Misunderstood (Toussaint Mafia #4)

Prologue

A week before the attack on the Toussaint Family in Marcy Falls

N amari’s hand trembled as she clenched it into a fist and pounded it against the large black door of the warehouse. Driving to Black Bottoms borough in the middle of the night wasn’t her first choice, but anger, rejection, and pain had pushed her to do the unthinkable.

Reflecting on the horrid week she’d had only fueled her desire to unleash hell on everyone who had ever crossed her. She had already delivered swift justice to Jaquis, tipping off the Chicago police about his involvement in countless illegal activities. But now, there was someone else. Someone basking in their happiness while she reluctantly came to terms with the reality of being a single parent. Namari wasn’t ready to let that slide.

“Fake ass bitch,” she muttered remembering Boston’s photo online of Peace palming her small belly. “If I can’t have my perfect family, that hoe can’t live in peace. Fuck that and hurry the fuck up!” Namari based pounding her fist onto the door.

“Relax on all that banging shorty, we saw your lil fine ass,” a tall handsome man remarked pulling the large black door open for her.

Namari took a steadying breath, pulling her cardigan tighter around herself. It was now or never—she hadn’t come this far to turn back.

“Um,” she began, her eyes darting around, the unsettling feeling of being watched creeping over her before she focused on the man at the door. “Is Rocco here?”

The tall, handsome man glanced down at her briefly before giving a nod. He stepped aside, and she carefully entered the warehouse, which had been transformed into a bootleg casino. Men and women crowded around makeshift craps tables, while several round tables scattered throughout the room hosted card games. Namari waved the thick cloud of weed smoke away from her face as she navigated the chaotic scene, her eyes scanning for the man she’d come to find.

“He’s in the back room, shorty!” the guard shouted, and Namari flashed him a quick smile before making her way toward the back.

She found him there, seated at a table littered with bundles of weed. His eyes were bloodshot and half-lidded as he looked her over. Slowly, he licked his lips before reclining in his black chair, studying her with a lazy, yet piercing gaze.

“Thought you was too good to fuck with Chery niggas. What you doing on this side of town, Namari?” Rocco asked.

Namari briefly eyed the two other goons that were in the room counting the bundles and she cleared her throat. Her nerves were going into haywire as she debated on if she was making the right move. She pulled her cellphone from her pocket and tossed it onto Rocco’s lap before swallowing hard.

“Look at the screen,” she said nervously.

Rocco’s thick brows tugged together before he picked up the small rose-pink device. He looked at the screen and his disposition turned rigid.

Boston: Thank you again for being there for me. I will be back soon.

Namari: I’m so scared for you. What if they find out? His family is looking for his killer. Boston, I don’t want anything to happen to you.

Boston: I’ll be good Namari. Don’t worry about that. I did what I had to do.

Rocco read over the messages aloud with malice in his tone. His anger vibrated off his frame as he glared up at Namari.

“What the fuck is this?”

Namari shuffled her feet as she felt her stomach twist at the anger in his tone.

“It’s a text message thread between me and Boston. A few days after she left town for killing—” Namari swallowed hard. “Your brother.”

Despite the loud music and ruckus inside of the warehouse it seemed as if time stood still at her words. Rocco held her phone tighter as the large guard inside of the room aimed his street sweeper her way.

“You need to start talking right fucking now, bitch,” Rocco said through gritted teeth.

Namari nervously peered at the guard before looking to Rocco. While she wasn’t as wealthy as Rocco or Boston. The one thing she knew how to do was hustle. Her mom was once one of the top earners at the Office. She taught Namari the game at a young age. Which was why Namari was still shocked that Jaquis wasn’t taking her bait however as she looked down into Rocco’s angry eyes, she saw a new mark. One that would be so easy to make her kid step daddy that it would be seamless for her.

Namari thought back to one of the worst times in her life and was instantly sad. Her eyes watered over, and her tears trickled down her face as her chest started to heave up and down. If Boston was married to a mafia Boss, why couldn’t she get a ring? She once truly loved Boston as a friend, but inwardly Namari hated how Boston was the one that always had the better life, the finer niggas, and the better options. Everything Boston wanted she got, and Namari wasn’t going to watch that little hoe get away with her fairytale this time around. No, she was gonna have to finally be accountable for her actions.

Even if that meant Boston died because of it.

“Boston was having a sexual relationship with Cage and for some reason she cut him off. Afterwards things got shaky, and they ended up not liking each other. I guess Cage started talking about a secret sex tape he made of her, and it got back to her father who locked her in the room for it and banned her from seeing Peace. Boston hates for people to get over on her. She was not only ashamed but angry with Cage and with him threatening to release the tape she felt like she had to stop him. So, she snuck off to your hood in the middle of the night and killed him along with the girl he was having sex with. She then came by my place, and I gave her money before she left town. I didn’t say anything at first because she lied to me about why she was mad. She told me that Cage jumped on her, and she shot him by accident. However, once I saw the news I knew then that she was lying. I held this in for as long as I could but with Ossa being shot, I feel bad. The Toussaint’s aren’t all bad. Boston is the problem. She killed Cage and those text messages prove it.”

Rocco's leg started to bounce as he glared up at Namari.

“And you had to tell us because you felt bad for my brother, huh?”

Namari nodded innocently, more tears spilling down her face.

“Today is the anniversary of my brother’s death. You remember Nate, don’t you?”

Rocco’s glare softened as he looked at her.

“Yeah,” he grumbled, the anger in his voice fading, and Namari knew she had him.

“I know you and your people are going through it, and the last thing I want to do is keep sitting on this without helping,” Namari said, cautiously moving toward him. She dropped to her knees and gently touched his hand, her tears flowing freely. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything when I found out, but I’m trying to make it right. Please, let me do that,” she whispered softly.

Namari let her tears fall as Rocco stared at her intently. After what felt like hours to her, he finally nodded.

“If I found out that you had anything to do with my brother's death or that you are lying about how you found out, I’ma kill you. Please know that because not even that pretty face and big ass gone be enough to save you, ma.”

Rocco spoke coldly before flinging her hand away and Namari stood. She gave him a weak nod and he cleared his throat.

“Now I need for you to repeat everything you said to my pops.”

“So glad that you could meet up with me baby. I can’t believe all of this is going on,” Reubens wife said with a shake of her head.

Masami looked at her Godmother with sad eyes. Ossa was still in the hospital recovering and it was honestly touch and go when it came to his health. Imani wasn’t fucking with any of them, and Masami felt incredibly sad at the state of her family.

“It’s fine. With so much going on right now, I needed to see your beautiful face,” Masami replied and smiled at her Godmother.

Reuben’s wife was a short, petite woman with a wholesomeness to her that pulled you in. She knitted on Sundays and cooked soul food meals like it was a holiday every day. She was kind and one of the sweetest women Masami knew.

“This was your mother's favorite restaurant,” her Godmother said quietly and peered around the Caribbean restaurant that was on the Northside.

Masami smiled not knowing that small fact.

“Wow, I never knew that. Heck, I didn’t even know it was open that long.”

Her Godmother shifted in her seat while looking her way.

“That’s crazy because your father bought this for her as a wedding gift. I thought you all knew that.”

Masami swallowed down the lump in her throat.

“I didn’t. He doesn’t share a lot of the truth with us. He’s different now that she’s dead.”

Her Godmother nodded as her leg began to shake under the table.

“Well, how have you been besides the shooting baby?” she asked with her left eye giving off a nervous twitch.

Masami shrugged.

“All over the place. It’s like my life is falling apart and I can’t do anything to stop it. My father was trying to get me to marry someone that I don’t want to and now he’s upset that I called it off. My siblings were mad that I hid his secrets, and I’m stuck in the middle of it all. Trying to please everyone,” she confessed in one breath.

Her Godmother reached over the table and grabbed her hand.

“Masami,” she said softly like they were surrounded by a room of people when they weren’t. “I’m going to give you an address. I want you to go there as soon as you leave here. Don’t share it with anyone. Okay?”

Masami wasn’t sure why, but her heart raced as she nodded.

“Okay,” she replied nervously.

Her Godmother squeezed her hand before letting it go.

“If anything was to happen to me or my husband our lawyer would be reaching out to you. He has things for you and your siblings Masami. Also, we have a policy that is entrusted to you as well baby. I promised Jazmine that I would make sure you all are okay, and I failed her. We all did so I have to make this right. I can no longer keep you all in the blind to protect him,” her Godmother said with her own eyes watering.

Masami’s stomach twisted as she looked at her.

“What did he make you promise to keep a secret?” she asked really wanting to know.

Her Godmother looked at her and shook her head while sighing.

“The biggest lie of them all baby. That’s what he made us promise to hide for him.”

“We’ve gotta go,” Reuben said walking up with pinched brows.

Masami and his wife looked up at him as he dropped money onto the table.

“Is everything okay? You’re scaring me baby,” his wife said and Reuben shook his head.

“It’s not okay, let’s go,” he said hurriedly.

Masami and his wife rushed to grab their things as her father walked into the restaurant with a deep scowl on his handsome face.

“You fucking traitor!” he yelled pulling out his gun.

Masami’s eyes widened as she watched Reuben pull his weapon from the back of his pants while the people in the building ran for cover.

“Carlos, don’t you do it! She didn’t tell her anything!” Reuben said aiming his gun at her father.

Masami looked at her dad as her eyes watered.

“I really can’t believe that you are like this daddy. You don’t have a right to play God with us. We have a right to know about our past and they told me nothing. I swear they didn’t!” she cried walking over to Reubens wife and shielding her from the chaos.

Masami’s father looked at her and his eyes relaxed as he kept his gun aimed at Reuben.

“Masami get over here baby and let's go. I need to check on Ossa and get this family in order. I have Jaquis on standby and he said that he could marry you as soon as tomorrow. We need as many alliances as we can get,” her father explained as Revvy stepped into the restaurant with several men behind him.

“You’re not doing shit but dying today. I have proof that the little slut you call daughter killed my son and I won’t rest until you all are dead. Shoot them all,” Revvy said callously, and Masami felt her world fall from beneath her feet as she pushed Reuben’s wife out of the way and onto the ground as bullets started to fly around them.

“My goodness!” Rueben’s wife screeched as she started to crawl out of the open space dining hall.

Masami frantically searched for an exit door as she crawled on the ground as well. She moved fast as her shaky hands were cut up by the glass that was broken.

“This way,” her Godmother yelled, and Masami followed after her hating how she’d been so down that she forgot her trusty gun in the car.

“Okay I’m gonna find a phone to call the cops,” her Godmother said shakily as Masami headed for the exit door in the kitchen.

Fuck a phone she needed her gun. Slowly she pushed the door open that she was certain led to the alley way, and her heart stopped. It felt as if it really stopped beating because she couldn’t move. Stillness washed over the madness that was encasing her as her eyes widened. Masami’s hand shook on the doorknob as she felt her knees grow weak. Then before they could buckle the person before her was touching her arm.

“I know, I know . Just come now and I will explain everything,” her mother Jazmine said softly and grabbed her hand effectively pulling her out of the restaurants back door.

Masami, still in shock, allowed her mother to pull her toward a black Cadillac truck with heavily tinted windows. Her Godmother was limping hurriedly out of the back of the restaurant, as black unmarked SUVs surrounded the Cadillac. Panic surged through Masami as she dragged her Godmother to the ground, bracing for gunfire, when armed men in tactical vests emerged from the trucks.

“DEA! Everybody on the ground now! Get on the fucking ground, now!”

Masami's heart raced as her face was pressed against the pavement. Rough hands shoved her arms behind her back, and she was cuffed tightly while the agent detaining her spoke.

“Well, well, Davido Toussaint and Jazmine Toussaint. Looks like you two have risen from the dead on the worst possible day,” he gloated, yanking a cuffed Masami off the ground.

Still reeling, Masami stared at her uncle Davido as he, her mother, and her Godmother—who looked to be in pain—were all being cuffed. Her uncle, Davido, appeared much younger than her father as he glared at the agent.

“You know damn well you don’t have shit on us. This is pointless,” Davido growled.

The tall, bulky agent shot him a look.

“Pointless? Your family is now wrapped up in a RICO case. It’s a good day for me. Welcome back,” he smirked. “Take them all to jail—and get the short woman to the hospital. She’s bleeding all over the place,” he barked, before pulling Masami away.

Hours later, Masami sat in a cold, dimly lit room, her mind racing. Her mom was alive. All this time, she hadn’t been dead—she had been with Davido. Masami vividly remember watching her mom fall limp in her uncles arms inside of the kitchen the day everything went down. Her mom looked dead, and her father later confirmed that she was just that.

Stunned wasn’t the word for how she felt. More like anger and sadness were the emotions coursing through her. The time they’d missed out on was something they couldn’t get back. All the pain and tears, even the havoc her mom left in her wake, and now she was there again.

Why?

Masami was uncertain, and although she felt relieved to know that she was not responsible for her mother’s death, she couldn’t help but feel angry.

Very fucking angry.

“Masami Toussaint, are you okay? I apologize for keeping you waiting,” the agent who detained Masami said as he entered the room, holding a blanket and a cup of coffee. He handed her the warm blanket and placed the coffee on the table in front of her before taking a seat. “I’m Agent Tanner, and I’ve been monitoring your family for quite some time. I must say, you’ve grown into a stunning woman. It pains me to see that your life was predisposed to lead you here. I genuinely feel sorry for you. Would you like something to eat?”

Masami’s distressed eyes looked from the agent to the cup of black coffee that was being encompassed in a white paper cup. She regarded the steam from the hot liquid float from the cup before she peered back at the pompous DEA agent. He appeared proud of himself, as if she had already been handed the prison sentence, and this amused Masami. No Toussaint had ever been imprisoned before, and she was confident she wouldn’t be the first.

“Fuck the food, but I would like to speak to my lawyer instead.”

Agent Tanner went into his black bulletproof vest and took out several 4x6 photos. He put them on the steel table near the coffee as he cleared his throat.

“Your mother is alive. The woman that was presumed dead for so many years, yet she wasn’t. Instead, she’s been in California this entire time with your uncle Davido living a joyful life. Just like your father, your mother doesn’t have a heart either. And this is the family you want to protect,” he informed her.

Coolly, he slid several photos her way of her mom and Davido in California. There were photos of her mother and Davido as they did things like shop and barbecue at a large estate that was nearly as big as her childhood home. With every stare that she gave the glossy photos, she felt her anger with her mother increase.

As the DEA agent cleared his throat, the heat finally started working in the waiting room, catching Masami’s attention.

“Your father is facing many years in prison and the legacy that you all have has crumbled. The best thing for you to do is talk to me and save yourself. I don’t want to have to lock up you or your siblings, but I will if I have to. Masami, you have to understand the crimes you are facing. The car company you own has been implicated in this indictment for laundering drug money, along with the sale of stolen vehicles. Your sister Maia, as well as the others, are facing similar charges. While your father is facing murder, racketeering, drug trafficking and a list of other charges that will not be easy to beat. We all know it was your father along with the Founding Members who put you all up to doing these salacious things. Give them up and your charges, along with the ones your siblings are facing, will disappear. Think about that, Ms. Toussaint, because the life your father gave you don’t have to be the life you live. We construct the life we want and Ms. Toussaint, I neglected to tell you, but you are free to go. Have a goodnight and feel free to take the photos with you.”

Masami snatched the photos and slowly stood. Her feet were so cold they throbbed when she walked past the agent. She exited the interrogation room and swallowed down her tears as she left out of the building that she was being detained in. Her eyes traveled over to her grandfather, who was standing on the sidewalk near a fleet of black SUVs, and she clutched the photos tightly in her hand as she headed their way.