Murderville Page 0,74

duffel bag full of money was in his backseat. He held up one finger to signal for her to wait and just as he took a step toward the car, he watched her turn over the ignition . . .

BOOM!

A’shai was thrown to the ground as his car exploded before his very eyes, sending burning $100 bills flying into the sky along with a cloud of black smoke. “Nooo!!!!” he shouted as he scrambled to get to his feet, crawling and slipping through the snow covered ground towards the blaze. Liberty ran from the house and grabbed A’shai, but he threw her off him as he went to rescue Willow.

“Noo!” he cried as he bent over and punched at the snow as the fiery steel burned slowly in front of him, crackling sinisterly as if it were taunting A’shai. He knew that Willow was dead. There was no way she could have survived. He knew that this was the work of Samad and that the bomb had been intended for him. He stood and stormed over to Liberty. He gripped her by her arm and pulled her into the house.

“Oww, Shai, you’re hurting me,” she cried as her tears mixed with the snot that ran from her nose. She was frantic and felt extremely guilty because she knew that Willow had just died because of her.

“What’s his number?” A’shai asked as he picked up the house phone. “Dial it!”

Liberty dialed Samad’s digits and as soon as A’shai heard Samad’s voice he spazzed.

“I’mma dead you, you bitch ass nigga. You don’t know how I get down, but I’mma teach you, homeboy. On my dead mother, I’m going to make you wish you never crossed me,” A’shai shouted before hanging up the phone. He picked up the entire base and ripped it out of the wall as he tossed it across the room. A’shai didn’t normally lose his cool, but this was a blow that was so unexpected he reacted without thinking. His legs gave up on him, and A’shai collapsed onto the couch as he buried his head in his hands while sobbing.

Liberty knelt before him and pulled him into her arms as she stroked his head soothingly.

“I’m so sorry A’shai,” Liberty whispered. She was the sole reason his world was being turned inside out. He was too good of a man to ever admit it, but they both knew it was an unspoken truth. “I’m sorry.”

SIXTEEN

“I WANT THE MUTHAFUCKA’S HEAD ON A fucking platter by nightfall! I’m burying my WIFE today! If he isn’t in the dirt before this day ends, I’mma make the fucking streets bleed!” Baron shouted to his henchmen as he stood in his conference room. It had been years since he had warred with a nigga. He had gained too much respect in the streets for any of the young gunners to ever test him, but Samad had no reservations. He had brought conflict to Baron’s homefront and had taken the one person in his life that had been irreplaceable. “Get the fuck out,” he whispered as he stood at the head of the rectangular table and placed both hands on the surface. He hung his head solemnly as his men left him alone. The range of emotions that filled his chest made it hard for him to breathe, and he loosened his neck tie to open his airways. It had been exactly one week since he had gotten the worst news of his life, and he had yet to shed a tear. He was too full of rage to allow his sadness to set in. He had the rest of his life to mourn; right now he just wanted vengeance. A knock at the door caused him to look up as he watched Nico walk into the room.

Nico didn’t say a word. He was too full of guilt. He was the one who had put the call into Samad, giving him A’shai’s whereabouts. Nico had always been jealous of A’shai. Ever since Baron and Willow had brought A’shai home, he had stolen Nico’s shine. Nico was tired of being behind A’shai. He wasn’t family . . . the same blood didn’t course through their veins. When Nico saw an opportunity to get rid of A’shai, he took it. He had no idea that his beloved aunt would get caught up in the cross hairs. I tried to stop her from going. If she would have just waited like I told her to none of this