Chapter 2 #2
“Mr. Emery Aldana. Good to see you, brother,” Amari greeted as we stood out in the open field.
Amari Adams was a longtime family friend and initially our tech guy.
Through him, we could find anyone or anything we needed to stay on top.
It had been a while since I last spoke with him, but he was never too far away if I ever needed him.
“Good to be seen.” We slapped palms.
“What’s the word with you?” he asked.
“Two things: One, I need you to hack into the police system to find out who the prosecution’s CI is. I have an idea, but I want to be sure before I make my move. Second thing: I need the address and phone number of someone by the name of Yumi Clark.”
“Yumi? Back in the day, Yumi?”
“Only one shorty I know of by that name, chat,” I replied, rubbing my beard and looking off in thought.
“My bad. I just haven’t heard that name in a long time. I got you, though. It may take me about a week to get into their system to find that information for you, but I’m sure I can make it happen.”
“Cool. Get me that other information expeditiously.”
“I’ll have it to you by this evening.”
“My nigga.” I slapped palms with him as Juno, my driver, opened the back door to the Maybach. I climbed inside just as my phone chimed with a message.
Poppa: Come to the house. Now.
I shook my head. “Juno, hit my people’s crib.”
“You got it, sir.” He pulled out of the open field and headed to my parents’ home.
When I arrived at my parents’ estate forty-five minutes later, I rolled down my window so the guard could see me. He acknowledged me then opened the gates, and Juno pulled down the long driveway.
The estate my father left me seemed minuscule, compared to their new one.
It was like visiting MJ’s Neverland Ranch.
Their land stretched for miles, with a farm, a mini-amusement park for my two nephews when they visited, three outdoor pools, one indoor pool, a small candy store, and a damn football field.
All this damn house and land for what?
Juno parked in my designated parking space and opened my door.
I got out and used the code to get inside.
As soon as I walked in, Marilyn Aldana was walking toward me in all her beautiful grace.
Her energy gave HBIC before she even opened her mouth to speak.
My moms owned the title of being Mrs. Aldana, and nobody could ever take her place in my heart.
“There’s my favorite baby,” she said, holding out her arms as I received her.
“Don’t let your crybaby son hear you say that.”
“He’s my favorite, too. You’re just the first.” She laughed, kissing my cheek. “What brings you by?”
“Your husband summoned me.”
“Figures. I wouldn’t see you otherwise.”
“Now you know that’s not true. I’m here every Sunday for Sunday dinner.”
She folded her arms and pouted. “One day out of the week is hardly enough, Douda,” she said, calling me by the nickname she gave me, before the damn TV show.
I laughed. “A’ight, queen. I promise to try to come by more often.”
She smiled. “That’s what I like to hear. Go on and see what your father wants, then come meet me in the kitchen so I can feed you.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
“You’re welcome, baby.” I kissed her cheek, then headed down the long ass hall to my father’s man cave. I knew he would be in there because that was where he spent most of his time since he’d retired.
When I opened the thick, wooden door, he was lounging on his chaise, watching All About the Benjamins as I walked inside. He looked over at me and held his hand out for me to shake.
“‘Sup, Poppa?”
“Good afternoon, Son. Have a seat.” I took a seat in the chair catty-cornered from him.
“What’s the word?” He muted the television and then gave me his attention.
“You know I don’t ask for much, right?” I gave him a nod. “Then tell me why you’re still living alone and have not spoken with Normani yet.”
I sighed. “I don’t feel that it is necessary to bind our families. Emil has already done that with the King family, and his ass is miserable—”
“He’s making himself miserable. Just because he’s choosing not to accept his circumstance doesn’t mean you have to.”
“I’m not interested in tying our families, Poppa. It isn’t necessary.” He didn’t speak for a while as he stared at the muted television. I could tell he wasn’t happy about my decision, but since seeing Yumi, Normani wasn’t even in my thoughts, not that she had been anyway.
It wasn’t that Normani wasn’t fine or fuckable, but I just wasn’t with that arranged marriage shit.
“What’s this with your brother and cousin being on trial for murder? When I put you in charge of the family, I made all the accommodations so you could continue to flourish. What are you doing, Son? Then I heard Destin Dunlap isn’t on payroll anymore. What is that shit about?”
“Destin has not been doing his job of keeping us in the loop. There have been several occasions when an outside source had to update me on anything happening in the precinct. Lester Graham had appointed someone better in his place. I already had Amari check him out, and he’s solid.
Your son just couldn’t contain his fucking self and put us in this situation, so now I had to hire another defense team to take care of this shit. ”
“I admit that was a stupid move on his part, but this should have never gotten this far. Do whatever it takes to get this under control. I don’t want my son or my nephew behind bars.
Get it done.” He unmuted the television, indicating that he was done with the conversation.
As bad as I wanted to tell him I wanted out of this shit, I knew that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.
But until then, I had more pressing matters to attend to.
It was time to get back everything I lost, and that included the future Yumi Aldana.