Page 57

“Nigga,” Keon blew. “Don’t you got a team of people to put on notice?”

“Yeah, and when I’m done with that, I’m folding somebody’s daughter up. Putting her on notice,” Brody said with a grunt as he thrusted against the air.

Eden, tired and still annoyed, shook her head and walked away.

By the time she got to the second floor, her bags were positioned in the closet, and the attendants assigned to the house were unpacking her things and stationing them in their places.

Eden, wanting to be out of the way, roamed out onto the terrace and took in the scenery.

She inhaled, held it, tried to steady herself, and released it. She attempted this a few times before she sensed Maximus. A final breath was pulled in and released before he moved closer and boxed her in.

“Why you not talking to me?” he questioned.

“Can we handle this when we get back home? I’m not trying to ruin your moment.”

“Not knowing why you’re not talking to me is going to ruin my moment, E. You stared at me all flight. You didn’t say a word over here. Be real, what’s up?”

She didn’t speak immediately. She allowed her eyes to trace over the waves.

“I know you told me everything was good. But it’s not.

And don’t feed me no bullshit. I can feel it.

I can feel you. I've felt you before you were mine for real.” Eden broke out his box and moved across the terrace.

“I don’t want to believe that you’ll do something to skew my trust in you. ”

Maximus rubbed his hand over his durag-covered head. “E, it’s gang shit I can handle.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Gang shit you can handle? I've heard that so many times. And it’s never handled easily; it always ends with blood or death. Remember who I am.”

“Oh, baby, I know exactly who you are. Which is why I’m not bringing this shit to you. It ain’t your job to politic gang shit or stand in front of me. I got to handle this the way it needs to be handled.”

“At what cost? I know my aunt, and Mama is greedy bitch. I'm her niece, and she lowkey attempted to extort me.”

Maximus shifted, and Eden caught it. Felt it.

“Is she extorting you?”

“I told you I'm handling it,” he gritted, annoyed that she wouldn’t let it go.

She continued. “How much? And for what?”

“I ain’t gettin’ into all of that, E. I told you I had it. Shit, stop pressing me about it.”

Eden scoffed, then nodded. “Alright, you got it.”

As she attempted to roam back into the room, he reached out for her, but she evaded him. “Don’t. You got it. I'm good.”

She could hear him heavily sigh and curse to himself.

The feeling in her gut wasn’t a result of something she’d made up in her overthinking.

It was real. Like the past of being with Poppi was resurfacing.

The gang shit that was weaved into home-cooked meals, warm hugs, and firm raising.

Gang shit that was always there. Gang shit that was an ever-present danger.

Her stomach churned with the fear of losing the realest thing she’d ever had.

Trae Way was a part of them without question.

But Trae Way was a beast that would eat them and spit out their bones if it wasn’t contained.

The beast was Mama and the group of men and women she commanded.

Their window was closing, and she needed to be on her game to not just make herself, her sister, and their hometown look good, she needed to shine so her man could too. Regardless of how she felt about his positioning, getting him to the next level was her focus for the weekend. Bullshit aside.

The two quietly got ready, moving around each other in their own heads about how to soothe the other and handle the issue. Gang shit would always be gang shit, but when it started affecting their shit, things had to change.

Eden propped her foot up on the ottoman and began fastening her heels around her ankle while holding the hem of her skirt down to keep it from riding up over her widening hips.

Stubbornness wouldn’t allow her to ask for help.

However, Maximus wasn’t equipped to watch her struggle.

A tap to her hips and a gentle move of her body repositioned them.

He sat on the ottoman, the aroma of his cologne and Kush dancing around him as he placed her foot on his leg to finish the task.

His touch was soft, patient, longing to end this silence between them.

He’d end this after the business was handled.

After fastening each heel, he kissed each knee and inhaled her scent.

Before letting her roam out the door, Maximus grabbed her hips and looked up at her. “I promise, when we get back, we’ll talk about it.”

“If you’re going to yell or raise your voice at me, you can save it,” Eden snipped back, attempting to pull herself out of his hold.

He held her firmly, his eyes flashing with solvent for her attitude. “Keep it up, E. I won’t be the only one in here raising my voice.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You look good. Nip that shit before I fuck it all up,” he stated, releasing her just so he could watch her hips and ass sway and bounce away.

Eden checked her silk two-piece set, half ponytail, and makeup before flashing him a look in the mirror. “Thank you. You do too.”

“Mmhmm. You want me to take your pics?”

“No, I'll have Staysha do it,” she sassed and walked out of the room.

She could hear him grumble to himself but paid no mind to it as she made her way further from him and toward her sister.

Staysha could see the attitude bouncing off of Eden the closer she got.

Deciding not to indulge it, she held her hand out for Eden’s phone.

Photos taken, uploaded to the proper channels, and ten minutes later, the group was on the way to the Gallalucci’s beach house.

“I want you to pay attention to everything,” Keon spoke to Maximus while he sat across from Eden, taking her in.

She glared back at him, doing the same. Too fine to be truly upset with, but too lukewarm for comfort. Their ties to the streets were a heavy accessory.

“Lucci is a known Azul Heart. That nigga been high on the totem pole. If he says it, it happens. He’s rebranded himself, buying his hood back, reaching back in the community doing real shit.”

Staysha took her chance to chime in. “Daysha manages his career and a slew of others on the label. She’s been in management for years and she has her own ties to Ganton Hills. Mother, wife, bad ass businesswoman, and her parents live twenty minutes from MB.”

“Them, Zaim and Davina, DJ Eli and his wife Olivia are great industry people to be around. I mean Rudy is cool, but the nigga is a time bomb,” Keon stated.

“Fatima is cool, though,” Staysha stated.

“Aight,” Maximus spoke up, letting his eyes fall from Eden to his phone. He was back pecking away with vigor.

Maximus: So you don’t get to trippin’ on me some more [view photo]

Eden looked down at the phone and ignored the picture downloading because she knew it would only heighten her sour mood. Keon and Staysha continued to talk amongst themselves until they arrived at the mansion.

In her role as Trae Way MB’s lady, she walked in his peripheral vision to his right.

Close enough for him to reach out and touch her if he needed to, and at the perfect angle for him to step in front of her.

Eden was expecting the home to be toppling over with industry people.

To her surprise, it was just the people she’d heard of.

Zaim and his wife, Davina. DJ Eli and his pregnant wife, Olivia. Daysha was holding an arm baby and Julius behind her with another on his shoulders.

“What’s up ni-” Julius started, en route to MB, but corrected himself as Daysha spun to look at him. “Bro. I was going to say, bro, Lotus.”

“Mmhmm. Got my babies saying nigga like they’re about to make an album,” she huffed before turning back toward Eden and Staysha.

“What’s going on, bro?” Maximus greeted with a half-brotherly hug. “This is my lady, Eden. E, this is Lucci and his lady, Day.”

Daysha beamed. Eden was taken aback by her beauty. In tandem, the women spoke. “You are beautiful.”

Eden’s cheeks heated. “Thank you. You’re stunning. Staysha told me you were beautiful, but my goodness.”

Daysha laughed, her cheeks blushing as she leaned in to offer Eden and Staysha some news. “It’s the pregnancy hormones. He got me again.”

“Oh, congratulations,” Eden and Staysha hummed softly.

“Thank you. Let’s leave them here, and I’ll take y’all out back to meet the rest of the crew.”

Trailing behind, Staysha nudged Eden. “You’re moving on up.”

Eden and Staysha were introduced to the women.

“Davina LeRoux, the mastermind behind Beatsville and the Summer Fest, Olivia, filmography extraordinaire, Yanni, beauty spa franchiser, and beauty brand mogul. Ladies, this is Eden Sage, model, actress, brand influencer, and MB’s lady.

Staysha Sage, PR and brand specialist, responsible for both Trae MB’s climb and Eden’s shine. ”

“You’re giving me far too much credit,” Staysha spoke, taking the lead and hugging the women, knowing that Eden, in new settings, sometimes had the habit of going back into her shell.

“I almost started looking for who she was talking about,” Eden joked, thankful Staysha took the lead.

“You two are dope as fuck,” Davina spoke. “I’ve been following y’all. Your story is amazing.”

“Oh, the story,” Yanni buzzed, handing the women a flute of champagne. “Give me the tea.”

Staysha looked at Eden, and they both laughed as they took a seat. “Go ahead, sister.”

“Long story short – we were living our lives in the trenches before MRA signed me to model.”

Olivia groaned. “Girl. All of us, well, Yanni and I, know the trenches all too well. Daysha is a Cashmere Lakes girly, but she’s tough and Davina is a third-generation Monarch.

I’m a second-generation Prophet, before the gangs called a truce and squashed the bullshit.

You don’t have to give us the cute for TV version.

You’re Poppi’s girls, and everyone from coast to coast has respect for Poppi. Own that shit.”

“I’m sorry, gang shit is really getting next to me as of late,” Eden admitted.

Davina spoke up. “Gang shit is always going to be gang shit. We all got men with deep ties to the streets. Even Rolani. It’s not who or what we are, it’s simply where we came from.

The places that gave us our grit and resilience.

You need that shit for this industry you and your man and your sister are kicking in the door to.

You are Trae Way, you say that shit with your chest.”

“Along with all the shit you had to do to survive,” Yanni added.

“When I met Ro, my shop and my house was locked up tighter than Fort Wraith because the nigga I was with wanted to control me. I’ve never shied away from saying that when I met Ro, I saw dollar signs.

I was trying to survive, get back on my feet, and not be the friend who always needed someone to bail me out.

Today, I’m teaching women how to open their businesses, apply for loans and grants, do their business taxes, and be their own bosses. ”

“We had to survive, didn’t we?” Staysha prompted, looking at Eden.

“We did.”

Staysha gave her another assuring nudge. “I’m proud of you.”

“Same.”

The night went on, dinner, dessert, the groups breaking off again, and Eden found herself taking a moment to be still and take in everything. It was Daysha’s soft voice that got her attention.

“Can I share some space with you?” Daysha posed.

“Sure, it’s your home, I’m just a guest,” Eden hummed, scooting over so Daysha could sit by her. “Thank you for having us.”

“Oh, girl, after Jules came back from La Bega, I knew we had to make this happen. How are you adjusting to it all?”

“One minute, I think I have a handle on it. The next, I’m arrested by nerves and worry. How have you done it?”

“I focus on what I can control. I can control that man and his tempo and the tempo of our home. Nothing can penetrate what we built. And gang shit has tried to run my house.”

“It’s trying to run mine, too.”

“Are you going to let it? Those are some strong-willed men. Lucci is a little more erratic than MB. But because MB is quieter doesn’t mean that he’s not leading.

That doesn’t mean that he’s not looking to you for direction either.

They will do whatever they have to do to maintain that peace at home.

We just have to get out of our heads and open our ears.

And then open your mouth and state what you need. ”

“To answer your question – no. I don’t want it to. Gang shit follows both of us. I know what it is to live outside of that man’s world. And I don’t want to ever know that again.”

“You think he wants to know what it feels like to live outside of yours? Julius got away from me once, and getting back into orbit, we had to fight for it. Literally. My unsolicited advice,” Daysha started with a laugh.

“Don’t let it get away from you. I’ve watched you two tonight, so powerful as a unit.

Apart, you let anything creep in. Be it gang shit, hoe shit, fuck nigga shit.

You stay on his ass, and you stay in his business, and you cement your place next to him.

You’re his sanctuary. His place of peace, his covering, his strength.

Don’t let the streets or these bitches out here trick you out your bag or your position, girl. ”

Eden swiped a tear from her cheek and sighed. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I know how much weight comes with position.

I know the vultures, but I know goodness and you are good; you’re the best thing for him and he’s the best thing for you.

If you ever need an ear, I'm here. I know you have your sister, but you both have a tribe now. And we’re always going to make sure one of ours is good. ”

“I appreciate you. All these emotions are running rampant and I’m off my period, imagine that,” Eden laughed, not seeing Daysha’s smirk.

“It’s a big weekend and a lot of moving parts, you’re going to be fine. But do me a favor.”

“What’s that?”

“Make up with your man tonight. They perform so much better when they can smell us on them.”

“That’s how you stay pregnant, huh?” Eden laughed.

Daysha laughed. “Oh, yes, and I can’t get up off of him either.”