Page 99 of A Capo’s Love: Featuring A Don’s Love

“I might not be the nigga you pictured for your daughter,” I said, voice low and steady, “but I’m definitely that nigga for her. She’s mine, and I ain’t gone even throw my weight around to prove that shit. The money that I’m dropping to ensure that the lounge goes to her should be enough for you to reconsider your grievances.” I let my words hang in the air, my resolve clear as day. He could keep his judgments, but he couldn’t keep her from what was meant for her…or from me.

He squared his shoulders, meeting my stare with a quiet intensity.

“You a Bonetti so your actions and cockiness don’t surprise nor intimidate me.” He snarled.

Anytime a nigga said something like that, it was the total opposite, but I let him make it for now.

“My daughter isn’t property,” he said, voice tight with emotion. “No amount of money you throw around could ever equal what she means to me… her worth can’t be measured in dollars or deeds.”

“You right.” I smirked. “But you failing to realize that your baby girl want that place… she’s been saving every dollar she makes slaving at that mutha fucka to buy it. You a good father to a certain extent, my nigga… but you been overlooking a lot when it comes to her, and I dare you to repeat what the fuck I just said,” I threatened.

“I’m stepping to you as a man first when you know I don’t have to,” I gritted out.

“Be in fuckin’ business mode, ready to accept my offer come Monday,” I took two more steps into his personal space, reached out and dusted invisible lent off his suit jacket. “Cause if I don’t get what I want…” I clicked my teeth not even bothering to finish my sentence.

“Get the fuck on, Jeremiah Reed.”

CHAPTER 24

Amaris

H.B.I.C … NEW YEARS EVE

The loneliest room in the world wasn’t an empty one, it was a crowded one. I was inside a room full of base thumping music with people laughing and celebrating an impending New Year. I sat feeling miserable in the Velvet room of Spike’s Lounge. It was shoulder to shoulder with people, my staff was on point not needing my help, so Keisha convinced me to get dressed up and attend as a guest instead of working and staying on top of everyone.

I was still stuck thinking about the ‘what if’s’ and what all I could have said days ago in front of my father. I felt like I didn’t fight hard enough, I didn’t say enough, and now Royal’s silence spoke louder than words from not only my punk ass actions, but my father’s as well. I mean, who really wanted to deal with a woman who still lived with their father? If I was him, I wouldn’t want to deal with me either.

I mean, when I really thought about it… I was in my late twenties, stressing majority of the days of where the hell my so-called always bored father was without a life of my own.

Shit was pathetic as fuck. Meeting Royal really opened my eyes up to just how backward I had been living my life. It’s why my dad felt so comfortable intervening and stepping to Royal like I was an underage girl instead of a grown ass, well established in my own rights woman.

I scanned the faces of many people and secretly wished I could be in a joyous mood like they were. I was dangerously close to slipping into a depression that felt gut wrenching because I didn’t expect to experience a broken heart just from not having access to Royal like I wanted to. I mean, I hadn’t known the man past four months… I was so used to being the one to curve a man, not the other way around.

Maybe he really was the one… I thought. We might’ve happened random as hell, but our vibe and personalities meshed so well together. He was blunt, brutally honest, cocky, and very arrogant but underneath all of that was a man with a heart made of gold. Royal was a real ass man. I never felt the type of connection with any other man like I did with him. He wasn’t trying to rush anything; we didn’t put a label to what we were doing, and I liked that the most.

We respected each other and fell into a comfortable routine that I felt secure in. I couldn’t explain none of it, if a person came up and asked me what we were… I’d simply say ‘That’s my Ro Ro.’ One day he was just a man I met because my father took out a loan. Then the next it felt like my heart had quietly rearranged itself around him without asking for my permission.

I don’t know why being around him felt so familiar, but I didn’t want that snatched away. I observed so much of him that it probably was close to me being considered a creep. I watched his expressions and the way he moved through his home while muttering things under his breath before getting his day started. He loved putting a bowl of dry Honeycomb cereal in the freezer at night so in the morning it was nice and cold.

No matter the emptiness in his eyes, he was full of life. The man loved blasting Boss Man Dlo no matter his mood, and he was actually funny as hell. It’s like he loved to live his life laughing through his pain. He carried bricks on his back and shoulder effortlessly and still made sure the people he loved was well taken care of.

Royal was so happy that he finally had his mother out of an abusive situation. Hell, I even found myself drawing close to his mom. She was witty, funny as hell and had the same caring personality as her son. She didn’t make me feel like I was just some woman passing through in her son’s life. She opened her arms and her heart to me so effortlessly that it first left me emotional, wishing my own mom was like his. I found myself looking forward to seeing her after my work days instead of going home to an empty house.

She would be the one to let me in Royal’s house whenever he hadn’t arrived yet. We’d end up in the kitchen talking while she cooked. Every recipe of hers came with a story. Most of the stories she told were sad, but I took it as it being a form of therapy for her to express herself. I found myself so damn comfortable with her, I told her about my mom and how she basically abandoned me.

I bonded with her and missed her too. I missed Royal’s house and how I felt when I was there. I didn’t worry about what my dad was doing and if he was keeping himself out of trouble. It felt like I had my own life that I was living without being under his thumb and stressing myself out continuously after working long hours at his lounge that he never gave me props for.

The amber liquor burned down my throat as I took another shot, hoping that it would pick me up. Keisha was animated and on one tonight. It was clear her and my dad were back on good terms. That was the only time she seemed to be in a good mood, which was sad as hell to me.

It was a day after my birthday, and I never spent it being unhappy like I was tonight. Hell, it was Royal’s birthday and he hadn’t even texted me back to say ‘Thank you’ after I wished him a happy birthday. I stared down at my phone, feeling myself getting irritated as hell. My screen stayed empty like it had all week.

I only received one dry ass text from him yesterday and it was to wish me a happy birthday, which wasn’t good enough to me, so I didn’t respond. The wrong thing for a person to do to me was ignore me, especially when I constantly reached out. It felt like I was mourning him since I wouldn’t be the woman to embarrass myself by begging his ass to talk to me. I wasn’t about to chase no man no matter how deep I felt the connection was. It was torture; it hurt me to the core, but I would eventually let it go… at least I hoped so.

“Give me that phone.” Keisha snatched my phone out of my hand and set it down on the table.

I bounced my leg rapidly and glared at her hard as hell because that was one thing I didn’t play about… my phone.

“Keisha, give me my fuckin’ phone and stop playing with me,” I warned.