Page 39 of Butterfly 6, Phase 1

One would think they had been intimate before, but the old friends simply did good business together.

“Give him my regard,” Ethic replied.

Ethic heard the smile disappear from her face when she spoke her next words. “You sound serious. Is Alani, okay? Your kids?” she asked. “I heard about the birth of your daughter. I hope you got my flowers.”

“We did, thank you. We’re finding our way back. Healing is slow, but we’ll get there,” he said. “Somebody took a shot at me while I was with my family.”

“Somebody had a death wish then,” she answered.

“Seems random, but…”

“Nothing’s ever random,” she finished for him.

“It’s handled, but I need to know if this is related to the Fredericks family,” Ethic said.

“Your daughter’s boyfriend’s family? The royals in London? I thought we went through this when she decided to go to school over there.”

“Yeah, apparently, we missed some shit. Can you do a deeper dive and let me know what comes up in the network?” he asked.

“Of course,” she answered. “We’re almost at…”

“Three minutes,” Ethic concluded.

They had never spoken longer than that on the phone, even though their phones were untraceable.

“I’m beginning to hate that rule,” she said.

Ethic scoffed. “That rule has kept us out of trouble for a long time,” he answered.

She laughed. “Yes, it has.”

“Besides, you just love the art of flirting. Love to see your presence shift a room. You ain’t talking ‘bout nothing,” he said.

“And neither are you,” she laughed. “Never thought I’d see the day you stopped spinning the block on our mutual friend.”

Ethic scoffed. “Three minutes are up, Zya Miller. Let me know what you find out.”

“Goodnight, Ethic. I’ll be in touch.” Zya was six hours ahead of him, living a luxurious and safe existence in Europe. He wondered if putting an ocean between him and the streets would be the only way he could truly tap out of the game. Zya just might be on to something, Ethic thought.

“Goodnight to you, Zya. I’m headed to a parent meeting. The day is young around my way,” he chuckled.

“A gangster and a gentleman,” Zya shot back. “Be safe.” They ended the call and Ethic pulled the car over and dismantled the phone, removing the sim card, then tossing it into the Flint River. Zya already had the number to the new SIM card he would insert when she needed to reach him. They had a system and it worked. It kept them both safe. He hoped her search didn’t uncover more than a coincidence, because if this was residual smoke from killing Bash, they were in more trouble than he thought.

Chapter 12

“Best Man I Can Be” by RL, Ginuwine, Casey, & Tyrese

The balance of fatherhood required Ethic to be everywhere at once. To commit murder and then pull up to a little league meeting like nothing had happened required a mask that Ethic had to interchange effortlessly. The ice it took to be cold-blooded had to be melted by the time he looked his son in his eyes. He couldn’t love on his seed with a frozen soul, and as he drove to Eazy’s meeting, his gangster melted away. His eyes misted from the weight of the duality of his worlds. It was heavy. It could drive a man crazy, and as much as he wanted to let God order his steps, the world around him sent devils his way. His soul was torn. No matter how dormant the beast inside him lay, someone always woke it up. His knuckles tightened around the steering wheel as he tucked his demons away. The parking lot was full when he arrived, and a sudden need to see Eazy overwhelmed him. He wanted to wrap his arms around his boy, to feel the heartbeat of what he had just protected. So much blood was on his hands. It was hard to clean them, especially when he knew the woman he loved would never understand his actions. She could never know about his actions today. He would never tell her because she deserved more from him, better than him. Despite the threat, Alani had asked for righteousness and for a man who let God lead him. On most days, Ethic lived up to that expectation. Today was not one of those days. He wouldn’t even be able to walk back through the doors of their home until he tucked his sins back into the vault he hid from her. Eazy’s innocence would help restore his peace. Stepping into his fatherly duties would remind him what it was all for.

For Ethic, fatherhood was the most rewarding title he held. He took it seriously, but he would be lying if he said he had mastered it. He only had one son, and often, Eazy got the short end of the stick. Morgan and Bella had given Ethic a run for his money. Their needs were always heightened. Boys brought danger. His girls were prey. Eazy was still at the age where he was dependent on Ethic for exposure. His son didn’t have the level of independence that Bella and Morgan did, so Ethic didn’t worry as much. Life was happening all around them, and it hadn’t been kind. He felt terribly that his son’s needs had slipped through the cracks when measured against the needs of everyone else. He was grateful that Nyair had called and said he would pick Eazy up. Ethic wasn’t sure if he would make it back on time, but his conscience wouldn’t let him put his son on a back burner. He hadn’t spent much time with Eazy lately, and he hadn’t realized that until he discovered Eazy was being teased. Ethic had been too distracted, too worried about life and death, about hell or jail. His son was the most unproblematic of them all, and he deserved a present father. Ethic pulled up to the indoor practice facility. From saving one child from a prison sentence to teaching another how to handle a bully. The spectrum of fatherhood went from simple to complex and back again multiple times a day. It was exhausting but necessary. He pulled into the parking space and tucked the turmoil over Morgan’s situation temporarily, so that he could give Eazy what he required. He didn’t want to walk into this building distracted, despite the weight and worries he carried. It was a father’s job to shoulder it all. He stepped out of the car, pulling his gun from under his front seat in one swift motion. Click. Safety off in case he had to get active. Ethic concealed it in his waistline holster before walking into the building. His eyes found Eazy immediately. He walked over to Nyair and dapped him up.

“What up, bro?” Ethic greeted.

“My G, good to see you, baby,” Nyair replied.

“Thanks for picking Eazy up, bro; I appreciate it,” Ethic replied.

“No doubt, that ain’t nothing. No thanks needed,” Nyair replied.