Prologue #3
Within a matter of seconds, my father’s tall frame came barreling through the door in a big black blur.
Levi and Terrel were hot on his heels, guns dangling by their sides, sweat forming across their foreheads.
Everyone looked like they’d been in a fight for their lives.
My father wrapped me up in his arms and rapidly kissed the top of my head.
I heard car doors slamming and tires squealing in the distance as the smell of the barbecue suffocated me from being wrapped in my father’s arms.
“You laid these fuck niggas down, baby girl?” My father questioned, pulling away from the suffocating hug to observe the two dead bodies.
“And I did it with his gun,” I nodded with excitement, pointing to the man closest to our feet.
“That’s what the fuck I’m talking about!
” My father celebrated, extending his hand for our signature handshake.
We bumped fists, then rapidly fluttered our fingers together.
It was a handshake we started when I was the quarterback of the Sand Crane Warriors.
Every time I threw a touchdown pass, I made sure to find him for a simple celebration and to count the earnings, because my father promised a rack for every touchdown and five racks if we won the game.
“I told you she would handle herself,” Terrel announced before we broke the hug.
“If nobody believes in me. I know my little cousin always will,” I affirmed as we broke the hug.
“Milani, when did you get here?” My father turned to question her.
“A few minutes ago,” she quivered.
“Did your driver bring you over here? I already sent Mikel home,” he explained.
“No, I kind of rode my electric scooter because I couldn’t find him, and I was already running late. I figured I could use the fresh air.”
“Don’t ever do no shit like that again. Did you even have your gun on you?” He interrogated.
“I don’t know how to shoot a gun,” she swallowed hard.
My father silently shook his head.
“Luis! We got one still alive.”
“Go hang his ass up. I’ll be down there to question him soon.”
“Is everybody okay?” I wondered, terrified to ask.
“Yeah, security at the gate and near the front of the house were outnumbered, but they held it down. I need to get you two out of here though.”
“Sneaux!” My mother shrieked, rushing into the crafting room with Aunt Bunny and Aunt Violet on her heels.
“I’m okay, mama,” I assured her, inhaling her floral scent now.
“We need to get everybody out of here before the police show up. They need to speak to as few people as possible,” Aunt Bunny suggested.
My father’s phone rang, and he placed it against his ear while ushering us out of the room.
“Listening.”
He was quiet until we reached the stairs, then he spoke again. “Bet.”
He ended the call, and we descended the stairs in a rush.
The burnt smell from the discharged gunpowder was dry and acrid, and mixed with the iron tang of blood that also permeated the air.
I knew that was a scent combination that I’d never forget.
Holes riddled the walls in the entryway and foyer.
Most of the furniture was destroyed and overturned.
Our house would need a complete remodel if we were ever going to occupy it again.
The four bodyguards that were in charge of driving me, my aunts, and my mother around met us at the bottom of the stairs with four of my father’s other men.
“Take my family to the safehouse. I’m going to get Milani back to her family.”
My mom looked over her shoulder to protest, but my father stopped her statement before it could leave her lips.
“You’re going, and you’re going to stay put until I figure out who had the nuts to take aim at my family while we’re celebrating my daughter’s graduation.
Members from all four families were in attendance.
Motha fuckas gotta pay, and I have to make sure it happens.
This shit happened on my watch,” he bellowed.
“Make it back to me in one piece, Luis,” my mother sighed and strutted over to kiss his lips.
“Make sure Milani makes it home in one piece, Dad,” I added.
“You know I got her,” my father assured me.
Milani wrapped me up in a hug, and my hands flung to her back.
“Alright. We have to get going. Y’all will see each other again as soon as this shit blows over,” my mom cut in.
I broke the embrace and smiled at Milani. “I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” she nodded.
We all exited the frosted glass doors and piled into our respective cars.
My graduation itinerary was thwarted, and we ended up spending the weekend four cities over in the safehouse until my father came to pick us up.
I never would’ve imagined that would be the last time I saw Milani.
While the four families came together to eliminate whoever was bold enough to shoot up a party where members from every family convened, Milani’s father, Zechariah, didn’t make it out alive.
According to Mikel, his widow, Janice, wanted nothing to do with either the four families or her late husband’s family, so she disappeared with Milani.
No one had seen either of them since my father took Milani home that day.
Losing Milani and dropping two bodies to protect her altered my brain chemistry in the most sinister way and helped me choose the path for my future.
I wanted to fill my father’s shoes and run shit how I saw fit.
And one day, I prayed I would have the connections and resources to figure out where Milani and Janice disappeared to, because it definitely wasn’t into thin air like my father and his men swore.