Page 157 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2

“You’re not fit to be anyone’s guardian. Fredo would want his son to have manners.”

“And you think you know my brother better than me because… why? You let that nigga bend you over?”

Slime’s scary ass looks around, but it’s no one around us that heard me. I chuckle, leaning onto the table. “Don’t tell me you’re still in the closet nigga? I hope you know that door is see through.”

“I liked it better when you never talked,” he grits. Leaning toward me. “I’ll like it even more when your lungs stop working. I think I’ll have G boil you down into some greens and take ‘em to Pooh. You still don’t have tattoos? You know the ink makes the meat taste off, I heard.”

“I know you and Guiliano for real, so I know exactly what y’all are both capable of. Just like you know what I’m capable of. Call off the hit and I’ll let you get to know Mars.”

Slime narrows his eyes. “If you know me, you know I don’t stop until I get my pound of flesh. All them slick ass jokes sliding out ya mouth means you knew the deal, which makes you hiding Mars from me that much more weak. But it’s cool, really Luney. God forbid G leave this earth, I’m going right with ‘em, so it’s my honor to reunite you with your brother. My final gift to both of you.”

“Gifts? Where’s mine?”

We both turn to Nan, but her eyes are on Slime. I’m expecting one of her sharp, calculating grins, but she truly looks like she’s happy to see him.

He stands and offers her a hand, pushing me out the way when I go to stand, too.

“Let the boy dance with me, Ricky. You know I’ve always had a soft spot for Giovanni.” She winks at me, and together they walk to the dance floor as a slower song begins to play.

Feeling my lady’s eyes on me, I scan the room, but Mekhi catches me first, and motions for me to meet him in the hallway. I pass Snow on the way, and gesture that I’ll be back in a second.

Mekhi is leaning on the wall closer to the back door when I leave the reception. “How’s retirement?” he asks as I approach him.

I shrug. “Niggas are never really retired, but you know that.”

“I hate it, too. Before I get into business, wassup with you and my brother-in-law? I gotta start picking out Bri’s second husband?”

I snort without thinking, shoving my hands in the pockets of my tuxedo pants. “That remains to be seen,” I answer honestly.

Mekhi tsks, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. “Love told me the gist; you flaw as fuck. It’s a testament to y’all bond that y’all both still alive, though as you probably know, my money is on you.”

“You and Set close; why you so sure I’d dead him before he get me first?”

Mekhi blows the cigarette smoke away from us and grins. “My sister made that nigga soft as cotton. I can’t even believe this the same nigga who was running my California leg the way he be now. You, though… love wouldn’t make you soft. It would make you even more ruthless, more immoral. That is the biggest difference between y’all two. See, Set won’t touch you because of what you mean to him. If this was switched, Set would get touched because of how much he means to you. Set had Bri pull the trigger on Tiny because no matter how dirty she did him, he couldn’t kill the mother of his girl. You would have killed Tiny and my Pops, no hesitation. You gon’ kill lil’ miss Wynter Snow’s peoples?”

I smirk as my shoulder hits the wall. “So YT just tell you everything?”

“That was a lil’ nugget from Bri. She ‘bout ready to send them to the lower room herself, so if you wanna do the honors, better hurry. In the meantime, I need you to handle something for me. And before you say you retired, I already wired your usual fee, even though it’s just transport.”

“Transport what, nigga? Damn. You don’t ever stop workin’.”

“Sound like Nita… but nah. I don’t trust no one else with this, and Roe left right after the ceremony before I could even catch up with him. It ain’t nothing big… just a M250.” This nigga coughs to stage that last part, but I hear it loud and clear.

“Nigga–”

“I wanna get it customized for Nita for her birthday,” Mekhi says, cheesing. “You can take one of my whips and drive back. Shit, make it romantic with ya girl.”

“Traveling across state lines with a military grade machine gun is romantic to you?”

When Mekhi just stares at me blankly, I realize he’s being serious.

“Laws will be too busy hyped it’s Wynter Snow to search the back. Roe’s already expecting you.” He holds out a car key, before putting out his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe and gesturing for me to walk in front of him.

These niggas. I used to get a call when niggas needed intel or a hit. Now I’m a fucking delivery service because my bitch wanna slice my face open.

As soon as we open the doors to the reception, Snow is on me. Her eyes narrow, before expanding at Mekhi’s big ass behind me.

“My wife’s a fan. You’ve met Juanita right?” he asks, extending his hand as he moves to my side.