Murderville Page 0,76

Versace suit, all black with a slim tie. For the past week, he and Liberty had hidden out in a downtown hotel. He had gone over the last moments of his mother’s life repeatedly, wishing that he had never volunteered his car to her. Her death weighed heavily on him and although he knew that he needed to skip town, he would never forgive himself if he left without paying his final respects. As he walked up the church stairs none of Baron’s soldiers would look him in the face. He went to enter the building and was stopped by one of Baron’s block lieutenants.

A’shai looked down at the hand that was touching him and frowned up as he slapped the hand from his chest. “You must want to lose that hand my man,” A’shai stated calmly as he gripped the man’s wrist at his pressure point, causing him pain.

“Yo, you can’t come in here Shai,” another one of Baron’s workers stated.

“Fuck you mean I can’t come in here?!” he questioned. “That’s my mother!”

“We’re just following orders,” the worker said solemnly, not really wanting to be involved in the family conflict. He gently nudged A’shai, trying to get him to leave, which only further enraged A’shai.

A’shai reached inside his waistline and gripped the handle of his pistol, ready to pop off. He didn’t remove it, but was just waiting for things to get out of control.

“You can move aside or I can lay you down in this mu’fucka. Either way I’m coming inside that church,” A’shai stated.

At that moment, Baron appeared.

“I’ve got it from here,” Baron said as he stepped directly in the entrance to the church. As father and son stood face-to-face they both could sense the extreme hurt in the other. Baron wanted to reach out and embrace A’shai but instead he cleared his throat. “You can’t be here. You’re not welcome, A’shai. I told you what would happen over that girl . . . now look where we are . . . what it’s led to,” Baron stated.

“What you mean I can’t be here, Baron?” A’shai said, calling his father by his name for the first time in years. “That’s my mother in there, fam! You think I wanted this fa’ her?”

A’shai had so many emotions pulsing through him but the one he recognized the most was rage. He needed his father right now, but Baron was showing him shade . . . shunning him and A’shai took it personally.

Whatever small piece of his heart that Baron had left was being broken as he denied A’shai entry. It was taking everything in him to stay firm in his decision. Pig-headed, Baron refused to move aside as he shook his head and repeated, “You can’t be here. You have to leave, son.” Baron turned to one of his goons. “See him to his car.”

A’shai’s nostrils flared as he backed away from the church while nodding his head. By denying him access to Willow’s funeral, Baron had just ripped his heart from his chest. A’shai could barely breathe as he grit his teeth while retreating. He pointed at Baron, stabbing his finger through the air. “Fuck you, Baron. We’re through. You hear me. You tell my mother I love her . . . but you . . . you no longer have a son,” he said vehemently as he turned to walk away. No one moved to escort A’shai to his car. They knew firsthand how A’shai’s temper could flare, and no one wanted to see him. This was between Baron and A’shai; no one else dared to intervene. Baron noticed how his men respected A’shai. They were all fearful of him and secretly Baron was proud but he refused to speak up. His relationship with A’shai had run its course. A’shai was a grown man now, and it was time for them to part. Baron’s eyes misted slightly as he watched A’shai get in his car and drive away. He felt in his bones that this would be the last time he would ever see his son and it hurt. Baron gathered himself quickly not wanting to wear his heart on his sleeve. He refocused on the task at hand and prepared himself to bury the greatest woman he had ever had the pleasure to meet.

Baron paced the same back and forth pattern in his home office for two hours as he awaited the phone call. He had just watched helplessly as men put dirt over his wife’s