At 17, Candyce's small worldview is maginifed when her big brother, Ace, invites her into his world as punishment. Ace may have been an overbearing big brother at home, but in the streets he was feared and respected as a young drug dealer, proving h...
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Chapter 29
The Man above makes it clear I'm not in his good graces when I wake up to a squad car parked outside the house. I can only think of one person that was stupid enough to show up here in a police car as if the people in this house haven't been through enough. What do you know? That person is none other than FBI Agent Gutierrez.
I pull the front door open, staring out at the unmistakable, black police car parked against the curb. I cross my arms and lean against the doorframe watching as Detective Moore and her sidekick exit the car.
"Candyce?"
I turn back into the house to see Mama walking towards me with her robe on.
"What's going on?" She says, stepping into the doorway.
Together, we look back at Agent Gutierrez and Detective Moore approaching the walkway. Before I can assure Mama that everything is okay, Gutierrez makes the mistake of opening her mouth.
"Mrs. Ortiz. It's nice to see you again," She says.
Mama's concerned look turns into a full-on scowl as she glares at Gutierrez. I also notice how she steps in front of me.
"What the hell you want?" Mama asks.
Gutierrez and Moore share a knowing look before Moore steps up with her hand extended.
"Mrs. Ortiz? Nice to meet you. I'm Detective Moore. I'm the lead detective on the murder that happened at your daughter's nightclub," Moore says.
Mama stares at her like she's suddenly grown two heads.
"What the hell you talking about? What club?"
Now is where I intervene before this little misunderstanding ends with Mama being dragged out in handcuffs.
I gently unravel Mama's clenched fist from where I'm standing behind her. She must have forgotten I was behind her 'cause she turns around with way too much aggression. Her eyebrows drag her wrinkles out of hiding as she stares at me.
"Candyce," Her voice dramatically drops two or three notches, "What the fuck these people talking about?"
"I'll explain it to you later, Ma," I say.
I try to move around her but she grabs my forearm with a death grip. Then she slams the door in their faces, pulling me into the foyer by my arm.
"You ain't going nowhere with them until you tell me what's going on," She says.
"Ma, it's a lot you don't know about. I don't have time to expla--"
I'm cut off by Mama's rough hand slapping me across the face. I stand there cupping my cheek trying to figure out what just happened. I look at her with her rattled pink robe that's come undone and her bedridden hair. But her eyes is what gets to me. Her eyes are hard. Completely unapologetic towards the fact that she just hit me for the first time in a long time and for the first time in my face. But her eyes are watery too. Understanding what she's going through is the only thing that lets me look past her hitting me.
