A hand on the back of her neck caused her to flinch. She turned around swiftly and grabbed the hand tightly, prepared for a fight.
"Rachel, it"s just me," Prince said.
She exhaled as she walked into his chest and rested her head against it. "Oh my G.o.d. You scared me," she whispered.
Just that quickly, an inclination to take a life had come back to her, but when she realized it was only her husband, she calmed down. She knew the emptiness that came along with committing that type of crime. It had taken her so long to fill her soul and truly live again. Once she went back to her old ways, she wasn"t sure if she would make it out. Rachel Coleman would die in the world that Aries used to dwell in.
"You"re trembling. What"s wrong?" Prince asked.
"I just had a bad dream. I can"t sleep," she lied as she squeezed him tightly. "Just hold me."
His warm embrace did nothing to ease her heart, and as they made their way back into their bedroom, her senses were on full alert. Every little noise made the hairs on the back of her neck stand tall. "I"m going to get Tre," she said. "I want him in here with us tonight."
Prince lay back in their bed and mumbled an okay as Aries left the room. She peeked in on their son and then bypa.s.sed his room momentarily so that she could check the rest of the house.
It was pitch black in the Caribbean home, and she turned on no lights. She knew her house better than anyone else, so if someone was inside of it, the darkness would work to her advantage. She no longer owned a gun, and made a mental note to purchase one as soon as possible.
Aries crept to the kitchen and reached into her knife block, running her hands over the many knives until she located the large chef"s knife. She paused in silence as she listened to the sounds of her house. She heard many sounds. The creak of the air conditioning as it turned on, the sound of the wind causing her white picket fence to open and close on its own: These were all sounds that were familiar to her. She was trying to decipher anything that sounded out of place.
When she was sure that nothing was moving inside, she turned on the lights. She went from room to room with the knife ready, but found nothing. She sighed in relief. I"m tripping, she thought. No one is here.
She retreated to the second floor and grabbed her son out of his bed. She took him into her bedroom, where Prince was snoring loudly. He slept so comfortably, completely oblivious to the sudden threat that had entered their lives.
She tucked the knife beneath her mattress and lay down with her son in her arms. She kept him near as her eyes scanned the room. She couldn"t relax, not when she knew that her enemies were so close.
She had to make this problem disappear, and she knew that it meant returning to L.A. to repay a debt to her old friend Case.
Chapter Four.
Aries watched Prince dress for work and dreaded what she was about to do. She was tired of lying just to survive. No matter how hard she tried to live her life the right way, wrong had a way of finding her. In order to keep up one lie, she had to tell another lie, and another and another. It was all too much to remember, but at this point there was no turning things around. Aries was so far removed from the truth that not even she knew what it was anymore.
Aries smiled as she watched the love of her life struggle with his tie, and she stood up to help him. Her short silk robe hugged her wide hips as she walked over and reached up to adjust it for him.
"What would I do without you?" he asked playfully as he stood tall while she dressed him. She tied his tie and then grabbed his jacket, holding it out for him so that he could slip his arms inside.
"You"ll never have to think about that," she replied, hoping that it was true.
"I think I need to go back to the States for a while, Prince," she said, throwing out the bait.
"For what? You just came back, Rachel. We may as well move back there you"re back and forth so much," he stated with displeasure.
"It"s my mother. She"s not getting any better, and she needs me. It won"t be too long. The doctor says she won"t live long, and I just want to be there with her. No one should have to die alone, Prince. Besides, I"m her daughter. I just need to go be with her," Aries said, pleading her case so convincingly that her eyes pooled with emotion. Little did Prince know Aries had been a motherless child since she was a young girl.
Prince sighed as he felt sympathy for his wife. "How long will you be gone?" he asked.
"I"m not sure. As long as it takes," she responded. "Hopefully she will go peacefully and in a few weeks I"ll be back home. I wish that I could take you with me, but you have work and I don"t want Tre to see her like that."
"It"s not like she"ll want to see either of us anyway. She never approved of our marriage from the beginning," Prince stated. "Now you want to go away to her aid without telling me when you will be back. That"s a lot to ask for a woman I"ve never met."
Aries had told Prince that she and her mother had never seen eye to eye. He was under the impression that her mother disapproved of their relationship. "What type of mother is she? She doesn"t even want to meet your husband and child," he snapped.
"She"s the only mother I"ve got," Aries defended. She sighed and wrapped her arms around Prince"s neck and then kissed his neck sensually. "Please, baby. I promise you that after this trip I will be all yours. You and Tre will be my only priority after I handle this last thing."
Prince couldn"t resist his woman and easily gave in. "Okay. We"ll be here waiting for you. Just make sure you don"t let another man have any of what"s mine," he said as he put his finger in her mouth and then toyed between her thighs.
She was wet and more than willing to please him, but he was running late. He sighed, knowing that he couldn"t stop to put his woman to bed. He had a very important meeting to get to and pulled away from her. "I"ma handle that when I get home. When do you need to leave?" he asked her.
"As soon as possible. I"ll probably book the first flight leaving out tomorrow morning," she answered.
Prince shook his head, not really wanting to see her go, and said, "Handle everything that you need to handle, Rachel. I want you home with me and our son. No more trips overseas after this. After you bury your mother, bury all of the baggage that keeps pulling you back there."
"Okay," she answered. Aries had no intention of leaving things undone this time around. She was going back for the last time. She was going to make sure of it.
Chapter Five.
Macy Sigel waved at the crowd of people as he stepped off of the stage. His tailored suit and diamond cufflinks added to his natural charm and attractive appearance. The people loved him, and he had the hearts of the entire city. Little did they know that he was once one of the most successful drug lords that Los Angeles had ever seen. The event was held in the convention center and the place was jam-packed. He had just delivered a speech and received a standing ovation from the community"s patrons. The rally was held to stop the violence and growing drug problem in the city. Macy"s bodyguards waited for him at the bottom of the steps, all of them draped in all black with black shades.
"The car is waiting for you in the back, sir," one of the bodyguards said as they made their way through the crowd and toward the back exit.
Macy waved as he disappeared into the back. As soon as he got out of view of the public, his smile turned into a serious glare, and one of his bodyguards handed him one of his Cuban cigars, his favorite. Macy lit it up and took a drag. He loosened his tie and dipped into the limo that was waiting near the back door.
He was accompanied by five bodyguards; all of them were strapped liked the al-Qaeda and ready to pop off at any suspicious person who ran up. Macy"s past life made him a moving target, and he knew that security was a must. At one point, Macy was deep in the drug game, and a lot of people felt that he owed them something. Macy understood that and took extreme precaution in protecting himself and his family.
He looked down at his Rolex and noticed that it was nearing six o" clock. It was his fifteen-year anniversary, and he had a special dinner planned for his wife and himself. He instructed the driver to head to the private venue where the party was being held, and just like that, they were on their way.
Fatima Sigel smiled as she watched her husband and his entourage enter the ballroom. Macy"s close friends and some of his business a.s.sociates filled the room along with Fatima"s friends and family. They were all there to celebrate their anniversary, and the place was extravagant, to say the least. Champagne- and gold-colored decor laced the venue, and the sound of smooth R&B pumped out of the speakers. Expensive champagne flowed into fluted gla.s.ses as the waiters kept no hand empty. It was a great mood for what was to be a joyous celebration.
Macy and Fatima locked eyes as Macy made his way over to her table. Along the way, Macy was stopped by various people giving him handshakes and small talk, but he quickly made his way to his beautiful wife.
"Happy anniversary, sweetheart," Macy said in his low baritone as he bent over and kissed Fatima on her forehead.
"Hey, baby," she said as she smiled and watched him as he took a seat next to her.
"I didn"t see Boomer. Where is he?" Macy said, referring to their eighteen-year-old son.
"I don"t know," Fatima answered as she looked down at her watch. "He definitely should be here by now. He promised me that he would come. I don"t know about that boy sometimes," Fatima said as she shook her head and was noticeably disappointed.
"Look, don"t worry about that. Let"s dance," Macy suggested as he tried to take her mind off of their son not showing up to the event. He smiled and stood up as he extended his hand for her.
"Sure. I would love to," Fatima accepted as she grabbed his hand and headed for the dance floor.
Macy held his wife close, and he could smell her sweet perfume as he pulled her close. He looked at her with his piercing eyes and released a warm smile.
"How was the rally?" Fatima asked as she wrapped her arms around Macy"s neck and slowly two-stepped to the sounds of R. Kelly.
"It was okay. The house was packed," Macy said as he shrugged his shoulders. He opened his mouth to say something else, but the sounds of the door being opened got his attention.
In walked Boomer with his best friend, Fruit. They were obviously out of place, and the overbearing smell of marijuana followed them. It was a black tie affair, but Boomer had taken it upon himself to wear baggy street clothes and gaudy jewelry. He and his friend came in laughing loudly, and they stuck out like two sore thumbs as all eyes seemed to drift to them.
Macy instantly shook his head as he knew that Boomer was about to embarra.s.s him in front of all of his colleagues. Macy clenched his jaws tightly as he watched Boomer make his way toward them, slightly staggering.
"Oh G.o.d," Fatima whispered as she looked in her son"s eyes, noticing that they were bloodshot red. She dropped her head in shame seeing her only son that way. The tips of Boomer"s nostrils were also red, signaling that he was high off more than weed.
Quiet mumbles and whispers began to fill the room as the guests chatted about the hoodlum who had just entered the party. Macy acted quickly and headed toward Boomer, trying to stop him before he reached his mother. This was her day, and Macy wasn"t going to let anyone bring her down on their anniversary.
The closer Macy got to Boomer, the stronger the weed aroma grew. Macy looked into Boomer"s eyes and knew that he was high as a kite. He had been around long enough to know that Boomer was flying off of more than just a little weed, however.
"Let"s go. Don"t let your mother see you like this," Macy said as he threw his arm around Boomer and smiled, trying to not make a scene. He turned Boomer toward the door and began to walk him out, but Boomer had other plans.
"Get yo" hands off of me!" Boomer yelled as he s.n.a.t.c.hed away from Macy.
Macy quickly fixed his tie and checked his cufflinks as he smoothly played it off, still having a smile on his face. Boomer"s friend Fruit, a skinny kid, stepped to the side and found everything to be funny. He smiled as the drama unfolded before his eyes.
"Do not do this to your mother, Boom. Today is a special day for her," Macy said in almost a whisper. However, the sternness was still evident in his voice.
"What the f.u.c.k you mean? What? You embarra.s.sed?" Boomer asked as he threw his arms up, causing a scene. "You don"t want everyone to know that your son is a street n.i.g.g.a?" Boomer said as he got louder with each word.
At that point, the DJ had cut the music and everybody"s attention was on the spectacle that was about to unfold. The two men locked eyes, and it was undeniable tension between the two of them.
"This is neither the place nor time for your bulls.h.i.t," Macy said, keeping his voice low, but never breaking the piercing stare he had on the young man who stood in front of him.
"Well, when is the right time, huh? Don"t want everybody to know that your family isn"t perfect, huh?" Boomer said as he saw Macy"s bodyguards begin to make their way toward him.
"I see this isn"t going anywhere," Macy said as he turned his back and pulled out the cigar that was in his top pocket. He placed it in his mouth and shook his head in disgust. Boomer and he had reached a boiling point, and the mutual dislike for one another finally came to the surface.
Macy always resented Boomer because he knew that he wasn"t his biological child. Fatima never admitted that Boomer wasn"t his, but Macy knew the truth. Maybe it was the light-skinned complexion of Boomer, or maybe even the lack of ambition that Boomer had, which was totally opposite of Macy"s sharklike demeanor. They never spoke on it, and Macy never questioned his wife openly out of respect. Nevertheless, deep in Macy"s heart, he knew the truth about the situation. He never pressed the issue, not wanting to dig deep into something that would eventually cause his family heartache.
Boomer also had a deep hatred for Macy. He expected things to be handed to him, and Macy wasn"t having it. Macy never gave Boomer anything for free. Macy was only trying to prepare Boomer for the real world, but Boomer took it as Macy not loving him. Boomer was what you call a wannabe. He wanted to be the next street kingpin. He desired to live the fast life, and he wanted that t.i.tle "kingpin" to be handed to him.
He had heard about how Macy was big in the streets, and he wanted to be what Macy once was. Macy never took Boomer down that road, for fear of the potential outcome. He already knew that Boomer wasn"t built for the drug game. To be honest, Macy thought Boomer was too foolish to move drugs, so he never introduced it to him. And for that reason, Boomer hated his so-called father.
"f.u.c.k you, Macy Sigel. You ain"t n.o.body"s mayor. You a goon just like me! All of those fancy suits and bodyguards can"t hide who you really are, playboy," Boomer yelled as he breathed heavily and twisted his face up.
Boomer"s friend stood next to Boomer and watched, not believing that Boomer was going off like he was. Fruit already heard stories about how ruthless Macy was in the past, and honestly, Fruit began to get nervous.
Macy didn"t even give him the respect to turn around and look at him. He just lightly chuckled and shook his head as he lifted a lighter to spark flame to his cigar. Boomer continued his rant.
"To tell you the truth, you"s a b.i.t.c.h!" Boomer yelled, enunciating every word.
"Boomer!" Fatima yelled as she stood up, having seen enough. Just as Fatima was screaming her son"s name, Boomer, high as a kite, threw a punch, trying to connect with the back of Macy"s head.
Macy, without even seeing it coming, stepped to the side. Boomer"s swing missed and sent him crashing onto the ground. Macy smoothly slid his free hand into his pocket and looked over at his approaching bodyguards.
"Escort these gentlemen out and make sure he gets home safely," Macy said as he stepped over Boomer and walked over to Fatima, who had tears in her eyes.
The guards grabbed Boomer and Fruit and quickly guided them out. Macy looked at the DJ and nodded, signaling him to start up the music, and on cue, the sounds of smooth jazz pumped out of the subwoofers. Macy quickly wiped away Fatima"s tear before it reached her cheekbone.
"Come on, let"s dance, baby," Macy asked as he smiled from ear to ear.
"I tried to raise him the best way I knew how, but he-" Fatima said before Macy gently placed his finger on her lip, hushing her.
"Don"t worry about it, baby. He is just high out of his mind. He just has to sleep it off," he whispered, trying to smooth over the tense situation. Macy didn"t express it, but he knew that Boomer was going to be a problem-a real bad problem.
Boomer drove down the highway doing almost one hundred miles per hour. His eyes were bloodshot red and his temper was past his boiling point. He gripped the steering wheel tightly as he thought about how much he hated Macy.
"I can"t stand that n.i.g.g.a," Boomer said through his clenched teeth. He quickly dipped his head and used his nose as a vacuum, sucking up the cocaine that sat on the book in his lap. He slightly swerved, causing Fruit to get uneasy.
"Whoa! n.i.g.g.a, keep your eyes on the road," Fruit said as he gripped the door handles and braced himself.
"Relax, scary-a.s.s n.i.g.g.a. I got this," Boomer said as he wiped his nose and felt the rush of the grade-A cocaine working. Boomer kept thinking about the smug look on Macy"s face, and it only enraged him more. "That n.i.g.g.a thinks he"s untouchable. I will show him, though. Trust that!" Boomer said as he tried to think of a way to get Macy back.
Boomer and Fruit had been smoking weed and sniffing cocaine most of the day, and he had never been as high as he was at that moment. He was past high; he was on another level.
"What you going to do?" Fruit asked, halfway instigating the situation.
"I don"t know, but I"m going to do something. That n.i.g.g.a think he better than me. You know he never let me call him Daddy. He always told me to address him as Macy. Do you know what that does to a little boy"s mind? Every kid around me got to call their father Dad, but no, not me. I hate him!" Boomer said, getting more upset with each word that left his mouth.
"I can"t believe you talked to Macy Sigel like that. I heard stories about that n.i.g.g.a. He is a hood legend. I heard that Macy shot off a n.i.g.g.a"s finger for stealing ten dollars from him. Ten measly-a.s.s dollars!" Fruit said, only pouring fuel on Boomer"s fire.
Boomer knew that Fruit was telling the truth because Boomer was in the car when Macy rolled up on the guy who had shorted him. Macy thought Boomer was asleep, but he was playing possum and saw the whole thing. He was only nine years old at the time.
"Macy ain"t s.h.i.t. He ain"t a real street n.i.g.g.a. But me, I"m a street n.i.g.g.a to the core. I"ma show his a.s.s a li"l something. He want to disrespect me in front of all of those people; I"ll show him," Boomer stated as a thousand and one ideas bombarded his thoughts.
He began to think sinisterly, and he quickly began to think about the stash that Macy had hidden in a safe behind a painting on the wall. Macy used to stash his street money there back in the day, but after he began to get into politics, he let it sit. Boomer had recently begun to chip off of the stash, knowing Macy wouldn"t find out. But now Boomer had a better idea. He wanted to take the whole stash. It was over a million dollars in the oversized duffle bag-all dirty money.
"Want to get some money?" Boomer asked, hoping his right-hand man was down for what he had in store.
Aries sat back in her car and watched through binoculars as two guys came out of Macy"s residence with two large duffle bags. She had been camped a few houses down from Macy"s gated residence, trying to think of a plan to get him.
Who are these n.i.g.g.as? Aries thought to herself as she saw the men stuff the duffle bags in the back of a silver Benz and then get into the car. She looked closely as she camped out, trying to find the best angle to get to Macy.
Macy and Fatima came in the house, both in laughter as they enjoyed a good joke. They had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed a long stroll along the beach as they reminisced about old times. Macy immediately went to the security pad that was on the wall and pushed in a code, disabling the alarm. He then flicked the light switch on and then off, signaling his bodyguard that they were in safe. Macy looked out of his window and saw his driver and head bodyguard pull off.
"I had a wonderful time, Macy Sigel," Fatima said as she crept up and hugged him from behind. She smiled, closed her eyes, and rested her head on his back. Macy turned around and looked in Fatima"s eyes.
"You are the love of my life. I am happy to have celebrated fifteen years with you as my beautiful bride," Macy said in his deep baritone. He leaned down and began to pa.s.sionately kiss his wife.