Page 44 of Maceo

Deuce nodded. “Yeah, she’s there. We got a nice tip too.”

“Good. Deposits will be made in the morning. I appreciate y’all. I know what we do ain’t conventional. There are a million different things I could have done differently so y’all didn’t have to be in this life, but y’all make me proud. I know I’m not the best example, but I love the six of you with everything in me.”

“Nigga, you finna kick the bucket?” Smoke asked. “You real sentimental right now.”

“Shut up, Devin,” Jaeda said. “Y’all don’t have to be hard ass all the time.” She smiled at our father. “We love you too, Daddy.”

“I know, princess.”

“Your princess was in the field showing off,” Mia said, crossing her arms.

My father smiled. Jaeda was the most quiet and reserved of the six of us. She didn’t like to get in the field, but my baby sis was a beast when she had to be.

“How?” Pops asked.

“Smoke modified her drone to shoot,” Mia answered. “She lit up a bunch of those guards.”

Pops clapped. “That’s my girl. Work smarter, not harder. That’s why you’re the brains.”

Jaeda smiled and flipped her hair. I reached over to mush her. She swung at me, but I caught her fist.

“You know you could never beat me in hand-to-hand combat, right?”

“You know I don’t have to put my hands on you for you to get touched, right? Y’all are gonna stop playing with me.”

I grinned as I leaned over to kiss her cheek. “You know I love you, little sis.”

She rolled her eyes but returned the kiss to the cheek. “I love you too.”

Our father spoke with us for a little while longer before dismissing everyone to leave. Just as I stood from the table, he snapped his finger and pointed to the chair next to him.

“You stay.”

My siblings all looked at each other, then at us. I slowly made my way to the unoccupied chair next to my father.

He stood. “Let me walk y’all nosy asses out,” he said to my siblings.

They all groaned in protest as he ushered them from the room. I sat there wondering what the hell my father was up to. The way he looked at me had me slightly on edge. I wasn’t afraid of the man, but Stanley Sr. was not one to be played with. He’d done and seen a lot in his life.

He walked back into the room with another blunt hanging from his lips. His gaze locked in on mine as he sat down. For a moment, he was quiet as he lit the blunt and took a pull from it.

“What’s good, my second oldest son?”

Shit.

“Uh… nothing, Pop. What’s up with you?”

He blew smoke in my direction. “Some very interesting information landed on my desk. Now, before I share this with you, I’m gonna ask you a series of questions, all yes or no answers.”

“Um… okay.”

“Are you happy with your position in this family?”

“Yeah…” I answered slowly.

“Do you think I treat you and your siblings fairly?”

“Yes.”

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