Page 82 of His Noble Heart
“So . . . now that they’re gone?—”
“I ain’t telling you shit, baby. Like Russell said, it’s for your own good. Zelle is no longer a problem.”
My eyes widened. “Is he dead? Did y’all kill him?”
“You ain’t the only killer in this house, baby.”
I gasped. “You killed him? Oh my God, Rowdy. The police?—”
“Calm down, baby. He’s still alive, but he’ll be going away for a long time. Since I was pushed to the edge twice this week and nobody died, I think I should be rewarded.”
“Oh, really? What kind of reward would you like?”
“Well . . . I missed dinner, and I’m starving.”
“I think I may have something for you to eat.”
“Bring it on, baby.”
Six MonthsLater
It had been almost a year since I made the move to Onyx City, and my life had done a complete one-eighty. I was a husband, a father, a homeowner, and a business owner. If someone had told me a year ago that this would be my life, I would’ve laughed in their faces.
I’d gone back to Savannah once for the block party I held during spring break. It felt good to be back and I felt nothing but love from everyone in my old neighborhood. Myra thought we’d hook up like old times, but a very pregnant Noelani let her know what was up before I said a word. Once she was set straight, Myra steered clear of me but kept her eyes on me until we shut down the party.
We closed on our house a week before Rowan made his entrance into the world, and I was grateful that Noelani was cool with my mother and Ramina living with us. The house had five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and was spacious enough for us not to be on top of each other.
It was literal hell getting everything moved in before Noelani’s due date, and our son was gracious enough to give us an extra day. So far, our living arrangements had worked out perfectly, even with Ramina deciding to attend college locally at Onyx City University.
My uncle ended up retiring a little sooner than he’d initially expected after suffering a heart attack. I was surprised but prepared to take over when he shared the news.
He was doing exceptionally well traveling and playing golf, which had become his new obsession. He hadn’t mentioned anything, but I think he had a girlfriend too.
My relationship with my brothers was stronger than I’d imagined, and it made me regret not allowing my uncle to introduce us sooner. Their grandparents treated my mother, my sister, and me like we were their blood family, and I appreciated their acceptance.
When Rocky and Russ shared their extracurricular activities with me, I was speechless. Those niggas had a full-blown operation that specialized in ridding the earth of bitch-ass niggas, all in the name of honoring their mother. Not only was I impressed, but I was also honored to be their brother.
Speaking of bitch-ass niggas, Zelle was facing thirty years in prison on drug and child pornography charges. The night he planned to use Ramina to lure me into his grasp, Rocky and Russell’s police connections planted a shit load of cocaine, heroin, and other narcotics into the trunk of his car.
He was smoking weed when he was pulled over, which gave them reason to search his car. An unexpected gift was theunderage girl in the front passenger seat. He brought way too much negative attention to the Riders, so they disassociated from him. Zelle was no longer able to add to the negativity of the world.
Shyne, Breeze, Adan, and Zayn had welcomed me into their brotherhood. Between them and my brothers, I had more support from men than I ever thought was possible. If I needed advice about how to navigate being a husband and father, I had numerous men I could go to.
It took me a while to completely open up, and there were still moments when the size of my new family was overwhelming, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
“Baby, put him in his bassinet. You’ve been staring at him for thirty minutes,” Noelani said when she came out of the bathroom.
I was tasked with putting our baby boy to sleep while she showered.
“You were in the shower for thirty minutes?”
“No. I had to do my skincare routine before I showered, and I also washed my hair. How long has he been asleep?”
“I’m not sure, but ain’t nothing wrong with me holding and staring at my son.”
“You’re absolutely right, baby. Carry on.”
She let her robe fall from her shoulders, then to the floor, exposing her freshly washed body.
