EPILOGUE

THE BUNKER

 

Bambi and Kevin walked into Melo’s bedroom to check on him. After two weeks in a coma, he was finally home from the hospital. He made it. He was alive.

Standing by his bedside, Bambi took a seat and held Melo’s hand firmly in hers.

As in the days past, a helicopter circled overhead. Although it was more frequent than usual, they were used to it. A landing strip a few miles away from the gated property brought in many visitors.

Despite the tragic events, the best part about the ordeal was the son she thought was dead, the one who loved her, was actually alive. It was a guilty thought that Bambi kept to herself. She wanted both of her boys but if she had to choose, the decision would be easy.

“Hey, son,” Kevin said as he leaned in and gave Melo some dap. His touch was careful because he wasn’t trying to hurt him since he just got out of the coma. “How are you?”

“I’m making it, pops,” he said softly.

Bambi touched the top of Melo’s hand and smiled. “You hungry? Want anything at all?”

Melo rubbed his belly. “Actually yeah,” he grinned. “I could go for some of your fried chicken.”

Bambi giggled. “You got it, son.”

She was about to leave out to prepare his food when Melo said, “Dad, you mind if I talk to ma alone?”

“Of course not, son. I’ll be out there if you need me. Just hit the intercom button.”

Melo smiled and Kevin strutted out with his hands in his pockets.

Focusing on Bambi, he gripped her hand and said, “I didn’t know if I should say this now or later but I think it’s the right time.” He exhaled.

“What is it, Melo? You’re worrying me.”

“I wanted to tell you that Noah loved you, ma. He just didn’t know how to say it.”

Bambi shook her head, unable to deal with the pain of losing Noah and of hearing his words, which she believed to be untrue. “Melo, try not to worry about—”

“It’s true, ma,” he said interrupting her sentence. “He cared about you a lot. And the last thing he said before he was shot was, ‘Mama, I’m sorry. I love you.’”

Bambi’s eyes widened. “Melo, please don’t try and do this for me. I’m finally trying to make sense of my failures. And this is not necessary…”

He reached up and wiped the tears off her face with his thumb. “Mama, I wouldn’t lie to you. He loved you and he wasn’t able to express himself.”

“But what about all of those things he said to me? On the last night I saw you both?”

Melo smiled. “You still don’t remember do you?”

With raised eyebrows she asked, “Remember what?”

“The day before that event it was our birthday,” he said. “And even though he didn’t say it, I think it hurt him that you and pops forgot. He was a big kid who was looking forward to the cake you always bake for us before Uncle Camp died and it didn’t happen.”

Bambi felt like she was struck by a dump truck. Their birthday slipped her mind before that moment. With her hand covering her mouth, she said, “I’m so sorry, Melo.”

Her fingers trembled against her lips. How could she be so careless?

“Ma, I don’t want you to be sorry. I love my brother and I love you too. I just don’t want you to forget about family. Don’t forget about why you and dad are doing all of this. Because you never know how long we’ll be here.” He paused. “Familia first. Always.”

Bambi’s heart thumped around in her chest. She had a moment of clarity in the worst way imaginable. And it was one she would never forget.

“Thank you, Melo,” she said touching the side of his face with her palm. “Thank you.”

He winked at her. “No problem.”

 

****

 

Denim and Bradley were in the tub together. He was sitting behind her and she was in front of him. Planting soft kisses on her neck, he was trying to warm her up for another round of fucking.

But there was something else on her mind.

“Bradley,” she said. “What happened to you in prison?” She grabbed the washcloth and wiped her legs. “Were you…I mean…”

Upon hearing her words, he stopped kissing her and pushed her away from him. Standing up out of the tub, his feet slapped against the heated floor. “What are you trying to say?” He yanked his towel and looked down at her.

“Were you raped?” Denim said as tears rolled down her face. “I mean…ever since you been back, you’ve been possessive and when I touch you on your back or thighs in the middle of the night you jump.” She paused. “Baby, if that did happen, I want you to know that I’m here for you no matter what.”

Bradley looked at her as if he wanted to say something and then just that easily, the expression washed away. “If you ever bring this up again, I’m divorcing you, Denim. You’ll never see me again.” He stormed out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind himself.

 

****

 

Race was in the bedroom with Ramirez talking about their marriage. Although she wanted a divorce, after losing Camp and then Noah, she decided that she would stick around and make it work.

They were lying face up on the bed when Race got up and said, “I got something for you.”

Ramirez grinned. “Is it some of that good-good?” he asked referring to her pussy.

“It’s better,” she responded.

“Well I can’t wait to see that shit,” he joked.

Walking to her dresser, she pulled out the divorce papers. Spinning around, she raised them up and showed him.

“Bay, what you doing?” His jaw dropped as he saw the documents in her hand. “I thought shit was sweet?”

“It’s better,” she winked before pulling out a pair of scissors and cutting them up. When she was done, he crawled off the bed and approached her.

“Race, you don’t know what this fucking means to me. To want something so badly and then to have it is the best feeling in the world. I will never let you down again.”

“I realize this is where I want to be. But I need you to be honest with me always, Ramirez. Is there anything else that I should know about? If so, baby, please tell me now. I don’t care what it is, if you let me know right now, I promise to forgive you. That’s on everything I love.”

Ramirez looked into her eyes and thought about Scarlett. Something told him to be real with her and he figured now was the time.

“I’m serious, Ram,” Race continued. “I can see you holding back. As long as you not fucking one of my sisters, I don’t care what it is.”

Ramirez swallowed, taking the secret with him. He placed her head between the palms of his hands. “I have nothing to tell you, baby. Nothing at all.”

 

****

 

Scarlett was in the part of the bunker where Mitch lived before he was murdered. It was her new home because she couldn’t live where she and Camp stayed anymore. Although the men thought Arkadi killed Mitch, she knew the truth. In a meeting after the murder, Bambi and Race told her and Denim what happened.

She killed him to maintain control of the industry.

Scarlett sat on the edge of the bed and unwrapped the new clothes she had for Master. Placing them in the drawers, she prepared for his arrival.

In two weeks, although the Walkers didn’t know it yet, she was going to get her son. Everything was planned out with her sisters. Bambi, Scarlett, Race and especially Denim agreed to help her in any way possible. With their support, she was praying to be a better mother.

The fellas didn’t know he was found but she would explain it to them later.

Not only did missing Master cause her to want to get her son, but also losing Camp meant that Master was the only trace of him she had left.

When the phone rang in the suite, Scarlett pushed the bags out of the way and tried to catch the call before the person hung up. Since she stayed in the suite, she alone was in charge of fielding all of the calls and inquiries about Mitch.

She did a good job of it too.

Her professional voice and quick thinking provided the space needed for Bambi to continue her charade. Although drug bosses thought that the decision-making was coming directly from Mitch, it was Bambi who was running things behind the scenes.

When Scarlett finally made it to the phone the person hung up. Instead, they left a voice message. Since it was recorded on a machine, she hit the button and a male’s voice rolled from the speaker.

Although the caller’s voice was in Arabic, his tone sent chills down her spine. Something about this caller told her things were different.

“Bambi,” she pressed the intercom button and called out into the house. “Bambi, come here! Hurry.”

Within seconds, Kevin, Bradley, Ramirez, Race and Denim came inside, each out of breath. It took a minute longer for Bambi to arrive since she was in the kitchen frying chicken.

Upon seeing Scarlett’s frantic face, slowly Bambi stepped ahead of her family and moved toward her. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Scarlett hit the button on the machine and played the recording again. Bambi’s eyes widened and she fell on the bed.

“Who is that, baby?” Kevin asked sitting next to her.

“Abd Al-Qadir,” she whispered.

Kevin stumbled back into the wall and slid down.

“Well how we going to find out what he said?” Race questioned. “Nobody speaks that shit around here.”

Bambi blinked a few times. “I know what he means,” she advised. Having served in Saudi Arabia, she was fluent in Arabic although she never had a reason to use the language in the states until now.

“What did he say?” Denim questioned.

“That he is Abd Al-Qadir of Saudi Arabia. And that we have exactly one week to turn over Mitch or we will meet his wrath.”

When Kevin heard Abd’s name, he was immediately aware of who he was. This was the drama he wanted to avoid.

“Who is he?” Race asked in a heavy tone.

“The most dangerous man alive,” Kevin explained.

 

****

 

Yvette, Mercedes and Carissa sat in a black Yukon truck waiting for the person they hoped could save their lives in the event a war took place.

Yvette hadn’t heard from Mitch since she last spoke to him on the phone, and when she called the number he gave her, Scarlett would answer in his place. Not wanting her to know that she formed a relationship with Mitch, she would always hang up until she realized it was not smart to call anymore.

“I can’t believe you got us into this, Yvette,” Mercedes said from the passenger seat. “I mean, I’m just not understanding why you would go against the Kennedys.”

“Me either,” Carissa said from the back. “You got us into a war we don’t want to be a part of. When are you going to start thinking about everybody else instead of yourself?”

Yvette looked to her left, out of the window, and clenched the steering wheel tighter. “I know I made a mistake connecting with Mitch but hindsight is twenty/twenty. He isn’t answering my calls now and I think he may be dead. Now we need someone who can watch our backs. Someone smarter than that bitch Roman they have working for them.”

“Yeah right,” Carissa responded. “Good luck finding that person.”

“Vette, keep shit real,” Mercedes said. “Whoever this person is you asked to help isn’t coming into the picture to protect us. You’re going to try and have them kill Bambi aren’t you?”

Silence.

“What if I did?” Yvette asked looking into her friends’ eyes.

“This shit is so stupid, Yvette,” Carissa said. “I understand why you were depressed when we lost Emerald City. Everything we ever knew was there. But we run another profitable business now. Why bite the hand that supplies us?”

Silence.

“Because I think Bambi knows I was disloyal and that I was going to work with Mitch. When she met us the other day to supply those bricks she had a smile on her face but I saw behind that shit. She’s waiting for the right time to attack. She’s slow and sneaky and that makes me uncomfortable.” She paused. “And like I said, the person who I’ve hired is just here for protection. Unless we need something more.”

Mercedes sighed. “What’s her name?”

“She goes by Yvonna but I think Gabriella is her middle name,” Yvette said.

“Why you say that?” Carissa asked.

“One minute she asked me to call her Yvonna and the next it was Gabriella.”

“Sounds like the bitch is crazy to me,” Mercedes said.

“Since we gotta have her, I hope she really is as sick with the murder game as Roman. I’ve never seen somebody kill as smoothly as she does.”

“I heard Yvonna is better.”

When a small unassuming silver car parked beside them, it took a second for the driver to get out and that made them nervous. “What the fuck is that bitch doing?” Carissa asked. “I gotta see her fucking face!”

“Me too!” Mercedes added.

Silence.

After two minutes, which seemed like an eternity, the car door opened. Out walked a beautiful woman with a short spiky haircut and a serious walk. Her tight jeans showed off her toned thighs and an ass that a video vixen would pay for.

“She don’t look like no killer to me,” Carissa frowned.

“Never underestimate a gangster by the beauty of her face,” Mercedes said. “Any feature, good or bad, can be used in war.”

All three of them nodded.

“Yvette, where you get this chick from?” Carissa asked.

“She was living here at first but then she moved to the Philippines. Apparently something happened to her family and she’s here for revenge, I guess.”

“So she needs the capital from us to get at whoever she wants?” Mercedes added.

“I’m not sure but something tells me shit is about to get interesting.”

“Tell me something I don’t already know,” Mercedes said.

 

****

 

Roman was sitting in her house thinking of her life. She just got off the phone with her son Sailor and it ripped her apart that she was only allowed phone calls to connect with her only child.

After Sailor was kidnapped, her husband left her and took their child with him to his mother’s house. He learned that the woman who took him was a childhood friend of Roman’s who was seeking revenge. When Sailor was returned to them, he decided that he could not have his son around her.

Her heart ached not being able to hold her little boy, or kiss him on the cheek. But she knew it wouldn’t be this way always. The plan was to complete the one hundred lives contract for the Kennedys and then get her child back, by any means available to her.

And that included killing her ex-husband if need be.

With the Russians’ beef out of the way, for now, she was about to take a nap when there was a knock at her front door. When she looked out of the window she saw it was Owen. Her right hand. He looked frantic and when she opened the door, he busted into the house and paced the floor.

Roman trusted Owen but experience told her she couldn’t be sure if or when a man would snap. She had to protect herself at all times if she was going to survive. So she touched the gun that sat in the back of her pants and scanned him over.

She would kill him if need be.

Without flinching, “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“It’s about Carey,” he said referring to his cousin and her best friend who hadn’t been seen or heard from in months.

Roman removed her hand from her weapon and approached. “What is it?” Her green eyes widened and her heart was hopeful. “Is she back?”

He shook his head no.

She frowned. “Then what’s going on?”

“I got a call today. Someone with some information said that Race and her husband are responsible for her…for her…” He was so choked up he couldn’t complete his sentence.

“What did the person say?” she yelled.

“That Race and her husband are responsible for killing her. That her bones should be on the grounds of one of their compounds.”

Roman stumbled backwards and threw her face in her hands. She trusted Race and to think that she could be responsible for the loss of her friend devastated her. “Who told you this?”

“She said she was Denim’s mother and that her name was Sarah.”

The room appeared to spin. “If this is true, I will complete my contract with the Kings. And then I will kill Race Kennedy. With my bare hands.”