He walked into his home, eager to see the face of his oldest child, Morgan. She looked so much like Raven; he often found a sense of peace just from the mesmerizing beauty in her amber eyes. It was like Raven had left a piece of herself buried deep inside her little sister and she was growing up to look just like Raven. In the eyes of the law, and by the decree of the adoption papers, Ethic was Morgan’s father, but he was truly her big brother. He could never, and had never tried to, take the place of Benjamin Atkins; but he would take care of Morgan with unconditional love, as long as air filled his lungs. She had made it a challenge every step of the way, however, and today was one of those days.

“Where’s Morgan?” he asked Bella, who came racing down the stairs.

“She’s not in her room.” Bella shrugged.

“Where’s Lily?” Ethic asked, referring to his nanny. The elderly, black woman had been a godsend to him, helping to take care of his children and keep his home intact, for years after Raven had died. He had allowed Morgan to skip their monthly cemetery visit, because he knew visiting would upset her. He hadn’t expected her to be gone upon his return.

“She must have gone home for the night. She’s not here either,” Bella responded.

“Relax,” Dolce said. “Morgan’s 17. She’ll be a grown woman soon. You can’t keep the leash so tight. Lily doesn’t need to keep an eye on Morgan. You have to start trusting her to make some decisions for herself. She will only try harder to pull away from you, if you don’t. I’m sure she’s fine. You put Eazy down. I’ll start dinner.” Dolce took the bag from Ethic’s hand, but her words did little to soothe him.

He ascended the stairs to the castle he called home. The 7000 square feet of luxury were more for the children than for him. He had spared no expense in getting it built from the ground up. He had purchased it to give them a foundation and to remind him that all his ill deeds in the streets had been for something. He wanted Bella, Eazy, and Morgan to be protected behind these walls, but Morgan seemed adamant on playing outside the safety net he had provided. No matter how much he gave her or how far he moved them away from the hood, she always found her way back. It was like the streets called her. As he opened the door to her room, his jaw flexed in impatience as he smelled the remnants of marijuana in the air. He laid his son down on the soft duvet and then pulled his phone from his pocket.