Chapter 9
BALI
The trip to Mississippi was uneventful. After a couple of hours, I went to sleep.
Had I heard “Welcome To the Country” one more time, I would have gone off.
Carter thought it was funny to listen to it over and over, since the opening line was ‘welcome to the Sip,’ i.e.
Mississippi. Had I stayed awake, I would have thrown his phone out the window.
Plus, I could only talk so much, especially with that nigga sitting behind me.
I wish he’d sat behind Carter so I could keep an eye on his ass.
I knew he was probably making faces and shit behind me.
He looked like a lovesick puppy when I got in the truck, but I felt like all that shit was an act.
For him to try to clown Noni about “ignoring” him while we were worried about Uncle Marcus was fucked up.
He was gon’ really fuck up at this rodeo, though, because Noni changed her mind and decided to still come.
She just refused to ride with us. She rode with Milana, Ferris, Asad, and some nigga named Brian.
He was Asad’s former coworker at the news station.
I honestly thought he was on the hunt. Ashanni had said that he and his lady didn’t work out for whatever reason.
He would find all types of women at the rodeo.
Carter and Red had gone to check in, and I’d gotten in the trailer while I waited for my people to get here.
I knew they weren’t that far behind us. Aunt Tiff and Uncle Ryder were supposed to be coming also, not to mention the Semiens.
I told Maui to stay home. Her blood pressure was picking up again.
I thought it was because of all the bullshit last time, and that could have very well been the case, but we didn’t need a repeat.
She didn’t seem to be stressed, so I didn’t know why it was spiking.
I should have her bloodwork results on Monday.
I also had Watchful Eyes looking into that fucking pharmacist that looked the other way when that bitch fucked with her meds.
There was no way he didn’t know, and I wasn’t going to stop until I found something he could be prosecuted for, even if it had nothing to do with Maui.
I hadn’t even told Maui that I was doing that.
I also told her to order some Legos. She’d looked at me like I was crazy.
I heard, just like coloring, playing with them could relieve stress in adults.
I told her whatever she could do to occupy her time to where she had to focus on what she was doing would function as a stress reliever.
Depending on what her bloodwork said would determine if I put her on meds or not.
Indigo would have been here by now, and we would have had a niece to love on.
That funeral was so fucking hard. I even sympathized with Mythic.
I could clearly see how much he loved my sister and how much he already loved their baby.
Watching him hold her little body had me practically running to my office to fall apart that day.
As I thought about Maui, I sent her a text to make sure she was okay. Hey. How are you feeling?
I’m good. My Legos came in today. Ashanni and I are sitting here trying to see how we are going to put them together.
Good. We got to the Sip about an hour ago.
Immediately after I texted that, I rolled my eyes. That fucking song was going to be on my mind for the rest of the day.
Okay. Y’all have fun. FaceTime us for Lana’s event.
I will.
I turned some music on to try to get that fucking song off my mind and settled on “Safe” by Cardi B.
That song described exactly how I felt with Carter.
My heart and emotions were safe with him.
Nothing I ever told him got repeated to anyone.
With as much as Red ran his mouth, I was more than sure if he knew anything personal about me, I would have heard it repeated by now. He reminded me of Seven sometimes.
When I heard the door open, I knew Carter and Red were back. I didn’t dare leave the confines of the bedroom I was in. I didn’t want to be bothered with Red. When Carter came inside, he said, “Your people just pulled up.”
I smiled slightly until he said, “Red saw Noni. I had to practically steer wrestle his ass to keep him from going over there.”
I slowly shook my head as he sat next to me.
“He gon’ fuck around and find out. He ain’t gon’ stop until he does.
Noni is gonna explode on his ass. While we may be different, we are the same.
I don’t hold shit inside, because I don’t want to explode.
I realized when we were teenagers that she will hold shit in sometimes, unless I coax it out of her. ”
“Maybe that’s what he needs so he’ll leave her alone. He got a lot of work to do on himself before he even thinks about pursuing her again.”
I nodded as my phone chimed. When I picked it up, I saw it was a text from Noni. Come meet us. You know damn well I ain’t going over there.
I rolled my eyes, then glanced at Carter. He kissed the side of my head, and said, “Go ’head and meet your people. I gotta keep tabs on this nigga anyway.”
He chuckled. I kissed his lips and brought my hand to his cheek. “I love you so much, Carter.”
“I know. I love you, too, baby.”
I grabbed my crossbody and stood to head out. “Where did they park?”
“One aisle over.”
The minute I opened the door, that nigga was looking right at me. He was about to open his mouth. I quickly held my hand up. “Naw, nigga. Don’t try to put me in the middle of y’all shit. I let that go two weeks ago. You on your own.”
“Bali, just tell her I love her.”
“Red, fuck you.”
I opened the door and left him in his pitiful feelings.
I didn’t have time for his bullshit. He could drop all that shit on Carter.
I knew I would have to hear Carter’s voice of reason when I got back for telling his friend ‘fuck you’, but oh well.
He should have left well enough alone. I told him I didn’t want to be in the middle of that shit.
They wanted me out of their business, and that was exactly where I was going to stay.
We were in the last row of the parking area, so I knew they had to be in the row in front of us.
As I cut through the trailers across from us, I saw them.
Before I could get to them, I saw, who had to be Brian, grab Noni’s hand.
Aww fuck. What in the fuck was she thinking?
Milana was for that type of carrying on, so I surely couldn’t expect her to talk some sense into her.
From what Ashanni told me, Brian was at least thirty-six, nearly ten years older than us.
Although Noni was frowning, she hadn’t pulled her hand away from him.
She was vulnerable. When I got close, she noticed me and pulled her hand away from his.
My frown had to be deep, because hers only got deeper.
“You know that nigga across the way crazy as fuck, right?” I said as soon as I walked up.
She rolled her eyes. She could roll her eyes if she wanted to. If nobody told her when she was fucking up, she knew I would.
“I broke up with him a week ago.”
“What the fuck ever.”
I walked past them as Brian stared at me with his eyebrows lifted. Asad slowly shook his head, so I shot him the finger. When I flopped next to Milana, she said, “When I tried to say something, she told me to shut the fuck up. So guess what I did?”
I side-eyed her.
“I shut the fuck up,” she said, answering her own question.
“This gon’ be a long fucking weekend. I’ma go hang with Treasure when they get here, because Noni gon’ have me fucking somebody up. Red gon’ be ready to fight when he see her flirting with that nigga. Brian don’t even know the danger he’s in.”
“Shiiiid. You don’t know who that nigga connected to.
Our attorney, Sidney, is his aunt by marriage.
Her husband is his mom’s brother. Plus, remember the men of her family that came and helped Watchful Eyes?
The one with the blue eyes is also his mom’s brother. I heard he ain’t the one to play with.”
“Great. So he’s related to the Taylors. She finna start a lot of shit.”
“I don’t think so. Brian is extremely mature and smart. He’ll back off if he knows there’s drama. As soon as they have time to themselves, Asad and Ferris will enlighten him.”
“Well, we need to go find something to do to give them that time, even if we just walk around here. Carter is doing his best to keep Red in pocket. That nigga was tryna come over here when he saw y’all.”
“Yeah, I saw him. I’m surprised Carter was able to get him back to his trailer.”
I slowly shook my head. I almost wish I would have stayed home.
The clinic could have served as my distraction from this shit.
Sometimes I hated that Noni and Red got involved.
It affected Carter and me more often than not.
It was like it made it hard to support my man when I knew Red was gonna be there.
I was never in the greatest mood at the rodeos, because I had to be around him.
When my phone chimed, I glanced down at it to see a message from Daddy Mayor.
They tried to get Marcus again. Almost caught him leaving the airport in Houston.
He came back to make sure Syn and the kids made it back safely.
Do you mind if he crashes at your place while you’re gone? He’s leaving for Puerto Rico Sunday.
I rolled my eyes and huffed. I was so sick of this fuck shit with this government. I don’t mind. How are they? How is he?
Syn and the kids are a little shook up, but they’re okay.
Had it not been for Jungle and Vegas from Watchful Eyes, they would have caught him and took the whole family to a detention center.
Sidney and Shy are doing all they can, but it’s like their credentials don’t mean shit against this Confederacy.
I’m going to be checking on y’all, Daddy. I’m scared.
That was real. I would never tell anyone other than him, Noni, or Carter that I was scared.
The law didn’t even matter these days. It was almost as if protests were pointless, because those muthafuckas were doing what they wanted to do regardless.
They weren’t even obeying judges. We were going to have to fight fire with fire collectively.
Unfortunately, I doubted that would happen, especially in red ass Texas.
“You okay?” Noni asked.
I didn’t even notice her walking over here. I rolled my eyes at her and refused to respond. She was on my fucking nerves. When I didn’t respond, she said, “Well, fuck you, too.”
I stood from my seat and got in her face.
“You fucking up. I ought to go back to that fucking trailer and tell Carter not to worry about babysitting Red’s ass.
You playing games, and that nigga tryna come over here and get at you.
He was already controlling your ass. I don’t know what has gotten into you, but you gon’ make me dig that shit out. ”
Milana quickly got in between us, and Ferris joined her. “Come on, y’all. Don’t do this here. Milana needs her mind right.”
I nodded repeatedly. “You right, Ferris. Fuck this shit.”
I walked off, heading back to Carter’s trailer. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I sent Daddy another text. Noni out here fucking up. She finna cause some major shit to go down if she don’t calm her hot ass down. I’m tired of her shit.
I slid my phone back in my pocket and walked inside Carter’s trailer to find them passing a blunt.
They both stared at me as I walked to the bedroom and slammed the door.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and started the shower.
Noni was making me believe she was as much of the problem as Red was.
Before I could undress, my phone rang. It was Daddy.
“Hello?”
“What the fuck going on out there?”
“She out here flirting with another nigga, knowing that shit gon’ set that crazy muthafucka off if he see it. Brian of all people.”
“Who the fuck is Brian?”
“Miss Taylor’s nephew and Asad’s friend. He rode here with them.”
“Let me call her.”
“Naw. I just needed to vent, Daddy. That crazy ass girl find out I told you, we gon’ be out here fucking Carter or Milana’s trailer up. I don’t know what’s going on with her, and it’s really pissing me off.”
“She’s vulnerable.”
“Vulnerable is one thing, but she going off on Milana and me like we’re the problem. Milana and Ferris had to get between us. I’m tired. When Miss Harper gets here, I’m just gonna hang with them.”
“That’s probably best. I ain’t tryna make a trip out there because you done got arrested. Just concentrate on supporting Carter, and we’ll deal with this shit when y’all get back.”
“Okay. Uncle Marcus made it to my place yet?”
“Naw. He just got home. The entire Watchful Eyes Crew is on him, and they will probably be with him until he leaves Sunday.”
“Okay. Tell them my bedroom is off limits. They can go anywhere else in the house, though.”
“A’ight, Tweedle Dee.”
“Yeah. Tweedle Dum is being dumb as fuck. You put that on her by calling her ass that.”
He chuckled. “Cool out with that shit, Claressa.”
“Daddy, I know you didn’t call me that ugly ass woman.”
He laughed so hard, and just that quickly, I was no longer angry. I was laughing, too.
“Find Tiff. Let her know what’s going on, so she can mediate.”
“Milana can tell her. I’m steering clear of their asses.”
“A’ight, baby.”
“Call me once Uncle Marcus is settled, so I know all is well for now.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
The second I ended the call, Carter walked into the bedroom. He glanced toward the bathroom, then asked, “Y’all going out?”
“No. Fuck that. I’m staying in.”
“You wanna go get something to eat with us?”
“Nope. I have a couple of protein bars in my bag. I’ll be fine.”
He came to me and pulled me in his arms. After kissing my forehead, he said, “You know I’ll stay here if you need me, baby.”
God, I loved this man. I looked up at him and gave him a tight smile. “No. I’m fine. This weekend is about you sealing the number one spot. I love you so much, and I’m so proud of you Carter Legend Semien.”
He smiled at me and kissed my forehead again, then my lips. “I love you more. I’m beyond proud of you, too, Bali Wynter Henderson.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and stared into his eyes. He slid his hands to my ass and squeezed. “When I get back, I plan to visit the Wynter Wonderland. So wait up for me.”
I smiled. “I’ll do my best. If I fall asleep, please wake me up so you can melt all this ice.”
He chuckled, then bit his bottom lip as he stared at me. I knew he could see the turmoil in my eyes. He always could. After kissing the tip of my nose, then my lips, he said, “Gladly. Just make sure them swimming skills are up to par. That’s a lot of ice.”
I shoved him playfully as he winked at me and left. That was my husband, and as long as I had him and Daddy Mayor, I didn’t need anyone else.