To Love A Criminal

SEVENTEEN

Nico woke up with an idea too good that he couldn't wait for dinner to execute it. If this goes as planned, He can divide and conquer.

Nico stands at the doorstep of his next victim with a box of pizza in his hand. He knocks on the wooden door and waits for a reply. Since the person his visiting is taking his sweet time to answer the door, he scans his surroundings. The boxes of pizza and beer on the grass in front of the house he is currently standing at proves he guessed his victim's taste right.

The place looks like a pigsty with flies all over the unfinished food inside these boxes. Nico is not surprised, it is a lot better than some places in this part of town.

The door opens and the first thing Nico sees is the crutches and the bandages covering the gunshot wound.

"I know you, you are Beth's Brother." He looks at Nico in annoyance.

"Sparks, may I come in?" Nico asks looking into the house even though most of it is covered by the muscular man. "I brought pizza" He shakes the box in his hand.

Speaks looks down at the box then back at him. He is too hungry to reject food. "Come in," Sparks says. As he hops back with the assist of his crutches.

Nico walks into a poorly lit room, clothes everywhere and again boxes of pizza and cans of beers scattered all around. Plus the place smells bad.

Sparks painfully takes a seat while Nico decides to stand.

Nico drops the box of pizza on his seat, "How's your leg?" Nico asks.

"The bullet must have affected my brain because I don't recall us having any fucking interaction that will lead to your visit," Sparks says as he opens the box, brings out a slice of pizza and begins to munch on it.

Nico smiles, "You are right, we haven't had any interactions. But I have looked at you from afar for a while. I remember my first day in high school, you guys were seniors then. I saw you strutting down the hallway, you caught everyone's attention. You had guys walking behind you, amongst them is Rudy. He was always behind you."

"Are you going to go straight to the point or are you going to continue kissing my ass?" Sparks says with his mouth full of pizza.

Nico continues, "Imagine my surprise when I heard you are the one walking behind Rudy now. You are the one meant to lead-"

Sparks interrupts Nico, "If I got a dollar for every time I heard this, I will be a rich man."

Nico smile turns into a frown, "No, if you got a dollar for every time you heard this from someone who has no facilities or plans to back you up and help you get the crown, then you will be rich."

"And I suppose you have the facilities?" Sparks asks slightly amused.

Nico shrugs in reply.

Sparks lets out a low laugh, "Tell me why I won't call Rudy after you leave and tell him what you tried to do? Tell me why I should betray a friend?"

"Because he has betrayed you already."

Sparks laugh is a louder now, "You don't know what you are talking about."

"A reliable source told me that you and Ghost had a fight because he was fucking your girl-"

Sparks interrupts, "Yeah, it's your sister who brought it to my knowledge. Now that I think of it, she wanted the fight to happen."

Beth being the one that told Sparks is news to Nico but he can use to his advantage at the moment.

"Then tell me why as this morning, Rudy is taking credit for your current injuries. Claiming he put you in this state because you disobeyed him. He is now the feared gang leader who's words stand for something." Nico pauses then continues, "We both know he is a coward."