Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 74450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“When we were younger, Caspian was the charming one, full of mystery. He knows how to speak correct grammar when he wants to, but doesn’t come across as a know-it-all, even though he actually is. We used to call him the human dictionary, remember?”
Axel laughed at that. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Caspian is a chameleon. He’s a tricky, manipulative, dangerous mothafucka if you get on the wrong side of him. Even at his darkest, you and I aren’t scared of him, so we’ve earned his respect. We balanced each other out. If one of y’all wanted someone beat up real bad but wanted to keep your own hands clean for whatever reason, you’d send me in. I’m the bruiser and abuser. I fight the best outta all of us. If I needed somethin’ done fast but right, and all the pieces swept away like the shit never happened, I’d call you. You’re the most accurate shooter and clean up a mess without a trace of evidence. I learned how to do it while workin’ for you, but I’m still not as good as you.
“You’re the magician, you make shit disappear.” Legend snapped his fingers. “If we needed to find out about a person, in depth, research them, track ’em down, then trick a mothafucka and make them hurt, slow and painful, we dialed up Caspian. He’s the technician. Like I said, killing is a part of us. You have to get this monkey off yo’ back, man, and just accept yourself for who you are. Don’t take it so hard…it’s not a dick. You did it as a means to an end. Necessity. But you enjoyed it. And that’s what makes you one of us. We do it because we’re compelled to, because we must, but we appreciate every second of it. Some call that sick.” Legend shrugged. “I call it human nature.”
Axel turned his gaze to the television as he rocked slowly back and forth.
“…All of that aside, I just don’t want Caspian in any trouble is all. He’s been through enough. I think the death of Aunt Angel really hurt him but in typical Caspian fashion, he’s acting like he’s okay. I’m concerned about where he’s directing that pain, Legend. It’s one thing to remove someone from the planet who’s doing wrong. It’s another to just start obliterating people because you’re mad at the world. Caspian holds grudges even longer than you.” He laughed mirthlessly.
“He wouldn’t do no shit like that, Legend. He’s too smart for that psycho shit.”
“I know Caspian is not a loose cannon. He plans things, thinks them through. I get that, but he still has an insatiable thirst for blood. When he pulls away from me, I know he’s plottin’ somethin’ horrible. We kept his secret all of these years, Legend. That guy he killed when we were just teenagers, when you and I weren’t even thinkin’ about such things.”
“Speak for yourself.” Legend snorted. “I was plottin’ on my molesters for a long ass time, you feel me? You saw my closet altar. We almost deleted each other over that shit. That wasn’t built overnight, and neither was Rome.”
“Okay, yeah, but you know what I mean… you didn’t go through with it at that young age. Now, I can’t prove it, but I know he’s doing it again, Legend, and no matter the reason, good or bad, it could be a problem. Not so much the killing itself, now that we’ve discussed it, but the cause, man. What’s provoking him? What’s going on in his life to make him want to hurt someone? He’s keepin’ secrets from us, and he came back here partially to connect with us. Or at least that’s what he said. He’s up to somethin’. I can feel it. We can—”
“…feel each other. We know each other, can predict our next words and actions. How we move. That’s why we’re brothers… Closer than brothers even. Church.”
Legend stood and made his way to the stairs, likely to check on Roman, who was making cooing sounds on the monitor now—and of course to retrieve his abandoned sandwich. Anxiety filled him.
I just got my friend back. He’s here, in town. Where he belongs. I don’t want to lose him because he’s been arrested. Caspian won’t tell me what he’s doing. That makes me sure he’s up to no good. What did he promise Mrs. Florence? Maybe that has something to do with it.
Caspian was no longer answering his calls after he’d abruptly hung up on him the other day. Perhaps he’d answer Legend. Just then, his phone buzzed—a text message from his sister.
Dallas, a newlywed, was now pregnant with his soon-to-be second nephew and needed a ride to her doctor’s appointment tomorrow. Her husband was out of town on business. He texted her back that he’d take her. As he hit send, Legend came down the steps holding a full baby bottle of milk and Roman cradled in his arms.