We got inside his truck with me still on his lap. He placed soft kisses on my forehead as tears leaked down my face. When our eyes met, my face screwed up, and I began bawling. Emery held me tighter and allowed me to cry on his shoulder. It took almost ten minutes for my tears to stop as he rubbed my back.
“I’m sorry my father did this to us. I would have never thought he would do all of this.”
“It’s okay, baby. I didn’t want to tell you that shit, but he forced me to do it. He took this shit way too far. I would burn the fucking world down before I ever let anyone hurt you.”
“I just . . .”
“Everything is going to be good, baby. From this day forth, you won’t have to worry about shit else. I promise.”
I nodded. If there was one thing I knew, I knew that Emery Omari Aldana would set shit off behind me.
And I would gladly do the same.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
EMERY
One month later . ..
It took weeks for Yumi to come out of her funk after hearing about her bitch ass daddy and cousin, but I was determined to get her back to a good place. While I allowed her to grieve her relationship with them bitch niggas, I still made sure I took her out and made her smile. Yesterday, she got the news that she had been promoted to senior partner at Jones & Golden. They wanted to add her name to the building, but I put a halt to that shit until her name changed, which was about to be real soon.
While I sent her and her girl on a spa day, I was pulling up to my parents’ estate to deliver the news about my retirement. After all the bullshit with the Banks, I knew I had to let go of this life. This shit wasn’t for me anymore. I was ready to end this chapter of my life and begin a new one with my lady.
Juno pulled through the gates after the guards let us in. I got out, went inside, and then headed to my father’s conference room. Since my father and Uncle Nick started this organization,I felt it was best to have them and the five families—well, four—be present for my departure from this game.
When I opened the door, I could see that everyone was in attendance. I had no clue how this shit was going to go, but I knew for sure this was the end of an era for me.
“What’s up, everybody?”
‘What’s up’s’ rang around the room as I took my place at the head of the table. My father’s butler, Andrew, walked over with the cigar case, but I waved him off and took a seat.
“So, Son, what’s the purpose of this meeting?”
“First, thank you all for coming. I know it’s last-minute, but this couldn’t wait, so I appreciate you all for being here.” I accepted the drink Andrew brought over and took a sip. “With that being said, I don’t want to take up too much of y’all’s time, so I’m going to get right to it. I’m resigning as head of the organization. I have made preparations over the past several months, and I have chosen my successor during that time.
“It was a rocky road because I didn’t think the nigga would ever calm the fuck down and take this shit seriously; however, he has proved to me over these last two months that he’s ready and capable of calling the shots and making the deals.”
I could see my father and Uncle Nick frown in confusion.
“What you mean, Nephew?”
“What I said, Unc. My time doing this shit has come to an end. I want to get married, have children, and open my school before I’m old and gray.”
“You can still do that. Look at me and your pops. We did this shit since y’all came out the womb?—”
I cut him off. “And forced us into a world we didn’t ask for.”
Uncle Nick shook his head. “It was your birthright. You have made more money than you knew what to do with at the age of fifteen. Went abroad and vacationed at the most exotic places,fucked the baddest bitches, and drove foreign cars before you even became an adult. You were built for this sh?—”
“My son has spoken, brother,” Poppa chimed in. Everyone looked at him as he looked at me. “If that’s what you want to do, Douda, I’m behind you 100 percent. Since I know you’re passing the torch to your brother, we will speak about that in a different setting. As for the other families, I’m hoping that you all will agree that my son is stepping down from the organization indefinitely.”
Sloan spoke first. “As long as business continues as it has been, I’m totally fine with it.”
“I agree. Good luck with your endeavors, Emery,” Pierre added.
“I don’t see a problem with it. But I do have one question,” Louise said. I nodded to him to ask. “Where is Torrance?”
