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Before I could count to five, he scooped her up, cradling her like a baby, and took off running. Joel appeared next to me. “They do that shit all the time. They getting too old for that shit. She threw up last time. She just told everybody last Sunday she was pregnant.”
I chuckled as I watched them. It was clear that was done out of love. The kids were all running right after him, jumping up and down wanting a turn. People started coming up to me left and right, introducing themselves. When Ali and his wife made their way to us, he had a smirk on his lips. However, when he turned to me, he smiled big. Wow.
“Good to see you again, Keondra. Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you,” I said with a smile as big as his.
I quickly turned away and cleared my throat. His wife giggled, but Vegas didn’t look amused. “Girl, he has the same effect on every-damn-body here. These are our daughters Aina, Annalise, and our baby girl, Amaia.”
“Thank you for the reassurance. They are all so beautiful. Hi, girls.”
With the exception of the baby, they all smiled and waved at me. The oldest one said, “Hi! What’s your name?”
“I’m Keondra. My nephew calls me Aunt Keke.”
“I like that, Aunt Keke!”
She lifted her arms, so I leaned over and hugged her. She was so sweet. When I looked up, I was surrounded by beautiful little girls and their mothers, all welcoming me to the family. That shit almost made me cry. Joel and I had only been together for a week. They made me feel like I was here to stay, and on God, I prayed I was. It wasn’t like I was talking to my own mother or big sister right now.
I still needed time. Eventually, I knew I would talk to them again. I truly didn’t believe that either one of them set out to hurt me, and with the life we lived, there could always be extenuating circumstances on why people did what they did. I was just still way too hurt and angry. Once I could calm down some, I would reach out.
Sasha had been checking on me constantly. She understood the severity of what they did to me. While Yunique apologized, I still didn’t think she fully understood. Joel and I spoke more about Mo’s crusty ass, and he told me that was what their meeting would be about today. Seemed like Watchful Eyes was a bunch of gangstas. Joel had told me that Ali and Jericho were the worst… the ones that seemed the mildest.
Alexz made her way back to me, huffing. “He makes me sick! You wanna eat, boo? I’ll tell you what it is once you eat it.”
My eyebrows lifted as she laughed. “Umm… yes?” I said hesitantly and in a questioning manner.
She laughed. “It’s good, I promise.”
I followed her to the food area as I noticed Sandrene and Lynn arriving with their husbands. Joel had stumbled on something amazing in these people. They all seemed to want the best out of life, and I wouldn’t be able to get enough of the vibes I felt being in their presence.
NINE
VEGAS
“So you saying you need help with mainly logistics. You wanna make sure you’re covered from any backlash and that you can be as inconspicuous as possible, right?” Ali asked.
“Yeah. I would much rather sit in jail for that shit than letting her do it.”
I’d given Watchful Eyes all the details about Mo, what he did to Keondra, and where he was located. Ali could get eyes on him to see how he was moving. Jungle was extremely quiet, and that had me on edge. I was hoping he wasn’t changing how he felt about this shit, being that was his uncle.
Everyone had a look of disgust as I was talking. Seneca finally said, “That nigga was something else. I remember him bragging about sleeping with a sixteen-year-old girl. You right. Just from the stories I heard about Yonkers, there’s no way he would still be alive had he known that shit. I know I’ve done a lot of underhanded shit, but I ain’t never touched a kid inappropriately. That shit is beyond my cynical scope.”
“So are you sure she wants him dead? If we could go after him legally for something, would that be acceptable?” Shy asked.
“She was loading her gun when she asked me for his address. Had I given his address to her, she would have already killed him. While her father shielded her and her sisters from the streets, it’s still in her. She was paying attention to all the shit he didn’t know he was teaching her. I mean… I’ll ask her, though, to see what she says.”
Shy nodded. “I’ll start looking into him to see what I can find, just in case.”
“You sure you wanna be the one to take the shot?” Jericho asked. “What if one of us have the opportunity to do it for you?”
“I’ve already gotten y’all more involved than I wanted to. All of y’all have families and are trying to be legit. I’m the only one still in the fucking streets.”
“Well, you’re wanting to kill for your woman. I would say you on your way out, man,” Chad added. “You only doing this so she don’t have to… so she won’t do it. I can admire that.”
“Text his government name and address in the group thread,” Dinalee said.
I nodded and did as she requested. Maurice Moore. I slowly shook my head as I sent it. Keondra was still having dreams. She wasn’t waking up, but she was tossing and turning. One night, she was cursing and damn near fighting in her sleep. By the time she woke up, I knew she didn’t remember, so I didn’t mention it.
