Page 18 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings 2: The Finale
“No rest for the wicked. It’s what your daddy used to always say.”
“What’s going on?” I pried, hearing her melancholy tone as I sat on the arm of a nearby chair to face her.
“I had a fight with Staten.”
I knew that my mother loved all of us, but for her and my father, Staten was a sensitive topic. Being the first born put such a burden on him that he was just starting to accept. I admired him and looked up to him for always being a man and making decisions best for him. Our father might have hated that he didn’t want to walk the path he’d laid for him, but at least he came back. I just hated that it was too late for them to mendfences, because the truth was, they were just too much alike for their own fucking good.
“Ma, he just got back.”
“And I’m afraid I’m going to lose him all over again.”
“What happened?”
“The accident. That night. It changed so much.” Rossi shook her head. “He likes Cambrie.”
“Yeah, I know. I like her too, especially for him. I know it ain’t been that long, but I can see how she handles him and how good she is for the kids. He deserves that after all these years.”
“Her mother was in the other car that night. When Dame came after me and Staten, Christine Rhodes was a casualty. The final autopsy said it was an aneurysm that killed her, but I know Staten always felt like it was his fault. It’s why your father paid for the funeral. He saw how it all weighed on Staten and wanted to give that family some peace. I’d memorized those names for years. I knew who Cambrie was the minute I laid eyes on her, and it scared the shit out of me.”
“Why?” I asked, a frown taking over my features.
“Because I saw how he looked at her,” Rossi confessed. “I hated the idea of having to take that from him. Then there’s this whole thing with Ivo and Jordan. This whole surrogacy business.” She brought a glass of whiskey to her lips and sipped.
“What you talking about?”
“You haven’t talked to your brother?” Rossi queried with a hiked brow.
“Nah, not about that.” I shook my head.
“Mmm, which makes it even worse if he’s hiding it from you. Don’t let me keep you up though. Go be with Six. She needs you. I’m glad that she’s OK.”
“I love you, Ma.” I leaned in to kiss her cheek.
Marcie had hooked up a bomb ass barbecue meal of baked beef ribs, potato salad, baked beans, and chicken and veggieskewers. I plated enough for me and Six in case she woke up hungry and went back upstairs. Still wired from the night’s events after I ate, rolled a blunt and chilled in bed beside my girl while scrolling my timeline. Our story was still trending, and all types of narratives were being voiced about us. The way some of these stories were spinning, it was obvious some muhfuckas were feeding shit to the media. Knowing there was nothing I could do about that shit tonight, I muted my phone and set that shit on the table beside my bed. Six rocked and mumbled some shit in her sleep with a frown embedded in her face. Turning over, I spooned her and kissed the nape of her neck before whispering against her ear.
“You’re good, mama.”
Her shoulders slumped against my chest, until she was still. Soon she was breathing deeply, and the sound of it had me falling into a slumber behind her.
“Mmm,” Six moaned and shifted from her side so that she was facing me.
Still half sleep, I pinched the bridge of my nose and wrapped her in my arms. Her slim frame molded against mine, and I kissed the top of her head. The slow pattern of the rain hitting the windows was peaceful as hell, but my third leg was showing the fuck out.
“You need to put that thing on ice, Brick. What the fuck?”
“That nigga know he close to home, mama. He ready to knock the fucking door down.” I chuckled, and she shook her head. “How you feeling?”
“Better.” Her eyes fluttered open and looked right into mine. “At first, I thought last night was a dream and I was going towake up somewhere I didn’t want to be. Then I realized I was in the safest place I’ve ever been.”
“You getting all soft on me and shit,” I tittered, sweeping my thumb over her lips.
“You allow me to be a version of myself I didn’t know I could be. Protected. Vulnerable. Safe.”
“Let me find out I put you in that soft girl era,” I teased, ready to kiss her sexy ass.
The tapping at my bedroom door had me punching the fucking air. I didn’t do that pop-up shit for one, but then I remembered I had put my phone on DND. Pulling out of Six’s embrace, I shifted onto my back to glimpse the time on my clock. It was almost ten a.m.
“Who is it?”
