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Shit, I was considering taking some of it myself.

“Yeah. Leave that shit right there. It can look like a deal gone wrong.”

I nodded. Tahari stared at the backpack for another second before shaking his head.

“It’s crazy how this nigga thought money could fix everything.”

“Was that his problem?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “It was.”

I looked toward the entrance of the fairground. We had been out there long enough, and I wasn’t interested in hanging around any longer than necessary.

“Come on, Tahari. Let’s get the fuck outta here,” I said.

He didn’t move right away. I watched him look down at Ghost one last time, and for a second, I thought he was going to say something else. Instead, he tucked his gun away and turned toward me. We walked back through the abandoned fairground without another word.

I could tell that he had a lot on his mind, but I wasn’t about to force him into a conversation he wasn’t ready to have. When we reached the car, he unlocked the doors, and I climbed into the passenger seat. He got behind the wheel but didn’t immediately start the car.

I looked over at him.

“You straight?”

He stared through the windshield.

“I will be.”

I nodded. That was good enough for me. Tahari started the engine and pulled away from the fairground. I leaned back against the seat, watching the empty road stretch out ahead of us. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a message from Penelope.

Can you call me when you get a chance?

I read it before locking my screen. I would call her once I got somewhere I could talk. For now, I just wanted to go back to my parents’ house. I looked out the passenger window as Tahari drove. For the first time in weeks, I wasn’t wondering where Ghost was hiding or who he might go after next. I already knew exactly where he was. And that was one less thing I had to worry about.

BLEEK

There wasn’t a better feeling in the world than having my family under one roof. After everything we had been through these last few months, I was grateful to finally have my wife and son home. Eternity had spent most of the ride telling me what she planned on doing once we got settled, and I had spent most of it reminding her that she wasn’t about to do a damn thing besides sit down and recover.

She had a whole baby cut out of her a few days ago. The last thing I needed was her trying to prove she could do everything herself.

“Malik, I’m perfectly capable of walking to the couch,” Eternity fussed as MJ pushed my wheelchair through the front door.

“And I’m perfectly capable of telling you to sit your ass down.”

Our son was sleeping peacefully in his car seat, which rested across my lap while MJ pushed me inside.

Maliah walked beside her mother, keeping an eye on her as Tahari followed us with the bags. When we made it inside, MJ pushed me off to the side and then went straight to Eternity.

I watched him help his mother toward the couch while Tahari walked past with the last of our bags. Tori had already made sure the house was stocked with enough food to feed everybody for the next week, and judging by the smell coming from the kitchen, she must have cooked some shit too.

She wasn’t a natural cook like Eternity’s ass, but she was helping us out, and I was grateful. Maylee had been waiting at the door when we arrived, but now that her mama was sitting down, she was more interested in the baby. Once MJ helped Eternity down onto the couch, he came and got the car seat with Malachi inside. He placed it onto the couch next to Eternity, and I watched as she carefully reached inside for our baby. I rolled myself closer, and when I did, Maylee walked over.

“Can I see him?” she asked.

Eternity smiled.

“Come sit beside me.”

Maylee climbed onto the couch, being careful not to get too close to her mother’s stomach. I watched my youngest daughter lean forward to get a better look at her little brother.