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“Your actions,” I spat back. Bakari rubbed small circles on my lower back and my body relaxed for him once again.
“Just because I disagree with you, that means I don’t love you?” His thick brows crashed together on his forehead as he regarded me.
“Look,” I growled, rubbing my temples. “I don’t know who to trust or what to think right now and it’s confusing. I don’t like being confused. I just want Mother taken care of.” My voice rose an octave.
“We all feel the same way, Sanai,” Father said. This time his tone was softer. “I think we all can agree that your mother needs to be taken out. There’s a certain way we have to go about doing that though. You can’t just—”
“I can. And I will. Either all of you understand that or just deal with not talking to me anymore.” I was serious about that shit. I was sick and tired of going in circles. My family could take the gentle approach if they wanted but I was going to do things my way.
“I think we should let Sanai handle it,” Zee spoke up after silence hummed through the air for several beats. Even I was shocked to hear that come from her. Father and Eli gawked at her like she’d sprouted wings or something.
“Handle…what?” Father chuckled. “This mission is delicate. Sanai couldn’t even accomplish the mission to kill Junior Baptiste so…”
I bolted to my feet, ready to charge over to my father. My mouth was loaded with bullets and I was about to light his ass up.
Bakari grabbed my wrist. His long fingers created a damn near unbreakable circle around my delicate bones. When he tightened his grip, I pulled against him and was yanked back like a junkyard rottweiler.
“You sound exactly like Mother,” I seethed through gritted teeth. “That mission was fucking bogus and you know it.”
“Regardless,” he huffed, waving his hand at me like I was of no consequence. “Sanai isn’t equipped to be in charge of something of this magnitude.” The way he seemingly spoke to anyone else in the room but me made my blood boil.
“Fuck you.” The insult rolled off my tongue so naturally you would have thought my father was some nigga off the street.
“Sanai, baby, calm down,” Bakari’s smooth, deep voice rang in my ear. I was wound so tightly that every muscle beneath my skin ached and throbbed, begging for relief. “Do shit your way. If you want to stop proving yourself and explaining yourself…then stop.” He instantly made me realize that I’d been rehashing the same shit with my family over and over and in the process, I was still trying to show and prove.
Bakari was right. I had to stop and just act.
My shoulders fell and I released an easy breath.
“Son, I’m not sure you who are to Sanai as of now, but this is a family issue.” Father’s eyes held ice daggers that Bakari seemed to ignore with such ease.
“I’m whoever she needs me to be.” He dropped my wrist and stood to his full height. He was just about the same height as father, maybe an inch taller. “Right now, you’re someone who’s stressing her out when she’s already stressed enough. You’re not in the position to be in her house handing out orders or telling her what she’s capable of doing. I think it’s time for you to leave.” He swung his stern gaze to Eli and said, “You can leave too if you’re going to stress Sanai out.”
“And who the fuck do you think you are?” Father chuckled. Malice twisted around his words. My heart was in my throat because all my life, I’d had to stand up to my family on my own. Sometimes Zee would shield me but I wasn’t used to what Bakari was doing. I wasn’t used to someone stepping in front of me and protecting me while telling my family of all people, what to do.
My stomach twisted in knots but not exactly from the tension in the room. It was from the way Bakari stood for me. The way he protected me without me having to ask.
“I already told you that,” Bakari answered Father without once raising his voice or being rude. It was that self-assured attitude that was running through Bakari’s veins. I used to think it was all for show but standing in my living room, I realized quickly that was who he was. He knew his power. He knew his pull. He walked with his head held high like a god amongst men.
“This is my child’s house and—”
“Father,” I interrupted, standing beside Bakari. “Just go. He’s right. If you feel like him, then you can go, too, Eli.” The living room was silent.
“Fine.” Father’s jaw flexed as he stood to leave. He looked at Eli and he shook his head, opting to stay, which shocked the fuck out of me. After that, he stormed out of my house, making sure to slam the door and shake the entire room.
“Look, I just want to get this done.” Eli looked at me and I saw the pleading in his eyes but I didn’t know what he was pleading for. “What did Mother say when you spoke to her?”
“Essentially, that she birthed us for her personal gain and she would kill any of us if we stood in the way of her getting what she wanted. Kenya heard it because I had Mother on speaker phone so I have no reason to lie.”
Eli nodded his head, tightening his lips into a hard line. Zee didn’t seem phased, like she already knew how devious our mother was. On some level, we all knew but it still felt surreal seeing it firsthand.
“So, what are you two doing because it’s clear this is a joint effort between you and Bakari,” Zee said quietly. I glanced up at Bakari and saw the apprehension in his eyes. He still didn’t fully trust my siblings and I didn’t blame him. He had reason for wanting my mother dead as much as we did, though.
“I’m working with Junior Baptiste on some things. Sanai and I believe we have a lead on someone who is working with your mother. We’re going to explore that after Rob’s funeral tomorrow.” He looked at Zee, then Eli. “How is your family business faring since you can’t trust anyone who has worked for your mother now?”
“It’s in shambles, to be honest,” Zee sighed. “We have some leftover missions to round up but nothing new has come in. I don’t think it will.”
“I don’t think there is a family business anymore. Nai, you might have had the right idea all along to strike out on your own.” Eli’s features had softened and he was now giving me an apologetic look that I had to try not to roll my eyes at.
