Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
MAKARI “HAVOC” SANCHEZ
Irolled on my back and had to laugh when the smell of bacon wafted across my nose. Every time we had an argument, she would find herself at my house cooking for me. I slowly sat up and looked at the clock.
Yawning, I stretched out my body and climbed off the bed. After checking my phone for any messages, I went into the bathroom to get ready.
By the time I was done, my stomach was growling so badly, and my mouth was watering. I entered the kitchen, and my mama turned to look at me.
“Good morning!” she beamed, offering me a huge plate of homemade bread, bacon, sausage links, eggs, and beans.
I looked around the plate at her, and she dropped her head, making me laugh.
My mother was the type of mom who never apologized, she’d just buy me something I wanted or make me some food.
Like when I was twelve and she whooped the shit out of me for something Hell did.
When she found out that it wasn’t me, instead of apologizing, she took me out for a meal.
Even at my big ass age, she was still up to the same antics.
“Hurry up before it gets cold,” she said, shaking the plate at me. Still, not willing to say the words I’m sorry.
“Thank you,” I chuckled and took the plate from her hand. I took a seat at the dining table, and she quickly joined me with her own plate.
“Homemade bread?” I asked, lifting a piece to bite into.
My mom shrugged.
“I just felt like it, Makari. It’s been a long time since I made some bread.”
In other words, she’s finally realized the error of her ways and was really sorry. I just simpered and started eating.
“I’ve been thinking, how about I hire a housekeeper for you,” she said.
I frowned.
“For what? I’m hardly here anyway.”
“Boy, just let me do what I do.” She waved me off. I just hunched my shoulders and told her to go ahead. She was gonna do whatever she wanted anyway.
“I will make some calls and get someone in by next week. It would be nice to have someone bring some groceries or something for you. Thank God I thought to bring my own, otherwise there wouldn’t be anything here to make.”
I nodded and finished off my food before going for a second plate.
“And I won’t intervene anymore, I promise,” Mom said in a low voice. I turned to look at her, realizing that was how she apologized.
“Thank you.”
My mama was a grown woman and could make her own choices. There was nothing I could do if she wanted my father around her, but I did have a say so in my own life, and he wasn’t wanted.
At least now, we were finally on the same page.
I spent a few hours chatting with my mama before my brother called to say he needed me to meet him somewhere.
I arrived at the address he gave me and instantly felt pissed off knowing that our dad was there too. But I knew Hell. He wouldn’t try to get us in the same room, so it had to be something major going on.
My brother only cared about the relationship he and I had, so he never tried to fix the shit between me and Orlando. He had his relationship with Pops and I had mine. End of story.
Hell played referee though because every time I saw Orlando, we got into it, and although I knew I should just ignore him, unfortunately he knew how to push my buttons and make me react.
However, seeing as everyone from The Society was in attendance, I made a vow to ignore Orlando if he tried to piss me off.
Making my way inside, I found my brother and, of course, he was with Orlando. My brother stood to his feet to greet me with a hug. I didn’t even bother to look in Orlando’s way and neither did he. Thankfully, whatever was about to happen was more important than me, and I was grateful for that.
It had been many years since everyone affiliated with The Society was in one room like this. All the sanction leaders from all the boroughs and those out of state were in attendance. Yeah, something serious was going on.
I took a seat beside Hell and looked around the room. Some people I knew and others I didn’t.
“Did someone fuck up?” Orlando questioned Hell. Probably what everyone in the room was thinking. My brother shrugged and continued to look down at his phone.
I noticed Sony sitting across the room with his pops.
His eyes were on me. I turned my nose up at him because for some reason, that nigga moved sus to me.
Always watching what others were doing instead of focusing on his own shit.
I only tolerated him because he was Kelechi’s best friend, but even then, I made sure I had very little interactions with him.
Ignoring Sony, I looked around the room again, expecting to see another face. Shakur. It had been years since I saw that nigga, and after seeing him last night, I couldn’t stop wondering why he was back all of a sudden.
Sony had told us they got into some type of disagreement and Shakur fled behind it. That story never sat right with me even after hearing it a million times over. I didn’t know Shakur like that, but from the little I did know, I couldn’t see him running away.
Last night was a car show that Hell wasn’t going to miss.
It was the only night The Society kids could do what the fuck they wanted without their parents breathing down their necks, so Kelechi would have to be dead to miss that.
Of course, he wasn’t going without me, even though I didn’t care of crowds.
When I saw Shakur, he didn’t look like he was a nigga who had been hiding. He looked like a nigga who’d returned for what was his, and trust me, there was a fucking difference! If you know, you know.
Anyone who wanted to remain lowkey or in hiding wasn’t going to show up at a fucking car show where everybody was going to be!
A move like that screamed—surprise bitches, I’m back!
I smirked at Sony, knowing I was about to be messy as fuck until I found out the truth.
The doors opened, pulling my attention away from Sony, and Sincere walked in, instantly silencing the room. I noticed how people dropped their heads just so they wouldn’t have to look him in the eyes.
I simpered, knowing this old nigga was up to something. Nobody had seen his ass in about two years, and now all of a sudden, he wanted to call some impromptu meeting.
Everyone stood to their feet to watch him walk to his seat. I frowned when I noticed his walk was a little slower than usual. He looked off balance. Weak.
I looked around to see if anyone else noticed, but they were all too busy being star struck to see what I was seeing.
Once Sincere took a seat, so did everyone else. I looked at his leg again, my brows knitting further because I knew something wasn’t right.
In his face, he still looked the same, but something in his eyes was different, adding to the weird feeling brewing inside of me.
Sincere suddenly looked at me, and I saw it—he was sick!
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” Sincere began. His eyes moved around the room again before they landed on me. A smirk tugged at his lips, and I had to laugh because he knew I read him.
“I’m not going to draw this out. I called you all here because I have an announcement to make,” Sincere declared, and the room fell silent.
“He’s stepping down,” I whispered to myself, but Hell heard me.
“What,” he questioned, but I didn’t answer him because I was waiting for Sincere to say what I already knew was coming.
“As many of you know, I’ve been doing this since I was seventeen years old.
I’m sixty-seven now. That’s fifty fucking years, and I’m tired as fuck now,” Sincere chuckled, and so did everyone else.
It was like if he breathed, they did, if he laughed, they did.
I wasn’t hating, just had to respect the pull he really had.
“I never had any children, my wife wasn’t able to give me any, and I was okay with that,” Sincere continued, and then he looked at me again.
“Because of that, I’ve decided that I’m going to step down,” he said what I already knew.
Murmurs broke out in the room, but I kept my composure because I was expecting that. Sincere looked tired, and he was doing what any other tired nigga would do—retire.
“With that being said, one of you will be my replacement.”
God forbid. I couldn’t imagine a heavy burden like that being placed on my shoulders. Thank God it could never be me! I would hate to be surrounded by wolves waiting for my neck to be exposed so they could strike. I knew the hard life Sincere must have lived, and that was my worst nightmare!
Again, our eyes locked as everyone mumbled what that statement could mean for them, glad that it had nothing to do with me. I noticed out of the corner of my eyes that Orlando grabbed Hell by his shoulder.
“It has to be you, Hell. Make sure it’s you,” he harshly whispered to my brother loud enough for me to hear.
My head snapped back in their direction, wondering why my brother would want a burden like that to carry.
“No, Hell, don’t,” I whispered to him, and he just looked at me. I shook my head to reiterate to leave it alone.
Sincere stood to his feet. A little wobble indicated the lion had lost some of his strength, but it didn’t take anything away from his roar.
“I will choose one of you to replace me. It will be my choice and a final choice—no matter the rank you have now.”
“What?” someone yelled, mirroring the thoughts of everyone inside this room.
Now I was confused because what did he mean by that? Surely, only a first-born son could take his place. I assumed that would have been Sincere’s choice too, but he just stated otherwise.
“When the time is right, I will say who I have chosen, and it will not be up for debate. Continue as you were, and I will make my announcement when the time is right. Remember, I don’t give a fuck about your rank.”
With that said, Sincere left the room, leaving the weight of his words behind.