Sweetie’s cheeks heated. “I’m so sorry.” She quickly pulled it out and silenced it without looking at the screen. She looked guiltily around the table and moved to tuck her phone away when it vibrated again. Her brows pulled in. This time, she glanced at the screen and saw that it was her sister. Her mind drifted to her granny, and she immediately stood up. “I’m sorry, I have to take this.”
“You good, baby?” Boogie asked as he stood as well.
Sweetie didn’t respond as she rushed out of the dining room and answered the phone. She realized Boogie followed her just as she called her sister back.
“Audra?” she asked as soon as the line connected.
“Sweetie, thank God you answered. Daddy knows.”
“Knows what?” Relief flowed through when she realized this wasn’t about her granny, but then dread filled her when her sister spoke again.
“About you and Boogie.Boogie, Sweetie, really? Again?”
Sweetie felt dizzy. “What? How? How could he know?”
“The streets talk, Sweetie. You know that. Daddy is pissed. You’re breaking a treaty we have with the DeLuca family.”
“Treaty?” she asked as she looked at Boogie, whose brows furrowed as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“There’s been a treaty for years between us. We don’t mingle, and we stick to our own sides of town. Period. If that’s broken, it’s a threat and cause for war, which Daddy is gearing up for.”
“This is ridiculous,” Sweetie said as panic filled her. She suddenly felt like she needed to get out of there.
“I just wanted to warn you?—”
“I gotta go.” Sweetie hung up the phone.
“What’s goin’ on?”
“There’s a treaty? You told me this was okay. You convinced me.” Sweetie ranted as she glared at Boogie.
“Girl, what are you goin’ on about?” Boogie asked as he stopped her from pacing and pulled her into him.
“The treaty between our families,” she stressed.
“I don’t know nothin’ ’bout a treaty.” Boogie grabbed her hand and walked toward the dining room. Sweetie tugged against him, but he paid her no mind. When they were back in the dining room, Boogie asked, “Pops, is there a treaty between us and the Bishop family?”
Sweetie immediately felt bad. She assumed Boogie knew about this treaty, but it was clear he didn’t. That was a relief to her. He hadn’t lied to her or tried to keep her in the dark.
Zander rolled his eyes. “Who told you about that stupid shit?”
Boogie looked at Sweetie. He hugged her to his side tightly in encouragement.
Sweetie shifted uncomfortably. “My sister just called me. My dad found out Boogie and I reconnected. He said we are breaking the treaty.”
“That old fool,” Zander grumbled.
“Honey—”
“No, Tandy, this shit is so stupid.” Zander looked at Boogie and Sweetie. “Vernon put a treaty in place years ago all on his own. I never followed that shit. What that nigga says doesn’t move me. I ain’t agree to shit. He’s like an old man yelling at kids to stay off his damn property line.”
That confused Sweetie. “So . . . it’s a one-sided treaty?”
“Sounds like it,” Denzel said, adding his two cents.
“But he’s talking about war?—”
“War?” Denzel, Boogie, and Zander all said at the same time.
