Read Online Latter Rain by Vanessa Miller - Free Book Online Page A

temple.
    â€œGive it up, homeboy. This is payday,” JC told him.
    Mr. T put his hands up and tried to move his head away from the gun. “Are you stupid? You know this is Mickey’s money.
    â€œMickey don’t scare me,” Baby Dee told him. “He’s getting ready to be some dude named Bubba’s date to the prom.”
    â€œDon’t count Mickey out so soon,” Mr. T warned them.
    â€œShut up.” JC hit him with the butt of the gun. “Let go of the money or say your prayers.”
    Mr. T pointed at the wooden table and told them, “The money is in the drawer underneath the table top. Take it; it’s your funeral.”
    Donavan grabbed his watch and ran out of the house. He jumped in the white Chevy in front of the crack house. Mark was behind the wheel. The boy was shaking worse than David Chappelle in Blue Streak . This was definitely not his thing. Donavan wanted to tell him to jump out of the car and run home. Go back to college. Get out while the getting was good. But if Mark left, he’d be stuck there with JC and under-educated Baby Dee. No, he needed to make sure he got out of that place alive. His mother was making mac & cheese for dinner tonight. Mmm, good.

11
    Seeing his brother in hell again caused Isaac to want to lash out. It didn’t help matters when his brother’s face had turned into his own son’s.
    Oh, and every time he thought of Nina’s last comment, “Be a man, Isaac ,” he just wanted to break something. Guess that’s why she’s marrying Charles. He must be a man; able to handle all his issues.
    â€œWell, maybe he never had a father who killed his mother. Did you ever think of that, Ms. Nina Lewis? No, no. You didn’t think about that. Too busy judging me.” Isaac was having this conversation with himself as he pulled up at the church job site. He got out of his car and searched for MacMillian.
    MacMillian saw Isaac first and did a fast walk toward the trailer. “I don’t want any trouble,” he said as Isaac approached.
    Isaac raised his hand. “I come in peace. I’m looking for somebody. I thought you might be able to help me.”
    MacMillian stood in silence with his hand on the trailer door.
    â€œThat guy, Marvin. Can you give me his address?”
    â€œWhat do you want with him? You’ve already cost him his job, isn’t that enough for you?”
    â€œLook, I’ll be honest with you. The man is my father. We’ve kind of been on bad terms lately. But I want to talk with him.” Isaac smiled. “Help me out. Okay?”
    MacMillian hesitated for a minute, then snapped his fingers. “That’s right. Marvin’s last name is Walker. When I met you, I thought you looked familiar.”
    â€œI look nothing like him,” Isaac said roughly, then with a slight smile he added, “I take after my mother’s side of the family.”
    MacMillian gave up the address and Isaac was back on the Dan Ryan Freeway. Fifteen minutes later, Isaac was in front of Usually Wrong’s house. He couldn’t have wished the poverty of the Westside on a more deserving person. Isaac could see a drug deal going down in the breezeway. He wished that someone would sell Usually Wrong something that would send his heart racing, pumping out of control until he keeled over dead. A little dramatic, but that’s what his dreams were made of.
    Isaac had been saved and serving the Lord for seven years now, but he still hadn’t learned to forgive. He’d met many bitter, unforgiving, so-called Christians and swore that he would not be like them. But he still hadn’t been able to let go of the past. He was in need of prayer for this issue and hoped that someone was praying for him.
    Walking toward Marvin’s broken down front door, Isaac heard something that made him change direction.
    â€œCynda, girl I ain’t playing with you. You better give me my