“What the fuck! They are children!” Aunt Jen yelled.
Noni, Maui, Ashanni, Milana, and I were huddled up together, doing our best to keep Ashanni and Maui calm. Everyone was at the barn, trying to figure out what our next move would be. How were we going to fight the fucking government? Those muthafuckas had no regard for the law, nor were they listening to judges. What the fuck could we do?
They had separated Aunt Syn from the kids, like they were a threat. Aunt Syn went ballistic, and none of us knew what her current state was. Members of Watchful Eyes had the family barn surrounded, inside and out. Ali had gone to Dilley, along with the guys that Ryan had brought here. I supposed he wasn’t afraid of being detained. He was of Hispanic ethnicity as well as Black.
“Jen, please pray. I don’t know what to do at this point. I’m not even sure how they found them in Puerto Rico. Someone had to have reported them. I don’t even know who.”
Just as Uncle WJ said that, Daddy Mayor came rushing in and said, “I know who the fuck gave his location. I don’t know how the fuck they knew, but they did.”
He glanced at us, and Milana stepped away from us. I frowned hard as I stared at her.I know this bitch better hadn’t said shit to nobody.She was gon’ get fucked up in here, and her mama would help us.
“It was someone from the Anderson clan, wasn’t it? Specifically, from Julius’s family, huh? Fuck!”
I didn’t know who the fuck she was talking about, but those bitches were about to go down.
“Storm, how did you find that out? And how did they know where they were?” Uncle WJ asked.
“You know those muthafuckas can’t keep their mouth shut when they think they done fucked up the Hendersons. Kane overheard a woman, identified as Julius and Malik’s cousin, talking about it at the convenience store in China. He didn’t know who she was, but I got the owner to go through his surveillance soIcould see who it was. That was why Kane was hot as fucking fish grease earlier. It ain’t no secret that ICE was after Marcus. I’m pretty sure they threw a lil money their way for that info. I don’t know how she knew though. Do we know why they are after him?”
“They think he has ties to the Cartel. Some of his family members on his mom’s side does, but he don’t even be in contact with those people. I don’t even think he knows who they are,” Uncle WJ said.
“WJ, has Sidney and Shy made it to Dilley to get Syn and the kids?” Aunt Tiff asked.
“When Shy called ten minutes ago, they were an hour away, and Ali and the guys were right behind them.” he responded.
Milana came back near us and flopped in a chair, lowering her face to her hands. I asked, “Who in the fuck is the cousin they’re talking about? Do you know?”
“It’s probably Tonieka,” Maui said softly as I continued to rub her belly. “She used to chill with them at times when Milana was dating Julius.”
All that bullshit entered my mind again . . . the shit we went through when Grandpa got killed. We’d had to stay with Ferris Wheel for nearly two weeks it seemed, while our parents defended our fucking homes and businesses from the fuckers trying to take us out. That shit was traumatic to say the least. Milana’s ex was one of the guys that attacked Grandpa at the Dollar General in China.
Uncle WJ looked so angry . . . just as angry as everyone was when Grandpa got attacked. He looked over at Seneca and Uncle Philly, and said, “Go get that bitch.”
While we were all close as a family, Uncle WJ was the closest to Uncle Marcus because of their history with Grandpa. Big Unc was usually the last one to resort to violence. The rest of us were always just ready for the word go.
I looked around the barn to see Carter against the wall talking to Red, Kingsley, Royal, Kane’s hotheaded ass, and Seven. I was more than sure they were talking about Ace. I pulled my phone from my pocket to text PJ to see where they were. Before I could send it, I received a text from Ali. I’d nearly forgotten I asked him to get at that pharmacist.
I meant to text you last night, but it’s done.
I closed my eyes and nodded repeatedly, waiting to see if I would feel any remorse.Not one fucking ounce.I went to the invoice in my email and paid it. That fucker got what was coming to him, fucking with my family.
“Who you texting? It looks intense.”
I looked up to see Carter staring at my phone with a frown on his face.Fuck!“Can we talk about it later?”
His frown deepened, then he stared at me. “You sure this can wait until later? What are you paying Watchful Eyes for?”
I closed my eyes, hating that I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I didn’t see him approaching me. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to a far corner of the room, where no one was, so we would have a little privacy. I saw my daddy watching us. That nigga didn’t miss nothing.
I wanted to lie to Carter so bad, but I knew I needed to tell him the truth. If he found out I’d lied to him, he wouldn’t easily forgive me, if at all. Lowering my head, I cleared my throat then looked back up at him. “I had Ali looking into the pharmacist that approved Maui’s prescription when she was pregnant the first time. He found out that he was Mythic’s baby mama’s uncle.”
He was staring at me, like he knew there was more. I remained quiet, waiting to see what he would say. Finally breaking his silence, he said, “And you paid him twenty grand simply to find out who he was?”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. When I opened them and stared into his eyes, I could see his anger surfacing. He knew what I did without me saying so.
“Bali, please tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.”
I swallowed hard. “What do you think I did?”
