“Fuck you!” Rose hissed. “And get the fuck out of here before we turn this shit into your fucking funeral, you feel me?”
“I’ll see you around, Mila. We got plenty to catch up on.” Galena waved and turned to leave with Eirian.
“Get this hussy and this hoodlum out of here,” Yoni snarled, glaring at them both.
Finn mugged them the whole time he trailed them to the door until they’d exited the church. He told their crew to keep the perimeter safe and came back inside. Minx stepped up behind her mother.
“Ma, what was that about?” she queried, touching her arm gently.
Trembling, Mila’s eyes never left the aisle from where Eirian and Galena fled. Minx was shook because she’d never seen that type of anguish on her mother’s face before. Mila was hit with a blast from the past that she thought she had buried with her seventeen-year-old self.
“Let’s just get through the funeral first, Minx. Okay?” her mother said, facing her.
“Come on. Come have a seat,” Yoni said, helping Mila to her seat.
Finn nodded to Rose from the doorway and remained standing at the back of the church just in case. Rose took position back with the family. He stared down the bench where Mila had her head held high and gave the signal to the pastor to begin. Rose didn’t utter another word. It wasn’t the time or place, but they were going to discuss everything when they were allowed the privacy to do so.
A lotof the family and people that Max shared his day-to-day life with showed up at the house for the repast. Mila was busy running around, making sure that everyone else was okay, instead of taking the time she needed to sit and process. She didn’t want to think about it; she needed to keep busy. If she sat, she could hear her thoughts, and they were loud, deafening even. Right now, doing something else quieted the darkness that awaited her.
Funerals gave a sense of finality. It wasn’t until after that many people even began to accept what happened. Max was such a larger-than-life man. It was hard to fathom a world without him in it. Mila had an ache inside that she knew she would have to figure out how to live with. She would never love anyone else the way that she loved her husband, and it frustrated her how much time she had wasted being angry all the time.
The kitchen counters were stocked with every dish and dessert she could think of. Mille sat at the circle table, just staring off, while older women came up to him to give him condolences. He barely brought his eyes up to acknowledge anyone. Minx hovered at the island in the kitchen, chewing fruit from a platter in front of her and watching her little brother. Rose’s presence could be felt before he even came up behind her. When his cologne hit her nostrils, she couldn’t help but close her eyes. His arm slid around her waist, and he pulled her back against his chest.
“I’m worried about him,” Minx voiced, eyes on Mille.
“He’s going to be fine. He just needs some time. We all do,” he whispered that last part, and Minx could hear the pain in his voice.
Frowning, she spun to face him and searched his somber face. All this time she had been so concerned with her anguish that she hadn’t even considered what he was feeling.
“How are you holding up?” she asked.
“I’m always going to be ten toes down, shorty. Max taught me that. He told me one day he might not be around. I didn’t expect it to come this fast. A nigga fucked up behind it though.”
“He loved you,” Minx assured him, arms going around his waist as she embraced him.
Rose held her back tightly. Perez entered the kitchen with his daughter at his side. Shy and very guarded, her big, brown eyes surveyed the room, stopping when they landed on Mille at the table alone. She was instantly drawn to him. Perez joined Minx and Rose at the counter while his daughter made her way over to Max’s only son.
“Just wanted to pay my condolences,” Perez said, remaining on the opposite side of the counter from Rose and Minx. “Max and I go back a long time,and we might not have been on the same sides of the law, but I respected him, and he was solid.”
“Thank you,” Minx said, tears in her eyes and sniffling back more.
“My daughter was determined to show her face here. I heard about what happened at the school last week. She’s been worried about Mil since then,” Perez verbalized.
“It’s sweet of her to show up. I know that you and my daddy had a relationship that most people couldn’t understand, but you’ve always given him and everyone he has working for him the benefit of the doubt. You didn’t have to, but you did, and it’s appreciated.”
“I wish that there was more I could do. We are investigating that night. So far there is a lot of red tape, and the FBI is even talking about making an appearance,” Perez informed them. “Either of you got any idea what happened? Did you see anything?”
“We already gave our statements,” Rose answered.
Max might’ve been cool with him and had an understanding, but to Ambrose, Perez was just another cop. He didn’t thinkhe was like his brethren that went around bullying their community, but Rose was leery of any motherfucker toting that badge and uniform.
“Rose, I ain’t trying to do shit but get to the truth behind this… for Max,” Perez insisted.
“I don’t know shit. If I find out anything, I’ll let you know.” Rose stiffened beside Minx, and she rested a hand on his chest to calm him.
“Hey, it’s all good,” Minx chimed in, the voice of reason.
She knew it didn’t take much for Rose to get worked up, and she didn’t want that right now.
