Chasing Bliss (31 page)

Chase surprised him when he laughed and started pulling his gloves up on his hands. “I don’t
believe your stupid, careless ass just pulled a gun on me, Cyrus.” Chase pulled the zipper up on
his jacket. It was too warm for it, but he always wore on when he greased someone. “First, you
talk to me like I’m a fuckin’ animal and then you show your weapon. You know how I feel about
that shit.”

“Oh God, Chase. Please let it go! Cyrus just ain’t thinkin’ straight. Let’s just go take care of
Wolf like you came here to do,” Corey pleaded.

“Nah, I don’t think that’s how this is gonna play out, Corey.” He turned his attention back to his
gun-wielding brother. “You really pullin’ a damn gun on
me
, Cyrus?” Chase asked again before he
started toward Cyrus from where he’d been standing just inside the living room.

Cyrus raised his gun and leveled it. “One more step, Smoke, and I’m pullin’ the trigger.”

Chase stopped where he was and smiled at him; it was a crazy smile. “You really gonna shoot
me, Cyrus?”

Cyrus didn’t answer. He just kept his gun level and picked up the Hennessey bottle. He took a
swig and winced at the burn. “I don’t really
want
to, Chase, but I think we’re entering the phase of
our relationship where I just fuckin’ might.”

“Cyrus, please stop!” Corey was begging now.

Cyrus turned on Corey. “You know…you’re an irritating little motherfucker, Corey. Stop beggin’
us to get along okay? The shit ain’t gonna happen.” Cyrus was aware that he was starting to slur
his words, but he took a short swig of Hennessey anyway.
Fuck it now.
The liquor burned as it went
down, but it boosted his bravery. Cyrus pointed his gun from Chase to Corey. “You’re pushin’ your
luck with me, too, you closed-mouth little bastard. You can get some too.”

Hurt and disbelief washed over Corey’s face, as Chase stepped in front of him and pushed
Corey firmly behind him.

“What’s the matter with you, Cyrus?” Chase demanded.

Cyrus resented even the sound of his brother’s voice. “Shut up!” he said and pulled the trigger
of his nine.

The bullet hit Chase dead center in the chest, the force of it knocking him backward into
Corey.

“Oh my God,” J.T. said in a very quiet voice as he rushed at Cyrus and grabbed the gun out of
his hand. J.T. had it pointed at him before Cyrus could finish blinking. “Chase?” he called out to
his friend.

Chase had taken Corey down with him, and Corey started bawling as he held Chase in his arms
and tried to check for him. “Oh no! God no! Cyrus, what did you do? What did you fuckin’ do to
our brother, man?”

“Oh shit, Cy! What the fuck, man?” This came from Khalid in a raspy, injured voice.

Khadijah appeared in the doorway, shocked into speechlessness, with her mouth hanging
open.

“Chase! Holler at me, or I’m gonna blow this nigger away! You all right?” J.T. yelled.

Chase’s face was contorted in pain, and he was clutching the front of his jacket in both fists
like he was going to rip it off. His breath was whistling in and out like he was having an asthma
attack.

Cyrus watched Chase as he pushed away from Corey and struggled to his knees. He was
unmoved. He lackadaisically took another swig out of the bottle and sat down next to Khalid, not
really caring that J.T. now had his own gun pointed at him. He didn’t know what everyone was so
upset about. Everyone there knew how Chase usually handled his business.

Chase made it to his knees, unzipped his jacket, and pulled his T-shirt up. He looked down at
the bullet embedded in the Kevlar, with a total look of shock on his face.

Cyrus smiled; he was about 99.9 percent certain Chase would be wearing a vest. He’d been
hoping there was some small chance he wasn’t, but it
was
there.

“Oh thank God!” Corey said and helped Chase to his feet.

Chase held the vest away from his chest like it was hot. He was standing, but he couldn’t get his
breath back. He dropped back to his knees against his will and hugged his chest.

Cyrus smirked.
That shit must’ve really hurt. Good.

Corey hovered over him indecisively.

“Don’t stand over him like that, Corey. He just got the wind knocked out of him, that’s all. He’ll be all right
in a minute,” Cyrus said.

Khalid looked at Cyrus and shook his head.

Cyrus shrugged.
Whatever
.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t be sittin’ there lookin’ so unconcerned. I might be thinkin’ about tryin’
to get my ass anywhere Chase is
not
right about now.”

Cyrus had to think that maybe it was a good idea.

Chase gasped loudly and finally got up under his own power. He pointed his finger at Cyrus. “I
can’t believe you took it there, Cyrus.”

Cyrus stood up and shrugged again. “You took it there first.”

“That’s a lie.”

Cyrus was a little shocked when Chase didn’t come at him. In fact, he wouldn’t even look at
him. He just brushed past Khadijah and left the apartment, and he didn’t even slam the door on his
way out.

J.T. clicked the safety on and handed him his gun. “You reap what you sow, Cyrus.”

“You can shut up, too, J.T.”

Corey moved to leave with J.T.

“Where you goin’, Corey?” When he asked the question, Cyrus received the most malignant
look he’d ever gotten from his youngest brother.

“Chase was right about you, Cyrus,” said Corey as he walked out right behind Chase.

Khalid looked at Cyrus like he’d just thrown a major piece of his machinery. “That shit was
wrong, Cy…and damn stupid.”

Cyrus took another swig of Hennessey. “I know,” he said, and then he sat back on the sofa with
Khalid and waited for Monty to come.

Chapter 18

C
hase’s chest was on fire. He thought it would have subsided by now, and in a way it had. It
wasn’t a bright, hot, pain anymore; it had ebbed into a dull burn. He frowned. It felt like…
like he’d been shot in the fucking chest.

Whenever Chase went on a run to take someone out—someone like Wolf—he usually wore
a Kevlar vest, because he knew people like Wolf usually weren’t alone when he snuffed them.
People like Wolf usually had at least two enforcers watching their asses real hard. Sometimes that
made it difficult to get in, but Chase was tenacious, and he always found a way. It was a good thing
he’d worn the vest this time, or else he’d have been pushing up daisies.

He winced, and not just from the pain. He knew a shot like that would leave one hell of a bruise,
and he wasn’t in a big hurry to find out what Bliss was going to say about that. He was going back
on his word to her already, but he was doing it for a damned good reason—and that reason wasn’t
Cyrus.

In spite of his issues with Cyrus, he was still going to take Wolf out. After all, he’d never lived
his life looking over his shoulder, and he damned sure wasn’t going to have Bliss, Corey, and J.T.
looking over theirs. He’d done enough damage at the club—and especially in that alley—to make
Wolf feel the need to exact some serious retribution.

Chase was not about to lie in the cut and wait till he was ambushed. He wasn’t going to give
Wolf time to plot and scheme. Instead, he’d find Wolf’s sorry ass and take him out ASAP.
Tonight
,
he thought.
Tonight I’ll finally take the head off the monster.

Chase was currently in his Charger with J.T. and Corey, parked on Central Avenue, waiting for
Baby Hustle to show his ass up. He had found him earlier and told him to keep his ear to the ground
for Wolf’s whereabouts, which Baby was keen to do for a little more drug money and a few more
promises of protection.

“I don’t fuckin’ believe Cyrus shot you like that,” Corey said from the backseat.

Considering it was about the tenth time Chase had heard that shit, he sighed heavily and rubbed
his chest, tired of hearing about it. “Let it go, Corey. Just let it go.”

But Corey was like a dog with a bone. “I can’t, Chase. Cyrus would have shot
me
if you hadn’t
stepped in the way, and I ain’t wearin’ no vest. He must hate us. He wanted to
kill
us.”

J.T. drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Y’all know what I think? I think maybe Cyrus
hates everybody, Cyrus included.”

“Well, I’m done with him either way. I ain’t tryin’ to worry about my own brother looking to
grease me,” Corey said.

“Speakin’ of brothers greasin’ brothers,” J.T. started, looking at Chase curiously, “Cyrus has
got to be the only nigger in the world left livin’ after pullin’ a gun on you. Why’d you walk away,
Chase? Just because he
is
your brother?”

“This ain’t over, J.T. Don’t sleep on me. I’m tryin’ to be good about it and respect our dead
mother’s memory, but it’s not forgiven or forgotten. Remember, Cain killed Abel, and those two
were brothers. If I don’t hurry and get away from him, he’s gonna make me kill his ass. Like I said
before, he must have forgotten who he’s fuckin’ with.”

J.T. nodded, and Corey kept silent. “I ain’t mad at ya, Chase,” J.T. said.

Chase wasn’t mad at him either. He knew if Cyrus had really hurt him, J.T. would have blown
his ass away. “Good. Since you ain’t mad, what are you doin’ next Saturday?”

“I got a clean slate. What’s up?”

Chase turned his head, and that hurt like a bitch too. “What about you, Corey?”

“If you need me, I’m free.”

“Well, I do, Corey. I need both of you, ‘cause I’m marryin’ Bliss.”

J.T. grinned at him. “Wow! That’s what’s hot.”

“Get the fuck outta here!” Corey said, like Chase was yanking his chain. “You sure you’ve
known Bliss long enough to wife her?”

Chase smiled. “I’ve been wantin’ to wife her since I splashed her skirt, Corey.”

“Damn, that’s deep. We’ll be wherever you need us to be. And congrats, man,” J.T. said.

“Yeah, that’s real nice, Chase. I’m happy for y’all.”

Chase looked out the window. “Thanks. I’ll give you the details later. Here comes Baby.”

Baby pedaled toward them—a grown man on a little kid’s bike that he probably stole—and
stopped at Chase’s window.

Chase got out of the car and leaned with his back against the door.

Baby got off his bike. “Hey, Smoke.”

“Hey, Baby. What you got for me?”

Baby Hustle put one hand on his hip and scratched his chin. He looked at Chase with serious
eyes. “I guess it sort of goes without sayin’ that Wolf knows you lookin’ for him, Smoke.”

“Yeah, that’s true. You seen him?”

“Saw him more than once. He’s lookin’ for you, too, you know.”

“Kinda figured that.”

“I saw the news. That was some shit, Smoke.”

Chase shrugged. “Shit happens, Baby. Where’s the last place you saw him?”

Baby looked a little uncomfortable with the question. He looked at his feet and ran a hand over
his mouth.

Chase raised an eyebrow. Baby seemed a little stuck, and Chase was not above dangling the
money he’d brought for him like a carrot. The clock was ticking, and he needed Baby to spit it out.
“You okay, Baby? Where’s he at?”

Baby tore his eyes away from his feet and looked at Chase. “Well, you know I got a baby sister
named Vida, right?”

Chase nodded; he knew Baby’s sister.

Baby squinted through his disloyalty. “Well, Wolf is cheatin’ on his wife with my baby sister. I ain’t gonna
tell you where they at unless you promise me you won’t kill her too.”

Chase looked at him sideways. “It ain’t your sister I’m interested in, Baby.”

Baby looked at him for a long moment, then sighed. “Okay. They’re holed up at Vida’s place.
He’ll probably be there all night. He had two niggas with him earlier, parked outside in a Yukon,
but I ain’t seen ‘em for two hours. I ain’t see nobody but Wolf and Vida go inside.” He gave Chase
an address on Evergreen Avenue.

Chase nodded, picturing the houses and the layout of the street in his head. “Thanks, Baby,” He
reached into his pocket and handed him a knot of cash. “I promise not to kill your sister, Baby.”

Baby looked at the cash. “You good to me, Smoke.”

Chase nodded. “You earn it. See you later, Baby.” Chase watched him get on his little circus
bike and ride away. Then he got back into the car and looked at J.T. “It seems fairly simple. Nigga’s
either that stupid or that fuckin’ arrogant. He’s at Baby’s sister’s house, layin’ up. Seems like his
dumb ass even sent his protection home.”

“Bad move,” J.T. said. “What’s the address?”

They drove over to Evergreen Avenue and past the house, keeping with the normal flow of
traffic.

“Did you get it?” J.T. asked, pulling over in the next block.

“Got it,” Chase answered. He pulled the cuffs of his sleeves down over the tops of his gloves
and put his shades back on. “Park in the middle of the next block, J.T. Corey, you stay in the
backseat. Don’t you get out of this car, you hear me?”

“I hear you” Corey answered laconically and slouched down in his seat.

Chase looked back at J.T. “If it seems like I’m takin’ too long, pull out and start circling. I’ll
flag you down when you’re comin’ through. If you see or hear a lot of shots bein’ fired by a lot of
people, don’t stop. Just keep goin’…and tell Bliss I love her.”

“I got you,” J.T. said.

“Be careful, Chase. In and out,” Corey added.

Chase turned his head and smiled at his little brother. “That’s why they call me Smoke, Corey.
See you soon.”

Chase stepped out of the car, pulled his cap down, and put his hands in his pockets. He walked
fast, though not overly so, keeping close to the shadows, away from the street lamps. It was ten
thirty, so it was truly night, which made him a lot more comfortable. There were people out, but
nobody seemed to be checking for him. Chase, as usual, was looking everywhere at once, and his
mind was working overtime.

The houses were two- and three-family homes. He wasn’t worried about getting in; rather, he
was worried about getting
out
. Vida lived on the second floor, which he thought might present a
problem. Chase had literally jumped from a second floor on more than a few occasions without
causing major damage, but it always left a few marks, and on this occasion, he was
already
hurt.
He wasn’t trying to kill himself. Bearing this in mind, he knew his most likely way out would be
back through the front door.

He looked around quickly and went up the stoop. He knew from Baby that Vida’s door was on
the left. Chase slipped his tools out of his back pocket and quickly picked the lock on the storm
door. He pulled it open slowly, hoping like hell it didn’t squeak. He didn’t need much room—just
enough to get in—and to his relief, the door stayed silent. He picked the bottom lock on the front
door easily and then went for the one on the top. It came open easily, but with an audible
click
.
Chase froze and listened, waiting a full thirty seconds before he proceeded.

Chase stepped into the small foyer soundlessly. He fixed the storm door so it wouldn’t lock
behind him then pushed the front door almost closed. Chase started up the long flight of stairs in
front of him. He got to the top without making a sound, but there he was faced with yet another
door. He opened the top lock quickly and silently and pushed the door open slowly, expecting and
finding a safety chain. Chase started grinning slow; he couldn’t help himself.
I got a tool for this!
Chase took out a small retractable hook and took the chain off. He slipped his tools back into his
pocket, and tucked his lips in to stop grinning.

When he stepped into the apartment, he put his back against the wall, surveying the room.
Wolf and Vida were obviously having a romantic evening. There were candles everywhere, and
rose petals were strewn across the room. There was a gold platter of half-eaten chocolate-covered
strawberries, half a bottle of champagne, and two empty glasses on the coffee table.

Chase moved into the room, letting his eyes adjust to the candlelight. He cocked his head in
the direction of a small sound he heard coming from his right. He smiled, knowing he hadn’t been
mistaken. The bedsprings were singing…
loud.
Wolf was tearin’ Vida’s ass up! Chase walked over
to the open bedroom door and took his razor out. He peeked in and couldn’t believe his luck. Both
their backs were to him because Wolf had Vida up on her knees, letting her have it doggie style.
Chase opened his razor and stepped into the room.