Chapter 15

15

Lila (Nala)

T ears streamed down my face as I stood on the porch watching the blacked-out SUV coming down the road. My parents were almost within my grasp. Ahmad made a call to one of his people to have them picked up and driven out. My parents had been more than a little skeptical about riding with a stranger, but I guessed their desire to see me and their grandbaby superseded that.

It had been six months since their last visit to Cali. I was overdue for hugs and kisses. Beside me, Makari was just as excited.

"Mommy! It's Nana and Papa!"

She was jumping and bouncing around. The little squeal she let out made me happy and sad. I hated this was how she had to see two of the people she loved most. Around this time, my parents would have been flying to Cali for a visit. Even that wasn't good enough. We should have been able to take a short drive and see them, but I ruined that when I stole Slim's money.

The SUV came to a stop. As soon as the door opened, Kari was running down the steps to my father. He grinned wide as he scooped her up effortlessly.

"Papa, I missed you!"

"Papa missed you too, princess."

"Nana!" Kari scrambled out of his arms and into my mother's.

"There's nana's sweet pea! Oh, you're getting so big!"

She smothered Kari's face with kisses as I made my way over to my father.

"Daddy!"

"Baby girl."

Just like his granddaughter, he scooped me up and held me tightly. I immediately felt a sense of safety. Lionel Stanton was my first love. I never understood how I had such a great father but had horrible taste in men. My daddy was a good, honest, hardworking man. He didn't have it all, but he gave us everything we needed and then some.

He kissed my cheeks. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Daddy. I'm so happy to see you."

He released me into the arms of my mother. She handed Kari over to my father and pulled me into her arms. Her tears stained my shirt as we both cried. Charlotte Stanton was my best friend. Somehow, me moving across the country made us even closer once we reconnected. She'd gotten me through many hard days.

"My baby," she said, rocking me side to side. "Are you sure you're okay, Nala? What happened to your foot?"

"I fell."

"You fell? How did you fall? Baby, who are these people?"

Just as I opened my mouth, Ahmad stepped out onto the porch. The man in the passenger seat got out to greet him, but the driver remained in the car. They spoke for a second before he sent him inside and made his way down the steps.

"Mr. and Mrs. Stanton, I'm Ahmad Pryor. It's nice to meet you."

My parents looked from him to me then back at him.

"Nala, who is this?" my father asked.

"It's hard to explain, Daddy."

"Mr. Ahmad took us from our house," Kari answered.

"What!" my father bellowed, handing her to me.

"He put us in the back of a truck and then we got on a plane and came here."

Ahmad sighed. I was sure he didn't expect Kari to snitch off the rip.

"If you give me a chance, I can explain—"

Before I could say anything, my father had Ahmad jacked up against the railing of the porch. Much to my surprise, Ahmad remained calm, holding his hands out in surrender. The passenger came out of the house with his hand on his gun, but Ahmad stopped him.

"I'm good, Lance."

"You sure?"

"I am." He looked my father in the eyes. "Ease up."

"What the fuck are you up to with my child!" my father bellowed.

"Mr. Stanton… I'm gonna ask you nicely to get your hands off me. I'm practicing a lot of restraint right now out of respect for your daughter."

"Daddy, let him go!" I yelled.

"You're defending him?"

"I'm not defending anything, Daddy. I just don't want anybody getting hurt. Please… let him go. He'll explain everything."

My father glared at me and then at Ahmad. He reluctantly released him, only to turn right around and punch him in the jaw.

"Daddy!"

"That's for putting your hands on my child."

Ahmad didn't flinch. He remained calm as he touched his jaw and stood upright. His eyes danced with anger. He looked over at me, and I frantically shook my head. His eyes moved to Kari who had her hands over her face, peeking through her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ahmad! I didn't mean to get you in trouble!"

"It's okay, Rabbit. You didn't do anything wrong." He cleared his throat and made his way up the steps. "Y'all come inside."

He left us in the yard. My parents looked at me.

"What have you gotten yourself into, Nala?" my father asked.

"It's a lot to the story, Daddy."

"Clearly. How are you so comfortable with a man that kidnapped you and your child?"

"Ahmad isn't a bad person—"

"Bullshit! Look where you are! Look how you got here! It's like Avery all over again."

I fought back the tears stinging my eyes. He hated Slim and he never let me forget that. While he never placed blame on me for staying with him, he didn't have to say it for me to know that I played a major part in him treating me the way he did for so long.

Ahmad wasn't a saint, but he was the person I depended on to keep me safe right now. If he decided he was done and forced me to fend for myself, I was dead. I swallowed hard as I looked up at my father.

"Come inside. We'll explain everything."

I didn't offer any further explanation as I carried Kari up the steps. Once inside, I placed her on her feet and stooped down to her.

"I need you to go upstairs while the grown-ups talk, okay?"

"Okay," she said solemnly.

She headed for the stairs. Just as she reached the steps, Ahmad was coming up from the basement. She looked up at him with the saddest expression on her face. He stooped down to her and she reached out to stroke the jaw my father hit him in. Then she did the sweetest thing.

She kissed his cheek, then wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. He hesitated for a moment before hugging her back. His eyes met mine and I quickly turned away.

My parents finally entered the house, catching the end of the exchange between him and Kari before he sent her upstairs. He stood to his feet and motioned us over to the kitchen table. I hobbled over and took a seat with my parents following suit. Ahmad copped a seat next to me. Sitting with his hands clasped in front of him, he exchanged glares with my father.

Clearing his throat, he spoke.

"Mr. and Mrs. Stanton, I know you have a lot of questions and I have answers. However, before I give you those answers, let me set some rules. Stay your ass in your seat. I get that emotions are high, but, Mr. Stanton, respectfully, if you come across this table, I'ma fuck you up. Now, I let you slide outside because of lil Rabbit, so don't ever think you bitched me."

My father frowned. "Nigga—"

"I'm not done. Now we can handle this shit like four grown ass people, or it can get real ugly. Outta respect for Nala, I'm trying not to shoot your ass, but you got my trigger finger itching right now."

"Ahmad," I said firmly. He turned to look at me. "There won't be a problem. Right, Daddy?"

My father was far from a punk, but I was sure he could see Ahmad's urge to put him on his back in his eyes. He sat back and folded his arms.

"As long as you keep it a hundred, ain't no problem. Make no mistake, I'll die over mine."

"I don't wanna kill you, but you ain't finna disrespect me either. I'll tell you what you wanna know."

My father nodded. "Start talking."

For the next thirty minutes, Ahmad and I gave my parents a full rundown of how things came to pass. A mixture of emotions played on their faces. My father's fists were clenched so tight I knew his hands would hurt when he stretched them out.

"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.