"... Charisma... it's good to see you...
Charisma looked at Ruben. "Did you do what I asked?.."
He nodded. "Everything is ready to go as you requested.."
"And do you have eyes on them?.."
"Yeah... when we strike we can take them all.." Ruben said. He paused. "Charisma are you okay?.."
"It's Gee to you... stop with the Charisma shit.. we are not friends we are both here to get a job done"
Ruben raised his eyebrows at her. "Okay... it's gonna be lonely at the top for you though if that's yo attitude..."
"We're taking out a huge family.. so, Maybe that is just how I want it!" She said and walked away from him to overlook the shipments.
———
".... Is dad here?..."
Lamar nodded to the office, he saw that his sister was distressed. He furrowed his brow.
Lani walked up the iron steps to the office. "Dad..
Keegan turned and looked at her. "What are you doing here... you know, I don't like you girls around this warehouse...
"I went to the house yesterday to see mom.... When I got there, she was gone... What is happening?" she said looking at him desperately needing answers.
Keegan looked at her and was quiet for a second. "what do you mean she's gone?"
"What I said!... She told the soldiers on the gate that she was leaving and that a removal truck was coming to collect the rest of the stuff... Why would she just go, and why are you looking at me like you have no fucking idea what I'm talking about.."
Keegan grabbed his cell. He scrolled to Charisma's number and called her cell. He moved away from Lani. Charisma picked up.
"C... what are you doing.. where are you?.."
"I'm busy...
"Don't do this to the kids...
"In case you haven't noticed by now they are not kids anymore, all they have to do is call me... I'm not a million miles away from them... I'm just a million miles away from you." She said.
"C don't fucking act up... I thought this split was gonna be amicable..."
Charisma laughed and hung up on him.
Keegan clenched his jaw. Lani walked over to him. "Well?.."
"Call her.. you don't need to come to me...
"Dad!..." she said angrily.
"Me and yo mama.." he paused. "we're not together anymore.. so just fucking call her will you?" He snapped angrily and as Lani left he closed his eyes and shook his head. He didn't mean to shout at her, but he was frustrated that he didn't know that charisma had left the house, and now he didn't know where she was either, it was eating at him, he wanted her in his sights.
Lamar watched Lani leave and could tell just by the way she stormed out that something was going on.
————
"... do you want something to eat?." Kat asked Arlen.
"No I'm good and you have done enough..." Arlen said. "You remind me of Sheree you know.. before all the bullshit.." he smiled. " I think that this life was never for her, and there are only a few that can take it... She was sucked in, dragged in by the degenerate motherfuckers in the game... I did everything I could to keep her away from it, but our enemies will always go for the family. That's how they work.."
"And I will always tell Josh if anything untoward is happening...
He looked at the floor and sighed. "And that was where she fell short.. she kept it to herself until it got out of hand..." he shook his head.
"What about Eldon and Treasure.. not only are they dealing with losing their mom, but at the moment they don't have you either... they are still just about babies... don't lose sight of them Arlen.. before long they will be teens... just don't lose them.."
Arlen sighed, he knew she was right, he also knew he needed help to get himself straight. He was just thankful for his twin and Kat right now. "Kirstie was great too.. she and Sheree were close.."
Kat smiled. "Josh talks about her sometimes... I know he loved her.. I could never take that away from him.. but he lost his kids, they now live with their grandmother and don't see him... and live like he doesn't exist.." she looked at him. "Don't let that be you because you are all that they've got.."
"I'll work on it." He told her.
—————
Keegan smiled as he walked into his father's hospital room. "It's good to see you awake dad.. for a minute there I thought you were done.."
"Y'all don't have much faith in me for sure..." Jenson smirked.
"We were all worried about you... it was just so sudden..." Keegan said.
"I know.. it scared me too.. and I will be slowing down..
"Good.. because you don't have rights to the mafia anymore it belongs to me... and I'm not letting it go... but we do need to deal with my brother... Tevin...."
"I heard he took the money.. Nash is keeping an eye on him... he won't get far he doesn't know the first thing to do in this game... I told Lena, she needs to have him brought to me... I need to deal with his ass too."
"Yea I'm a let you handle him." He smiled.
Jenson paused. "This feud between Lena and Charisma.. can you talk to C.. I'll talk to Lena and between me and you we can squash it?.."
"Yeah... but look, I'm not with C anymore..."
Jenson raised his eyebrows at his son. "We have both changed so much.. she isn't the same person.. I can't even get close.. the connection hasn't really been the same since she had the new heart.. and it has just got worse from there..."
Jenson could see that Keegan was troubled. "You let go of a beautiful young woman son... you need to seriously think on it... you need each other.. you always have.." he said.
———-
Charisma sat on the bed in her new place. She looked at her wedding ring on the dresser and she swallowed hard. She couldn't believe that she and Keegan were done, that he had found another woman.
She stood up and looked at her scars in the mirror. She narrowed her eyes and loathed herself. But the feeling of hate and resentment was rising for Lena and the Taylor's and now Keegan to. She was building a wall against all of them, and Gee was in kill mode.
Her cell rang and she went to pick up. She saw it was Keegan. She couldn't talk to him again, she let the phone go to voicemail. She then listened to his message.
"Hey.. I said we would give it a couple of days and then talk.. so let's meet and talk please.. I don't want it to end like this.. we've got too much history to pretend we don't exist to each other!... C where are you.. please talk to me..."
Charisma felt sad but sick inside. She looked at her phone and she blocked his number and removed him from her phone. She couldn't get rid of the phone she wanted to be able to talk to her kids, she knew they would all have questions but the truth is she didn't have the answers and any answers she did have were to painful for her to talk about.
A call came through to her cell. "Jago?." She said picking up quickly.
"I hope you're sitting down Gee...
"Who is it?.."
"Gina... Angel's daughter...
"What the hell.."
"He's living with her at the beach house..."
Charisma closed the call, she hurt all over and now she wished she didn't know. Gina was 20 years old, she felt like she didn't know Keegan at all...