The men hanging from the trees had been amongst those who had helped Red Sonja escape the island with Celeste. Lilith had managed to sway most of Poppito's cartel over to her side, but there were still a few who held onto old and misplaced loyalties.

One of the hanging soldiers spat at Lilith's feet. "Poppito has not spoken for himself since you arrived. We are loyal to him and his family, but we will not serve you, bruja c.u.n.t!"

Lilith stopped her pacing and looked at the man who had just disrespected her. "Brave," her hand shot out and the tips of her fingers dug into his throat, biting into his flesh, "but foolish," she twisted her hand and tore his throat out. Lilith flicked his blood from her hand as if it was nothing, and resumed her pacing between the corpses. "The problem with the men on this island, is that you're afraid of change." She stopped in front of another of the hanging soldiers, and looked him directly in the eyes. "I'm going out of my way to make sure everybody gets old, fat and rich, but you're so stuck in the old ways that you're inadvertently standing in the way of change," she drove her fingers into his chest, and stopped his heart. She moved onto the final hanging man, hand raised, fingers hooked like claws. "Change is coming; it's easier to embrace it than to fight it."

"I was only following orders," the last man pleaded.

"As you should, but it's too bad your orders came from the wrong mouth," Lilith told him before tearing his throat out. She used the shirt of the soldier standing closest to her to wipe her hands free of the blood. He dared not move a muscle until she was done. "Dump the bodies in the town square, but first remove their heads. Those you will collect and deliver to me when the sun sets. Be sure to use the back door," she ordered.

Without hesitation they moved to do as they were told.

"Son, attend me," Lilith said to Peter before heading back towards the house.

"You heard my mother. Clean this up," Peter barked at the soldiers before moving to catch up with his mother.

When Peter and Lilith were out of ear shot, one of the younger soldiers asked one of the more seasoned soldiers, "Why does she want their heads?"

The seasoned soldier gave the younger one a look. "Pray that you never find out," he whispered, making the sign of the cross over himself.

"Mother, with as lethal as you are, I sometimes wonder if you keep the guards around to actually protect you or just to give them something to do," Peter said when he caught up to Lilith. He had seen his mother kill many men, using many different methods, but every time was like the first time all over again.

"When you grow up as I did, you learn a few things along the way. I'm nothing more than an old woman who knows a few tricks, but it is you who I look to for protection, son," Lilith told him. She had trained all of her children in the art of combat, as she had been taught, but her most secret techniques she trusted only to Ophelia. Girls were far easier to train than boys.

"I live to serve you mother, unlike my less than useful siblings," Peter said, taking a dig at his brother and sister. Though he was already the favorite, it didn't stop him from always trying to compete with Peter and Ophelia for their mother's affections. "Speaking of my siblings, where is Ophelia? I'm surprised she isn't at her normal place by your side. Are George's lazy ways rubbing off on her and making her neglect her duties?"

"Not at all, your sister is still as steadfast as she's always been. I had another pressing piece of business for her to handle. By now she should be at the airstrip preparing to board her flight."

"Well, if it was important then I should've been the one to handle it for you, mama," Peter said, half pouting.

"Never fear, my son, I wouldn't deny you your glory. Your siblings will till the earth, but it will be my avenging angel who will reap the harvest."

TEN.

ANIMAL HATED FLYING. WITH A car, if something went wrong at least you had a chance to survive, but not with an airplane. You were miles in the air with nothing to break your fall but solid ground twenty thousand feet below. For as much as he detested flying, it was the quickest way to get from one side of the country to the other and time was of the essence.

He and Gucci's parting hadn't been a pleasant one. Animal tried to get her to understand his position, but Gucci wasn't trying to hear it. He couldn't say that he faulted her. It had to be a hard pill to swallow to have your husband's former lover come in and turn your life upside down. Animal hoped that one day she would come to understand, but even if she didn't, and he had it to do all over again, his choice would've still been the same. Gucci saw it as him running away with another woman, but he was really just trying to give Celeste the same chance that T.J. had and that all of their parents were denied.

While Sonja made their travel arrangements, Animal spent some time with T.J. and Celeste. T.J. resembled Animal and had many of his traits, but he had his mother's outgoing personality; Celeste was probably the most like Animal when it came to personality. She was very quiet and observant. It took her a while to warm up and do more than stare at him quizzically. When he finally did get her to engage him in conversation, he was pleasantly surprised at how sharp she was. Celeste spoke in nearly complete sentences, and knew a bit of this and that about everything under the sun, including Animal. She knew that he was from New York and had an older brother named Justice, who he didn't talk to anymore. For as much trash as Red Sonja talked about not needing Animal and not caring if Celeste ever knew him, she had taken the time to educate her daughter about the man who had helped create her.

What really came as a shock was her reaction to Animal's selection of music. Celeste had gotten hold of his Ipod and hit the b.u.t.ton. Ironically the device was set on one of Animal's favorite songs, Wild Child by The Doors. When Celeste heard the first rifts of the guitar she went into a trance-like state. On her face was a look of deep concentration, as if she was trying to decipher the hidden message in Morrison's words. When Animal tried to take the Ipod from her, she started crying, so he let her be. For the rest of the time he was in the house, she sat in the corner listening to The Doors. She was definitely her father's child.

When it was time for them to leave for the airport, it tore Animal to pieces. He could've sat with Celeste and T.J. forever and been a happy man, but duty called. Animal, Red Sonja and Ashanti would go to New York, while Kahllah stayed behind with Gucci and the children. There was no way Animal would have the audacity to ask Gucci to watch Celeste while he was gone, so Kahllah offered so that he wouldn't have to. Animal felt better with Kahllah being there because he knew Gucci and his children would be safe.

Besides watching over Gucci, Kahllah had unfinished business in California. Someone within the Brotherhood had betrayed her, and she intended to find out who and why. Her starting point would be her contact person in California. Animal offered to delay his trip for a few days in order to help Kahllah solve the mystery, but she declined, stating that it was Brotherhood business and she could handle it. He knew that she could handle herself better than most men, but they'd gotten to her once, what if they got to her again and he wasn't there to intervene. Animal had no choice, but to take her word because Kahllah wasn't big on negotiating. All he could do from that point on was focus on the business at hand.

Animal wriggled in his seat, trying his best to get comfortable. He kept bending and stretching his knees, listening to the sound of his joints popping. Though he was sitting in first cla.s.s, and had more than enough legroom he still felt cramped.

"You straight?" Red Sonja asked. "I know how much you hate to fly," she reminded him of their intimate connection.

"I'll be fine as soon as we're back on the ground."

"Well, maybe this will help you get through the flight," Sonja placed something in the palm of his hand.

Animal looked down at the little orange pill. "What's this?"

"Don't worry, if I wanted to kill you, poison wouldn't be my method of choice. It's just something that'll help you to relax." Sonja told him, showing him the pill bottle to prove that it was little more than a mild sedative. She knew Animal had a history of drug abuse when he was younger before she came into the picture. When he was still running with Tech he loved to sip lean and popped pills like they were candy. When he met Gucci, he had cleaned up his act and wouldn't touch anything harder than weed or alcohol. When the flight attendant came by, she grabbed two nips of scotch and handed one to Animal. "Wash it down with that and in a few minutes you'll be in a pretty place."

Animal popped the pill in his mouth and drank the scotch in one shot. It burned a bit going down, but the warm sensation mellowed him. "So, are you sure these guys will be in New York this week?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. They come once per month like clockwork to indulge in illicit vices and do mommy's dirty work, while she stays at the compound, mind f.u.c.king my daddy," Sonja said in disgust.

While they were waiting to board the plane, Sonja ran her plan down to Animal and Ashanti. As she'd said at the house, marching into Poppito's territory and putting a bullet in him wasn't going to work, so she had a plan to get them invited in. The invitation would come in the form of Lilith's youngest son, George. Unlike his brother Peter, who was dedicated to the hustle, George was dedicated to the lifestyle that came with it. He liked loud clubs, fast women and hard drugs. At any given time you could find George in a hot spot of some city, but his favorite place to party was New York. At least once per month he flew in and spent a few days partying. Sonja had it on good authority that George was currently in New York, and planned to use him in her scheme. They were going to kidnap Lilith's youngest son and use him as a bargaining chip for Sonja and Celeste's freedom. The condition would be that Sonja would only surrender George to Poppito directly. There was no doubt in her mind that he would agree. Lilith would see to it. She loved her children more than anything, so even if she had to push Poppito there in a wheelchair, he would be in attendance to barter for the life of her son. At that meeting, Sonja would spring her trap and have Animal and Ashanti kill everyone there. The plan was a long shot, but it was all they had at the moment.

"I hope this plan of yours works," Animal said.

"It'll work; I just hope you and Ashanti are up to the task," Sonja shot back.

"Don't worry, Sonja. Your daddy and anybody who has the misfortune of being with him is going to sleep forever," Animal promised. "The sooner we handle this and make sure Celeste is safe, the sooner I can get back to my life."

Sonja laughed. "Is that what you call that, a life? Animal, how long do you think you can keep this charade up? Look, I think it's n.o.ble of you trying to be a model citizen and productive member of society, but we both know that's just a mask. Animal, you're a born fighter. Your whole life has been spent championing one cause or another. How long do you think you'll be able to sit around the house, making peanut b.u.t.ter sandwiches for your kid and watching reality T.V. with your wife before you shrivel and die like a forgotten house plant?"

"Whatever, Sonja. You always think you know everything." Animal turned to the window.

"I don't claim to know everything, but I do know that once a man starts down the dark road, they can deviate, but they can never truly get off."

Animal was trying his best to ignore Sonja, but she'd struck a nerve. Animal loved his family and being able to be there for them without having them in harm's way, but was it truly who he was? Every day when he woke up, he was thankful for the blessings in his life, but he always felt like there was something missing. There was emptiness in him that only seemed to be filled when he had blood on his hands. As the pills kicked in and the drowsiness crept over him he thought about Sonja's reference to the Dark Road and what put him on it.

Many years ago there had been a girl Animal was sweet on at the time named Noki, the daughter of the j.a.panese couple that owned the local market. Noki was Animal's first love, and his lone escape from his tortured life. Her parents frowned upon her and Animal's relationship, but it didn't stop them from sneaking off and spending time together whenever they could. One day in particular stuck out in his mind . . . it was the day everything changed.

Noki had ditched school that morning so she and Animal could catch a movie. Animal was on the Avenue, talking to a homie named Brimstone, waiting for Noki to arrive so they could head downtown to the theater. It was a tense time in the hood, with the war between the Bloods and Harlem Crips rapidly heating up. A member of the Bloods had been branded a traitor, feeding the police vital information that had caused casualties on both sides. A Crip named Gutter had decreed that he would rain death on every Blood he caught out of bounds until the traitor was handed over. Of course the homies refused. Tre was a rat, to be sure, but he was still one of theirs, so they decided they would handle the problem internally, and disregarded Gutter's threat. Back then, Animal wasn't a full banger, he was just a wannabe with hopes of initiation. His naive mind couldn't process the threat and how real it was, but he would quickly learn the harsh reality that came with being affiliated with a gang.

That day Animal's mind wasn't on anything but meeting up with Noki. It was to be their first real date. Animal could still vividly remember how cute she looked when she arrived, dressed in her blue and white school uniform, with her silky black hair combed out neatly. She was the most beautiful thing Animal had ever seen, and then the ugliness came.

Animal had barely spotted the car before the shots rang out. To that day he wasn't sure what kind of gun they had used, but it seemed to have an endless amount of bullets. When the smoke cleared, Brimstone was dead and so was Noki. The Bloods had called Gutter's bluff, and he made them pay dearly for it. Watching Noki die violently in front of him broke Animal in a way that could never be repaired. It was her death that opened his heart to the evil that would soon fill every inch of it.

Over the course of the week after Noki's death, Animal stayed in his room. He refused to eat or talk to anyone. He simply slept and mourned Noki. A few different people came and went, but Gladiator was the only regular visitor. Gladiator was a notorious killer, and Kastro's brother. He was one of the most feared men on the streets, but seemed to have a soft spot for Animal. Each day, Gladiator would come to his room to try and get him to eat, or engage in conversation, but Animal wasn't receptive. From time to time, Gladiator would even sit and read him chapters from his favorite books, but Animal's expression never changed. He was in a dark place, and no one was sure what would bring him out of it.

One day, Gladiator came to Animal's room, intending to read him a few chapters from War & Peace. The room was dark, and when he went to flick the light on, nothing happened. He was just about to check the bulb in the ceiling, but Animal stopped him.

"Leave it," Animal's voice was a raspy whisper.

Gladiator turned to the sound of his voice. Animal was huddled in the dark near the window. He blended in almost perfectly with the darkness. The moon shone through the window, casting an eerie light on him. All Gladiator could make out was the silhouette of his wild hair and the faintest glint of gold in his mouth.

"What are you doing sitting in here with the lights off?" Gladiator asked.

"The darkness is soothing," Animal told him.

There was an edge to Animal's voice that made the hairs on the back of Gladiator's neck stand up. "Are you okay?"

"Tell me, if someone you loved was gunned down in front of you, would you be okay?"

"Animal, I feel your pain," Gladiator said compa.s.sionately.

Animal gave a sinister chuckle. "You couldn't possibly feel my pain, Gladiator. n.o.body can feel my pain, but they will soon enough."

"Animal, those dudes who shot your lady will get theirs eventually," Gladiator a.s.sured him.

"Eventually isn't good enough. They should be dead now," Animal insisted.

"Animal, give yourself time to heal, and, if you still feel that way, then-"

"I don't need time, Gladiator. I need blood," Animal cut him off.

He slid off the bed and into the light, so Gladiator could get a good look at his face. Animal looked like a ghost of his former self, and there was a maddened look in his eyes that Gladiator knew all too well. It was the look of a man who had nothing else to lose. "The Crips killed Noki, so I'm going to kill Crips." His tone was calm and lucid.

Gladiator shook his head. "Animal, right now you're speaking from a place of hurt and anger. You ain't no killer."

"Yes, and those are the only things that I have to hold onto right now-hurt and anger," Animal said emotionally. "They went and killed her, Gladiator . . . gunned her down right in front of me, and I'm supposed to let that go?"

Gladiator didn't have an answer.

"You're right. I ain't no killer, but you are. Now I can go at this half-a.s.sed and maybe get away with it, or you can teach me how to do it the right way."

Gladiator studied Animal. He searched his eyes for any signs of the innocent kid that Tango had dropped on their doorstep, but found none. "Animal, you're a kid asking me to teach him how to commit murder."

"No, I'm a young man asking you to teach him how to survive. Don't deny me this," Animal pleaded.

Reluctantly, Gladiator agreed. "Okay, Animal. I'll grant you your revenge, but there's one condition."

"Anything," Animal a.s.sured him.

"When it's done, I'm casting you out of h.e.l.l," Gladiator informed him.

Animal was stunned. "But why? You don't have to worry about me ever telling anyone you helped me."

"You don't get it, do you? I'm a soldier, but not a monster, and a monster is what you're asking me to become by knowingly putting blood on the hands of a child. If I'm not d.a.m.ned already, I surely will be after this. Every time I look at you, I'll either want to kill you or myself from the guilt of it, and that isn't good for either of us. Your exile from h.e.l.l is the price for my help."

This was an unexpected twist. h.e.l.l was the only place that had ever really felt like home to Animal, and the misfits who lived there had become his family. Kastro and Gladiator had become like his surrogate parents, and, had it not been for him, he wouldn't have made it as far as he had. The thought of leaving behind his home and family for a second time broke his heart, and he wanted to call the whole thing off, but his need for revenge overrode everything else. "I accept your terms. Let's do this s.h.i.t."

"Animal . . . Animal . . ."

Coming from the dream, back to reality, was like crawling out of a tar pit. He was groggy, and his head throbbed slightly. No doubt a side affect from whatever Sonja had given him. His vision cleared slowly and he found not Gladiator standing over him, but Ashanti.

"Wake up, Blood. We home."

Animal turned his head and peeked out the airplane window. They had landed safely at JFK airport. Just beyond the runway he could see the New York City skyline. He was indeed home.

ELEVEN.

"MY HOME . . . SHE CAME TO my home with this bulls.h.i.t," Gucci said in disbelief. She was sitting at the kitchen table talking to Kahllah, and sipping Hennessy straight. Normally she would've chased it, but not that night. She needed it to get straight to her head.

After everything that had happened that night, Gucci was too wound up to sleep, so she stayed up all night. T.J. sensed something was wrong and tried to comfort her, but Gucci was numb. Celeste just sat, watching Gucci, as if she could read her mind. Gucci wondered if she could somehow pick up on her hostility towards her. Gucci understood that she was a child, and innocent, but she was still resentful of the child. Every time she looked at Celeste, it was like looking at Animal, even more so than T.J. She didn't dislike Celeste, but she hated what the child represented. She was Animal's first-born child by another woman, and Sonja would always have that over her.

Kahllah picked up the slack, tending to the kids. She made them dinner and found a movie for them to watch until they fell asleep. Once the kids were taken care of, she dug up the bottle of Hennessy for her and Gucci. She could tell Gucci needed a compa.s.sionate ear, so she put her affairs on hold to help out for the night. They stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, sipping and talking. Initially, Gucci and Kahllah didn't get along. She thought Gucci was a spoiled b.i.t.c.h, who would likely get her brother killed, and Gucci thought Kahllah was a maniac. They b.u.t.ted heads more than a few times, but their mutual love of Animal forced them to get to know each other, and the two women ended up becoming friends. Kahllah had been a blessing in Gucci's life, and the glue that held everything together when Animal was in prison.

"I have to admit, you're a better woman than I am, Gucci, because I'd probably have done something to her," Kahllah admitted. "I don't know too much about the chick, but after the brief meeting earlier I can tell we won't be friends. Sonja is a character."

"That's putting it nicely, that b.i.t.c.h is a mess," Gucci said, before taking down the last bit of liquor in her gla.s.s. Without having to be asked, Kahllah refilled it from the bottle. "Did you see her march in here with them little a.s.s shorts on and that whorish red hair? She's a typical THOT. I don't know if I'm angrier at that b.i.t.c.h for showing up on my doorstep, or at Animal for running up in that foreign b.i.t.c.h raw. G.o.d knows what he could've brought home to me! To top it off, this b.i.t.c.h shows up with a kid? I've put up with a lot of s.h.i.t over the years dealing with Animal, but this right here is too much," Gucci said heatedly.

"Gucci, I can definitely understand why you're angry, but to Animal's credit, he didn't know. If Animal had any idea that he had a child floating around out there, you're the first person he would've told. Animal can be an efficient enough liar when he needs to be, but not to those he loves. However it happened, Celeste is here. How and why aren't the questions anymore, the question now becomes how does this affect your future with my brother?"

"What do you mean? When this is done, that b.i.t.c.h can take her kid and roll out the same way she rolled in. I'm not dealing with baby mama drama," Gucci said.

"Gucci, you and I both know it's not that simple. Now that Animal is aware of Celeste, he's going to want to play a role in her life."

"Oh, I'm not saying leave the little girl hanging out to dry. Of course I'm going to make sure that we send money for her," Gucci promised.

Kahllah gave her a disbelieving look. "You must not know your husband as well as you claim to. Animal went through some real bad s.h.i.t as a kid, because he didn't have anybody. That's why he's such a good father to T.J. He knows what it's like for a kid to not have a dad, so do you really think he's going to limit his interaction with Celeste to just sending checks? No, he's going to want to be active in her life."

Gucci hadn't thought about that. She had been so focused on her anger in the moment that she hadn't given a lot of thought to the future. There was no doubt in her mind that what Kahllah was saying was accurate; Animal was going to want to establish a relationship with Celeste, but that also meant he would have to deal with Red Sonja. She wasn't the first random chick to wander into Animal's life, and she probably wouldn't be the last, but she was the first to ever make him stray. Granted, it had happened during the two years Gucci and Animal were separated, but it still didn't make her feel any better knowing that Animal had shared intimate moments with Sonja. Gucci had fought long and hard for Animal's heart, and Sonja presented a legitimate contender for her position. Gucci didn't believe Animal would leave her for Sonja, but her presence represented a threat.

"This is a lot to digest," Gucci said honestly.

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown," Kahllah quoted. "Things are a little crazy right now, Gucci, but you and Animal will pull through. You always do."

She was right. Gucci and Animal had stood against more than their fair share of immeasurable odds, and they always came out on top. A Love Child was a bit of a different situation than a gangster wanting you dead, but still a major obstacle. Gucci had spent a good chunk of her life waiting for Animal to sort through his demons and she honestly wasn't sure how many more years she had to waste while Animal played Russian roulette with his life. She loved Animal, but she couldn't force him to love himself. Gucci would do her part, and hold her husband down like she always did, but if things got too out of hand then she would have to do what was best for her and T.J.