Page 28 of Butterfly 6, Phase 1

“Daddy’s baby,” he whispered. “Come on, ma-ma.”

Bella had dressed her in an almond-colored kimono wrap and matching bottoms. A big bow headband was placed delicately over her feather-soft hair. The organic cotton was feathery to the touch, and she looked as cozy as she could be. Her little legs and arms were still curled as she slept in the tightest ball. He picked her up, and she was so wiggly, stretching and yawning, then crying briefly before he brought her close to his chest. She smelled like she had been delivered straight from heaven’s bakery. Only babies smelled this divine. She had made the most disruptive entry into their lives, but she was the most peaceful baby he had ever seen. “Time to go home,” he said. Those little eyes gleamed as she opened them at the sound of his voice. “Yeah, you know Daddy, don’t you?” He still felt so guilty for not being able to hold her when Alani was on her deathbed. He was grateful for their creation and even more grateful that he didn’t have to sacrifice his wife to receive it.

He changed her diaper before placing her in the car seat, knowing she would travel more peacefully if she were dry, and rejoined his family downstairs.

They sat down and finished breakfast, and Bella and Eazy cleaned Nannie’s kitchen before they all piled into his Range Rover to head home. Alani reached across the center console and caressed Ethic’s face. He leaned in, taking her wrist in one hand, and kissing it before stealing her lips as well.

“Let’s get you home where you belong,” Ethic whispered.

She nodded in agreement. The forty-minute drive put everyone in the car to sleep. He shook his head, scoffing in amusement as he checked his rearview mirror. He was coming to his exit when he noticed a car ease from behind the car behind him, only to get directly behind his vehicle.

Ethic frowned. It wasn’t a natural driving gesture to switch lanes to hop in front of one car.

Is this nigga following me? Ethic thought. He hit a button on his center console, and the touch screen of his car lifted. The secret compartment where he housed his gun revealed itself, and Ethic retrieved his steel.

He was glad his family was asleep because he didn’t want to alarm them. His incredibly observant daughter heard the noise as the compartment closed, and she opened her eyes just as he drove past their normal exit.

“Daddy, you missed…”

Ethic turned to her briefly and put his finger to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. Bella’s eyes immediately went to her surroundings, but she stopped talking.

If the car was trailing him, he wasn’t going to lead it to his home.

He switched lanes and eyed the car behind him. The driver was smart enough not to switch immediately, but sure enough, about thirty seconds later, it switched too. Ethic slowed to an inconvenient speed. Forty miles per hour on the freeway would frustrate the average driver and force a pass, but the car behind him matched his speed.

Bella finally realized what was happening, spotting the car.

“Daddy?” she whispered as she leaned forward to speak.

Ethic reached into the console and retrieved his silencer. He passed both the gun and the attachment back to Bella. Her eyes widened in fear.

“Screw it on,” he said in a low tone. He maintained his speed as he kept his eyes on the vehicle. He counted two men. He couldn’t make out their race because of the tint on the windows, and no matter how much he slowed, they wouldn’t pass him, so he couldn’t see the license plate.

Bella took the gun with shaky hands and screwed the silencer onto the weapon. He had taught her how, but Bella had never expected to have to handle a gun.

Ethic met her eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Breathe,” he said in a low tone.

Alani stirred as Bella passed the gun back to Ethic. He placed it in his lap to see if she was going to wake up. When she didn’t, Ethic sighed in relief. He wouldn’t have any room for error. His heart pounded as he picked up speed, and sure enough, the car accelerated with him. Ethic rolled down his window and switched lanes at the last possible second, fitting in between two cars so that the other car couldn’t follow. When the car passed him, Ethic saw the ski masks. He only had time for one shot, taking out the back tire. The silent rage he felt was immeasurable. He wanted to wet the whole fucking car up. In a millisecond, he stowed details in his mind:

Black. Toyota. A few years old.

The car was moving at such a high speed, it fishtailed, sending it crashing into the fast lane, and colliding into the center divider.

Ethic dropped the gun under his seat as the commotion jarred Eazy and Alani from their sleep.

“Oh my god! Was that an accident?” Alani exclaimed as she looked out the back and then into her side mirror.

Eazy turned around too. “I think so,” he said.

Ethic got off the highway and rerouted to his home as his mind spun and his heart raced.

“Everybody’s okay,” he said. “We’re almost home.”

He could see the fear in Bella’s eyes, and he reached into the backseat for her hand. “You’re okay,” he repeated.

When Ethic rolled to a stop in front of the gated Okafor estate, he checked his mirrors again. He had driven in circles for fifteen extra minutes to ensure that no one else was on his tail. He was on high alert and eager to get his family behind the safety of the castle he had built.