Hide & Seek (47 page)

“
How much Ice paying’ you girls to be here with him,” Mook asked, knowing he was pissing them off.

“
Fuck you man,” Andre’ threw back angrily actually rising from his seat until Jaron put the AK’s barrel in his chest.

“
You’re a live one,” Mook replied, nonplussed. “You won’t be for long though,” he added as Jaron smiled broadly and Andre’ sucked his teeth in disgust.

“
So you do what for Ice,” Mook again asked Dixon.

“
I’m his security,” he replied resentfully.

“
Hmph, I see,” Mook replied as Jaron again chuckled.

“
I have to give it to you muthafucka’s, sneaking your asses in through the basement,” Mook told them, chambering a bullet in the .380 he was holding, before returning his attention to Dixon.

“
You’re on the wrong team playa,” he told him calmly before aiming and firing the bullet, hitting Andre’ directly in the head, dropping him from the chair.

Dixon swallowed hard as Mook again regarded him looking into his eyes, saying nothing.

*****

Ian heard the shower running and assumed Kaitlyn was under the spray.
Shit,
he thought, needing her to be dressed so they could get out of the house quickly. Once she was safe, then he could return and finish his business. Looking around the room as she continued to shower, Ian saw the books on the desk, walking over and flipping them over, reading the titles. The room itself seemed comfortable. There were no visible signs that they’d abused her in any way he continued to think. Of course he would have no way of knowing what really went on at this house until he got her home and had a chance to talk to her. The water finally stopped and Ian turned to the bathroom door waiting for her to emerge. He heard various rumblings for the next few moments trying not to become impatient. So far they were still undetected; he wanted to keep it that way. For whatever reason Top’s crew seemed to be content staying in the shadow. The doorknob turned slowly as the light went off and the door began to open. Ian was caught completely by surprise as Mace exited the bathroom gun drawn, pointed at him.

“
Wassup Ice,” he greeted the man as they both stood facing each other, weapons in hand.

“
And you are,” Ian threw back, definitely wanting to know if this was the infamous Top he was looking for.

“
I’m the muthafucka holding a gun,” Mace replied as Ian chuckled.

“
So what, I have one too, what’s your point,” he threw out as the two men continued to stand in silence and regard one another.

*****

“
How long you been with Ice,” Mook asked finally breaking the silence.

“
3 or 4 years,” Dixon replied, some of the fight gone from him seeing Andre’s life taken without so much as a blink from Mook or Jaron.

“
Hmph,” Mook replied once again as his wheels continued to turn. “And you came here ready to die for this muthafucka, huh,” he asked once again as Dixon nodded slightly.

“
Why,” Mook posed. Dixon frowned slightly, not sure himself of the answer really.

“
Loyalty,” he said finally.

Mook nodded as did Jaron, respecting his answer.

“
What if I gave you an out and you didn’t hafta be disloyal to Ice,” he began as Dixon listened. “Ice’s fate is already sealed, you can change yours, if you want too that is,” he went on as Jaron held the gun on him, waiting to see what choice he would make.

“
What you talkin’ about,” Dixon ventured to ask; not so sure now he wanted to take a bullet for Ice.

Mook smiled slightly. He liked Dixon, always had since the first time he’d observed him with Ice. He knew the man was loyal and he could use someone like that in Florida. He just had to help him get out and save face all at the same time.

“
Ice isn’t leaving here breathing’, you know that,” Mook told him. “Now there is absolutely nothing you can do about that, so technically if you accept my offer, you didn’t sell him out, turn on him or any of that other bullshit,” he explained patiently.

“
What offer,” Dixon asked simply, his mind processing Mook’s earlier statements.

“
When this shit is done, I’m headed back to Florida,” Mook told him. “I have a nice operation there, and I need security.”

Dixon sighed deeply and thought about it for a while before speaking again.

“
You’d trust me like that,” he asked giving Mook a look.

Both men smiled again, slightly unnerving him, as Dixon waited on the response.

“
I’m a pretty good judge of character,” Mook said simply. “So,” he began again. “What’s it gonna be?”

*****

“
Where’s my woman and what the fuck have you done to her,” Ian fired off. Mace sighed gently but said nothing.

“
So now you don’t talk,” Ian asked again his fury growing.

“
KiKi is fine,” Tariq said evenly as Ian turned around and looked in the face of a ghost.
What the fuck,
he thought but didn’t voice.

“
How goes it Ice,” Tariq threw out regarding the man and applauding his ability to keep his shock to himself.

Tariq knew Ice’s mind had to be racing trying to logically reason why he was standing in the same room with him.

“
Where is KiKi,” he asked calmly, not addressing the why’s and how’s of Tariq’s existence right now.

“
She’s at home naturally,” Tariq replied calmly, pissing Ice off more.

“
What home,” he again inquired.

“
Ours,” Tariq told him irritably. “KiKi and I are together again,” he explained as Ice grew cold with fury.

“
We’re expecting,” Tariq added for good measure finally pushing Ice over the edge.

“
What the fuck are you talking about,” he raged. “What kinda fucked up game are you playing,” he asked walking toward Tariq, stopping in his tracks as the Desert Eagle addressed him.

“
I’m not playing any game,” Tariq replied. “KiKi loves me, but shit, you knew that,” he told him getting further and further under Ice’s skin. “You’ve always known it, that’s why you hated me so much, that’s why you killed my brother, gave KiKi those fuckin’ pictures, to try and destroy that love,” Tariq told him growing angry himself, but willing the feelings to leave him.

“
KiKi was in love with a fantasy,” Ian spat giving him a condescending look. “You were never man enough for her, and you never will be.”

Tariq laughed, angering Ice again.

“
Trust that every time she screams my name, I am man enough for her, as is evidenced by the seed growing inside her right now,” he told Ian calmly.

“
You been with KiKi for three years and I bet she been swallowing her pills religiously hasn’t she,” he goaded.

Ian was angry, hurt, and scared all at once. He couldn’t lose Kaitlyn, she was his heart; but he knew Tariq was telling him the truth. The connection they shared was something he could never break, even in death; she continued to hold onto him.

“
So you’re Top,” Ian finally deduced as Tariq took a small bow.

“
Yes,” he replied. “Fitting don’t you think,” he questioned as Mace chuckled slightly.

“
What are you trying to accomplish,” Ian asked. “You tryna prove to KiKi that you can be me.”

Tariq frowned slightly his anger returning.

“
No,” he replied. “To prove to KiKi that I can be better than you,” he threw back as Ian’s eyes narrowed.

“
Your brother is dead,” Tariq told him flatly.

“
Yeah, right,” Ian returned not believing a word of the statement.

Sighing deeply Tariq held out his phone. Ian reluctantly took it, seeing the image it held. His brother was laying spread eagle on the floor, the hole in his chest where he’d been shot running red with his life force as it spilled out of him. Seeing Ryan, hit Ian like a sledgehammer in the gut. He couldn’t breathe. He felt a part of himself die at that moment.

“
He chose to die,” Tariq told him bringing Ice back to the present.

If the look of pure venomous hatred in his eyes when Ian raised his head were bullets, Tariq would be dead all over again.

“
Why the fuck would he chose to die,” Ian spat angrily.

“
Because he decided he couldn’t live knowing you were dead and he couldn’t avenge it,” Tariq replied calmly.

Mace walked over to him, still keeping the gun trained on Ice and handed him another weapon from his pocket.

“
So you’re gonna kill me and tell KiKi what,” Ian tried.

He needed to get at least one shot off, he thought still holding the gun they hadn’t taken from him.

“
KiKi already knows I plan to kill you,” Tariq told him.

The statement hurt Ian even more, thinking she didn’t care about him at all.

“
She’s very upset by it, but she understands, business is business,” Tariq clarified, making Ian feel a little better.

“
So now what,” Ian asked holding the .380 up and aimed directly at Tariq.

Mace held his own .380 at Ian’s head.

“
He’ll kill me, but trust I’ll kill you,” Ian told Tariq plainly as the man calmly pointed his own gun at Ian.

“
Maybe,” he replied. “Maybe not,” Tariq finished squeezing off three rounds.

Ian felt the intense burning and pain like none he’d ever experienced before the darkness took over and he felt nothing.

EPILOGUE

Kim found the Florida sun and sand very agreeable once they settled in the suburbs of Miami Beach almost three years ago. She and Mook were loving life as he ruled the territory with precision. They saw Top and Deuce at least once every three or four months when they dropped in to check on the operations.

“
Ma, you’re not lookin’,” Sean whined as Kim chuckled and assured him she was.

Carnell KiSean Dowery was born almost nine months to the day of them making love after her miscarriage. Kim had been totally dismayed returning for her six week checkup only to find out she was already four weeks pregnant. Mook was ecstatic; laughing as she playfully accused him of intentionally knocking her up. After Ryan and Ice were removed, things were turbulent for a while. There had been more than a few close calls and Kim hated thinking about those days. Mook had taken the extraordinary measure of sending her to his family in Chicago for a while until he, Top, and Deuce, got things settled down.

Thankfully she was back in Miami by the time Sean was actually born. Kim would never forget the pride she saw in Mook’s eyes as he cut his son’s umbilical cord and held him for the first time. She never regretted a day, her decision to hook up with Mook. He was one of the most loving, kind, generous, and protective men she’d ever met. The house he’d bought them was spectacular, making even some of their wealthier neighbors jealous. She heard Sean giggling again and looked up from her book, seeing him roughhousing with Dixon as the strongly built man picked him up and took him into the ocean. Kim thought about the explanation Mook gave her for Dixon being her bodyguard.
“There ain’t a lot of people I’m gonna trust around my woman or my son, but he’s an exception to that rule,” Mook told her as they talked.
Kim had to admit he was right. Dixon had never made a pass at her, looked at her cross-eyed or allowed anyone to get too close to her that she didn’t desire. She was happy for his sake that he’d accepted Mook’s deal that fateful night years ago.

Satisfied that Sean was in good hands, Kim returned to Project Queen by Teresa D Patterson, the book she was reading, engrossing herself once more.

“
Hey girl,” Mook spoke interrupting her once again as Kim finally gave up, marked her place, and closed her book.

“
Hey baby,” she returned amiably as Mook pulled up a beach chair and joined her for a few moments.

Times like these were too few and in-between as far as Kim was concerned, but she didn’t complain. She knew the game and in order to stay on top, you had to stay on the grind.

“
You look tired,” she remarked turning to him and stroking his face gently.

“
I’m good baby,” Mook replied, smiling slightly and kissing her hand. “I see Sean’s in the water again,” he threw out as she laughed.

“
That boy is part fish,” she chuckled as Mook smiled.

“
He looks lonely,” he told Kim looking into her eyes as he spoke.

“
Does he now,” she remarked, knowing very well what Mook was alluding too.

“
Mmhmm,” he replied simply rising and taking her hand pulling her up into his arms.

“
Why don’t we go inside and see what we can do about that,” he whispered seductively in Kim’s ear as she smiled, following him as he pulled her forward heading to the house and their bedroom.

*****

“
That’s right son, protect yours,” LaRon said aloud as everyone laughed.

They were hanging out and barbequing again as was their usual routine over the years. Jashon Antonious was holding Khari Jaslyne’s hand as they played. He pushed Caleb, a neighbor’s son, away as he tried to take Khari’s hand from him. Tariq and Kaitlyn chuckled, as did Jaleesa saying their children had already been pledged before birth.