Page 68 of Juke
“I should’ve—” My voice cracked again. “I should’ve done more. I left her like that after that argument. She was my baby sister and I—”
“Stop,” Tina cut me off, her voice firm but gentle. “Don’t do that to yourself. This ain’t your fault. You loved that girl. You always protected her. Whatever happened… it’s not on you.”
Her words softened the edge for a second, but the rage came back quick. I stood, wiped my face rough, and pulled out my phone. I shed enough tears… it was time to shed some blood.
I dialed Dre and waited for him to answer. “We’re moving early,” I said as soon as the call connected. “I wanna make sure that nigga Juke never steps foot in that ring again. And find Rio… he’s in Nessa’s car. He thinks he slick? Nah. I want his head too. Both of ’em. I’m out for blood.”
When I hung up, the silence in the room pressed in heavy. I stared at the wall, jaw locked, and fists clenched. My sister was gone, and somebody was gonna pay for it. Juke… Rio… it didn’t matter who went first. This wasn’t gone stop ’til one of us was buried, and it damn sure wasn’t gonna be me.
21
Sophi
sometime later…
It’s been about two weeks since the new reported Nessa’s death. I couldn’t get the headline out of my head.Local woman found dead in rental home. No suspects. No leads.That’s what the news kept repeating, but I knew better. Deep down, I knew exactly who had done it. This had Rio written all over it. With that explosive temper and that reckless, ugly side of him that I’d spent years trying to escape. He didn’t need a reason… hewasthe reason, and because they wanted to dance with the devil, she was gone.
I tried not to let the thought swallow me whole as I sat in Kasha’s living room with her, Nic, and Mel. We were knee-deepin planning Rashad’s birthday party at Stacks’ club, and Denver Richmond was already lined up to handle the decorating.
“We’ll need her to work overnight,” Kasha said, scribbling notes on a yellow legal pad. “That way the setup won’t mess with business hours.”
Mel nodded, sipping on her wine. “And I can handle the cake situation. There’s a girl I know. Her stuff is good, and she does custom designs. We can get it in the boxing theme that’ll blend in good with the aesthetics.”
“I’ll deal with the guest list. Family and close friends only. Maybe a few fans who want to show their respect.” Nic mentioned as she leaned back against the arm of the couch.
“Sounds good,” I said, jotting a reminder in my phone. “He’ll love that.”
Kasha smiled at me knowingly. “Girl, listen to you. ‘I know him.’ Somebody is head over heels.” She bumped me with her shoulder.
“Just focus on the party.” I simpered.
That caused the girls to laugh before the conversation turned back to planning. Stacks said we could use the club’s DJ, and Denver promised the entire space would be everything that we envisioned. After a while, Mel turned to Nic. “So how are you feeling? You’re not sick anymore, right?”
Nic set her phone down, rubbing her small belly. “Not like I was in the beginning. The morning sickness had me miserable for weeks. Now, I’m just tired. Benny keeps me busy enough, and this one’s already acting like their daddy and brother.”
“Girl, you gone have your hands full. Buck and Benny already have you by the edges; add this new baby, and you gone need the authorities,” Kasha laughed.
“Buck swears he’s ready.” Nic smirked. “Talking about if this one is a girl, I’ll be pregnant again before my six weeks is up.I told him he’s a gah damn lie. I’m not letting him or his dick anywhere near me.”
We all laughed, the tension breaking for a moment. It felt good to be surrounded by them, talking anything instead of the shadow that kept hovering over me. Still… somewhere deep down, I couldn’t shake it. I know he was still out there watching and waiting for the right chance to make his move.
“I’m thinking black, gold, and deep red,” Mel said, holding her phone out so we could all see the mood board she’d put together. “Something classy but still Juke. You know he wouldn’t want all that soft and frilly shit.”
Kasha nodded. “Facts, and Denver can work with that. She’s the best when it comes to flipping a room. You want people to walk in, and the vibe just hits them.”
“We could even have his boxing highlights playing on the big screen.” Nic grinned.
“Mmm… he’ll love that.”
They all gave me that look.
I smirked. “What?”
Kasha leaned forward with her chin in her hand. “You’re just cute,” she simpered. “Planning a party for your man.”
I bit my lip and looked down at my notes, trying to hide the smile tugging at my lips. That’s when it slipped out.
“I’m pregnant,” I blurted.
