by Ashley
She let go of the machete and watched Zulu gurgle on his own blood. She felt no remorse as she watched him take his final breath. She stepped over Zulu’s body, and her head spun. His goons were right outside, there was nowhere to run, and they were like dogs: if she showed fear, they would attack. I have to face them, she thought. I have done what none of them would ever have the balls to do. They better fear me. You can show no intimidation, Dahlia. Don’t fear them. She coached herself silently as she began to step toward the front door. When she reached for the knob, she noticed that she was shaking. She closed her hand and struggled to breathe. It felt as if all the air was being sucked out of the room.
“You can do this,” she whispered, and shut her eyes tightly. Liberty’s and Po’s smug grins entered her mind as she thought of how they had conspired to set her up. A flame started instantly in her heart as she thought of them, together, two against one. Liberty had finally won a round against Dahlia. The fact that her meager and weak adversary had gained the upper hand burned her inside. When I find her, I am going to make her wish she had taken my advice and stayed away. She should have never fucked with me, Dahlia thought.
She snatched open the door and walked out into the yard. Zulu’s men expected their leader to emerge, but when they saw Dahlia’s face, they immediately aimed their weapons.
Salim stepped forward when he noticed the blood on her hands. He motioned for the men to wait as he approached her. “Where is—”
“Zulu is dead,” she said to him as the other goons looked on. “These men can pull the triggers and avenge his death, or you can respect me for doing what you could not. How long did you serve as counsel to Zulu? Fifteen years? Twenty?”
Salim squared his shoulders proudly. “Twenty years,” he stated.
“And you have not expanded into your own yet? You put in all that work, and for what? No one wants to be second in command forever.” Dahlia spoke condescendingly, and her tone was hushed yet urgent. “You can join me, get these men to be my muscle now, tell them to follow me as I build a new empire!”
“You want to enter the diamond game?” Salim asked.
“I want to take over the game, every game, drugs, diamonds . . .”
All eyes were on her, and she no longer felt intimidated. If they wanted to kill her, she would be dead already. She had their attention. All she had to do was keep it.
“What Zulu was paying you, I will double. You can’t go back to Sierra Leone with no leadership,” she said.
“You are an ambitious girl,” Salim stated. “But these men will not follow you without the endorsement of the five families. You cannot pick the game. This game chooses you, and until your involvement is approved by the families, these men will be loyal to the highest bidder. Their loyalty to Zulu wasn’t about money; it was about affiliation. He was backed by the five families for a long time.”
“Then we go to Sierra Leone to meet with the families,” Dahlia said, determined.
“That isn’t your only problem, Ms. Dahlia,” Salim said.
“What else could be bigger?” she asked.
“Ali Akban,” Salim said.
Dahlia gasped. “Ali Akban is dead.”
“I assure you, he breathes just as you and I do. I will explain in the car. Please, this way,” Salim said. He extended his hand and then announced, “Dahlia is Zulu’s replacement. We will travel to Sierra Leone to have it solidified by the five families.”
He instructed three of the men to stay behind and clean up the scene. Zulu had reigned for more than two decades, and Salim refused to leave his body to rot. It would be transported back to Africa so that a proper burial could be arranged. He opened the door for Dahlia, and she climbed into the backseat of the black Tahoe. Salim walked around the car and entered from the other side, then instructed the driver to pull away.
He was silent, mysterious, as he looked out his window at the passing blur of L.A.’s streets. Dahlia watched him, unsure, and she was filled with relief when he finally began to speak.
“Ali Akban was Zulu’s right-hand man back in the day. When they first started out, they hustled together, starting with guns, drugs, the small stuff. Their small hustle grew to something beautiful after only five years, but like all great partnerships between men, a woman tore them apart. Ali fell in love with Zulu’s wife, Harrah. When she became pregnant, he discovered the affair. Ali could not hide his affections for her. He was risky, and in public, he favored her very much. Even I could see the love he had for Harrah just from the way he stared at her. Zulu was hard on Harrah. He chastised her often in public, humiliated her in front of his soldiers. One day, Ali had seen enough and came to her defense. It was that gesture that gave him away. That very same night, Zulu beat Harrah so badly that she lost the child and would never be able to carry a baby to full term again. He sent goons to kill Ali. They burned down his house, thinking that he would be burned alive inside. Harrah, however, had warned Ali that Zulu was coming. She saved his life that day. Ali fled Sierra Leone and hasn’t been heard from since. It has been eighteen years since anyone has laid eyes on him. But Zulu’s death will ring out across the entire continent. It will travel across the tongues of the people like pollen on flowers, and when Ali hears that Zulu is dead, he will come. He will want to fill his spot, the same spot that you seek. If he makes it in front of the five families before you do, they will endorse him. They are familiar with him. You are a risk. A stranger. And you break all of the rules. The heads of the families are elders, Ms. Dahlia. You are a woman. You contradict everything that they think a woman should be.”
Dahlia knew that Salim was useful to her. He knew many things and would be able to guide her in her transition as Zulu’s successor. He spoke with so much wisdom, wisdom that could only be gained through experience. She only wondered if she could fully trust him.
“I am loyal to the empire, not the king,” he said, reading her mind. “When the tides of power change, my loyalty does as well.”
“Good to know,” she replied.
Dahlia’s mind spun as she rode to the airport with the three-car caravan full of members of the African Mafia trailing behind her. She would have her work cut out for her. Killing Zulu had only been the beginning. Her gender would surely cause many people to doubt her. She would have to rule twice as harshly as Zulu just to be respected half as much. Her mind switched gears as she thought of seeking revenge against Liberty and Po. They seemed like a small problem in the grand scheme of things. She would eventually make them pay for crossing her, but first she had to gain the power that she so desperately sought. If she filled Zulu’s seat, she would undoubtedly take over the underworld. Her reach would be endless. As she entered the airport with thirty goons around her, she felt like a queen. They were her protection, they were her minions. There was no way she was going to allow Ali Akban to knock her off of her inherited throne. He was a ghost as far as the game was concerned, and he would remain one. If he showed up, Dahlia was determined to reunite him with his dear friend Zulu.
Dahlia was escorted through a special security line. Salim had diplomatic status and was treated as a foreign politician when he traveled to the States. They bypassed the crowds and were escorted to the private jet that awaited them. As Dahlia ascended the steps, she took it all in. This was what she had been waiting for. This was the power that she had chased for years, and now she had finally tasted it. She knew in her heart that once she returned to the motherland, nothing in her life would ever be the same. She was about to be initiated into the African Mafia.
SEVEN
AWKWARD SILENCE FILLED THE INTERIOR OF THE car as Liberty, Rocko, and Po made their way across the country. Driving to Detroit was a day-and-a-half trip, including brief stops, and the tension of their past relationships made the hike miserable. As they made their way east across the Nevada desert, the overwhelming heat infiltrated the car. Even the air conditioning wasn’t enough to keep them completely cool. The elephant in the room left little space for
conversation, and Liberty wanted nothing more at the moment than to escape the confines of the car.
“Pull over,” she whispered. They were the first words that had been spoken in four hours. They had been riding together for hundreds of miles with distrust and resentment filling the air. No one slept; everyone was on alert. It was as if they were enemies with a common foe instead of friends.
Po pulled off at the next exit and slowly rolled into the service station.
“Next stop isn’t for a while. What we need, we have to buy it here. I’m going to fill up,” he said.
Liberty nodded and watched as Po exited the car. Rocko stared out the passenger window, looking in the side-view mirror at his own reflection. His brooding mood could be felt all the way in the backseat.
“You’re disappointed in me,” Liberty whispered. “Because I forgave Po?”
“You sure you did that?” Rocko replied. “You ain’t said two words to him since we got on the road.”
Liberty knew that her distance came from being caught between two men. Despite the fact that Po had apologized, she still felt a spark with Rocko. She was attracted to Po’s best friend. She had no words for Po, because she was too busy thinking about what she wished she could say to Rocko.
“I don’t want you to be mad at me,” Liberty said. Her eyes stayed glued to the interior of the service station as she watched Po move around inside.
“I’m good, ma. As long as you’re happy, I’m cool with it,” Rocko stated.
“You’re not cool with it, Rocko,” Liberty countered. “And it’s OK, because honestly, all I’ve thought about since we kissed is you. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do. We both know that you and I can’t happen.”
“We both know it, but it’s clear that we don’t like it,” Rocko replied. “It is what it is, ma. Let’s just get to Detroit and get back to what it was. As long as the money’s flowing, I’m good. I don’t lose focus over women. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not sticking around, anyway. As soon as we get back to Detroit, I’m done with Po. I got love for him, but our partnership has run its course. I can’t get money with a nigga that tried to murk me. The trust will never be the same. Me being here makes things uncomfortable. It’s time for me to do my own thing.”
Before she could respond, Po got back into the car. His presence immediately silenced the conversation. Liberty’s heart grew heavy because she had so much to say. She wanted to make sure that things were right with Rocko. It seemed as if he was withdrawing from her, and the thought that he wouldn’t be around once they reached their destination caused her great distress.
“I think I should clean Rocko’s wound and change the dressing. We also need Tylenol. He won’t be able to rough out the pain for the entire trip,” Liberty said softly.
“I’m good,” Rocko stated.
“I think Lib is right, Rock. The next exit is at least two hours away,” Po said.
Rocko nodded, and Liberty slid out of the backseat. Rocko exited the car on crutches.
“We’ll be right back,” Liberty said to Po, who nodded as they began to walk away.
Liberty went into the station and rummaged through the shelves until she found everything she needed. She then exited and walked around the building where the restrooms were located. Opening the door, she found Rocko waiting inside. With the click of a lock, they were cloaked in privacy. As she stared at him, she almost forgot that Po was waiting just outside at the gas pump.
“Rocko,” she whispered. She closed the distance between them. He leaned against the wall for support as she threw her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly. “I don’t want you to leave,” she whispered. “I need you to stick around.”
He placed his hand on her abdomen and pushed her away slightly, creating a small space between them. He grimaced as his gunshot wound throbbed intensely.
“Sit down, Rocko. Let me change your dressings,” she said.
Rocko lowered the toilet cover, sat on top of it, and extended his leg to her. Liberty got on her knees. “You ain’t got to take care of me, ma, that ain’t your job.” Liberty’s hands worked efficiently as she removed, cleaned, and replaced the bloody gauze.
“Rocko, just because Po is back in my life doesn’t mean I don’t want you to be. Before all of this, we barely spoke. I didn’t know you. I’d like to consider you a friend. I need one of those these days,” she whispered. “Please stick around, Rocko. You are beginning to mean the world to me, and I just want us to be OK. Are we OK?” she asked.
“He don’t deserve you, Liberty,” Rocko whispered.
“I know,” Liberty replied. “But he needs me, and he needs you. We need each other, Rocko. He is lost right now. How can we preach loyalty to him and be disappointed that he betrayed us if we turn around and do the same thing to him?”
If anyone else had presented it to him, Rocko would have walked away. As a man, he didn’t feel he owed another man anything. But this new admiration of a woman made him feel indebted to her. He knew that there wasn’t anything that Liberty asked of him that he would say no to. He would stay simply because she had asked him to.
“You’re right,” he replied.
“You won’t leave?” she asked.
“I won’t leave you, ma,” he answered.
Liberty’s smile lit up the entire room as she grabbed Rocko’s hand and squeezed it tightly.
“I don’t know how to be around you and not crave you, ma,” he admitted. He lowered his head as if it truly hurt him. “You did something to me.”
“I showed you that you’re worth loving, Rocko, and someday a really good woman is going to love you,” she replied. A faint smile graced her lips as she stopped talking. Sadness conquered her gaze. She knew that she wanted so much more than a friendship with Rocko. She felt the same connection to him that she had with A’shai. She was just too cowardly to let go of Po. “I’m saying everything I’m supposed to say here, Rocko, but it’s not registering in my heart.”
“I don’t want politically correct, Liberty, I want the truth,” Rocko said.
Tears misted in her eyes. “The truth is, I want you, but I can’t let Po go. I can’t walk away from him to be with his best friend. It’s not right. We were supposed to be parents together. He saved me from Samad. I just can’t abandon him the way that he tried to do me, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to kiss you right now.”
Boom! Boom!
Two strong knocks vibrated against the bathroom door, and they both knew that it was time to check back into reality. She stood sadly and walked to the door to allow Po to enter.
“I’ll be in the car,” she said as she walked past Po. Po grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her back to him. “Hey. You OK?”
She nodded as he massaged her shoulder reassuringly. “I’m fine.”
He pulled her in for a kiss, but she turned her head so that it landed on her cheek. She glanced back at Rocko, then placed two hands on Po’s chest. She pushed him off of her gently. She handed him the Tylenol. “He’s in some pain. Make sure he takes these. I’ll be waiting in the car.”
Liberty hurried out of the bathroom and sank into the backseat of the car. She didn’t know what to do, but she knew that under no circumstances was she letting Rocko leave. She wanted him around, even though she knew that they wouldn’t be able to stop themselves from crossing that line.
* * *
Liberty forgave Po, but she would never forget what he had done to her. She kept his betrayal locked away in the back of her mind, but she knew that she had to move forward and attempt to salvage whatever pieces of their relationship were left. Liberty knew that right now, she, Rocko, and Po had to stick together. They needed one another, whether they wanted to admit it or not. Liberty felt obligated to Po as if she owed him something. Despite her feelings for Rocko, she couldn’t leave Po, and she couldn’t let Rocko leave, either. They were all they had, and she was slowly realizing that she cared for both men for different reasons.
They were completely different, and she needed both of them.
After a two-day road trip, they finally arrived at their destination. Liberty, Po, and Rocko were within the city limits of Detroit. It was awkward, because although they rode together, none of them said a word. They all knew that they were bonded for inexplicable reasons. They were forced to be family, and nothing could change that. They were all ready to start a new life in Detroit and let the past stay exactly where it was—in the past. As they neared Liberty’s Detroit home, she began to remember why she had left the city. The place reminded her too much of A’shai, and a thick sadness invaded her heart as memories of him came rushing back to her.
Liberty looked out the window. Her heart began to race as they neared the house that A’shai had purchased for her. She smiled, thinking about how he had made sure she had a house that was paid off in full. He always acted as her protector and provider. He was there whenever she needed him, and it seemed as if ever since he had passed, her world wasn’t the same. She looked toward the front seats and glanced at Po.
Can I trust him after he betrayed me for Dahlia? Fool me once, shame on him. But fool me twice, shame on me, she thought as she analyzed the current situation. She had offered her home to Po and Rocko just until they settled back into the flow of the streets of Detroit. She really wanted them to do well and thought that was the least she could do. She was willing to work on her relationship with Po, but she didn’t want to jump in headfirst. They would live separately, until she decided otherwise. She was only allowing Po to stay in her home until he could make other arrangements. She would never allow another man to claim the home that she shared with A’shai. Liberty knew that the duffel bag of money she had would only last her for so long. She would need Rocko and Po to get by until she could figure out her next move. Maybe I’ll go to school, she thought, trying to piece a plan together in her mind.
