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It was a huge responsibility and one that he took seriously. So, that night when Black was getting ready to go after the people that shot Bobby, the weight of that responsibility came down on him.
“Where’s Barbara?” Black asked.
“I don’t know,” was one of the hardest answers RJ ever had to give. Black looked RJ in the eye and he felt like he had failed him.
“Find her,” was all Black said before he left with Rain and Nick that night. As he sat there waiting for word about his father, Black’s words haunted RJ.
It’s not just you and Easy that are going to take over all this. It’s Michelle, and Barbara and Belinda, and Bonita too.
I won’t let you down, Uncle Mike, RJ remembered promising and Black saying, I know. I have confidence in you, RJ.
It left him feeling like he was not worthy of the confidence that his Uncle, the Boss of The Family showed in him and he vowed then and there that it would never happen again. He would always live up to the commitment he made that day.
You can count on me. I’ll die before I let anything happen to any member of my family.
RJ knew that Barbara and her girls were out in the streets, doing who knows what, with who knows who and nobody had any idea where. How could he protect Barbara if he had no idea where she was? So, when things quieted down, he asked his Uncle Mike for some advice on how he could protect his sister.
Black laughed. “If she is anything like your Aunt Wanda when she was Barbara’s age, she’s borderline buck-wild and thinks the city is her own personal playground to do with as she pleases.”
“That’s pretty much Barbara.” RJ laughed. “How did you and Pop keep Aunt Wanda safe?”
“We didn’t really have to,” Black said and thought back to all the arguments they used to have about Wanda and her gun. “Wanda could take care of herself,” he laughed. “Besides, everybody knew me, and your Pops would kill somebody over her.” Especially after Vickie died.
“I ain’t got that kind of rep, Uncle Mike.”
“Hire her a bodyguard,” he said and told him about the bodyguard that he hired to protect Carmen. “Her bodyguard blends in to the background and stays out of sight, so Ms. Taylor has no idea she has one. That’s what you need to do with Barbara.” Black gave RJ the number to their security company and the name of a person to talk to. “Her name is Maggie Breaux. Tell her I sent you.”
After weeks of interviewing candidates, Maggie sent Tahanee Stevens to see him, and RJ knew that she was the one the second he saw her. Despite being a decorated army veteran, Tahanee had the kind of girlish face that made her look like a teenager and that made her perfect for the job. She could be around Barbara and blend into the background like Black said and she would never know that she had a bodyguard. The fact that she qualified as marksmen with her firearm was a plus too.
Once she was hired, Tahanee was enrolled at Forten and she began the process of getting close enough to Barbara to protect her without it being obvious. It had been an easy gig; she went to school every day and hung out the places that Barbara did. That all changed that day as she floored Ram’s Lexus, weaving in and out of traffic trying to catch up with the black Yukon.
Barbara was screaming and doing the best she could to try and fight off her kidnappers until one put a gun to her head. She froze, and her eyes were opened wide.
“That’s better,” the one with the gun said. “You move or make another fuckin sound; I will use this. Understand?”
Barbara nodded her head quickly as tears began streaming down her cheeks.
“You a fine ass mutha fucka,” the one that was holding her said, and began feeling Barbara. “Nice juicy-ass titties,” he said and squeezed them before forcing Barbara’s thighs open. “And this fat cat.”
“The lady said not to hurt her,” the driver said.
“This don’t hurt, do it, Sexy?” he asked and continued feeling Barbar
a’s body. “Me and you definitely gonna have some fun.”
Barbara sat paralyzed as her kidnapper felt all over her body. She felt gripped by her fear, but more by her anger. He doesn’t know whose daughter he’s fucking with. You’re all gonna die for this, Barbara thought as his hands traveled all over her body.
When the kidnappers arrived at the warehouse where they were told to take and hold her, they got out and took Barbara inside. With the gun pressed against her temple, there was no more struggle in her. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to overpower them, so she had to endure it and hoped that she’d survive whatever was about to happen to her.
Tahanee arrived at the warehouse just in time to see them take Barbara inside. She got the Mac 10 from her backpack and went in after them. When Tahanee got inside, the one with the gun to Barbara’s head was taking her in a room, while the other two were making themselves comfortable for what they assumed would be a long stay.
“Don’t worry, Sexy, I’ll be in in a minute and then we gonna strip you naked and see that fuckin’ fine-ass body,” one shouted.
“Yeah, I’m sure she’s looking forward to that,” the one holding her said as they got to the door.
Tahanee raised her nine, took aim and fired. Her shot hit him in the back between the shoulder blades. When he went down, she opened up on the other two and they returned fire. When Tahanee emptied the clip on her nine, she broke out the Mac 10 and opened fire. Now faced with superior fire power, the kidnappers ran for better cover.
Tahanee rushed up to Barbara and kicked the gun away from the kidnapper.