Chapter 22 Bali
BALI
“What the fuck! They are children!” Aunt Jen yelled.
Noni, Maui, Ashanni, Milana, and I were huddled up together, doing our best to keep Ashanni and Maui calm.
Everyone was at the barn, trying to figure out what our next move would be.
How were we going to fight the fucking government?
Those muthafuckas had no regard for the law, nor were they listening to judges. What the fuck could we do?
They had separated Aunt Syn from the kids, like they were a threat.
Aunt Syn went ballistic, and none of us knew what her current state was.
Members of Watchful Eyes had the family barn surrounded, inside and out.
Ali had gone to Dilley, along with the guys that Ryan had brought here.
I supposed he wasn’t afraid of being detained.
He was of Hispanic ethnicity as well as Black.
“Jen, please pray. I don’t know what to do at this point. I’m not even sure how they found them in Puerto Rico. Someone had to have reported them. I don’t even know who.”
Just as Uncle WJ said that, Daddy Mayor came rushing in and said, “I know who the fuck gave his location. I don’t know how the fuck they knew, but they did.”
He glanced at us, and Milana stepped away from us. I frowned hard as I stared at her. I know this bitch better hadn’t said shit to nobody. She was gon’ get fucked up in here, and her mama would help us.
“It was someone from the Anderson clan, wasn’t it? Specifically, from Julius’s family, huh? Fuck!”
I didn’t know who the fuck she was talking about, but those bitches were about to go down.
“Storm, how did you find that out? And how did they know where they were?” Uncle WJ asked.
“You know those muthafuckas can’t keep their mouth shut when they think they done fucked up the Hendersons.
Kane overheard a woman, identified as Julius and Malik’s cousin, talking about it at the convenience store in China.
He didn’t know who she was, but I got the owner to go through his surveillance so I could see who it was.
That was why Kane was hot as fucking fish grease earlier.
It ain’t no secret that ICE was after Marcus.
I’m pretty sure they threw a lil money their way for that info.
I don’t know how she knew though. Do we know why they are after him? ”
“They think he has ties to the Cartel. Some of his family members on his mom’s side does, but he don’t even be in contact with those people. I don’t even think he knows who they are,” Uncle WJ said.
“WJ, has Sidney and Shy made it to Dilley to get Syn and the kids?” Aunt Tiff asked.
“When Shy called ten minutes ago, they were an hour away, and Ali and the guys were right behind them.” he responded.
Milana came back near us and flopped in a chair, lowering her face to her hands. I asked, “Who in the fuck is the cousin they’re talking about? Do you know?”
“It’s probably Tonieka,” Maui said softly as I continued to rub her belly. “She used to chill with them at times when Milana was dating Julius.”
All that bullshit entered my mind again .
. . the shit we went through when Grandpa got killed.
We’d had to stay with Ferris Wheel for nearly two weeks it seemed, while our parents defended our fucking homes and businesses from the fuckers trying to take us out.
That shit was traumatic to say the least. Milana’s ex was one of the guys that attacked Grandpa at the Dollar General in China.
Uncle WJ looked so angry . . . just as angry as everyone was when Grandpa got attacked. He looked over at Seneca and Uncle Philly, and said, “Go get that bitch.”
While we were all close as a family, Uncle WJ was the closest to Uncle Marcus because of their history with Grandpa. Big Unc was usually the last one to resort to violence. The rest of us were always just ready for the word go.
I looked around the barn to see Carter against the wall talking to Red, Kingsley, Royal, Kane’s hotheaded ass, and Seven.
I was more than sure they were talking about Ace.
I pulled my phone from my pocket to text PJ to see where they were.
Before I could send it, I received a text from Ali.
I’d nearly forgotten I asked him to get at that pharmacist.
I meant to text you last night, but it’s done.
I closed my eyes and nodded repeatedly, waiting to see if I would feel any remorse. Not one fucking ounce. I went to the invoice in my email and paid it. That fucker got what was coming to him, fucking with my family.
“Who you texting? It looks intense.”
I looked up to see Carter staring at my phone with a frown on his face. Fuck! “Can we talk about it later?”
His frown deepened, then he stared at me. “You sure this can wait until later? What are you paying Watchful Eyes for?”
I closed my eyes, hating that I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I didn’t see him approaching me. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to a far corner of the room, where no one was, so we would have a little privacy. I saw my daddy watching us. That nigga didn’t miss nothing.
I wanted to lie to Carter so bad, but I knew I needed to tell him the truth.
If he found out I’d lied to him, he wouldn’t easily forgive me, if at all.
Lowering my head, I cleared my throat then looked back up at him.
“I had Ali looking into the pharmacist that approved Maui’s prescription when she was pregnant the first time.
He found out that he was Mythic’s baby mama’s uncle. ”
He was staring at me, like he knew there was more. I remained quiet, waiting to see what he would say. Finally breaking his silence, he said, “And you paid him twenty grand simply to find out who he was?”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. When I opened them and stared into his eyes, I could see his anger surfacing. He knew what I did without me saying so.
“Bali, please tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.”
I swallowed hard. “What do you think I did?”
“See, now you fucking with me. You that cold, Bali? What if that man had a wife and kids depending on him?”
“What if that shit would have killed my sister? Fuck him! He ain’t here to fuck nobody else up!”
I’d gotten loud, and I noticed some of the family staring at us. I took a deep breath as Noni approached us. Carter was angry. He was practically snarling like a dog. Without saying a word, he walked away from me, leaving the barn.
“Carter!” I yelled as I followed him outside.
He spun around and got in my face. “That was fucked up. What if you get caught?”
“How would I, Carter? Nobody knows but me, Daddy Mayor, Ali, and now you.”
His brows lifted. “Your dad is cool with that?”
“He didn’t know until after the fact. I’m his daughter. Why would he not be cool?”
“You know what . . .”
He slowly shook his head and walked away from me with his lips turned up in disgust. I watched him get in his truck and leave me standing here like I wasn’t the love of his life .
. . like I wasn’t his fiancée. My shoulders slumped as I turned to walk back inside, and I nearly walked right into Noni.
She was staring at me wide-eyed. She’d heard the conversation.
“What did you do, Bali?”
I shook my head, and instead of going back inside, I sat on the bench outside. Never in a million years did I think doing that would cause me to lose Carter. I was now seeing that shit was possible. I couldn’t even focus on what they were doing to find Uncle Marcus.
Noni sat beside me and asked, “Have you started the Clomid?”
“I’m finished with it. I’ve already ovulated.”
“What if you’re pregnant?”
“What if I am? So what. He didn’t say he was breaking up with me. If he is, then I guess I’ll be a single parent.”
“Bali—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“But what about—”
“Leave me the fuck alone!”
She took a deep breath and stood. I didn’t want to think about that shit right now. Leaning over, I brought my hands to my face, doing my best to hold my emotions in. When Red stepped outside, he looked around for Carter. When he didn’t see him, he asked, “He left?”
I didn’t respond. I just stood and went back inside, heading to a conference room no one was in and locked the door.
I literally sat in the dark, thinking about Carter.
I didn’t understand why he was so angry.
That pharmacist’s actions caused my sister to lose her baby.
I didn’t have proof of anything, but if that bitch said that she gave Maui the wrong prescription, then he knew about it.
How many other people had he possibly done that to? History didn’t lie.
There was a knock at the door, but I refused to respond. I just wanted to go home and curl up in my bed until it was time for me to go to work tomorrow.
“Bali, open the door.”
It was my daddy. Although he already knew what was going on, I didn’t feel like talking about it.
I lowered my forehead to the table, trying to calm down about the unknown.
When the door opened and the light came on, I didn’t bother to lift my head.
I knew if I didn’t open it, he would find the key.
Without saying a word, he sat next to me and pulled my hand from my lap, caressing it between his.
After a minute or so, he said, “Everything we do has consequences, baby. I don’t think he’ll stay away from you, though. Just give him time.”
I still didn’t lift my head. Carter had never been that angry with me, not even when I was ghosting his ass because of Mythic.
He was always so tender with me. He cursed at me.
This was bad. What if I was pregnant? Lifting my head, I stared at my daddy .
. . the man that understood me most. My soul was in turmoil, and I knew he could see it through my gaze.
“Is what I did a dealbreaker for marriage? Was it something that would cause him not to trust me anymore? Does that make me undesirable?”
He pulled me to him, and I rested my head against his chest, probably rubbing makeup all over it. Totally unlike himself, he remained quiet. After a few seconds, my head popped up, and I stared into his eyes. “Daddy . . .”
His silence in this moment was deafening. He was responding to my questions. What I did could be a dealbreaker for marriage. Carter no longer trusted me. I was now undesirable. Refusing to cry, I took a deep breath and nodded, then stood from my seat.
“Bali, you aren’t undesirable. However, all those questions need to be directed at Carter. He’s the only one that can answer them, baby. As your father, I always got’cho back. You know that shit. You let your emotions lead the way in your decision to do what you did. I just have one question.”
I rested my back against the door as I stared up at him. I nodded.
“How did you feel when you got the confirmation?”
I searched my soul and had even waited to see how I would feel when I’d gotten the message. I didn’t take time to evaluate exactly how I felt about it. I just knew that I wasn’t remorseful or regretful.
“Relieved. Proud of myself for taking shit in my own hands. Powerful.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll ask you again in a few days. One more question. Was it worth how you’re feeling now? Was it worth possibly losing Carter?”
I closed my eyes and felt my emotions trying to surface. I nodded repeatedly and sucked that shit up. “If he can’t understand why I did what I did, fuck him. I’ll make it in this life without him . . .” Lowering my head, allowing myself to feel, I whispered, “Even though I don’t want to.”
I opened my eyes and could see the sorrow in my daddy’s eyes as he stared at me. Opening the door, I asked, “Can you take me home?”
“Yeah.”
I turned to walk out and nearly ran into Jacob.
He pulled me to him and hugged me tightly and kissed the side of my head.
I pushed against him, because I was not trying to be in here crying.
His gesture also let me know that he knew something about what was going on.
Out of all the people in there, why was he the one to try to console me?
Besides my brother and Ace, he was the only one of my cousins who had killed someone.
Jess had as well, but it wasn’t intentional. That shit ate her up inside.
I walked away from him and headed to the door.
Of course, my girls were quickly making their way to me.
The two pregnant ones definitely needed to have a seat.
I held my hand up and shook my head, halting them in their steps.
I didn’t want to talk about Carter or his blow up.
I needed him to understand me. I thought he did.
I supposed no man wanted a woman that was capable of doing what I’d done. I had to seek retribution for what that man allowed to be done to my sister and her mental. We all suffered in some way when we lost Indigo. Fuck him.
I stood at the passenger side of my daddy’s truck, waiting for him to join me. It took him a little longer than I thought it would, so someone must’ve stopped him along the way. I glanced at my phone, wanting to text Carter, then decided against it.
Once Daddy Mayor opened my door, I got inside and lowered my face to my hands. My relationship with Carter was probably done. I supposed it was a good thing we hadn’t gone to get married at the courthouse yet, like we’d planned.
I slid the ring off my finger and fiddled with it. When my daddy got in, he said, “Somehow, they were able to get Syn and the kids. I don’t know how Sidney and Shy did that shit, but they are on their way home.”
When he saw me fiddling with my ring, he grabbed my hand and gave it squeeze.
I stared at him and allowed the tears I’d had in a chokehold to finally fall down my cheeks.
I had possibly lost a good man, but somehow, I would have to go on like he never had a hold of my heart .
. . like he was never imbedded in my soul . . . like our love never existed.