“Aye!” I jumped from the steps and hollered, causing them all to laugh. The girls finally cut the music off, and for that, I was thankful. “I didn’t come over here for y’all to be on that freaky stuff, Ma.” I pulled from my blunt harder, mugging my dad. “Don’t get knocked out talking to my mama like that.”
“Lil’ nigga, that’s my wife.” He frowned, turning his hat backward before pulling up his ball shorts. “I’m telling you right now, JJ, I will beat your ass out here today. It’s too damn hot for you to think I’m about to be out here tussling. I will shoot you, son. I don’t give a fuck what yo’ mama gotta say.”
Smirking, I nodded as I continued to pull from my blunt. Since I was a kid, I’d always been the one to try my dad. It never mattered to me that he was bigger and could easily beat my ass. Jaseon wasn’t shit to play with, but neither was Jaseon Jr. I guessed he took my silence to mean I understood not to fuck with him; he couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Breonna, let’s go upstairs for a minute and—What the fuck!”
Sneaking up behind him, I tackled him to the ground. Even though I caught him off guard, it didn’t take long before he caught his bearings and tried his best to shake me off him. The girls came running over, surrounding us, laughing with their phones out, as my Pops and I rolled around on the ground.
“Jay, don’t you hurt my damn baby!” my mama yelled as she ran over toward us. “I’m telling you now, I’ll leave your ass!”
“Get this nigga off me!” my dad muttered as best as he could. He was trying his best to get free, but since I was a six-time state wrestling champ during high school, it was hard. With my arms locked under his and my hands clasped under his head, I had him in a full nelson. “Nigga, I can’t breathe.”
“What y’all out here yelling for?” I didn’t even have to look around to know it was my brother Jax. “Ah, hell. Tag me in, Twin!”
Running over, he came to make sure I didn’t need any help. It had always been like this with us. My twin was my ace, my best friend, and no matter what time I was on, he was always there with me. We would always gang up on our dad and didn’t care if it led to us getting our ass beat.
“When I get loose…” Pops panted, giving up all fight. “And catch my damn breath, I’m shooting the kneecaps off both you niggas. I hope you got money put away because your days in the league are over, Jax. I still got that pool of piranhas, and you niggas are going in it.”
Laughing, I decided to let him go. Hopping to my feet, I all but ran over and hid behind my mama, which was a waste as I toward over her short frame. Placing my arm around my girl’s shoulders, I couldn’t help but laugh as Pops stood from the ground. His shorts were twisted, his beater was stretched around the neck, and one of his slides was halfway across the yard.
“JJ… Jaxson.” He placed his hands on his knees as he pointed at us. “This is why y’all are my least favorite kids. Fuckin’ demons.”
We all bent over in laughter as he cursed under his breath, limping into the house. Times like these were why I loved coming to my parents’ crib. No matter what type of bullshit I had to deal with regularly, I could always count on my family to ground me.
“Y’all gone have to stop messing with my man.” My mama sassed as she playfully elbowed into my side. She glared at me before she broke out in a smile. “I’ve missed you, baby boy.”
“I missed you, too, pretty girl.” I pulled her into me and kissed her forehead, causing her to smile brightly. “You okay? You need anything?”
My mother was the light of my life and my entire heart. Even though my world seemed as if it was full of darkness at times, Breonna McKnight was always my sense of peace. With a mother who loved and spoke life over me the way she did, I lived every day feeling a little less heavy. Make no mistake about it, no matter how sweet she may seem, she was a ball of fucking fire.
“I’m good, baby.” She smiled as she led me back onto the porch. “I’m glad to have all of you here today.” Looking around the yard, she sighed heavily. “I have a lot of fuckin’ kids.”
Chuckling, I looked across the yard and nodded. My twin was damn near the height of the oak tree in our yard. He stood, arguing with Karlie, our older sister, while my other two twin brothers, Jamari and Jamir, walked to the backyard where Uncle Amir was grilling. I prided myself in how close my crew was, even though it was seven of us, not including aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was funny to me how people assumed my fascinations and occupational choice stemmed from a traumatic childhood. The truth was that I grew up privileged as a muthafucka surrounded by love. It was nothing for me to tellthem they were wrong and to stay the fuck out of my business, but most of the time, I let people think what they wanted.
“You do.” I chuckled as my phone vibrated in my pocket. “Ma, give me a minute.”
“Is it that Sheena girl?” She frowned, hand on her hips. “If so, don’t invite her to my house. You know I don’t like her.”
Chuckling, I jogged down the steps to return the missed call. One thing Mama didn’t have to worry about was Sheena coming over anywhere when I was with family. Sheena was crazy and lacked self-control. She found out early on that my mother was crazier, and control was something she didn’t lack; it was something Breonna McKnight didn’t have at all.
Walking over to the other end of the yard, I skimmed through the missed calls and messages and returned the one that actually mattered. Dialing it back, it didn’t take long before the call connected.
“Slash.” Uncle Mitch’s gravelly voice sounded through the receiver. “Are you in the city?”
“Something like that.” I kept it short. Placing my hand in my joggers, I glanced across the yard as my mother waved me over, letting me know it was time to eat. Nodding my acknowledgment, I got back to the call. “I’m busy, so what’s up?”
“Always to the point.” He chuckled. “Meet me tomorrow night at the warehouse. I’ve already hit up your father. See you soon, nephew.”
Not giving me a chance to answer, he disconnected the call. Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply. One thing I hated was to feel disrespected, and regardless of who you were, you’d feel me about it every time.
“Aye…” My eyes slowly pried open at the sound of my father’s voice. Glancing over his attire, he had changed shirts, looking a little less disheveled. “You okay?”
Placing my phone in my pocket, I removed another unlit blunt from behind my ear. “Uncle Mitch called, and Slash has been summoned. You know what that means.”
“I do.” He nodded, throwing his arm over my shoulder as we walked toward the others. “Somebody’s ’bout to die.”
Sheena:
