Southern Kings: A Gangster Love Story (12 page)

“Yo, calm the fuck down. I didn't mean it like that. I’m just saying I’m giving what I know how to give, which is me being here so don't complicate shit.”

“Wow, okay I won't COMPLICATE shit!”

He gave me the most hateful stare before he yanked the steering wheel causing my body to hit the passenger side door, while he pulled over to the side of the road and slammed on brakes.

His eyes were on me again and he just stared at me for a few moments before he spoke. His voice was slightly elevated but controlled and his face showed no emotion.

“You got a smart ass mouth Reelle and I’m not feeling that shit, but let me make something real clear before it becomes a problem. I’m not Burke or any of those other pussy ass niggas that you’re used to dealing with. You’re not gon’ talk to me any kind of way, aight? And what I mean by complicate shit is that right now, I don't know what this is. Whether you know me like that or not, you know that I don't do shit like this. So don't complicate it.”

“And you’re not gonna talk to me any kind of way either. I’m not one of those dumb ass, low self-esteem hoes, you’re used to dealing with, but don't worry, I won't complicate it. I’ll make it real simple. Just take me home.”

I lifted my phone and was about to unlock it but he snatched it out of my hand and threw it to the back of his truck. “Why the fuck you gotta be so difficult all the time, Reelle?”

“Why the hell do you have to be so hard all the time. I don't know what’s got your head so messed up but you need to figure it out and deal with it like normal people do.”

He laughed arrogantly and then gave me the most hateful stare. “I ain't normal and trust me, you don't want to know anything about that.”

After that, he pulled off again like he was lost in his own world and it really had me questioning if I wanted to deal with someone like him. Something wasn't right with him. When I noticed that we weren't going anywhere near my house I turned and looked at him burning a hole in the side of his face. He eventually laid eyes on me with that damn death stare again.

“What?”

“I said take me home.”

“Nah, not yet. We’re going to my brother’s house. Your girl will be there, so you’ll be straight.”

This fool is insane. Something wasn't clicking right with him. “I don't care who's gonna there because I won't. I said you can just take me home!”

Yetti only glanced at me but didn't say anything. I rolled my eyes, leaned back and a few minutes later I heard his voice.

“I knew fucking with you was gon’ be trouble.”

“Then don't,” I shot back. He was really pissing me off.

His eyes were on me and he looked just as annoyed as I was.

“It ain't that simple. If it was, you wouldn't be here right now.”

Understanding the man that he was, those simple words meant a lot. For some reason I was smiling inside. It was his ass backwards way of telling me how he felt. He might have thought that dealing with me was trouble for him but I knew that me dealing with him was going to mean heartache for me. As much as I could see it coming he was right about one thing and that was it damn sure wasn't simple.

Yetti had taken that step and was kicking it with Reelle on some relationship type vibe. He kept saying it wasn't, but for the past few weeks they had been spending a lot of time together. Just like today. He and Reelle were on their way to come chill with me and Asha. Problem was, I had some really heavy shit that might fuck that up.

“About time, damn. Y'all were supposed to be here like an hour ago.”

I heard Asha’s voice and and knew that Yetti and Ree had just gotten here so I had to figure out something quick. I was in my office on the phone with Hayes trying to get his input on how to handle this situation. I knew the answer, hell we both did, but I wasn't prepared for what was going down when it happened.

“Shit, I gotta go, Hayes. He’s here.”

“You know you gotta tell him, right?” Hayes lowered his voice a little, trying to camouflage the concern in it, but I knew him just like a parent knew his child. He might as well have been mine since I was the one who basically raised him.

“I know, just not right now. He’s happy. I don't wanna fuck that up and this shit right here will fuck him up.”

“True, but imagine how much worse it’s gonna be if he finds out you knew and didn't tell him. You know those muthafuckers don't care about us, Keys. It won't be nothing for them to send that shit to his house and be like, my bad, we didn't know. That nigga getting out, and real soon. When Yetti finds out, he’s gon’ fucking lose it, Keys. It's not just about killing that nigga either, because if it was, we could do that shit and call it a day, but you know how that shit fucks with Yetti man. He was there, we weren't and I don't want to see him like that again. I mean I know it's coming, but you gotta tell him ’cause he’s gon’ need us Keys. I’m not gon’ lose my brother again. I can't take that shit man.”

“Yo, chill, Hayes. He’s gon’ be fine. Let me think on it for a minute. Just stop stressing, aight. Don't I always handle this shit?”

“Going to a parole hearing ain't the same as dealing with Yetti when he finds out they let that muthfucker out, Keys, and you know it!”

Hayes was worried. I could hear it in his voice. I was too but I didn't own the luxury of giving into it. I had to hold our family together and keep my brother sane. Those demons were about to surface again, and I had to be the one to hold him down when they did.

“I know that, but I’m telling you, we gon’ be fine. Yetti is gonna be fine so stop worrying. I’ll tell him.”

“Tell who what?” Yetti was looking right at me and he knew something was going on. I could see it in his eyes, but he was gonna give me a chance to fess up.

“Yo Hayes, I’ll hit you back. Let me holla at Yetti real quick.”

“Keys call me back aight, nah fuck that. I’m on my way.”

“No just sit tight until I call you.” I hung up, not wanting to argue with him.

Yetti walked all the way in my office and closed the door behind him but he stood only a few feet from it waiting.

“Sit down.” I nodded at the chairs that were sitting in front of my desk but Yetti didn't move. I knew he wouldn't. His body and mood transition into defense mode and I inhaled letting it out slow. With my eyes on him I lifted the letter I had just received, stood and walked over to him. Holding it out to my brother, he looked down at it and then back at me before he snatched it out my hand.

It took him a few minutes to scan through it, but the second his eyes hit those words I knew it. They grew dark and the paper began to crumble in his hand.

“NO! Hell fucking no! Is this a got damn joke?”

“He’s getting out, Yettrick.”

Me calling my brother by his given name was my way of letting him know how serious I was. He knew it too from the cold, and callus stare that I was receiving.

“How the fuck this shit happen, Keys? HOW?” His voice thundered through my office and for some reason my eyes moved to the door. This was a fucked up time to have Asha and Reelle here. More so Reelle than Asha. Yetti was about to lose his damn mind, and she was about to see a side of him that I was sure he never wanted her to see. A side that I didn't want her to see because they might not find their way back to each other after this. Things were too new with them, so it would be too easy for her to walk away.

“I don't know. I was there. Everything went just like it was supposed to. Just like it had for the past nine years. I showed up, spoke my peace and then left. They didn't say anything different and the prosecutor was convinced that they weren't going to let him out. Shit, why should they?”

Since I turned eighteen years old, I’d shown up at his parole hearings to make sure they knew what that nigga did to our mother. Yetti and Hayes were too young, so I was there. Yetti couldn’t handle that shit anyway, so even when he was old enough, I wouldn't let him go. Seeing our mother die did something to him, and it was my job to protect him, so every year when Lewis applied for parole, I was there. I made sure they knew, so that he couldn’t get out, but somehow this time he was getting released.

I had the letter for two days trying to decide what to do.

“But they did, didn't they? THEY LETTING HIM OUT, KEYS!”

“I know and we’re gonna deal with it. Just let me handle it Yetti.”

“The fuck you gon’ do, Keys? You gon’ make them change their minds. You gon show them the pictures of her body, the way he beat her until you couldn’t even recognize her and then wrapped his hands around her neck until it snapped and she took her last breath. You think she'll matter to them then? Yeah how ’bout you do that. Maybe they need to see what I saw, ’cause obviously they don't get it, but don't worry ‘bout it cause everything he did to her, I’m gon do to him. I’ve been waiting on this day.”

Yetti moved to the door and then stood there for a minute with his back to me. I could see his upper body rise and fall with every breath he took until he hauled off and punched the wall next to the door. He hit it over and over again sending his fist through it and pulling it out. I moved closer to him but he yanked the door open and was in the hall before I could actually get to him.

“Yetti, wait man!”

“Leave me the fuck alone Keys. Now is not the time.”

I jogged and caught up with him, catching him from behind. My arms circled his body and he tried to fight me off but I held on long as I could. Asha and Reelle joined us in the hallway and they both had eyes on us.

“Get the fuck off me Keys before I fucking kill your ass too.” Yetti was fighting me hard as hell but I didn't let him go.

“Yo, I’m not letting you go just calm down nigga and don't say no dumb shit like that.”

“What’s going on.” Asha and Reelle both had their faces all balled up trying to piece the situation together.

“GET OUT, GET THE FUCK OUT!” I yelled at Asha and Reelle both. I felt bad as fuck for having to take it there, but Yetti was my concern right now, not them.

“What the hell is your problem?” Asha looked at me with so much hurt it was fucking me up, but I just couldn’t worry about that right now. I did however soften my tone before I spoke again.

“Just go, please.”

“Keys, get the fuck off me. I’m not gon’ tell you that shit again.” Yetti’s strong ass finally broke free of me and was heading to the door.

When Reelle took off after him I knew shit was about to get worse. She looked confused and upset, and instead of moving away from him like she should have, she was going right to him.

“Yetti, what's wrong?”

She caught his arm just as he made it to the door and he snatched away from her with so much force that she went flying back into the wall. He didn't even flinch. He just kept going. Asha ran to her side and helped her up. She wasn't hurt physically, but emotionally, she was bruised. I could see it in her eyes as she stood there staring at the door.

“What the hell was that?” Asha yelled, rushing me.

I really needed to go after my brother, but I was stuck there with them and to make matters worse, Hayes pulled up right after Yetti was gone.

“Yo, take her home, please, and I’ll call you later.”

“No, tell me what that was about,” Reelle yelled, looking at me just as Hayes walked through the door.

“Where did he go, Keys?”

“I don't know, give me a minute to get my shit.”

“Keys did you hear me? What was that all about?”

“Reelle, out of respect for my brother, I’m gon’ be nice about this shit, but you need to leave. That is none of your got damn business and you don't want no parts of that. Asha please just take her and go. I need to go deal with my brother.”

I went to go get my keys and Hayes was right behind me.

Al I heard was Asha cussing me out and storming around my house. A few minutes later I heard my front door slam.

“What the fuck happened, Keys? I thought you were gon’ handle this shit.”

Hayes was in my face and I shoved him back. “I am, now get the fuck back so we can go find him.”

“How you handle it, Keys? He’s gone, and you know how dark that nigga gets. What if—”

“Shut the fuck up Hayes. You think I need to hear that shit? Let's go.” I pushed past him and he followed.

That was the last thing I wanted to think about. Moments later we were both in my car and on our way to go try to find Yetti. Problem was that I knew him. We both did, and if he didn't want to be found, there wasn't a way in hell that we’d find him.

Hayes and I searched for hours, which I knew was going to be pointless. I mostly did it because I knew that Hayes needed it. We went to Yetti's house, the apartment he kept downtown, and a few other spots we thought he might be. I already knew we wouldn't find him, but Hayes insisted. He needed it, so I went through the motions with him. Now we were sitting in my driveway so that he could get his car and go home.

“Now what?”

Hayes looked across at me and I swear he was that six-year-old kid who was looking to me to give him answers as the three of us sat in the hallway at social services waiting for them to tell us where we were going. He asked me the same shit back then, and I didn't have answers, just like I didn't have them now. But I told him what he needed to hear. It was all I knew how to do.

“We wait. He’s gon’ be alright. Just give him a minute to let this shit settle, and he’ll show up.”

Hayes didn't believe me, but he nodded and then looked out the window. I left my car running but got out and Hayes followed. I walked around the rear of my car toward his. When we met, I hugged my little brother before I cuffed the back of his head and pressed my forehead against his.

“Go home. He’s gon’ be alright, shit we all will. That's just how it's gotta be, Hayes.”

I let him go and he nodded before he got in his car. I was back in mine and watched as he pulled around me out of my driveway. I couldn't do anything for Yetti or Hayes right now but I needed to go try and fix things with Asha, or at least try. Hell, for all I knew she wasn't trying to hear anything I had to say. I guess it was time for us to have a serious conversation, otherwise I didn't have a chance of making this shit right.

It took me about twenty minutes to get to Asha’s apartment. I didn't know what the hell I was about to say to her, which was why I was currently standing outside of her door, just staring at that shit. I wasn't used to having to worry about anybody but my brothers, so dealing with Asha was different for me.

I knocked and waited, praying that she would at least hear me out. Over the past few weeks we had gotten pretty close, or at least I thought we were. Shit I was doing things with her and for her that I had never done with any other female. She was staying at my place, driving my whip, and I would just pop up on her with lunch and shit like that. Damn sure not something I was used to.

I also wasn't fucking with anybody but her, which was a clear sign that I had mad respect for shorty. She and I hadn't had sex yet, but I wasn't fucking anybody else. A nigga was sexually frustrated, but I was trying to do right.

I tensed up when I heard the locks turn, which made me laugh a little. I was fucking nervous. How that shit happen? When she opened the door and saw my face, she tried to slam it, but I caught it with my hand.

“Hold on, Asha, just hear me out first and then you can put me out, but give me a chance to explain first.”

“Nah. I’m good on that. Go deal with your brother, apparently he needs you more than I do right now.” She rolled her eyes and then tried again to shut the door, but I was stronger than she was so I pushed past her and walked in.

She turned so quick I almost jumped back because I just knew she was gonna swing on me but instead she slammed her door and pointed her finger in my face.

“You got five minutes, and after one, if I don't like what you have to say then you don't get the other four.”

I almost laughed but caught myself because I knew that wasn't going to help the situation. She was already about to take my head off, so I just moved past her and sat down on her sofa. She looked up at the ceiling like she was trying to calm herself and then walked over and stood in front of me.

“Things with me and my brothers are complicated. Shit, I don't even know if complicated is the word. More like fucked up, we’re damaged goods.”

“Humph, I already figured that out.” She snapped.