Wickman •Nardo Wick•

19•

Dumbasses, tap in🤦🏾‍♀️

My phone rings like crazy. I pick it up, shifting to my side as Tay groans in his sleep. He's sleeping with me because the boys might kill him if I leave him alone with them.

It's an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Baby," Nardo's voice, which sounded weak and deeper than normal, probably because of the phone.

"Nardo? Are you okay? I thought you died," I say, standing up and going to the bathroom. Or should I say limp there. I close the door as he responds.

"Baby I need you to come get me," he whispers.

"Where are you? What happened?" I'm worried. I don't know why but I am.

"Imma send you the location baby. DNC."

"DN-" I try to repeat in confusion.

"ask Durk," he says and then the phone goes on mute. "H-hurry. I love you, Nina."

"I love you too, Nardo," I respond. He just called me Nina. That hurt. I thought I was his only girl. I thought I was supposed to be his Wicked Witch. Who is Nina?

I basically crawl downstairs to wake up Reggie.

"Reggie Nardo ain't dead," I scream, approaching him. I fall onto the couch, my leg throbbing in pain.

"You said wha-"

"He called me. Gemme your phone so I can call Durk," I say, taking his phone. I schrool through until I see Durkio. I click the call button and it rings a few times before he answers. "Hello? Durk. What does DNC mean?"

"DNC? Who said that," he repeats back in a worried tone.

"Nardo-"

"I thought he was dead?"

"Me too but he just called me Durk," I respond running out of patience.

"Durk, who is that," India's voice rings.

"Alex."

"Omg, baby are you okay? I wanted to call you to check in but I didn't have your number and Durk wouldn't let me come back over-"

"It's okay india," I say. "Can you put Durk back on the phone please?"

"Yeah," she says, seeming hurt.

"What does it mean, Durk?"

"Do not come," he says. "What did he say before that?"

"To hurry. He said he was gonna send me the location but I didn't get the-" my phone vibrates as I speak.

Westbrook Cemetery, 15°N, 30°E.

I was right about the cemetery part.

"He wants us to go to the cemetery."

"Which one?"

"Westbrook."

"Chris' pops was buried there."

"But Tay said Kentrell was behind it, what does Chris have to do with-"

"Lexi," I hear Tay call for me.

"I'm in the living room. Go back to bed," I shout back.

"Nah tell his lil ass to come explain," Durk says with an attitude.

"He doesn't know Chris."

"That's what he says. You can't believe everything he says Thug," Reggie says, placing his hand on my shoulder. He's right. I can't. But I have to have hope. Somewhere.

"Maybe they're working together," I say.

"But why would-"

"Chris knew you all well. He knew how to get under your skin. Why not partner up with somebody that's tryna kill us already."

"If he is he's stupid. Kentrell kill everybody he worked with and claimed everything for himself."

"Well Nardo took away his everything so I wouldn't blame him for being in pain."

"Wickman took what away?"

"His mom."

"That Nigga mama still alive and health as hell. She don't even fuck wit his ass," Durk says with a chuckle at the end.

"But Tay said-"

"Tay is lying. He's another Nardo, just lies more."

"That's probably what they told him to make him do it," I argue.

"Look, Thug I know you got high hopes fa him, but don't let your expectations be so high. He's killed before and he's admitted it."

"They forced him-"

"That don't change the crime."

"Y'all killed people before," Tay says, walking down the stairs. "More than me. Why should she trust you then?"

"Von on his way to y'all, I'm finna get ready. Tay is the one going the to cemetery, not you." And with that, Durk hangs up.

"No the hell he's not!"

"They'll trust Tay, they won't hurt him. He can just say we held him hostage and that he escaped."

"Reggie they'll kill him!"

"They'll kill you. They'll kill us, they'll kill Wick."

"He don't deserve it!"

"Of all the people around here," He says, caressing my face. "You the only one that don't deserve to be killed."

"Everybody deserves a second chance," I retort.

"There needs to be a mistake made to receive a second chance. You ain't do nothing. You barely lived yet, Thugga."

"He's barely lived."

"Moment you take a life, you've lived long enough." I stare at him and then back at Tay.

"You don't have to-"

"I do," he responds, taking my hand. "I deserve it. You don't."

"But you're 15."

"So was the kid who life I took."

I gasp, thinking of Tay covered in blood. On the ground. A little kid shot in the chest. Or the head. And I shiver. I cannot handle that sight, not at all.

"I can't let you, I'm sorry."

"It's not your choice to make. It's my life. I choose what I do with it."

I throw both phones down and crawl back upstairs. My leg hurts like hell. But I just want to be alone.

"Lord help me," I cry out, falling on the bed. "What do I do?"

I don't need to save Nardo. I don't owe him shit. Not my life or my loyalty. But he protected my mom. And he protected me. And he just lost his best friend and probably other's because of the shootout. He could be injured, bleeding to death. Everybody deserves a second chance. Everybody deserves to live. Even a killer. He should rot in jail and suffer. Not take the easy way out and die.

I think of Tony. I miss him truthfully. I miss his nappy wicks and his smile. I wasn't really interested in him like that but I wish I would've just kissed him. Have something to remember him by.

And who is Nina? Why did Nardo call me and not her? I'll ask Durk when he gets here. But for now it's me, and my thoughts. I pick up the gun Nardo gave me and lay it beside me.

"He was right," I say aloud, putting my hand on the trigger. "I have to do it myself. Or else this won't be done at all."