Page 24 of Gang of Roses: Dice

I was done with playtime and started giving the sheet straight headshots, putting on a show. I couldn’t see dude because I was pretty sure he was bugged out right now. I quickly removed the magazine like a woman on a mission and inserted another one before letting that mug sing.

I pressed the toggle again to bring what was left of my sheet back up. There was no need to remove my paper and take it home like some sort of souvenir that stage had long gone. I knew who it was, and not on no cocky shit, but my ass could honestly be a trained assassin. When I turned around and removed my gear, I was met with an audience of people, all staring in awe.

“HOTDAMMIT!” one person yelled.

“Whewww. Whatadamn show you put on, gal,” the countryman with the thick accent said while clapping.

The others just stood there, wide-eyed, surely thinking I worked for the government.

I smirked.

“You sooooo badass, Dice,” Maggie said, the white woman working the front desk when I checked in. She knew exactly how I could make a sheet split in half.

“You already know,” I said with a wink and a smile.

If I didn’t trust anything else, I trusted my ability to hit my mark every time.

Training, like I was about to play a black plus-size John Wick, was the only thing that kept the demons asleep. The highway and the sounds of a shell would lock the weight on my shoulders away.

“Can you do that again?” A black boy who looked like he was in his twenties asked.

“Maybe next time.”

As much as I wanted to bask in the moment, I didn’t have time. I had to get a move on it and make it back to the cabin to finish making the new mask for the upcoming heist.

I never liked wearing a repeat. I usually make several different versions and burn the ones we didn’t use, leaving no trail.

We have seen the news flash across the television too many times to count. I’m sure they were looking for us to make a slip-up, but thank God those days are over. We were a little rusty when we started this journey, but after extensive training, we slowly became a force to be reckoned with. Once I left here, I was going to scoop up Coca and my son, so we could slide by Pop Pop’s before I headed out.

Ipulled my red Jeep Wrangler into Pop Pop’s driveway. The old man was on the porch having one of his damn card games, and I already knew his old-ass friends were about to spend the afternoon trying to make passes at me.

“We not ‘bout to be here long.”

“I know that’s the fuck right,” Coca agreed.

We loved the fellas to death, but they could be a bit much, and Larry June was a handful all by himself.

“Come on, Mama’s Baby. You look a mess.”

I shot Coca a look while taking a wet wipe to clean Revv’s face and chubby fingers. This boy looks identical to his father. I really had to figure something out because I was starting to really feel bad, but I had to protect myself.

“Listen, boo, I’m not about to hear all that damn whining when I can stop it with these cheese puffs,” Coca said, climbing out of the Jeep. “Hunni, The Problem be having problems, fa’real.”

I rolled my eyes and swished my ass toward the brick house.

“Bring dat ass.”

“You tryna be funny, but don’t get me excited.”

“Ugh! Will you stop?”

“Nope.”

“Just come on. I gotta get on the road.”

“Ugh... back to the wilderness.”

“Coca, I promise I’ma give you guys a break after this job.”