Page 139 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2

Mom squeals before turning to me. “You’d let this boy disrespect me?!”

“I’ve heard you disrespect both ya daughters all day. You can’t take it?” Rico tilts his head, like he’s really waiting for her to answer.

“Neither one of y’all ever really had a chance,” he continues, shaking his head. “A damn shame. Turk, you can do what you want with yours, but this will be the very last time Snow ever sees this bitch. We out.”

He stands, his chair falling behind him. When we lock eyes, I stand, too, sliding my hand into his.

“Oh, so you jump when this nigga says so?!” Mom spits, standing as well.

“Snow yields to a real nigga ‘cause she knows, unlike everyone else she related to, I wouldn’t lead her astray. You done beating her down, and you done acting like she someone she not. She dead to you, like ya first kid.”

Mom blanches, flinching like Rico struck her. He turns to Auty, who refuses to meet his gaze.

“Stop using your sister to try to attain some shit that’s never gon’ happen, Haze. The bitch you came from ain’t capable of love. Don’t even love herself. And I’m not letting Snow kill herself to please you no more.”

Rico drags me into the house, my feet heavy as they slap against the ground. Dad stands to say something to Rico, but Mom shrieking stops everyone in the house.

“You unhand my fuckin’ daughter right now! How dare you come into my house and speak to me this way?!”

Rico turns and pinches my chin, tilting my head up. “Snow, tell this lady I shoot bitches.”

“Hey, that’s my wife–”

If I wasn’t standing right in front of Rico, I would have missed it. I only would have felt the air from his body turning, his fist surging through the air.

Right into Dad’s cheek.

He drops like a bag of laundry, crumpled onto the floor.

“Damn!” Deucey says somewhere in the background. I can’t look away from Rico standing over my dad, kicking his side to ensure he’s really knocked out.

He turns to Mom, eyes hooded and flat. She makes a panicked noise, but I still can’t look away from this man.

“You enjoy these last days of yours, Amani Shaw. I’on wanna hear shit about regrets when you see me again.”

Auty calls my name, but Rico is already walking us to his car. Him knocking Dad out replays over and over in a loop, all throughout the car ride to my apartment, up the elevator, until we're back in my foyer.

The wheel has been spinning on which emotion I feel the most. Lust, anxiety, disappointment, resignation.

When the loop stops, the wheel lands on anger, and I snatch my hand out of Rico’s and push him hard. He moves slightly, since I caught him off guard.

“Nigga, you hit my fucking dad!”

He keeps walking toward the back, and I follow him, pushing him and calling him everything but a child of God.

When we get to my bedroom, he turns, grabbing my wrists and walking me to the wall. “You can get your issue off without putting your hands on me.”

“You don’t respond to shit but violence! That was my dad Rico!”

“That nigga ain’t shit to you, Snow! The fuck?! What type of nigga lets both his daughters be constantly disrespected! He don’t fuck with you, and I know it seem like it ‘cause he don’t be like ya mama, but if he truly loved you, he woulda left her bitch ass a long time ago.”

The truth washes over me, leaving me with shame. I look away, but he puts both my wrists in one hand and tilts my chin again.

“I’ll never let a muthafucka keep breathing after they’ve hurt you. Pay your respects in private ‘cause both of them as good as gone.”

“You can’t kill them,” I whisper, though even in my own ears, the plea is weak. I washed my hands of them both a long time ago. Rico hit the nail on the head perfectly earlier; this is all for Auty. I know they’re only still alive because she pleaded their case to Turkey. Everyone is on one accord except for her.

Rico combs his bottom lip with his teeth. “I’m not repeating myself.” He leans in but I turn away, his lips landing on my cheek instead.