Page 21 of Search My Soul (Taylor Family Saga #3)

“Not so fast, Soul. I’ve been hearing a lot in the streets myself lately.

While I understand your need for respect, you have to set boundaries.

You can’t go killing every person who pisses you off or disrespects you.

Not only does that bring heat to yourself, but it also brings heat to the organization.

While we may have the police in our back pocket, everybody isn’t on board with us.

If you continue to operate from a place of anger, then you will risk our entire organization and our family’s legacy.

You have got to play it smart out there.

People are lying in the shadows, waiting for our family to go under, and we can’t allow that.

“You came in today to express your concerns about Remi, and I heard you. Now I need you to make some corrections in your own position. Your team is only as strong as its weakest link, and ultimately, it all will fall on the two of you. It’s time for you to make some tough decisions and start thinking with a business mindset.

“We are no longer local hustlers. We are international. You’ve gotta be able to hold yourself on the street and in a boardroom.

The reason why I left this business to the two of you is because I believe that you both have a set of special skills that are necessary in the advancement of our organization.

I don’t give a damn if the two of you don’t agree with everything the other one does.

You will present yourself as a united front when it comes to this business.

Whatever this is that you have going on, dead that shit. ”

Pure and I nodded our heads while Poppa spoke.

We knew better than to argue with our grandparents, so I didn’t bother.

At the end of the day, his word was law, and I would respect it.

My brother and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but at the end of the day, he was blood, and nobody came before blood.

“Look. I wasn’t trying to undermine your position or disrespect you.

However, I do want you to be more mindful of your actions and how it can affect us.

As OG stated, everyone is on our side, and it’s essential for us not to give those haters a reason to come after us.

They reached out for a reason because they are trying to protect us, and we need to take the heat and be cautious about our actions.

Please don’t kill anyone unless it’s necessary.

I’m not asking you to run it by me because you’re gonna run your team the way you see fit, but please think of the organization as a whole,” Pure urged.

I nodded in understanding even though I thought he was being dramatic about it.

He was a contracted killer telling me to keep my body count to a minimum. That shit seemed ass backwards to me.

“I’ll work on it. The last thing I want is for anyone in our camp to get caught up with some bullshit. Especially something that’s my fault.”

“That’s all I ask.”

We continued to chop it up with OG until Nana Alice made her way into the living room.

“You’ve got it smellin’ good up in here, Nana.”

“Thank you, Soulie baby. I’ve been wondering when you were gonna come by and see us. You dropped your grandpa off from his appointment two weeks ago and didn’t even come in and give me a kiss,” she replied with a hint of disappointment showing in her eyes.

Getting up from my seat, I sauntered over to her.

My arm wrapped around her waist as I pressed my lips against her temple.

I lingered a little longer as I took in her cinnamon and vanilla scent.

She was dressed in her signature brown and green house dress with her silver hair piled up into a messy bun.

One thing I could say was that the women in my family weren’t bald-headed.

They may have had smart mouths, but they had edges too.

“I apologize, Nana. My schedule was a little hectic and I was in a hurry. However, that’s no excuse. I promise I’m gonna do better.”

“Yeah, yeah. Your grandfather and I are getting old. You and your siblings better enjoy your time with us while we’re here because you never know when it will be our time to go home.”

“Please don’t start this today. The last thing I want to think about is losing one of you,” I pleaded. I hated any conversation in relation to death.

“Oh, grow up, child. Dying is as much a part of life as living is. All I’m asking is for you to include me in your life while I still am able to be a part of it.

I know that y’all have your own lives but try to make some time for us in your busy schedules.

Your grandfather is sickly and I’m not too far behind him.

We want to enjoy our moments with y’all while we can, and while our minds are still ours to control. ”

“Understood.” As much as I hated the thought of losing them, she was telling the truth.

The reality was that every year that went by was another year closer to them leaving me.

I think that was one of the reasons why I kept my distance unless I was needed.

In my mind, it wouldn’t hurt as much if I kept my distance.

It wasn’t a valid excuse, but it was how I lived my life.

I tried my best not to get too attached to anyone because you never knew when they would leave.

“The food is ready. I already made a plate for you and your brother.” She nodded toward the kitchen.

The aroma alone was enough to have me ready to smash and take a nap.

I knew the basics when it came to cooking, but my lifestyle kept me on the go a lot, so I rarely had time.

The only way I got to eat a home-cooked meal was if I came over here or if my sister Patience cooked.

“Thank you, Nana. I love you.”

“I love you too. You remember what I said.” My phone rang, alerting me to a 911 text.

The contents of the message caused my stomach to drop.

What the fuck was going on? I didn’t want to alert my family right away until I got all the details, but I had a feeling that my promise to Pure was about to end before it even got started.