Rose and Minx ordered food, and pretty soon, they were all stuffing their faces and talking shit. After two pitchers of margaritas and empty plates, Finn paid the tab and they piled out together. Once outside, the cool night air hit, and Rose took a peek at his watch on his wrist. Finn noticed he seemed to be checking that shit all night, and he knew why. With his arm draped over Luna’s shoulders, he guided her across the parking lot to his car.
“Quit checking the time, bruh. When the shit is done, we’ll know. Take Minx home and try to relax. Tomorrow is a new day.” Finn assured him.
Rose parked his truck right beside his boy’s old school. Each opening the door for their women, they slapped hands once they were safely tucked into their cars. Both men did a scan, making sure nothing was rigged under their vehicles before getting inside. Couldn’t be too careful after everything that went down with Max.
“Can you take me by the house? I need to grab a few things and check on Mil,” Minx requested sweetly as Rose started his whip.
“Why don’t we stay there tonight? I bet he misses you,” Rose offered.
“I’m not ready to deal with my mama, just yet,” Minx whispered. “I need a little time.”
“We know from experience, shorty, time ain’t promised. She’s your mother.”
“And she’s been lying to me my entire life,” Minx argued, tears flooding her eyes that she tried her hardest not to succumb to.
The way Rose stared at her told her she was being unreasonable. She didn’t want to be that way, not with her mother. Other than Rose and Luna, she was her best friend. She’d always been able to go to her about anything—from sexto drugs and everything in between. The fact that she kept such a huge part of herself so hidden had Minx wondering what she actually knew about the woman that birthed her. More than anything, she wished that Mikki was there for clarity. Her mother’s lies were suffocating and reminding Minx that two of the people she loved the most were no longer there. That was a tough pill to swallow.
“Can we just stop in and go back to your place?” She pouted, and bat her innocent eyes.
Rose could never tell Minx no, especially when she looked at him like that. Her relationship with Mila was nothing like his relationship with his parents. His mother didn’t give a fuck about him beyond the government assistance she got every month while he was coming up. His father left when he was younger, and he never saw or heard from the man again. He recalled his mother saying they were addicts together. There was no telling where he was or if the nigga was still alive. Losing Max only reminded Rose further of what was missing in his very own life.
“A’ight, fine. You know I love you, right?” Rose checked with her.
“Yeah, I know,” she whispered, holding his intense gaze.
“And I will do anything for you. I want you happy, Minx. Holding a grudge against the only parent you got left, that shit can’t end well for you, shorty.”
“Thanks for the heart-to-heart, Rose. Can you drive now?’’ she said , annoyed because he was right.
“Mean ass.” Rose shifted his truck into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot.
Dynamite was a few blocks over from the restaurant, and the ground rocked underneath them as Rose guided his truck down the road. Minx jumped in her seat watching a bright explosion illuminate the entire sky to their left.
“Shit!” She gasped, clutching her chest, eyes widening before swinging her attention to Rose.
Unbothered, eyes forward, he steered them along.
“Rose, the fuck!” she hissed, watching a fire burn in the distance.
“You said we were going to the house and then to my spot, Minx. Let’s focus,” he said, squinting at the road as he hit a quick left to get on the highway.
About twenty minutes later, they arrived in the driveway of the house that Minx grew up in. She didn’t feel the same when she came here anymore. Knowing that her father would never be inside hit her hard every time she pulled up. Rose kept his truck running. Minx saw her mother’s car parked, and Jonah sitting on the bench in back, smoking while talking on his phone. She hopped out and traipsed over to him as the night air swept around her.
“What’s up, Unc?” she greeted him, and he waved as she let herself inside.
Rose wasn’t far in the rear, but he remained on the back porch to speak with Jonah.
“I heard the blast all the way over here.” Jonah teased, taking a long pull from the blunt before he handed it off for Rose to partake in.
“Just waiting on the word.” Rose took a drag and held the smoke before exhaling. “How’s Mila?”
“She’s good. We can count Galena out. Which means they’re about to set up to retaliate. You and Minx need to take Mille for a couple of days while we secure some shit,” Jonah noted.
Rose nodded while he hit the weed again and stared off into the backyard. When it came to war, everyone had a role to play. Protecting the camp was number one. Those were Max’s words. He told him that at a very young age, and it always stuck.
“Mil! Where you at?” Minx asked, coming up the back stairs of their home.
His bedroom door was a few steps away, and she could hear voices and rustling around inside. Minx texted him on the way to let him know she would come to check on him. When she appeared in the doorway, she saw her mother moving quickly around her brother’s room while he sat on the foot of his bed watching her toss items of his into a big luggage bag with wheels.
