Chapter 43
During A Storm
Fifteen minutes after me and Clo’s FaceTime ended, I heard heavy banging on the door while I was still laying in bed with Junie.
I hopped up, grabbed my purse, pulled my gun out just in case, and walked cautiously to the front door.
When I looked through the peephole, it was Silk.
I cracked the door open to see what he wanted, but he immediately shoved past me and ran straight down the hall to Junie’s room.
He hugged her tight. She wrapped her arms around his neck like she never wanted to let go.
I looked out the window toward the driveway and saw Mercedes sprinting up the walk.
"Why is he in my house?" Mercedes asked, taking a deep breath as she walked past me. "Didn’t all y’all move out?" She got dead quiet the second she saw Silk holding Junie like that.
"What happened?" Mercedes asked, looking around.
"Someone killed Rio," Silk said, his voice heavy. "When we found him, we could tell he was caught slipping in some pussy. At first we thought he was set up, but when I heard Junie crying earlier, I put two and two together." He turned his eyes straight onto Junie. "Who did it?"
"He told me not to tell—"
"Junie, tell me right now, or this could look even worse for you."
"Ronnie," she whispered.
Silk immediately pulled up a profile on Instagram and shoved the phone in her face. "This nigga?"
"Yes, that’s him."
Mercedes leaned in, looked at the phone, and said, "Juice cousin."
Silk's face went cold. "For real? I didn’t even know that. They used to be together when I worked at Pink Fantasy, the first club I ever worked at." Without another word, Silk turned around and left.
Mercedes sat down on the edge of Junie’s bed and gently rubbed her feet.
"I just wanted a proper goodbye," Junie cried, wiping her face. "Something told me not to go over there, but I still went. He would still be here if I wasn’t so selfish!" she screamed.
I sat down next to her and rubbed her back. "I’m sorry, girl. This ain’t your fault for real. You telling Silk was the right thing to do."
After things calmed down a bit, I left Mercedes’ house and headed over to Clo’s lounge, "Gold."
When I walked in, Clo and Rizz were sitting low at the bar.
I hurried over and wrapped my arms around Clo tightly, holding him as hard as I could.
I knew my man was hurting inside, no matter how strong he tried to act on the outside.
Clo had practically fed Mario and taught him how to survive; that’s a different type of love, a brotherhood you can't just fake.
Silk walked in a minute later, looking freed up, and took a seat right by Clo.
"Streets talking," Rizz muttered, looking up from his drink.
"What are they saying?" Clo asked, his eyes dark.
"Ronnie is Juice’s cousin. He came back on some pure vengeance shit. We need to check out all our men to make sure nobody else is moving funny. I just put out a ten-thousand-dollar reward, and I told them I want him alive."
"Damn. How the fuck could we be this green?" Clo rubbed the back of his neck. "I talked to Don; he’s on the way home now. We got missing money, missing dope, and on top of all that, we still gotta pay the cartel."
Clover had never told anyone outside his inner circle that his grandfather was the actual head of a cartel—which I didn't blame him for keeping quiet, since it wasn't anyone else's business.
Right then, my phone buzzed with a FaceTime call from my grandfather-in-law. I walked over to a quiet table in the corner to answer it while the men kept talking.
"Hey, my favorite granddaughter," he said with a warm smile.
"Don’t let Junie hear you say that," I joked back.
"Hmm," he chuckled.
"What is it, Corro?" I asked, lowering my voice.
"Don is head over heels for her, but I know her type. His grandmother was her exact type."
"And what's her type supposed to mean?" I asked, acting a little offended.
"You ain't got to lie to me, dollface. Your cousin ain't shit. I know because I ain't shit, and I can sniff the dog in her ass from a mile away."
I couldn't help but giggle. "Damn, straight like that?"
"I’m on the way now. I'm spending a few weeks with y'all. I called you just to see how he’s holding up."
"He’s hurting, but he won't show emotion in front of these guys."
"He is a king; he’ll only do that in private. He doesn’t want to look weak or vulnerable right now."
"I’m hurt for him," I vented softly. "I feel like it’s about to get messy, and I really don’t like how messy it’s going to get."
"Just be his peace during this storm, dollface. I once had a lady like you. She was my ride-or-die, and that’s exactly what she did for me. I don’t want that stress for you, but that's what he needs." He suddenly looked a bit sad. "Just be his beautiful peace. I’ll see you soon."
He ended the call. Clo left the bar area and came to sit right across from me at the table.
I looked up as Mercedes walked into the lounge with Junie trailing behind her.
Junie went and sat by herself in a dark booth.
Mercedes walked straight over to Rizz, who was breaking down again, and pulled him into her arms, letting him bury his face in her chest.
Silk sat nearby, watching them quietly as he downed another shot.
"Baby, why does Junie look like she lost her best friend?" Clo asked, leaning closer to me. "Donnie said they ain't even been fighting. He doesn't know why she would be breaking down the way she was earlier."
I looked deep into his eyes and laid it out straight. "Baby, we got to worry 'bout us. If we insert ourselves in their relationship, we're gonna be over. Let them handle their own shit on their own."
Right then, U Know What's Up by Donell Jones started playing softly over the lounge speakers. I smiled, trying to lighten the heavy mood in the room. I leaned in and started singing right to my man.
"I'm diggin' you, I'm feelin' you, and you know what's up... Said I'm diggin' you and I'm wantin' you, so tell me, what's up?"
Clo’s face broke into a beautiful, genuine smile. I got up from the booth and wrapped my arms around him tightly.
"What would I do without you?" he asked, burying his face in my hair.
"I’m incomplete without you, baby," I whispered back.
He held me firmly by my waist, and I locked my hands around his waist too. Since I wasn't wearing heels, I could just comfortably reach his neck. This Is Love came on next from the nice playlist Dream had put together. I held onto him close as the music filled the room.
I glanced across the lounge and saw Mercedes grinding playfully on Rizz, actually making him smile—she was definitely brightening his mood.
Silk was sitting with them, looking relaxed.
Junie was still sitting by herself, brooding in the corner booth.
Over by the bar, Trent was standing right behind Dream, kissing the side of her neck and gently rubbing her stomach.
Dream looked up and smiled back at him warmly.
"So, Dream, you weren't going to tell your brother you were pregnant?" Silk called out across the room, peeping the scene.
"Damn, Dream!" Clo shouted out, half-drunk. "Me and Gold need some new godbabies! I’m putting our application in right now—though my last godkid's mama tried to fuck me."
"Nigga, what?!" I snapped, turning my head fast.
"I’m sorry, baby! I had her transported straight out the club, I swear! Rizz was right there, he’ll tell you I didn’t touch that girl!"
"Nah, it's true, we tossed that hoe out like the nothing she is," Rizz yelled over the music, taking another shot.
I rolled my eyes, feeling a little irritated, and walked off to sit with Junie instead. She immediately rested her heavy head on my lap, closing her eyes in the booth.
Looking around the room at everybody eating, drinking, and dealing with their chaos, I couldn't help but smile a little. This was actually my messy, crazy little family, and we were going to make it through whatever came next.