“Xyleek,” Deepti greeted me with his heavy accent, rising to his feet. “Good to see you.”
I shook his extended hand. “Likewise. How have you been?”
“As long as money is moving, I’m always good,” he looked between me and Giulio. “Need a minute?”
Giulio looked at me and I nodded, so he nodded at Deepti. He excused himself, and I sat down adjacent to Giulio.
“What is it now, Xyleek? Because if it’s some bullshit about Dreka, I don’t have the patience today,” he warned, leaning back in his seat and eyeing me like he was already regretting letting me sit down.
“It’s not bullshit.”
He scoffed and shook his head, tapping his cigar against the ashtray. “I’ve heard that line before. Every time you walk in here looking like you lost your best friend, it’s because you and her are in some shit.”
“Well…” I grinned. “You raised her to be a damn firecracker.”
“I raised her to havestandards. Something you clearly fuckin’ lack,” his steel gray eyes bore a hole into me. “What is it?”
Removing the ring box from my pocket, I opened it to show him. “I want to propose to her.”
Glancing over at the ring, he barely looked at it before releasing an annoyed grunt and shaking his head. For a moment, he said absolutely nothing, just stared off into space like he was deep in thought. Closing the box, I pushed it back inside of my pocket.
“Why?” His gaze shifted over to me. “And choose your words wisely, Xyleek.”
“Because even though I was too stupid to act right in the past, I don’t want to hurt her again. I want to build something real with her. I’ve done my fair share of fuckin’ up, and that cost our relationship a whole lot, but I’ve only ever loved her. I want to protect her, and I want to love her the way she deserves, and—”
He held up his hand with his nostrils flaring in irritation. “Youwanta lot of gahdamn things, but what exactly are youofferingher?”
“Everything,” I confidently responded.
“The only thing I’ve ever seen you offer Dreka is chaos, heartbreak, and instability. I’ve never doubted your loveforher, but I’ve never thought that you were wholeheartedlyin lovewith her. Because a man that’s in love with a woman, and I mean truly in love? Hmph, his world revolves around her peace. Your world revolves around your ego, your pride, and your need to get your dick wet by a bunch of different pussies. Since you’ve been an adult, not once hasyourworld orbited aroundmy daughter’speace, so forgive me if I’m having a hard time believing you want to marry and do right by her.”
My jaw tensed, but he wasn’t wrong. I just hated for anyone to talk to me any kinda way, and at the same time, this was the environment I’d created as far as Drek went.
“I own that, but I’m not that person anymore. I’m not asking you or even her to forget the stupid shit I’ve done. I’d rather y’all remember it, so that y’all can see how much different I am now,” my voice remained calm and even. “There’s not enough sorrys in the world to apologize for the ways in which I fucked up. All I’m asking for is a chance to show her the man she’s helped me mature into. Dreka 100% deserves the best life, and I plan to give her that, but I want your respect behind it.”
Again, he fell silent while puffing on his cigar. I was growing agitated but had to remind myself what my end goal was. At the end of the day, I was gon’ propose to Dreka regardless. It’d bemuchbetter if I had her parents’ blessings though. His expression finally eased into something that wasn’t complete approval but not complete rejection either.
Smashing the end of his cigar in the ashtray, he turned slightly in his chair to face me with his index finger pointed at me. “You hurt her again, and I will lay you on my dining room table…fully conscious, cut your chest open, and rip your heart out with my bare hands so you can see how that shit feels.Because that’s what you’ve been doing to her for all these years. Xyleek, you…you hurt my baby again, and I swear to God, Casa’s protection will be non-existent as I tear you apart, limb by limb. I will lock you in a room with a pack of hungry hyenas. Am I fuckin’ clear?”
Knowing that Deepti could easily get Giulio a pack of hyenas made me swallow hard. People didn’t scare me but animals? Awh yeah, you could rob me with a damn frog, I ain’t too gangsta to admit that shit. I didn’t fuck with animalsat all.
“Crystal.”
He chuckled a little, his head tilting slightly. “If this is truly what you want, to marry her, then you know I’m not the final boss, right?”
“Yup. I just wanted to start with you first,” I stood up, relieved that half the battle was won. “Can you call her and tell her I’m coming?”
“Fuck no. I’m not gon’ be in the doghouse because of a muthafucka wholivesin a gahdamn doghouse. You better hope she’s high when you get there,” he laughed in a way that told me he didn’t think I was gon’ get anything accomplished. “My wife has her own trigger points when it comes to you, and I ain’t stepping on a single one. If she’s in a mood, then that’s between you and whoever you pray to.”
“I don’t pray,” I muttered, contemplating on if I really wanted to roll up on Mrs. Lombardo next.
“You will today. Trust me,” he laughed a little harder. “I fear no man butthatwoman? Yeah, that’s a war that I’ll never engage in. Good luck.”
Blowing out a deep breath, I nodded slowly because one thing I knew about Drek’s momma was that she was overprotective and didn’t play about her. Even as an adult, Mama Jo was always cussing my ass out when I got caught up. Mama Jo was a real ride or die for Drek, and I respected thatbecause my mom was the same about me. Obviously, she was willing to lie for me, so she had my back just as much as Drek’s mom had hers.
“Xyleek?” Giulio called right when I was about to head back inside the shop.
I turned to look at him. “Yeah?”
