Page 161 of 4 Corinthians

“And I did,” I said. “I came and saw her whenever looking at her pictures wasn’t enough. I kept my distance because my dumb ass thought I was protecting her. I thought she moved on, had a nigga. At least that’s what my information told me. She was happy, and I didn’t want to fuck that shit up.”

“Was that the first time you spoke to her in all these years at the restaurant?”

“Yeah,” I chuckled even though nothing was funny. “She ran from me. Took a trip and I followed her.”

“What happened?”

“She asked me to be strangers,” I told him. “We got a lot of trauma. We been through a lot of shit, you know?” I looked down at my feet. “Shit is crazy though because out of all the shit I been through she was always the best part. Getting beat on, damn near dying, none of it mattered if I got to see her.” I looked up at him. “I vowed to protect her before anyone else. She’s always come first.”

“Which is why we are sitting in this niggas house right now.”

“Something like that,” I replied. I wasn’t going to tell Nine about Cori’s assault. That wasn’t my story to tell; if she wanted him to know, she would tell him.

“So, I was pining over her cousin, and you were doing the same?” he asked with a laugh, and I nodded. “I get it. My past with Cross wasn’t like y’all’s, but I get it.”

Headlights flashed through the living room window, and I pushed from the fridge. I didn’t want to talk anymore. I could hear Tyrell close the car door, then the sound of his keys jingled as he put them in the front door lock. Seconds later, the door opened and closed behind him. The living room light came on, then he stepped into the living room. He noticed Nine first, and his hand went to his back.

“Don’t be stupid,” Nine sighed, shaking his head.

Tyrell didn’t listen; he pulled his gun from his waist and pointed it at Nine. “Who the fuck are you?”

“It ain’t me you gotta worry about,” Nine said, leaning back in his seat. He crossed his arms and smirked. “It’s the crazy nigga behind you.” He nodded at me.

Tyrell’s dumb ass turned his head but not his gun. I hit him so damn hard I heard his nose break, and he crumbled to the ground. When I looked down at him, all I could do was be pissed at myself. This was the same nigga that I’d stabbed in the hand years ago. The one that I knew Robert had sent my way, thinking I wouldn’t do my research. I’d fucked up by letting him live, and now that shit was coming to bite me in the ass.

***

Nine opened the door to the warehouse, and I dragged Tyrell in by his foot. The entire car ride over here, I thought of every way I could kill him. What I thought would hurt the most and how to extend that pain until I was satisfied, and truthfully, I would never be.

One of Cori’s cousins called my name, but I barely gave him a second glance as I continued to walk to the room I always used. I pushed the door open, tossed Tyrell in, and slammed the door behind me. His head bounced off the floor, and Nine chuckled.

“You gonna kill him before he even realizes he’s dead?” he said.

I walked to the corner of the room and lowered the chains. After I wrapped Tyrell’s ankles with it, I went back to the wall, pressed the button, and lifted him into the air. He swung side to side, and I looked over at Nine.

“I’ll remind him before he dies,” I told him. “You remember this nigga?”

“Nah,” Nine said, looking at him. “Should I?”

“I stabbed him in the hand,” I reminded him. “At the restaurant, a few years back. He was supposedly a potential client.”

“I remember; it was the day I thought I introduced you to Corinthians,” he said, and I nodded. “Dumb ass nigga should’ve gotten the hint then.”

“Apparently, he didn’t,” I said, then kicked Tyrell so hard in the chest the sound echoed off the walls. His eyes popped open, and he gasped for air. I kicked him a few more times; he cried and begged me to stop. I didn’t give a fuck about his tears, just like he didn’t give a fuck about Cori’s. With one final kick, I stepped back. Tyrell’s nose and mouth were bleeding. His eye was swollen, and if his nose wasn’t broken before I hit him, it was now. I got a chair from the corner of the room and dragged it to sit in front of Tyrell. I left him swinging while I calmed down and regulated my breathing. I knew Cori got the alert to my heart rate as soon as I started, and I was surprised that she hadn’t called.

Tyrell continued to swing. Finally, once my vitals were settled, I stood, adjusted my shirt, and approached him.

“Remember he can't talk if you break his jaw,” Nine reminded me. I nodded, then took a step back.

“Tyrell, I’m going to ask once and then move on to the next name on my list,” I told him. Even though Tyrell didn’t talk, I knew he was listening. His eyes never left me. “Did you know that that night would lead to your death?”

“Yes,” he mumbled, then smiled. “But hearing her scream was worth it.”

“Why?”

“Because she didn’t care when I screamed when she bit my brother's throat out,” he answered. He smiled again, then licked his bloody lips.

“Nigga what?”