Page 31 of Soft On Her
“Ummm hmmm. I’ll show you a dead body,” he growled, barreling down the steps like a peal of thunder.
Those were the last words I uttered to my father before going into his office to take the necklaces back and heading to the Black Family Estate. I never saw or spoke to my father again. It took me a while to forgive myself for uttering such vile words to him in my fit of anger. I was just tired of everything that came along with being Zechariah and Janice Harris’ offspring. Everything about my life had been so controlled, and I just wanted Sneaux for myself.
At the same time, I always wondered what my life would’ve been like if my father were still alive. If he would’ve come around to the idea of me and Sneaux. Or any other woman for that matter. Would I have conceded to my parents’ demands and become a lawyer, or would I have found a way to attend veterinary school instead? Unfortunately, I’d only be able to imagine what the future would’ve held because Mr. Luis stole the opportunity from me.
“You killed my father?” I finally pulled myself out of that nightmare and questioned Mr. Luis.
“I didn’t pull the trigger but?—”
Mr. Luis’ words fell short because I lost all decorum, swinging my fists wildly. He caught the first punch I threw, but his injured arm was too slow because my left fist landed on the side of his head. I kept swinging my free arm as tears blurred my vision. I half expected Sneaux to pull me off her father, but that never happened because I saw one of her fists land on her father’s jaw in the blur of bodies that was the three of us in the middle of the small living room. She was going against her father for me, which was terrifyingly sexy.
I was bawling and swinging until Mr. Luis’ massive hands wrapped around my neck and lifted me off my feet. Mr. Luis summoned every ounce of demon strength he had to slam me and Sneaux up against the wall. He wasn’t choking us, but we couldn’t break free either. I was depleted, mentally preparing for Mr. Luis to put us out of our misery for jumping him. Sneaux punched at his arm that was holding me up, and he released me. I plopped to the floor sobbing and hiccupping.
“Get the fuck off of me!” Sneaux demanded, thrashing against his grasp.
“And you know what, Milani. I ain’t never let nobody put hands on me and get away with it! But I love my daughter enough to eat the stabbing and the right hook to the jaw,” he vented, licking the blood from his busted lip. Mr. Luis wrapped Sneaux up in a bear hug because she was still breathing like a raging bull and struggling against his grasp. Her locs swung wildly in front of her furious face, adding to her unhinged appearance.
“All of these years you denied having anything to do with the reason Milani left, and the whole time you were the reason!” Sneaux fumed.
“Because we needed to save face. Only the inner circle, and now you two know what happened to Zechariah. He went against his own!”
“What?” I glared up at Mr. Luis, my ears burning to hear his side of the story. Clambering to my feet, I listened as Mr. Luis continued.
“Zechariah sent those men to our house that day. Milani told Zechariah that she was coming to our house to be honest with you about her feelings, and she wasn’t going to UF like they wanted. Ain’t that right, Milani?”
I hesitantly nodded my head, thinking about the rage in my father’s eyes that day. Hell, he’d even instructed his men to physically assault me if I didn’t follow his rules. Could he have really gone that far?
“He wanted to get rid of you. My only child. Zechariah was so mad that he didn’t even give a fuck that there were other members of the four families in attendance. He blamed you for Milani’s sexuality. Instead of accepting Milani for who she was, Zechariah did what he was always taught to do. Neutralize the threat. He felt like you turned his daughter gay and were threatening the future of his household.”
“You’re lying! If that was the case, you would’ve been told me that! Why would he do something like that knowing his own daughter was there?” Sneaux argued.
“Milani wasn’t supposed to be there. Zechariah forbade Milani from seeing you that day. She wasn’t even supposed to leave the house. He made sure his daughter was locked away in the castle before trying to take out mine. Deep down, Milani knows I’m not lying,” Mr. Luis eyed me.
The last words my father spoke echoed in my head. “I’ll show you a dead body.” Mr. Luis was also right, I wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near Sneaux after that blow up. However, I slipped past my security and made my way over there. I could’ve lost my life in the process. Flashes of that man pulling me from beneath the desk by my hair and the blood-curdling scream I emitted replayed in my head.
“I’m sure your mother fed you all types of lies over the years, and that’s why my wife doesn’t trust you or your presence,” Mr. Luis started. “I’d made it clear that Sneaux could do whatever the fuck she wanted from the moment she showed interest in the family business. After learning about your father’s betrayal that day, I also made it clear to the Harris family that I didn’t care if the two of you chose to get married in the future. It would’ve given the Harris family a second chance to rearrange the hierarchy by marrying into my family, especially since Luis’s cheating on Bunny with your mother ruined their engagement.
“At first, we thought your mother was simply unhappy that the Harrises voted in my favor. They were going to set you free to live your life however you saw fit, so she ran while they were conducting their final meeting on the matter. However, as time passed, we found proof that Janice was in cahoots with Zechariah that day. Your mother knew her days were numbered, and that’s why Sierra wants you guys to end things before they get started. She will not allow Janice to get away with what she did.”
I slid down the wall and pulled my knees to my chest. My entire adulthood was stolen from me, and I lived off lies for years. The worst part was knowing my mother’s mind had deteriorated beyond reach, taking with it any answers I needed from her. My world had been flipped upside downagain.
“I don’t have a reason to lie. You’ll eventually see your extended family, and they’ll confirm that everything I’m saying is true. With the evidence gathered. They searched high and low for you. We all thought something terrible had happened. Now that we know the Claytons were hiding you, it makes more sense.”
The walls felt like they were closing in on me, and I needed fresh air. All of this information was too much to bear. Breathing erratically, I jumped off the floor and ran out of the door. Theelevator was closing when I made it there, and I slipped inside, allowing the doors to slide shut before Sneaux could catch them. I needed a moment to myself.
“Get your household in order, Sneaux. We have business to handle when we touch down. AC and his father are owed a meet?—”
“Milani isn’t going anywhere but to my house when this is all said and done. You know that, right?”
“Well, if helping her try to whoop my ass didn’t make that clear, I think I got it now, Sneaux Black,” he muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. “If we can’t come to a resolution, then we will go from there.”
“Okay, but I have to make sure Milani is okay before we head back. That was a lot to digest, even for me! Yeah, I always suspected you knew more than you let on. Especially when it came to Milani’s whereabouts, but I never would’ve thought Zechariah wanted me dead that day. I love Milani. You know that. I just don’t know how we come back from this. You admitted to having a hand in her father’s death,” I vented.
“Ion know what to tell you. I won’t apologize for the decision I made that day. I’d do it again, too. You’ll always be my baby girl, and I’m going to protect you until my last breath,” he detailed.
“Janice is a threat that I won’t sit around and wait to creep out of the shadows.”
“Janice has dementia. She isn’t a threat to anybody. I helped Milani put her in a facility on Saturday. Trust me when I say that lady is already nearing her last days.”
