Page 102 of Stay Dangerous

What the hell?

“Wyn. Wyn! Look at me. Breathe, mamas. He’s all right. He’s good. Shit, he ain’t even have to stay in the hospital. I got the flu before Christmas and was laid up worse than him. We all a little worse for wear, but he’s good.”

My eyesight cleared and Tyree was palming both sides of my head trying to soothe me.

“Why wouldn’t you lead with that?” I asked breathlessly, yanking out of his hold. Gathering my bearings, I saw he’d pulled over in some neighborhood a few minutes from Raleigh Park.

“You ain’t let me finish… look, I’ma tell you some shit, but you can’t freak out, aight? Shit’s good now. Remember that.”

Not trusting my voice, I nodded twice and hugged myself.

Based on Tyree’s exasperated sigh, I knew he didn’t believe me. But clearly it was something he thought I needed to know.

“I didn’t… I got arrested after getting you to Pooh. Them niggas held me all weekend with no phone call, no nothing. I couldn’t get out until Monday afternoon, and by then, my cousins and Turk had got Autumn. But… they ain’t exactly get to her right away. The details are sketch, but I’m thinking they got to her Saturday night, since Rico was in the hospital all that Sunday getting stitched up, and then Nan and Granny got me from holding Monday. But I’on know. The way Fredo and Rico been damn near bloodthirsty, I just think something happened.”

“Oh fuck. I knew we should have gone back. I knew it! Oh, fuck.” I bent down, pulling my head between my knees.

I’d never forgive myself. It was all my fault. I knew I should have just stayed home. I had no business being at that party, let alone dragging Auty with me.

“You won’t know for sure until you talk to her–”

“Talk?!” I laughed, snapping outright to gape at Tyree. “Why would she ever wanna talk to me? She probably thinks I left her. Or that I brought her there on purpose. Why wouldn’t she? Oh God.”

“I know y’all be bickering, but that’s your sister. Yourtwin. Haze know you’d never be on no slimy shit like that. Y’all just gotta talk.” With that, he started the car back up and drove the rest of the way to my house.

“What happened to Kilo’s sister Chyna?” I asked as we turned onto my street.

“Still in them Towers, scared of her own shadow,” he chuckled.

“You guys didn’t get her either?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at the car in front of my house.

“Should we?”

“She’s the one who invited me to the party. She’s not innocent.”

“Shit. Aight. But foreal, you go straight into your house, Wyn. Soon as I stop this car.”

Saliva pooled in my mouth as he zoomed passed the car parked in front of my house, to pull onto my neighbor’s curb.

We both hopped out immediately, my eyes lasered in on my front door, wide open.

Go straight in. Don’t look–

“WYNTER!”

My body froze without my permission. My stomach dropped as I turned toward my sister.

She’d lost weight. Her desolate eyes had dark circles around them, and her hair was a bird’s nest on top of her head.

I glanced behind her, at Turk. One hand was around her shoulder, the other in a cast and sling.

He met my gaze, bushy eyebrows pulled downward. I’d never seen Turk angry, the smoldering look rooting me in the spot.

He moved Autumn behind him and began walking toward me. “Where the fuck you been at, Wyn?” he thundered.

Wood hitting wood distracted me, and Rico and Fredo came barrelling down Pops’ front porch.

“Go in the fuckin’ house, Wyn!” Tyree barked in my ear. He pushed me toward the door, but as soon as I caught my footing, my feet were again stuck to the ground.