Page 23 of Tap In

She didn’t have to tell me but once. Mauri went over to the stove on the wall and pulled out a pan of what my nostrils told me was red rice. Serving dishes were pulled from the cupboard, filled with food, then placed on the dining room table. Grace was said and we all dug in.

“We should walk the strip this evening. Get in some shopping,” Pea suggested.

My face scrunched. “I’m not about to go nowhere with y’all asses. Newsflash, all of y’all husbands are missing many bolts. Bolts that hold what should be their logic, sanity, and common sense just rolling around the grounds of heaven where God forgot to add them.”

I was surprised that their crazy ass husbands weren’t lurking around Vegas as we sat here right now. “Um, my husband is not crazy,” Kree said with her nose turned up.

Everyone’s head slowly turned to face her. Maise was the first to speak. “Did you just say that your husband, Liam Christianson, isn’t crazy?” She put her finger on her chin. “Remind me, was it not your husband that paralyzed a starting quarterback of another team because he posted a comment under one of your posts that he was gonna fuck you and send you back to Liam? That was your husband, right?”

Kree sat back in her seat. “First of all, we aren’t supposed to talk about that. Secondly, whose husband was with my husband to paralyze said quarterback?”

“Oh, I never said my man wasn’t crazy. He’s bat shit crazy. I love that for me and my babies.” Maise swooned.

See, there was a misconception that just because Liam was this big professional football player that he wouldn’t go all the way in on someone. He might not be Choppa’s biological son, but Liam was Lil Choppa. The family made sure to keep him as far removed as possible when it came to the things that could get him caught up. Justin, my older brother, Maisie’s husband, was still active with Christianson Enterprises.

Pea waved her hand. “Forget all that. We’re going. That new bag that Mama Mira wants is only sold in a boutique here.” Her brow rose. “I know y’all not going to let me go on that strip alone.”This bitch.

* * *

We’d been out the door for almost four damn hours, and I was ready to go. I’d been up since six this morning, working since eight. That with the jetlag was challenging. When I got to my house, the only thing that I had time to do was eat, then take a shower. I tried to sneak in a nap, but that was a bust.

All the girls had multiple bags while I had two. I hated shopping physically in stores. I was an online shopper to the death of me. “Cobia, look at this.”

Great, here comes Taelyn with some shit I don’t need.Now that the twins were almost two years old, Draco and she were trying for another one. I didn’t blame them for wanting stairstep children. Get that shit out of the way. I glanced at what she had in her hand. “I don’t need it.”

She kissed her teeth. “Bitch, yes you do. That’s exactly why I’m going to buy it.”

“Make sure you take that shit to your house too. I don’t need any more stuff at mine,” I quipped. “Y’all, I’m tired. Can we go?”

Pea looped her arm in mine. “Come on. I know you’re tired.” She leaned into me. “Hell, I’m tired as hell too.”

We all waited for Taelyn to buy me stuff that I didn’t need, then we left. On our way to our Sprinter, I saw the last person that I wanted to see.Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me.

“Well, hey, Ms. Jacobia. Long time no see.” Why the hell was this bitch talking to me?

I took a deep breath before I responded. “Noelle, it’s nice to see you.” She was with a little entourage that I prayed were smart enough to just be onlookers.

My smile was bright. Not because I was happy to see her, but because if I gave any inkling that we had beef, my family would be on her ass. Galiana lived for any opportunity to get active. Motherhood had calmed her down to an extent. Now instead of playing with her kills, when applicable, she immediately killed them so she could be home in time for dinner with the family.

From the expression on Noelle’s face, I knew that this interaction would not go how I wanted it to. She sized me up. “What are you doing in my neck of the woods? I’m sure not to see Joston since he’s not on you. He’s moved on to better.”

Her words stung.Fuck it!“First, broke bitches can’t have necks of the woods. Secondly, don’t you have a grinch to entertain, Cindy Lou Who?”

From my side glance, I saw Galiana scootching forward. Out of everyone here, she was the craziest and most ready to get active. Behind her was Taelyn, ironically. She recently went back to work at Christianson Enterprises on a part-time basis. Her husband put her through extra training to do so. She fussed the entire time because she felt it was unnecessary since she was on the tech side. Mauri told her that it was a good idea to do the training.

She kissed her teeth before she took a step toward me. Her finger was up, I guessed to point in my face. The ‘b’ and ‘i’ from the word bitch only had time to leave her mouth before Galiana chopped the girl in her neck with the side of her hand. Noelle grabbed her throat and dropped to the ground. Her little friends let out a shriek and backed up.

Pea, Mauri, Kree, Maisie, and Taelyn made a semi-circle behind Galiana to conceal her.Ah hell!She pulled out her gun from the holster under her shirt, cocked it, and put it to Noelle’s head. “So, I don’t like mean girls. Are you a mean girl, Cindy Lou Who?”

Noelle was still on the ground with her hand on her throat and coughing. I rolled my eyes because the chop wasn’t even that hard. If anything, it was more shocking than hurtful. Galiana tapped the gun on her temple and told her to answer the question. “No! I’m not. My… my name is Noelle.”

The way all of us, including Noelle’s friends, scrunched our faces at her correcting Galiana was comical. Galiana popped the girl on the forehead with her hand. “Girl, you a silly bitch. Look, I don’t know who you are, but what I do know is that my gun hasn’t released a bullet in…” She paused and looked at her watch. “In eleven months, two weeks, four days, eighteen hours, twelve minutes, and sixteen seconds. Seventeen, eighteen.

“With that being said, I’m looking for any reason to check to make sure it’s still working. Don’t be the person that I want to use it on to check,” she told her.

Tears ran down her eyes. I shook my head before I tapped Galiana’s shoulder. “Sis, leave her alone. She’s just a bitch that’s salty about Joston. Let that ho live.”

Her eyes softened when she glanced at me. She stood up, holstered her gun, then stepped back. “Look at God and Cobia working on your behalf. Cindy Lou, you better get up and climb up that hill to get the holiday cheermeister.”

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