Page 38 of A Kingpin’s Weakness

Stormi

“How were you able to sneak in town without Seth knowing?” RJ asked as he tossed my second suitcase into the back of his trunk.

He and Ari had pulled up to scoop me from the airport, and my heart was racing the entire ride down. I kept checking my phone, waiting for a text from Seth, half-hoping and half-praying he didn’t somehow find out I was in his city breathing his air.

“I had to bring in reinforcements,” I grinned. “Ms. Serena been playing decoy all day. Told him she wanted some mother-son time and needed him to help run errands like grocery shopping, new pillows, some fake-ass wine tasting too, I think.”

RJ’s laugh rumbled from his chest. “You know you wrong.”

“I know,” I smirked. “But in the best way.”

Truth was, I missed that man like crazy. Work had kept me busy, sure, but not busy enough to stop my mind from wandering to his voice, his touch, the way he looked at me like I was something he prayed for. That long-distance thing we agreed to was cute in theory but torture in real life.

“So, I’m dropping you off at his house?”

“Nah,” I said, smiling to myself. “I’m surprising him at Josh’s yacht party tonight.”

“Oop. Pulling up on your man in front of the whole city?” Ari turned around from the passenger seat with raised brows.

“Dramatic entrances are kinda my thing.” I winked.

“You got your swimsuit already?” she asked, like she didn’t already know I didn’t come to play.

“Yup. Got my swimsuit and this body in it. You already know.”

“Please remember your man is insane. We do not need him tossing anybody overboard just for looking at you.” She snorted, and both her and RJ busted out laughing.

I sucked my teeth, rolling my eyes playfully. “Y’all annoying but not wrong.”

Seth was crazy, but it was the kind of crazy I liked. The protective kind. The kind that made me feel safe and wanted in a way I wasn’t used to.

“RJ rubbing off on you too much,” I joked, smirking at Ari.

“Two hours to get ready and be at the port,” RJ said, all business.

“Okay,” I replied.

RJ gave us both a look. “That means two, not three.”

“Strict over here,” I laughed, dragging my suitcase inside.

Of course, two hours turned into three, like we all knew it would. Black folks don’t start nothing on time, especially not yacht parties that ain't on nobody's clock. Josh wasn’t renting, this was his boat. His rules. Which meant I had time to serve.

I sent Seth a text earlier saying I had a headache and was going to bed.

Almost fumbled the whole surprise when he FaceTimed me, trying to check on me and tell me he was sending food and medicine to the house.

This man really was spoiling me and stressing me out at the same time.

I killed the call with a fake yawn and a weak smile, hoping he didn’t catch on.

By the time we were ready, I was in my bag.

A white and blue Dior two-piece hugged every curve, the matching mesh cover-up giving just enough.

My slides matched, my shades matched, and my ponytail was sleek and swinging past my ass like it had a purpose.

I looked in the mirror and almost gasped at myself.

I was ready to pop out. Ready to turn this summer all the way up .

Ari walked in and stopped cold. “Stormi. Really?”

“What?” I spun around, giving her the full 360.

“We said we wasn’t gonna get nobody killed tonight.” She burst out laughing. “Girl, you look the fuck good.”

“And so do you, don’t play!” We both screamed for RJ, who was laid across the sofa looking like he was two seconds from falling asleep.

“About damn time,” he mumbled, pulling himself up.

“Boy, all you had to do was throw on some damn shorts!” Ari and I said in sync.

We all burst out laughing. The energy was high, the night was young, and my heart was pounding because I knew when Seth laid eyes on me?

He wouldn’t see just a surprise. He’d see his woman. His peace. His forever.

We headed out the door and made our way to the port, the sun starting to dip low, casting a golden hue over the city. My heart was doing the most, thumping in my chest like it already knew who it was about to see.

I sat in the backseat, scrolling through my text thread with Seth.

He had sent me so many messages in the past couple of hours checking on me, offering to order food, asking if I needed anything from the store.

Talking about he’d drop off soup and Tylenol at my doorstep like we lived around the corner from each other.

He really thought I was home with a headache, wrapped in blankets.

Meanwhile, I was ten minutes from blowing his damn mind.

I missed him so bad it was stupid. The late-night FaceTimes, the sleepy good morning texts, the “this would be better if you were here” messages… I felt every single one of them in my chest.

“Josh says everybody’s already there, and he just waitin’ on us,” RJ said from the driver’s seat, breaking my thoughts.

“He knows I’m here?” I asked quickly.

“Nope.”

“Good. ’Cause he would’ve ruined the whole surprise.” I loved Josh like a brother, but the man couldn’t hold water. RJ and Ari laughed, but I was deadass serious.

Seth was the type to feel my energy the minute I stepped foot in the state.

I was honestly shocked I’d made it this far without him popping up.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to the port.

My stomach twisted a little when I saw the big-ass yacht parked like it owned the ocean.

I could hear the music and people’s voices before we even got close enough to step on the dock.

This was it. Time to see my man. The yacht was lit literally and figuratively. Lights bouncing off the water, bass thumping in the background, laughter spilling from every corner. Josh spotted us first.

“Happy birthday, big head,” I said with a big grin, hugging him and handing over the wrapped gift.

His eyes widened like he was seeing a ghost. “Stormi! What you doin’ on this side of town?”

“Enjoying my summer,” I said with a sly smile.

He looked me up and down. “Yeah, we gon’ need to get you a hoodie or something. Don’t need Seth tossing nobody overboard.”

“I said the same thing,” Ari added, nudging me with her elbow.

We all laughed, but the truth was, Seth really would act out. And a petty part of me wanted him to. Just a little. Just enough to let these people know I was his and he wasn’t going nowhere.

As we stepped deeper onto the yacht, I took it all in; music bumpin’, drinks flowing, people dancing, talking, flirting.

It felt like the official start of summer.

But none of it mattered until I saw him.

My eyes scanned the space, section by section.

I was trying not to look too pressed, but my eyes were hungry. Searching.

“Hey, is he here yet?” I asked, not even bothering to hide the urgency in my voice.

Josh smirked . “Who? Seth?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, he here. Him, Rich, and Southside upstairs on the sundeck.” I nodded, but I felt my heart drop a little. Not from nerves, but from the build-up. I’d waited so long to be in his space again, and now I was just one level away.

I walked away from Josh, RJ, and Ari, heart racing like I was walking into something I wasn’t fully ready for.

But that’s the thing with Seth I never feel fully ready.

Everything about him was intense, fast, heavy.

The love, the energy, the way he looked at me like I belonged to him, even when I wasn’t sure I belonged anywhere yet.

Maybe that’s why I couldn’t wait until next week. Maybe that’s why I jumped on an early flight and decided to pop up. Because as much as I wanted to take things slow my heart kept speeding up every time I thought of him.

“Come and see me… for once…” PartyNextDoor’s voice floated through the speakers as I pushed through the crowd. The irony of it almost made me laugh. Instead, I kept walking, eyes scanning.

Damn. Where he at?

“Damn, slow down, beautiful. Let me get to know you,” some random guy said as he reached for my arm.

“I’m good.” I pulled away quick, not breaking stride. I didn’t come here for all that. I came to see my man. And then I saw them.

Southside. Rich. Their eyes locked with mine first, and then all three of us turned to look at him.

Seth. He was on the upper deck, pouring a shot straight into some random girl’s mouth while her friend twerked in front of her.

Laughing, grinning, surrounded by noise and bodies and vibes and none of that shit included me.

The way my heart dropped like it literally forgot how to beat for a second.

The moment he saw me, he froze. And then, without hesitation, he hopped down to the lower level like he was about to chase after something he knew he fucked up.

I turned on instinct and booked it in the other direction.

Because what we not gonna do is play in my face like that.

Let the roles have been reversed and I had a nigga pouring liquor between my lips, Seth would’ve turned this yacht into a damn crime scene.

So nah, he didn’t get to have his fun and act confused when I wasn’t having it.

“Hey, you wanna dance?” I spun around and smiled at the same guy who tried hollering earlier.

“Fall the fuck back, my nigga,” Seth’s voice cut through the bass like thunder, and before I could say anything, he shoved dude into the side of the door.

“Stormi!” He grabbed my arm like I was about to run off again.

“What?”

“You don’t hear me calling you?” His jaw was tight, eyes locked on mine like he had the nerve to be the one upset.

“Thought you was busy.” I raised a brow and crossed my arms.

“Man, that shit not even what it look like.”

“Then what was it, Seth?”

“Not that.”

“Cool. So next party, I’ll let some dude pour a shot in my mouth. You cool with that?”

He went quiet. Didn’t say a damn word. Didn’t have to. The answer was all over his face. I shook my head and walked off, done with the bullshit for the moment. I spotted RJ and the crew and made a beeline toward them.