Page 60 of Double

“I do because my sisters and cousins will talk their shit and try to convince you that you don’t need me keepin’ tabs on you.”

“They damn sure will, especially that damn Royalty,” Justus chimed in.

“But they don’t know your history.” He seemed to think about it. “Maybe Journey knows your history, but the rest of them don’t. And Miami is too fucking close to Iredia for you to be out there without eyes on you.”

“I understand,” I repeated, opening my hand so he could drop the trackers inside it. “I’m about to go start packing.”

As I left the kitchen, Double and Justus kept talking.

“You sure about her even goin’?” Justus asked. “I mean, we haven’t even neutralized the threat yet.”

“As long as she stays on American soil, she’s good. I’ll put a tracker on the suitcase, and I can get her location on her phone. Charity’s going. You know how nice she is with her hands. And they’re staying at Ro’s place. You know that place is an arsenal, so she’s got firepower if somethin’ jumps off.”

“Ro’s ass is just as crazy as Lucky. They’re a family of trigger-happy niggas.”

“Wonder if they taught Treasure how to shoot yet.”

The seven of us: Lyric; her sisters, Charity and Angel; Royalty; Treasure; Journey; and I flew commercial to Miami. From the airport, we hopped in the rented Cadillac Escalade and headed to the home that Royalty owned in the city.

“Do you come here a lot? Is that why you have a home here in Miami, or is that just an American thing?” I asked Royalty as the seven of us brought our belongings into the house.

“I used to date a dope dealer. He bought this house for us.” She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. “Imagine nineteen-year-old me thinking I hit the jackpot because a thirty-two-year-old nigga bought us a house together.” She looked around quickly. “A three-bedroom, two-bathroom house nowhere near the beach, and I thought my young coochie had done something.” Everybody laughed. “I thought I put it on him . . . right up until another one of his mistresses approached me at a club and told me that I was the low bitch on the totem pole. She had a place, too. A three-bedroom, two-bathroom condo overlooking the ocean. She could walk right out of her building onto the sand of the beach.”

“Another one of his mistresses?” I repeated.

“Yep. This motherfucka had mistresses. Plural. And he had a wife. Her house was a palatial estate out on Star Island. I was the low bitch on the totem pole.” She shrugged her shoulders. “But none of that mattered five months later when the wife and her boyfriend conspired to murder him.”

“What?” My jaw was on the floor.

“Two to the head while he slept. Anyway, come to find out that he actually put me on the deed on the house. So, when he died, I got to keep it. I thought about selling it . . . so many times, but every time I mention putting it on the market, my cousins act a fool.”

“You’re never selling this house, Ro!” Charity called.

“If you sell this house, where are we supposed to stay when we come to Miami for girls’ weekends?” Lyric asked logically.

“So yeah, it’s a family thing, I guess.”

“I guess,” I agreed.

Since Lyric was the birthday girl, she got a room to herself, which meant that Journey and I got the let-out sofa in the living room. I didn’t mind. I just wanted girl time and to have fun. As soon as we put our bags in the house and used the bathroom, Royalty made an announcement.

“All right, cousins! Let’s go get lunch!”

Lunch was amazing, and it was followed by shopping at Bal Harbour Shops. After shopping, we went back to the house for a quick minute, then Royalty took us to the beach.

I called Double. “Hey. I just wanted to hear your voice, and I wanted you to hear mine,” I said, using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun’s rays. They were relentless, even though I was wearing a cute little sun hat.

“Those dudes out there aren’t tryna get on you, are they?”

I giggled. “No, Double. I’m here with six other drop-dead gorgeous girls. They’re not thinking about me.”

“I’m thinkin’ ’bout you.”

“I’m thinking about you, too. I’m having a good time, but I have to admit that I won’t be sad to see Sunday morning come. Our flight’s at 11:00 a.m.”

“I know. I got it in my phone. What are y’all gettin’ into tonight?”

“Charity and Angel bought all of us tickets to a concert for Lyric’s birthday. I don’t know who we’re seeing, but they were buying out the shops to make sure they had their looks together.”