Hood Misfits, Volume 4

by Brick

  Lilith’s seething could be felt all across the room. Her nails scraped the table before her then her lips formed a thin line. She turned in her seat to Caltrone. She glared at him, as if he were going to do something; then she slammed her palm on the table before her. Realizing he wasn’t going to do a thing, she sat back in her chair and thumbed her nose.

  Caltrone’s deep, rumbling chuckle had others laughing as he tsked. “Duly noted, my grandson, very smart words.”

  Tilting my head in a respectful nod, I rubbed my jaw and continued listening as Caltrone’s hands discussed the welfare of the southern region. Mad talk started popping off around me about the remaining drug lords in the A and the new blood that was rising up. Supposedly, it was a new group of kids who were in the field of stealing cars, and techno thief, which had them bringing in mad dough to the Trap. I said nothing while I listened. I knew about the kids. Had worked, and still did work, closely with them through getting new rides, various devices, and erasing my history to keep Micah off my back.

  There was no way in hell that I would speak on my affiliation with them. Or say that it was Trigga and Jake who set that new crew up on their feet by recruiting them to their chop shop. Like me, the Eraserheads were linked to ENGA and their loyalty was to that as they did their own thing. Fucking with them was like fucking with me, so I was glad that their activities wasn’t anything Caltrone was interested in because they were not fucking with the dope game. So the old heads moved on to other topics, and it all came to a halt the moment that Caltrone held his hand up.

  “Let us get to the real meat of this meeting. As we all know, I pride this family on its blood and loyalty. That is what keeps us on the top and the weak on the bottom and with the return of my long-lost grandsons, the Orlando line can continue to flourish,” Caltrone gloated.

  All I knew in that moment was that I just wished I were on the field. That I was playing ball and that was it. This shit was for the birds. I was straight up in a Scarface movie and the shit was lame. All we needed was mounds of that dust around us, and we’d be popping.

  Caltrone stood, then smoothed his suit, then walked my way. His large hand reached out to clasp my shoulder as he stared down at me in pride. “Today, I make it known that my heir is here. Shawn Orlando will take my place as regent of our clan!”

  A cocky smirk played on my lips. I leaned back and moved my shoulder from his grasp then reached for my cup, took a sip, and set it back down.

  “Once that nigga is taken care of and once my cover in the game is cleared up, I’ll decide what I’m going to do then; otherwise, the world is still yours, Gramps.”

  I didn’t even look at him when I said it. I just glanced around the room, noticing Fuego’s slight chuckle; then I turned my gaze on my grandfather while rubbing the side of my jaw where Micah cut me.

  He watched me with slight heat in his eyes. A darkness I was familiar with myself set stones in my stomach but, I was by far not about to let this nigga punk me. So, I shifted in my chair and gave him the same gaze back. No fear, no emotion, just darkness.

  A grin spread across Caltrone’s face while he studied me. He clapped his hands together and turned to the family. “He is one of us, is he not?” Collective yeses spread across the room and he turned back my way. “Agreed. You need to have your kingdom cleared so that you can bring our power back into Atlanta the correct way.”

  I nodded in agreement. A part of me wanted to spit out in defiance, as he did when taking out my grandfather then having his son claim my mother as the ultimate insult to the Kulu Empire. But I kept that in my mind. I needed to play the loyal prince, soon-to-be regent, and I needed to make them work for my favor.

  “Exactly. With Micah’s home now ashes and his shit now on blast, yo, the rest of the battle should come easy, right? With the power of the Orlandos?”

  Caltrone gave an amused chuckle. He snapped his collar then turned on his heel to sit back down. “This is why I am confident that you and your brother, once he comes of age, will raise this family up for another generation and keep us strong.”

  Like that, everyone raised their glasses and toasted me. We ate, we smoked, we drank, then we all parted ways. I knew I had another meeting to go to that my mother had set up. This one involved the Queens, Phenom, and the Misfits.

  “You make up ya mind, homie?” I heard Jake ask me across the table.

  We all sat around a simple family-style table. Unlike the meeting with the Orlandos, where it was about money, style, power, and intimidation, at this meeting we sat around each other like we were at Grandma’s house. Which we were. We decided to hide in plain sight and hit up the old neighborhood, the old house where ENGA came into growth, my old house with the dining room table Jake’s grandmother used to own.

  My hand slid up to my face as I glanced at that dude. Phenom was watching me with a light smile on his face while Anika whispered in his ear. My mom was in the kitchen with Angel. Drew rolled out with food in his mouth chopping and yapping while being followed by a little girl sporting bright colors who was digging into her plate.

  There was no doubt, when I looked at her, that she was of my blood. I knew why I had ignored it before, because I didn’t want shit to do with the Orlandos, still didn’t. But when Trigga pulled me to the side and explained it, I accepted it. She and I were alike on more than a blood level; we both hated the DNA that linked us, and I was down with my niece from that moment on.

  I realized that Jake and Trig were waiting on my response. All the Misfits were there. I noticed Diamond had gotten up to help my mom and Angel, while Baby G quietly spoke with Anika, who had sat down again and laid a hand on her belly. Everything felt right. I was glad that broad Dominique wasn’t anywhere around. Was reassured she knew nothing of this secret meeting, so I glanced up at Jake.

  The chains attached to my jeans made noise while I shifted in my seat. “I told that nigga that I was thinking on it. That I wasn’t making a choice until Micah was put down.”

  “A’ight, so what’s your real choice?” Jake asked again.

  He knew I was in my dome and it had me chuckling. “I’m ENGA for life. Most importantly with that knowledge I was given, I’m Kulu Tribe and DOA. So my choice is simple, once this shit clears up. A nigga will step onto the throne as king and take it down from the inside. Clean it out and, if we have to once the Orlandos are wiped out, reunite the clans like it used to be and keep it that way, no distinction.”

  Silence fell around me while I watched everyone at the table fall into thought. “When you do this, you’ll have to take on that mantle of evil, you know that? So you say you down now, but from history, we saw what evil did to a good man. That evil flourished and turned into a cancer that spread like a plague, until it took out everyone in the main family back in New York. That’s our history, nephew. I call you nephew because I see you as family, so what say you?” Phenom calmly explained.

  The man before me spoke to me with respect, as if I was an equal. There was no intimidation at all, just honesty and trust. For me, that act alone was a vast difference from what I went through with Caltrone. I knew that, without being forced to fear this cat, he could very well end me, but I also knew he saw everyone at this table as equal and I respected that.

  His words made me nervous and had me rubbing the back of my neck. I didn’t want to fuck this up. Didn’t want to bring a blood war to my family. I wanted nothing to do with any type of blood war that meant repeating history, so I wanted to make sure my words, my intent, and my heart were true to the cause.

  “I heard y’all’s history, the truths you all have shared. Shit, I know it’s a lot y’all haven’t shared and probably need to, but I know we are the new generation coming up. All of us got put into this ’cause of the beef. None of us really wanted this life, except for maybe my man Trigga, but that was because of survival,” I explained.

  Trigga gave a cold smirk and nodded. “True.”

  A chuckle came from me, as I shrugged. “I ain’t hi
m. I’m me and how I dedicated my life shit, I’m about that ‘get what I can get’ to keep my family safe, period. So shit, yo, I’m saying. This blood in me, I hate it, but I got another set of DNA, too, the kind I got mad respect for. In my part in this, I know I’m going to go mad and play the role to the fullest, but I got purpose to that madness and you all are my fam. So I’m going to get what I get, to keep my family. ’Cause, from the cradle, I see now that the foundation was set up to protect me and my brother and that shit is insane, but respected. I ain’t turning my back on what my mom decided at my birth and I ain’t turning my back on y’all. I got a brand DOA on me, but ENGA is resting tatted near a nigga’s heart undetected.”

  I lifted my shirt to show the tattoo where the letters were embedded. How it was written it literally had to be pointed out by me to find, and that’s how I liked it.

  “So yeah, so a nigga gonna be a kingpin now. Kinda fucked up and funny but, like Don Corleone said, ‘Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family,’ and you all are both, feel me?”

  Phenom tented his fingers together and tapped his fingers against his mouth. “He also said, ‘Many young men started down a false path to their true destiny. Time and fortune usually set them aright.’ We’ll play the game to the T. Our businesses only will cross when in taking down our common enemies. That keeps you safe and us safe from our true plan. This circle is all that needs to know. No new niggas need to know shit, ain’t that right, Moseif?”

  Speedy thumbed his nose and nodded. “Never opened my mouth on family business; ain’t going to start today just because I get proper head. On ma word, bruv, cha know, blood is bond.”

  How he said that made me laugh hard. Yeah, him and me had a moment and I still was watching him closely because of that shit with Dominque. But watching closely was different from not trusting and, honestly, I trusted this cat. So, there was no beef. I’d just do what I had to do if he crossed me wrong again and call it even.

  “Bet, no new friends. Y’all will know who I got around me is my inner circle because they’ll be around me. But in this, like my niece, Trig’s daughter, shit, we’ll all be ghosts.” A smirk flashed across my face and I noticed Ghost watching.

  Something in her eyes let me know she was going to have many stories to tell and birth many warriors. She was just as lethal as we all were and she was only a kid. That was saying a lot and was kinda dope, though I felt with her like I felt with Drew: she needed to be a kid first. None of us here got that, but at least she and Drew could get a little bit of it.

  It was then that Anika spoke up as she held her cup. “At this table is the original faction, how Papa Kulu had created it. We’ll honor his spirit, the true nature of this syndicate, which was to uplift the hood and take out the evil by any means necessary. Since we are quoting The Godfather, ‘. . . society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful.’ That is the foundation of this. We take out those who harm our people, our communities, and do this by getting our hands dirty. Indigo has been spreading through the streets and it has taken down several crime bosses and political elite.”

  My mother smoothly took over for Anika. She gracefully stood and moved to rest a hand on my shoulder while she addressed us all. The sweet smell of her perfume gave me reassurance in the passing of the torch. “Soon Caltrone will hip you up to this, Shawn. It will be your duty to find out the source of Indigo. Of course, we all know who is the creator, but he does not. And by presenting him with a different set of thugs as a scapegoat, people who actually are aligned with him, we will effectively begin not only taking out the bitches and niggas in the street who are about that thug life, but also break away from Caltrone’s foundation.

  “But, first, we have to continue in this act and game. Handle Micah. Keep his eyes off you, but also away from Phenom and these Misfits. I’m pretty sure once we chop the head off the snake, another will arise in the FBI, but that is why we have eyes and resources to try to keep us as safe as possible,” Shy continued while she headed to sit next to Mirror, who sat at Phenom’s right.

  Trigga’s deep mumble drew my attention. “Knowledge of self allows us to lead the savages to their destiny, be it chaos and death, or enlightenment.”

  I remembered him saying that back in the streets. It was one of the things that I repeated to myself daily when on the football field or killing niggas.

  “This is why we must show and prove. Then gain the knowledge in order to control the chaos that has been created so that we can unlock the keys to this reality and let everyone know the universal truth of that nigga’s existence. The same goes with the Orlandos,” Shy added, with Phenom, Anika, and Mirror nodding in unison.

  “I remember you spitting that, Mom, and repeating it with Trig and Jake. It was my anchor. That is why the proof is being dropped as we meet. Micah has lost his home. Nigga is probably heated over that shit. Not only that but, the big shit of it all, B got that nigga by the throat with her confession. So, shit, the blocks are falling and that nigga is ’bout to be gunning harder with murderous intent in his mind. I’m already ready for it and I’ll do what I have to do. If I get taken out, the next phase goes into effect.” My fingers rubbed against the thin cut on my jaw and my gaze settled on Angel as she sat next to me while I was in my dome.

  “B stands up in my place and runs shit as queen. I mean, damn, it’s expected, right? She’s my wife. Oh, yeah, guess we gotta start the media rounds, too, about this secret wedding. Already got Dy on it. Got to make this look as legit as possible, right?”

  My mother gave a slight chuckle. Angel’s fork stopped midway to her mouth. Pieces of chicken with greens fell on her plate. Then I shrugged. “Interesting thing though, once they see she’s the survivor of being trafficked, that’s going to bring more attention my way. We’ll have to spin that shit and handle it too.”

  Everyone gave a nod of agreement. My hand ran over my face. Everything was out on the table and settled; I now had to settle crap between Angel and me. So I pushed up from the table and headed to the hallway. “We need to talk, B.”

  “If I may say this quickly. Ladies in this room and to our young princess Ghost, remember all of this. Ladies, we are the gatekeepers. We keep the truth, and hold it to our hearts in order to protect our dynasty. Let no nigga or bitch control the universe that we created. We fight at the sides of our men but we elevate ourselves in elevating them. Remember this,” Shy passionately stated.

  Anika moved to stand by my mother, their hands linking together. “Learn how to be generals in a war room, and provide the necessary tools to cut the throat of your and your king’s or prince’s enemy. These men should do the same for you. We queens and princesses will speak in the next room, after Enzo and Angel have their discussion.”

  Angel glanced around the table. Her honey brown face was scarlet red, and her pretty lashes fluttered in embarrassment; then she looked my way. In that moment, both Ray-Ray and Baby G giggled.

  “You’s married now,” Baby G teased.

  Jake’s bear of a laugh sounded and he flashed me the thumbs-up. “Nigga already strapped down, who’s next?”

  The sound of a slap followed, and with it I heard Jake mutter, “Ow!”

  “What that nigga always say? Don’t know shit, can’t say shit. Shut up, Big Jake,” Trigga spit out laughing hard.

  “Mate, it really is a lotta female in the crew, bloody hell,” Speedy added then gave his famous kooky laugh.

  With that, I led Angel to the back room so we could talk about this shit. I could tell she was nervous, so was I, but there was also something else I wasn’t sure about. The sound of the chains attached to my jeans was our only form of speech. I opened the door for her, and let her step in, with me following right behind her. Life was a funny bitch, but a bitch nonetheless.


  Chapter 17

  Angel

  For a second, Enzo and I just stood in the room, silent. I had a lot to say. Wasn’t afraid to say it, but I was trying to figure out the right way to say it. I didn’t know what he was thinking just by gazing at his features. Still, I was shocked that he talked about us telling the world we were married. I thought for sure his first order of business would be to get it annulled by any means necessary. I folded my arms across my chest as we both just stood gazing out of the window, staring at everything and nothing at all.

  The room looked as if it had been used for an office. The walls were off-white, the floor was wood grain, and there was a lone desk with a chair in the left corner. There was a closet with its door ajar, but other than that the room wasn’t much to look at.

  “Can we talk? I mean, can I say some things to you without overstepping my boundaries and without you feeling some type of way about me afterward?” I finally asked him.

  He smelled good. I figured if ever a king had a fragrance, the scent Enzo wore would be it. He was stressed. I could see the weight of the world sitting on his shoulders and part of me wanted to relieve some of the pressure. I would if he allowed me to. We hadn’t had a moment’s peace until that very moment and it was welcomed. As he slowly turned his head and gazed, somewhat disenchanted, down at me, I got lost in the hypnosis of his eyes.

  He licked his lips once and then took a deep breath before responding: “Say what you need to say.”

  “Is this really what you want?” I asked him.

  “Being married? No—”

  I cut him off by waving my hand. “No, I mean do you really want to jump headfirst into an age-old war between two factions that have been fighting long before we were born?”

  His eyes darkened a bit. “I don’t follow.”

  “You’re so anti-DOA and anti-Orlando and I don’t want you to lose yourself trying to prove yourself to be better than them. Truth be told, you only know one side of the story.” I quickly held my hands up when I saw his mood change right before my eyes. “Look, I know what that monster did to your mother and aunt and, for that, you have the right to hate him, even in his death. Still, he’s part of you. Whether you like it or not, you’re your father’s son. He’s in you and plenty of people have felt that. All we’ve heard is the good of the Kulu Tribe and the bad of DOA. Just like all of DOA aren’t heartless, evil monstrosities, there can be no way all of the Kulu Tribe are good people.”