“You ain’t gon’ do that. Or perhaps your stupid ass will, cuz you’ve definitely lost ya’ fucking mind,” Ahmeek stated. “Little Bernard out front cleaning my rims. The beam already on him. If I don’t walk out of here, he don’t either. So tuck your shit and let’s talk before I put the play down anyway for the disrespect alone.”

Beans gritted his teeth as he put his gun back in his waistline.

“You butt-hurt over that ass whooping, clearly. That’s why you sent hitters to the dance studio?” Meek asked. “Help me understand. Help me help you, G, because the way I’m feeling, I’m about to send your whole family on a trip.”

“It wasn’t my order, man,” Beans conceded.

Ahmeek’s brow raised. That information surprised him. It meant he had enemies he didn’t know about.

“Who called the play?”

“Man, I need your word. You got to let the shit go, man. Nobody got hit at the studio. It was my fuckup. I’ll make that up, bruh. On my kids. If I give you the rundown, you got to give me the chance to get back right.”

“Niggas show you who they are, you believe ’em. You know my code,” Ahmeek answered. “You negotiating the lives of your kids right now, Beans. Yours is already off the table. Never will a nigga send bullets in the direction of Morgan Atkins and live to get clout from the story.”

Beans bit back fear and lifted his chin slightly, but Ahmeek sensed the terror. Any man would feel it when facing the grim reaper. He didn’t judge Beans for the tremble of his chin. It was natural. At the end of the day, every man feared death.

“It was Messiah, man. After the L I took on the truck that was robbed, he said he would give me a better split if he was back over seventy-five. Said he needed you out the way, though. Told me to get at everybody you love and clear the throne so he could get his seat back. He replaced the money I lost.”

“You a lying-ass nigga, Beans. Messiah would do a lot of things, but he wouldn’t send you at Mo. He would never fucking touch her.”

“He sent me at you, and everybody know how you feel about her. Weaken the king, then kill him. We were supposed to hit everybody you fuck with. He never named her, but she’s first when it comes to you.”