Page 49 of Wings of Ebony
I sit up straight. “Verysure.”
“That’s Litto’s crew, Rue.”
“Who?”
He snatches up Ms. Leola’s TV remote from a side table and turns on the TV. “Litto’s crew.” His deadpan tone sends a ripple of fear through me. He flips to a news channel. Headlines run across the screen.
Another arrest in the recent shooting of…
Double homicides in the neighborhood of East Row in broad daylight have detectives…
He flips to a different news station.
The mayor is recommending an early curfew…
Gang violence this last year is double that of the last ten years…
He flips again.
More murder.
And again.
More violence. More crime.
One thread in common—the victims are all young and Black or brown-skinned.
“I don’t understand,” I say.
“Rue, Litto’s crewownsthe city, all the drugs. He dominates the cartels feeding this side of the Row. No one’s packing heat or pushing weight without their say-so.”
I can’t breathe.
“I don’t know why you’re looking into them”—the fear in his eyes cuts like a blade—“but stop,please,unless you got a death wish.”
CHAPTER 16
NO, RUE!” TASHA’S VOICEis strained.
“Yes.” I slip the protection necklace over Tasha’s neck and fasten it. “This will keep you invisible and safe from the Chancellor and his General while I go figure out what Litto’s crew wants with you.”
Julius is pacing the room back and forth, hands running through his low top. He stops and looks at us, confused. If I told him about Ghizon, would he even believe me? Without seeing it, it’s unbelievable.
Tasha grabs my wrist. “You can’t just go off looking for these gang people or whoever they are.” Her lip quivers in that way I know if it doesn’t stop, tears will soon follow. “What if… what if something happens? Y-you promised you’d always be here.”
I’m a ball of confusion, somewhere between agreeing with T and the urge to do what I know I gotta do. Was this what it was like when Aasim said goodbye to Moms? I pick at a rogue thread on my shirt harder than I mean to and a hole appears. He never came back. Not that I even wanted him to, but I can’t, under any circumstance, do that to T.
But what choice do I have? Running from folks on the street catches up with you. If Litto’s dudes are after T, I need to know why.And from there we can figure out what to do. At least for now, the Chancellor’s off her tail.
“T, Ihaveto do something. We can’t just sit here and live our lives running from everybody. What kind of life is that?”
“At least it’slife.”
I press my forehead to hers. “I’m going to be alright.”
That’s what you tell your little sister when she’s scared, even if you’re not sure it’s true. When you stepping in to protect them because ain’t nobody else around going to do it.
Julius stops pacing. “I agree with fam on this one, Rue. You can’t do this.”
