𝑾𝑰𝑪𝑲𝑬𝑫 𝓖𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼

THE BIRDS PT 2.

Sept 28, Thursday 9pm.

"You ready Lisa?" I looked her up and down as she debated on jackets in the mirror. I know she'd tell me if she wasn't okay. . . at least I hope.

"This black jacket or this brown one." Her eyes found mine in the mirror. "Are you okay?" she frowned up.

"Yea yea." I perked up in efforts to keep her from worrying too much. "I like the brown one. They match your boots." I know girls are obsessed with their name brands. She's been obsessed with her new shoes. I'm happy her life isn't a total wreck.

"They're Uggs Abel." She turned back to the mirror putting her jacket on. She grabbed her brush and detangler to begin styling her hair. " Up or down?" she said as I watched her in the mirror. I could see her hair thinning at her edges.

"Are you stressing?" I came close and stroked the thin areas of her hair.

"So down.." her lit eyes looked at the ground as she brushed over the spots.

"Lisa, are you okay? Talk to me. You ain't got to do this anymore if you don't want to. You know I got my ways." She turned facing me leaning against my puffer jacket dropping all her things to the floor. As I wrapped my arms around her she melted into the embrace. I caught whiffs of her coconut hair spray. As I got a closer look at her face I could see an underlying tone of purple by her eye. My thumb brushed over it.

The door busted open and Jane was standing there spraying her cheap perfume a thousand times. There was practically a cloud of alcohol mixed with a fruity smell. "Are we leaving or cuddling like dummies?" she popped her gum. Her ring shimmered in the dim light.

Lisa left pushing past Jane. "She's gorgeous isn't she? Why don't you two just date? I'm sure her crazy boyfriend wouldn't mind." She giggled before rolling around the corner. Tonight has already been made. I grab my gun for good measure and head out.

We rolled up to the club after we picked up Krystal. The girls went straight off so I decided to stay and talk to Mitch. "I'm going to go back to the Queens to talk to the people about his bail."

"We should be back in business soon then huh?" I ask. He nodded and said he was going to the back to handle some things. I didn't see Lai anywhere, so I decided to step outside and spark up. My anxiety was shooting through the roof.

As I take a drag the door opens and I think nothing of it until I hear a conversation spill into the quietness. It was the same raspy voice from the building. I snuck a glance at him, noticing it was the same guy who was staring down Lai'Yomae in the creepiest way possible.

"Excuse me." I dug in my pockets for the paper as he pulled a cigarette out.

"Say Man, you got a lighter?" He interrupted.

"Yeah, but question. Do you happen to know what this means?" I hold out the paper to him.

He snatched it, squinting at the poorly written numbers. It's hard to have good handwriting when writing fast. His cigarette dropped to the floor with the paper. "You know this a code for Black Empire only right?" He got closer, walking upon me like I was about to get jacked for all I own.

I buried my hand in my pocket clutching the pistol I kept on me. "You're trying to kill Lai'Yomae?" That clearly angered him, because his next moves caught me off guard. He grabbed my black T in a fist.

"You better keep your mouth closed or this'll be your last breath." His foggy breath was hitting me right in the face. He smelled just like peppermints and cigarette smoke.

I dug the barrel into his abdomen. "Or will it be yours?"

"You wouldn't."

"Why wouldn't I? I ain't got shit to lose but a dream." He slammed my back into the concrete wall. The force caused my chest to ache. "Fuck you," I mumble before cocking back and pulling the trigger.

"Fuck." He clutched his abdomen. "You son of a bitch."

I pushed him off of me racing to grab my car and bring it back to the other side. My heart was pounding and his blood was all over my puffer. I whip around to the back and hop out. I looked around to spot any cameras, I saw none. As he was hunched over grabbing his aching chest I dug the barrel into his neck. "Get in."

He groaned at the slightest movements, but soon he was in the back of the vehicle. The metal door opening to a silent room turned me around. I quickly tucked the weapon under my waistband. Lai'Yomae was outside, head darting around. "Abel?" her forearm shielded her eyes against my harsh headlights. "Everything okay?"

"For sho' I was just finna leave," I cleared my throat. "Stay safe."

"You too." she lingered for a moment before she left the door to close behind her. I take a deep breath and toss the door open sliding inside the seat.

I turned safety on and placed the gun over my lap speeding out of the lot. I glared at him in the rearview. "Keep your mouth closed." I called Henny. I knew I couldn't tell Toni, He'd find out I got his girlfriend well- fiancé working the club. Then a whole other situation would break out and ain't nobody got time for that.

"Mh?" his voice had a fresh sleepiness in it as if he just woke up.

"My fault if I woke you. I need you to walk to the club around 12:30 so you can walk the girls back home. I won't be back for a while. I got some business to take care of."

"Cool." The phone abruptly hung up and I was sitting in the midst of a rattling engine accompanied by a low hum of the radio intertwined with groans.

***

It was around 1am when I made my destination. I unlocked the doors and got out into the blackness with my pistol in hand. He spilled out onto the dead stiff grass drenched in his own blood. "You were going to kill her, weren't you?" I cocked it back once more, digging the metal right into his skull. "Don't lie."

"I was." He wheezed.

My finger hovered over the trigger. "I always had an eerie feeling about you."