“Perez, have something to eat.”
Nodding, he backed off. The detective in him told him that Rose was privy to some information that he wasn’t. The streets always talked. That was why Perez kept his ear to them when trying to solve a case. The streets weren’t loyal to anyone, and they could turn in a heartbeat. Minx brought her soft hand to Rose’s cheeks, and they locked eyes.
“Hey, you need a minute?” she questioned him.
“Yeah, I’m gonna go find Finn,” he said, sighing.
That was how in tune with him Minx was. She knew when he was about to blow, and she couldn’t take it. She needed Rose more than she cared to admit. She wasn’t sleeping well, and his presence at night brought all the comfort. Rose took a few steps back, and she watched him clear the room. Minx reached for a nearby bottle of Chardonnay and poured herself a tall glass. She guzzled it and watched as Enika pulled out a chair beside Mille at the kitchen table.
“Hi,” she greeted him very timidly.
Mille brought his puffy eyes up to hers. He’d been crying, just not in front of anyone. He didn’t want to make his mother even more sad or set Minx off, so Mille figured he had to be strong.His deep, chestnut eyes scanned Enika in front of him before she lowered herself into the chair.
“I won’t ask how you are. That just sounds like a dumb question to me,” she responded, sheepish. “But I will say I’m here if you want to talk or just sit.”
“Thanks,” Mille cleared his throat and responded.
“Do you want to… talk?” she asked, nervous.
Mil looked at her, really looked at her, and it made Enika nervous. When he shook his head and his eyes fell to the floor, empathy filled her face. She scooted closer to him and dropped her head to his shoulder. Somehow, that gesture brought him a comfort he hadn’t sought out. Enika was genuine, and her energy was good, so Mille gravitated toward it.
“I never thanked you for standing up against Cole last week. Sorry you got suspended for it,” she stated guiltily.
She didn’t know what else to say to fill the void, so she thought a “thank you” would change the tone.
“It’s cool. He deserved it,” Mille said, and Enika chuckled.
“Are you coming back to school this week?” she queried, her bright eyes studying him curiously.
“I don’t know,” Mille answered. “I don’t know anything. This don’t even feel real. My dad is just… gone. And I don’t know how to deal with that.”
“My mama’s not dead, but I pretend she is. She was a drug addict. What everyone says about her is true, me too if you want to get technical. I was born addicted to narcotics, and my daddy said it wasn’t easy trying to take care of me and my crazy mama. Something had to give, and eventually, she just couldn’t deal and left. So I tell everyone that she’s dead.” Filled with shame, she fidgeted with her hands in her lap.
“Thanks for coming today. I haven’t really been in the mood to talk to anybody. This helps a lot,” Mil said, and Enika gave him the cutest little half smile.
“Well, I can’t guarantee how much of that I’m good for. Most people don’t care to hear me speak, so I try to remain invisible.”
“Well, you suck at that. Too pretty so you automatically stand out.” He gave her a half smile, and her heart fluttered.
Minx beamed, glad that her brother had someone. Rose might’ve been paranoid about Perez, but as long as his daughter was good to her brother, she had no problem with either of them.
“What you thinkthat shit was about at the church today?” Finn asked, taking a tug from the blunt in his hand.
He rolled up some of KC’s finest weed and stood leaning against his car parked in the back of the house. Posted beside the back door, one leg propped against the house, Rose stared off.
Shaking his head, he finally said, “I don’t know. Shit just off right now. That night at the club, Max was pissed. This mothafucka Gannon shows up at the hospital after Minx wakes up with sympathy and shit. I ain’t buying none of it. I know for a fact this bitch ass nigga had something to do with it.”
“So how you wanna move on it?” Finn took another puff and held the smoke in his mouth.
“We talk to Mila first. I need to know everything she knows about this mothafucka Lynch. We go from there. Bring Jonah in too.”
“Bro, that mothafucka crazy.” Finn shook his head.
“Indeed, just what we need.” Rose nodded as Finn held the blunt out for him to take.
The back door opened, and Luna popped out as Rose took his first drag.
“Y’all smoking without us?” she asked, walking over to Finn.
