Page 74 of Rayzor: Tell Me It’s Mine II

“Aye, we not gon’ think like that. Ain’t nobody stupid enough to do shit to him knowing he’s Rayzor’s son,” he encouraged.

I wanted to believe that. Look at where we were now. Somebody already tried the worst. Now, how far they were willing to go, I wasn’t sure. They better not do shit to him.

“They need to bring him back.”

“We’ll get to them before they do.”

I lifted my head from him. City’s eyes were filled with worry. They were low and red, not from smoking. He wasn’t going to admit that he was scared too.

“I’m about to get up outta here and talk to the streets. Suk, stay with E, aiight? Don’t leave her side. Wherever she goes, you go too. I can’t let nothing happen to your ass, too.”

He took me by surprise.

The way he surveilled the house as he towered above my head showed he didn’t realize it either.

“Okay.”

He leaned down and kissed me.

It got so eerily quiet that I could’ve heard a rat piss on the carpet.

When he released me and we turned around, all eyes were on us.

I raked my fingers through my hair as a distraction and took a seat back next to Eris. She rocked her leg so vigorously that it could start a propeller and fly off. I hated to see my girl in this much pain.

I placed my hand on her thigh.

“He’s coming back home, E.” She slowly turned her head my way. My girl looked zoned out. Unrecognizable. In shambles. “Safely,” I assured her.

City, he was doing what he could. None of us had the answers, but they had the resources. Rayzor had Rhea’s house surrounded when we got there. It looked like the president was inside, from the several black cars and trucks sitting outside. He wasn’t playing any games behind Levi. We knew he loved him before, but this was a father’s love.

“Rhea,” Eris said, breaking the mold.

“Yeah?” Rhea looked over at her because she was on the other side.

“Did Levi yell or anything?”

“He was laughing and playing with the ball when I left him.”

“I’m saying, why the fuck didn’t you take him in with you?!” Rayzor barked, and Rhea jumped.

The police had to pull him back because he was going to rip her damn head off his shoulders.

“I went in less than two minutes. He drank his first juice, and I asked him if he was thirsty because he was coughing a bit. That’s it, y’all. I promise, Eris,” she cried. “That’s all I wanted to do. I’ve left Levi in the front yard dozens of times, and nothing’s ever happened. You think I wanted this to happen?!”

* * *

City and I went back to his house because he didn’t want me being alone. I welcomed the company. This situation had me weirded out and paranoid. If I was feeling this way, I could only imagine what my poor friend Eris dealt with.

City flopped on the edge of his bed with me.

“Damn, it’s been a long ass day.”

“Did you find out anything?”

He laid back, running hands down his face. “Nothing.”

That made me feel less hopeful.