Page 21

ADIR

Chucking my head at Alli, I said, “Watch the grill for a minute.”

My lady was across the yard talking to DJ.

That was cool and everything until the smile she had on her face dimmed a little.

I was by her side in mere seconds.

She beamed much brighter when I stepped into her space and kissed both of her cheeks.

“You good, baby?”

Her eyes said ‘no’, but her mouth uttered, “Of course. I’m just grabbing water for myself and Minnie.”

“Aight. The food will be done in a minute.” I kissed her again before she sailed off back to the table with my mama and sister.

Turning to an unbothered DJ, I asked, “The fuck did you say to her?”

He choked on his drink and chuckled.

“The fuck you checkin’ me for?”

Chuckling as I glanced around the lively backyard, I gave him a minute to remember who the fuck he was talking to.

Nervously, he glanced around, too, as my humor fizzled out.

“Start over… Address me like the demon you know takes but a split second for me to become.”

He grinned and threw his empty hand up.

“Come on, mane, we’re cousins. First cousins to be exact. I simply told ya wife she looks good in that dress. Ain’t no harm in what I said.”

My jaw flexed from how deeply I skewered into my back teeth.

I advanced on him and took pleasure in the way he took a step back.

“I could give a fuck about first, second, or third anything, nigga. I’on give a fuck if she’s prancin’ ‘round here ass fuckin’ naked. Find you somebody else to play wit’ before I rearrange yo’ trachea and esophagus.”

His response was to sip his drink with an unbothered grin.

“You doin’ too much,” he stated.

“Mind you, we been through a lot of shit together. You really ‘bout to let a simple comment come between family.” Disappointed, he shook his head. “Every family should be built on loyalty. Since I can’t speak on every family, I’ma speak on this one. This family is built on loyalty. Never thought I’d see the day that you questioned mine.”

DJ walked away and surprisingly, I felt like shit for taking it too far.

“You cool, Pops?”

Peace appeared in front of me. His gaze bounced between me and DJ.

“Yeah, I’m good, son. Everything good with Quilo?” I had to change the subject or else Peace would’ve thought something was up. The last thing I wanted was for my boys to think that there was trouble amongst the family. Even though they were old enough to understand people sometimes had differences, I would never raise them to go against the family.

You just threatened to kill ya own cousin.

“Everything’s good,” he assured me.

“As long as Humble don’t put his hands on him, I consider that a win.”

I mushed my son upside his head and joined him in laughter.

“I like this side of you, Pops,” he stated.

“Mama Pretty did you some good.”

This time I snatched him up and put him in a headlock.

“You callin’ me soft?” I teased.

He died laughing and maneuvered out of my hold.

“Strong ass,” he mumbled comically.

“I’m ‘bout to go tell Mama Pretty you put ya hands on me.” I jumped at him, causing him to hurry off. His ass went straight to the table where Pretty was. He said something to her, and her eyes zoned in on me. She glared playfully and wagged her finger at me. I shrugged and went back to the grill.

If my boys could see how happy I was with Pretty, then so could everyone else. My eyes scanned the backyard until they landed on DJ. He was sitting with his sister, Heir, and their mama, Maddie. Aunt Maddie laid her head on her son’s shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head. Yeah, maybe I flew off the rails with that nigga. Pulling that comment stunt wasn’t a big deal, but his ass had better tread lightly when it came to Pretty Bell.

When the food was finally done, I made myself and my lady a plate, then joined her at the picnic table.

“Taste this,” I said, offering her a piece of my rib since she requested chicken.

She took the tender meat from my fingers and licked the barbecue from my fingers.

“Mm, mmm.” Bianca’s nose turned up, causing Pretty to cackle.

“Don’t nobody wanna see all that.”

“See all what?”

Bianca’s back stiffened at the sound of Antonias’s voice.

He made himself comfortable next to her with his plate piled to the brim.

“Can you scoot over?” she requested with an attitude.

“Nah, I can’t,” he replied and started digging into his food.

I laughed because his ass was good and stupid.

“Adir… Get yo’ friend,” Bianca said.

It sounded like she wanted to whine.

Pretty’s hand covered my lips as she giggled.

“Eat, baby.”

“See, I knew I liked you, Pretty,” Antonias chimed in and said.

“Wait. I thought we were cool, Pretty.” Bianca eyed my wife like she was offended that she didn’t have her back.

“We are cool, sis. That’s why I’m trying to help you.” Pretty pointedly looked at Antonias, who was shoveling his food down like it would run from him.

Bianca’s face balled up.

“Girl, I do not want this man.”

Antonias chuckled.

“She lyin’ on a Sunday. Damn shame, BeBe.”

“First of all, I done told yo’ ass to quit calling me that,” Bianca hissed.

“Second of all, I don’t want you.”

Antonias grinned in her face.

“You gon’ fight it ‘til we’re walkin’ down the aisle, or what?”

Bianca’s mouth parted in shock.

She stared at Antonias, unblinking and mute.

He leaned over and kissed her lips.

“Stop talkin’ shit and finish eating,” he said.

Bianca’s eyes tripped to me as if she needed my help.

I simply pointed to my wife.

She told me to shut up and mind my business, so that was what I intended to do.

Bianca was in good hands.

“‘Sup, Pops?”

Ashing the blunt, I waved Humble over to have a seat at the table. He lowered himself into a seat and motioned towards the blunt sitting in the ash tray.

“Not only is it almost midnight, but you only do that when you’re stressed,” he said. My son… His ass was so damn observant.

“I’m proud of you. You know that, right?”

“Without a doubt,” he replied.

“Thought about what you wanna do after school?”

He sat back in his chair and deeply sighed. “Honestly, I’ve been thinkin’ about workin’ for you. Either at the office or…”

“You wanna be a doctor?”

He snickered. “Nah. I’m cool with being a nurse like Uncle Adrian.”

“Oh, aight. That’s cool. I like that.” Tapping my finger on the table, I realized that what I was about to say was going to take my son from the young man I knew him to be, to a man that would one day sit in my seat. “How would you feel about becoming my third-in-command?”

Shock shown on his face. “For real? What about DJ?”

“While you’re finishing school, I’m gon’ transition him into another role. Thing is, you’re my oldest son and heir to my position, should you accept. Preparation for what is to come is paramount. Starting at the beginning of the year, you’ll be shadowing DJ on and off. I know you’re good with a gun, but I need you good with everything . Yeah?”

He nodded. “Aight, Pops. I got you.”

“I know you do, baby.” I dapped him and held back my emotions. There were plenty of things that I was coldhearted about. My wife and kids weren’t in that selection. “I love you.

”

“I love you, too, Pops.”

He stood from the table and backtracked to the house.

For a few more minutes, I sat out on the patio processing how much times had changed.

My kids were no longer kids.

They were getting older and would one day no longer need me in the capacity they did now.

They’d move on, have their own wives and children.

They’d have their own careers.

“Everything okay, baby?”

Pretty appeared at the patio sliding door, concern on her beautiful face.

I beckoned her to me.

“Come here.”

Without any hesitation, she padded my way until she was seated in my lap.

Her soft hands smoothed over my beard as she leaned forward to kiss me.

Last night was our first time making love.

Several times throughout the night I wanted to roll her over for round two.

The only thing that stopped me was the fact that I knew she was sore.

I wanted her to enjoy making love to me without feeling like I was going to kill her ass every time.

Mid thought, my brain froze.

Pretty’s hand tugged at the waist band of my joggers as she deepened the kiss.

My hand went up into the curls at the nape of her neck.

I tugged her head back to access the front of her neck.

I bit into her flesh, leaving a mark there.

“I’m tryna let you recover, my baby,” I mumbled against the nerve pulsing in that spot.

“Fuck recovery. I need you inside me now, Dr. Bell,” she purred as she climbed from my lap.

With the speed of a bullet, I was out of the chair, hoisting her over my shoulder, and carrying her to our bedroom.

She didn’t giggle once as her hands smoothed down my back and over my ass.

Her touch just did something to me…

I’d never felt something so powerful before.

As I closed the door to our room, I placed her on her feet.

“Did I mention that our room is soundproof?”

Her eyebrows peaked, and her eyes lit up like holiday lights.

She removed my T-shirt that she wore over a pair of her lounge pants.

Free, her titties bounced.

Next, she removed the pants she wore revealing that she was bare beneath.

I nearly swallowed my tongue.

“So… You won’t mind if I scream your name over… and over?” she questioned as she perched herself on the edge of the bed.

“Come here.”

High as fuck and hard as fuck, I stripped down and stepped in front of her while fisting myself.

She moved my hand and replaced it with hers.

“Sss…” My head leaned back just for a second.

I didn’t want to miss this shit.

Slowly, she swirled her tongue around the head of my dick, and I jerked in reaction.

Removing the tie holding her hair up, I wrapped her curly strands around my fist and bit into my lip as she spit on my tip.

Just a second later she had me inside her mouth, gobbling my shit up.

Her head bobbed expertly along with the massaging of her hands.

“You so fuckin’ sexy, my baby.” By now, I had my other hand around her throat, groaning deeply as she took me down that bitch.

I was too ready to bust down that muhfucka.

At the last minute, I pulled out, staving off the nut that was ready to shoot out.

Eager to have me buried deep inside her, she moved to the center of the bed, gave me her back, and arched her spine perfectly.

I was right there, smacking her ass cheeks as I entered her from behind.

“Shit!” she exclaimed and ran from the dick at first. Her hands fisted the comforter beneath us.

The sparkling diamond band and huge diamond rock on her left ring finger reminded me that this woman was my wife.

This pussy was mine to tear up for the rest of our lives.

And since she started this shit…

I entered her deeply, grunting from her pussy caving in on me.

“Adir!” she shrieked long and loudly.

Her ass cheeks bounced gracefully even though I drove into her furiously.

“Ah, shit! Adir!” My name dripped off her lips chopped and screwed as fuck.

I spanked her ass hard, firing up both globes while I dug as deep as I could.

That caused her to throw it back at me.

“Fuck me, Pretty!” I demanded gruffly.

Growling, I threw my head back, held myself still, and let her take it as she came all over me.

Her river spilled down my thighs, prompting me to pull the fuck out.

I planted my face between her ass cheeks and devoured the fuck out of her asshole.

She came even harder, squealing, spraying, and shouting my name.

And still, I laid underneath her and sat her pussy down on my face.

“Ooohhh!” she moaned in an octave I hadn’t heard before.

I loved that shit! Her body shivered viciously as she squirted into my mouth.

She fell over, and I was right there to enter her pussy again.

Stretching her legs over my shoulders, she grabbed her ankles and put herself into a split.

The vision she made with her mouth wide open, pussy popped open, back arched off the bed, titties jiggling, and tear tracks running down her face sent me to heights I’d never been to before.

Kissing her deeply, I knew that this bond was one that I would never break.

Anybody who dared fuck this up would end up in a casket.

I took her ass into my hands and pinned her body to the bed with mine while my hips swiveled and hit her so deep we both cried out repeatedly until we were both empty and spent.

Somewhere over in the morning, I awoke to my phone ringing.

Pretty’s naked frame was plastered to mine, and she stirred at me, shifting our position so that I could get to the phone.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“We have a problem.”