Page 19 of Mia

The first time those insults turned into us fucking, I was eighteen and she was sixteen. Her grandfather had sent a group of us on a mission with some of the older members. Unlike the Dillingers who had to wait until they were twenty-one to fully join their organization, we stepped into the James organization at eighteen after three years of rigorous training. Some said that was too young, but most of us grew up in this life with our parents.

My mother was part of it. She never sugar-coated shit for me growing up. She told me what she did and why she did it. It wasn’t expected of me to become a member, but I knew from a young age that it was my purpose. I got a thrill from putting bullets in a scum muthafucka that deserved a violent death for the things they’d done.

Always had. Probably always would.

By the time I made it to my car, DaVinchi was at the passenger side. Vinchi was my right hand. Usually, wherever I went, he was right there. Of course, he wouldn’t let me drive around an unfamiliar spot by myself. We both got in and simultaneously checked our guns to make sure they were loaded. That was us. Always strapped, head always on a swivel.

“You ready to be a father?” he asked as I pulled out of the driveway.

“I don’t have a choice but to be ready, man. I’m excited though.”

He shook his head. “I can’t believe you got Mia pregnant. Shit, I can’t believe she let you.”

I chuckled. “I mean, she was the one telling me to nut in her.”

“Man, I don’t care what you say. No pussy has ever been good enough for me to not only slide in raw but listen to a bitch tell me to nut in her. That is spiritual entrapment.”

“Shut the fuck up, Vinchi.”

“I’m just saying. That’s voodoo or something. A pussy with the power to make you lose all common sense? Yeah, I don’t need that.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“And don’t wanna know. Besides, I think I want an older woman now.”

I gave him a side eye. “Whatchu’ done did?”

He grinned. “I ain’t did shit yet, but if Maddie keep dressing like that around me, I’m gonna do a whole lot. Every time we tail Mia and that nigga, she be looking fine as a muthafucka. You know he takes her on dates and shit to fancy restaurants or whatever, so Maddie likes to dress the part. Nigga… if I see that ass and titties sit up just right one more time…”

“Nigga, that’s my mother in-law.”

“And she’s a fine muthafucka!”

“Noah is gonna kick your ass. You know he wants her real bad.”

“I’ll fight for my love.”

I laughed out loud. “Shut up, man.”

We pulled up in front of Le Petit Glacier, an ice cream shop, and hopped out of the car. I surveyed my surroundings as we headed inside. There was a small line, nothing too crazy. It was moving pretty quick, and I was glad because I wasn’t trying to be in here too long. When it was our turn, I grabbed Mia’s order while Vinchi’s sweet tooth having ass ordered a sundae for himself.

“That’s diabetes in a bowl,” I said, watching him take a big bite of it as we walked out the store.

“We all gotta go some way.”

As we went to get back in the car, I caught sight of a familiar face.

Fucking JacQues DuPont.

He was coming out of a suit store across the street. For a nigga that was trafficking people underground, he didn’t seem aware of his surroundings at all as he hopped in the black SUV waiting for him. I climbed in my car and quickly cranked up.

“What’s up with you?” Vinchi asked as I busted a U-turn behind the SUV.

“That’s that nigga. I wanna see something.”

I made sure to keep five cars behind him the whole ride. Most people made the mistake of keeping back two cars when they were tailing someone. That still made you stick out, especially on an uncrowded street. I was smart enough to keep my distance and move with the flow of traffic, so I didn’t draw attention to myself, all while clocking the street signs.

As we headed into a residential area, his SUV slowed down. As it turned into the roundabout driveway of a nice sized home, I kept driving past, ensuring that I took mental snapshots of the house number and the outside. I parked down the street and sent a FaceTime call to Quaid. It was about seven here, so it was around one back home. He answered on the third ring.