The Family Business 4 Read online

  “He was,” I replied.

  “Well, I’m glad we have that settled. I knew he was my grandson the moment I laid eyes on him.” She took my hand, squeezing it as we watched Nevada take down his instructor again. “We finally have all of our children and grandchildren under one roof.”

  I looked over at her. “All except one. And his mother hates us.”

  Junior

  2

  It was the perfect ending to the perfect honeymoon. For almost ten days, my new bride and I had enjoyed the palm trees, white sand, and crystal-clear water of Negril. Now we were spending our last morning walking along the shoreline of Seven Mile Beach. In less than ten hours, we’d be home, leaving paradise behind to begin our new routine as man and wife.

  “Last chance. Are you going to jump?” she asked.

  “Jump where?”

  “Jump off the cliff. We still have time to go back to Rick’s Café,” she said playfully.

  “Now, you know better than that. The only jumping I plan on doing is jumping your bones when we get back to the room.” I grabbed a handful of her plump ass in my hands, causing her to squeal.

  “Don’t you think you’ve done enough of that these past few days? We’ve got a plane to catch.”

  “Naw, not nearly enough.” I grabbed her ass again and kissed her neck.

  “Stop it. People are looking.” She slapped me playfully.

  “They can’t help it, and neither can I,” I said, laughing.

  Sonya was beautiful every day, but today, she was breathtaking in a white sundress and sandals. With her thick, curly hair hanging loose and free, she looked like a Nubian queen. My Nubian queen. She was glowing, and I didn’t know whether it was from the relaxing vacation or the baby she was carrying inside her belly. I had thought her marrying me would make me the happiest man on earth, but that feeling was surpassed when I found out she was pregnant.

  “You better stop.” She tried to swat my hand away as I reached for her again.

  “Nope,” I said, pulling her closer to me.

  “Well, you’re gonna have to.”

  “Oh, yeah? Why is that?”

  “Because your baby is sitting on my bladder, and I have to find a restroom, that’s why. Wait right here. I’ll be back.” She gave me a quick peck, and I released her.

  She headed toward a nearby restaurant, while I stepped over to a cart where an old woman was selling shaved ice. I loved those flavored ice cones, especially the mango and pineapple.

  I guess my enthusiasm was a little too much, because when I took my first big bite, I got major brain freeze. I was glad Sonya wasn’t around, because I know I looked like a fool, shaking my head around like a monkey. I squeezed my eyes shut against the pain in my forehead.

  When I opened my eyes, I saw a small shadow zip by, and then a small boy skidded to a stop in front of the cart. I couldn’t help but smile. The kid was cute, and he looked like he couldn’t contain his energy as he fidgeted in his spot, trying to decide what to order.

  “Mango? No, orange. No, lemon,” he said, until finally he seemed to have made up his mind, and stated proudly, “I’ll take cherry.”

  The cart owner laughed and said, “You sure, mon?”

  “Yup!” the kid answered, and the old woman leaned down to scoop the ice.

  She handed him the treat and said, “Two dollar.”

  The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a single, crumpled dollar bill. “This?” he said as he tried to hand it to the woman.

  “No, you need more.” She shook her head. The smile fell from his face, and his little shoulders drooped.

  I felt sorry for the little guy. Maybe I was inspired by my own impending fatherhood, but I didn’t even think twice before I reached into my pocket and handed the woman another dollar. “I got it. Here you go.”

  “Thank you.” The boy flashed me a quick smile then took the white paper cone from the vendor.

  “No problem, little man.” I said, “What’s your name?”

  “Vincent. What’s your name?”

  “They call me Junior.”

  “Hi, Junior. I’m a junior too, but they call me Vincent.”

  “Vincent! You wait right there!” an out-of-breath voice called from a distance.

  “That your mom?” I asked, and he nodded his head. “I think you’re in trouble.”

  “I think so too,” Vincent replied, but he didn’t look upset. He just started eating his ice faster, cracking me up.

  I looked toward his mother, who was still a good distance away, but as she came closer, her face became clearer. I looked down at Vincent, and a knot developed in my stomach.

  “Boy, didn’t I tell you to wait?” The woman marched up to her son, grabbing his free arm.

  “Ruby?”

  At first, she smiled at me, until her brain registered who had spoken her name.

  “Oh my God. How did you find me?” The look on her face was one of sheer terror. She tugged on Vinnie’s arm. “Come on, boy. Come on. We have to go.”

  “Please, don’t go, Ruby,” I said.

  “No. Come on, Vincent. Let’s go.” She pulled his arm so hard that he dropped his cone.

  “Oh, nooooooo!” Vincent cried. “You made me drop it.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll buy you another,” I said, turning back to the cart to get him another cone.

  “No, you won’t!” In one swift motion, Ruby scooped the small boy up into her arms and took off. I went to follow behind her, but she slipped into a crowd, and I lost sight of them.

  “Junior!” I heard Sonya yelling behind me, and I stopped in my tracks. “Babe, what happened? Where did you go? And what are you doing?” she asked when she got to my side.

  “We’ve got a problem.” I sighed, feeling defeated.

  “Why? What’s wrong?” Her forehead creased with concern.

  “I just saw my brother Orlando’s son.”

  London

  3

  “Can I have pancakes, Mommy?” Mariah shouted.

  “I want waffles!” her sister Maria chimed in.

  “I want Cap’n Crunch!” Jordan said.

  “I’m working on it, guys,” I whined in reply. I was trying to get my two daughters, along with my nephew, settled for breakfast. My husband, Harris, was also sitting at the table, but he was too engrossed in whatever he was looking at on his iPad to offer any kind of assistance. Luckily, our family chef, along with my mom, had prepared enough of a selection that the kids would be somewhat satisfied, even if it wasn’t exactly what they’d requested. I put a pancake, a small serving of eggs, a side of fruit, and some bacon on each plate and placed them in front of the kids.

  “Apple juice!” Jordan demanded.

  “Me too!” the girls shouted in unison.

  Just as I was about to head to the fridge, Harris looked up at me.

  “Umm, you forget someone?” He looked down at the empty placemat in front of him. “Can I get some breakfast?”

  “You’re kidding, right?” I cut my eyes at him. I was starting to understand that this being a good mother and wife thing was overrated. I don’t know what I was thinking when I decided to have another baby. And then, to add someone else’s child to the mix was even more taxing. Don’t get me wrong; I love my nephew, but I was getting tired of my sister Paris’s absentee parenting.

  “Harris, can’t you see I’m trying to get these kids ready for daycare and school? The least you can do is fix your own plate.”

  “Fix my own plate?” You would have thought I had just cursed at him the way he snapped at me. “This is ridiculous. Where’s your mother? Isn’t she supposed to help you with the kids?” He looked around the kitchen like he was lost.

  “My mother is upstairs getting my father. I could use your help,” I said with plenty of attitude.

  “Sorry, no can do. I’m trying to finalize some paperwork before I leave for the office.” He looked up at me, trying to fake a sincere smile. “So, can you please make me
a plate?”

  “Fine.” I sighed, totally regretting that blow job I’d given him earlier that morning. The fool should have been making me a plate, yet here he was expecting more service from me.

  “What? No syrup?” Harris asked when I gave him his plate. I picked up the syrup, and the thought came to mind that I should just throw it at his head, but I kept my composure and placed it down in front of him.

  I heard the front door open, and then I heard laughter. I recognized it as coming from my pain-in-the-ass sister.

  “If it was that little, why’d you tell him you’d call him later? I know you, P. You’re never gonna give that little-dick brother any again.” This time it was my cousin Sasha’s voice. The two of them were giggling like lunatics.

  “Look, I was trying to be polite, and little dick or not, he is fine as hell! Besides, he promised to take me shopping for a Rolex and to the Jay-Z concert this weekend,” Paris announced for the whole house to hear. “Mmmmm, you smell that? I smell bacon!”

  “I told you we should have come home instead of going to that diner,” Sasha replied.

  Their stilettos started clicking on the marble floors of the foyer, and a few moments later, they both walked into the kitchen. Sasha was dressed in tight-fitting black jeans and a shirt that barely covered her breasts. Paris wore a short, sequined mini skirt and a black halter that was even smaller than the shirt Sasha wore. I’d deny it if asked, but they both looked cute, despite being dressed like tramps.

  “Mommy!” Jordan jumped up from the table and ran over to greet his mother.

  “Hey, baby, how’s my little man?” Paris knelt to hug him, causing the back of the skirt to rise even higher.

  I glanced over at Harris, who quickly turned his head. Smart man. We’d already had enough arguments about him gawking at my sister.

  “You know what? I think I’ll eat my breakfast in the study and finish up these files. It’s quieter in there anyway.” He gathered up his plate and his iPad and scurried out of the kitchen.

  “Jordan, sit back down and eat. You don’t want your food to get cold,” I said.

  “Don’t tell my son what to do when I’m here,” she sniped at me. “He has a mother.”

  Oh, no, she isn’t going there, is she?

  “You coulda fooled me,” I said, rolling my eyes at her. “But if you wanna call yourself a mother, how about you bring your narrow ass home in time to get your son ready for daycare?”

  “Whatever, London. He’s dressed and ready, isn’t he?” She picked Jordan up and kissed him.

  “Yeah, thanks to me and Mommy. But don’t make any plans for this weekend, ’cause Mommy and Daddy are going to Sag Harbor, and me, Harris, and the kids are going to Sesame Place.”

  “Damn, Paris, aren’t you supposed to go out with dude this weekend?” Sasha asked.

  Paris raised a hand, waving it at her to shut up, then looked at me like the cat that got caught with a canary in her mouth.

  “Need something?” I asked.

  “Can’t y’all take Jordan with you?” Paris was damn near pleading.

  “We could, but he’s got a mother. Remember, she can take care of him?”

  Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She helped Jordan back into his seat so he could continue eating. I couldn’t help but smirk.

  “All righty-then, so where is everyone?” Sasha asked, trying to neutralize the situation. She had a tendency to try to play peacemaker between me and Paris, in spite of the fact it barely ever worked.

  I gave her a quick rundown of everyone in the house. “Mom just went to get Daddy for breakfast. They should be down any minute. Rio is still asleep, and Nevada is outside training in the backyard. Orlando’s in Daddy’s office working. Oh, and Vegas is down in the gym with Daryl.”

  “Umph, umph, umph. Daryl is here? That’s one fine man,” Sasha said, her voice humming with sexual energy. “I would love to work him out.”

  “Back off, bitch. How many times I gotta tell you? Daryl’s sexy ass belongs to me,” Paris warned in the most serious of tones.

  I’d seen my sister flirt with Daryl, but I never thought for a minute she was serious, until now. I told her, “You ain’t got a snowball’s chance in hell of landing that man. He wouldn’t touch your ass if you tried to serve it up on a platter. Talk about out of your league.” I laughed loudly, knowing I was pissing her off even more, especially considering my history with Daryl.

  “You’re crazy. I’m in every man’s league,” Paris responded, snatching an empty plate from the counter.

  “Well, cousin, he does brush you off quite a bit, and you’ve been throwing that ass at him for quite a while now,” Sasha teased.

  “That’s because Vegas is blocking.” She began putting food on her plate, and I went to sit with the kids.

  “No, that’s because Daryl knows who’s been playing in your playground, and he’s afraid he might catch something,” I stated. Sasha and I laughed, but Paris was ready to take it to the next level.

  “Bitch—” She was about to launch into a tirade when I looked over her shoulder and noticed my parents coming into the kitchen.

  “Morning, Daddy,” I said, cutting her off before she could really get going. Daddy didn’t need the stress of hearing us fight.

  “Morning, everyone.” He walked in with a big smile on his face, holding my mother’s hand.

  “Mommy. Daddy.” Paris put her plate down and ran over to greet my parents like she was the same age as one of the kids sitting in front of me. I watched as my father’s face lit up and he kissed her cheek. Wasn’t no secret who his favorite was. My mother, on the other hand, sat at the table without a word. I could see that she did not approve of my sister’s attire.

  Soon, we were joined by Rio, Nevada, and Orlando, and the kitchen became filled with chatter. Paris, of course, continued to give me the stink eye. She was a damn expert at that.

  “Hey, y’all! Look who I found lurking on the premises!” My brother Vegas’s voice boomed, causing all of us to turn around. At first the only person I saw was Daryl, and he wasn’t bad to look at, but when he stepped aside, I saw one of my favorite people in the world.

  “Oh my God, Aunt NeeNee!” Orlando and I both jumped up and gave her the biggest hug. Rio and Paris didn’t know Aunt NeeNee like us older kids did, but she was one of the sweetest women you could ever meet, and she could cook like nobody I’d ever met, including my mom. “How are you?”

  “I’m good, girl. How are those babies I been hearing so much about?” she asked, and I pointed at my two girls.

  My mother and father eased their way beside me. I stepped aside so Aunt NeeNee could hug Mommy. When they finished their moment, Aunt NeeNee stood face to face with my father. I could see that even though my aunt was forcing a smile, something was wrong. I could tell from Daddy’s body language and the way he hugged her, he could see it too.

  “What’s going on, Nee?” he asked, releasing her from his arms. He was staring at her like he used to do to us as kids when he was trying to get the truth out of us.

  “Yeah, it’s not like you not to call before making such a long trip,” my mother added.

  “I never could hide nothing from you two, could I?” Aunt NeeNee replied, a worried look on her face now. “I couldn’t take a chance on using a phone. I had to speak to you in person, so I drove straight through.”

  “What’s wrong, NeeNee?” Daddy asked, easing my aunt over to a chair so she could sit down.

  Aunt NeeNee looked over at my father with tears in her eyes and said, “LC, we’ve known each other a long time, ever since we were teenagers. So, I’m asking you.” She placed her hands together. “No, I’m pleading with you. Please, please, don’t kill my children.”

  Ruby

  4

  “Do you tink you can slow down a little?” I glanced over at Vinnie from the corner of my eye. Even without looking at the speedometer of the SUV, I knew he was driving dangerously over the speed limit. “You’re gon’ kill
us.”

  “Hell, why do you care?” Vinnie snapped.

  “What?

  “You’re the one trying to get us killed.”

  “Oh my God, Vinnie. You know dat isn’t true.” I folded my arms across my chest. Vinnie’s maniacal driving was just one more example of the frantic behavior I had been witnessing ever since I told him I saw Junior Duncan. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, he had gone into full-blown panic mode: making calls, grabbing money from the safe, and within the hour, we were fleeing.

  “I still don’t understand why you didn’t call and tell me the moment you saw him. Why did you wait until you got home?” he asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. “You know they want us dead. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Vinnie, de house was less than a mile away. I got scared and I panicked. I was trying to get as far away from him as possible.” Tears were starting to well up in my eyes. “I don’t understand why you’re mad at me.”

  Vinnie’s eyes left the road, and he stared straight at me. “Ruby, he could have followed you. I can’t help you if I’m dead. We’ve gone over this time and time again. If they know where we are, we have no chance.”

  “So, I should have just let him take me and Vincent?”

  “No, of course not. I apologize for getting so upset with you. You and Vincent are all I care about, and keeping you both safe is my priority. But if you had called, we could have laid a trap for them.”

  “I understand, but is all of this necessary?” I pointed to the entourage of vehicles that were surrounding us. Two Jeeps and two Suburbans, all of which were traveling just as fast as we were. “It seems to me dat all of this extra nonsense will only draw more attention to us. We gon’ look like a damn presidential motorcade. We could have just as easily defended de new house.”

  “We’re talking about the fucking Duncans, Ruby. I’m just trying to keep you and my son safe.” He turned his attention back to the road ahead.

  “What’s a Duncan?” Vincent asked from the back seat. He had fallen asleep when we first departed, but when I turned around, I saw that he was now wide awake.