Harley’s phone started ringing again and she jerked.
“You don’t have to—”
“Hey, Nardo,” Harley said, ignoring Uncle Stretch, a far away look in her eyes.
Rebel took the phone from Harley and put it on speakerphone again.
“Harley!” Nardo’s scream grated on CJ. “You…I should let the whole fucking school get the video of you playing with your fucking pussy. You humiliated me and disrespected my daddy. We want a hundred Gs by tonight.Youbring it. I’m going to fucking use you like a whore deserves—”
When Uncle Mort growled and swiped the phone off the table, CJ stomped it, envisioning Nardo’s face every time he brought his foot down.
Since Lolly was texting, Mom pushed back from the table, jumped to her feet, and rushed to Harley. “Come on, love,” she said gently.
“Take Harley to my place, baby,” Lolly said, then looked at Aunt Kendall. “I’ll check on you and Mattie later, sugar.”
Mom, Aunt Kendall, Harley, Mattie, and Rebel trooped out, but Lolly stayed put, her jaw clamped.
“Nardo’s in Oakland,” Uncle Stretch announced.
Uncle Mort pounded his fist on the table. “That’s ten fucking hours away. Harley got her play tonight. Even if I went straight there, didn’t run into no traffic or road closures or any fucking bullshit, shot the fuck out of those motherfuckers, and turned the fuck around, that’d still be twenty fucking hours.”
“We ride out immediately after the play, Mort,” Dad said. “We might be late gettin’ back for Diesel’s birthday party, but he got other motherfuckers who’ll be on time.”
“Where is Diesel?” CJ hadn’t seen him in hours.
“Him and Ryan went for a ride,” Dad said.
Uncle Val choked.
“You wanted to see me, Roxanne?” Uncle Johnnie strolled into the conference room as if he hadn’t fucked witheveryoneand made Aunt Bailey have a breakdown. He smiled at CJ. “Nephew.”
CJ glowered at him.
“People,” Uncle Johnnie continued.
“What the fuck you want with him, Roxanne?” Uncle Mort said.
Lolly set her purse aside, gripping something in her hand and standing. Once she reached Uncle Johnnie, she snapped a fucking collapsible baton into place and swung that motherfucker with such force, Uncle Johnnie toppled the fuck over.
She swung and she swung and she swung, following him as he crawled underneath one of the tables and kicking him.
“Come out like the motherfucker you are and face me, motherfucker.”
“What did Kendall say I did?”
She kicked, connecting with some part of Uncle Johnnie because he screamed, though CJ didn’t know which part since that motherfucker was out of sight.
“Kendall?” Lolly snarled. “I got to fucking beat you for her too?”
“No!” Uncle Johnnie cried. Likeliterallycried.
“Stop pretending, motherfucker.”
“I’m sorry!”
“If you ever fuckinglookat Bailey, if you ever breathe in her fucking direction, I’m not only beating you and shooting you, but I’m carving you the fuck up.”
“I hear you.”
