Page 170 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2

“Waddup Luney–”

“Hug yo family tight tonight, because if my granny got even a chin hair out of place I’m runnin’ through yo shit like the Tasmanian Devil, bitch ass nigga.”

Security is coming out, but I’m already peeling out the roundabout and parking in the handicap spot.

The line is quiet, but I know he ain’t hang up.

“You got everybody fooled like you this upstanding nigga, and you not. I had you pegged since I was twelve. Couldn’t even do yo dirty work yaself, had to sic Slime on me by telling him about Mars, and now you done got Nan in some shit–”

“I didn’t tell Slime about Mars. That was Autumn.”

My face crumbles. I can feel Fredo’s glare on the side of my face, begging me to calm down. To see reason. To give her excuses. But I’m stuck. And the fire in my chest and pressure in my head just keeps growing.

“You really hate my ass,” he chuckles angrily. “But I’ll stall you out now, ‘cause you got bigger problems.”

I click in his nigga’s face and dial Haze so fucking quick, I accidentally call Snow at first.

“Rico,” she breathes when the line clicks over. “I’m on my way–”

“You told Slime about Mars?”

The line goes quiet.

My patience snaps, and my vision turns red.

“YOU ARE ONE SELFISH ASS BITCH BRO. You not even dizzy, because you KNOW, Autumn! You know the type of niggas we is. You’ve seen it. Seen it with your own two, how we all get down. And you let hurt feelings get you into some shit you can’t get out of.”

“Now I ain’t let–”

“THIS NIGGA GOT NAN! HE TRIED TO KILL ME AND YOUR SISTER AFTER REEM’S WEDDING! TRIED TO RUN US OFF THE ROAD! YOU DID THAT AUTUMN!”

My voice echoes, indicating I’m on speaker now, but I don’t give a fuck. Let them hear.

“You know the difference between you and Snow, Autumn? Your love is conditional. You fuck with someone as long as you think you’re useful to them, and then discard them like trash. You do it to every person in your life, and muthafuckas grin and bear it because you come by it honestly. You just like your mother, and that bitch did a real number on you. On both y’all. But Snow? Snow’s love is unconditional. Even if you hurt her, she don’t ever stop loving you, even if you stop loving her. She keeps they secrets still, she still looks out for them. And that’s why you hate her. Because even though she became the family fuck up, she’s still a better person than you’ll ever be.

“You knew exactly what the fuck you was doing, telling him about Mars before I could… and now he’s got my Nan. If something happens to either of them, and I can’t save them… I will handle you myself. And I mean that.”

She chokes a sob out, but her sobs don’t move me. Not anymore. Not ever again.

My phone pings and I hang up. My vision is blurry from unshed tears, and when I blink, one escapes down my cheek.

But I can read the unknown number. An address. One of the old traps, one of the few houses in the city old enough to still have a basement.

Unknown

2934 Jute Street

from a nigga that’s not upstanding

I have to laugh at this nigga. I have to laugh at everything. Shit is so fucking funny right now. My life. These niggas. Haze.

Everything is funny. So I gotta be hilarious.

Even though we’re beefing right now, I thank God for hundred-round drums. I keep one in whatever whip I have, just in case. It’s been years since I’ve needed it, but I still do it.

This cuts off minutes, maybe even hours I’d waste thinking about how I can get my hands on some shit, before finally breaking into Storyville and Reem’s secret armory he keeps there.

Next to my drum, underneath my spare tire, is a bulletproof vest. It’s got dust on the packaging, since I’ve never worn one. But I ain’t got time. Snow needs me, just as much as Nan does.