Beyond The Broken Glass3: Finally Mended [complete]

12.) Bonus Chapter: A New Plan

She watched me like she was the feds or something. Her puffy eyes followed my every move as she sat on the couch. She had a cup of hot coffee in her hand, probably tired from staying up all night crying and shit. We had yet another fight about where we were headed from here. But honestly, I couldn't answer that and she was too busy living in the clouds. Our normal will never actually be normal. This trauma shit ain't going anywhere. We gone live the rest of our lives traumatized by this shit.

We gone forever be paranoid, forever by on alert, forever have trust issues and family wounds. I threw on my shirt and glanced around for my id card and my keys. I didn't tell her where I was going but I did tell her I was tired of looking at her and that I needed air. I kissed my kids and told them that I'd see them later and with that I left out the door. Not a hug or a bye. I just needed her to distance herself, or want to anyway like she been doing.

She was so flip floppy. One minute she tired and she wanna separate then the next she crying about how I'm all she's got. The shit was confusing. I get it, this ain't perfect and it never will be. But hell this is what we got for now.

I met up with the only person I still had connects with that I knew I could without a doubt trust. He met me under the interstate bridge. His all black truck with tinted windows parked far out of normal sight. But I could see him because I was looking for him. I parked my car and went to hop in on the passenger side.

"Long time no see." He said as he shook my hand. He had a cigar lit and was fixing to hand me one. I ain't a smoker but I took it anyway. He lit it for me and I relaxed in my seat. "The family has missed you."

"Honestly I thought y'all forgot me."

"How could we forget our little prince?" He said as he shook his head. "Last we heard of you—you and Ralph were handling Ray. Then we got news of Rosa and Chloe being put down so we naturally thought that was what became of you."

This nigga looked just like Ralph. Pale skin, jet black greasy hair. Pink Ass lips and a long nose. Ralph couldn't deny this dude even if he wanted to.

Drew was Ralph's son from a slip up during him and Rosa marriage. Rosa raised Drew as if he were her own though. They never spoke of his mother and Ralph continued to do his dirt. Drew was the same way with Taylor.

He loved her to death though. He would kill any and everybody for her if she asked him to. But that's the way the family was. We could hurt one another but no one outside of the family could hurt us without paying the price.

"Any word on ole boy?"

"Boone is smart. Calculating even."

"He still in Miami."

"No but his connects are," Drew spoke vaguely as he peered out the windshield. It was a certain darkness to him now that Rosa was gone and Ralph went into hiding.

"I don't get it. What can he possibly get from offin' me?"

"Pops didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"You own everything on that strip prince." He chuckled darkly as he lit another cigar. "Whoever owns the strip practically owns the waters by the strip."

"What—what is you telling me right now?"

"All imports and exports that come through those channels have to be approved by the owner of the lots. Don't you get it? That's a lot of loot to be collected."

"Is that how Ray was smuggling shit in?"

"Yes—but he did it illegally. I'm surprised he never got caught." He said as he blew a thick cloud of smoke from his nose. "You could do it legally."

"Nah man. I'm trying to get out of that." I told him as I shook my head. That was the reason for everything. So I could get my life back and not have to be a criminal my whole life. And I for damn sure wasn't handing a dirty business down to my kids.

I wouldn't feel right gifting them something that's covered in blood and dirt and drugs. What kind of farther would I be if my son had to follow in my footsteps to be successful? The moral is for me to struggle so my kids didn't have to.

"I ain't never even seen them papers man. Why niggas want me dead over some shit I don't even care about?"

"They're safe. Pops made sure of that." He said taking another long drag from the cigar. "And don't underestimate that strip, prince there's a lot of answers to your problems in it."

"My problem is that niggas are trying to kill me and my girl is trying to leave me."

"And go where?"

"I don't even know man." I shook my head as the frustration flared up. I clenched my first into a ball.

"Send her to us." He shrugged. Like she was a damn package. "We're out in Cali. We can look after them while you get everything together."

"I can't do that man."

"Yes you can and you should. They are no safer here than they will be there."

"The last time I left them she ended up shot."

"Because there was snakes in the grass. You are family and we look out for each other. On my life you can trust me to look out for them. And if anything were to happen to them on my watch I will readily stand before you and allow you to pull the trigger."

"Can you promise me that you won't let her slip through the cracks?"

"I give you my word." He said as he laid his hand on his heart.

"You always been down for me man," I told him as I dapped him up.

"Family for life." He said as he locked hands with me. That was our family greeting. We touched our hearts and then Lock hands. It looked like a regular old handshake but to us it meant something.

"How am I gone get her to go to Cali."

"Make her. Let her know that she doesn't have a choice." He said. "You're assertive. You can accomplish that. I'll book the plane. And let you know when to send them to the airport."

"Then what?"

"When they're safely put away we can start working on phase two of operation Repair."

"Operation repair?"

"Yeah. Fixing what Ray broke."

"Makes sense."

"I know it does. Now go and pack up your family. I'll be calling you soon with details."

I nodded once and dapped him up one last time before I cautiously exited his vehicle for any lurkers. When the close was clear I headed back to my own car and pulled out of the lot like a speed demon.

If Boone wanted the strip he would have to do more than kill me.