58. Corinthians
Corinthians
“You know everyone thinks you're fragile, right?” Tulane said, walking into my shop. I watched him through the mirror as he looked around.
“Why are you here, Tulane?” I asked, not caring how rude my question sounded.
“I was with Micah when you called him about Amethyst and what he asked you,” he answered with a shrug.
“I tagged along.” He smiled, and even though I didn’t want to admit it, I could see the appeal he had on women back in the day.
Even now, he wasn’t unattractive as long as he kept his mouth closed.
Once he started talking, he made you want to kick him in the mouth.
“Fragile isn’t the description I would use,” I said as I continued to watch him.
Mr. Stone stood near the door, shaking his head.
I hadn’t seen Tulane since we all met a while back.
I had a feeling he would eventually show up again.
He took the opportunity and ran with it.
Tulane was a damn busybody and couldn’t help himself.
He shrugged. “I didn’t say it was. It’s just how everyone else describes you,” he replied.
“And what word would you use?”
“I haven’t figured it out yet,” he answered with a chuckle. He looked around the shop. “You aren’t going to offer me a cut?”
“No.”
Mr. Stone laughed loudly. “I told you she didn’t like your ass,” he said once he got himself together. He looked over at me and lifted his brow. “You good?”
“Yes, sir,” I answered with a nod. “You?”
“I’ve been better. Amethyst is stressing me out. Moving wild, causing problems, shaking shit up.” He shrugged, then wiped his hand over his mouth. “He’s stubborn. Doesn’t listen, only worried about protecting Yale from the Kilmores.”
“They’re dead,” I reminded him.
“Thanks to you,” Tulane laughed. A few hours ago, Amethyst came to the shop and asked me to make a statement on behalf of our family and the passing of the members of the Kilmore family.
I’d been against it. I knew that I was putting a target on my back if I did it.
I saw the desperation in his eyes. He would do anything to protect Yale, which meant going after the Kilmores.
They had already lost enough time, and Yale was pregnant.
They needed shit handled before she had her baby.
The statement I made expressed our sympathy for their sudden loss.
To everyone else, we were mourning with our brothers in Christ. To Robert, it was a slap in the face and showed he was losing his hold on his connection to me.
Without Isaac or Paul, there was no one to check in on me for him.
He wasn’t going to let that control go. And to add an extra kick to the face, the picture posted with the announcement included Uri. Next to me, visibly holding my hand.
“I didn’t do anything,” I denied, shaking my head. “That was Am.”
“Am only killed them,” Tulane denied. “You know that your release is going to stir the pot.”
“That wasn’t my intention,” I denied. “I did it for Amethyst.”
“You’re lying,” Tulane laughed and shook his head. “You know just like we do what’s going to happen. Robert is going to come out of hiding. He isn’t going to let you just be happy.”
“Why do you sound excited about that?”
“Because I am,” he answered. “You are too or you wouldn’t have done it.”
“I-“
“Four is going to kill his father for you,” Tulane quickly said. “He has wanted to for years, but he was waiting. I couldn’t figure out on what and now I know.” Tulane leaned against the wall. “He was waiting on you. He had to make sure you didn’t think you were in love with Robert.”
“I’ve never been in love with Robert,” I told him. “Never. I was a fucking kid when all that shit happened. Nothing that Robert put me through would’ve made me love him.”
“Stranger things have happened, trust me. Women have loved him for his cruelty.”
“And I’m not one of them,” I said, mugging him. “And my relationship with Uri isn’t your fucking business.”
Tulane held his hands up in surrender and smirked. “I know,” he said, nodding. “I’m just pointing out what I see. Four waited to make sure you weren’t in that list of women.”
I grilled Tulane, not wanting to keep talking to him, then turned to Mr. Stone. “Please don’t bring him back here,” I said, shaking my head.
“I won't,” Mr. Stone said, and I nodded. “But he isn’t fully wrong.”
“Mr. Stone, I have never felt anything but hatred for Robert.”
“I understand that, and I’m not denying it,” he said, nodding. “But he isn’t wrong about Robert paying attention even more now. That statement and picture are no doubt on his radar. My son may have killed them, but he isn’t going to be the only person he comes after. We might need your help.”
“I’ve done my part,” I said, shaking my head. “Just like I told you on the phone and told Amethyst in person. I’ve done what I’m going to do. I don’t want any part of what your son has planned for Quincy. My concern is how Robert will respond. Quincy is his problem.”
“He can't find him,” Mr. Stone said and nodded.
“Not my problem.” I crossed my arms. “Amethyst doesn’t know how dangerous the Kilmores are.
Or more so how strong their connection is to Robert.
You need to talk to him. Tell him what he’s against. I’ve told him my part, or some of it at least. You’re letting him walk around blind, and that’s dangerous. ”
“I know,” Mr. Stone sighed. “And I plan on it.”
“Do it soon,” I told him. “Before something happens and it’s too late.”
“Robert isn’t going to do anything anytime soon,” Tulane said, shaking his head. “He has to regroup, figure out who’s who in his inner circle. He lost a big part of his team with the Kilmores being dead. All he has is Quincy’s crazy ass.”
“Tulane, are you slow?” I asked him, trying to figure out if he was or if he intentionally tried to piss people off.
“Slow?” he repeated, and I nodded. “No.”
“You sure?” I questioned him. “Because I think you might be. Especially if you think this shit is just going to blow over because the Kilmores are dead.”
“It’s not just the Kilmores,” he laughed. “Someone killed the Franklins, too. Robert is scrambling.”
“No, someone didn’t kill the Franklins,” I said, shaking my head.
“A few years ago, they were killed,” he smiled. “I’m pretty sure Four did it. You might want to ask him about it. No one knows where the bodies are.”
“I didn’t kill them,” Uri’s deep voice echoed through the shop. I looked at the speaker in the corner of the room, then at the security camera next to my booth.
“He’s been listening the entire time?” Mr. Stone asked, and I nodded. We were talking before they’d walked in. I knew Uri was still listening; I just didn’t think he would say anything.
“I should’ve known he wasn’t too far away,” Tulane said. He put his hands in his pockets.
“I’m not,” Uri said. “And this conversation is over. Cori said she isn’t helping. Leave her be. She’s done enough. The announcement is circulating. I don’t agree with that shit, but she made her decision.”
“Four-“
“Let it go, Tulane,” Uri said, cutting him off. “Micah, we can talk if you want, but I’ve already said respect my woman’s decision.”
“I’ll call you later,” Mr. Stone smirked as he nodded. He turned his attention back to me. “I’ll talk to Amethyst; you’re right. He’s running around here blind, and he shouldn’t be.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding. “Have a good night.”
“You too,” Mr. Stone said. He tapped Tulane on the arm and nodded towards the door. “Let’s go.”
They walked to the door to leave.
“Tulane?” Uri called out.
Tulane turned towards the speaker. “Yeah?”
“I didn’t kill the Franklins,” he said again. “But I know where the bodies are.”
“How if you didn’t kill them?”
“Because Cori did,” Uri answered. Tulane turned his attention to me, and I smirked.
“Told you fragile wasn’t the right word,” Tulane said. “Not even close to the right word.”
***
"Mama?" Judah called my name as Uri drove. My head spun, and my stomach turned, but I was here. Present, actively going to an engagement party when I'd rather be at home. Robert hadn’t made his move yet. It’d been a few weeks since the announcement through the church that Amethyst asked me to make. We’d invited the members of the Kilmore church to ours.
Some showed, some didn’t. We weren’t surprised by the ones who hadn’t.
They were loyal to the Kilmores. The ones who did were either nosy and wanted to see how Granddaddy did things or were looking for a new church home.
The nosy ones were on their last strike.
They were getting on Madea’s nerves, which meant she was going to cuss them out.
Church would be entertaining that day. "Mama? "
"Yeah, baby?"
"Legacy doesn't know Hood is going to ask her to be his wife?" He asked.
I turned around in my seat to look at him. His face was twisted in confusion, and I couldn't help but laugh. "No, baby, she doesn't know. It's a surprise."
"What if she says no?"
"Then she says no," I answered with a shrug. "She can do that if she wants."
"Will Hood cry?"
"Probably," I replied. "But let's hope she doesn't say no. Legacy loves Hood, and he loves her."
"Love is why you get married?"
"Partially."
"You love Four & Four loves you. So does that mean you're going to get married?" His eyes ballooned at the possibility of a future that, truthfully, I thought about as well.
"We umm...I ummm." I stopped talking and glanced over at Uri, who was trying not to smile.
"Do you want to marry Four?" Judah asked.
I turned back to him, held my index finger to my lips, and gave him a quick nod.
I was scared to say the answer. Not because I didn't think Uri wanted to get married.
He mentioned it all the time. I was more scared to admit it out loud because life was good right now, and whenever it was good, something went wrong.
A slow smile spread across my baby's face, and I couldn't help but return the gesture. For him life was simple. Things made sense because they aligned with whatever questions he needed answered.