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Joce had another meeting, so she left after a few more minutes. She and Brandi were confident in whatever plan they had concocted, while I was still waiting to see who the mystery person was that they thought would be the perfect fit for this half-cocked plan.

While we waited for them to show up, I scrolled through social media. I rarely posted unless it was for my music or a brand deal, and even then my social media managers handled those things. The only reason I used it was to see what my friends and family were up to.

I smiled when I saw Draike holding up a trophy for a tattoo competition he recently attended. After Jah brought him into the shop, he stepped up big time. His name was making waves, and the shop had become even more popular than before.

Jah opened another shop and even snagged two of the hottest artists from Liberty Heights, a nearby town. The shop got so much buzz that Jah was offered a chance to put the shop on reality TV. Of course, he wasn’t on board because he didn’t want his hard work tied to messy drama. I understood where he was coming from, but I also believed it could earn astronomical amounts of money if things went well. He was talking it over with his lawyer and his wife, Benet, so I guess we would have to wait and see.

I scrolled down a little further and grinned when I saw a photo collage of my sister’s Yaya and Malea on the beach with my niece and nephew. Deuce was bad as hell, but he was a character. They were on a family vacation at Virginia Beach. Messiah was shooting a commercial for an athletic wear company, so he couldn’t be there, but they had security with them.

After the situation with Honesty, a few years back, the family rarely went anywhere without bodyguards. It wasn’t necessarily out of fear, but because they understood their family was in the public eye and people would try to push boundaries to get close to them.

I commented under Yaya’s post, saying she and Malea needed to put on cover-ups, and laughed when she replied.

MessiahsAngel3: I’m grown as hell and you are NOT my daddy lil’ boy. As long as Big Daddy approves, I’ma wear what I want.

SoloDaVoice: Eww, ion wanna see that mess. Big Daddy is wild.

When Messiah replied to my comment, I knew it was time for me to head out because he loved to take things too far.

SiahForPresident: Aye, you need to stay out of grown folks’ business. My wife looks good as hell, and I can’t wait to dive off in that gushy shit. She finna be pregnant soon, so let her enjoy herself while she can.

SoloDaVoice: Y’all disgust me. I’m out of here.

I laughed as I exited the app. As soon as I put my phone down, Siah messaged me. I wasn’t the least bit shocked because Messiah was a family man, and he never missed a beat when it came to anyone in the family, me included.

Big Bro: You good?

Me: I’m straight. In the office with the label right now. They're saying I need to clean up my act.

Messiah was the jokester of the family, but he was also the person people came to for sound advice. Siah wasn’t the type to sugarcoat or mince words in any way. He gave you the truth in its rawest form, and that was what I needed.

Big Bro: You’ve been fuckin up lately, but we’re gonna talk. Come slide through tonight.

Me: No doubt. I’ll see you later.

Big Bro: I love you, bro.

Me: Luh you too, brodi.

I chuckled lowly as I recalled how much of a hard time I gave Messiah over the years. My trust in people was low, especially when it came to men, because I had seen the women go through hell to keep a man around. I didn’t trust him in the beginning, but he never stopped being there for me and showing me what it meant to be a man. He taught me that emotions weren’t a sign of weakness and that it was important to make sure the people you loved felt safe and cared for.

Growing up, I wasn’t used to love or expressions of it, so it took a while to grasp the concept. Meesha never hugged us or told us she loved us, so in turn we never shared those forms of affection with others. Yaya never told me she loved me when we were younger, but I never questioned her love because of her actions. She took care of me when my own mother wouldn’t, and I viewed that as love.

Over the years, women would tell me they loved me, but I never responded because I didn’t believe in lying. To me, love was something deep and sacred. It wasn’t supposed to be a fleeting emotion people tossed around with no meaning behind it.

To this day, the only women I expressed my love to were my sisters and Honesty, and when I said it, there was meaning behind it. I would die for them, and I would kill for them too.

“I’m sorry for taking so long. The traffic on Park Ave was crazy.”

My head shot up at the sound of a familiar voice. I was instantly confused when I saw her sit next to me at the table. When I glanced over at Brandi, she wore a mischievous grin, letting me know it was about to be some bullshit.

“What’s up, bestie boo? You look good for a man who’s fresh out of the clink.” Honesty giggled as she removed a random piece of lint from my shirt.

“What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know. Brandi asked if I could come up here to talk some sense into you, I guess. Why are you giving these people such a hard time?” she probed, her big brown eyes holding worry inside of them.

“A man can’t have a bad night?”