Page 23

“Stop playing with me, Landon.”

I laughed. “Deadass.”

Avril came back into the house and shuffled into the kitchen. “Landon, you know that man pulled off way too happy to drive to work this morning, right?”

“And I bet he’s taking you out tonight, too, huh?” Navy smiled at her mother, who started blushing at the thought.

“Stay out my business little girl,” she joked. “I’m gonna get ready for work. You gonna stay around here today?”

“Nope. Landon is taking me to his house. He has to work and I’m gonna film a few videos and freeload his Wi-Fi in his nice penthouse.”

“Penthouse, huh? Landon, what is it that you do again?” Avril put her hand on her hip, waiting for me to reply.

“I’m an accountant and dabble in cyber security for my brother’s companies,” I explained the best way that I could.

“Hmm… and you went to college?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You hear that, Navy… he went to college.” She walked over, pinched her daughter’s cheek and went to the back toward her room.

Me and Navy walked to her apartment so she could get some clothes. Soon as we entered her apartment, I sat on her bed and laid my head back on her mattress while she got her shit together.

“Was it too much meeting my family?”

“Nah, why?” I asked, my eyes still closed.

“Just wondering… you don’t speak much about yours.” It wasn’t that I was ashamed of my family. I just didn’t feel the need to talk about them often.

It wasn’t like we were some close-knit family like Navy’s was. We didn’t get together often, and the only reason now was because of Stevie. My brother calling yesterday was the first time he called, and it wasn’t surrounding work.

“What you wanna know, Bleu.”

She climbed up on the bed and sat next to me. My eyes remained closed as she stared over me. “I know you have a brother… what else?”

“Greene ain’t never told you about my family? She literally works with Menace and his wife.”

“She doesn’t speak much about what she does or Menace. Greene is very loyal, and she protects your brother and his wife.”

“Good to know.”

“They must feel the same way about her because that new car is beautiful. Not any boss is gonna do that, you know?”

“Menace and Stevie take care of their people. Not too many people are granted access to them, so those that are, they treat them well.”

She traced my lips with her fingers. “Is it just you, your brother, and sister?”

“I have another sister.”

“Older?”

“Yeah… I’m the youngest.”

“Awe, you’re the baby,” she teased, and I chuckled.

I opened my eyes and looked at her. “Yeah.”

“What about your parents? You mentioned never having a mom or something when you met my mother.”

“They died when I was young.”

She gasped. “I’m sorry, Landon.”

“It’s cool… I don’t remember them much.”

“Doesn’t make it cool, Don… or make it hurt any less because you don’t remember much.” She rubbed the side of my face.

Her touch was something that made me feel calm on the inside. I didn’t speak about my parents at all and stopped asking my sisters and brother about them. It seemed like a trigger for them, and they never wanted to talk about it.

With Navy, I didn’t feel defensive or upset that I had to tell her. If anything, it was how she leaned over me and wanted to console me that made me look at her differently.

“This stranger shit not gonna last, Bleu.”

She smiled. “Why is that?”

Her voice was so soft, barely above a whisper, as we both intensely stared at one another. “I think you know why, baby.”

Her lips touched my forehead, and she then climbed off the bed. “I’m gonna just bring my laptop and a hoodie because I get cold quick.”

I remained laying on her bed as I watched her walk around her apartment. “Stay the night with me.”

“Yeah?”

It was the way she always asked yeah in a question that was cute. “Uh, huh.”

“Separate rooms, right? ‘Cause you are a stranger.”

I laughed. “I mean, I would like you in the bed with me… but you can stay in the guest room.”

“Hmm, we’ll see.”

I smirked as I closed my eyes, feeling like I had been ran the fuck over by an ice cream truck.

Navy’s damn family knew how to out drink a damn fish, and her grandfather was no better.

Damn man continued to convince me to drink that strong ass rum.

Aside from my family and Beans, the people that looked out for me were on payroll.

It was their job, between life and death fucking with Meance, to make sure I was straight.

The fact that I allowed myself to get so drunk, not thinking of the usual shit was dangerous.

It was for me to always be on my game, and Navy’s family made sure I was straight.

Her father took me to their home and made sure I was safe.

They didn’t give a fuck about the money or who I was.

They were good people, and it was in their nature to do shit like that for the people that came into their circle.

You could tell a lot about a person when it came to their family. Navy was raised around a family that were tight-knit and were good people, which made her a good person.