Carl Weber's Kingpins (8 page)

It took me less than two hours to find that nigga, Jesse J., who was in the picture. I broke his leg and had his whole fingernail in my pocket as a souvenir. I was on my way back to Mango's crib to collect the rest of my paper, but my plans changed when I got a call. I answered my cell phone, and Alexis was on the other end hollering and sobbing.

“I need you, please,” she shouted. “Nate has hurt me for the last time! That nigga gon' die today if you don't do something about him. This time, he took my baby with him and left!”

I swallowed the oversized lump in my throat, then asked Alexis to calm down. “Ain't nobody gon' die, so stop saying that shit. Where is Nate now?”

“I don't know. He left here in a rage and took Brianna with him. I don't know if he's coming back or not, but if he does, this time, I'm going to kill him!”

I told Alexis I was on my way. Hopefully, Nate would be there by then, and we could talk this shit out. If anything, my intentions were to encourage them to go their separate ways and be done with it.

When I arrived at Nate's crib, the door was wide open. I walked inside and stepped over several pieces of broken furniture that had been strewn all over. My tennis shoes crunched on numerous pieces of glass on the floor, and it looked as if a tornado had blown through. Alexis sat on the couch in the living room, wiping her teary eyes with tissue. Her whole face looked swollen, and she had two black eyes. One was bloodshot red, and her bloody hands implied that she had been in a fight for her life. The TV had been kicked in, and when I saw Brianna's doll on the floor, I picked it up and placed it on the broken table. I stood in front of Alexis with a simple look washed across my face.

“It's no surprise what happened here, but what brought all of this about?” I questioned.

Alexis looked up at me, then shut her watery eyes. Several more tears flowed down her fucked-up face. “He knows, Bones. No more secrets because he's known what was up for a long time.”

My stomach got tight. I eased on the couch next to her, staring straight-ahead. “How did he find out, and what did he say? Did you deny it?”

“He called me a bunch of bitches, hoes, sluts . . . every name he could possibly think of. I didn't deny anything. I admitted that you and I had slept together. He said that he got his info from Theo. Nate refused to believe him, but he said that he'd been paying attention, watching us. He could see how much I always wanted to be with you, and he feels as if you betrayed him in a major way. I don't know what he's going to do with Brianna, especially since I admitted to her not being his child.”

“So, in other words, he knows that there is a possibility that she's mine.”

Alexis caught an attitude with me. “She
is
yours! When you look at her, who do you see? Don't go talking that
possibility
shit, Bones. Especially when you already know the truth!”

My head swung in her direction. Anger crept on my face. “I don't know shit! All I know is what you told me, and I took your word for it! You still have not provided me with a blood test, so don't go talking that mess about what
I know
for a fact!”

“Blood test or no blood test, she looks like you!”

Alexis got up and stormed past me. I lowered my head, thinking about how, several years ago, I betrayed my friend. At that time, the power of pussy made me do some shit that I have forever regretted.

Thinking about Brianna, I jumped up from the couch. Whether she was mine or not, I didn't want Nate to do anything stupid. I walked toward the back and saw Alexis standing in their bedroom putting bullets into a gun.

“Who in the hell are you gon' use that on? Nate or me?”

“I already told you what I was going to do. Too bad if you don't believe me this time.”

“Oh, I believe you. But I also know that Brianna wouldn't want you to do that. You gotta be around to take care of her, and niggas like Nate ain't worth you going to jail.”

Alexis didn't respond. She slammed the dresser drawer shut, then tucked the gun behind her back. “Are you going to go find him, or shall I?”

“Let me go take care of this. I have an idea where he may be.”

Alexis plopped on the bed and rubbed her forehead. She gazed at the floor, shaking her head. “Whatever you do, please bring my baby home.” She turned in my direction, confirming what she had said before. “She is our child. Please bring her home to me.”

Not saying a word, I calmly walked out.

* * *

I had never used Red's phone number, but I called it today. No answer. Suspecting that I would find Nate there, I drove to her place. To no surprise, his car was parked on the parking lot. I had a bad-ass feeling about how all of this was going to go down, but I was prepared. I wasted no time going to Red's door and knocking. It took her a few minutes to answer, but she opened the door with a grin on her face.

“Well, well, well,” she said. “What brings you by? I guess you're hungry for me again, huh?”

I lightly pushed on the door and walked inside. “More than you know.”

Red closed the door behind me. She wore a short silk robe, and as far as I could see, there was nothing underneath it. My eyes scanned every inch of her place that I could see.

“Where is he?” I said, sitting on the arm of the couch.

Her brows rose. “Where is who?”

“Nate.”

She shrugged. “Uh, he's not here. Why would he be here?”

“Because you're fucking that nigga, that's why.”

“I don't know where you're getting your info from, but no, I'm not fucking him.”

Red was starting to upset me. This whole situation was already fucked up, and I hated a bitch to stand before me, smile in my fucking face, and lie.

“You full of shit.”

I got up and started looking for that nigga myself. Red followed behind me as I knocked shit over and cleared everything that was in my path.

“What in the hell are you doing?” she hollered out. “I told you his ass wasn't here. Why are you over here trying to run shit?”

I ignored her and opened several of her closets. I pulled out clothes, blankets, shoes . . . everything that I could to see if Nate was somewhere hiding. Looked under the bed, couch, in the bathroom . . . even in the laundry room.

“I can't believe this shit!” Red yelled from behind me. “Have you lost your goddamn mind?”

I swiped my hand across all of the perfumes on her dresser, causing them to crash on the floor and break. “Where is he?” I yelled, then swung around to look at Red. The devious look in my eyes implied that she'd better come clean—quick. My heart raced and my hands were starting to curl into tight fists.

Red's eyes shifted to my hands, then back to my tight face. She blinked tears from her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. “He's not here, but he may be over at another chick's house who lives over here. I saw his car earlier—”

This bitch was seriously trying to play me like a fool. Before I knew it, I reached out and snatched her muthafucking neck so tight that her eyes looked as if they were about to pop from the sockets. My hand trembled as my grip got tighter and tighter. Red couldn't say a word. Tears seeped from the corners of her eyes, and she struggled to keep them open.

“Where is he?” I hollered through gritted teeth.

She slowly moved her head from side to side, gagging as she attempted to speak. I couldn't make out a word she'd said, and the only thing that caused me to loosen my grip was a hard knock on the door.

“Red!” Nate shouted. “Open the door!”

Thinking that maybe I had fucked up, I quickly released her neck. She immediately sucked in several deep breaths and covered her mouth as she coughed and gagged. Nate knocked a few more times. I pointed my finger at Red. “Do
not
move. Stay there.”

She fell back on the bed, then curled herself up, still trying to catch her breath. I hurried to the front door. Nate got the shock of his life when he looked up and saw me standing there.