Mahogany Desires

Chapter 43

          It had been a while since the Mills household was so full and boisterous. There were bodies walking in and out the doors and voices shouting throughout the two story family home. After Drake found everyone an extra toothbrush and towel, they took turns using the guest bathroom until everyone was cleaned up and refreshed.

No one saw sight of Jason.

Machayla cooked a simple breakfast of eggs, bacon, French toast and sausage –though it was noon by then— after finding a fully stocked fridge and pantry with the help of Sierra, Tabitha and Dennis. They all but one complimented her on her skill in the kitchen as they ate. They'd tried to get Jason to come down and eat something but he never showed and instead cooped himself in his room. After the fifth time of trying to get him out, they gave up.

Once they were done, Victor, Carter and Chico headed to the nearest phone store to buy a new phone for Machayla since she'd lost hers the night of Brandon's fatal accident. When that was done, they made their way to a pawn shop in over-town where Carter knew a guy who could not only give them some extra muscle if need be but extra ammunition on the low.

His name was Cash, short for Cassius, but of course no one dared to call him by his given name to his scared face. He was a big and burly black Jamaican man with a mocha complexion and jet black low cut hair. He looked every bit as dangerous as he sounded.

Meanwhile on the opposite side of town, Drake and Dennis dropped Sierra and Tabitha off to get their respective cars from their apartments just in case they needed some extra set of wheels.

Machayla on the other hand kept herself busy by cleaning the kitchen and the living room where the evidence of Jason's mother was attack was evident. She felt guilty as she saw a splatter of blood on the ground. That poor women was dragged into this because of her latching onto her son for safety. Why couldn't Jason understand her reasoning for wanting to put her ass on the line was beyond her? He's being childish, she concluded.

By three thirty, everyone had returned to the house with arms full of goodies. Victor, Carter and Chico with a new phone for Machayla and a trunk full of new and borrowed weapons. Dennis and Drake with trackers, chips and laptops.

When they found Machayla, she was fussing with her hair in a large mirror hanging on the wall in the entrance way of the living room. "Hey," she greeted with a smile as they walked passed her with bags. They all returned her greeting and went about their business.

"What you doing pretty lady?"

Victor magically showed up behind her in the mirror. "Trying to fix this mess on my head?" She grumbled with a defeated sigh. She watched when his hazel eyes looked down at her hair and examined it. Pushing her hand away, he put his hands through her strands and combed it through with his fingers. Once he was done he pulled all of her hair up to the middle of her head, grabbed a rubber band that Machayla never noticed before from his wrist and tucked her hair into a bun.

"There," he said proudly "you look fine now."

"Uumm thanks?" She wasn't sure about what just happened but looking in the mirror she grinned at how cute her bun was. "Where'd you learn to do hair?"

"I have sisters and these dreads can get in the way from time to time, know what I'm saying?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you saying."

"I have your phone for you."

"I told you that you didn't have to do that."

Victor cocked a brow. "I don't usually do what I'm told Machayla. Anyways, you're the only one in the crew without a phone. We need to be able to reach each other no matter what. Especially you."