“You sure about that?” Xoey said, looking between us. Her left leg bounced, and she kept rubbing her hands over her thighs. “Because right now I don’t give a damn about history.” Her dark eyes settled on me. “You killed my cousin.”
“We didn’t know she was in the car, Xoey,” I sighed. “We didn’t know who was in the car until Grant told me. Shit, Yale still doesn’t know. When I found out it was her, it hurt that much more because I know how you feel about Xavier. She wasn’t just your cousin; she was like your sister. Your first best friend, and for that, I’m always going to feel a burden of guilt.”
“Are you sure it was her?” she asked softly. For the first time, I saw the armor around Xoey fall, and that fucked with my head and heart. I was used to seeing her strength, in control, and right now, she was seconds away from falling apart. “Grant could’ve been fucking with you.”
“I doubt it,” I said, shaking my head. “That nigga knew what he was doing when he told me.”
“Which is?” Mirror questioned.
“Putting me in an impossible situation,” I answered and shook my head. “He knew that telling me would put me in this position. Y’all would want revenge and come after Yale.”
“Why did you say it was you at first?” Tulane asked. “She’s my daughter, you know, I’d do whatever to protect her. You could’ve told me, and I would’ve handled it.”
“By going after them?” I asked, pointing to the St. Thomas’. “That’s probably what they wanted. Have us kill each other, and they don’t have to do it. That shit is easy and lazy.”
“So what’s your plan?” Xayne asked. “Because I know how your mind works. You wouldn’t have told us if you didn’t have a plan.”
“I do,” I nodded, then rubbed my hands over my face. I turned to Tulane and grilled him. “I need you to take Yale and keep her safe while I figure out who the hell Grant’s boss is.”
“Take her?” he questioned, and I nodded. “Son, Yale has no idea I’m her father. She isn’t just going to go with me when she finds out who I am.”
“I know,” I replied. “She isn’t going to have a choice, though. I’m going to make her.”
“How?” Pop asked.
“By breaking her heart,” I answered, and he lifted his brow in question. “It’s the only way I can guarantee that she’s safe while I do what I have to do.” I sat back and wiped my hands over my face. “Xayne, you are going to have to declare war on Tulane. Shoot up Yale’s business.”
“Nigga, I’m not putting my daughter’s life in jeopardy,” Tulane interjected.
“She won’t be at the office; I’ll make sure of it.”
“How?” Tulane questioned.
“She’ll be at her house getting her pictures of her mama,” I answered. I turned to Xoey. “Take her, Grant’s body will be there.”
“You got all this figured out, huh?” Xayne asked with a humorless chuckle and shook his head.
“Something like that,” I replied. “Every move you make needs to look like an attack on Tulane. Go after his other daughters too, not just Yale.”
“Clarke and Berkeley are out there,” Tulane explained.
“Round’em up,” I said, standing. “Take them home, get to know them. Let them get to know each other, I don’t care what you do as long as you don’t let them out of your sight.”
“And for the rest of us?” Mirror asked.
“Stay the fuck out of my way,” I answered him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go apologize to my girl for breaking her heart.”
“Can’t do that,” Mirror said, shaking his head. “That nigga had something to do with my sister’s death, which means he’s mine.”
“Talk to Uri about that,” I said, then turned and walked away. Mirror could go after Quincy; my focus wasn’t on him. Uri had already staked his claim, and if Mirror wanted those problems, that was on him. My focus was on who employed Grant.
“Am,” Pop called my name, but I didn’t stop moving. “Am!”
No disrespect to him, but I didn’t give a fuck about what he had to say right now. I just wanted to be under Yale. Breathe in her scent, memorize her features more than I already have, and kiss her until her taste is embedded into my system.
**
I lit the last candle and looked around the living room to make sure everything was in its place. It was raining outside, so the sound of it hitting the house played as the day’s official soundtrack. Everything was perfect; I’d planned it down to the smallest detail, but I still felt like shit about what I was about to do. I needed Yale gone; it was the only way I could protect her. The sound of her coming down the stairs pulled my attention from the candle to wait for the moment she stepped around the corner.
