A Stone Cold Love In Miami

L U C I A N

I blew a ring of smoke out into the warm night breeze, my eyes staring into the dark abyss of Caleb's backyard. Music was thumping from the trap house but not enough to drown out the croaking of the frogs. It had been days and Caleb was still going at it, partying and turning up. His behavior was fucked up and it was becoming an issue with me. At first it had been great to catch up and enjoy all the things the streets had to offer that I'd missed out on, but ever since Caleb lost that coke supply to the Feds, he was getting lit with a different kind of desperation.

Instead of putting his energy into regaining momentum for the MM, he was getting drunk every night and getting high, using up his own product he had left with the used up thug groupies. I couldn't condone that shit, it was bad for business. I wasn't sure if Caleb was irresponsible like this normally or if I'd just gotten released at a fucked up time in his life, but the nigga that was doing blow off a prostitute's ass while I smoked my blunt peacefully on the back deck was not the same nigga I had hustled the streets with. Back then Caleb was hungry and ambitious. He did the dirty work and was in the streets and on the corners busting his ass to make money, just like I was. The only time we weren't outside working was to rest, eat, shit, shower and repeat. But now it was looking like Caleb had gotten comfortable while I'd been locked up. He was slacking on his hustle big time and on top of that, his ideas were irrational and flawed. Like robbing the Stone Cartel. Shit was just plain dumb. Still, I couldn't just dismiss Caleb. The MM were a tight set and they all respected him. Whether he was a good or smart leader, I was starting to question that, but there was no doubt he was a leader. He was also a good homie, I couldn't deny that. When Caleb was loyal he was as loyal as could be. And I could never repay him for what he did for me when I was put away...

I took another deep inhale of my blunt. I was sitting on the top stair of the deck in the shadows, the only source of light was the cherry glow of the paper. I sucked in a breath after my inhale and held it, then slowly let it out, watching the smoke drift away. I didn't notice the music inside had stopped until the alarmed screams of women pierced my foggy high.

I jumped to my feet and pulled out my handgun, tossing my blunt. Striding stealthily across the deck, I opened the sliding glass doors to the kitchen and made my way to the living room. Everyone was crowded around, terrified and curious. From my tall height I was able to see over everybody's heads. In the middle of the floor was Leroy, his chest drenched in blood and his body slack with death. Caleb was crouched over him in agony, howling at a few other MM guys dressed in black.

"What the fuck happened to him, Los?"

"Some fucking bitch attacked us and started shooting, boss," Los declared with anger. "Leroy hit on her, she was a rude bitch so he put her in her place. She didn't like that and attacked all of us then started shooting. I saw her, the cunt aimed right at him."

Caleb's head was bowed over Leroy, his hand resting on Leroy's forehead. His words were hissed. "What. Bitch?"

Los clenched his fists at his side. "We don't know who she was, boss. We didn't catch her name but she was dark and covered in tattoos." He tipped his head in thought. "She had the word 'Chosen' in bold red letters on the side of her neck, I remember that."

Even behind several people I noticed Caleb's breathing stopped, frozen as if he were a statue. Then, he stood up, taking his hands off Leroy and screamed at the ceiling, "Everybody get the fuck out!" It shocked everyone into action, and the girls ran past me to get out of the house and away from Caleb. The rest of the set did the same, but Los and the others who had brought Leroy remained behind uncertainly.

Caleb's short, stocky form trembled as he cracked his neck from side to side, his face still raised to the ceiling. "Los," he said lightly between his teeth. "Get. The. Fuck. Out."