by T. Styles
“Shut the fuck up, Race.” He pointed at me. “It’s your fault anyway. Tempting my brother and shit. You know he can’t handle that with Denim upstairs acting like Hands That Rock The Cradle. Obsessing over a kid that’s not even hers. You playing yourself like a whore.”
“What you just say to her?” Bradley asked as he stood in his face. “What you just call Race?”
And then something I wasn’t expecting occurred. Bradley stole Ramirez in the jaw and the two of them went at it on the floor. Fists were flying and necks were held as they continued to fight over what I think was me.
When it was over and Ramirez stomped away I just knew Bradley was done with the games. We were sitting in the movie room, our favorite spot, when I gave him his out. “I’m so sorry about this, Bradley,” I said as I placed a blue icepack on his eye which was a little swollen. “We can stop if you want, with the games. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
He frowned. “Fuck no. All he did was make me angrier.”
I looked at him seriously. “Why you really doing this?”
He shrugged and placed the icepack on the floor. “I don’t know.” He looked into my eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Have you ever…” He looked away again.
“What is it, Bradley? No more secrets between us remember?”
“Have you ever wondered if you married the wrong brother?”
I exhaled because the question was deeper than I expected to go. “I…I never thought about it. Never had a reason too.” I looked at him. “Until now.”
He nodded. “I don’t know why I’m doing this for you, Race. I mean, the getting back at my brother part. I try not to ask myself questions that I’ll never get a good answer to. All I know is that if you need me I’m here. Let’s leave it at that for now.”
RAMIREZ
Scarlett walked up to Ramirez who was sitting in the chair in the only available guest room. His lip was swollen and his leg was jittery. To put it simply he was mad as fuck.
“What happened to your face?” She asked. “And I thought we were going to play around tonight. I was looking forward to it.”
Suddenly she did nothing for him.
He frowned and rubbed his chin before dropping his hand into his lap. “I think you were right.” He pointed at her. “About Race knowing that we fucking.” He looked away. “The only thing I can’t understand is how she found out.”
Scarlett’s eyes widened. “Did…did she say she knew?” Her stomach bubbled and she farted softly. Luckily for her pride he didn’t hear or smell it. “Did she say she saw us, Ramirez?” She grew louder.
“No!” He rubbed his knuckles.
She sighed in relief. “Then what happened?”
He shook his head. “Lately she been spending a lot of time with Bradley. I mean, all of a sudden these niggas acting like good girlfriends? Why? They don’t have shit in common.”
She shrugged. “Well did you ask them why they’re so friendly all of a sudden?”
“They trying to make me think I’m crazy. Talking about they just cool and shit.”
“What if they are? Who cares? We do what we do why not let them too?”
“Bitch, it ain’t the same. I don’t want nobody fucking my wife!”
“Whatever happens please don’t tell her about us. I don’t have anything else but this family, Ramirez. I can’t lose it.”
He leapt up, yanked her red hair and pulled it backwards. “Is she fucking Bradley, Scarlett? You better tell me now or I’m gonna kill you. I know you know something! Ya’ll are friends.”
Her face reddened as she softly touched the hand that was pulling the hair from her scalp, trying to calm him down. “Ramirez, I haven’t spoken to Race in a couple of days. I don’t know anything...but…but you’re hurting me. If I had any idea I would’ve told you already. Please let me go.”
He believed her and released her hair. Pacing the floor he said, “I gotta figure some things out. I’ll get up with you later.” He stormed away.
Ramirez walked up to Bradley’s bedroom door only to see Denim sitting on the bed holding Master. Immediately he noticed her eyes looked off as if she wasn’t the same person. “Denim, can I talk to you about something?”
“Sure…uh…come inside.” She placed Master face down but kept a hand on his back as if she were protecting him. “What’s up?”
Ramirez walked in and sat on the opposite side of her, the baby between them. “How are things going with you and my brother?”
She shrugged and forced a fake smile. “Fine I guess.” She focused back on the baby, with wild eyes that seemed to swirl around when she spoke. “Why, what did he tell you?”
“Nothing…I…I just wanted to know if your relationship was going okay. I mean, I know there was some difficulty when he first came home from jail but I didn’t know if that was still the case now.”
“Everything is fine,” she grinned and looked at Master again. “Couldn’t be more perfect if you ask me.” When Ramirez went to touch his nephew Denim went ballistic. “Keep your fucking hands off him, nigga! You probably didn’t even wash them! Why do you nasty mothafuckas keep touching him with dirty paws?”
Ramirez jumped up. “Aye, Denim, you okay? Because you acting crazy now.”
Slowly she allowed the frown to melt from her face that she replaced with a smile. Looking at him as if she didn’t lose her mind she said, “Yes…of course I’m okay. Why you say that, Ramirez?”
He shook his head and walked out the door. No wonder my brother spending so much time with my wife. His bitch crazy. He thought. But he not about to have mine.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
KEVIN
Kevin paced the foyer of the living room as he tried to calm down and settle his mood. He took deep breaths to relieve himself of the anger he felt from having Believe and Treasure in his home and nothing worked.
He still wanted to commit murder. Or better yet, double homicide.
He needed his brothers and their opinions.
So one by one he rounded them up and brought them to the movie room for a private conversation, without their wives. It didn’t take him long after looking at their screwed up faces for him to notice that something was up. “What’s been going on? Why ya’ll in here looking fucked up in the head?” he asked.
Bradley gazed at Ramirez and then Kevin. “I know you have more to say than that, man. So stop fucking around and tell me what’s up?”
“Yeah…get to the point,” Ramirez said.
“I’m serious,” Kevin continued. “We haven’t been alone since Camp died and I wanted to check in on my brothers. What, something wrong with that? A man can’t break bread with his blood?”
Bradley shrugged. “I’m gonna keep my comments on brothers connecting to myself.”
Ramirez laughed.
“What’s funny?” Kevin asked him.
“I find it humorous that he can keep shit to himself now because when he’s around the house he seems to have all kinds of word play for my wife.”
Kevin frowned. “Hold up, bruh, I know you not accusing your brother of some disruptive behavior like that. Bradley smart enough not to go there with his little sister.”
Ramirez pulled his own ear and crossed his arms over his chest. “All I’m saying is whenever I look up he’s in her face. You can draw whatever conclusions you want upon that fact.”
It took Bradley everything in his power not to reveal what he found out from Race. He would’ve said fuck it and let Kevin know everything but he had grown a similar bond with Race that Ramirez had with Scarlett. Except his bond was out of respect for Race.
Not only would bringing up the drama be too heavy for the moment but he would also feel like a hypocrite. He was determined not to betray Race’s trust and for some reason it wasn’t worth it for him to lose the loyalty he was building with her just to disgrace his brother. “I told you time after time that it ain’t like that between me and Race,” he lied. “So stop accusing me. Stop
accusing her.”
“Yeah, well you better hope not, nigga,” Ramirez continued showboating.
Kevin wiped his hand down his face. Things were worse than he thought and he hadn’t bothered to get to the real reason for the meeting. “We lost our brother. Not even six months ago. The last thing we need is to be fighting with each other. We have to honor Camp by making sure his son is taken care of and he needs all of us to make it happen. So let’s not do dumb shit in our darkest hour.”
“I’m not about to be brothers with no nigga who fucking my wife,” Ramirez said as he turned his body away from Bradley and crossed his arms over his chest like a child. As if he didn’t smash the fuck out of Camp’s bitch.
Bradley bit his tongue to hold back on what he knew so hard it bled. “You know what, anybody accusing somebody as hard as you accusing me must be guilty.”
Ramirez shuffled a little in his seat before chuckling once. “So you saying I’m fucking Bambi now?” He laughed harder. “Or wait, I’m fucking Denim who smells like baby throw up all the time?”
“Nah, bruh, not Bambi or Denim.” He looked at Ramirez long and hard.
Ramirez, leveled with guilt, leapt up. “You know what, I don’t have time for this shit.” He paused. “Hit me when you want to say something real, Kevin. I’m gonna be in my room.”
Kevin took one step toward him before Ramirez walked out. “I’m in trouble, man. And I might need your help.”
Ramirez stopped in his tracks, turned around and faced him. “What’s wrong, Kev?”
Kevin sat down and looked at the floor. “I…I fucked Believe.” Bradley and Ramirez looked at one another before moving closer to Kevin, each sitting on his right and left side. “And Treasure,” Kevin continued.
The Kennedy men were getting all kinds of pussy in the compound and they were moving recklessly at that.
Bradley wiped his hand down his mouth. “Fuck you mean? And Treasure? Ain’t she a kid or something?”
“What it sound like I mean? I fucked both of them, man,” Kevin continued. “And she ain’t no kid. She over eighteen.”
“Where this go down?” Ramirez asked. “And when?”
“In the guest room,” Kevin said. “And at the same time.” Ramirez and Bradley laughed. “Fuck difference does it make anyway?”
“You mean you did this shit with Bambi in this house?” Bradley asked pointing at the floor. “Knowing full well she has the potential to snap and kill niggas?”
“It was a fucked up night. I was tired of her drinking and wanted to catch some rest in the guest room. Believe walked in talking about she wanted some sleep and that she was trying to get away from her daughter. The next thing I know I’m sliding in my dick and five seconds later Treasure joined her. I still can’t believe it went down.”
“Sounds like you winning to me, bruh,” Ramirez said. “Both of them bitches bad. Although I gotta admit the mother daughter thing a little weird for my taste but to each—”
“Stop fucking around, nigga!” Kevin yelled in his face. “They blackmailing me now. Got video on a nigga and everything. If Bambi finds out not only will our marriage be over but we all can see her fucking with the business too.”
“So what we gonna do?” Bradley asked.
“Give me some time.” Kevin looked at both of them. “I’m just letting you know in case we have to tuck a body. Or two.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
BRADLEY
Bradley was in the kitchen warming up meatloaf from last night’s leftover dinner when Sarah walked inside rubbing her growling belly. He was supposed to be hanging out with Race later in the poolroom but wanted to grab a bite first.
Unfortunately now he had company.
Wanting nothing more than to fuck with him, Sarah sat at the table grabbed the plate that was meant for him and said, “Damn, I didn’t know we had more leftover food, I would’ve eaten it already. You making enough for me right? Don’t be greedy and take the whole thing.”
Bradley’s jaw twitched the moment he heard her voice. “Leave me alone, Sarah.”
She laughed boisterously. “I’m gonna come out and ask, why don’t you like me?” She grinned. “I know I’m not as beautiful or as charming as my precious daughter but you seem to hate me so much you can’t even look at me most of the time.”
“You know, Sarah, I blame myself for how you come at me.” He turned around and looked at her.
“What you mean?”
“See, when I married Denim you believed that gave you the right to be in this family. To sit amongst kings.” He pointed at her. “You one of them niggas who think by watching somebody else in the gym working out you’ll lose weight too. But that ain’t the case, Sarah. You don’t belong in this family now and you never will.”
She frowned. “I’m in this house ain’t I?” She giggled. “Eating your food. Sitting on your furniture and living it up. Seems like I’m doing all right for myself if you ask me. And I’m gonna eat the last piece of that meat too.” She pointed at the stove. “And you know why? Because I’m stronger than you, Bradley. I control Denim and that means I control your marriage too.”
“How far do you think my love for Denim will allow you to talk to me like you know me?” Spittle flew from his mouth. “How long do you think I’m gonna allow you to breathe and move so recklessly in my house? I’ve killed niggas for less. What you think’s keeping you alive?” He took two quick steps toward her.
She’d gone too far and she knew it.
She blinked a few times to clear her blurred vision. “All I wanted was something to eat, Bradley. Was just having a little fun with you. No need in—”
Bradley moved closer. “I’m a dangerous man, Sarah. And you my enemy. Do you know what I do to my enemies?” He looked down at her with disdain. “I asked you a question you fat bitch!”
Her posture stiffened as she suffered through his insult. “Wait until I tell my daughter what you just said to me. You gonna really pay for it now.”
“Haven’t you noticed, Sarah? The only thing Denim cares about in the world right now is Master. And you know why? Because instead of dealing with our daughter’s death she had to pick up behind you and Grainger’s shit. Now she’s crazy. But I’m gonna get some payback for her starting today.”
She tried to laugh him off but he wasn’t amused, his stare fixed on her throat. “And how you gonna do that, Bradley?”
“You know, I’m tired of your face in my house and I think it’s time I did something about that. Tonight.”
Sarah looked into his eyes as he approached even closer and suddenly she felt ill to the stomach. Sensing his rage, she could suddenly see her life flashing before her eyes. “I’m going to my room.”
She went to move until he said, “You gonna stay right there. You wanted my attention and now you have it. In fact, my attention will be the last thing you’ll ever have on this planet.”
“Bradley, you’re taking things to the next level,” she tried to smile. “I’m not gonna bother you anymore. You can have the meat. Just stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours. I’ll go to my—”
He stole her in the mouth and the flesh of her jaw opened under his blow immediately. Wanting to survive, she tried to scream but he caught her quickly by stealing her in the face again. Sarah dropped to her knees where he bent down and hit her repeatedly in the center of the nose with a closed fist. When she was barely moving he stood up, opened the kitchen drawer, grabbed the largest steak knife and stabbed her multiple times in the chest.
It had been a long time since he felt so much relief as he looked down at his work. She not only paid for the crimes of coming to his home uninvited but she also paid for what happened to him in prison. In that moment because he hated her so much he felt vindicated.
And then reality set in.
As he looked down at his bloody hands, holding the bloody knife over his wife’s mother’s bloody body he realized he hadn’t thought things through. After all, this wasn’t
premeditated. His day was going good before she stepped up to him.
How was he going to get her out of the compound with the world watching?
He decided there was one person he could go to for help and he hoped he could count on her.
Race’s jaw hung as she sat in the recliner in the movie room and looked up at him. “I can’t…I can’t believe what you’re saying or what you are asking me.” She whispered. “Where is her body? And why would you come to me with this shit?”
“In your studio in the basement.”
“What? But why you put her there?!”
“Keep your voice down.” He took a deep breath. “I put her down there because there’s so much creepy shit down there with your prosthetics that I figured even if someone caught a sight of it they wouldn’t believe it was real. But we have to move quickly.”
She jumped up and paced the floor. “Bradley…” words missed her and she didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t that she didn’t see this coming, as much as he despised Sarah, but at the same time the murder was so final. So spontaneous.
What about Denim? How would she feel when she couldn’t find her mother?
Suddenly Race was grateful for Denim’s preoccupation with Master because that meant she wouldn’t be looking for Sarah.
“I need your help, Race. I gotta get rid of her the best way I can.”
“And what way is that?”
“I’m going off the compound to dump her body but first I have to cut her up in smaller pieces.”
She leaned backwards. “Bradley, you can’t be serious.”
“I am, serious. And that’s what I need your help with. If both of us do it, the body will be hacked up quicker than me doing it alone. Now will you help me? If you do I will be indebted to you for the rest of your life. Race, please help me.”
Bradley and Race spent five hours in the basement of the compound destroying Sarah’s body. Bradley took the upper torso and Race the lower part for efficiency’s sake. It was the most brutal thing either of them had done but what surprised them was how quickly they did it together. They mirrored one another’s dark personalities and it wasn’t until that moment that it had become a reality.