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Emory's eyes were laser-focused on her sister. Everly looked uncomfortable but she didn't change her story.
"He didn't like the way I left because he has enemies. Thought I might be an opp or something stupid."
Emory sucked her teeth. "That dude don't believe that. Why don't y'all just admit y'all done caught feelings?—”
Everly waved a hand in protest.
"Cuz that's not it at all, Inspector Gadget. Now, y'all gon' help us unpack? I need to go into town," she said. "We need to make a grocery order. And I gotta go by the pharmacy."
"The pharmacy?" Emory repeated, eyebrow raised.
"Mind the business that pays you, Emory Leigh."
Emory's eyes moved to me. She opened her mouth, and I shook my head.
"Absolutely not," I said, springing up. "I'll order the groceries."
She was not about to quiz me about Targen. Not when I hadn't figured out the answers myself.
"Look,I'ma have to stay longer than expected. She got Prime and his team covering for her, and we still can't find much about the real her. He ain't just created this level of background for her because she wanted to move around," I explained to Cairo as I stood on the porch of the Stone House, away from the craziness inside.
The line was quiet for a minute. I glanced over to where Juvie and Markel lounged in the yard while I waited for my brother to speak.
"So... you taking time off in case yo' little country mistress is an opp? Like fools from way out here recruiting in Emancipation, Louisiana, population 7733 or some shit?"
The doubt in my brother's voice was clear. He didn't have to make the shit sound ridiculous, though. I decided to ignore his tone.
"I know you and Ghazi will be okay with our joint projects and I'll work from here with Melissa about my holdings."
"And Targen going along with this bullsh— I mean, this situation?"
I sighed, rubbing a hand over my waves. "I ain't talked to him, but I get the feeling he okay."
Cairo chuckled. "Yeah. Let me know when you run this by him. You a grown-ass man on top of yo' shit and Ghazi and I are cool looking after the joint holdings. If you want time to get yo’ girl, Real, just admit that."
"Whenyougon' admit it, bruh?" I shot back.
I wasn't even surprised when the call disconnected. Cairo thought he could have Keelah chained to his bed but challenge me about Love? That was a lie. I sat down on one of the porch swings and started to rock, deep in thought.
"Ev sat us down last night to give us gifts."
I almost jumped out of my skin, my hand immediately going to my back as I heard the melodic voice. My head swiveled to see the little mystical one they called "Pip" behind me. I hadn't even heard shorty come out of the house where they all were helping Love and Theory settle in.
"Girl, you can't walk up on a cat like me like that," I chided her ass, relaxing as she came to sit beside me.
Restarting the swing, she shrugged. "Well, I did. Looks like I'm gon' live to tell about it, too."
"Country ass shit got my reflexes off."
She laughed softly. "You better make sure they stay right around here."
I didn't pay that too much attention. What did little Emancipation have going on?
"What was you saying, though?"
Her pretty face twisted up in a frown for a minute, like she had to think. Bad ass memory.
"Oh! Ev gave us gifts last night," she began again.