Welina Hou #7
Yacouba looked stunned at the dreamy look on Li’s face then shook his head not willing to touch any more of that conversation. “That’s got to be some shit he got from Deuce DNA.”
“Y’all really clowning in the middle of a murder?
” Hakeem looked like we hadn’t come full cloak and dagger the way we had when Priest handled business.
Everyone had their own way of doing things.
Yacouba didn’t even bother bringing us all in because like Liam said, Jasmine took out the real threat. He was just doing cleanup work.
And he wanna call us selfish.
“Bruh, they gone die anyway why can’t we make this shit enjoyable? As busy as we are we gotta fit in time together where we can.” Yacouba was speaking facts but I was sure it was strange to Hakeem.
“You might as well get used to this shit, ‘Keem.”
From the look on his face, none of our antics made sense.
Hakeem glanced back at my brothers who were unbothered by our bickering and shrugged.
They were here to observe, as we had all been called to do in the last few years, because of the rules of the Consortium.
All of them were gathered not just because of the betrayal that Theo was accused of, but also because he was a part of our organization and you couldn’t cut off a branch without permission from the tree. Which we’d already been granted.
“Y’all are far too eager to drag this out today. If you make us ladies miss our dinner reservation because I’ve got to get this man’s offal out of my hair I’ll be the next person you have a problem with, Ori.”
Jemma Marie stood in the center of our brothers looking every inch the mafia princess she was. I guess technically she was soon to be promoted to queen. The person standing in her way hadn’t shown up today being more than remiss in her duties but that would need to be addressed soon.
“Pissing off my wife is never on my to-do list.” I watched Asha’s eyes light up when I spoke the word wife.
“Good. Introduce yourself to the man before you send him to hell. I’m hungry and Asha swears your cousin has a restaurant whose food will rival the Boot.
I call bullshit but I’m willing to give her a chance to prove me wrong.
” She waved off the idea that anywhere could cook better than her precious state but she was going to have to come off that hubris since Matty could burn.
Hakeem spoke up since it was clear she was talking about his mama’s places.
“Asha ain’t wrong. My mama be cooking her ass off.”
“Yoo over ‘ere talkin’ about us but yoo’re worried about yoor stomach?”
Like the brat she’d always been, Jemma Marie pouted before she frowned annoyed. “You wouldn’t like me when I was hangry, Liam. Forgive our interruptions, Ori. Please continue.” With a regal dip of her head, she gave me leave to continue what I was doing.
Moments like this made me remember what family felt like.
What I’d missed while I was out in Cuba and being stuck in the government for so many years.
The chaotic nature of genuine camaraderie that was forged for generations before us and a bond that we wouldn’t allow to be broken no matter the stressors.
“Lau Ahi.”
The silence was expected since I was sure that Theo and his father were far too unconcerned with learning their enemy the way I’d studied them.
“What is that some type of tuna? I’m supposed to be terrified of a nigga who names himself after a fish?” Theo was laughing but it was a show. An attempt to garner sympathy and to show that he wasn’t weak in front of everyone. And he was about to die so his jabs held no weight.
“Pappy, tell them what Lau Ahi means.”
Pappy stepped forward proudly coming to stand just behind me as a sign of respect. He was handing over the throne and this was his way of giving me the honor. “I’d be honored. Lau Ahi: to destroy by fire or lava flow.”
Priest whistled impressed and I appreciated the faith he had in me. “Damn, that’s ominous as hell.”
I walked toward the two men sitting and it was funny how Theo wasn’t joking anymore. To his credit James hadn’t said shit but had been looking at him like he wanted to strangle him. Too bad he hadn’t done that shit before he made Theo the piece of shit that would betray the family.
“There are two sides to me. The volcano. Slumbering and lying in wait while the world moves around me. That is how I’ve existed for years being in the government and I had to do more of that when I had to drop off the earth thanks to you.
I waited until you felt like I was no longer a threat and then you got complacent.
You felt as though the power belonged to you and then you stopped fearing me.
Just like so many do the volcano. They build lives, resorts and entire industries around and near the base of a volcano.
An insult to think of me as a lamb so then I have to bare my teeth.
Wake back up and remind niggas who the fuck I am. ”
“Is that why it smells like Juneteenth in here? I thought I smelled charcoal! Shit, y’all could’ve said something and made this a potluck.
Jasmine makes a banging potato salad.” Jada’s giddy voice rang out and I could only silently thank her for waiting for me to finish speaking before she made me laugh.
“Why are you volunteering me to cook? Besides, who wants to eat after watching somebody burn alive?”
“Me. You think death is going to affect my appetite? All this ass didn’t sustain itself by missing meals. We aren’t about to let this nigga ruin my fun.” Jasmine went to fussing right back at her and then I heard my love’s voice.
“I might be a little off but remember we have reservations. Maybe we aren’t eating at the scene of the crime but soon after.”
Asha’s voice was lighthearted, silently urging me to hurry along so that we could entertain our family at the dinner she had planned in one of Matty’s private rooms. Asha might have understood that the handover wasn’t going to be some lavish affair but she still wanted to celebrate me in some way.
“My wife, you know the one you thought was going to just be given to you like you could ever be worthy of something she shits out let alone her—”
“Ori, decorum, please.” Asha’s eyes were closed behind her glasses, and her hand was to her slightly bowed head.
“They really are like Tarzan and Jane. Look at them! Ori’s two seconds away from his dick being out—”
“Sweets!”
Jada sucked her teeth like she didn’t know how her man was going to react with what she was saying. “I’m not looking for it, Smoke, simmer down.”
“We can ignore what they have going on. Today is about you. You wanted my attention and now you have it.”
I moved toward the crane that was going to aid me in my ceremonial rite of passage.
The kiln over their head was something that had been bought from a glass maker’s supply company.
It was the only container that was big enough and sturdy enough to fully contain the type of punishment that I had for them.
It could get to upwards of 2400 degrees, which was hotter than the temperature of lava.
“You know that lava has been recorded to exceed temperatures of over 2100 degrees.” I hit the button so that I could watch them struggle to look over their heads.
I was sure they could feel the heat radiating from the kiln.
They were in a slight pitch in the floor that ensured we wouldn’t be touched.
I had been planning this for over a year so I was more than thorough in every calculation and had run multiple scenarios over the months leading up to my leaving.
This property had been purchased under my father’s name by my mother years ago and set up in a shell corporation.
That was the reason no one ever knew about it.
“Why are you talking to me about some lava, man?” Theo was still doing too much speaking and I wish I’d let Yacouba shoot him.
“I’m sure you’ve heard of a trial by fire, right?”
James coughed either from fear or thinking he hadn’t heard me correctly. “Wait, what?”
“Trial by fire. You know, you survive if you’re innocent and die if you’re not.”
“That’s that stupid island shit that your Pappy has you into.
” I looked over at Asha and the frown on her face showed that she wanted me to do my absolute worst when it came to these two.
Their grievances were piling up too high and she was getting aggravated having to endure their presence for much longer.
I could only smile because the more he talked shit the more I would torture him when the time was right. “Yeah, ain’t it great?”
“Don’t know what this nigga has been on since he was gone but I like it.” Yacouba’s voice was filled with approval and I could only chuckle at him thinking vacation was what had me acting this way.
“That nigga is responsible for O being away from his wife for almost four months. Yeah, he gone torture this nigga something real serious.” Jahmir knew exactly why I was letting the beast out. Their actions had taken me away from the one thing in this world that I truly cared about.
“Now, which one of you feckless bitches are going to watch the other die?”
“Marries a doctor and now his ass is using words like feckless.” I could tell he was still pissed off by the way he kept annoying me but I was going to let him have it.
I shot him the bird despite the room being full of our elders, and he returned the favor. “Don’t get mad cause I’m pretty and smart, Yacouba. Green isn’t a good color on you no matter how much your punk ass loves money.”
“Ori, there’s no reason for you to even go to these lengths.
We haven’t done anything wrong.” James was trying to plead and I found it funny that he was speaking to me and not his sister.
Probably because he knew my mother wasn’t going to be moved by that shit.
I was wondering why she hadn’t spoken up but I could only assume that she wanted me to handle all of this in the name of family.