Rose slipped into Minx’s bedroom and found her sleeping in her bed soundly with her arms tucked under her head. He kicked his shoes off at the foot of her bed and pulled his T-shirt over his head, leaving himself in his jeans and wife beater. He slid in behind her and hugged her.
“Mmm.” She stirred and inhaled his familiar scent. “Rose.”
“I’m good, Minx. Get your rest.” He gently kissed her shoulder.
She gripped his arm tighter around her and closed her eyes. With his arms encasing her, she felt safe. Slipping back into a deep slumber, she let her dreams carry her away. It was the only place that she could see Mikki, and she wanted like hell for her father to come to her too.
One week later…
Mila setit up for Max’s funeral to be private with just family and a few close friends. So far, things were pretty quiet in town. After making it clear that she, along with Rose and Finn, would be taking over, people pretty much accepted what was. Everyone knew that the family was grieving, so they gave them the space to do so. That didn’t stop the house from being flooded with cakes, cookies, pies, and a plethora of flower bouquets with condolence cards. Max was respected, and many people were going to miss him and everything that he did for his community.
The church was starting to fill with people. Mila stood regal at the front door, dressed to the nines in an all-black Chanel pantsuit and matching red-bottom pumps. She wore her hair slicked back away from her face, pinned in a bun above her neck. The pearls on her neck were a gift from her late husband, and she fingered them nervously while standing there, welcoming people inside. Minx ran around anxiously making sure that everything was arranged how her mother asked. In her black Dolce & Gabbana dress, she was beautiful, standing in front of the church beside the enlarged photo of her father on a stand.
The sight of his face brought fresh tears to her eyes, and she took a step back to admire how handsome he was. She felt Rose’s strong arms around her waist, calming her nerves with his touch as he, too, took in the photo. She rested her hand on top of one of his, which was comfortably placed on her toned stomach.
“I’m good,” she said, assuring him that her mind was in check for now.
She’d been up and down all week. Grief was a strange process. One minute, she was fine, and the next, she was bawling her eyes out, wishing that her father was there. Today, she needed to keep it together. Mille zoned out. He stayed held up in his room most days. He didn’t want to talk to anyone and hadn’t been back to school yet. Minx worried about him.
“I know. Just letting you know I’m here,” Rose voiced in her ear.
“Thank you. I know that I’m all over the place?—”
“That’s why I’m here. To catch you if you fall. It’s okay if you do,” he assured her, his voice soothing in her ear.
The pews were filling up, and Mila strut toward the front with an arm draped over her son’s shoulder as they approached the front row. Minx spun to face them. Her brother’s eyes drifted by her to the photo of Max. He remained stone-faced and didn’t budge.
“We are about ready to start.” Mila bowed her head.
Mila led Mille to his seat, and he perched himself on the bench first. Just as she, Minx, and Rose were about to settle themselves, with Luna and Finn already behind them along with Mama Yoni, the double doors to the church could be heard opening. Rose didn’t turn around, but every instinct he had screamed that a threat was nearby. His hand went to the burner on his hip, not giving one damn that they were in a church. Not even that space was safe those days, so he remained clipped up.
When he turned, he saw some tall, thick ass nigga ambler in with an older woman on his arm. Frowning, Rose wasn’t sure who the fuck they were. Mila’s head turned, and her entire face went ashen, as if she’d seen a ghost. Mille lowered himself into his seat, but his mother remained on her feet. After she recovered from the initial shock, anger fleeted across her face. She cut through Minx and Rose so fast that Minx nearly toppled over.
“What the fuck are you doing here!” Mila hissed, both brows knitting together furiously.
Minx and Rose were both thrown by how quickly she turned up. Mila didn’t get out of character much, but there was a tone that she took on that alerted Minx that something was wrong. Turning, she recalled meeting Eirian at the club the night her father died, and squinted when he smugly smiled at her. The woman at his side was older, but she looked good. Minx saw something familiar in her, but she couldn’t pinpoint it right then and there because her mother seemed to be fixated on the woman’s complacent glare. Mila gave herself a foot of space between Galena and Eirian. Tipping her head, a flicker of recognition struck her brown eyes.
“Paying our… respects,” Galena voiced with a smile.
Mila stepped forward. Words were lost in the moment, but she brought her arm up and delivered a swift smack to Galena’s face, sending her tripping backward a few feet. Stunned, Eirian immediately went to aid Galena in remaining on her feet. Whipping her head back toward Mila, anger covered her pretty, dark eyes.
“How dare you bring your ass in here!” Mila barked. “Get the fuck out!” she yelled, causing gasps to spill out from everyone around her.
Right now, she didn’t care if it was the house of the Lord. She was ready to send that bitch to the dirt right along with herhusband. Eirian faced Mila and took a couple of steps forward to get in her face.
“It ain’t so fun when its someone you care about in the ground, is it?” he mocked her, and that was Rose’s immediate cue to step up.
Finn was already on his feet, hand on his hip, ready for action, as Luna peered on in shock. Shoving Mila off to the side, Rose got right to the shit. Mama Yoni hopped up and was at Mila’s side like she, too, was ready for action. Nobody should underestimate that old woman. She was with all the shits if need be.
“I heard there was a nigga named Lynch in town.” Rose flicked the tip of his nose and lowered both eyes into slits so that Eirian felt him. “What you think this is? Max might be gone, but don’t come around here trying to make no power play. We still tight around here, and this is my mothafucking city,” Rose growled.
“Hmm, you think so?” Eirian asked, arms crossed calmly in front of himself.
“You wanna try me? Feel free. I’m always ready for war,” Rose assured.
A slow smell crept over Eirian’s lips. Galena stepped forward, as if she wanted to go for it with Mila. Squaring off, the two women never even blinked at the other. Finn walked to the back of the church to make sure all of their men were in place. He waited at the entrance, safety off and one in the head on his pistol.
“I want you to remember this moment. How it felt. Because this is where the fucking gloves come off. I don’t give a fuck about anyone—men, women, or children. Anybody can become a casualty when I go all in. So when everyone around you is dropping, remember… I tried to extend an olive branch.” Eirian sneered.
