Johan Powell

"Jo!" Ainsley shouted running down the large front steps before he jumped into my arms. I dropped my bag on the ground and embraced my younger brother holding him tightly while Seven went to Ajani instead and she picked him up and hugged him as well.

"You've been a good yout? No making mama upset?" I asked as he wrapped his arms around my neck. Our maid opened the large doors while some of the cartel went passed us and grabbed our bags. I turned my attention to Aaron who was looking around my childhood home in awe as his mouth opened.

"You grew up here? This is a mansion and look how wide those stairs are" he said before looking up at the large chandelier above us. Kaine lowered Knox to the ground and he took a small step forward before he looked around.

When he saw my fadda appear coming out of his office his gasped and ran to him. I watched my father squat down making it easier to pick him up and kiss his cheek.

"Papá" Knox whined pulling at his beard as he walked over to us. He kissed my sisters cheek before he hugged me and Knox stayed attached to him making Kaine roll his eyes on the low.

"Where's mama? Is she cooking something?" I asked rubbing my stomach. My father looked at the time on his watch before he shook his head no.

"She's out on the beach reading, won't be back for another thirty minutes. You can go get her and show the bwoy around, he looks like he's gonna pass out" he laughed. We all looked at Aaron who was admiring the paintings on the wall and trying to take everything in.

"Your house is beautiful sir, I want a house like this someday" Aaron said to my fadda and I tapped him. He followed me and we left my sister and Kaine to talk to my fadda. I kept looking back at Aaron because I knew if I didn't he'd end up getting lost or turning down the wrong hallway.

"Ainsley get down your hurting my neck bwoy" I groaned as I squatted down some allowing him to jump down. He walked beside me as we got to the back of my house and I opened up the second set of double doors leading to the outside area.

We left out of the gate and I spotted a jeep waiting for us. Aaron seemed hesitant as he stopped walking and looked at me.

"I'm a take you to the wildlife reserve my mama got me when I was a teenager. You didn't think I'd keep my lion here did you?" I questioned and he sighed in relief.

I had a lion that I'd raised since he was a cub his name was Junior and he had white fur. I hadn't seen him in awhile and I wanted to know why he was so sick like my fadda said over the phone.

One of the people who worked for my fadda started the car up as Ainsley and Aaron got in the backseat. I climbed in on the passenger side and rolled the window down wanting to see my surroundings as we drove passed.

When we got to the wildlife reserve I spotted a group of men standing towards the entrance and quickly got out of the car. When they saw me approaching the stepped to the side and I could hear my lion roaring out in pain.

"Open the gate!" I snapped pulling off my shirt and one of the men looked at me like I was crazy. When Junior saw me he ran across the large field resembling a mini Forrest and jumped up onto the fence and began to whimper.

I stuck my hand through the fence and rubbed his face before I notice he was limping and one of his hind legs was injured.

Junior laid down and they let me go into the gate with a vet. I walked over and squatted down before I began to rub his stomach and he remained on his side and roared again loudly.

"I think the bwoy hurt his paw, look at it" I demanded before looking up at some of the guards who had guns out. The vet examined Juniors paw like I'd ask before he smiled and nodded his head finding the problem.

"He has a thorn in his paw, I'm gonna treat it but I need to get the right tools. How'd you get him to be so calm?" He asked me.

"You ever seen the wizard of Oz? Junior is a cowardly lion like a teddy bear, the bwoy has always been soft" I said continuing to rub his stomach.

Aaron and Ainsley watched me through the fence before I stood up and stepped out. They closed the gates back and I draped my arm around my younger brother.

"Jo can we show the bwoy around?" Ainsley asked and I nodded my head and motioned for Aaron to following me inside the building where we kept other animals.

"We should've brought Knox he would've loved to see the anaconda" I said as we went into this large room with different cages and Ron started to bitch out when he saw all the snakes.

"Do you want to be a vet Johan?" Aaron questioned as he slowly moved from the door and looked at a rattlesnake in the cage.

"I'm more interested in the food chain to be honest but maybe one day when I'm old like my fadda" I laughed and Ainsley looked up at me.

"Fadda will give you a black eye if he heard you" Ainsley teased holding up a fist and I smacked my teeth and swatted his hand away.

We walked down the aisle before we stopped in front of a large cage and I smirked and admired the large snake inside. Aaron's eyes widened as he watched it shed and covered his eyes like a batty bwoy.

"He's in a cage he can't get you, move your hand" I said pushing him and he slowly moved his hand and looked at the snake.

"It's okay bwoy I don't like him either" Ainsley said looking up at Aaron with empathy. I smacked my teeth and turned around before walking out of the room with them following.

"Let's go y'all are such pussies" I mumbled getting the attention of the man who drove us. He passed a clipboard to one of the workers before he got into the jeep and we did the same ready to head back to my parents home.

By the time we got back home my mama was just coming back from the beach. I hopped out of the car and snuck up behind her but before I could hug her she turned around and looked at me.

"I remember when you were shorter than me and now you're a giant" she laughed as I hugged her and lifted her up a little bit.

"Do you miss me, tell Ainsley I'm your favorite likkle bwoy" I teased as my younger brother got out of the car and my mama looked at his shoeless feet.

"What did I tell you and Seven about walking around barefoot? You're going to cut your foot again and then I have to sit in the emergency room with you for hours" she scolded.

Ainsley quickly opened the double doors leading to the kitchen and we walked inside. Seven and Knox were sitting on the counter shirtless  and a maid was helping them put on fake tattoos already and we hadn't been here for thirty minutes.

There was a tray of chocolate covered bananas sitting on the counter and I grabbed one and bit into it while I watched them for awhile. I could see Seven and Knox being closer than he and Ainsley even though Knox was two and he was five.

Ainsley was more concerned with being up under me and trying to act older instead of just being a likkle bwoy.

"Jo come here I wanna show you something" my mother smiled and I chewed the banana before reluctantly following her out of the kitchen and down a long hallway where family pictures hung of our childhood.

She finally stopped in front of this large painting of all of us. I admired it before my eyes scanned the painting looking for myself to see if it'd be an accurate representation.

The painting was nothing compared to the original version of myself but it was okay. I looked at my mother before I wrapped my arm around her shoulder.

"Is everything okay mama? You spent the holidays in California, did they treat you okay?" I questioned as we went for a walk around the house.

"I enjoyed myself it was nice but it made me realize I enjoy being here more. Have you met anyone in New York?" She questioned me and I chuckled.

"Nah there's just a lot going on and that's the least of my worries. Maybe relationships aren't for everybody" I explained and she seemed to frown.

"You won't know unless you try. I want to see you happy too and not being so reckless, maybe give me some more grandchildren in the future" she teased and I shook my head.

"Mama you're pushing it with the kids not ready for them and I don't think I ever will be" I said being truthful before we walked towards the all white living room that I was never allowed to play in when I was younger.

My sister was sitting with Kaine and my fadda and he was introducing him to a man I'd never seen before and when they looked up and saw us he invited us to come and sit.

I took a seat in the arm chair and when the man extended his hand for me to shake I just looked at it before glancing towards my sister.

"Who is this and what is he offering?" I questioned and Ajani seemed to have the same fake smile as our mother as she turned and looked at me.

"This is Alexander Ukaegbu he's Nigerian and he's interested in the drug trade. Fadda did some business with his fadda awhile back so be cordial in the very least" she said and I rolled my eyes before looking back at the man.

"He looks like a square, what exactly does he have to offer that we already don't have" I said and the man cleared his throat and leaned forward.

"You see your father was telling me about the problem you had networking around New York and he also told me your sister wanted to start a catering business" he said fixing his tie and Kaine and I both looked at Ajani who smiled.

"A catering business? Since when, you've never mentioned this before" Kaine said as he eyed her and my sister stood up from her spot before looking at all of us.

"That was before Khan got shot bwoy and Yoli actually indirectly gave me the idea when she was trying to get me to start a clothing line. A catering business would be the perfect way to move drugs throughout the city especially once the word spreads and our clients get the hint, okay now here me out. We have Khan sending shipments of drugs overseas and get them from the dock but people will think it's just food cargo with different spices that we might need from the island. We'd be able to deliver drugs and move around a lot easier and fadda said you could never have to many businesses" my sister said and I thought about it.

"Will there be actually food?" I questioned and she gave me a duh look. I was still hesitant on the idea but it made a lot of sense.

"Our clients will be the wives or mothers of some of this young drug dealers because most of them blend in already. Things won't be easy right away but if we can work out the kinks this could be big. Then by the time the gala is held the announcement would be made that we're open for business and this mon is going to help us" Ajani said motioning towards the outsider.

My sister had been planning this gala for months and it was frustrating because she wasn't saying much about it. I didn't know what to expect and I had no idea what she was stalling for unless she was trying to do something big.

I'd seen a lot of food trucks in the city and catering vans so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary at all. I still wondered how the gyal came up with this idea and I hoped she wasn't going to make me drive one of these food trucks but then again, I might want to.

"I'm in gyal you know I don't care" I remind and she smiled and looked at Kaine who agreed as well and pulled her down onto his lap.

I heard Knox's giggling and he came running into the sitting area with different fake tattoos covering his body and Seven followed suit.

"Daddy look" Seven laughed as he pointed to a tattoo that looked like the one of my fadda's forearm while Knox when over to Ajani and she picked him up and examined his arms.

"Bwoy show me later we're discussing something take Knox and go play" My fadda said in a calm tone. My mother got up and took Knox and Seven out of the room as the conversation started back up again.

I spotted a woman walking passed through the window and she wears wearing shorts and I couldn't help but to stare at her ass. I smirked to myself before leaning forward and I followed her with my eyes.

A pillow hit me in the face and I looked up at Ajani and noticed that everyone was waiting for me to say something.

"She asked did you have any concerns?" Kaine questioned growing a smirk and I clenched my jaw while realizing I wasn't listening.

"No concerns, I'm actually gonna go talk to some guards outside" I said as I stood up and quickly ran down the hallway wanting to catch up with that broad.

-

"You must've pissed your fadda off, he got you washing his car in this heat" Khans brother Kyle teased as he extended his hand offering a popsicle and I snatched it from him before using my teeth to open it.

"When do you want bwoy?" I questioned and he seemed to drop the nice act he had going on and grew serious.

"I want to come back to the states, Khan and I have been clashing out here. The bwoy is more worried about playing house with that gyal and I don't feel like being around that" he said as I grabbed a sponge and washed the windows.

"You'll have to work under Kemba and we all know the mon hates you. My sister will take his side over yours because unlike him you betrayed us by working with Roman all those years ago and we don't forgive or forget" I said thinking he'd walk away but he didn't.

"I'd be more useful over there than I am over here Jo just think about it" Kyle said walking away but I ignored him. He'd get annoying quickly and he was also thirsting after my sister so it could be hilarious to watch Kaine get mad.

I grabbed the hose and rinsed off the car before giving myself a spray to cool off. The gyal from earlier I'd spotted through the window walked passed and stared at me before she looked straight ahead and went on her way with a smirk like she wanted me to follow behind her but I'd already lost interest.

Aaron walked out of the house with some stuff in a bowl that looked like ice cream but it looked different and had white flakes on it.

"Bwoy what the hell is that?" I questioned making a face as he ate some. Aaron walked over to me before he looked down in the bowl.

"It's banana ice cream but it's not really ice cream it's just banana, cocoa powder and rice milk but it's soft serve like ice cream" he explained as he ate some more.

"And my sister got you eating that shit right? She made Knox such a weirdo that's probably why he don't like real ice cream like that" I frowned and Aaron shrugged.

"It's good just healthy and I really don't miss eating junk food. I think I wanna be a vegan like her" He said casually and I laughed.

They can do that but I wasn't giving up hamburgers, chicken and steaks for nobody. I broke a piece of the Popsicle off before placing into my mouth and used my free hand to turn the hose off.

I heard this really loud noise coming from the back of the house sounding like a mini explosion and it smelt like something was burning.

I tapped Aaron and motioned for him to follow me as I jogged over to the other side of the house leading to the beach and was caught off guard by my fadda holding a rocket launcher.

"Your family is crazy, at least Ajani is normal" Aaron said as he ate some more until he noticed my sister was in the upstairs window laughing at what was going on. "Never mind I take it back, but I still love her" Aaron said going back into the house.

"Fadda let me try and do it!" Ajani yelled from the window and I smacked my teeth as my father agreed.

"Let me do it before the gyal comes out, she's going to take forever" I complained watching as a few people but out the fire.

"She asked first" he reminded and I stared at him as I broke another piece of the popsicle off and placed it into my mouth.

"I'm already out here why does she always get to go first" I complained and he glanced at me briefly before he sighed.

"You do this shit every time bwoy, every time she asks me something you wanna do it and I always let you go before her. Stop being a brat" he complained and I ignored him and turned my attention to another jeep that pulled up on our beach.

Some white men exited out of the jeep and I pulled out my gun bringing it down to my side. My fadda ignored them and continued doing what he was doing as they walked over.

"We had no idea this property was back here. This is a really nice home" one of them said politely before he saw the gun in my hands and held his hands up as if he was surrendering.

"I don't want any trouble just admiring the house and the nice structure. I was actually wondering if you had any idea who owned the animal reserve a little up the road?" the other man inquired as he lifted his sunglasses from his eyes and placed them on top of his head.

"It's family owned, why is there a problem?" I questioned tucking the gun away and they shared a look with each other before one smirked.

"No problem at all just curious. Enjoy the rest of your day, we didn't mean to startle you or disrupt whatever it is you're doing" he said before he tapped his friend and they turned and walked away.

I could feel the tension as my fadda remained quiet and watched the car drive a distance before he looked through the scope on the rocket launcher.

"Bwoy you think I can hit them from here? The whole truck will go up in flames" he smiled evilly and I went to tell him to do it before my mother appeared behind him and cleared her throat.

"Jess don't you have cleaning to do and for the last time if you're going to kill someone do it off of the property the kids play back here. Lock that rocket launcher away while you're at it" she said sternly and he made a face.

"Gyal who the fuck are you talking to? I'm the man of the house I don't take orders Jah, stop trying to hoe me in front my son!" He snapped and she paused and slowly looked at him.

She did this smile that was all to familiar before she returned back inside and my fadda sighed and handed me the rocket launcher before giving me the keys to the safe.

I glanced at the house wondering why Ajani never came out but I assumed she got distracted by something. Probably Kaine who was always following her around like a lost puppy with his clingy ass.

Juelz came out of the guest house drinking rum along with Carter the only two out of the group of guards we brought to New York that didn't have a family to visit here on the island.

"Your fadda gave that to you? Let's go raise hell boss" Julez suggested and I smirked and agreed.

"Let's go before my fadda come back out or the gyal" I demanded tossing it to Carter and he nearly dropped it causing Juelz to jump back.

"As long as you take me to get some pun-pum afterwards agree?" Carter questioned and I agreed drop him off at a bar later on since it was getting late and the sky would start to set soon.

"Bwoy you always want some pum, drink some rum, smoke some ganja and chill out before you get scabies" Julez teased as we got into the car and Carter pointed the rocket launcher at him.

"Shut up wastemon and drink your rum!" He demanded and Julez looked to me for assistance but I smirked instead wondering if Carter would be wild enough to shoot him with it.

I half listened to the argument while focusing on the road ahead and taking in the nice scenery as it sunk in that I missed home more than I thought I did and would probably get homesick again once it was time to leave.

Moses McKinley

"You got lucky lil baby, you could've ended up looking like your ugly ass ma but you look like