I ended the call as my nostrils flared. Quickly, I pulled up iTunes and started Jessie Reyes’s “**RIDIN**.”
Draco didn’t respond right away. He took my hand into his and kissed it. As we cruised, his thumb caressed my hand. When he did respond, he dropped the realest thing I’d ever heard into my ear and heart.
“A lot of people think they have to deal with hurt and betrayal and disrespect from family because they’re family, but that’s not the case. A person being your family doesn’t mean you should tolerate their bad behavior. If you aren’t safe with no one else, you should be safe with family. If you aren’t, you need to cut them off just like you’d do anyone else.”
My head hung briefly as my eyes watered. “She was all I had left,” I whispered, sniffling. “Now I don’t have anyone.”
“You got me. And we will create our own family out of love. Fuck them, boo. I know that’s your blood, and you want all to be well with them, but they ain’t gon’ keep on fucking with you. If you thought I didn’t play about you as your friend, watch how I’m ’bout to come as yo’ man.”
“My man?” I repeated. “That sounds… wonderful.”
“We never did discuss titles, did we?” With a giggle, I shrugged, though I knew the answer. “No. You told me you were mine and I was yours though.”
“Your heart is my heart. Your body is my body. All of you belongs to me. You’re my woman, and I’m your man. We’re in a committed relationship, now and forever. How does that sound to you?”
I was cheesing so hard I couldn’t even speak right away. I didn’t care about him knowing how happy I was to be his… that he was mine. I wasn’t too player to let this man know I was truly happy to finally be with him, and that was exactly what I did. Draco looked over at me, leaned forward, and we kissed. It was exhilarating and exciting doing it while he was driving, and a clear indication of just how much I trusted this man.
By the time “**JEANS**” started to play, my mood was better than it had ever been. I messed up and told him it was one of my favorite songs on the album. This man pulled over on the side of the road, helped me out of the car, started the song over,… and we danced.
If I wasn’t in love already, this moment would have done it for me.
Early October
Iwas in a grumpy ass mood. For the past two weeks, I’d been trying to find Cam and Brandon, with no success. Word had already started to spread that not only were my brotherslooking for them because of business, but I was too,… and my shit was personal. That foul shit they did to my girl’s home was going to be the reason I sent bullets into both of their heads, and I wouldn’t lose a night of sleep over it. I knew where they lived and worked, but they hadn’t been home in a while, and they weren’t going to work. They were taking full advantage of the payout they received from their mother’s death, and I found that shit to be quite comical. They loved playing games, and now that it was time for them to go against the biggest player, they were some ghosts.
I spent a few hours playing several games at the arcade before going to play a few rounds of pool with Cash and Bully. Cash was temporarily in Memphis while they had their new home decorated by Cordova. He and his wife, Sugar Baby, were from Rose Valley Hills. They were expanding their businesses here in Memphis and wanted a home to stay in so they wouldn’t have to worry about having their baby at a hotel.
When I made it home, the smell of a home-cooked meal instantly lightened my mood. Coming home to Cordova was good enough, but her cooking was like the icing on the cake. I instantly started rubbing my stomach as I headed toward the kitchen. She looked sexy as fuck in a silk gown and some furry slippers. She looked like she belonged here—forever. A part of me knew now that her house was ready to move back into that she’d likely want to go back home eventually, but I was doing everything I could to make her enjoy being here so much that she never wanted to leave.
“Good evening, beautiful. You got it smelling good as hell in here.”
Her smile was wide as I wrapped my arms around her and lowered myself to her lips for a kiss.
“Hey, pooh. You ready for me to fix you a plate?”
“Hell yeah. What you make?”
“Baked chicken, mac-n-cheese, candied yams, and broccolini.”
“Mm. You gon’ be my dessert?”
“That was the plan.”
I took my time washing my hands then getting comfortable on the island, and while she fixed my plate, she asked, “What’s been going on with you?”
“What chu mean?”
“Just like you can read my emotions and know when something is going on with me, I can do the same for you. You’ve been distant and distracted lately. Is something wrong?”
My head tilted as I sighed. “I feel like I’m failing you. I should have found your cousins and handled that by now. We agreed you wouldn’t go back home until they were taken care of, but the house is ready now, and I know you will want to go back soon.”
She frowned temporarily before setting my plate in front of me.
“You’re not failing me at all. They’re slippery. They always used to hide and avoid trouble when we were kids, so I’m not surprised they’re doing that now. And as far as me going back home is concerned,… I do miss it, but I love being here with you. I’m not in a rush to go back. Just being honest, I don’t think you beating them up is going to change much. They might leave me alone temporarily, but as long as I’m in that house, they will not stop bothering me.”
I chuckled. Not responding immediately, I said a quick prayer and asked her if she’d already eaten before I mixed a bite of my yams and mac together and dug in. Once I had a few bites in my system, I told her the food was good as fuck before I finally admitted, “I’m not going to just beat their asses, Cordova. I’m going to kill them.”
Her grip loosened on the tequila she was holding, and it dropped down onto the island.
