After my call with Tony, I’d gone back in the house and admitted everything to Junior. It was humiliating to have to admit my affair to him, but I would do whatever it took to get Mariah back home safely. Shoot, I’d publish my shame in the newspaper if I thought it would help. Junior didn’t pass judgment. He didn’t curse me out; he didn’t ask me how I could have been so stupid. Maybe that would all come later, but for the time being, he was focused only on his niece.
“It was him,” I answered. “That motherfucker has my baby.”
We watched as Tony rushed out of the motel room and into a black Cadillac. He was on his cell phone. It looked like he was having a heated discussion with someone.
“I remember him from our meeting at the dealership,” my big brother said. “He’s definitely Sal Dash’s big-mouth son.”
“Well, I plan on shutting it. When I get my baby back, Junior, I want him to die, and I want him to know it was me who ordered his death.”
Junior leaned back and watched as the black Cadillac exited the parking lot, recording every detail about his new target.
LC
54
“Why didn’t somebody tell me about Mariah?” I asked my wife when Orlando and I returned to my near-empty house. When we should have been a tight, cohesive unit, everybody was out pursuing their own agendas. That was why we were so easily manipulated by Dash. Our selfishness was our weakness. It was time for us to stop acting on emotion and start strategizing as a family. Order had to be restored.
“We didn’t want to upset you, dear. You know, the same way you didn’t want to upset me by telling me you sent Rio out to L.A. to get his head blown off.” Chippy’s hands were trembling as she cast an accusing eye at me. I had no defense for my bad decision, so I just let her comment hang in the air between us.
She was looking worn down. The stress of everything that had gone on lately was obviously taking a toll on her. Then again, I hadn’t looked in the mirror lately. She could probably say the same thing about me.
“She’s my granddaughter, Chippy! I had a right to know. I could have done something.”
“Not while you were negotiating with Alejandro, you couldn’t. You’re her grandfather, LC, not her parent. Her mother made the right decision not to tell you right away, and I stand behind her.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Has everyone lost their mind around here?”
“Pop, please. You and I both know we need to stay focused to get Mariah back. We can’t be losing our cool,” Orlando said. So noble of him to finally be getting his head in the game. I was beginning to rethink my decision of handing the family business to him.
“That’s just it, Orlando. Nobody’s been focused. Paris killed that boy Miguel when I expressly told her to leave him alone. Then you send her out to L.A. without my knowledge, putting both her and Rio at risk. Harris and London are God knows where, when they need to be right here, together, waiting on either the police or the kidnappers to call. Together,” I stressed as I motioned at our empty abode. “And you,” I said, pointing at him. “You’ve been disappearing at times when we needed you most. Seems the only dependable one is Junior, and he isn’t even ...”
“What? Junior isn’t what?” Orlando asked.
“Junior isn’t even the one I chose to lead this family,” I replied quickly, turning the conversation back to him. “But you haven’t been yourself lately. Not answering calls when people try to reach you, disappearing to who knows where. What exactly have you been doing all this time?”
“Well, for starters, I’ve been starting my own family. I’m going to be a father,” he said, dropping another overwhelming revelation at my feet.
“Oh my goodness!” Chippy looked stunned, but equally elated. “Who is she? Do I know her?”
“I didn’t even know you were seeing someone.” I offered my hand, but I was skeptical. “Why didn’t you bring her around?”
“Because it was my business alone,” Orlando replied with a bit more attitude than I was used to from him. “But with someone taking my niece, that changes everything. I’ve sent some of our people to watch over her.”