Chapter 9 #3
Ethic removed Alani’s jacket and hung it on the hooks near the door before facing her.
He cupped her face and kissed her lips. Another peck of reassurance.
It was a twisted duality to have to appear calm when every alarm inside of his body was blaring.
His mind was on the highway, but he was needed here, for the time being.
“Just for a little while, baby, until I’m sure you can move around without help. It’ll expedite your healing.”
“Can I help?” Mara asked, reaching for True’s car seat at Ethic’s feet.
Alani watched as Ethic handed their daughter off to Mara.
Eazy came through the door, struggling with the bags, bumping into the walls loudly.
“Here, I’ll help her while you help, Eazy,” Mara offered. With one hand extended for Alani, and one hand wrapped around the handle of the car seat, Mara led them into the kitchen.
The home smelled like home cooking, and as Mara escorted Alani to the kitchen table, she noticed the spread of food that was prepared.
“You cooked?” Alani asked, confused. “Are you here as my nurse or our chef?”
Mara smiled. “I’m here as your full-time health coordinator, Alani. That includes making sure you eat, and that you don’t overexert yourself trying to care for your family. I’m support. I know it can feel a bit intrusive, but I’m here for you and you alone, so please utilize me.”
“Smells amazing,” Ethic said as he walked into the room. “And it’s healthy. Thank you.”
“If you want to have a seat, I’ll fix you a plate,” Mara offered.
“What’s that smell?” Eazy asked as he came into the room. “Smells like dessert.”
“Eazy, you just ate. You not even hungry,” Alani said.
“It’s just a good old dump cake. If you guys ate already, I can save the food for dinner,” Mara said.
“I’ll take cake,” Eazy said.
“I’ve got to run, but thank you for making sure all this was prepared,” Ethic stated.
“I’ll put a plate up for you, for when you return,” Mara offered.
“That would be…”
Ethic’s sentence was interrupted by Alani’s death stare. “Actually, that’s not necessary. I’ll just grab something on the go,” Ethic said, playing it smart. He walked over to Alani and leaned down to kiss her lips. “Play nice, baby. She’s just here to help.”
“I don’t like it,” she whispered, sadly. Her whine was more than being spoiled; she was truly bothered.
“I know. It’s only temporary,” Ethic assured.
“Until our girl is back on her feet. I’m just grateful to have you home.
I’m so blessed to call you mine, Alani. Daddy love you.
You know that, right?” he asked. He kissed her and then leaned toward her ear and whispered, “All I want you to do is sit back and be pretty. Let her do the work. You don’t have to worry about anyone stealing my attention.
You ain’t got to starve me, Lenika. That cake smells good, though, you know you want some. ”
Alani giggled as he bit down on her earlobe softly.
“Okayyy, Dad,” Eazy complained, causing Bella to snicker.
Alani pulled back, all smiles and blushing as he gave a final kiss.
“Hurry back,” she whispered.
“As soon as I can,” he promised. “Walk with me, baby girl,” he said, turning his attention to Bella.
Bella hurried behind him, and when they were alone in the garage, Ethic pulled her into his arms.
“Daddy, what’s happening? Who was that?” Bella fired off the questions with urgency.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.
I’m sorry I involved you, but you did very good, baby girl,” Ethic stated.
“I shot at the tires because my family was with me, but I want to be very clear with you. I taught you to use a gun to walk a nigga down if you ever need to, but you don’t pull it for fun.
If it ever comes down to your life or someone who wants to harm you, you pull the trigger without hesitation, and you shoot to kill.
Then you touch nothing, and you call me. ”
Bella nodded in full understanding.
“Are you going back for them?” Bella asked.
“I’m keeping my family safe. All you need to know is that you’re safe.
I need you to stay here. Look after Alani and your siblings.
I don’t want Alani to know what’s going on.
She has enough to worry about,” Ethic said.
“Nobody knows where we live. You’re safe here.
I’ma put a man at the gate just in case, but on the off chance that anyone knocks on this door or tries to step across that threshold,” Ethic said as he walked to one of the cabinets against the wall.
He opened it and revealed a safe, punching numbers into it.
Inside lay another gun. Ethic removed it.
It was small, a .22 caliber. Something she could handle.
He knew she knew how to load and fire this weapon because she had done so many times before when he would take her to the gun range.
“You shoot first and ask questions later. My people won’t come inside the gate.
They’ll guard it from the outside. Not even an worker should be knocking on this door.
So, if anyone comes that you do not know, that means you’re in danger. You shoot, Bella.”
Bella was absorbing the information, and it was overwhelming her in real time, but she nodded anyway.
It was a big assignment for a teenage girl, but Ethic couldn’t stay. He had to circle back to find out what was going on, and then he had to get to Morgan to make sure that she was safe and Yara was okay.
“Are we in danger?” Bella asked.
“You never know you’re in danger until danger reveals itself.
You anticipate it anyway. You think two steps ahead,” Ethic schooled.
“Me being able to protect this house is one step ahead. You being capable to protect this home is the second step.” He reached for the thigh holster in his safe and went down to one knee.
He lifted her foot and rested it on his thigh.
“Lift your dress,” he instructed. Bella pulled it up slightly, revealing the biker shorts beneath.
He couldn’t believe he was strapping up his daughter.
“You holster your gun here. You don’t set it down.
It’s a responsibility to carry. You don’t take this off your leg.
You don’t show anyone. You don’t pull this gun unless it’s time to use it.
You stay strapped until I walk back into this house. You understand?”
Bella nodded.
“Bella, baby, tell me if you can’t handle this and I’ll…”
“I can handle it, Daddy,” Bella said, more confident this time.
“You can’t be everywhere. I’m scared, but we all aren’t here.
Mo is out there. Messari is with Aria. Yara is out there.
Whoever was in that car could be after them, too.
We’re safe here. Nobody’s coming in here.
I won’t hesitate. I’ll breathe, and I’ll shoot. ”
Ethic felt a mixture of pride and heartbreak.
“Good girl,” Ethic stated.
“Dad! Wait!” Eazy shouted, bursting into the garage. Bella adjusted her dress, and Ethic stood.
“What’s wrong, Big Man?” Ethic asked. “What about football? I have the parent meeting! And I need my suit fitted for the banquet!”
Alani appeared at the garage door.
“I can handle it, Big Man,” Alani promised.
Ethic halted as he glanced back at Alani. She was in no condition to be out in the world without him, especially running errands and sitting through team meetings. She couldn’t even drive. She could barely walk.
“Why are you still on your feet?” Ethic asked Alani.
“Please, Alani, he’s right,” Mara said as she joined the family in the garage. “I can handle the parent meeting and the suit.”
Ethic was juggling so many balls. Bella looked from Alani to Ethic, then to Mara. “I’ll call Uncle Ny,” Bella stated. “I’ve got it, Daddy, and Eazy, nobody is worried about your stupid league right now.”
“I don’t want to miss the season, though!” Eazy stated. “It’s mandatory!”
“You won’t, Big Man,” Alani reassured. “We’ll figure it out.”
“Why doesn’t anyone ever care about what I have going on?” Eazy shouted.
Ethic locked in on his son, and his brow bent in concern. He had wanted to keep what was happening away from his youngest son, but he was getting older and he realized that his unavailability was noticeable to Eazy. Ethic was pressed for time, but he couldn’t make Eazy feel small.
“I care, Big Man. What’s important to you is extremely important to me, but Yara Rae had to go to the hospital a few nights ago. She’s very sick, baby boy, and I need to check on her and Mo. That’s the only reason why I can’t take you to the meeting today.”
“Is Yolly okay?” Eazy asked.
“I don’t know anything just yet. That’s why it’s important that I be there to speak to the doctors. It’s serious, though. She’s not awake right now,” Ethic said truthfully.
His son’s sensitivity was one of the most precious things in the world. Eazy’s eyes prickled slowly as Ethic watched him fight his emotions.
“It’s okay to cry, Big Man,” Ethic said.
Alani rubbed Eazy’s back as Ethic went down on one knee in front of his child.
“I don’t want to be soft. All the boys on the team tell me I’m soft,” Eazy said, biting back his sadness and sniffing while rubbing his eyes.
“Fuck them li’l bad-ass niggas, Big Man,” Ethic said, instantly angry.
Alani’s eyes widened in protest to Ethic’s approach.
“You tell they little asses your daddy hard as they come so you ain’t got to be,” Ethic continued. “They fucking with you? That’s why you want me there?”
Eazy didn’t want to admit it, but he nodded his head as tears fell down his face.
“They put hands on you?” Ethic asked.
“No, but they tease me a lot,” Eazy stated.
“You know how to fight, Big Man. I’ve taught you. Let me see them dukes,” Ethic said. Eazy put his fists up, and Ethic threw a few light jabs. Eazy’s body moved in a defensive motion, off instinct alone.
“You know how to defend yourself. As long as they don’t touch you…”
“But the words hurt, Dad. They called me soft because I cried when my friend, DJ, died,” Eazy replied. “I don’t want to hit anybody, but it makes me mad.”