I dribbledthe basketball down the court, watching as little Noah missed another three-pointer. I had been watching homie for a minute, and based off the twelve shots he already missed, his ass was not making it to the fucking league. He was only in middle school, so he had time to fucking pivot and find something else he was good at.
“Yo, little man, you gotta tuck your elbow in a little piece,” I instructed him as I stood next to him at the line. I demonstrated it for him, and my shot went through the net like butter.
He retrieved his ball before returning to the line. “Like this?”
“Yeah. Make the shot.”
He did exactly what I instructed, and sure enough, he made his first fucking shot. A proud look canvassed his face as he jogged to grab his ball and made another shot. “Oh shit! I fucking made it!”
“See? All you had to do was tuck the elbow, bruh. Yo pops never taught you that?”
At the mention of his father, he eyed me oddly. The little nigga had the street smarts of a bag of fucking rocks, so he went against his better judgment and continued shooting around.
“Nah, my pops played football when he was in school. His name Roc. You know him?”
“Yeah, we go way back.” I shot my ball through the hoop again.
“Cool.” He shrugged it off as he continued shooting around the court.
We chopped it up on the court for a little while longer, and I gave him the pointers his father never taught him. Eventually, a black-on-black Tahoe pulled up to the court and blew the horn. Noah stopped shooting and turned his head to the car.
“My pops here. Gotta go.” He tucked his ball underneath his arm and slung his backpack onto his shoulders.
“Good shooting ‘round with you, kid.” I dapped him up. “Matter of fact, let me say what up to your pops. I ain’t seen ’em in a little minute.”
I let my basketball roll off to the side of the court before following Noah to the car. Roc was so into his fucking phone, he didn’t even notice me behind his son. I pulled my gun and clutched it as we approached the car.
“What up, Pops?” Noah smiled.
He attempted to get into the car, but I yanked his backpack, pulling him back. Roc finally got his head out of the fucking phone, and the look on his face once he noticed I had his son yoked up was fucking priceless!
“The fuck?!” he snarled, ready to get out the car.
I quickly upped my gun and tucked the barrel right underneath Noah’s chin. “Long time no see, Roc. You get out that fucking car, and his brains will be where his feet at.”
“D-dad,” Noah whimpered as fear struck him. I could physically feel him begin to shake. I felt bad for the poor kid, but Silas and his right hand, Roc, ain’t give a fuck about mine, so I had to show them I was on the same type of time.
“It’s alright, Noah. I’m right here.” Roc attempted to comfort his son. Wasn’t enough comfort in the world, though, that could calm Noah down with a gun to his head.
“Type of fucking father are you? You got opps like me walking around, and you just leave poor little Noah out here exposed. Fucking clown.”
His jaws clenched as he balled his hands up tightly into fists. He was backed into a corner and couldn’t do shit about it unless he wanted to be saying kind words at his son’s funeral.
“He’s a fucking kid, Ahk.”
“Y’all ain’t give a fuck ‘bout mine when y’all sent them peon-ass niggas to spin at Nymir’s funeral. Tell me one reason why I shouldn’t send little Noah to meet our Lord and Savior?”
He was stressed. Sweat started to bead his forehead as he shifted his eyes from Noah then back to me. Defeat set in, and he hung his head low. “What you want, Ahk?”
“Everything, pussy.” I yanked Noah toward the back seat of Roc’s truck. “Get in, little homie. My fault I gotta do this shit to you. Your dad and his homie some bitches. Blame them.”
We slid into the back seat together, and I kept my gun aimed at little homie’s head. Jersey, Javi, and Moe pulled up in a car right behind Roc’s as soon as I got in. I ordered him to drive to their warehouse. A block later, Diamond and Cyro turned behind us and started trailing us. Word had gotten back that Silas was searching high and low to connect with my plug from Italy. The nigga was so desperate that he found a wanna-be and actually purchased some bricks that were being imported. I knew it was nothing compared to what I was touching, but I was gonna put a stop to it before he could even have anything hit the streets.
The drive to Rochester wasn’t filled with shit but Noah crying and Roc pleading. They didn’t realize that they evoked this side out of me, and now they had to suffer.
“Little man, tell your bitch-ass daddy what I taught you out on the courts.”
Noah clenched his eyes shut in an attempt to keep his composure. “T-to tuck m-my elbow when shooting m-my three p-pointer,” he hiccupped through tears.
