“Fuck if I know,” Kisa snapped. “That was TaTa talking all crazy.”

“What did she say?”

“Something about she didn’t mean to set me up. I gotta tell E to get out of there.” Kisa could not reach Eisani. She tried repeatedly to call, but her phone was not even ringing, just going straight to voicemail. “I’m going over there.” Kisa put on her coat and stepped into a pair of flat rider boots.

“I’m going with you,” Sincere said, following her.

“You can’t go with me. You’re not even supposed to be in the city. You need to lay low until after Maria changes her statement and gets those charges up off you.”

“I’m not letting you go alone. That crazy call could be a part of the setup.”

“Fine,” Kisa replied, with no time to argue. “It’s your decision, not mine.” She opened the door to find Arnessa standing there. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too,” Arnessa responded. “I’m here because of what Suef did.”

“You came because he firebombed the spa?”

“No, I don’t know anything about that. Didn’t you hear what happened to Tasha?”

“No.”

“Suef’s goons beat her, raped her, and left her for dead in her house last night. Her kids found her unconscious when they got up this morning.”

“E, wake up,” Kennedy tapped her sleeping cousin’s shoulder.

Eisani lifted her head from the armrest of the couch. “I didn’t even know I dozed off. I’m tired as I don’t know what. If TaTa don’t get here in the next fifteen minutes, I’m out.”

“I have to leave now,” Kennedy said, buttoning her coat. “I’m going to meet Chaz for drinks so we can talk.”

“That’s good, cousin.” Eisani sat up. “I hope y’all put all that drama behind y’all and work everything out.”

“We shall see.” Kennedy sighed. “By the way, I stretched two of those bricks out so TaTa could have six.”

“That was nice of you, ’cause I wouldn’t have done it. If her lazy ass would’ve gotten with me earlier, she could have gotten more than those six.”

“You know how your sister is.” Kennedy opened the door. “I’m gone, I’ll call you later.” She made her way down the three flights of stairs and out the door. Once out on the stoop, she rummaged through her bag for her car keys. Then she heard a unique but familiar sound—the soft pitter-pats of multiple police officers running in unison. Kennedy looked to her left but didn’t see anything. She turned to her right and saw twelve narcotics tactical squad officers coming toward her with their weapons out.