Page 129 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2

“Nah.” I pull the clean shirt over my head and take a seat on the couch. “Ain’t no game plan, ‘cause you not gon’ be involved.”

“Like hell I ain’t! You talking stupid as fuck, on my mama!” Nut turns and stomps over to me, sitting on the couch next to mine. “Ricky Ricardo, I understand your fervent need to be a martyr and do yo dirt all by yo lonely, but this ain’t one of them times! That nigga Slime, AKA Councilman Giovanni Jackson, will kill you. My lil’ homie hit my line just now about the APB you got on you in the Birch, which means the other nigga found in the strip mall was fasho yo doing. I’m not letting you handle that nigga alone. Not when I can pull rank–”

“Nut, when was the last time you was even in the hood?”

“Sheeit, last week! P-Nutty is good in any hood, including his own! I broke bread with Trina and left Reem’s birthday gift with her, since he been MIA. You know, we may not be active, but we are OGs. Reem is the head of the snake, and we put that nigga on. When I catch up to him, I’m telling him to get his copilot in check, and you not convincing me otherwise.”

I sigh, knowing he won’t listen to me, but I still try to change direction. “Only nigga Slime gon’ listen to is ya cousin.”

“Slime gon’ listen to these muthafuckin’ fists. Matter fact–”

“Seriously, brodie. I love you, foreal. But let me handle it. I’ll even bring Mars back over here tomorrow for some one-on-one time. Lil Mama finally has a friend her age.”

Nut’s eyebrows pull down damn near to his nose. “Technically, I’m oldest. I don’t really gotta listen to you.”

“And as your ace, I’m asking you to stand down.”

After a long moment, Nut leans back and covers his eyes, exhaling deep. “You niggas gon’ send me to an early grave. Fine. But the second my lil’ homie tells me some shit is off deck, I’m lighting up City Hall, and that lil’ office he got on the Ave.”

“Deal,” I chuckle. We seal it with the Birch handshake, and he grabs his rolling case from the coffee table.

“Get on before you start hallucinating and wanting to fight and shit. And have my young bull here soon as school lets out.”

I stand and stretch. “Nan put him in the same school as her, so he can just come home with y’all. I’ll come get my clothes then. Use that fabric softener too, nigga.” I grab my wallet, keys, and my fucked up phone from from my jeans pockets and leave him be. I’m fifty-fifty on if he’ll keep his word, but like Turk said, I got bigger things to worry about.

Padding up the steps, I turn to Anaïs’s room and find Brina on the mat with her twins, while Mars lay on her bed, shoes off. I scoop them off the floor on the way to him, and take a seat to start putting them on.

“I don’t have to tell you to treat my girl right?” she whispers, rubbing the back of Cody, her son.

“Nope. Not if you tell me how you’re able to be close to her after… everything.”

Her lips twitch, as her hand switches from Cody to her daughter Cameron. “I will when you apologize to my baby daddy.”

“Maybe… if you tell me how Reem is. I know YT told you.” I put on one of Mars’s shoes then give my attention to her.

Her shoulders drop. “It’s hard to say if outside factors aren’t messing him up, too. He and Ty aren’t talking, then he finds this out, and then True admitted she knew as well. He’s not speaking to his mom or uncle right now, either. But it’s not anger, I don’t think… I think he’s just, devastated.”

“Damn.” I lay back on the princess bed and cover my eyes with my hands. That’s the last thing I wanted to have my nigga feel.

“I’m glad you told him.” Her voice comes out low, but clear. “I’m glad he knows.”

“But does he feel like that?”

“I think so, if I know Reem. I get why no one told him, but they’re not us. If one of us knows that, something that big, we tell. And we share the burden so it’s not so heavy. You’re learning, and I know when he comes up for air, he’ll tell you himself.”

I let her words wash over me, and lift myself up slowly to put on Mars’s other shoe. Brina isn’t one for mincing the truth or placating feelings, so if she feels like this, then I just gotta wait Reem out.

“Did you know True was my sister?”

My hands freeze, as I meet her gaze.

“I mean, she knew about Mars. She could have traded secrets.” She shrugs it off, cracking her neck to feign nonchalance, but I know better. She can’t hide her crazy from me.

“Relax, mamita. I did not know you and YT are sisters, nor did she tell me. I can live to see another day.”

Finished with his shoes, it’s nothing to lift Mars in my arms. “Stay dangerous. Hug your husband extra hard, you never know when his number is up.”

“Har har. You’re having as much fun as he is.”