Page 68 of A Kingpin's Weakness
Pop.One shot. Right between the eyes. He crumpled like yesterday’s paper. My hands were still warm on the grip. My pulse barely spiked.
Be the first one to shoot.
That’s what Pops always said.
That’s how you make it home.
Southside didn’t even blink while stepping over Mike’s bloody body, like the bastard was nothing. Tossed me the bucket of cold-ass water. I grabbed it, slammed it in Ronnie’s face.
“Wake the fuck up, nigga.”
Rich’s voice cracked the second Ronnie’s eyes flickered open, barely conscience, barely alert.
I leaned close, yanked his head back so he couldn’t avoid me. “told you I would be seeing you soon”
I stood in front of Ronnie, chained like the dog he was, and I swear the air was different in the room. Thicker. Heavier. Like my pops was right there beside me, watching with the same eyes I saw in the mirror every morning.
The bat felt heavy as sin in my hands barbed wire cutting into my palms. I hit him hard, twice in the gut.
“Can’t hear shit now, huh? This ain’t about the streets,” I said, pacing, breathing hard while swinging the bat and connecting with Ronnie’s body with every swing. “This ain’t about territory or money. This is about a son who buried his childhood the day you pulled that fuckin’ trigger.”
I continued to swing and connected with Ronnie’s body. Blood broken bones flesh and skin being removed. Ronnie tried to speak but he fast-talked enough over the years.
“Shut the fuck up,” I growled, gripping the bat like it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart. “Youdon’tget to scream. Not after everything.” I swung again, his ribs cracked, skin tearing. “This is for every bill my mom had to pay alone.” He spat at me. So I pistol-whipped him. “You killed the only man who ever gave a fuck if I made it home.”
I grabbed his head and leaned in close. “You made me grow up too fast. You made me hold my mama at night when she was screamin’ into pillows tryin’ not to wake me up. You made me hate myself for not being a man when I was just a fuckin’ kid.” I passed the bobbed wire bat to Rich and let him do his thing. Ten minutes straight Rich beat into this man with no remorse before I tagged myself back in.
Pop! Pop! Both knees.
“That’s for every goddamn night my mom fell to her knees, praying, crying, begging God to take away her pain all ‘cause of you.”
Ronnie screamed, a sound so raw it tore me up inside. Not outta guilt.
Not outta mercy. But because I felt it, all of it. Every echo of her sobs in the bathroom when she thought I was asleep. Every time I told her I missed my pops. Every lie she told just to keep me believing she had things under control. I felt her broken heart in my bones.
Aww Ronnie screamed in pain as Rich snatched the bat and started beating Ronnie ass with it again.
“Talk your shit now” Rich got madder with every hit. Ronnie ass was damn near unconscious from the pain. Rich didn’t give two fucks neither did I.
We took the three seats as we watched Ronnie Bleed out as he could barely stay conscious. We all fired up a blunt and sat in our own feelings.
I started to see my life when I was little. The times I needed my father the times my mom needed my father. I was battling between being a boy and being a man. The moments of my life that my father missed. He would never get a chance to see S3, watch me walk down the aisle, or grow old with my mom’s.
I grabbed the bat and hit it against Ronnie’s body multiple times. Thinking about everything he took from me and my family.
“Wake the fuck up. You don’t get to sleep through this.”
Ronnie skin was now off and cut to the meat. I watched the blood pour from his body and laughed. I handed Rich the bat as I walked to the back to get the barrel of acid, I was going to slowly drop Ronnie’s body in. Southside lifted his body higher so only his feet touched the acid. You could see the smoke from the moment his toes entered the barrel.
His screams brought me joy. We all sat back and smoked a joint as I watched Ronnie’s body slowly fall into the acid and Rot.
“Here’s to Seth Sr and Lia.”
Southside said, pouring out some liquid. Then he handed me the bottle, and I took two shots for the lives we lost and pouredout some for my daddy and Lia. Rich followed suit and did the same.
“I told you I was going to send your killer straight to you,” I said as I looked up to the ceiling and pulled on my joint.
“Baby, I’m sorry I failed you.”
