Another car rolled up and parked. Several cars door closed before a stampede of footsteps and then the side sliding door slidopen. The last imprints of sun flowed into the warehouse and Max’s tall figure filled the door with two others. At his side stood Mr. Carmichael, and his daughter. Brenyn trembled when Max took long, measured strides inside ahead of them.
“Brenyn… come here.” His deep baritone filled the space.
Rose took position on the wall beside Finn. He noticed Minx hovering outside the door. Max more than likely brought her along for moral support. She paced looking back and forth between the situation and outside, which meant she had something on her mind. Usually tranquil as fuck, when she got antsy she was usually in her fucking feelings. He knew because he had learned all Minx many technicalities many years ago. What made her tick, what she liked and didn’t like. She wouldn’t speak the first year after her sister was killed, so he had to figure out how to communicate with her in other ways. It was easy to tell Minx all his secrets during that time because she didn’t talk, so she wouldn’t tell anybody. After exposing so much, it came natural to talk to her about any and everything.
“Tell me something, you recognize any of these little niggas?” Max asked, making sure to be gentle when he spoke to her.
She trembled, standing before the three boys who violated her and laughed while doing it. Every one of them ate humble pie now. Her slanted, swollen, and red eyes bounced around each of theirs. She remembered the things they said and what they did to her, and couldn’t summon an ounce of empathy.
“This is them,” she replied, voice cold as she backed up and let Max take the lead once again.
“That’s all I need to know, baby girl. Minx… get her out of here.” Max ordered, eyes still trained on the lowlifes in front of him.
She stepped forward, but Brenyn was so locked in on her attackers Minx had to put some force behind moving her. Shemight as well have been the grim reaper herself, marking them as Minx tugged her to the door.
“Come on.” Minx ushered her away.
Leading Brenyn outside, she gave her father one last glance before closing the door behind them. The men were left alone, and thick tension filled the room. A decision was made the minute Max caught the darkness swimming in Carmichael’s eyes. It was simple. One thing about a predator, they do not change. It would only happen to someone else’s daughter. Max cared about his people, and he hated when he had to take one of them out.
In a room full of black men, a choice, only one outcome. Rehabilitation wasn’t an option. Finn pushed himself from the wall and took the garden shears over to Max. He stepped back, and Max inched closer to the young men, pacing in front of them all, circling them like they were his prey. He could see that they were all trembling with fear.
“You get off on harming young girls?” Max asked, using the shears and chopping them in the air to make sure they weren’t rusted. . Carmichael lingered , not really standing still. Hands in his pockets, he rocked, burning a hole in each young man before him. A bunch of soft looking pieces of shit. He wanted them all to feel it for what they did to his daughter.
“It wasn’t even like that—” Vice whimpered.
“Then what was it like?” Max asked, curious.
“Listen… OG…” the one named Dirk spoke up nervously. “I ain’t do shit. It was these two niggas.” He nodded to Vice and Yemi.
The pretty boys. Skating through life on their looks. Spoiled. Soft. Want to be gangters. Max still sniffed milk behind their ears. Listening to trap music had them thinking they were players in a game they weren’t ready for. Both shot daggers ofhate at Dirk when he spoke. They were both pretty boys and stared back at Dirk with hatred behind their eyes.
“Nigga, the fuck you say?” Vice snapped.
“Brenyn didn’t like how Vice and Yemi talked to her. Vice been trying to get her young ass since she started coming around with her homegirl. So she checked him the other day, and he couldn’t let that shit go. When she came around trying to cop some weed today, she was by herself. Vice told her he had to go get the weed from his spot, and she followed him there. I didn’t know what they was on. He snatched her up and took her to the back. Yemi went after him, then they went together. I listened to them do shit to her, laugh about that shit?—”
“Then why the fuck you ain’t do shit!” Finn spoke up, boiling with anger.
“Because they told me they would do the same thing to my sister if I did,” Dirk countered, head down.
Max heard enough. His darkened gaze met Carmichael’s across the floor.
“You want to do the honors?” Max asked, holding the handle out for him.
A wounded father. Seeing his child hurt, hurt him. Some shit you shouldn’t play with, and a man’s child was one of them. He would turn into a killer for her. He was her father, and that was what he was supposed to do.
Minx stoodoutside her father’s F-150 truck, leaning against the side and smoking a much-needed cigarette. She knew there was something horrific going on in inside. She remembered being the little girl standing in front of the man that did something horrible even more. The day she confronted Javonwas one she would never forget. Chills shot up her spine as she thought about what happened to him. She wasn’t naïve to what her father did. She grateful to never have to see Javon around again. Curled up against the door with her eyes closed, Brenyn sat tucked inside. About twenty minutes later, her father emerged, Carmichael right behind him, blood all over the front of his clothes. Max approached his daughter as Finn and Rose strolled out toting three individual boxes. Carrying them over to the back of Max’s truck, they loaded them on the bed.
“You good?” he asked, holding her by the shoulders.
Minx’s eyes glistened. Nodding, she exhaled and glanced at the ground.
“Yeah. I’m good,” she responded.
“A’ight. Do me a favor, let Finn and Rose take you two home. Brenyn asked to stay with us a few days. I hope you don’t mind,” Max stated.
“No, not at all,” Minx replied. “I got her.”
“You light up the world, baby girl.” Max grabbed her face and kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”
