Page 50 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings 2: The Finale
“Yes, he does. Daddy, this is Piaget and Rogue. They are two of Staten’s kids. They wanted to meet you, and I couldn’t say no. I hope you don’t mind.” I took in his neat room that carried the faint aroma of peppermint in the air.
His bed was made, and there was a section for sitting with a couch, two wingback chairs, and a TV mounted in the corner. Windows also surrounded the room, allowing a lot of natural light to flow inside beyond the blinds and curtains. I was glad he wasn’t all suffocated in here.
“Long as you brought enough food for everybody, I’m good,” he joked, bringing himself to his feet so we could embrace. Staten joined us and set the food on the table along with the plastic bag where I stocked up on plastic and paper supplies for us to eat.
“She wouldn’t even let me sample the chicken, OG.” Staten paused to shake hands with him, and Daddy chuckled.
“Well, I guess she knows better. My mouth been watering since yesterday. I had a small breakfast so I could save room for this.” Daddy rubbed his hands together.
“Daddy, why don’t you show Piaget and Rogue where the bathroom is so that you all can wash your hands. I’ll start setting up the food.”
“Come on, you two. I got a private bath, but I think somebody needs to introduce you to a few people around here. If you’relucky, you can come up on some candy, cookies, and cash around here.”
“Point us in the right direction then, OG,” Rogue encouraged, falling in line with him through the open door.
Tittering, I shook my head and went to help Staten unload the food from the bags. It was funny seeing him interact with the kids because I’d never seen him do that before. I was an only child, for one, so there were no grandkids for him, and our family wasn’t tight like that for me to know or be familiar with little kids. Somehow, it made him lighter on his feet, and his smile seemed a little bigger. By the time they finished making rounds across the facility, Staten and I had made plates and were waiting for them to come join us around the coffee table.
“My nose led me all the way back. Smells delicious, baby girl.” Grabbing his plate, Daddy dropped down in his chair. After a brief prayer together, we all dug in.
“How come you never made this for us, Cam? It’s like you was holding out on us or sumn’,” Rogue complained.
“That boy sure don’t know how to beat around the bush, do he?” Daddy chuckled.
“Not even a little bit,” Staten and I voiced in unison before snickering together.
“What that mean?” Rogue asked, bringing his roasted chicken drum to his mouth.
“It means you speak your mind,” I told him.
“What’s wrong with that?” He frowned.
“Nothing, Roro. Eat your food. The world ain’t ready for you yet.”
“Oh, he gon’ give ’em a run for they money, that’s for sure.” Daddy brought a glass of iced tea to his lips that he’d brought back with him. “But he’s right about one thing . . . this dish right here is on point. Your mother would be proud.”
Just the mention of her had my smile wilting as my chest tightened. My father caught the sudden agony on my face and grabbed his napkin to wipe his mouth.
“Now don’t sit over there with that look on your face like that, Cambrie Rhodes. She loved you, she taught you, and you are every bit as nurturing and genuine as she was. Ain’t no need to be sad about it all the time.”
“I know,” I whispered, blinking back tears. “So, uh, what you been doing around here, besides watching TV?” I perked up, hoping to change the subject to something lighter.
“Well, got a few friends I play chess and checkers with, and they got Bingo every Friday. You know I like to gamble. I got all kind of wagers going on.”
“Daddy, don’t be losing all your money up in here. You still need that for other stuff.”
“Pssh, losing? Brie, act like you know who your father is.” Shaking his head, he scooped some potato salad onto a fork and shoved it in his mouth. “Now, what I want to talk about are Staten’s intentions with you.”
“Can we please not go there?” I grumbled, desperately not wanting to have this conversation like I was a child instead of a thirty-plus-year-old woman.
“Relax. This is a conversation for men,” Daddy noted, setting his half-eaten plate on the table.
“Seriously? This is not the ’50s.”
“Cam, chill, mama.” Staten rested a hand on my knee. “This is your father, and as your man, he has every right to ask what this is and where it’s going. I would do the same thing for my daughters.”
“See.” Daddy lifted both brows. “Now, what is this between the two of you?” He motioned with his hands between the two of us seated before clasping them together in front of him.
Something sparkled behind Staten’s eyes when they locked onto mine. The corner of his mouth curled into the smallest hint of a smile, and my stomach fluttered something vicious.
