The Law of Desire. Gwyneth Bolton

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      “It’s okay. I’m glad you made it and I hope you can stay. I know you’re busy.”

      “Never too busy for you—” David started.

      “Hey, sis, get in here and blow out the candles on this cake. I got your favorite, with pineapple filling.” Calvin interrupted David by pulling her away and leading her to the cake.

      She frowned and shook her head. Her brother could be so controlling at times. She cast an apologetic glance at David and he just shrugged nonchalantly and winked at her.

      She figured if David wasn’t irritated with her brother, then she shouldn’t be, either. When two men were friends as long as they’d been friends, they probably had disagreements and bounced back from them more than times she could count. And that sheet cake with the pineapple filling was calling her name.

      After everyone left, Calvin gave her a ride back to her apartment. And she was glad to have the one-on-one time with her brother. Seeing everyone meant a lot to her. She had let too many relationships fall to the wayside, and she needed to reconnect. It was a good thing it wasn’t too late to do so. And as soon as she finished her grad school applications she was going to start working on rebuilding her friendships and her relationship with her brother. Girl from the ’hood makes good.

      “Thanks, Calvin. That celebration was so special.”

      “You know I had to do something special for this, baby girl. You made it. Mama would be so proud.” He smiled and kept his eyes on the road, as 50 Cent’s “Many Men” started playing. Calvin reached over to turn it up while bouncing his head to the grim lyrics.

      “Do you really think Mama would be proud?”

      “Hell, yeah…She made me promise her before she passed that I would make sure you got your education and didn’t get caught up with no boys. She wanted to be sure you at least got your high school diploma. Trust me, she’d be proud. You’re all upwardly mobile now! You even dress all fancy.”

      “Well…since I’ve clearly exceeded her wishes now…” She flipped from his CD changer to the radio and changed 50 Cent to Maroon Five.

      Now that’s more like it! A nice happy tune about love on “Sunday Morning,” not maudlin lyrics about men wishing death on someone…What is it with gang bangers, rappers and death wishes anyway?

      “Do you think you can ease up and stop scaring away my boyfriends?”

      “First, Minerva, never touch a black man’s radio.” He turned the CD changer back and restarted the 50 Cent song from the beginning. “And second, boyfriends? You got some boyfriends I haven’t scared away yet? Who are they? What’re their names?”

      She punched him on the arm, not enough to hurt him but enough to sting, she hoped. “Come on, Calvin. It’s not funny. I’d like to get married and have kids one day. That won’t happen if you don’t stop blocking!”

      She couldn’t help feeling a little irritated. When she was in high school, two of the boys she had started dating ended up getting jumped and beaten severely. Calvin always said he hadn’t had anything to do with it. But after the second one, her conscience wouldn’t allow her to date a guy knowing he might get hurt because of her, not to mention that having a crazy gang-banging brother scared a lot of guys away.

      “What do you know about blocking?” Calvin teased as he eased the car onto her block.

      “Stop laughing. It’s not funny. I’m twenty-six years old. I think it’s time I started living my life.”

      “You need protecting. Look at what happened to Mama.” Calvin’s voice took on that serious, brother-knows-best tone. “This world is rough. You wouldn’t survive without me to protect you. I couldn’t protect Mama because I was just a kid. But I’ll protect you with my life, Minerva. And that’s real talk. Trust me, when the right guy comes around, I’ll know and I’ll let you know. For now, just focus on getting those degrees and making your big brother proud.”

      She let out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes. There was no talking to Calvin and certainly no way to get him to see how stifling he was being. In fact, he saw that as his main purpose in life since their mom had passed away. Sometimes she wished she didn’t have a big brother.

      “So I’ll see you in a few days for dinner at our spot, right?” He pulled up to her apartment building.

      “Yes, Calvin, I’ll be there.” She got out and walked inside.

      Where is he?

      She glanced at her watch. It was telling her she might have been stood up. Usually when her brother said he would meet her somewhere, he got there before she did. Of the two of them, she was the chronically late one. And today she was running late from work. That’s why when she got to Roscoe’s House of Chicken ’n Waffles and found that she had beaten him there she should have known something was wrong.

      After waiting an hour with no sign of Calvin, she decided he must have made good on his threat to leave the next time she kept him waiting. She finished her meal alone and ordered one special to go before getting on the bus heading toward her brother’s apartment.

      Standing and brushing the crumbs off her navy-blue-and-white pin-striped suit with wide leg pants and a double-breasted jacket, she shook her head. Calvin was probably mad at her. But the meal would be her peace offering. Although she didn’t know why he wasn’t used to her perpetual lateness by now. He didn’t have to pick tonight to set an example and leave. It was their official graduation celebration, after all.

      But his door was open when she got to his apartment.

      That wasn’t a good sign.

      Given some of Calvin’s unsavory business dealings, a busted open door signaled either a police raid or a rival gang’s hit. She never thought the day would come when she would be hoping for the former.

      Feeling like the stereotypical hapless and clueless teen beauty in a horror flick, she pushed open the door and went in.

      Things were strewn all over the normally neat living room. Papers covered the floor and Calvin’s coveted Crip-blue crushed-velvet sofa had been turned upside down, the pillows torn to pieces. She didn’t have to walk too far into the room to see her brother.

      He lay on the floor with a bullet in the middle of his forehead.

      Thena’s legs threatened to give way and she stumbled, dropping the container of food. Somehow she managed not to hit the floor along with the fluffy waffles and crispy chicken.

      Her handsome, tall, strong and protective older brother, the only constant in her life, lay dead. Her heart dropped and her knees buckled. She hit the floor with a thud and her hand flew to her mouth. She wanted to scream but no sound came out. The air was as empty as she felt.

      How could this be happening?

      She reached out and touched his caramel face. His eyes were still open and she moved her hand over them to shut the lids.

      Her heart felt as if it had exploded in her chest the pain was so deep. Tears fell, feeling hot and scorching against her skin. She grabbed her chest and gasped before she realized she wasn’t alone.

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