Page 19 of A Hood Wife And A Rich Goon

“You are making a mistake.” He shook his head. “Don’t think we will be here when all this blows up in your fucking face! The wrong son was buried, and as far as I’m concerned, you are as dead to me as he is. Brenda, tell your son goodbye,” Braxton growled, undiluted hatred darkening his face when he peered up at Toni.

Following them to the door, Bull’s grip remained on his gun until they both stepped out onto the stone porch. Like a sign from God, an explosion of lightening crackled across the sky. He slammed the door shut behind them and made sure to bolt the lock before turning around. When his eyes met hers, Toni shuddered from the top of the stairs. Bull didn’t utter another word. Instead, he tucked his gun in his waistband and traveled back into the kitchen to resume pouring himself a drink. By the time their food arrived, he’d had three shots, and his anger slowly subsided.

After grabbing the bag of food from the delivery person, Bull found Toni coming down the stairs. She was so coy, even in her steps. The only reason it irked him was that it seemed like she was always thinking, so she had to have something to say. That biting your tongue shit was only going to get her so far with him. Soaking in her slim frame in the old t-shirt and socks pulled up to her ankles, he moved past the staircase into the kitchen, and she followed him. Bull unloaded the contents from the bag, and she slid onto one of the leather bar stools to wait for him to address her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“For what?” He lifted the lid to one of the Styrofoam containers to inspect what was inside.

Determining it was her order, he slid it across the counter for her and popped the other open for himself. He ordered a Philly cheesesteak sandwich with steak fries and got her the double bacon cheeseburger she’d been craving.

“For putting you at odds with your family.”

Scoffing, he shook his head. “That damn sure don’t fall on you.”

Toni prepared to say a brief prayer over her food. She surprised Bull when she reached for his hand to pray with him. Something in his fingertips tingled. When his eyes drifted across the counter, he caught the flicker of panic shooting through her gaze too. She quickly brushed it off and bowed her head with her eyes closed.

“Dear God, thank you for this meal we are about to receive. Amen.” When they were done, he jerked his hand out of hers and plucked a fry from his box.

Her mouth watered over the cheesy burger. Flashing him a soft, grateful smile, Toni scooped it into both hands.

“This looks so good.” When she brought it to her mouth, she took a big bite.

Soft moans hummed off her when she chewed, and she did a little bounce in her seat. She’d been a ball of bad nerves for the last twenty-four hours, and this was the first time she’d eaten a meal since they landed from Vegas. While fulfilling her craving, she couldn’t help but observe the diamond on her finger. When Bull mentioned getting married, she thought they were both on a high dosage of some heavy narcotic for even considering it. Now, as she sat in his presence, she found herself with even more questions than when all this started.

“So, we’re really doing this?” Toni asked, holding her hand out and waving the diamond in front of them. “This shit is heavy. Is it insured?”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Bull grumbled, shoving a fry into his mouth and picking up his sandwich from the container.

He was closed off, shut down. Ever since his parents left, this glacial freeze had taken over the space between them. Even before that, he was… guarded. Like letting someone too close was a crime he refused to be held accountable for. She didn’t walk into this with any delusions. Bull made it clear what it was from jump. For the first time, she was glad to walk into a situation with no expectations.

“Let me guess, this must be the part where you shut me out and make it clear that everything that has transpired between us is nothing but a natural reaction to you and all your parental issues. So, it’s best if we just move accordingly and do what’s best for the greater good?” Toni surmised.

Bull’s hard stare cut through her, and she sensed his disdain immediately as she slid off the bar stool and to her feet. Quickly closing her container, she snatched it off the counter along with the bottled water he got for her and started toward the nearest exit.

“Don’t worry. It’s better this way. At least this time I know not to invest too much.” She gave him her back and stomped out of the room.

CHAPTER 5

THINK DIFFERENT

Almost four years later…

Prospect Pointe no longer felt like home. Revving the engine to his classic Chevy, Ezekiel “Eazy” Campbell gripped the wheel and ripped through traffic like he was in hot pursuit. Curving the pavement of the driveway to the Lawndale Funeral Home, he pushed his whip over the hill until he reached his destination on the sacred ground. With the sun setting in the distance, a cool breeze blew over him as he hopped from the driver’s seat, planting his black and gray 11s on the pavement. Adjusting the leather jacket against his torso, he looked left then right to check for any bystanders before approaching a nearby headstone.

“What’s up, baby? A nigga missed you.” Kissing his first and middle finger, he pressed them against the headstone for his girl and set a single rose on top of her marker.

He squatted, eye to eye with her name, jaw instinctively locking tight. Although his eyes misted, he didn’t allow one tear to slip before a weakened smile broke out over his full lips.

“You know how I feel about this city. I told myself I wasn’t ever coming back to this mothafucka after what they did to you, but here I am.” Although she couldn’t answer him back, he knew she could feel him. “It took a long time, but I’m where I’m supposed to be now.” Nodding, he swiped his pants leg and stood tall over her grave. “I love you,” he whispered, pivoting on the heel of his black suede Valentino sneakers and trudging slowly back to his parked car.

Once he was settled in the leather seats, he reached for the blunt in his ashtray and put it to his lips. Sparking the tip, he inhaled and turned the volume to the max while Tupac’s Picture me Rolling rattled his trunk. His grandparents lived about fifteen minutes from the cemetery, so his next stop was to slide up on them and see how they were doing. The 36th block of Oakland was a lot quieter than he remembered. He’d spent most of his life on this street.

Wheeling past some of the houses, he noticed that a few of them were up for sale, and until he got closer to his grandparent’s spot, he didn’t see not one old person on the porch. Growing up meant that you had to watch a lot of your OGs pass away. He remembered not being able to even sneak off the block or have a little tussle with the next motherfucker without word getting back to his people. Around here, it really did take a village to raise a child.

An average metal fence surrounded the two-story home. Since it was left open, he pulled into the gravel driveway behind the red Cadillac that belonged to his grandfather and killed the engine. Putting the rest of his blunt out in the ashtray, Eazy snatched the keys from the ignition and pushed his driver’s door open. About two houses down, a dog barked in a doorway, and he could hear kids playing, so he assumed they were in the backyard.

“Is that lil’ Eazy?” A gruff voice called from behind him when he approached the side entrance to his grandparent’s home.