Page 239 of Lau Ahi
“Things can be done to keep you in line.”
I laughed at how serious he dared to look. “Same ol’ Reggie I see. I guess you didn’t have any growth happen while I’ve been gone. Same reasons I left you then are the same ones that won’t have me with you now.”
“You seem to forget that first blood means something.”
I rolled my eyes, wondering if he thought that old ass virginity bullshit was going to keep me bound to him.
“If you think you can hold me to some antiquated first blood nonsense that I’m sure you tried to have someone work a hold on me then think again.” A spot of blood would probably be enough for a love spell but I wasn’t enthralled with his ass at all so they’d failed miserably.
“We’ll see about that.” That smile was again sinister and he backed off the porch and walked down the walkway toward the iron gate that separated the property from the sidewalk.
I made a note to work on a spiritual fence cause I hadn’t gotten so much as a tingle that danger was near.
Gotta tap into the energy of this place again.
I slammed the door not wanting to give him another second of my time. After I reset the locks, I looked around the room angrily at the invisible ancestors chiding them for not giving me a heads-up to what I was about to deal with before strolling back through the hallway. He wasn’t about to stress me out with whatever he and my aunt had concocted but now I needed to really get my mind on getting control of the family seat.
“That boy hasn’t learned anything in all this time.”
Ms. Lynn came from the hideyhole that was near the steps that allowed her to have a clean shot to the front door in case she needed to put our visitor down.
“No, he hasn’t. But I’m almost glad of it. I should’ve never dealt with him in the first place but I can remedy that error now that I’m back.’
“What are you going to do?”
“It’s time to call in reinforcements. It’s been lingering for this long and she’s finally made her move. It’s time to get this show on the road.”
Ms. Lynn slapped her hands together in triumph. “It’s about damn time.”
“Now who needs the Ivory?”
She childishly stuck her tongue out as she took the gun out of my hand. “Girl, I’m grown. Get those boys on the phone and let me know when they’ll be arriving. I’m going to make a food order and see just how many of the houses we need to open up to accommodate them all.”
“It probably won’t—”
She put her hand up shushing me. “Hush. Even if they all descend into this place you can always say it’s for your birthday in a few months. It gives you time to get things set up and in place for when you take over free and clear.” I opened my mouth to say something but that finger went up again. “I ain’t hearing it. Go make your call while I make mine.”
She walked off like she were the one who paid the bills and I could only shake my head at her brazenness.
Some things never change.
My hand went into the pocket of the loose-fitting striped pants I’d paired with my graphic tee to lounge around the house. I pulled out my phone and prepped to make the call I’d been avoiding.
“Hey, Ori.”
There was a pause and I knew I’d come off far too eager to make this phone call and sounded too chipper. I squeezed my eyes shut bracing myself for the questioning that was on the way.
“You good? You sound funny.”
My brother sounded far more relaxed now that he’d been resurrected and retired. The work he did for the government had to have been taxing on him but I could hear his tone grow harder as he spoke.
“You gonna be taking any trips down south soon? I hearNawlinsis a great place for a second honeymoon.” I didn’t want to alarm him or anyone else because they would come through with brute force when finesse was now needed. My aunt already signing off on this agreement despite it happening when I was a minor was the sign I’d been waiting for.
She was making her play. By law she could use the fact that I’d been in an asylum, even if it was at her insistence, to keep control over Benoit Industries. She could also argue that although I was a minor her being my guardian made the contract binding and now I had to act fast. I hadn’t spent thelast dozen years dawdlin’ waiting for her to have them kill me. I’d been studying. With each passing year, I knew there was a reason she’d kept me alive and I spent my time learning everything I could. There was no way I was going to lose the legacy that my family fought for and put it in the hands of a bitch that had no reverence for our lifestyle, our livelihood or our history. Evergreen being used as a fucking wedding venue was a testament that she had to not only die but to suffer as she did for her sins.
Which was why it was necessary to call in the big guns.
“I already had a second this would be the third.”
