When Amber said that b word, Minka grabbed her by her hair and flung her around like she was a rag doll, flinging her against the wall. He had her flipping and flapping before Matty and Dray could get to their younger brother and grab him. And it took both muscular brothers to remove Minka’s slender hands from Amber’s long, blonde hair.
When they finally separated the two siblings, William spoke up. “Get her out of here,” he ordered.
“But Daddy, they’re ruining my wedding rehearsal!” Amber was crying.
“Now!” William ordered angrily and Dray grabbed Amber, opened the door, and all but flung her out. Then he slammed the door in her crying, angry face.
Dray shook his head. “It’s like a nightmare!” he said out loud. Then he looked at the slender Minka. “Hair stylist my ass,” he said. “You could make a living in the WWE!”
But Minka was no pretender. “Her ass laid it down, so my ass picked it up. And I’ll do it again and again if that bitch comes back up in here talking about my mama like that.”
He was ghetto. There was no way around it. It worked in his salon: Those rich white women loved his sense of humor. But they all knew where it came from: Their mother was born on theotherside of town in searing poverty. And Minka was just like her through and through.
But Matty was looking at Hawk. “Thanks for helping,” he said sarcastically since Hawk didn’t help at all.
But Hawk frowned. “Ma’s been kidnapped. You think I give a damn about Amber and her bullshit?” He looked at his father again. “Tell me what happened, Pop. Who’s looking for her? Where was she last seen? Who was on her security detail? Somebody better tell me something!”
“Calm down, Hawthorne.” It was Matty. “We all want answers too.”
Hawk did calm down. But he still wanted answers.
William nodded to Dray. “Go get the girl,” he said to her.
Hawk frowned. “What girl?”
“The girl father hired as mother’s bodyguard,” Minka said as he continued to rearrange his suit. He wasn’t shocked the way they were. He was pissed.
So was Hawk. “Mink, you’re joking.” He looked at his father. “Father, he’s joking, right? Tell me Minka is not telling me the truth that you hired somegirl?”
“I do not lie,” said Minka.
“Since when?” asked Dray.
“Just go get the girl,” said William.
And Dray, afraid of their father’s wrath the way all of them were, although none of them would admit it, left the room to do as he was ordered.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The “girl” was waiting in the library, which was next to the parlor, along with DeVontay. They’d been there for hours, as they were questioned by the police first, and then Mr. Webster and his son. And all of them looked at them with utter disdain. Like they were the real kidnappers!
Janita was so devastated as they sat in that room that she sat slouched down on the sofa. In her slacks, her tucked-in blouse, and her blazer and loafers, she looked like she always looked while on duty. But she didn’t feel as if she was on duty. She felt as if she was on trial. And her body showed the difference.
“What’s taking them so long?” she said with agitation in her voice as she removed the rubberband from her thick hair, gathered her hair again, and then wrapped the band around it. It felt as if they’d been in that “holding cell” for nearly all day. Ever since it happened. “We need to get back on the streets. This is just a waste of time.”
“They’ve got the police looking for her,” Von said. “What more can we do?”
“We can try to find her, that’s what.” Janita was irritated, but her brother knew she was just scared. “They acted like we were the kidnappers.”
“Especially Mr. Webster,” Von agreed. “That’s a mean sonofabitch.”
“His wife was kidnapped. How do you expect him to act?”
“He doesn’t care about her or he wouldn’t cheat on her like that.”
Janita knew about cheating men, alright, but she never stuck around like Reecie Webster once she found out what they were about. She wasn’t about to school her brother about something she didn’t know about herself. She just wanted Mrs. Webster back home and safe and sound. That was all she wanted that day.
The door to the room opened and one of Mrs. Webster’s younger sons, although he was around Janita’s age, the one they knew as Dray, leaned inside. “My father wants to see you.”
