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Warlock hit the burner phone with the news Ny gave him. He couldn’t even be happy about it because Cassidy’s news dropped just before.
Her godfather hadn’t shed a tear in front of any of them, but he wore his grief on his sleeve. He came out of his cell at mealtime with a smile on his face. Dink was on edge.
Rashida kept true to her word. Not only was she as powerful as she said she was, but her power worked quick.
Turned out that the captain of the Baltimore City Police Department was the son-in-law of a Grand Onyx resident.
Rashida used her people you may know skills to get Hussein out.
This was Dink’s last chance to prove himself to Hussein.
Little did he know, he already had Hussein’s trust. He was going to look out for his people when he got back out there on the street.
Work something out where Dink could be connected on the inside while Warlock took care of the streets.
Him? He was done getting his hands dirty.
He wanted to be in the cut where he wasn’t popping up on nobody’s radar.
“They could’ve waited a few more hours to put a name in that body,” Dink said. He was standing in the doorway of Hussein’s cell.
“That would be too easy, life is hard, Champ.” Hussein said, lying back in his bunk.
“It is.” Dink nodded. “I don’t know, man. Shit feel different today. Like bittersweet almost. If something happen to me, look out for—”
“Your family. I know nigga, I got you,” Hussein assured.
“But if anything happen to you, it’s gon’ happen to me, too.
I don’t need nobody fighting my wars. Just a few solid niggas standing next to me.
I’d never ask you to bite the bullet for some shit I ain’t willing to bite just the same. ” Hussein walked over to him.
“That’s real.” Dink dapped him up.” But how the fuck you gon take care of my people if you in here doing dumb shit? You protect the leader. Whatever the fuck is getting ready to go down, I got it. However, it go.”
Hussein nodded. He’d been fighting the urge to ask, but he was getting out and might not get the opportunity later.
“Yo, let me ask you something,” Hussein talked to his back because Dink refused to look anywhere but at the surroundings Hussein’s cell.
“If you love your family so much, why the fuck you ain’t tryna get back on them streets to take care of them yourself? You been in this bitch for how long? Even when niggas in the yard the air don’t feel fresh. Who you running from?”
“I gotta be a different nigga out there. A nigga that I don’t want to be. I tried that already. It’s too much pressure. I’ma always end up back here. The second I touch down, all the shit they doing to maintain while I’m gone, it’s gone stop.”
“You don’t think your family love you enough to hear you out?”
“Yeah, but at the end of the day. Men gotta be men. My sister get one dumb ass boyfriend after another. My mother’s husband ain’t had a job in ever.
All he can do is talk to her nice.” Dink scoffed.
“My little brother’s father out there getting high.
My baby mother’s other baby father can’t even show up for his son consistently.
All those niggas get to fuck up, but not me.
Not the brother and the son. They think a nigga got a plan,” Dink chuckled.
“I’m winging this shit just like them. “Shit flowing for them while I’m in here.
Me coming home gon make me the alarm clock, the atm and the punching bag. ”
“What about your seeds man?”
“What about them?”
You talking about your sisters, your siblings and your baby mother but your kids need you the most.”
“C.O.s coming to grab you, I think.” Dink was reading the room.
While the guards were making their way to Hussein an inmate distracted them. At the same time, across the room, Cassidy’s godfather’s soldiers were speed walking in their direction.
“Oh, shit,” he mumbled.
Hussein jumped up ready to defend himself, but the niggas never made it in his cell. Dink stuck one nigga in the side of his neck, and the other nigga caught handwork. Blow after blow, dink hit that boy until he was slumping over the railing. Blood fell from his face onto his shirt and the floor.
Against the light grey cemented floors, the blood looked burgundy.
Dink wasn’t moved to stop. In fact, he went harder, trying to flip the dude over the railing.
Hussein stopped him just as the guards closed in on them.
Two escorted Hussein away from the scene while four were needed to pry Dink’s hands from his victim’s throat.
They took a baton to his ankles, making him drop.
Hussein couldn’t help but to look back. What he saw explained exactly why Dink didn’t want to go home.
Kneeling next to Dink was another inmate.
Tears poured from his eyes as he screamed and cursed at the guards like a woman defending her man.
Dink was gay. Going home meant he’d have to be someone he didn’t want to be anymore.
Hussein didn’t care if he ate dick or coochie. The nigga had done him a solid and he’d keep his word. After he dealt with the family first.
Warlock and Nyelle stood next to his car, waiting on Hussein to appear. Part of her didn’t believe Rashida had that power. As she watched Hussein walking in her direction she couldn’t deny it.
“Welcome home!” Ny dangled the keys to his truck in her hand.
“Thank you.” He took his keys, dapping War up. He was hoping the sun was shining but it was a gray sky like rain was coming.
“You need me?” War asked.
“Not yet. I gotta handle some shit first. I’ll hit you,” Hussein said, heading for his truck.
“I hope your first stop is Tina’s. I had to go through a lot to get those keys from her. She knows your home,” Ny explained.
“I told you to pick a side, Ny.”
“And I picked you.”
“Then trust that. Tina ain’t gon’ touch you.”
He slipped into his truck, pulling into traffic. He couldn’t wait to be standing in front of Jakia, but it’d have to wait a little longer. His first stop was to his mother’s grave.
He pulled right in front getting out and bending down. He rubbed a hand over the headstone.
“Hey, mama.” He sighed. “This shit don’t never get easier for real.
” He paused. “I gotta do some shit that goes against everything you taught me.” He rested his hands against the back of his head, locking his fingers.
“I gotta separate myself from the name. Turner ain’t what it used to be.
Tina ain’t gon’ make it easy. And mama, if she take it there, I gotta take it farther.
I hope you ain’t too disappointed in me. ”
As soon as the words left his lips, the sun came out of hiding. The clouds parted and Hussein knew it was confirmation.
“Say less.” He smiled before kissing his fingers and touching her headstone. “I love you, mama.”
Hussein jumped back in his truck and headed to see Jakia.
JAKIA’S APARTMENT | 10:08 A.M.
“Girl, you need some light in here.” Stephanie began opening the curtains. Sunlight entered the room like it was waiting on its chance to show off.
Jakia hadn’t bothered to explain that it was an old habit of sleeping during the day and coming alive at night. She hadn’t entertained her mother at all in fact.
Stephanie tried her hand at reconnecting with Jakia by being inquisitive, then by helping as much as she could with Carmell. She made dinner and then turned around and made breakfast. It was starting to feel too much like kissing ass.
“I’ll get it,” Stephanie said about the knock at the door.
She opened the door without looking through the peep hole. When Wallah saw her, he rushed her for a hug.
“Ard, now, Wallah, put me the fuck down. I like my feet on the floor.” She fought the love he was trying to give her.
“I was coming to check on you this weekend,” he said, delicately moving her hair out of her face.
“Well, now you don’t have to. I’m gonna go grab Carmell so we can get the fuck outta here. I’m staying with you.” She disappeared down the hallway.
Jakia hadn’t said a word, but her facial expression said it all.
“Uh, yeah.” Wallah ran his hands down his face. “Key introduced us a while back. We were working on decorating the bedroom for her when she came home.”
“Well, she can stay with you then. I’ll let the social worker know that she doesn’t need anywhere to stay after all. Carmell’s diaper bag is on the table.”
“You don’t think it’d be better for her to be here with you?” Wallah asked.
Jakia didn’t feel the shame or disappointment that he wanted her to feel.
We all make our decisions and Stephanie made hers.
Now that the psychiatric facility deemed her stable enough to reenter society, Jakia was expected to grant her forgiveness for all she’d been through.
Jakia wasn’t feeling it. She couldn’t forgive her mother for something she hadn’t even acknowledged.
“Don’t try to push her off on me.” Jakia snickered. “Keep the plans you had before Keyona died. Or let the social worker do her job and place her with a shelter.”
“No doubt.” Wallah looked at Jakia with concern. “I was saying that because I figured she can help you with the boys and shit.
“School is almost out. Khyell is staying with Boom’s mom in Grand Onyx for the summer. We’re throwing him a going away party in a couple of days. You should come.”
“I’m here.” Wallah nodded.
“So, I’ll only have Carmell when you don’t have him. I won’t be needing much help with them. I’ll be running out getting things in order for my own baby.”
“Oh, shit, congratulations, sis.”
“Thanks.” She rubbed her stomach. The more she said it, the more real it became. The more she settled into the fact that she was becoming a mom. “So, yeah.” She bit her lip. Having my mom here will do nothing but stress me out.”
“She’s more than welcome to come stay with me. I’d love to have her.”
“Well, hell.” Stephanie walked up the hallway. “I already decided that, so I don’t know what the fuck y’all up here talking about me for.”
“Good. Take her with you.” Jakia rolled her eyes.