Page 38 of Double

She sighed. “She’s gone. She left. It was Diamond. You know, my cousin with the pink hair? She didn’t mean nothin’ by it.”

Double stepped up. “She didn’t mean nothin’ by putting her hands on my wife’s fuckin’ face?”

Compton looked up at him. “I’m sayin’, she was just pissed and⁠—”

“Pissed enough to put her hands on my wife, but not pissed enough to put her hands on you? When you’re the one who put this whole thing together? You’re the one responsible for any mistakes!”

“She knows better. Ahh!” Compton grinned with her tongue hanging out. “I fight back.” She cut her eyes at me. “You oughtta teach your wife to do the same.”

Mama Passion stepped up and slapped Compton across her face hard. “Now what? See how it feels to get slapped about a situation that didn’t directly involve you?” Our entire delegation gasped.

Compton was frozen for a quick second, then she squared up. Mama Passion squared up. Journey stepped forward and squared up. “I wish you would put your hands on my mother.”

“On gawd.” I had never seen Justus wear such a serious expression.

“Pack it up, Compton. The party is over.” Double was clearly pissed. I had never seen his face frowned the way it was.

“What? Why?” She held her cheek, rubbing it gingerly while fire still blazed behind her eyes about being hit. “I can’t believe this. Y’all owe me some money.” She turned a glare on Justus.

Double looked around. “Uh, where’s the security that you agreed to provide for this event?”

“It’s women celebratin’ Galentine’s. I didn’t think we would actually need security.”

“Whether you need it or not isn’t the point.” Justus shook his head back and forth. “You agreed to provide security in the contract.”

“You’re in breach of contract. We don’t owe you shit.” Double grabbed the microphone from where it rested on the DJ’s table. “Let your guests who are still here know that the party is over. It’s a wrap.”

Compton reluctantly held the mic up to her mouth. “Listen up. Listen up. The owners of the establishment have decided to shut the Galentine’s party down. Please head to the exit. Thank you for coming out tonight, but the party is over. Please exit quickly, and don’t linger in the parking lot. It’s my understanding that the police have been called.” She turned back toward Mama Passion. “Don’t think this is over. I don’t give a fuck that you’re his mother; you’re still gettin’ that ass busted when I catch you outside.”

Mama Passion turned the big ass rock sitting on her ring finger back and forth while nodding her head. “Bet that. And let that bitch Diamond know that it ain’t over for her neither.”

“On gawd,” Journey seconded.

Mr. Waters put both of his hands on his wife’s shoulders and began moving her toward the exit. “Let’s go, champ. Out here fighting like a kid.”

“She shouldn’t have let her little friend put her hands on my daughter-in-law.”

“Is that what you’re gonna tell the judge when you get arrested?”

“Yep.”

“And I’ll have baby girl out before they can even start the pat-down search,” Mr. Hill called after them.

“I got this, Big Hill,” Lucky said, finally slipping his gun into his back holster. “Y’all were supposed to go to dinner. Go ’head and cut out. I’ll make sure this space gets put back together and locked up.”

“Yeah, we got it,” Justus agreed, before turning to Compton and poking her in the head with his pointer finger. “Threaten my mama again, and I swear you won’t threaten nobody else.”

“She slapped me.” She rubbed her cheek as if to bring home the point.

“I wouldn’t give a damn if she shot you.”

Mr. Hill shook his head. “Let’s go.” He placed his hand on the small of Lynne’s back and headed toward the door.

The rest of us, minus Lucky and Justus, filed out behind them.

So this was what it felt like to have familial support? To be protected instead of exploited by your family? I liked it.

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