Chapter 10 #2
“Oh nah,” he laughed, pointing at her. “So that’s what’s goin’ on? Carmen done turned yo’ ass into Michelle Obama, now you got football niggas? You got my baby around pregaming and frolickin’ with football niggas?”
Keondra’s head snapped around so fast her hoop earring almost hit her in the eye. “Dique shut the fuck up,” she shot back. “Ain’t nobody thinkin’ about no damn football nigga. I was just tryna eat my food without bullets flyin’ around my damn head, thank you.”
Tone laughed but tried to hide it and failed. Even Amour giggled although she didn’t know why. The moment broke the tension just for a split second, but I brought it right back, where it needed to be.
“I’ll ask again,” I said in a calm voice. “Who was he with?”
This time nobody moved. Carmen looked at O’Shynn first then I did too.
O’Shynn stood there with her arms still crossed and her jaw locked like she was choosing her words carefully.
She didn’t look scared or like she had been exposed either.
She just had that look like it was whatever it was going to be, but I knew my sister, she was nervous because it was me.
“He was with me,” she finally admitted.
“O’Shynn…”
She lifted her chin a little higher and remained firm. “We’ve been seeing each other on the low and I wasn’t ready to bring him around this… around us.”
Tone cut in sounding direct, allowing his voice to drop into that cold place he only used when he was feeling a way. “Is he clean?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. “He ain’t street and he ain’t tied to nothing. He plays his position, and he minds his business… and he doesn’t know details.”
I shook my head and took a shot of Henny. “You think that’s safety?”
O’Shynn didn’t flinch. “I think I finally found something for me,” she admitted. “Not for the cartel, not for business, and not for power…. just for me.”
Dique laughed again, but not joking this time it was more-so just disbelief. “So, you in love now?” he asked dragging the words out.
O’Shynn didn’t answer but she didn’t deny it either. Tone leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “If he’s clean, good but him being around today? That puts him on radar. Whoever shot at y’all, they saw him and they’ll see him again. And if he gets touched…”
“I know,” O’Shynn said, with her jaws tightening again. “It’ll fall back on us. I’ll handle it.”
I stepped in then. “You won’t handle it alone because nothing involving any of us is handled alone. You brought him into our orbit. That means he’s under Royal watch now whether he knows it or not especially if it puts you in danger.”
She looked at me and shrugged instead of getting defensive. “Okay.”
I then looked at Dique. “Have the driver take Keondra and Amour home or however you wanna handle that.” I told him because first thing was first, that was his family, and I wanted him to make sure they were straight. “Tone, I need you to roll with me.”
“Got chu boss,” Tone replied.
Dique didn’t say shit, he first grabbed Amour from Keondra and then he told her, “All that talkin’ you be doin’, you need to learn how to shoot.”
Keondra sucked her teeth. “Teach me then.”
“Yeah, I’ma teach you alright,” he told her adjusting his gun in the small of his back. He then removed the gun from his waist and passed it to her. “Here, tuck this on yo’ hip or put it in yo purse.”
She decided to put it in her purse; I intentionally watched her.
She was hood, she was street, but this was a totally different ball game.
Had she really been in the world, she would’ve known to put it on her hip first where it was accessible and anything in her purse was just extra.
Yeah, she was gon’ have to be taught as soon as possible.
Dique peeped it too but didn’t address it.
Keondra was never supposed to be in this world, she was only supposed to be protected, but now it was essential that she knew how to draw and shoot if needed.
When Dique left, so did O’Shynn. Carmen stayed and gave me that look, the one that was unreadable.
She stood directly in front of me and told me what she felt.
“I’m a tough cookie Dom, but today my life flashed before my eyes not only for me, but for our unborn.
I’ll die protecting what we created, but for the first time in a long time, I’m afraid and not of anybody, I’m afraid of… ”
I cut her off and pulled her into a hug because I felt every word and I needed her to feel that.
Tone and the shadows minded their business.
“I know, I’m afraid of the same thing, which is why I never wanted this, but now that it’s here, I can’t imagine life without it.
If I have to die behind it, I’ma do that shit tenfold a thousand times. ”
She nodded her head in my chest. “I know,” she sighed. “I know.”
“You ready to go yo’ penthouse and you’re staying here? How much longer before they finish designing and bringing the furniture wifey? I’m ready to move ma.”
“I can rush it and have them done by tomorrow.”
“Yeah, and I don’t want you to lift a finger either. You don’t need to bring shit but yourself.”
“I already know.” She replied. “I’m going to my penthouse right now; I need reset and refocus tonight.”
“Yeah, well when I’m done, I’ma be right there to reset and refocus too. I’m not gon’ lie, for the first time I don’t even want you out my eyesight until I know who was behind that shooting.”
“Unfortunately, we can’t be stuck like glue.”
I kissed her forehead and then looked at Rell. “Make sure she gets there safe and I want everybody beefed up outside the building and the hall. Anything move wrong knock they fuckin’ head off. You did good today.”
“I already know boss, I’m on it.” Rell replied.
Carmen gazed into my eyes, placed a kiss on my lips, tucked her gun, placed a hand on her stomach and walked out with my eyes following her.
When the door closed, her scent was left lingering.
When the trial was over, I planned on taking the whole family out the country on vacation to get away for a while before Carmen had the baby.
Tone probably wouldn’t be able to go depending on when Shona goes in labor which could be any day now and she had protection too, she just wasn’t complaining about it.
She wasn’t directly in the life but just like Keondra, she was guilty by association, so shit was a little different now.
I grabbed the extended clip to my Glock and told Tone, “Come roll with me bro. I need to know where Stone staying at. We need to have a talk.”
Tone simply nodded his head, made sure his clips were full, and hopped on top of getting that information. We didn’t use a driver this time. Tone hopped in the driver seat of the Maybach, and I hopped on the passenger side. We had one shadow trailing us. When Tone hung up, he looked at me.
“He staying at the Four Seasons on the beach.” He then made a U-turn and headed there, which wasn’t too far. I sat on the passenger side with my trigger finger itching.
We pulled up to the Four Seasons with the Maybach gliding up under the porte-cochère where the valet moved like he’d been paid to look at everything and say nothing, but he spoke when he saw us. “Good evening, King.”