Chapter 21
EARLIER
“I can’t believe my baby is getting married today!” my mother exclaimed.
I’d spent the night over here so my mom could help me get ready. My aunt Lauren was doing my hair, and my cousin Tamela was doing my makeup. The girls had gotten here about thirty minutes ago and were currently getting dressed.
“That man is gonna cry when he sees you,” Aunt Lauren said, pinning the last of my curls up. “If he doesn’t, turn around and make him try it again.”
Tamela rolled her eyes. “Ma, don’t tell her that. Just because you made Daddy do that doesn’t mean she should.”
“Whatever. Your father needed to act like I was the best thing to ever happen to him that day.”
“He’s been married to you for twenty-five years,” my mother reminded her. “I think he knows.”
“He better!” Aunt Lauren snapped her fingers. “I love me some him. I know you love you some Maceo, too, niece. I knew that man was gonna be your husband when he put that block party together for your birthday.”
I smiled at the memory.
I couldn’t believe that I was getting married today. The whole wedding was kind of rushed, given it had only been two weeks since Maceo proposed, but there was no need for us to wait. With everything going on, we just wanted a little bit of happiness in the midst of the storm brewing.
“You know,” Aunt Lauren said, moving to admire her work on my hair. “I thought for a second that you might be pregnant with how fast you two planned this wedding.”
I giggled. “No babies just yet, Auntie. I’m just ready to be his wife.”
That was a half-truth.
Throwing together a whole wedding on such short notice didn’t blow over well with the family at first, but they got on board once they saw we weren’t changing our minds. It was no easy feat. Thankfully, Salima had contracts with some of the best vendors in the city. Being Deuce’s wife gave her a little status with the community off the strength of his family’s philanthropy efforts.
We were blessed that everything came together without a hitch. The most stressful part was finding my dress. I thought back to the day we’d gone dress shopping. I’d already woken up feeling a little dreadful about not finding one, and that negative attitude carried over into the dress shop.
“No, this isn’t it,” I said, looking in the mirror.
The group groaned. With me was my mother, Aunt Karen, Maceo’s mother, Salima, Mia, and Jaeda. I’d tried on twelve dresses and had yet to find the one that spoke to my heart.
I stomped my foot in a bratty manner. “I’m never going to find it,” I whined.
“Nobody told you and Maceo to rush this wedding,” Mia stated, plucking at her nails.
Jaeda nudged her. “Shut up.”
“What! She knows they rushed this shit.”
“Mia, you can go,” I said with a voice full of aggravation. “I’m already frustrated, and I don’t need this shit right now.”
“I’m just saying ? —”
“Just stop,” Salima said. “Rushed or not, it’s her wedding, and she deserves to find the dress of her dreams.”
“Everybody, just calm down,” my mother said, standing.
She stepped up to the stage and reached for my hand. I slipped her my palm and allowed her to pull me off stage. Without a word, she led me to the back and helped me out of the current dress. I slipped into the complimentary robe, and she led me back out to the showroom floor to the selection of dresses.
“Close your eyes, baby.”
“Mommy—”
“Sharina. The problem isn’t finding a dress. There are hundreds of beautiful dresses out there. You’re having a hard time because you’re just looking at them without an idea. The right dress doesn’t just pop out at you, baby. You have to have some notion of what you’re looking for. Otherwise, you are wasting your time. Now, close your eyes.”
I sighed and did as she said.
“Now, I want you to picture yourself in your ideal wedding dress. The cut and style. The length. How do you want to feel when you’re wearing it? How do you want Maceo to feel when he sees you walking down the aisle?”
I tried my hardest to picture the dress. I knew I wanted a sweetheart or V-cut neckline, something classy yet sexy, and some sort of texture. I knew I wanted to feel confident and beautiful as I made my way to my man. In addition, I wanted something that would make Maceo’s mouth drop and his eyes water at the sight of me.
“Do you see it?” my mother asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. Now open your eyes and go find it.”
I opened my eyes and slowly made my way through the store as she followed behind me. A good ten minutes passed before I stopped in my tracks at the sight of the most beautiful, perfect dress that had to have been made just for me. It was a floor-length, vintage mermaid gown that was covered in lace sequin. The V-cut neckline showed just the right amount of cleavage to be sexy yet tasteful. The sleeve had a beautiful and elegant lace design that flowed over my hands.
It was simply beautiful.
I quickly snatched it off the rack and turned to show my mother.
“This is it,” I declared. “This is the one.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s get you in it.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice. I damn near sprinted to the dressing room. After hanging the dress up, I snatched off the robe. My mother helped me get into the dress, and as she was zipping it up, I felt the tears forming in my eyes. She smiled as she pulled my hair aside.
“You look beautiful, baby,” she said, kissing my cheek. “Just like the bride I knew you’d be.”
When I showed the rest of the women the dress, they were in awe, and everyone agreed that it was indeed the one.
“That should do it,” Tamela said, stepping back. She smiled brightly as she looked at me. “Cousin, I did that shit! You look amazing.”
My mother nodded in agreement as she came over with my dress. “It’s time to put it all together.”
The front door burst open, and Salima came rushing in with her dress over her shoulder.
“I’m here! I’m here!” she yelled. She paused with her hands on her knees. “Lord, I’m tired. Everything looks amazing though!” She stood up, and her eyes landed on me. “Awww, boo! You look so pretty!”
“Thanks, babe. I was just about to put on my dress.”
“I’m just in time!”
“We’re gonna head back to the house to get dressed,” my aunt said. “We’ll meet you at the venue.”
I nodded. “Okay. Thanks again.”
“If you fuck up my makeup, I’m kicking your ass,” Tamela said.
I waved her off. “Nobody is gonna mess up your precious work.”
“If you know like I know, you won’t. I’ll make sure to bring my kit to the venue to touch you up before pictures.”
She and my aunt gave me air kisses before they packed up their things and left the house. I looked at my mother and best friend before sliding out of the makeup chair to my feet.
“I’m ready.”
They both smiled. I pulled off my robe and allowed them to help me into my dress. After getting it situated, they placed my shoes on my feet and laced them up. Salima went into her bag and pulled out a box. There was a big grin on her face as she brought it to me.
“What’s this?” I asked, taking it from her.
“Your husband-to-be tasked me with giving this to you for your big day. He said it would be the perfect complement to your dress, and I couldn’t agree more.”
Slowly, I opened the velvet box. A gasp left my lips as I stared at a beautiful set of jewelry. It amazed me that even though he didn’t know what my dress looked like, he knew this would be perfect. Salima took each of the pieces from the box and placed them on me. When she took a step back to take in the finished look, tears swelled in her eyes. The same thing happened with my mother.
“Oh… baby…” my mother said, clutching her chest. “You look absolutely stunning.” She grabbed my tiara to add the final touch and carefully placed it on my head. “Perfect.”
“Can I see?” I asked, fidgeting slightly in my stance.
She nodded before running off to get a full-length mirror. Salima instructed me to close my eyes. I could hear the heels of the other girls clicking across the floor as they entered the room. Gasps echoed in the space. I could smell my mother’s perfume as she came near me.
“On the count of three, open your eyes. One. Two. Three.”
My eyes slowly opened, and I, too, had to gasp at my reflection. Staring back at me was a woman I barely recognized. I’d been to plenty of weddings. I’d even had the honor of participating in a few. But this was my wedding. Nothing could’ve prepared me for the moment, and I looked in the mirror and saw a beautiful bride staring back at me.
I looked up to see the smiling faces and tearful expressions of my family and friends. It was the same look they had given Salima on her wedding day.
Jaeda swiped a tear from her eye. “Wow. You look absolutely radiant. My brother is a lucky man.”
“He might just cry when he sees you,” Mia said, giggling. “He will never live that down.”
“Y’all better leave my man alone if he cries,” I said, fanning my face. “I might just shed a thug tear myself.”
I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Today wasn’t something I’d dreamed about since I was a little girl. It wasn’t something I’d planned out in intricate details. It wasn’t even something I was sure I wanted before I met Maceo. Now, it was everything. I’d found my soulmate and best friend all wrapped up in one, and I couldn’t wait to be Mrs. Maceo Dillinger.
Time was winding down until we said I do.
It was time to head to the venue space. Maceo’s mother, Deja, Aunt Karen, and Ms. Stephanie had all come over so we could ride together. We piled in the SUVs driven by the Dillinger’s street team and made our way there. In one car was Salima and me. Jaeda, Deja, and Mia rode in the second one. In the other were the mothers.
“Are you nervous?” Salima asked, squeezing my hand.
“Nope. Nothing is changing but my last name.”
She giggled. “I love how you are always so confident. It’s one of the things I admire about you.”
I smiled. “You know what I admire about you?”
“What?”
“The way you always persevere. You sacrificed so much to take care of Aunt Karen. You went through something traumatic, and you never let it make you crawl in a hole and drown in your sorrows. You take everything with grace and strength.”
She swiped at a tear. “You know why I can do that, Shar? Because you’ve been in my corner every step of the way. When I couldn’t turn to anybody else, I always had you.”
“And you’ll always have me, boo.”
We shared a warm embrace, both of us fighting back tears.
“Look at y’all being all sentimental and shit,” Amp said, chuckling.
I playfully swatted at him. “Shut up.”
“I’m just saying. Y’all been attached at the hip since I’ve known you. What y’all have is solid. I respect that.”
“Thank you, Amp,” Salima said.
“You’re marrying into a good family, Shar. I know some shit is a little unorthodox, but the Dillingers really are for their community. I’m sure you know that.”
“I do,” I confirmed.
Salima’s phone rang, and she picked it up to answer.
“What’s up, Jae?”
I watched as she listened. The expression on her face went from one of elation to fear.
“What? Yeah, yeah, okay. Hold on.” She handed the phone to Amp.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
She looked at me as though she didn’t know how to tell me what was said on the other end of the phone.
“Salima, what happened!”
“There was a shooting at the venue, Shar.”
“What! Is Maceo okay? Oh my God! My dad and my brothers went to meet him!”
“He’s fine. They’re all fine. It’s just… the rest of the men that you two were working with. Shar… they’re dead.”
My lip trembled. “All of them?”
She nodded. “I’m so sorry.”
I felt my chest begin to tighten. Sloan? Tiny? Miko? Zeno? All of them were dead? That just left me and Maceo. Charity and Blane really were picking us off one by one.
Amp hung up the phone and handed it back to Salima. “I’ve been instructed to take you to the compound.”
“No,” I said firmly. “I need to see Maceo and my father and brothers.”
“Sharina—”
“Take me to them! I need to lay eyes on them. I need to see that they are okay with my own two eyes before I go any fucking where.”
He sighed and kept driving in the direction of the venue. Salima’s phone rang again, and it was Jaeda. This time, I answered.
“I don’t care what his instructions were, Jaeda. I need to see him and my family. I’ll do whatever he wants after that, but I need to see them.”
I hung up, not giving her a chance to say anything else. Handing Salima her phone back, I sat in the seat with my nerves on ten. I knew they wouldn’t settle until we got to the venue or after. Ten painstaking minutes went by before we pulled up to the scene. Police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, and coroner vans were everywhere. Amp had barely come to a full stop before I was jumping out of the car. Picking up the bottom of my dress, I ran toward the building.
“Maceo! Daddy! Kilow! Damaris!”
The first person to grab me was my father. I wasn’t sure where he came from, but when I saw his face, I instantly grew angry.
“What the hell happened to your face!” I yelled.
“Him and Mr. Dillinger got in a fight,” Damaris answered.
I gasped. “What!”
“It ain’t shit, Sharina.”
“Daddy, look at your face!”
“You should see his.”
My mother came running over, immediately checking my brothers first, then my father.
“Oh my God, Paul!”
“Don’t start, Cicely. I’m fine.”
“You aren’t fine! Look at your face!”
“It’ll heal.”
I could see we weren’t going to get anywhere with him. Turning to my brother, I asked, “Damaris, what happened?”
“Mama, can I curse?”
“Damaris, tell us what the fuck happened!” my mother yelled.
“Okay, so boom. Maceo told him what happened here and why, and Daddy got mad as hell. He started yelling and cussing, then he punched Maceo in the gut. That’s when his daddy jumped in like, ‘Don’t put your fucking hands on my son.’ Daddy was like, ‘Then you take this ass whupping for him.’ That’s when they started fighting. It was crazy. It took everybody to break them up.”
I palmed my face. “Daddy, you shouldn’t have hit him.”
“Fuck that. Maceo had you out here in his bullshit?—”
“I knew what I was doing!” I yelled.
“Wait, back it up,” my mother said. “What did Damaris mean by the reason all of this happened?”
“I’ll tell you what it means,” my father said, glaring at me. “She’s been working with Maceo to take down a black-market organ trafficking organization.”
My mother gasped. “Sharina, please tell me he’s joking.”
I was quiet.
“You told us you worked with the charity foundation. How could you lie to us about something like this!”
Before I could say anything, I saw Maceo slide under the caution tape and head toward me. Abandoning my stance, I ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck.
“Baby, are you okay?” I asked, checking him over.
“I’m fine. What are you doing here? I told them to take you back to the house.”
“You know I wasn’t going anywhere until I saw you. What happened?”
He sighed. “Charity. The bitch had some niggas roll up here and open fire. Then they threw Zeno’s body out of the back of the truck. There was a fucking bomb inside him.”
I covered my mouth in disbelief. “A bomb!”
“A bomb,” he confirmed. “She called me right before it went off.”
“We have to find this bitch, Maceo.”
“Excuse me, we?” I turned to see my mother standing with her arms crossed. “Who the fuck is we? No, what you’re gonna do is take your ass back to that compound and sit the fuck down. You’re done with this shit, Sharina. And you!” She pointed a finger at Maceo. “What the hell were you thinking letting her follow you into this shit! I don’t care if she’s grown, you tell her no.”
“Ms. Cicely?—”
“Shut your ass up. And tell your daddy the next time he puts his hands on my husband, I’ll shoot him my damn self.”
She stormed back over to my father and brothers just as Ms. Allison approached us.
“Maceo, I know you didn’t bring Shar into this.”
Maceo was silent.
She shook her head. “Shar, baby. This life isn’t for play, sweetheart. I’ve never been in it, but I’ve been close enough to it with Senior. I know danger seems exciting, but it’s not. It’s just what it is… dangerous. It’s all fun and games until somebody is shooting at you. Look at this shit. Is this the life you want to live? Having a bounty on your head? Is this why you two rushed this wedding?”
Maceo sighed. “Listen, Ma. I’m not marrying Shar solely because of what’s going on. I love her. I want to spend whatever life I have left with her. Whether it’s five minutes, five days, or fifty years, she was always going to be my wife.”
He peered down at me before taking my face in his hands.
“I’m sorry this ruined our wedding day, love.”
“I don’t care about that. I’m just glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, Maceo.”
Softly, he pressed his lips to mine. “I’m not going anywhere if I can help it.” He stepped back and took a look at me. “You look beautiful, baby.”
I smiled softly. “Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself.”
Although the five-piece suit was missing the jacket, he was still as handsome as ever.
“I want you to go home,” he said firmly. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I know we have to do damage control, so I’ll probably be a while. Give this phone to Jaeda. She’ll know what to do.” He slipped me a burner phone. “I love you, Shar.”
I teared up. “I love you too.”
We shared another kiss before he went back to his family. Ms. Allison placed an arm around me and kissed my temple.
“They will figure things out. They always do. Right now, you need to go home.”
I didn’t fight her on it. I simply nodded and allowed her to lead me back to the waiting SUV. Amp opened the back door and helped me inside. Salima joined me a few seconds later. The moment the door closed, she pulled me into her arms, and I broke down.
All we’d done was try to help people, and it backfired on us in a major way. Innocent lives had been taken. Maceo and I were in danger. My parents were furious with me, and my wedding day was ruined.
What else could possibly go wrong?