"I'm losing all of my family, and it's the same as losing my mind." Margaret Stone

How the hell could this happen?

Her grandson was nearly kidnapped. Her oldest son was shot. Her daughter-in-law in-law missing.

It seemed as if the police were not taking any of this seriously. They questioned the family, but there were no breaking news stories about Rosaline or any large manhunt.

Why?

Because she is not a blonde-blue-eyed woman? Because she was an ex-stripper last seen at a strip club in East St. Louis? Did they think she just ran off with another man?

Over the years, she got to know Rosaline well, and to her, she was another daughter. Always clear about who she was. A lesbian only interested in one man, her son. Alixander was the only man she ever found attractive. If Rosaline was going to run away with anyone, it would not be a man.

But Rosaline would not do that. If she was going to leave, she was the type that would tell her husband she was doing so. Rosaline was not one to mince words. She spoke her mind and that's why she respected her.

Something weird was going on.

"Ya' gotta stop worrying yourself, bae. This is a grown woman out there doing her grown woman shit," Demetrius said while she chain-smoked cigarettes in their backyard. She could smoke a pack a day when she was going through things, and this was one of those times.

"You don't know Rosaline like I know her, she would not simply run off."

Her nerves were on edge. Why was her family constantly having bad luck? It felt like she lost Tamra not so long ago, and now this.

She knew why.

Her past coming back to hunt her. For all these years, hiding from her family. Putting a mask on and hiding behind men who used and abused her because having sex was better than talking about her feelings. She hated her mother and father more than anything. They made her the mess of who she was. What was she supposed to do with all the hurt?

Cover it up with more sex.

She stubbed her cigarette in the ashtray that lay near her feet and looked over at Demetrius. "I need dick."

She never had to tell Demetrius twice. Right there in their backyard, he undid his trousers and whipped his dick out, stroking it to get hard. In the middle of the goddamn ghetto where anyone walking through the alleyways or in their yard could see them, she let her man fuck her doggy style till she could not feel her legs anymore.

That took the edge off.

"I need to go see my son now."

She gave herself a hoe bath, washed the important things, sprayed on some Chanel Number Five her son gifted her, and headed to the Il side to see her son. Alixander was home now, resting. She knew he was worried like crazy.

"Hey ma," he greeted her when she went to his bedroom where he lay half covered in the bed, his naked torso showing, covered in bandages.

She walked over, took off her large sunglasses, and her leopard-skinned fur boat, and took off her leather gloves.

"Who's been taking care of you since you';ve been home?"

"Ma, now you know I don't need anyone taking care-"

"Well Rosaline is not here to take care of you and your girls are doing their own thing, You need a woman here."

"I need Rosie home."

She kissed the top of his son's head. "She will be back to you soon. But in the meantime, momma will stay here with you and take care of you. You can't move around much with a bullethole in you. Who's cooking for you?"

"You know I have employees that clean and cook for me, right? Always have."

"They ain't family."

"Well ma, what do you want me to do? You don't need to move in with me, you know we will be at each other's necks I got this. Rosie is going to be home soon. The motherfucking PoPos think she left me. I know Rosie, that's not what happened."

"You think that asshole Frederick did this?"

"I have people looking for him. He tried to take Prince, let him try that shit again."

"Speaking of...where' is my cutie patootie grandchild? Looks just like you at that age."

"Hey, granny." In walked Nasiree holding Prince in her arms. The little toddler was getting big on her. He was holding a sippy cup and taking it straight to the head. She loved babies and missed having them all around her.

"Give him to me. I just want to kiss those little cheeks." She took her grandson from Nasiree. "What are you doing here child? Don't you have work at the club?"

"I'm taking care of Unc."

"No, she is not," Alixander was quick to say. "She's helping with Prince, that's all."

"Anyway," Nasiree said with an eye roll and sat on the other side of the bed with Alixander. "ToTo may have something. About all this."

She studied her granddaughter to see if she would say more. When she said nothing she grunted at her. Something was going on, someone out there trying to take away her family, and she needed to know.

"Spill the beans, child!"

"Damn granny, I was going to. I'm just trying to help here, this is about my family too. My mother was murdered...remember that."

"Yes, my oldest daughter, I kind of remember that," she said with an eye roll at Nasiree while she bounced Prince on her hip. "Again, spill it!"

"Well hell...I might need to ask you if there is something you're hiding." Nasiree pulled out her phone from her pocket, tapped on it a bit, and then held it out to her. "Woo is James Stone, III. ANy kin to us? To you?"

Well shit! She did not want to discuss that part of her life with them. Not now. Not ever. But here her granddaughter was holding a family photo of her brother, the newly elected Illinois State Senator. Stone was a pretty common name right, she could play that shit off.

"What does this have to do with what's going on?"

"Ma, who is this?" Alixander took the phone from Nasiree. "You know this guy."

She nodded. "It's my brother's son, so my nephew." Her eyes could not meet her son's so she might as well tell it all. "He's taking over the seat my brother had for years, and before that, my father. My family....or that family that disowned me, has a very long-standing political influence. The perfect little fairy tale family if you will. So imagine their horror when I had a baby at fifteen. They gave my baby away and wanted to get rid of me."

"What do you mean, give your baby away? Here I am," ALixander stated.

"Hun, I had you at sixteen. At fifteen I had my first son."

"WHoa!" Nasiree stated.

"What?" ALixander screamed out and tried sliding out of bed but he winced in pain. Nasiree ran over to his side to help him back into bed.

"Unc!"

"Ma! How could you! I have another brother out there? Where is he? He's family."

"He's not family and neither are they. They are racist monsters and I saved myself and my children from them. When they found out I was pregnant by a Black man with you, they kicked me out and I have never seen them again until recently." She stroked Price's curls before going on. "My father is dying from cancer, good riddance. They are not my family anymore."

"Why would you never tell us this? Tell me this?"

"Granny, they are rich, You're rich," Nairee continued to read from her phone. "Looks like your father inherited millions from his father, thus you, James Juniro, your other brother Christopher, and any descendant should have a part of that inheritance."

"They are not your family!" she shouted at her granddaughter. "Here, take Prince to his room." She handed the child back to Nasiree. "And let me finish talking about this with Alix. I need him to understand."

"All right, but Unc, tell me everything later, and don't leave one bit out."

She waited till Nasiree and Prince were out of the room. Nasiree did not bother to close the door, but it was okay. She moved closer to her son.

"I did what was best for my children. You don't need them or their money. Trust me."

Alixander rubbed a hand over his beard. "I wonder what ToTo thinks is the connection then. If he found something, I'm going to find out."

"They would never try and hurt any one of you...I mean, I don't think."

"Exactly. You don't think."

There was no reason that her father, her brothers, or any of their offspring would want to go after her family. Could it be?

A/N: And we're back for the second half of this saga. What I have realized is this is too much drama and not what I started these books about. "Sex" and the "Empire." The empire as pertaining to the family business. And the sex because well, it's juicy. I need more of those two things...murder and mayhem will take a backseat...for now.