Zaria
My leg bounced as I waited for June to walk in the door. Yana and Harvey tried calming me down while Sasha handed me a cup. I swatted the cup out of her hand.
“I don’t want it!” I shouted.
I was at my breaking point. Being on the other end of the phone while a gunshots rang in my ear, knowing my child and husband were in danger, petrified me. Even though June said he and Peace were okay, I needed them both here. I needed to see.
The girls stared at me with pity. I could tell they were all looking for words to say, but there was nothing they could say to me that would change what I was feeling.
None of them had the man I had. None of them went through half of what I did, and it wasn’t their fault, but my troubles were greater than what any of them could imagine.
My chosen person fought a daily war with the world, and I was his second-in-command. Everything he went through, so did I. Giving up on him wasn’t an option, but a bitch was tired. I often wondered if he and I would ever experience normalcy. June wanted it, and I wanted it for him.
Harvey came and sat next to me. “I see it in your face, Zaria. I know it’s a lot, but don’t give up on him yet.”
I shook my head. “I would never give up on him. His family has done that already. Honestly, we need each other. I just want the world to stop spinning for once.”
She gently rubbed my back. “We’re here to help. What do you need us to do?”
“We need to fight some bitches? ’Cause I’m good at that,” Yana blurted out.
I giggled. “We know, Yana.”
“I’m just saying. Look, this too shall pass. We are a family, and just say the word, Zari. Now, am I about to go hop on a bike and ride out? No, but I will hop in my car with a bat and handle some shit.”
Just as I went to reply, June came into the house with Peace in his arms. The worn look on his face said it all. I rushed over to them and hugged both of them tightly.
“Thank God!” I whispered.
June’s arm wrapped around my waist as he pulled me in closer. “Protect y’all with my fucking life. I made a promise, and I’m going to keep it, but baby, I’m tired.”
“I know,” I muttered.
Footsteps came from the stairs. “Finally! Nigga, you cool?” Diamond asked.
I pulled away from June, grabbing Peace from his arms. “I’m straight. Has anyone talked to Dio?” he asked.
Now the worry for Dio had arisen. I knew that with me giving him that information, he probably went off on his own search and rescue mission. A part of me hoped nothing bad happened, but the other part of me hoped he called saying he found Samara.
Diamond shook his head as he came further down the steps. “Nah, Zeus is coming over. He said he's been calling Dio for the past hour and he hasn’t responded. Y’all know what happens when the gorilla gets riled up.” He paused. “They go ape shit.”
Yana rolled her eyes. “Diamond shut the fuck up. This is serious business.”
He shrugged. “I am serious.”
I looked at June. “I was supposed to meet him, but got distracted by what was going on with you. I know he’s with Beans and Streets.”
June pulled out his phone to call the guys. Harvey took Peace, while I followed June to figure out where the hell Dio was. The moment we stepped outside, Zeus came jogging up the street.
“Has anybody talked to my fucking brother?”
June spoke for a few more seconds before ending the call. “We need to ride out. He went to find Samara. Fuck!”
He turned to look at me, and my heart sank. Goddamn Dio. “We will be—”
I tossed my hand on my hip. “Nigga, I’m going.”
He knew not to even try to object. Not only did this involve Samara, but now it involved my heart and the other special person in my life, Dionysus. The love I had for both of them was immense, and there was no way I wouldn’t be around to see that they both came home safely.
Zeus gave a slow nod as he ran back to get his bike, and that was when I saw Foe, coming from his house, backing his bike out of the driveway, then Diamond.
Suddenly, bike lights appeared as they came up the street.
I knew whatever I hadn’t been exposed to before, I was about to get my first Zoo lesson, and I was ready because the mother in me feared nothing.