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I felt my heart pounding through my entire body. A slow-building storm that was about to strike.
“Why?” I asked, my brows knitting together. “Just because she’s a woman?”
“No! Because you let her in too easily. Because you don’t see it, but you’re down for her more than you’re down for me.” His level of selfishness painted a sad picture. I couldn’t unpack it yet. It was too painful.
“Do your fucking duty as one of the four kings or you’re out, Sumo.” I stopped pacing and let my breaths come out in short puffs. I followed Sumo’s movements with my eyes, ready to rip his fucking throat out if need be.
His cold eyes lifted to mine, finally. “Out? You’d put me out because I refuse to observe that bitch?” Hearing him call Jupiter a bitch was starting to piss me off and that wasn’t good for anyone. Once my anger was out, it was like trying to cage a tornado.
“Her name is Jupiter,” I growled. “And I’m not putting you out because you won’t observe her in particular. You’ll be out for not following through on your duties. You know what the fuck you have to do.”
“I do know what I have to do.” With a hard swallow and a stare cast down to the floor, Sumo said, “I’m out of the Kings.”
My brain flashed something white-hot. Or maybe it was black. I don’t know.
I reared back and slammed my fist into Sumo’s already damaged face. The blow was so hard and unexpected that Sumo fell over on the bed. Just enough time and momentum for me to intensify the ass whooping. I rained down heavy blow after blow and Sumo only covered his face because he knew goddamn well, he earned that shit.
Truck, Pretty Boy, and Juju rushed into the room when they heard the commotion. It took both Truck and Pretty Boy to pull me off him.
“What the fuck, King?” Truck shouted. “What did he do?”
“He’s out!” I spat my words on the floor, broke free from Truck’s hold, and hit Sumo again. “Fuck this nigga! He ain’t a king no more. Get him out of my face before I air this shit out.” In case anyone thought I was bullshitting, I pulled my pistol from my waistband and took the safety off.
“King,” Jupiter materialized standing in front of my gun, pressing the barrel against her throat. She was such a fucking gangster. “Don’t. This is your brother,” she said.
“He’s not my motherfucking brother anymore. He wants out of the Legion of Kings.” I looked into her pretty eyes and some of the rage in my muscles evaporated.
“Woah, what the fuck, Sumo?” Pretty Boy frowned. “You want out?”
“Yeah.” He hissed at his busted lip and opened stitches. I’d have to apologize to Juju’s sister for fucking up her hard work later.
“Why?” Truck asked, sounding like a hurt child. “We’re brothers.”
“Tell them why, Sumo,” I said, putting my gun down at my side. “Tell them why you want out.” Sumo’s shameful eyes took in me, Truck and Pretty Boy. The same men who’d been there for him since Ocean View Home for Boys. He looked at us knowing he was dead fucking wrong.
“I won’t observe her.” I felt the need to crack my gun across his face again but I restrained myself for the moment.
“What the fuck?” Pretty Boy sighed. “All this is over Jupiter? Goddamn, man, we get new members all the time. Okay, she’s a woman. So the fuck what? Shit changes. She’s not a bad addition at all. Her kill was clean. No hesitation. Shit, she shot your big ass with no hesitation. You know she has heart and she came from where we came from.”
“You too, Pretty Boy? You riding for her?” Sumo asked around swelling and blood.
“I am.” Pretty Boy looked at Juju and nodded. “She fits.”
“You know what it means to leave the fucking Kings? Thefourkings at that,” Truck asked.
All four of us knew what it meant.
It meant Sumo had to get jumped out and it would be bad. He’d end up in the hospital if he survived the beating. It was something Pretty Boy, Truck, and I had to do. One of the four kings had never wanted out. This was unprecedented.
“It means, get the fuck out of my apartment!” I thundered. “You want out? You don’t want to be a King anymore? Then you’re not. I’m only going to tell you to get out one more time before I let my motherfucking gun do the talking.”
“King, can’t I at least stay until…”
Pop.
Pop.
Two quick gunshots rang out. I shot the king card posters on Sumo’s wall leaving a haze in the room from smoke and broken drywall.
