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“You need to get the police involved,” my mother said once we were finished.
“The police won’t do anything,” Ahmad said. “He’s got them in his pocket.”
“And what are you gonna do?” my father questioned. “You’re one man and Slim has an army of goons.”
Ahmad chuckled. “Let me tell you something about street niggas, Mr. Stanton. Where there’s an army, there are weaknesses. Most of these niggas ain’t loyal to him out of love. They are loyal out of fear. Once you cut off the head, the body begins to rot. With a nigga like that, you don’t start at the head. You start in the middle and work your way up. Slim may have a lot of people running for him, but only about twenty of them are solid. They’ll be handled until there is nothing left but him and his foot soldiers.”
“And you’re gonna do all this on your own?” Daddy asked.
“I could, but that would take too much time. I have a lot of connections and favors that are owed. If there isn’t a favor, money talks just as well.”
“Why are you doing this?” my mother asked. “What’s in it for you?”
“Ain’t nothing in it for me. He threatened me and anybody that threatens me won’t live to do it twice. Besides…” He looked over at me. “I have a soft spot for the kid. I can’t let anything happen to her or her mother after I promised to protect them. I gave Nala my word.”
I gave a soft smile before turning to my parents.
“I’m safer here than anywhere else,” I said. “When this is all over, I can come home. That’s what you want, right?”
My mother grabbed my hand. “You know that’s what we want. We just… We’ve spent six years worrying about you and our grandbaby. I couldn’t live if someone took you from me, Nala.”
“Nobody is gonna take me from you, Mommy.”
Ahmad added, “Not if I can help it.”
My father silently shook his head. He ran his hands down his face and sighed heavily.
“I don’t like this. I don’t like it one bit.” He looked over at Ahmad. “You keep my baby safe. If anything happens to her on your watch, I will kill you or die trying. That ain’t a threat. That’s a promise.”
“I respect that.” Ahmad stood. “I have some business to handle. You all can spend some time together until we get back. Lance will stay with you for protection. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
He didn’t say another word as he strolled out of the house. It was quiet for a moment before either of my parents spoke.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, baby,” my mother said. “Don’t jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. That’s all I’m gonna say.”
She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. My father eyed me curiously.
“What is this Bunny and lil Rabbit shit, Nala?”
“Just something to annoy me.”
“You trust that man? After all this, you trust him?”
I shrugged. “I don’t have a choice but to trust him. He’s my only hope of ending this before it gets uglier for me or Makari. I have to protect her. Slim doesn’t know about her, and I need it to stay that way.”
They both shook their heads.
“I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear, but this is what it is,” I said. “Can we put this behind us for right now? You’re here and I’ve missed you. I can cook. We can watch a movie or something. I just want Kari and I to enjoy the little time we have with you. Please?”
They looked at each other for the longest time, seemingly communicating with their eyes. When their features softened, I knew they’d conceded. I didn’t want to spend the afternoon arguing with them. Life was short and if shit didn’t pan out the way I needed, my life would be much shorter.
16
Ahmad
Getting inside the SUV, I had to count down from twenty before I could relax. I thought I was doing a good deed by inviting her parents to see her, but now I regretted that shit. It took everything in me not to grab her father’s head and twist his shit until every bone cracked. No one, not even my own father, had ever gotten close enough to lay hands on me. And here I was, letting this old nigga I didn’t know blow my shit out. Rabbit saved his life, but he wouldn’t get another chance.
“You good, boss?” Rico asked, looking at me through the rearview mirror.
