Chapter 16
Aday or two later
Hondo
This morning I made my wife breakfast, ate with her, and talked about our future.
A future that, after today, not a man in her family would have.
I had allowed O’Leary to stew long enough.
It was now time to handle this shit and get back to money being the motivation.
This mess had lasted too long and I didn’t like it.
I understood going through the proper channels and handling things correctly, but they didn’t, so why should I?
Because I was built for this, to lead the families under my family into a season of more flow than any of us had ever seen.
Fuckers like O’Leary didn’t get to reach the promised land because it was never promised to him and he knew nothing about making it happen together. He was ruthless and selfish. If he was grimy enough to backstab his own blood, what the hell would he do to me?
“You ready?” Otto asked as soon as I got out of the car in the underground parking at The Oak.
“Born this way. You made sure they brought TJ and invited Titus?”
“Course I did. I’m just here to witness your program, baby brother.”
I laughed then continued into the building. “And thanks a lot, dropping off two puppies.” I sent a brief mug in his direction.
“My pleasure. I just knew you were gonna call and curse my ass out yesterday.”
I shook my head, my eyes finding Titus standing outside the meeting room looking timid as hell.
This was why I’d never respect him. How the fuck was he a grown ass man but afraid of his father?
That unaware shit he tried to feed Nic would never fly with me.
At the end of the day, a nigga had to have an inkling about something.
“Can I speak with you for a moment?” Titus stepped away from the door, looking in my direction.
“’Bout what?” I glared at him, ready to take his head off.
“It’ll only be a moment.” He cowered and I shook my head.
I nodded, then looked at my brother. “Give me a minute. We’ll be in there.”
Otto nodded. “Aight.”
The basement of The Oak was built like a big ass maze, with the bar/meeting space in the center shielded by tempered glass and privacy flowerpots with fake flowers in them. We stood in the corner, right before the entry.
“Look, you probably think of me as less than a man. And you’re right.
I feigned ignorance to situations because I didn’t want to see what was right before my eyes.
I’m fucked up and I have been for years.
But what I will not take the heat for is trying to kill my own child, my daughter.
I would never and neither would my father. ”
I shook my head, then stepped into his space.
“And that’s where you lost me. Nothing you say here will take away from the facts.
You out here fighting a battle for a motherfucker who sacrificed your son for money, killed your wife, and actually tried to kill your daughter, my fucking wife.
Now I would’ve overlooked everything going on in your rotten bloodline had a nigga not come for her, but that line was crossed and this shit right here is happening.
Now step your ass on in here so we can get this shit over with and I can go the fuck home. ”
He didn’t even look at me. He went into the meeting area. I followed him, my eyes immediately finding Curr’s. If I didn’t know any better, his old ass looked nervous. Today wasn’t his day of reckoning, but I had a feeling it would come soon.
Then I looked at Shamus. His cheeks were red and his eyes were pointed. Those motherfuckers weren’t even blue at first glance. Right now, they were black.
I locked eyes with my brother a second later and nodded. I could tell by the way he was looking he wanted to ensure I was good. The nod was to assure him.
“It’s tense than a motherfucker in here, ain’t it?” Tylon’s voice filled the space as he slipped into the seat next to my brother.
“As all of you know, I recently married Patience, Titus O’Leary’s daughter.
The love of my fucking life and honestly the whole reason for this meeting today.
Very few of us know about the countless attempts on her life, stemming from the day we were married and I walked in on a motherfucker about to shoot her on our wedding day.
A dummy mission. Then the next time, a drive by while she was out in my fucking city minding her business.
And the last time, at the hands of her own fucking brother.
Got pretty desperate there, huh?” I asked, my eyes locked on Shamus.
He didn’t move nor did he blink. He glared at me.
“And as I tried to tell you in the hall, none of us would have done this. She is our flesh and blood.” Titus was beating a dead horse at this point and damn sure not reading the room.
Otto addressed Shamus. “Shamus, share the family business with your son for once, so he can get out of that denial.”
Titan looked at him and that evil, cold, pale motherfucker didn’t move an inch. His eyes and entire posture were still locked on me.
“Where you fucked up is coming after her in the beginning. Patience is mine and would have always been mine, even if your plan to double cross me and marry her to Kolton Curr would have succeeded. Been fucking mine.”
“Son, it sounds like you’re doing a bunch of carrying on. Where is your proof?” He finally spoke, bringing a smile to my face.
I began to clap, then nodded toward the doorway. There TJ stood, shackled like a prisoner being led in. He looked rough, but he was sober and alive for now.
“Proof is in the blood and the files.” Otto tossed a manila folder onto the table. Of course, Titus reached for it, being the only person in the room who needed to see what I was saying.
“Tell them what you told me, TJ.”
That was all it took and he spilled his guts to his father. Admitting to everything Shamus confided in him about, including the promise that he would be Shamus’s predecessor because Titus was too weak to step up.
“You weak, conniving ass boy. How dare you let the—”
“And Daddy, he killed Mama. He had everything set up; it wasn’t an allergic reaction. Just like he has a policy on Patience, he had one on Mama.” Tears streamed down TJ’s face and I almost felt bad for him, but not bad enough. His fate would still be his fate.
I extended my hand, and immediately, a gun was placed in it. Within seconds I placed it at the back of TJ’s head and pulled the trigger. I told him I’d make it quick and I did. He was slumped over the table when security came right in and removed him before a bigger mess was made.
“You’re not gonna get away with this. Logan knows all about this meeting, so you can’t kill me, regardless of what you know.”
“Not unemployed Logan without a lick of credibility. Damn, you must not be watching the news, Shamus. Your boy is out.” Otto announced the news like he hadn’t damn near scolded me when I had it done.
“So tell me what I can’t do again.” I smiled, about to pull the trigger. Titus’s voice stopped me.
“You killed my wife?” he asked, late as fuck.
“Keep up with the conversation, son. It’s all semantics at this point.” He didn’t even look at Titus.
“According to the bylaws, you can’t kill me, even with all that power you have, if one committee member steps up to save me.” Shamus smirked.
I laughed. “You’re right, so let’s vote then.” At this point he thought he held so much power that somebody was gonna step up and risk themselves to save him.
“Anybody in here willing to vouch for Shamus?” Otto asked.
I looked from Tylon who sat back to Curr. His face was beet red, but he didn’t move an inch or raise one hand to vouch for his buddy. As a matter of fact, Shamus was looking upside his head, but he didn’t budge. Curr looked ahead, hand on his cane.
Honestly, everybody in the room had eyes on Curr, including me, even though I knew our conversation a few days prior was probably tap dancing on his skull.
“Choose the right side of history.”
“Welp, that means nobody, huh?” I asked, lifting the gun in my hand and pulling the trigger. One shot to the head rid the world of Shamus O’Leary for good and boy did that shit feel good.
I stared at him for a minute, then handed the pistol back to Steeve. “Meeting adjourned.”
Tylon was on his feet first, fixing his suit jacket. “I’ll be in touch.”
Curr sat there for a moment, his eyes on the body. Shamus was his boy, his friend. Another dinosaur in this ever-evolving life.
When he finally got on his feet to leave, he was about to pass me when I spoke.
“Good choice.”
He didn’t acknowledge my words. He left just me, Otto, and Titus in the room.
I turned to leave, but his voice stopped me.
“Why aren’t you killing me too?” Titus’s voice was heavy with dread.
Otto didn’t even bother to turn and respond. He continued out of the space.
I shook my head. “Because believe it or not I don’t believe you were ignorant to all that was going on.
I don’t think you’re as lost or stupid as you act.
I think you enjoy having people to blame and people to hide behind on your decisions.
Now you don’t have that and you damn sure don’t get to play unknowing or oblivious.
For once in your fucking life, you get to be a man and own up to your shit.
Oh, and also, once the feds go through all the fraud your pops put in your name, you’ll wish you were dead.
” I turned to leave but stopped once more.
“Stay the fuck away from my wife and Paige.”
He didn’t respond, just looked at me. I needed no response, punishment for not heeding the warning I had just given was clear.
When I made it outside, my brother stood near the truck talking to Tylon.
“You good?”
I nodded.
“Good, ’cause this nigga is tryna get at your sister-in-law.”
It took a second for me to flip the switch from what had just happened in there to the playful moment happening here. “Nah, you be on bullshit. I ain’t finna have my wife on my back about you and her little sister.”
Tylon laughed. “I ain’t even like that. I really be chilling.”
Otto laughed hard as hell and so did I.
When I left The Oak, my first call was to Nic. She was heavy on my mind, and I needed to hear her voice.
She answered on the first ring while laughter spilled from her lips. “Hey baby, what’s up?”
“Just needed to hear your voice. I’m on my way home to you. What are you laughing at?”
“Your mother. She se—”
“Yo, she over there? She ain’t never come by the spot this much.”
Nic laughed. “She isn’t here. She sent me one of your baby pictures. You were adorable.”
“What she be on with me?” I laughed, sitting back in the seat.
Nic laughed. “It’s not like you were an ugly baby. You were handsome with a few questionable moments.”
I chuckled. “Yet you were straight feenin’ for and crushing on a nigga. Yeah aight, Nic.”
She continued laughing, the pitch and joy she expelled brought a smile to my face.
For the duration of the call, I just listened to her babble, only offering input if she asked a question. Listening to her calmed my nervous system. Everything that had just happened was obsolete. All that mattered to me was her peace of mind, her safety, and most of all, her.