Page 61 of Kandie Shoppe

Easy:Ok

She looks up after making sure we see every word. “Now what? I don’t think even if they get arrested, they will keep them. Unless they are there and can be identified, none of this can stick to them.”

“They are never going to keep them in jail. They aren’t going to be able to stop them. Ever.” The cold finality of her voice is shocking.

Easy knows her husband, his resources, his power, and more importantly, what he’s capable of. It’s hard to reconcile the men we’ve gotten entangled with and who they are, in reality — villains. They are not the type of men you find a happy ever after with like you do in good urban or dark romance you happen upon. No, in reality you find your ass floating in the Tombigbee.

The reality of life was thrust into my face when I was a kid having my family ripped from me. I knew I shouldn’t trust Ulysses. I should’ve known he’d only come around to keep tabs on me for Angel. I knew it — deep down, but I just wanted to fool myself into believing he wanted me for me and not some nefarious plan between him and the cartel.

Easy steps away from us, letting her words sink as she turns to make a call.

“The fuck you want?” The voice growls across the line from thousands of miles away. She has it on speaker so we can hear it.

“I need you to come get me,” she whispers. Moving to her side, I can hear the fear bleeding through for the first time.

“What did he do to you, baby cuz?” Oz’s hard question cuts over the line.

“Nothing.” She answers quick like it’s a knee-jerk defense of her husband.

“Bullshit,” he starts to sigh so heavily. “I’m on my way. Takeda has an airstrip. Do you know where it is?”

“No.” Easy looks to me and Saban and we both shake our heads.

“I’ll call him and have him send someone to come get you,” he says.

“No,” Easy rushes in. “He’s really tight with Angel. He will see it as his obligation to tell him.” Her eyes getting wilder and wilder with fear make my tummy tighten.

“Fuck.” The harsh swear resounds in the room.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” parrots soon after in a cute baby voice.

“What’s going on?” We all turn to find Krie standing inside the door holding the small hand of Mateo, a frown puckering her brown face as she looks from our littlest Love saying the bad words he’s just learned from us.

“We have to get out of town,” Saban says.

“Wait a minute, who all is there?” Oz’s dark question clearly indicates he doesn’t appreciate all these surprise developments.

“Me, Saban, Krie, little Mateo who just came in, and Kandie.” Easy’s sheepish reply has him muttering curse after curse.

“Kandie? Fucking figures.” Another long-suffering sigh. “I guess all the news coming in about a raid on traffickers has something to do with this little gathering. “Find a way out to the airstrip. I will find a way to get clearance?—”

“I can get it.” Krie, who still looks ravaged from losing her restaurant and the man she so obviously loves, pipes up, cutting him off.

“How?” Oz sounds hopeful yet doubting all the same.

“Kiyoshi lets me bring in imports, so I don’t have to go all the way to Birmingham or face a lot of hassles. I doubt he’ll rescind it just because I’m not with him anymore.” Her voice is sure, even though her eyes look like two open wounds.

“Y’all and these fucking guys. Y’all didn’t learn shit from Mama-Pete, on god. Krie, keep your phone. The rest of y’all burn those motherfuckers. They are going to find you. Hopefully, Angel didn’t put a tracker in you, Easy. I’ll scan you when I get there and take it out if he did.”

“He didn’t.” The way she’s still defending him has me smirking and shaking my head.

“I’ll check when I get there,” he insists. “Saban, what about you?”

“I’m not sure.” She’s looking at her arms. Snake was like her guardian, right? Why would he put a tracker in her? All these men are unhinged maniacs. And it was my daddy people wanted to lock away, when these motherfuckers are walking around supposedly perfectly sane, wreaking havoc on the public with impunity.

“Kandie?” he growls.

“No fucking way,” I hiss. I can’t leave my business. It’s all I have made evident more by this entire situation.

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