood run cold. That post-grief rage, the kind that came after burying the only woman you ever loved.
“The last thing I need is an enemy in the field with me.” He walked up on Corner Boy slow, gun already raised, placed it right under his chin. The silence in the warehouse was thick like even the air knew what was about to happen.
“I’m 100, Rich. I swear?—”
Pop!
One shot. No hesitation. No mercy.
“Nigga didn’t sound believable at all.” Rich said it like he was commenting on the weather. Then stepped over the body and sat back down in that chair like he never left it. Like he was built for war and today, war was the only thing feeding him.
Me, I was fueled by something different. Revenge, yes. But also Stormi.
Her smile. Her trust. Her body still on my tongue. The way she made me feel like I wasn’t just built for the streets, but for something more.
I looked at the room full of grown men, killers, all staring at me like they were waiting for direction, for a reason to pull triggers or end a life.
“I need Ronnie brought to me alive.” My voice didn’t shake. It didn’t have to. Everyone felt the weight of what I said. “Simple. Stay safe and stay loyal.” Because I wasn’t just tryna win this war. I was tryna make it out. Alive. Whole. And standing next to my son, my moms, that woman that gave me a reason to breathe outside these walls.
The room broke up slow, quiet. Nobody said shit. They moved like ghosts, slipping back into their roles. Soldiers. Street kings. Killers with targets.
I walked into my office with Rich, King, and Southside at my back. The door shut behind us like a vault.
For a second, I leaned on the desk. Let my body fall forward. My hands clenched tighter than I realized Ronnie was gonna die. Not just for what he did to my pops. Not just for Lia. Not just forStormi, but the years of lies and the disrespect. For thinking he could take what was mine and still breathe air the next day.
“Where’s that glass plate?” My voice cut through the room like a blade as soon as we stepped into the office.
My heart was steady, but my blood boiling. I had Stormi’s taste still lingering on my lips, her scent wrapped around my skin like a ghost. And still, still I couldn’t relax. Not until Ronnie was laid out. Cold. Gone.
Southside and Rich didn’t waste no time. They went straight to the safe, pulling out the heavy shit. Black matte steel, extended clips, and enough ammo to put a city on pause.
King leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes low like he already knew what was coming.
