Page 36 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2
Dangerously in love, really.
Even though they shared women, I’d never have guessed Fredo had a baby before he passed.
But here he is, busting out his bathroom and stopping right in front of me, shark teeth on display.
“Tío tells me stories about Daddy for bedtime. He said you know him, too. Can you tell me a story about him?”
I plaster a smile and stand. “Sure.”
He grins, and I help him into bed. There’s a nightlight next to his bed, so I turn off the overhead light and then take a seat in the chair next to him.
Most of my notable stories with Fredo are not child-appropriate. My lips still twitch, thinking about all the late nights and early mornings I’ve had with the guys. They always acted stank until the liquor started flowing, then I was sis. And since Fredo had been stopped drug dealing, he’d pop out the most. So many times, we’d be in sections standing on couches, staying up all night for days at a time. Even as we got older, and Set stopped drinking, Fredo still partied hard with me. Every win was a celebration, because we came so far, seeing more money than we ever thought possible.
A memory flits through my mind’s eye, and I smile fully, since it’s something I can share.
“Okay. So, Fredo–your dad… you know he had long hair like you, right?”
Mars nods, bringing his comforter up to his chin.
“Well, he used to take little pieces of his hair and dye them bright yellow, or blond. But one day, he wanted to color his whole head a different color.”
Mars eyes balloon as I settle into the chair, my lips pulling at the corners. “And for whatever reason, he asked me. I mean, I’ve colored my hair before. And I have braided his hair before–”
“You used to braid Daddy’s hair?” Mars asks, wonder filling his voice.
“Yeah, a few times. But I had never dyed someone else’s hair before.”
“You used to have hair?” Mars’s voice raises an octave, his eyes darting to my bald head.
My hands shoot to my head, the prickly new hairs stabbing at my palms. God, I must look a mess. Thankfully, Mars’s eyes look like they're getting heavy, so I lick my lips and continue.
“So, I get all the dye stuff together, and I put it on his hair, then put a plastic bag on it so it can take. So we hear the ice cream truck outside, and so we go get some ice cream. Two strawberry shortcakes. Well, I accidentally locked us out of my house, and you don’t know this, but you only have so much time to wash out the dye.”
I pull my hands into my lap and gaze at my fingers. The bandage on my hand is completely soiled. My acrylics have been chewed off, and my natural nails are soft and brittle from not taking care of them.
It’ll take months for them to grow back strong. Months I probably have, knowing Auty and Rico.
Fredo would save me. When Auty and I would get into it too bad, he’d always sit us down. It wouldn’t get anywhere, not really. But it was one of the few times he’d intervene, and remind me of how we were before.
He wouldn’t let me be stuck here with Rico. He would probably have kidnapped me himself, but I’d rather be with him. At least I’d have internet.
“So we had to think quick,” I continue, a lump growing in my throat. The memory is so vivid in my mind’s eye, it’s like I’m twenty-one again. “We had to go around my house to my backyard, and I grabbed the water hose, and sprayed him all the way down. White tee ruined from the dye. He was freezing by the time Turkey was able to break into my house to let us in. But his hair came out really nice, so he wasn’t too mad.”
My eyes shift back to the bed, and my smile brightens.
Mars is asleep, his mouth slightly parted.
I stand as quietly as I can, wishing him a goodnight before I ease out of his room and close the door behind me.
The smile melts instantly.
This nigga has some explaining to do.
I vaguely remember this hallway from the night before, so I creep toward the door on the other side, before bursting in.
Sure enough, it’s Rico’s bedroom. New patched up wall. Clinically clean, like the psychopath he is. I mean, the sheets look like a maid–
“Yes, Snow?”
