Burning Sage

Chapter Thirteen

"The job tonight is my last," Junior said to JP and Marcus who were pressing down on the wireless game controllers excessively.

"Yeah yeah, we heard nigga," Marcus said without removing his attention from the large screen.

"Can be the last for y'all too," Junior said and took a pull from the blunt in his hand.

"Then what? I ain't got babies-"

JP peered at Marcus, "You sure about that?"

Marcus smacked his lips, "We all know London's pussy is for everyone, so that baby is the community's," he said and the guys laughed.

JP paused the game, then looked towards Junior.

"Why the fuck you pause?" Marcus shouted, "Ain't got no respect for a nigga," he complained.

"Shut your ass up," JP said to him before returning to Junior, "I think it'll be my last too."

Marcus looked at JP in disbelief, "So y'all leaving a nigga?" he asked.

Junior shook his head and with slanted eyes he stared at Marcus, "Your dumbass refuses to join us in opening the club," he shrugged.

Marcus rolled a joint for himself and spoke under his breath.

"Speak up," Junior said.

"Mane," Marcus said, focused on what he was doing.

"He has no choice but to be down," JP said, "We can't be out here jacking people when we have an alternative, a legal alternative," he pointed at Marcus, "Don't you wanna sleep with both eyes closed at night, have a steady flow of cash?"

"I sleep with both eyes closed with my gun right beside me, and I got enough income, try again," Marcus argued.

Junior shook his head, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Marcus snapped his head towards Junior, "I ain't got time to be thinking about five years. Shit, I don't even know if imma be alive next year."

"And you're cool with that?" JP asked.

Marcus shrugged and stretched his arm out to take the lighter placed on the coffee table, "Y'all don't know too."

"True, but changing our line of work could give us a chance to live beyond today," Junior said.

Marcus sat back and took a long pull from his blunt then looked at JP and Junior whilst blowing a cloud of smoke out, "Let me think about it."

"That's all we ask," Junior said.

"That you think, for once," JP added.

"Fuck you!" Marcus flipped JP off and he laughed.

Junior was pleased his boys would leave the street life as well. He threw his head back on the couch and thought of how life is about to change, make a shift in the right direction and he was lowkey excited.

...

"Let's go out to the mall tomorrow," Trisha suggested as she leaned back on the step behind her. She looked down at Sage who was seated beside Ashley then at Letoya who was next to her.

Letoya shrugged, "I'm down," she said and tapped on her screen profusely.

"Same," Sage said as she rubbed the bottom of her belly. It felt heavy and as though the triplets sat on her bladder.

"You sure you want to do all that walking with your fat ass?" Ashley side eyed her friend.

Sage rolled her eyes, "Just the second semester, it's still safe," she turned away from Ashley to Trisha, "I just won't walk around a lot," she added.

"That's cool, as long as you're there, girl's day out," Trisha said with a smile.

"I thought we'd have a girl's weekend in, just the two of us," Ashley whispered to Sage.

"Next weekend, I promise," she said and Ashley nodded.

"What was Nessa on about the other day?" Letoya asked, peering at Ashley.

"What do you mean?" Ashley pretended to not know what she was referring to.

"She said you made her sick," Letoya said.

"You know Nessa runs her mouth about everything, even lies," Ashley said.

Letoya gave a short hum, not believing a word Ashley said.

Sage glanced at the girl next to her and noticed for the first time that her cheeks were filled up, "You're gaining weight, you pregnant too?"

Ashley giggled, "Friend, no. I'm on that Rihanna diet," she waved her hand in the air.

Sage laughed, "It's treating you well."

Ashley pursed her lips, and flipped her hair, "Thank you."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the break and Sage groaned.

"Need help mommas?" Trisha laughed.

Can't wait for June," Sage complained, "Word of advice, don't fall pregnant," she pushed her body up.

"Taken," Ashley said and the girls laughed as they climbed the stairs towards their class.

...

Sean sat still on the chair behind a large oak desk in his home office.

He had his fingers intertwined beneath his chin as he closed his eyes. It was a day he wished never existed.

His wife was shot, because she wouldn't inform her captors, his then enemy, of his whereabouts.

The image of seeing a bullet pierce the side of her beautiful head haunted him which was successfully done by his nemesis, whilst he watched from his laptop.

He wanted to go back in time, to that morning. Before kissing his wife good bye, before leaving her on her own to be abducted.

By the time he found her, it was too late. His team arrived after her body had went limp, and he took it hard.

His sorrow was disrupted by a knock on the door.

He snapped his head up and changed his demeanor, "Come in!"

Jo walked in carrying an iPad in his hands, "Boss," he greeted and stopped in front of the desk.

Sean watched him as he looked down at the gadget in his hands then he slid it across the desk towards him.

Sean looked down at a picture of a motel, he then swiped the image to the left.

He recognized Jamal walking to one red door and as Sean ran his finger across the screen, he noticed Jamal looking around before entering the room.

In silence, he studied the photos then handed the iPad back to Jo.

"Waiting on your instructions," Jo said.

His thoughts had just been confirmed, Eli had walked out of that same red door, shortly after Jamal left and before a female with little clothes walked in.

He had the two boys in his sight, and it felt like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

"Bring them in," Sean finally ordered.

Jo nodded and left the office.

Sean stood up and approached his mini bar, he felt the weight lighten slightly and a smirk played on his lips thinking of all he would do to his daughter's killers.