Page 147 of Rose
“Hey, Sav,” she said softly.
He jumped slightly at the warmth of her touch. “Allure?”
Her laugh was soft, a balm to his nerves. “Yes, it’s me. It’s later. You ready to see me?”
He nodded like a little boy on Christmas morning, making her smile even wider. She kissed his lips, brief and sweet, before reaching around him. Even in six-inch heels, she had to stand on her toes to untie the blindfold.
As the fabric fell away, his eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to the soft glow of candlelight and the shimmer of white and blue decor around them. But it wasn’t the room that had his full attention—it was her.
“Damn…” he breathed, eyes raking down every inch of her. That blue dress. Her glowing skin. That body wave wig falling like silk. The white heels that made her legs look like sin.
“You like?” she asked with a playful spin.
“Hell yeah,” he said, pulling her in to steal another kiss, then another.
“Okay, okay,” she laughed, gently pushing him back. “Before you mess up my lip combo.”
It wasn’t until she stepped away that he finally looked around. His eyes widened.
“Wait… what we doing at Gold?”
She grinned. “Would you like to have dinner with me, birthday boy?”
The way he looked at her, like she hung the damn stars, made her knees feel weak.
“Dessert too?” he asked, voice low and teasing.
“I’ll see what I can do,” she whispered, grabbing his hand and guiding him forward.
As they stepped into the dining room, voices erupted around them.
“SURPRISE!”
Savior stumbled back a step, eyes bouncing across the room. Everyone he loved stood gathered around a long candlelit table, all wearing grins and holding glasses.
“What the fuck?!” he said, stunned, then laughed as the shock melted into pure joy. He turned to Ahzii, that smile still on his face, his heart full.
“Didn’t think you were celebrating without your family, did you?” she asked, her voice soft with meaning.
He stared at her for a long moment, love swimming in his eyes.
Then Sarai and Sincere ran up, arms wrapping around him and breaking the moment as laughter and warmth filled the room.
“Happy Birthday, Savvy!” Sarai beamed, throwing her arms around his neck. Savior scooped her up without hesitation, holding her tight for a second before setting her down gently.
“Thanks, Gold,” he smiled, dapping up Sincere next. One by one, familiar faces surrounded him—Macho, Keon, Olivia, a few of the Carter crew, A’Mazi, Taylor, andKyre—all offering birthday wishes. For once, the weight in his chest didn’t feel like a burden. It felt like love. Real love. And it caught him off guard.
Aunt Marley approached last, regal in a cream-colored dress, her smile knowing.
“I told you killing for her was going to turn into something else,” she teased, her voice full of that sharp auntie intuition.
They laughed, and she leaned in to hug him. “Happy birthday, Savvy.”
“Thank you, Auntie,” he said warmly, holding her close.
As they pulled apart, Savior gestured to Ahzii beside him. “Aunt Marley, this is my woman, Ahzii. Ahzii, meet my second mother.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Pretty. Oh my… you’re gorgeous,” Aunt Marley gushed, pulling Ahzii into a warm hug.
