“You good, baby?”
I glanced at Carter as I continued to watch my daddy. “I don’t know. I’ll let you know.”
I stood from my seat and made my way to the counter and noticed Noni was right behind me. When we got to their huddle,I heard Daddy say something about Watchful Eyes. When Daddy saw us, he extended his arms for us to fall into them.
“Daddy, what’s going on?” I asked.
He took a deep breath, and said, “We have to have a meeting in a little bit. We’re waiting on WJ and Jakari to get here.”
“Oh shit,” Noni said.
I glanced at her, then asked, “Can we get a hint until then?”
Uncle Marcus’s face was so red. He looked like he would erupt any minute, until Aunt Syn wrapped her arms around him. “Muthafucking ICE,” Uncle Marcus said.
I frowned hard. “Aww hell naw. They fucking with the right ones. We all stay strapped,” Noni said.
She wasn’t lying. Even while we were at the clinic, we kept our weapons on us. These muthafuckas were crazy out here. No-fucking-body was finna catch any of us slipping. I didn’t understand why ICE would be fucking with us anyway. I supposed I would have to wait for the details. When Noni and I walked back over to everyone else, they were all frowning. They were probably mirroring what they saw.
Before we could say anything, Aunt Jen made an announcement to the patrons that weren’t family, telling them they had a family emergency and needed everyone to take their food to go. Jacob was at the door, keeping people from entering, letting them know they were closing early. It was only one thirty. They usually stayed open until three.
My nerves were on edge. Carter grabbed my hand and rubbed it between his. I was starting to unravel, and I didn’t even know what the situation was yet. I lowered my head to his shoulder, trying to stay calm, but I knew whatever they had to say would set all of us off.
Malia came in and ran to Uncle Marcus, hugging him tightly. She was crying and looked scared as hell. This shit had to do with Uncle Marcus.What the fuck?
Finally, Uncle WJ and Jakari walked through the doors. Everybody stood and crowded him. It had to be damn near a hundred of us here. Jess was out of town, but I was pretty sure someone had alerted her already. Tyeis had just gotten back yesterday. Like Daddy Mayor, Noni and I tried to know everybody’s whereabouts. Shit could pop off in a matter of seconds.
Everyone was talking amongst themselves, until Uncle WJ said, “ICE is after Marcus. His mama had him in Mexico, and technically, she wasn’t a citizen. Her mama came here when she was in elementary school. When she had Marcus, she went to Mexico to be with her aunt to have cheaper healthcare because she didn’t have insurance.”
He glanced at Marcus, and he nodded. I supposed he was giving him permission to continue. “She was on drugs while she was pregnant. Had she stayed in the United States, they would have taken Marcus from her. We didn’t know there was an issue until recently, when Marcus was trying to get a copy of his birth certificate. Dad had all that shit fixed, but they were acting like it hadn’t been.”
It was completely quiet. I believed everyone was in shock. Uncle Marcus wasn’t a U.S. citizen.The fuck?Those muthafuckas were trying to detain him. He had to be a citizen though. He had too much shit in his name.
“So what now?” Maui asked through her tears.
“Until Marcus can get his shit straight, look out for him. Apparently, Dad knew this shit, because Marcus’s business is in his name. It was like he thought something was gonna go sideways. We all thought everything was cool, though, especially when he gave Marcus his last name. Some documentation had to have fallen through the cracks. This nigga is as much a citizen as we are. This is the only home he knows. I feel like they after him for something else, though,” Uncle WJ explained.
“You think somebody fucked with his paperwork?” Daddy asked.
“I have Ali looking into Cici’s family. Ithasto be something to do with them. If it was on Grandpa, they would be after all of us,” Jakari said.
Uncle Marcus rubbed his hand down his face as Aunt Syn clung to him.
“All I know is, those muthafuckas better tread softly around this bitch,” Uncle Philly said. “The police are working with their asses, so be sure you don’t call those bitches. Y’all punk ass governor busy sucking that orange, Lorax-looking muthafucka’s dick. They have free reign in Texas, but they don’t know shit about muthafucking Big City Nome, baby.”
Everybody started yelling out expletives. We were all fired up until Uncle WJ calmed us down.
“You do not have to open the door for them if they come to your house. You don’t have to talk to them. When you see those muthafuckas, record them. In the great state of Texas, you can stand your fucking ground. They on your property? They trespassing. I can guarantee those bitches ain’t got no warrants. Make sure your no trespassing signs are visible. Pull out your big guns. I’m talking ’bout hunting rifles and shit. If they don’t give a damn, we don’t give afuck!”
All Uncle WJ did was pump us up even more. However, I realized Carter was no longer standing next to me. When I looked for him, I saw him sitting with Treasure. Kingsley was holding her hand, and I realized she was clinging to Mythic.Shit.All this drama triggered her.
I made my way to them, and Carter looked up at me. “Mama and Daddy on their way to come get her.”
I nodded as I watched Kingsley kiss her hand. Damn.When I sat next to Carter, I realized she was staring into Kingsley’s eyes. She was about four years older than him. Kingsley was twenty-four. Treasure was a few months older than Noni and me. I hoped he could be everything she needed. He wasn’t as hood as his brother, Kane. This nigga was straight country. She needed someone like him. He reminded me so much of Uncle Kenny and KJ.
Glancing back toward my family, I saw everyone hugging Uncle Marcus, so I turned to Carter, and said, “I’ll be right back.”
When I finally got to Uncle Marcus, he frowned at me. I frowned right back. “What you coming over here for? I know you ain’t finna hug me.”
