Page 128 of River & Crown
"Elders? Lakelyn, let's go show these young bucks how we cut up before I cut him."
Rolling her eyes, Gigi walked past, bumping me while Lakelyn told Four happy birthday once more, then took off.
"Now that the mothers have found their groove, can we race?" Kyree asked.
"In these dresses? I was hype about the racetrack, but this dress is not gonna let me drive the way I want to."
"Crown has it handled." Chosyn hooked her arm around Four's. "Come on, ladies."
Honey and the twins started walking first. Chosyn eyed me subtly, motioning for me to bend down.
"Wolfe snuck out a little after you said that bullshit about my bestie beingthe real Mrs. Gravehart." Chosyn's voice dropped in pitch, making me laugh.
"I ain't mean nothing by it."
"Oh, I know because you value your life too much to play in my face."
Rearing my head back, I caught the edge of a blade sitting between her lips. My eyes cut to Four, who was so caught up in the music she wasn't paying attention to our conversation.
"Your brothers are upstairs. Make this shit quick because the second Four starts asking questions, I'm snitching."
"It's like that?" I frowned.
"Hell yeah, call us even for that slick shit you said."
Shaking my head, I moved from Chosyn over to Four.
"I gotta handle something real quick."
"Huh? Wait, no, you can't leave!" She frowned.
"I won't be long. I promise. Enjoy yourself."
"Seems like she already did with how her hair is frizzy," Chosyn quipped.
"Hating ass. Don't trip. I'll let Wolfe know you're ready to sit down with baby number two."
"Four, kiss your man goodbye before I kill me!"
Giggling, Four leaned up, and I bent down, bringing our lips together. Four used her tongue to part my lips and latch onto my tongue. A quick kiss turned fucking nasty real quick.
"Okay! Okay! Damn fuck right here why don't y'all," Chosyn smacked, pulling Four away.
Before Four walked out of reach, I rubbed her stomach with one hand and gripped her ass with the other.
"Four-eyed triplets," she mouthed.
My heart swelled at that shit because for once it felt like we were on the same page.
Chapter 32
Honor Gravehart
Lifting the blunt to my lips, my fingers stained with ash as the timepiece on my left wrist caught the moonlight. I inhaled deeply, trying to fill the hollow in my chest that nothing in this world could reach. A nigga was fucked up, but this good shit courtesy of my sister was gon' help make what I was about to do bearable. The smoke scraped down my throat with ease, settling in my chest. I smirked, feeling that burn heating my skin. The shit was smooth, sharp, alive.
For a second, I held it, letting the burn cruise from my chest and curl behind my rib. The flame worked to carve something out of me that no longer lived there. Then everything faded. The weight, the insecurities I didn't create but had to deal with, and the echoing ofhisvoice in my head. It all fucking faded, leaving me with just the burn, the breath, and the silence that followed after I exhaled and watched the smoke rise like the ghosts of the skeletons occupying my mind.
Burn. Breathe. Silence.
