“Nigga, say it with more excitement than that. Ya mama is actually the one that called in the reinforcements.”
Gannon shoved Eirian off him and turned his nose up. He watched Galena bring him a plate with her head down.
“Ma, what he talking about?” he questioned her.
She cleared her throat and set his plate in front of him.
“Nothing. I just called to say hi. I thought you might need some backup here.”
“And why is that?” Gannon demanded, startling her. “I told you I got this shit.”
“Yeah, and shit is moving a little too fucking slow for me, Gannon! Now that you’re fucking Minx, it’s like you forgot what the hell you was there to do in the first fucking place! The pussy can’t overpower the mission,” Galena spat, a deep crease embedded in her forehead.
Botox was sure to be next for her.
“Maybe having E and everyone else here will help to light a fire under ya ass!” His mother stomped out like she was mad at the ground on her way to the bathroom.
Gannon released a heavy sigh when he heard the door slam shut. Both of Eirian’s brows went up. Galena was fine as hell, and her maturity turned him the fuck on. She offered more than these other young girls with her mindset alone.
“Tell me what’s going on with you,” Eirian urged him.
“Well, for one, my mama got me plotting on a man that’s done nothing but look out for me since I was fourteen. My pops is gone?—”
“And Max is responsible for that shit!” Eirian raised his voice a few octaves.
“I know,” Gannon shut his eyes and muttered.
Remembering his father brewed the blood in his veins, making him hot all over.
“Nigga, you ain’t acting like you know. Your pops raised me. Took me under his wing when the world went cold on me. Max took that from us a long time ago. It’s been time to return the favor. What? You in love with this bitch now or something? Sekani ain’t gonna want to hear that shit.” Eirian toyed with him.
His younger sister was crazy about Gannon. They were each other’s first love. To this day, she still considered him private property. Bitches had been cut along the way for smiling at the nigga too long.
“Minx is… she ain’t a lightweight,” Gannon said, shaking his head.
“So that’s what this is about? Her?” Eirian questioned. “Let me put it to you the best way I know how, G. She is him. His child. His blood. You are Galen’s son. Flesh of him. Max took him from you. From everybody that loved him. What loyalty you got to them?”
Eirian’s words bounced around as Gannon considered his options. He was right. He didn’t owe the Ward family shit. It didn’t keep him from feeling like a snake. He was lying and plotting, and wasn’t shit noble or real about how he was moving. Half the time when he was around Minx, he almost forgot about his ulterior motive. It was easy being with her, but he knew he wasn’t worthy of her. Eirian’s phone went off. It was one of his young hitters from the block. Answering, he brought the phone to his ear.
“What’s good?” Eirian greeted Montrez. “A’ight. I’ll pull up on you in a minute. I’m wrapping some shit up.” He hung up. “I gotta go check on some shit. Don’t trip though. I got all the intel I need. I’m making a move soon, and it’s going to pay off. For all of us,” Eirian assured him.
Retrieving his jacket from an armchair in Gannon’s living room, he slipped it over his broad shoulders.
“Oh, you leaving?” Galena asked, emerging from the bathroom.
“Yeah. Duty calls. I’ll be in touch though. Maybe we can, uh… finish what we started… no interruptions.” Eirian winked, devouring her wit his hungry stare.
Galena’s clit pulsed between her thighs when he approached her. She hadn’t had these feelings in a long time. Eirian made her feel young, vibrant, and like she still had the whole world in front of her. All she was trying to do was hold on to that feeling he provided. The scent of his Acqua Di Gio cologne swept up hernostrils, and she inhaled him as he leaned toward her. Eirian pecked her cheek softly, and Galena’s eyes twinkled in a way that Gannon hadn’t seen since his father was alive. Men paid her attention all the time. She was a very attractive woman even at her age, but there was something about Eirian’s gangster ways that fed her soul. There wasn’t another man living that gave her that kind of rush.
“Gannon, call me. We need to set up a meeting ASAP.” Eirian told him on his way to the door.
Gannon waved him off and lowered himself onto one of his bar chairs. He was torn. Plotting on Max was draining, and every time he thought about what it would do to Minx, it sickened him. On the other hand, Max put him in that position. Gannon had a reason to go through with it, whether he liked it or not.
“Eye for an eye, Gannon. We are only taking from her what her father took from us long ago.” His mother stopped behind him, her hands massaging his shoulders as if she was reading his mind.
What she was saying sounded easier said than done.
Viceand his two friends sat tied to chairs in an old warehouse type building known as “the chamber”. Only the ghosts in that building spoke. Darkness drowned every corner, and the smell of mildew seeped into their clothes. Propped against the wall, one hand gripping a pair of garden shears, the other hand holding a blunt Finn studied the blade as he opened and closed them. A small cloud of smoke filled the room as he squinted through the dim light nearby.
