Page 79 of Mia

“I’m here. Mia and I are trying to heal while working through our issues and our marriage.”

He nodded. “You know we never had that talk.”

“Let’s get it over with. You know I ain’t a nigga that apologizes for much, but I will apologize for not asking for your blessing or having either of our families present. We were wrong for that. Shit just happened on a whim. We were in Vegas, drunk as hell, and watching other people get married in a chapel. Shit was supposed to be for shits and giggles, but I’d been carrying around her ring all day and thought, why the hell not.”

“Then y’all kept it a secret for a year,” Deuce said. “If I was the old me and you were the old you, you know we would have had to duke it out over that shit, right?”

I chuckled. “Like I’ve always told you, I ain’t ducking no smoke. Mia wanted to keep it a secret. I begged for us to put it out there and she refused. You know your sister and Senior, you know your daughter. She’s stubborn as a fucking mule. You know how bad I had to beg that girl to tell me she loves me? I’ve been known that she felt that shit. She just refused to say it because it made things between us real. She hates not being in control of everything, including her feelings.”

Deuce chuckled. “She’s got it honest.”

“Hell yeah,” Smoke agreed. “We’re all like that in some way.”

Senior’s eyes were still on me. “I know the answer, but I need to hear you say it. You love my daughter?”

I looked him square in the eye. “With every fucking breath I have. Maybe I ain’t deserving of her. Shit, maybe we ain’t deserving of each other, but I love her, flaws and all. She’s mine and always will be. That’s why I’m fucking up the city behind her and my daughter. If I have to single-handedly take down every muthafucka over there by myself, I will. I ain’t stopping until I see the blood of that son of a bitch.”

“You aren’t alone,” Senior said. “We’ll be right there with you. He shot my baby girl. I want that back in blood.” He took a long pull from his blunt. “Maybe I’ll fully get to retire one day. All y’all muthafuckas stay doing shit. Quaid was the only one who didn’t have my blood pressure up. I’m too old for this. I’m supposed to be retired and spending my days lounging around in my boxers or taking trips out of the country. Hell, I could date and get married.”

His sons and Jakobi broke into laughter.

“Pop, please,” Smoke said. “You are never gonna settle down with one woman.”

“And that woman ain’t my mama,” Deuce reminded him.

Senior chuckled. “I’m gonna allow you to keep believing that I can’t have your mama back if I wanted to, Deuce. She’s happy. That’s all that matters. You’re the one who keeps bringing her up to me.”

“You know you need a reminder at times, old man. It’s over and done with.”

Senior chuckled as he took a sip of his beer. “Okay, Stanley.”

I stifled a laugh. Deuce looked like he was ready to pop a blood vessel. I mean, I understood his reservations. His mom was happily married to what I could assume was a good man by the way he was going hard to keep his father away from her. Ms. Stephanie was fine as shit, even in her older age. If I was Senior, I’d want that old thing back too. I’d be on my knees begging to do right.

The thought made me chuckle out loud.

“What’s funny?” Deuce asked.

“Nothing, man. Your mama is just fine as hell. I see why he’s still stuck on her.”

“Don’t make me shoot you. I’m just learning to tolerate your ass. Let your wandering eye get you kicked out before you can fully join the brotherhood.”

I smirked. “I’m already here,” I said, pointing at my wedding band. “I ain’t going anywhere. Besides, you’d have smoke with alot of people behind me, bruh. It ain’t worth it. We might as well stay on this brotherhood journey. Not that I care, but y’all are all gonna love me one day, just like y’all love Quaid.”

Quaid grinned. “They’ll never admit that they love me. It’s cool though, cause their sister loves the fuck outta me.”

It was Smoke’s turn to laugh. “I mean, you allowed yourself to get kidnapped because you were so thirsty behind Jaeda. It’s giving obsessed.”

“I know you ain’t talking,” Quaid said, sitting up. “Need we run your track record with Romi back? As a matter of fact, we can run all of y’all back. Jaeda told me everything. You know, if y’all were ordinary people, you’d be in jail?”

“Sitting right next to your wife,” Senior stated.

Quaid looked at him for a moment before sitting back. “You right, you right. I take it back.”

Jakobi broke into laughter. “I like this nigga. He really be on y’all ass sometimes, man. And he’s funny as fuck.”

“Funny looking,” Smoke countered.

“Bitch, I know somebody like it!” Quaid tossed back at him.