I almost reached for her and asked what she meant, but I let it be. Walking away, I went back to my thoughts. I figured that I was asking too much of Shanelle, but fuck it. I was being asked a lot myself. Had she stayed with Uncle, maybe I wouldn’t have had to go back out there and check on him. But, it was what it was.

  On my way out, I gave my orders to keep watch of the house and everyone in it. I then walked the block to make sure the cops weren’t trailing me, then I slipped away easily, heading to where another car was stashed.

  Driving to the storage facility didn’t take long at all. I walked in, only to step through a permeating cloud of shit. Our guest was swinging with his innards sagging out, naked like a gutted pig. Blood pooled under him, and at the feet of our guest was my uncle, sitting in a chair, drinking moonshine, and watching the body in silence. I didn’t get my payback on the nigga. That was clearly robbed of me. However, my concern was my uncle. I wasn’t sure if he would able to function after this. Quietly, I walked up to him and rested my hand on his shoulder. Dead men couldn’t talk, and now we were stuck back at square one.

  * * *

  The next day, I woke up early after sleeping next to my angry fiancée. My love was so angry she slept on the edge of the bed. I was upset about it and had upset her, but when I pulled Shanelle to me and played with her juicy kitty and made it purr for me, I simply scooped her from under the bundle of sheets, flipped her over, then caged her, staring in her eyes. Licking my lips, I gave her a silent snarl, curling my lip then dropping down to tear her cotton panties off. When I got a taste of her, she widened her legs, then planted her feet on my shoulders, sliding her curling toes up and down my back as she arched for me.

  Head digging in the bed, I cupped her breasts and feasted until it was time to pull off her shirt then sit her on top of me. It was then that I let my love have control and allowed her to ride her anger out on me. Baby girl dug her nails in my chest, leaned down, gave me that same sexy lip curl, then dropped down to lick the side of my neck. Shanelle then bit at my sweet spot, before tracing my ear with her tongue. My dick thumped in her as she showed out and poured her anger out on me. The bed was a classic and sturdy, so no matter how hard we fucked, it didn’t shake. Biting my lips, I held her hips was she worked her kitty. I hated upsetting her, but I loved it when we got down like this. Angry fucking was the best especially early in the morning.

  I sat on the edge of the bed naked with scratch marks on my back from my feisty queen. My shoulders rose up then rolled to ease the fading tension. She gave a brotha a nice release. I leaned back to kiss the middle of her back and palm her lush ass. After getting my casual feel up, I walked around the bed to pick her up and take her to the shower with me. Comfortable in the steam shower, as the heated water poured over us, I held her with my arms wrapped around her. One around her neck and shoulders, while the other was around her waist. We said nothing as we stood there. I figured we were thinking about everything that we had to do and our obligations.

  Which was why I broke our silence. “I’m heading out to meet with the Syndicate. Some already received our SOS and are coming our way.”

  “Good. Something in the air doesn’t feel right about any of this,” Shanelle quietly said with her head planted against my chest and heart.

  I agreed. Too much just wasn’t panning out, and it was time to alert the Syndicate to it.

  “Will you be okay here, or do you want to come with me?” I asked just to give her a choice as a show of an olive branch in saying sorry about how I came at her last night.

  “I’ll stay here to feed everyone, then check in on Melissa,” she said, turning to look up at me. There was something in her eyes as if she had something on her mind, and it made me tilt her chin up to kiss her softly, while water ran down the curve of her back and wet, curling hair.

  “I love you, Elle,” I quietly said, resorting to my old nickname for her.

  When she blushed, it made me smile. Especially when she rose up on her toes to kiss me then lean back. “Von, listen. I need to tell you . . .”

  As she spoke and I listened intently, both of our cells began ringing our alert line. Turning at the familiar ring, we both quickly moved out of the shower and went to our phones. Answering on my end, I glanced at her. “Speak to me.”

  “I’m here,” Shanelle said on her end.

  Gunshots rung in the background like tat-tatta-tat-tat. I could hear shouting and harsh, panicked cursing. Tires squealed, then a loud bang came after.

  “Hello?” I shouted.

  “We’re being attacked,” I heard in my ear.

  “Creed? Where you all at?” I quickly said in rising panic. “Ride out and get to safety right now, fam!”

  I could hear the rush of his breath going in and out as the sound of what I assumed was his feet slamming against asphalt echoed back. “We got ambushed on our way out of Cali. Was heading to you, then . . . Oh, shit.”

  Gunplay cut off his phone and he went silent. I looked at my phone then at Shanelle, who had her hand to her mouth. Not even a minute after Creed’s line went dead, my cell lit up again.

  “Who’s on your line, baby?” I quickly asked her; then I listened to her as she held her finger up.

  “It’s Lucky, wait. Hello? Lucky! Hello!” Shanelle gave me look of confusion then hung up. “He said your line was backed up, so he hit my emergency line. Baby, he said he and the Commission were heading to their own meeting to prepare for meeting you when they got hit. He was on the block running from the fitting shop he was at with some of his team. It sounds like they’re at war, baby.”

  My mood dampened. Swiping my cell, I listened to several messages that indicated that the Syndicate across the board was coming under fire. Immediately, I reached for Shanelle and motioned for her to dress, as I shouted to the family while dressing. Hitting my contacts, I called the Forty Thieves.

  “We’re under fire. Protect the block, but keep our house up on security right now!” I ordered.

  “What do we do, baby?” Shanelle questioned.

  “I want you all in the bunker,” I stoically responded.

  “You need protection, baby,” Shanelle said, reaching out and touching my arm.

  My gaze settled on her, then I dropped to a knee, reached under Mama’s bed and pulled out a Remington shotgun that I knew belonged to Uncle Snap. As I checked it, my mind was going in overdrive. Did I want to take Monty with me or keep him with Shanelle to keep her protected in the bunker? Or leave Uncle with her? He hadn’t been right after came home last night, so I knew that protecting them in the bunker would be the best thing, because he was a sleeping lion right now. However, there was nothing like that old man by my side. I had to think on it.

  Swinging open the door, I stared at Monty, Navy, and Jojo. Behind Monty was Trinity, who was part of Rize, which was a connect of ours. She wore nothing but lace boy shorts and a tank. Her locs were swaying down her back over her ass and I saw her phone lighting up with messages while she glanced at me with anger in her eyes.

  “Trinity, Rize under attack?” I quietly asked.

  “Yuh? Fucking bloodclot rassholes came to the restaurant and lit it up, Javon!” Trinity colorfully said in her accented anger.

  “Is your brother okay?”

  Nodding her head, she wrapped her arms over herself then bit her bottom lip. “Yuh, I think so. He told me to stay with Monty and you. Won’t let me come home. Neither will Monty.”

  My brother glanced at Trinity then at me. “This house need you and shit. I’m not about to be stupid and have you running, blazing out there open and shit.”

  I sighed then glanced at Jojo, who kept looking over his shoulder at his room. I cursed then I ran a hand down my face while staring up at the ceiling. My fam was going to be the death of me. Head tilted back, I turned it some to stare at my little brother, and simply stated, “Dani is here, isn’t she?”

  Guilt quickly flashed across my baby brother’s features. “Um, yeah. But I told her to stay in the room,” Jojo quickly said.

  “Fuck!” I growled then glanced at Shanelle. There was a mental thing between us where I was telling her to get his ass before I choked him up.

  “Von, me and Jojo can take her to the basement.” Navy offered.

  I knew he stepped up to calm the anger in me. I appreciated him for that.

  Working on short time, because my cell was going off, I moved to the stairway. “All right. Wait. No. I need you all together. Blindfold both of them, then take everyone to the bunker. Board that shit up once you get there. Shanelle knows the way out.”

  “I thought there was no way out,” Navy said, surprised.

  “Yeah, Mama always had a contingency plan. It’s a tight fit, but there’s an exit,” I explained. “Monty, I need you to keep everyone else safe. That means go animalistic if you have to.”

  “Ain’t no better way than that, bro. I’ll hold the camp down.” Monty pounded his fist to his chest and flashed his pearly whites. “Me and Trinity got the house and block.”

  “Yuh. I’ll have Rize walk the streets and be yuh additional eyes and our protection with yuh soldiers out there in the block,” Trinity added.

  “Respect, baby brother, and thank you, Trinity. You’ll be rewarded for that loyalty, fam.” Leaning down the stairway I shouted, “Uncle!”

  “I’m here, nephew,” Uncle said, coming from his room in overalls with his hand scratching over his messy hair. His tone was tired and I understood why.

  “I need your eyes, ears, and wisdom with me. Are you up to it? If not, let me know. I’m heading out,” I said, walking down the stairs but pausing when he spoke up.

  “This is family. I’m always here for ya all. I’ll be at’cha side, nephew,” he said with a spark of light in his eyes, following me.

  I gave him a nod of respect. “Thank you.”

  “Von,” I heard Shanelle ask behind me. Turning, I glanced up at her. “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “To get our sister,” I said, clutching my Remington.

  “Wait.” Shanelle ran halfway down the stairs to hug me then whisper in my ear, “I . . . I’m . . .” Curiously, she paused, and with a kiss against my jaw said, “I love you. Come home safely. I’ll be your shadow.”

  Something deep was going on with Shanelle. Something I could read in her eyes, but I wasn’t understanding. Whatever it was, it fueled me and gave me additional mental armor to handle business as I told her that I loved her in return. Some bodies were about to drop and I planned on learning who was gunning for us, one way or another.

  Chapter 14

  Uncle Snap

  “Shanelle not coming? Why?” I asked Javon as we walked to the truck.

  “Need her to stay here and help protect the house,” he said.

  I frowned. “And she agreed to that shit?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  “So easily, nephew? Shanelle gave you no lip about making her stay behind? She’s your best fucking shooter. Why would you even want to leave her behind?”

  Javon stopped walking and looked over at me with a look that said he was turning over the questions in his mind.

  “Is she okay?” I asked him. “Shanelle would never let you go into battle alone, nephew. This is the same girl who jumped in your fights in high school. The same girl who picked up a school desk and hit the boy in the head who you were fighting with it. The same woman who has never let you fight alone since you two became an item. The same—”

  “A’ight, Unc. I got you. But this was my call. I don’t want any of them out here right now.”

  “I get that, nephew, but I’m saying, though. Check on your woman, a’ight? Make sure she good. And then check Lucky for ringing her line as often as he does. And, while you at it, check Jai for openly lusting after you, too.”

  Lucky called Shanelle at least three or four times while she was at that storage unit with me. She answered one call to tell him she was busy and then she ignored the other calls. I knew who it was because I asked her and she told me. I asked her what was going on between her and Lucky and she said it was nothing at all. I believed that on her end, but I knew when a man was after another’s woman. I knew that from experience. Lucky’s apple didn’t fall too far from his father’s tree.

  Javon grimaced and jerked his head back like he had been slapped. “What the fuck, Unc? I don’t fucking want Jai.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “And, wait, Lucky has been calling Shanelle for shit other than business?”

  “He ain’t got no business with Shanelle. All his business should be with you unless it’s an emergency like now.”

  Nephew glanced around like he was looking for answers as if they would jump out of thin air.

  “Look, nephew, I ain’t trying to start no shit, especially not now. But something is going on with Shanelle if she let you walk out this house alone with no lip, and you know that. I don’t know if it got shit to do with Lucky or if she just noticed some shit with you and Jai—”

  “Ain’t no shit with me and Jai, Uncle Snap,” he barked.

  I stopped talking as he stared me down. Maybe I was barking up the wrong tree with this Lucky and Jai thing, but I knew I was right about something being wrong with Shanelle. Wasn’t no way she would be okay with Javon going to a fight and not being around to have his back. Anytime Mama had to go to the school because Javon had been in a fight, she had to deal with Shanelle being suspended too. But I let it go. That wasn’t my business no how. I hated I said something.

  “My bad, nephew. I could be wrong about Lucky and Jai, but I ain’t about that other thing and you know it.”

  With that, both of us hopped in the truck. Shit was mad tense for a while, but I broke the tension since I had some info Javon needed to know.

  “Something’s going on in Brazil. The faction down there is imploding and Almir, the dude I tortured, was a part of the rogues. Before the piece of shit died, he told me there were many more in the U.S.”

  I’d had the Thieves dispose of the man’s body. I had them take him to the Italian butcher Mama was friends with. That man was the reason I didn’t eat hamburgers unless I saw the cow being slaughtered myself.

  Javon was dressed like he was ready for war, which meant some shit was going down. Black combat boots, black cargo-like pants, and a black turtleneck with a bulletproof vest was his ensemble. Nephew’s eyes danced around, which told me his mind was working overtime. When he was a kid, teachers would tell Mama that something was wrong with him because he would often zone out while thinking. His body would be in the room, but his mind was elsewhere.

  I listened as he gave me a rundown on what Shanelle had told him about Jojo. I didn’t even know what to say. We all knew how Jojo was when it came to women older than he was. No matter how many his sisters and Mama had beat down, he would go off and find others. That was the psychological effect left on some children who had been introduced to fucking way too damn early. Shit made me sick to my stomach.

  “That’s something we’ll have to discuss as a family later. For now, we got other fish to fry,” I said.

  “That we do. All the members are being attacked. I was supposed to have this new product and they still haven’t received it. Makes me look bad and I’m pissed about that,” he spat.

  “Be chill, nephew. We still got the samples, right?”

  He nodded. “We do.”

  “Give them fools a hit. Let them see how that shit works and they’ll chill out and give you more time to get shit to market.”

  “That’s a good idea, Unc, but my reputation is sullied right now. When I find out who gunned for me, they’re dead. And now they’ve hit every major member in the Syndicate as well?” He shook his head. “Heads are about to roll.”

  I nodded once, then laid a hand on his shoulder. “As they should. Now let’s move.”

  We made our way to the club, glad there was only minimal traffic. Javon tried calling Melissa from OnStar. She didn’t answer. He shook his head and punched the steering wheel. He had the Remington. He was expecting trouble, which wasn’t good.

  “I sent word to the head of the Africana faction in Brazil. I should be getting word from him soon,” Javon said out of the blue.

  I knew shit was going to go left as soon as we pulled up to the club to see it wasn’t opened. Nah, let me rephrase that. Shit went left as soon as we pulled up to the club to find ourselves outnumbered. Men were lined up in ski masks, ready to rumble. It was as if niggas were there waiting on us to make a move.

  “Back that shit up, nephew,” I said to Javon as soon as I saw the masked men. How they even knew we would come to the club was beyond me, but we didn’t have time to think about that shit.

  “No need,” Javon said then tapped on the window. “Bulletproof truck.”

  I gave nephew a sidelong glance. That shit didn’t really make me feel any better when bullets started to rain down on us like hail. I still ducked and tried to take cover. They had us surrounded. I wasn’t even sure if the niggas dressed in all black and ski masks had figured out their bullets weren’t penetrating the truck yet. Didn’t matter. Javon put the truck in reverse. He backed up so swiftly that the bodies behind us fell like dominoes and he rolled over them like speed bumps.

  Clearly, no fucks were given in that moment. Javon had just put the truck back in drive when we noticed a nigga with a rocket launcher walking toward us.

  “Get the fuck out, Unc,” Javon yelled.

  He didn’t even have to tell me twice. The truck may have been bulletproof, but that shit wouldn’t stop a rocket launcher. I bailed out the truck and ran to take cover behind cars on the other side of the street.

  I caught a quick glimpse of Javon as he used the Remington 870 with the pistol grip like he wasn’t up against automatic weapons. As I got ready to rush across the street to give him backup, a flurry of bullets chased me. I heard nephew yell out as I hit the ground.

  “Javon,” I called out. He didn’t answer. “Talk to me, nephew!”