“Mr. Crown, would you like to—”
“We can finish this at another time.”
Lo got up and stormed out of the office. He hopped inside his truck, speeding out of the parking lot, hoping nothing had happened to Bria. His heart couldn’t bear another tragedy.Lo had just opened his mind up to the possibility of letting go. His hand was ready to release his trauma. Now that this emergency had surfaced, Lo feared he would be taken ten steps back emotionally if Bria had been affected.
Lo made it to Devyn’s house, hiking the stairs two at a time. When he stormed inside, he found Bria on the bottom step being consoled by Tori and Kaylona. Meco paced back and forth while Devyn sat on the bench, elbows to his knees.
“What happened?” He stalked toward Bria.
She stood and wrapped her arms around him. “They took Ada.”
He pulled back, glowering at her face, trying to make sense of what she’d said.
“Who got who?”
“Those niggas you were into it with,” Devyn inserted. “Luco and Dough. Yeah, they snatched Ma up.”
The humming sound of a motor brought Lo’s attention to his left. Dax rolled inside with an expression that was void of any emotions. Lo hadn’t seen him since his wedding, and he barely looked at him then.
“I’m sorry, Lo. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” Bria wept.
“Chill out. It ain't on you.”
Lo would always carry the burdens for his family. Yes, Bria had lit the match with her infidelity, but it was Lo who had poured the gasoline. This was his cross to bear, not hers.
He turned to Devyn. “How you know he got her?”
“He called Bria and told her. I checked for Ma, and I can’t locate her.”
“She would’ve been home by now,” Dax added. “She was only going to get her hair done.”
Lo rubbed his hand down his fade, gulping back all the confliction rummaging through his body. His mother, thewoman who had brought him into the world, was in a crisis. She had been used as a casualty in a war that he’d started. For the first time in years, Lo felt bad for Ada. There was an ounce of sympathy that he owed her because this situation had nothing to do with her.
“Fuck,” he grumbled, shaking his head.
Lo couldn’t believe he had been fucked over like this. He was typically ten steps ahead of his enemy, but Luco snatched him off his feet and put him on his back. He’d been so busy protecting his marriage with Bria that he never thought Ada would be the get back for Dough’s murder.
“What you trying to do?” Meco asked. “I’m ready to go the fuck off.”
“Go talk to the chiefs,” Dax ordered. “Tell them the situation, and they’ll know what to do to get Ada back.”
“We don't need no fucking chiefs.” Lo snorted.
“Yes, the fuck we do,” Dev argued. “We need all hands on deck ‘cause if something happens to my mama, I’m going to set this city on fire.”
“Go,” Dax commanded. “We ain't got time for no more talking. Go see them.”
Devyn nodded and rose from his seat. Lo followed after his brothers and prayed the chiefs would have a solution to get his mother back to safety.
“Lift her up.”
Luco sat on the desk as his men lifted the chair Ada had been in. One of them snatched the pillowcase off her head, revealing her wet face and smeared makeup. She gasped loudly, trying to collect the breath they had been stealing for the last hour. Waterboarding was one of Luco’s favorite torturetechniques, and he was surprised Ada had been taking her licks like a G.
When Noble told him to remove his emotions and create a plan, Luco came up with the perfect one. Snatching Bria up would’ve been too predictable. Besides, he didn’t want to deal with Douglas. So, he figured Lo wouldn’t foresee him kidnapping his mother. Luco’s men caught her leaving the salon. She had been by herself with no security, giving them the perfect opportunity to snatch her up. For the last month, they had been watching her every move.
“You good there, Grandma?” he teased.
Ada panted like a dog in heat before she coughed uncontrollably.
