Page 11 of Love At Close Range

“Come on, Steele.” He stood. “Bro, I fucked up… I can admit that. But this ain’t no shit we can’t fix.” I didn’t respond because I wanted to see where he was going with this bullshit. “I can bring the money today,” Keem continued. “Everything I made off them pieces. You can take that shit out anything else I’m owed too. I’on give a fuck. I’ll make it right.”

I let out a sinister laugh because he really thought that he could pay me for his life. I already had recouped my money and guns. I just wanted this nigga to know why he was dying. Keem opened his mouth again, but I wasn’t interested in hearing anything else. I pulled my gun and shot him in his forehead before he could get another word out.

“I’ll handle this,” Rook said as he looked toward the body. “What time you heading out?”

“Now,” I responded as I checked the time on my phone. “Keep shit straight while I’m gone,” I told Rook as I headed toward my truck.

“You know I got you, bro,” he answered from the doorway. “Go handle your shit.” We dapped it up before I got in my truck and pulled away from the warehouse. Now that I handled the shit here, it was time to put my attention on Pierce.

***

I arrived in Arbor Point a few hours ago and checked into my room at The Kingsley Hotel. After settling in, I called my family to let them know that I was good. After checking in with my people, I got right to work. I drove one of my blacked-out Suburbans from my fleet to do my surveillance in. With everything I needed, I left the hotel and went to my first point.

I wasn’t the type of nigga that needed a day to settle into a new city before handling business. The sooner I learned Pierce’s movements, the sooner I could figure out how and where I wanted to get to him. The file gave me a good starting point, but I never relied completely on information another muthafucka gave me. I needed to see shit for myself. People switched routines, changed locations, and moved differently when they thought something was off. Watching my target told me more than a folder ever could.

From the file, I knew they had a warehouse out in Mason Yard. I headed in that direction and parked discreetly up the street between two buildings. This angle gave me a good view of the door while I waited around to see who or what came through the area. While I was waiting, Kree called and I ignored her ass. I told her ass I was going out of town for work, and she knows I don’t deal with her bullshit while I’m gone. To keep me on my square, my mama handles everything while I’m gone unless it’s urgent. I let her call go to voicemail as I continued to wait and watch.

After a few more minutes, I saw two men walk out the front door. They looked around and exchanged a few words. Once I got a closer look, I knew it was Pierce and his right-hand Mello. I committed both faces to my memory as I watched them get into their cars and leave. Seconds later, I was trailing behind them at a safe distance. I saw Kree calling again and I sent her to the voicemail… again. She called right back, and this time I answered.

“You better be dead or dying,” I answered. I kept my eyes on the road while Pierce’s truck stayed several cars ahead of me.

“Why haven’t you called to let me know you made it?” She had the nerve to ask. I looked at the screen to make sure I heard her right because she couldn’t be serious right now.

“I know you fucking lying. Kree, bro… get the fuck off my phone with this dumb shit. I’ll call Lenny later before she goes to bed.” I hung up before she had a chance to refute. When I gave my attention back to the road, I no longer saw Dorian or Mello.

“Fuck!” I slammed my hand on the steering wheel. I felt like going back to Cannon Hills and choking the shit out of Kree’s simple ass.

I drove another few blocks looking for either vehicle before accepting that I had lost them. I knew where Pierce lived, worked, and handled enough of his business to find him again. Still, that didn’t stop me from being pissed because I shouldn’t have lost him in the first fucking place.

That was exactly why I didn’t deal with unnecessary shit when I was working. One distraction could be the difference between finishing a job clean and ending up in a situation I didn’t need to be in. Today it only cost me the detail. On another day, answering that phone at the wrong time could cost me my fucking life.

Frustrated as fuck, I went back to the hotel. The first thing I did was call Rook and check in with him.

“Yo…” he answered on the third ring.

“Wassup? Everything straight there?” I asked getting straight to the point.

“You know I got this shit on lock. Everybody’s doing their fucking job because they don’t wanna hear your grumpy ass mouth when you get back.” He laughed.

“Whatever nigga,” I chuckled because he was right.

Rook had been around me long enough to know how I ran shit. I didn’t micromanage grown-ass muthafuckas who knew their jobs, but I didn’t tolerate lazy ass shit either. If somebody was getting paid, I expected them to handle whatever position I put them in without me having to babysit them.

“How’s shit going that way?” Rook asked as his laughter died down.

Swiping my hand down my face, I leaned back in the chair before I responded.

“I laid my eyes on the nigga, but Kree’s dumb ass kept calling like she was fighting for her fucking life. I answer the shit and she’s asking why I’ain check in with her? The fuck? When we started doing that shit?” I frowned. “I cursed her ass out and hung up. By the time I focused back on the road, I’d lost them niggas,” I vented. I still had time, but I like to get shit over and done with.

“Damn. You need to choke her dumb ass out. Like what if you were in a dangerous situation and got hit? The fuck was she gone do then?” I knew he was pissed because that was my boy and we didn’t play about each other’s safety.

“Be somewhere on the next nigga’s dick like she was on mine,” I responded honestly.

“You already know it.” Rook laughed because he knew exactly how I felt about the situation with Kree.

We chopped it up for a little while longer before we hung up. The next call I made was to Kree. As soon as I heard her voice on the phone, I went in on her ass.

“Why the fuck would you blow me up like that when you know I went out of town on a job. You could’ve gotten me killed if I was in the middle of some serious shit,” I barked.