Chapter Three
Kapri knew the first domino had been pushed. Well, it’s really ’bout to go down now. She left her husband on the other side of the stash house basement to come to grips with what he was about to read. But now she had her own overdue business with Brezzy-Bey to tend to. Without closing her eyes, she prayed to God to calm her down some before she had a stroke.
Damn, let me get my shit together. Heart racing like a motherfucker!
Wasting no more time, she removed her .380 Ruger out of her purse. As she put one up top, her anger level shot back up to a solid ten. Just in case he had any ideas of trying to make a run for it, she’d be ready. Aiming it at Joe Brezzy-Bey’s head, he raised his arms, trying to shield himself from potential gunfire. The dime piece-educated diva wasn’t a killer by any means. That trait was solely her man’s department as well as her father’s. Nonetheless, she’d step up to be one if it meant the difference between her going to prison for life and remaining free.
“I knew you was a piece of filth from off rip. I told Nolan you was weak as fuck. I told him you was still getting high, ole dope fiend.” Kapri pressed the barrel of her pistol into Brezzy-Bey’s already shattered jaw. “But, naw, he was too caught up on trying to be loyal to that low-down cousin of yours for some payback bullshit a decade old.”
Kapri watched his one eye that wasn’t swollen shut widen. Then a single tear dropped. It was no secret to Brezzy-Bey or the rest of the crew how she felt about him. The otherwise devoted wife never accepted him as family or being a part of her husband’s team. Now, knowing what she knew, Kapri was glad she clowned on him on sight. Anytime she’d be in Brezzy-Bey’s presence, there was quickly a problem or misunderstanding to be had between her better half and her.
“I swear to God I wish I could just pull this trigger right damn now. You ain’t shit. Nolan been good to your ugly ass, and this how you do him? This how you do a man that’s had your back no matter what? I swear you straight pussy. What all you tell them damn police?” She nudged the pistol deeper into his perspiration-drenched, bloodied skin. “And matter of fact, take off them motherfucking clothes. And hurry the fuck up, ole bitch-ass nigga!”
“Fiona—”
“Hold up. I know you ain’t trying to say that busto’s name to me like it means something. You done ruined everything. I swear I hope you rot in hell. And if I have my way, that walking-virus-in-a-skirt-Fiona will be right along with you! Now, like I said, strip and hurry your ass up.” After spitting directly into Joe Brezzy-Bey’s face, Kapri’s mind started to race, wondering what Nolan’s and her next move would be. The lawyer didn’t say how much the cops knew about their operation or when they might act on it. He just gave his longtime clients the heads-up that the “house of hustle” they’d built was about to fall. The only thing Kapri could do was pray Nolan could make shit right. Now fully nude, she checked to make sure Joe Brezzy-Bey wasn’t wearing a wire. Kapri was streetwise enough to know if the documented snitch was, she and Nolan would be locked up by now facing life.
* * *
Nolan concentrated. Holding the paperwork under the light, he read over everything twice, carefully, then once more. His mind was speeding. He had to make sure he was getting the full picture of what the documents said. Joe Brezzy-Bey had given him up to the cops, that much was evident. And by some of the statements written, the worker-turned-informant had flipped on a few more guys out in the city making moves. But none of those dealers concerned Nolan. His business was his to worry about. And this unloyal move Brezzy-Bey had made was indeed on another level. The consequences were life, death, and freedom… or lack thereof. Nolan realized that much.
Kapri could easily tell her husband was about to bust a vein on the side of his neck. The more Nolan read, the more that vein started to bulge. His lip turned up in disgust more than once. It was apparent that what he had just read had caught him off guard. This was the last thing he was expecting to see. It was no great secret that Joe Brezzy-Bey was a royal fuckup where the ticket money was concerned. That’s why Nolan was in the middle of beating his ass. But this outta-the-blue revelation right here was a whole different animal. The punishment for this was way more than just laying hands on a person. This meant death. It had to. After all, what Joe Brezzy-Bey had done would change the lives of Nolan and Kapri forever. Their hard-fought perfect dream world had just become a ghoulish nightmare—one from which they probably would never wake up. Now, the way his girl was behaving all made perfect sense.
With the gun still aimed at a panicked, nude Joe Brezzy-Bey, Kapri leaned upward. She snatched the documents out of Nolan’s hands, throwing them on the floor at their feet. Having the paperwork in her possession for a little over an hour, she had time to calm down and process what the outcome of dealing with a snitch could bring. But she still nutted up when she laid eyes on the punk-ass nigga. So, now it was her husband’s turn to do the same. Only thing is, Nolan had no time to think or process shit—just react. Over the years, the bond couple had been in and through some really wild, over-the-top situations. Most they sat back and now would laugh about. But none of this jumping off was humorous to any degree. Standing face-to-face, Kapri asked her man what he planned on doing next. Of course, she threw in her two cents about what she thought should occur.
“So, bae, you see what I was saying? That dirtbag Fiona done brought this good mouth-running fool into our lives. So real talk, whatever you do to him, you need to do to that wanna-be-me tramp too. I mean, seriously, we don’t know how much he has told them.” Using her free hand, she caressed Nolan’s muscular arm. She knew whenever she would do that, nine outta ten, she’d get her way.
“Yeah, baby, you right.” Nolan instantly agreed, regretting he hadn’t listened to her in never giving Brezzy-Bey work from jump. “My bad, booboo, on not doing what you thought was best. You be seeing shit a nigga like me be overlooking. That’s why I married your pretty ass. You always got me in good times and bad. And it looks like this some of the bad.” Nolan held his wife’s chin up, then kissed her on the lips. “But don’t be worried. I ain’t ’bout to let some judge break us up again. Fuck walking that yard. A nigga built to do that time, but fuck that. I need to be home with you, building and shit. Ya feel me?”
“No doubt, baby, I’ma stand strong no matter what. I mean, so far, the papers only name him as an informant against you and some of the fellas. But like I fucking said, who knows?” Kapri was usually hard as nails but fought back the tears as she spoke, lowering her gun. “Damn, this is so fucked up. Shit, for all we know, the hook is parked on the corner, waiting to kick the damn doors in. We probably under surveillance now by the Feds or DEA.”
Those words did something to Nolan’s spirit. Kapri was right. They didn’t know what kind of time frame they were working with when it came to this situation. There was no telling how long they’d been under investigation. And she was also right. This was all his fault for bringing the virus into their world. He had let not only her down, but also himself as well.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Let me think! Damn, this shit is fucked!
For a few minutes, the seasoned criminal paced the floor as his aggression increased. Every muscle on Nolan’s chiseled frame was on swollen. The prison ink on his back was covered in beads of sweat, and his green eyes were now bloodshot. Finally, he eased up on pacing and pounding his fist into his palm. Nolan had more than enough of reflecting on what could or would be. He paused, turning to face his visibly distraught wife. “Baby, you already know what has to come next, right?”
With no love lost where Joe Brezzy-Bey was concerned, it didn’t take much convincing for Kapri’s confident response. She was always down with the termination of anything standing in the way of their happiness, be it family, friends, associates, workers, or in this case, a turncoat snake that deserved what he got.
“Of course. Simple, my king. This nigga gotta die.” Kapri grinned at last, thinking of getting rid of Fiona’s cousin once and for all. Grabbing Nolan’s manhood, she slowly stroked it through his jeans, licking the remaining of the day’s gloss off her lips. “And, baby, I say the sooner, the better. So, yeah, do what you gotta do. If you run outta bullets, feel free to use mine as well. I’m here for it.”
In the midst of all that was going on, Nolan was still aroused by his girl’s touch. He pulled her close and deep tongue kissed his constant partner in crime. “Yeah, Kapri, even if we do get knocked hard for the bullshit he done told the damn police, he won’t live to see the outcome of being a snitch.” Nolan turned, mean-muggin’ his soon-to-be-dead worker. “Say them nighty-nighty prayers, bitch, ’cause ya time is ’bout up!” His main focus was back to Brezzy-Bey and going straight ham.
Pouncing on the traitor, Nolan pounded his face with his fist until his knuckles started to swell. He knew he should have never trusted an addict off rip, but he did. After all he’d done in the way of letting this lame slide on continuous short tickets, for Joe Brezzy-Bey to fuck him over like he had was unreal and unexpected. But Nolan had just read the bullshit in black and white. Ole boy had his own issued informant number and everything. There would be a double salute awaiting his lawyer whenever Nolan saw him. Because whoever Attorney Mims had working with him inside of the Detroit Police Department and Prosecutor’s Office had gone beyond the call of duty with this paperwork. They had basically signed, sealed, and delivered Joe Brezzy-Bey’s death warrant.
I swear a nigga did everything he could to live righteously. A guy like me tried his best to repay his debts and make shit right. I went against my damn wife. I stayed up some nights hearing Kapri go bat-shit nuts on me for even dealing with you. Now, I gotta hear her mouth about this. Now, I gotta hear her tell me that I was wrong and should’ve listened to her off rip. And as for your damn cousin, I promise on my life if I find out she got shit to do with this for real, for real, I’ma send that ass to the upper room too. You done ran your mouth and fucked shit up for Kapri, me, and all the crew who depend on shaking that bag to pay they bills. Because you a coward and couldn’t take that little bit of time you probably would’ve got for whatever, you went straight foul. Ooo-wee, my dude, you gonna feel every bit of this beat down before you don’t feel shit no more! That’s my word!
Not yet ready to be calm, Nolan wiped the multitude of sweat beads off of his forehead. Resentment for the betrayal boiled over. He declined to slow down, ready to snatch a soul. Imagining the number of crew secrets Joe Brezzy-Bey might have divulged to the law, Nolan started stumping the disloyal worker in the midsection. Deliberate in where his shoe landed, the premeditated pain would be unbearable. By the time Nolan finished, a suffering Brezzy-Bey would be begging for death to take him away. Every part of the man’s nude body was being battered and bruised by Nolan’s kicks and punches. At one point, he even picked up an old kitchen table and beat Brezzy-Bey across the back with it.
Kapri stood by with a smile of satisfaction on her face. Mesmerized with the heinous work her husband was putting in, she remembered what first attracted her to Nolan. He was an official beast. Watching him do what he did made Kapri want to spend the rest of her life with him even more. Her mother had long since warned Kapri that dealing with a man just like her father would bring her nothing but heartache, problems, and grief. Yet, none of that advice mattered. Nolan was her soul mate, so the risk and hazards that came with being his wife were irrelevant.
In the midst of watching the one-sided melee, she held the gun down at her side, angry enough to pull the trigger herself. The mood was nothing less than chaotic. The man that lived on point and principal was furious that, against his wife’s word, he had given this idiot a chance. And now he had fucked him over. Knowing what he now knew, there was no turning back and no time to figure things out. Nolan had no choice. They couldn’t allow this traitor to leave the house alive. By the expression on Joe Brezzy-Bey’s beaten face, he knew his fate as well.
Nolan searched the basement. Finally, he found an old telephone cord in a cardboard box of trash. Infuriated, he tied up a physically defeated, nude Joe Brezzy-Bey, hands first, then feet. He was then propped up on the side of the washing machine. The newly discovered informant now had the muzzle of two guns pressed to the sides of his head after Nolan produced his. Each passing second, Joe Brezzy-Bey came to the harsh realization his time on the earth was rapidly growing to a close. He mustered up the energy to yell out for help before Nolan socked him in his already busted mouth. However, as much as he shouted and fought the notion of death, the clock was ticking. It was about to go down.