Page 113 of Intercept My Heart

“I don’t know. This has gotten so far out of hand. Plus, you’re asking me to get close to her knowing she might have been involved with the accident. I don’t know if I can be around her and pretend as if everything is okay.”

“I’m sure you can manage. You went this long pretending to be in love with her; a couple more weeks won’t hurt. Help me so I can help you. Otherwise, my only other solution would be to eliminate the entire family down to the pets.”

“I don’t know if killing them will be the best route for now, so I will do my part.”

“Make sure you have a talk with Sunny. If you are anything like me, then she doesn’t know what has taken place. This isn’t the time to leave her in the dark. You never know what these people have planned, and it would be unwise to leave your family out of the loop.”

“I held off from telling her because I thought I could take care of things before they got out of hand,” I admitted. Sunny had been on my ass about leaving her in the dark, but I thought it was for the best.

“When you get back home, you need to sit her down and explain it the same way you explained it to me. Make sure she has protection around her or a weapon. When an unstable person feels like they are losing control, they will hit you where it hurts. Keep your eyes open and prepare your family. Moolah has the same characteristics you possessed as a child. You might see him as a kid, but he could be a great asset to you.”

“No. I understand involving Sunny, but I draw the line with my sons. I know what it’s like to grow up too fast. Those are some scars that never heal. I’m not willing to take their childhood from them.”

“You are thinking with your emotions and not your instincts. I would never suggest anything that would hurt my grandsons. However, you can’t be everywhere at once. All I’m saying is that you need to prepare them. Take them to the gun range and get them familiar with a gun. You may not be ready for them to grow up, but would you rather them get ambushed with no ability to protect themselves? Can you live with that?”

His revelation angered me, but he was right. I couldn’t guarantee Harper and her father wouldn’t go after them if I failed to cooperate with them. As much as I wanted to shield them, I couldn’t.

“I know this is hard on you, baby. However, you must do everything in your power to ensure your family’s safety. It was one of the reasons Roman insisted on you taking those boxing classes and taking you to the range. When your parents passed away, the people responsible attempted to come after you. Roman made sure we were heavily detailed, but in the event that something went wrong, you would have been readyfor anything.” Tootie shared some information I’d never heard before.

“Did you catch them?” Uncle Ro and I never discussed what happened to my parents when they died. After the funeral, he sent Tootie and me out of the state for a month. Then we randomly returned home as if nothing happened.

“You should already know the answer. No one hurts my family and lives to tell the story. I ended three generations of their bloodline. No one is off limits.” I could tell by the grimace on his face that he was reliving those moments.

“Thank you for your help.”

“Money, don’t insult me. You are my blood. I’ll end my own life if it means protecting you.” In Uncle Ro’s way, he was letting me know he loved me. I needed to hear that.

“When am I going to be able to meet my grandbabies?” Tootie asked. A huge smile spread across her face.

“As soon as you’re better and out of this place. I want you to come stay with me until you get better.” Sunny and I talked about it on the way back home last week. Rhyann was scheduled to be discharged in a few days, and she would be staying with me as well.

“Are you sure that is a good idea? I don’t want to be a burden on you.”

“I’m sure. My girl is a physical therapist, and she will be helping you regain mobility. I’ve also hired a nurse to monitor your day-to-day. If I am going up against these people, I need my family close to me.”

“I don’t know if that would be a good idea. If Harper and her family were involved, do you think having them under the same roof would be a wise decision?”

“When I said home, I meant the one I have with my family. I bought a new house for them. With the baby coming, I thought we needed more space. Charae doesn’t know about it yet, but I’llbe surprising her after her baby shower this week. It has already been furnished, thanks to her best friend and the interior designer. All we have to do is move in.” I let them in on a secret I had been holding for a while now.

When Sunny told me she was pregnant, I decided to find a house for her. Of course, I got her input before I started the process. She had no idea why I kept asking her questions about what she wanted for her dream home. Tamia helped me search until we finally settled on a home we would both love. My old house held too many bad memories, so I planned to sell it the moment this was all over.

“Are you sure?”

“There is nothing to be sure about. You and my sister will stay with me until you get better. If you decide to leave afterwards, it will be your decision. Right now, I would feel more comfortable knowing you are being properly cared for. Plus, I’m sure Sunny would appreciate the extra sets of hands when the baby comes.”

“I see you’ve got it all figured out. I will need to inspect the place and verify the security system is up to par, but I agree with you. I can sell the houses we have here and put the money in an account for the two of you,” Uncle Ro offered.

“Sell my house? I don’t know. Could we rent it out maybe? I don’t know if I’m ready to completely let go of it yet.”

“It’s time, Toots. This city has nothing else to offer you, and your son needs you.”

“What about you?” she probed.

“I don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll find a house out there so I can be closer to my family. My grandsons asked me to take them fishing, and I think it’s time for me to get back to my roots.”

“Wait. Are you serious? You’re leaving the organization for good?” I never thought I would see the day Uncle Ro would settle down and come back home.

“I’ll never truly be out of the organization, but I’ve decided to keep my availability on a case-by-case basis. I’m ready to plant roots and spend time with the people who matter most.” It sounded too good to be true, and to be honest, I stopped getting my hopes up a long time ago. If, by some chance, he did move closer to us, I would welcome him with open arms. However, I wasn’t comfortable with him making promises to my children that he couldn’t keep. Unc had always been unpredictable, and I wouldn’t allow anyone to make false promises to my kids.

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