“What is Vegas doing at the airport?” I was trying to stay quiet and listen, but I didn’t like the direction things were going. With this man Xavier escaping from prison, I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize his next stop was to put a bullet in my son’s head. This was not one of those times I was going to sit back and shut up.
“All I can tell you is that Marie was sporting a dope-ass DKNY sundress, Tory Burch sandals, and a fly-ass pair of Prada sunglasses, like she was going somewhere warm,” Paris offered.
Sasha stood up and handed LC what looked like a postcard. “Uncle LC, Vegas said to give you this if you asked where he was. He said you’d understand.”
LC glanced at the postcard then over at me. He hesitated for a moment before he said, “I need to speak to your mother alone for a second.” His tone and facial expression told everyone in the room that he was not to be questioned right now. Still, that didn’t stop them from protesting silently with frowns and worried glances. Orlando went so far as to open his mouth, but LC shut him down before he could get a word out. Orlando left reluctantly with the others.
When we were alone, LC walked over and sat on the arm of my chair then turned the postcard toward me. It took me a second, but I gasped when I realized what the picture of Israel meant. “Jesus Christ, is this for real?”
“Evidently Vegas thinks so,” LC responded. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have taken off.”
“You do know this could be a trap. We should call the pilot and have him turn that plane around,” I said desperately. I grabbed his arm, pleading with him to get my son out of harm’s way, but he just sat there, stone-faced. “He’s just come home, LC. I don’t want him getting himself killed. I worked too hard and pulled too many strings to get him home in the first place—no thanks to you,” I added bitterly.
“I know that, Charlotte,” my husband countered. “But we both know we can’t stop him. He’d never forgive us.”
“Then let’s send Sasha or Paris to back him up,” I implored.
“I wish I could, but you know I can’t. Not with this Brother X on the loose. We spread ourselves too thin and a man like him will pick us off one by one. With Vegas gone and Junior’s head in the clouds, Sasha and Paris are our best offensive and defensive weapons. Have you forgotten the man has just escaped from a maximum security prison?”
“I haven’t forgotten a damn thing. It’s all I can think about,” I snapped angrily. “I don’t want any of my children hurt over this, LC.”
“Neither do I, but this Brother X is not like the people we usually deal with. This isn’t about money or power to him. This is a matter of principle. More importantly, it’s a matter of the heart.”
“What about the Russians or the Italians? Can’t we go to them? They’re the ones who employ the man, and we put a lot of money in their pockets.”
“I already tried,” he said. “All of our mutual friends and contacts say this is a matter amongst Blacks. They don’t want to get involved. Frankly, I think they’re just as concerned about Brother X and his army of killers as we are.”
“You do know there’s only one way to avert this, don’t you?”
He shook his head. “I know what you’re thinking, but I thought we decided—”
“No!” I cut him off, giving him a pointed look as I stood up. “You decided! I kept quiet because you said you and the boys would come up with a solution. Well, you don’t have a solution, and I’m not keeping quiet anymore. I’m putting a stop to this craziness, whether you or anyone else likes it. I will not allow my family to be sitting ducks for this man.”
He didn’t bother to try to assert his authority over me. We’d been married long enough that he knew I meant every word I said. I would stop at nothing to ensure the safety of my family, regardless of what anyone said to try to talk me out of it.
“Have you even thought about the consequences of what you’re suggesting?” he asked.