Page 101 of Smoke

“Please!”

I lifted her over the fence and placed her on the saddle. Grabbing the reins, I gave Meech the signal and then started a slow walk.

“Mr. Devin?”

“Wassup?”

“I like having you around.”

I smiled. “I like having you around, too, baby.”

“Mommy’s not so sad with you, and I got to come home. I missed being home.”

“I know you did, lil’ bit. Mommy missed having you home.”

“Are you guys gonna get married?”

I chuckled. “Slow down,” I said, looking up at her. “Me and mommy have a very special relationship. We aren’t ready to get married yet, though.”

“But do you love her?”

“I… I have love for her, and I care about her very much. I care about you and Juri too. That’s why I wanted you to meet my family.”

“If you and Mommy get married, would your family be my family?”

“They would.”

“So I’ll have three families.” She held up three fingers. “Mommy’s family, Daddy’s family, and your family. That’s a lot of people!”

“It is.”

She looked sad for a moment. “I miss having a daddy. I thought Mr. Patrick was gonna be my new daddy, but Mommy said we can’t see him anymore. I don’t remember my daddy, but Mommy and Granny Sherry said he loved me. They always tell me stories about him, and Granny Sherry has a big picture book with lots of pictures of him. Mr. Devin, do you think he misses me?”

“I know he misses you because you’re the smartest, dopest kid I’ve ever met. I know he’s proud of the young lady you are, Korri. Shoot, I’m proud of you.”

She blushed. “You are?”

“Of course I am. You see all those honor roll awards you have? How helpful you are with your mom? How polite and respectful you are? I know you’re gonna grow into someone that changes the world, lil’ bit. I get to say I knew you first.”

Her smile widened, and it made a smile spread across my face. I meant what I said. In a short time, I’d grown attached to these kids and their mother.Me. The nigga who wasn’t looking for a commitment and for damn sure not a whole ass family, but here I was, willing to be somebody’s stepdaddy if it came to it.

Wasn’t that some shit?

I was finallyable to steal my lady away from my sisters and cousins for a little bit.

Actually, I interrupted their conversation and scooped her up, carrying her off to a quiet area. Currently, she was sitting on my lap, asking me questions about my family. I’d fully explained my father’s organization to her, because some of the rumors about my family were insane. Now, I’d never been loose lipped with our business, but I felt like I could trust her, and she could trust me. Shit, I’d already killed four people on her behalf and was gearing up for number five.

“So your aunt Denise married a man in the diamond mining business, and your aunt April married a doctor?”

“Right.”

“Are either of them part of your father’s organization?”

“Nah. They live regular lives. Aunt April is a doctor too. Aunt Denise is a housewife. Their kids straddle the fence between Pops and Uncle Blake when need be.”

“I have a question.”

I chuckled. “You have a lot of questions, but I got answers. Shoot.”

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