26. Family Matters
Chapter twenty-six
Family Matters
Moni
Although we were on the phone, I could see Banks’ face in my mind, his brows furrowed deeply and his lips pressed into a thin, tight furious line.
When he was worried and pissed at the same time, a unique intensity lit up his eyes, making them flash with anger.
His jaw would clench, the muscles twitching as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.
It was a look I had seen many times before, one that signaled he was about to launch into a protective, albeit overbearing, lecture that would make me want to stab my eyes out in protest.
I let out a long breath. “First of all, I was not being Michelle Obama—”
“Last time we talked, we said nothing about your being the Mountain Mistress—”
“I said nothing about being it on TV either—”
“Yet every headline in Paradise City is pondering whether you are the East’s new Mountain Mistress—”
“Hey. It’s been a busy day—”
“Moni, motherfuckers killed people over you last night. That’s right. We caught that little news cycle too in the South. We all have been sitting in front of the TV waiting for more news.”
“We? Who?”
“Every fucking body. Even T. T.”
“Oh God no. My sisters saw the news?”
“Fuck yeah. They saw it. Chloe was the one to get everybody. You and Lei popped up on her social media.”
“Oh fuck.”
“Mom made dinner, we ate in front of the television and you know how she don’t like that shit, but they were on TV breaking down the possibilities of your presence in the East on this local evening show. Talking about race and trying to figure out your background and family. Mom was waving the Bible at the TV the whole time.”
“Jesus Christ!”
“This morning, Marcelo and I was at the gate with seventy people, trying to get you out of there, but it was still locked to outsiders and no matter how many times we shot at the lock—”
“Hold up. Would you both just—”
“What? Calm down? The Moni I know would not be so chill about people dying over her—”
“I’m not being chill. I’ve just had some time to process it—”
“Where are you now?”
“Okay. Hold on.” I placed the phone on the windowsill. “First of all, Banks, I’m sorry. I promised to call every day, but then I got to the East and everything here is so big and crazy—”
“I told you the East is insane.”
“Yeah. . .well now I truly know it. Also, I talked to Leo today.”
“Leo? The mad man that killed those people last night.”
I shivered. “Yes.”
“You’re just hanging out with all the killers now?”
“Would you be quiet so I can catch you up.”
“Oh, please catch me up because I didn’t even get any damn sleep last night.”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“I think you’re in danger.”
“I’m safe.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I’m right here. . .at my house. . .I have three Black ladies-in-waiting that can kick people’s ass.”
“Did you say ladies-in-waiting?”
“Yes.”
“So it’s official. You’re the Mountain Mistress?”
“Well. . .” My nerves frazzled. “I decided that today.”
“Moni!”
“This is my life and I chose this place to live in—”
“You didn’t even know that place existed until barely a few weeks ago when Lei kidnapped you—”
“He didn’t kidnap me—”
“He did.”
I considered the past weeks and shrugged. “Okay. Fine. He did, but you don’t know what I learned from Leo—”
“The psychopath?”
“Yes. I mean no. Well. . .yes. He is a psychopath, but. . .a nice one.”
“Oh. A nice psychopath. Well then everything is just fine. No worries.”
I shook my head. “Anyway, I talked to Leo today and he knew Mom.”
To my shock, Banks remained silent.
I would have bet a hundred dollars that his eyes were popped opened and his mouth parted in utter confusion.
I cleared my throat. “In fact, Mom was besties with Jing—Lei’s mother. And Mom went to the East a few times. I have a picture of her in the garden at Lotus Blossom. . .my new home. . .that I’m standing in right now.”
Bank’s voice sounded odd like he’d just been hit by a hammer and had struggled to get control of his mouth. “Moni?”
“Yes.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I have a big photo album with all these pictures of Mom and Jing, there’s all this stuff that happened after they both died that deals with my father and the casino and Leo along with Lei’s aunts plotting and Leo’s all prepared to die so that I can basically have his grandson and name him Leo Jr.”
“Moni. . .what?”
“Yeah. I know. This is going to fuck up your mind.”
“Listen. I don’t know what you’re saying.”
I sighed. “I have to explain it all from the beginning.”
“Tell me everything.”
And that was what I did.
It must have taken a good twenty minutes. Banks didn’t interrupt, but I bet those eyes kept popping open with the tale. Once I was done, the silence on the other end of the line was so profound that for a moment I wondered if I had somehow lost the connection.
“Banks? Are you there?”
When he finally spoke, all he could do was mutter, “Damn, Moni.”
“I know right.”
There was another long pause.
When he finally spoke again, his tone was softer than before. “So. . .”
I quirked my brows.
“What’s your plan now?”
I gazed out the window.
Night had finally come and the garden appeared even more magical. All the lanterns in the trees glowed. I spotted staff members heading out with platters and other items, although I couldn’t see the spot that they had decorated for us.
I have to hurry up and get down to Lei.
I let out another long breath. “So. . .I know you may think I’m crazy, but I kind of. . .forgive Leo for what he did to my father.”
“I don’t forgive Leo, but I understand. Had I known what was going on out in Glory. . .well. . .I might have slapped Unc up several times. Maybe even came close to killing him.”
“I was on my own out there—”
“You didn’t have to be on your own—”
“I know. I was trying to prove to the family and myself that I could do it and. . .I couldn’t do it—”
“You did it, Moni. Don’t be hard on yourself.”
“Well. . .” I gazed at the garden some more. “I like this house, Banks. And the garden. You should see this place. It’s beautiful here. I can see my sisters having an amazing life in the East.”
“Sisters of the Mountain Mistress. Fuck yeah they’re going to have an amazing life. They’ll be treated like royalty. That’s if you can get the racist motherfuckers out of there.”
“Well. . .it won’t be easy to figure things out, but I want to.”
“Shit.”
I knew he was rubbing his head, trying to get rid of the mounting headache that I had caused. “Banks, everything is going to be okay.”
“Every fucking time I talk to you, I think shit is finally square then the next day. . .shit is not cool at all. It’s a mega proportion shit show.”
“I know.”
“You keep navigating my world on your own, just like when you was in Glory taking care of the girls and struggling on your own.”
I frowned.
“All I’m trying to say is that family matters, Moni. It really does.”
“I know.”
“Not everybody got a family that cares.”
“I know.”
“And many women don’t have crazy ass cousins that will fucking rip guys’ bodies apart if they mess with them.”
“That’s fair.”
“I’m that crazy ass cousin.”
“I know you are.”
“And you know how Mom raised me. Protect Black women at all costs. That’s what she would say, over and over and fucking over. And now you’re out there in the East and motherfuckers calling you a monkey and shit. I don’t even know if Lei is treating you properly. He’s got you closed off like a crazy person. Let’s not forget that his father is fucking insane.”
“Okay. You’re making good points.”
“Family matters.”
“I know.”
“Include your family in this situation so that you can have real support.”
“Well. . .Lei is sending a helicopter over to get you and the girls tomorrow, so there’s a step in the right direction.”
“What?”
“Yeah. I want you to see Lotus Blossom—”
“And talk to Lei—”
“Oh. Wait. No one said anything about that—”
“Shiiiit. Marcelo and I are definitely having a conversation with Lei.”
“Hold up. No one said Marcelo was coming too.”
“Marcelo can’t come? If he can’t, then you better tell him yourself.”
“What?”
“He’s right here and wants to talk to you.”
I widened my eyes. “Alright. Fine. Marcelo can come and I will talk to him, but most importantly. . .make sure you let T.T., Chloe, and Jo know that they’re coming over tomorrow to visit. I want them to pick out their new bedrooms and see the garden.”
“I will.”
“There will be a helicopter around. . .” I considered the tea ceremony and figured the evening would be best for them to come. “It will pick you up around 5p.m.”
“That’s cool. Just let Lei and his people know that they will need to bring two helicopters to get us and that we’re also coming over with some more helicopters of our own so we can park some at the palace pad too—”
“Eh, no one said anything about more helicopters.”
“Moni, how the hell am I going to bring your sisters, Mom, Sid, Marcelo, Gunner, me, our men, my grill, and the deep freezer in just one helicopter?”
I blinked. “Banks, who the fuck said for you to bring all of these people?”
“Mom can’t come?”
“Auntie can come, but dude. . .you named tons of people and then said a fucking grill! We don’t need a grill or a deep freezer!”
“Girl, you’ve been in the East too long. You already forgot that if more than five Black people get together in a garden then it’s a cookout.”
“Oh wait.” I waved my hands as if he could see me. “I didn’t say nothing about a cookout, Banks. No one said cookout. I said come to v isit and see the house—”
“You know your sisters are going to be hungry—”
“Fine. I have a chef and staff that can—”
“That chef won’t know how to make my famous Banks’s Baby Back Ribs .” Then, he moved away from the phone and yelled out, “Mom! I need you to defrost the chicken, ribs, and beef patties in the freezer. Moni is having a cookout tomorrow in the East. Let everyone know!”
“We are not having a cookout!”
He got back on the line. “Alright, cuz. I’ll see you later—”
“Banks, I’m fucking serious—”
“Here’s Marcelo. He wants to talk to you.”
“But, Banks.” I leaned forward. “Banks? Banks?”
Then, Marcelo’s deep voice came on the line and he. . .didn’t sound pleased at all. “MoMo, we need to talk, and right. Fucking. Now.”
I swallowed.
Here we go.