Page 3 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2

When my gaze shifts back to Haze, her eyebrows are kissing. “Rico… I can’t lose her. Not like this.”

“Haze,” I sigh. “You’re not thinking this through. Once I hit that cruising altitude, I’m off the grid. I don’t check in for weeks, and this trip… I ain’t been back to Belize in a year. I was planning on staying a year.”

“That’s perfect,” she stresses, folding her hands to her chest. “A year is just how long she needs to really detox. You said it yourself, it’s nothing in Belize. No distractions. Just the water. You don’t even have to be around her. You can hire someone–a nurse to take care of her.”

I wipe my face hard, my resolve crumbling by the second. “I’ll kill her, Haze. She comes at me foul in any way and I’ll slit her throat. You know that.”

Tears gather in her eyes as she looks away. “She’s dead either way then,” she whispers, shoulders hunching.

I’m the wrong twin for this. Fredo would give a fuck if Snow lives or dies.

I don’t.

In fact, I’d rather her be dead. You can’t worry about someone who’s rotting in the ground.

Just say yes, Rick.

My jaw clenches at the sound of the voice in my head. It sounds like my inner monologue, but it’s not.

It’s a ghost.

My eyes shift behind Haze, and low and behold, there he is.

My mind’s rendition of Fredo, perched on the sink, elbows resting on his knees as he winks at me.

His own eyes dance between me and Snow, before he grins. Tell her you’ll do it.

I hate this nigga.

“Rico–”

“Fine. But it’s my rules, Haze. Mine. You trusting me with her, so do that implicitly. Don’t be having Shad or Turk try and regulate. In fact, outside of them, mum’s the word. I’m deadass Haze. The first time a nigga ask me about her ass, I’m shipping her straight to you.”

She nods profusely, tears spilling over. “I got you.”

“In pieces.”

Fredo snorts, but I ignore him.

He’s the reason I’m even agreeing to this bullshit.

“Get her clean and dressed and knock her ass out. I’ll be back.”

I don’t wait for her to reply, stomping out of the bathroom, tracking water onto the fake wood floors.

I can’t even take joy in fucking up her crib. I don’t even rub my boots into her shaggy white rugs.

Fuck Haze. Fuck Fredo. Fuck Shad.

Fuck Snow.

My phone is out before the elevator doors close.

The line clicks over, and I speak immediately.

“I’m in town.”

Asa snorts on the other side. “The fuck you doin’ here?”