Page 26 of Dom 4
“I’ll ask again,” I said in a calm voice. “Who was he with?”
This time nobody moved. Carmen looked at O’Shynn first then I did too. O’Shynn stood there with her arms still crossed and her jaw locked like she was choosing her words carefully. She didn’t look scared or like she had been exposed either. She just had that look like it was whatever it was going to be, but I knew my sister, she was nervous because it was me.
“He was with me,” she finally admitted.
“O’Shynn…”
She lifted her chin a little higher and remained firm. “We’ve been seeing each other on the low and I wasn’t ready to bring him around this… around us.”
Tone cut in sounding direct, allowing his voice to drop into that cold place he only used when he was feeling a way. “Is he clean?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. “He ain’t street and he ain’t tied to nothing. He plays his position, and he minds his business… and he doesn’t know details.”
I shook my head and took a shot of Henny. “You think that’s safety?”
O’Shynn didn’t flinch. “I think I finally found something for me,” she admitted. “Not for the cartel, not for business, and not for power…. just for me.”
Dique laughed again, but not joking this time it was more-so just disbelief. “So, you in love now?” he asked dragging the words out.
O’Shynn didn’t answer but she didn’t deny it either. Tone leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “If he’s clean, good but him being around today? That puts him on radar. Whoever shot at y’all, they saw him and they’ll see him again. And if he gets touched…”
“I know,” O’Shynn said, with her jaws tightening again. “It’ll fall back on us. I’ll handle it.”
I stepped in then. “You won’t handle it alone because nothing involving any of us is handled alone. You brought him into our orbit. That means he’s under Royal watch now whether he knows it or not especially if it puts you in danger.”
She looked at me and shrugged instead of getting defensive. “Okay.”
I then looked at Dique. “Have the driver take Keondra and Amour home or however you wanna handle that.” I told him because first thing was first, that was his family, and I wanted him to make sure they were straight. “Tone, I need you to roll with me.”
“Got chu boss,” Tone replied.
Dique didn’t say shit, he first grabbed Amour from Keondra and then he told her, “All that talkin’ you be doin’, you need to learn how to shoot.”
Keondra sucked her teeth. “Teach me then.”
“Yeah, I’ma teach you alright,” he told her adjusting his gun in the small of his back. He then removed the gun from his waist and passed it to her. “Here, tuck this on yo’ hip or put it in yo purse.”
She decided to put it in her purse; I intentionally watched her. She was hood, she was street, but this was a totally different ball game. Had she really been in the world, she would’ve known to put it on her hip first where it was accessible and anything in her purse was just extra. Yeah, she was gon’ have to be taught as soon as possible. Dique peeped it too but didn’t address it.Keondra was never supposed to be in this world, she was only supposed to be protected, but now it was essential that she knew how to draw and shoot if needed.
When Dique left, so did O’Shynn. Carmen stayed and gave me that look, the one that was unreadable. She stood directly in front of me and told me what she felt. “I’m a tough cookie Dom, but today my life flashed before my eyes not only for me, but for our unborn. I’ll die protecting what we created, but for the first time in a long time, I’m afraid and not of anybody, I’m afraid of…”
I cut her off and pulled her into a hug because I felt every word and I needed her to feel that. Tone and the shadows minded their business. “I know, I’m afraid of the same thing, which is why I never wanted this, but now that it’s here, I can’t imagine life without it. If I have to die behind it, I’ma do that shit tenfold a thousand times.”
She nodded her head in my chest. “I know,” she sighed. “I know.”
“You ready to go yo’ penthouse and you’re staying here? How much longer before they finish designing and bringing the furniture wifey? I’m ready to move ma.”
“I can rush it and have them done by tomorrow.”
“Yeah, and I don’t want you to lift a finger either. You don’t need to bring shit but yourself.”
“I already know.” She replied. “I’m going to my penthouse right now; I need reset and refocus tonight.”
“Yeah, well when I’m done, I’ma be right there to reset and refocus too. I’m not gon’ lie, for the first time I don’t even want you out my eyesight until I know who was behind that shooting.”
“Unfortunately, we can’t be stuck like glue.”
I kissed her forehead and then looked at Rell. “Make sure she gets there safe and I want everybody beefed up outside thebuilding and the hall. Anything move wrong knock they fuckin’ head off. You did good today.”
