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“Mommy, I love skrimps so much! You’re the best mommy ever!”

Giggling at my daughter’s pronunciation, I watched her as she ran all over the living room as I prepared our seafood boil. We were going to go out for a day of fun, but I talked her into staying home since she was going on a trip with her father soon. I didn’t want her to go, but I couldn’t be selfish when it comes to spending time with him. With that being said, I decided that it was only right that Rebecca and I had a conversation before they left.

The night of the auction, I thought I was going to pass out with all of the Boudreaux men being in one room. Their aura was suffocating, and I knew soon enough they were going to see me for who I was. Jules was scary, but the way Rosier kept his eyes on me sent chills through my entire body. It was as if he could see through me. As the night went on, getting acquainted with their wives made me comfortable. The ladies spoke so highly of their men that I was becoming conflicted. If they were such bad men, how could they do so much good in their communities?

I knew of the charities, sponsorships, and donations on paper, but hearing about all they’ve done in person through conversation just hit differently. I sat back and watched how the men interacted with their wives and each other. It was nothing but love and respect in their circle, and I was a little envious. The Mills being there added another layer. Uno wasn’t in attendance, but Wild and Skip interacted with them as if they’d been friends forever. The Boudreaux’s even had the respect of many men in attendance. I was starting to think I was wrong about the family. Maybe they are just a group of good guys who somehow ended up linked to a lot of bad events that occurred.

Ding Dong!

Drying off my hands, I took one last sip of wine before going to open the door for Rebecca. I was going to need something to calm my nerves for sure. Taking a deep breath, I displayed a smile on my face.

“Rebecca, hi,” I greeted her and I let her inside. “Thank you for coming over.”

Dressed to the nines, I wouldn’t lie and say Rebecca wasn’t a nice-looking woman. She was a thick beauty, and she carried it well. She and Bryce look good together, and I couldn’t rationalize why he would cheat on her. With a smile equally forced, she accepted my welcome as I allowed her into my home. Gripping the strap on her purse, I watched as she looked around my house with a judgmental expression.

When her eyes landed on my daughter, she inhaled deeply before speaking to her. “Hey, Briley. It’s good to see you, sweetie.”

Glancing up from her toys on the floor, Briley was shocked to see her stepmother in our home. She grabbed her favorite bunny and walked over to me. “Mommy, am I leaving with Mrs. Becca today? I don’t want to go with her.”

“Why not, sweetie?” Rebecca pretended she was hurt as she walked over and crouched in front of her. “I was thinking we could have fun and go play with the boys later.”

“They pull my hair, and you laugh at me…” I frowned as my daughter hugged my leg. “You never stop them, and you yell at me when daddy isn’t around.” Looking at me with sad eyes, it took everything in me not to beat this lady’s ass in front of my daughter. “She’s mean, Mama! I don’t like her.”

“Go to your room, baby, and let me talk to her for a minute.”

Looking at the both of us, my daughter dropped her head and walked down the hall as I asked. Taking several deep breaths, I dragged my eyes back to Rebecca, who didn’t seem moved by what my daughter was saying.

“Care to explain?” I crossed my arms and mugged her. “Why in the fuck are you allowing your boys to bully my child and not do shit about it?” I was going to be cordial to this lady, but that went out the window when my daughter told me what had been going on. She’d be lucky if she even made it out of my house alive.

“Oh, please. You know how these kids are.” She waved me off as she took a seat on the couch. “They do the things that normal siblings do—they’re children.”

“I don’t care what your kids do; I’m not playing that when it comes to mine.” I dropped my arms and stepped toward the couch she was sitting on. “I called you over here because I wanted to be mature and have a conversation with you. If Bryce is to have her in his home?—”

“ Our home .” She stood from her seat as she corrected me. “That’s our house that he shares with our family… a family you tried to break apart with your whorish ways.” She frowned as she looked me up and down. “Look at you… you got your titties and ass out around your child!” She gestured at the tank top and biker shorts I had on. “Is that what you do? You use your body to seduce men, not caring if they have wives? Is that how you got my husband? He told me you seduced him.”

Flabbergasted by how idiotic she sounded, I couldn’t help but throw my head back in laughter. There is no way she is being serious right now. “He told you I seduced him?” I pointed to my chest as she continued to scowl at me. “That man approached me. He’s the one who initiated our fling. Granted, I didn’t know he was married until I found out I was pregnant, and trust me… had I known, I wouldn’t have let your husband touch me.”

I stepped to her so she wouldn’t misunderstand my words. “Please know that I don’t want Bryce. He’s still trying to get a whiff of this pussy because it was just that good. You come into my house and try to belittle me when your man would pull up over here on two wheels if I wanted him to. This conversation is over. Let your husband know I will call him later to speak about arrangements for my daughter. She will never be around you.”

“Fuck that little?—”

Wham!

Before she could even get the words out of her mouth, I’d punched her in hers. It’s one thing to disrespect me, but even attempting to speak on my daughter will get you checked every time.

“Finish that shit you were about to say!” I jacked her up by her collar and hit her again. “I can’t hear you…”

Instead of answering me, she spit in my face. Disgusted, I dropped her onto the floor of my living room. Wiping my face, I looked from the spit to her before I hopped on top of her and beat her ass.

“You stupid-ass bitch!” I yelled as I hit her all over her face and chest. “I’m going to kill you!”

I couldn’t lie; for a minute, Rebecca gave me a run for my money. The difference is I had too much anger and hate built up inside of me that she couldn’t match. I was still raging way after she’d run out of energy and gave up. It wasn’t until I felt arms around my waist, lifting me off of her, that I realized I’d blacked out.

“All right, Lil’ Mama… you beat her ass.” Dre breathed in my ear as he held me tightly. “If you hit me in my nuts again, I’m going to make you suck them.”

Relaxing in his arms, I panted as I looked down at a whimpering and bloody Rebecca. Trying my best to get back to her, small cries from the other side of the room caught my attention.

“Oh, Briley! I’m so sorry.” I rushed over to my daughter, causing her to step back. “It’s okay, baby. Mama’s not going to hurt you, Briley Boo.”

Looking from Rebecca back to me, she ran into my arms. I held her as she cried and felt like shit for what she’d just witnessed. With her arms wrapped around my neck, she sobbed quietly. Each tear that hit my neck was another lick I wanted to give to that bitch. Hearing Rebecca groan as she rolled herself from the floor, I shielded Briley from seeing her bloody, beaten stepmother.

“You can kiss your mother goodbye because I’m calling the cops!” She huffed as if saying those few words exhausted her.

“I don’t want you to go to jail, Mommy! I don’t want to stay with her.”

Panicking, I patted my daughter’s back and watched Rebecca remove her phone from her purse. Before I could say anything, Dre had already grabbed it. “If I were you… I’d think before you did that. I mean, do you really want to involve the police?”

“Excuse me!” she shrieked as she winced in pain. “Do you not see my face?”

“I do.” Dre nodded as he lifted her chin and gave it a quick inspection. “You need to learn to bob and weave, baby. She fucked you up.”

“Hey, that’s a bad word!” Briley snapped her head and wagged her little finger at Dre. “Don’t say that.”

Dre smiled sheepishly. “You’re right, baby girl. Forgive me.”

Placing my daughter back on her feet, I told her to give the adults a few minutes and to wait in her room until I came to get her. She didn’t want to leave me, but I assured her I was okay. “If you go in the room and wait for Mommy, I’ll give you a gift when the grown-ups finish talking.”

Hearing that, she took off like a rocket to down the hallway. Rebecca said nothing as she watched the exchange through swollen eyes. Giving his attention back to her, he continued. “As I was saying… the cops are the last thing you want to involve in your business . How will your husband feel about that? A man like himself can’t afford to have any skeletons fall out of the closet, can he?”

I looked between the two of them as they communicated in a silent conversation. Slumping her shoulders, Rebecca walked over to the couch and snatched her purse before storming out the door, leaving her phone behind.

“She’s going to call the authorities—I know she is.”

I watched as he slid her phone into his pocket. “Nah, I wouldn’t worry about that. How about you go get cleaned up? I see I came at the right time because it smells good as hell in here.”

I watched as Dre made his way past me and into the kitchen. Gliding through the space, I chuckled as he looked into my pots as if he belonged there. I wasn’t in the mood to argue, so I walked down the hall for a quick shower before facing the music.

After twenty minutes of scrubbing that bitch’s blood from my hands, I redressed and went to find my daughter. Not seeing her in her room, I followed the sound of laughter into the living room. I couldn’t stop my smile at the sight of the two of them playing in the middle of the living room floor.

“Dre, are you Mommy’s boyfriend?” Briley asked innocently as she bit into her shrimp. He’d bought her a new Hello Kitty table set and had set it up for her. “She’s never had one of those before.”

“Is that right?” He chuckled as he sat in the tiny seat across from her. “What if I was her boyfriend? How would that make you feel?”

I knew I should interrupt her line of questioning, but part of me wanted to know what he had to say.

“Happy.” She smiled with seafood sauce all over her pretty face. “I want Mommy happy. She works a lot, and if she had a boyfriend, she would stay home more, and I could stay with her. The three of us could watch movies together, play games, and eat ice cream. So, you have to be her boyfriend because she likes you too.”

“Yeah?” he asked wide-eyed. I covered my mouth to hide my laughter. “She told you that?”

“No, I heard her when she was talking on the phone to my Unctie Jerome. She said?—”

“What are you two doing?” I startled them both as I entered the room. “Are y’all eating without me?”

“You may be late eating dinner, but you’re just in time for the tea.” He winked and stood. “Have a seat, and I’ll fix you something.”

Walking past him, he shocked me when he pulled me into his arms and placed a soft kiss on my lips. Too stunned to speak, we both stood and stared at each other. Clearing his throat, he let me go and nodded for me to sit down. In a daze, I did just that. So caught up, I was zoned out as my daughter bragged about how Dre was her new friend.

Today was supposed to be a chill day with my daughter, but it ended with dinner and a movie with her and Dre. As we sat on the couch, blaring the latest version of Lion King, my mind ran rampant with thoughts, but one thing stood out above others.

I was falling in love with Andre Boudreaux.

* * *

“Well, look who remembered they have two living parents?” my father greeted me as soon as I stepped inside his home. Briley all but knocked me down as she zoomed past me, running into the house. She gave my father a quick hug before going to find her grandmother. “I see the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Dad, what are you talking about?” I kissed his cheek before following him into his study. It was a Friday evening, and I knew he always went into his study around this time to decompress. “We always acknowledge you.”

“Baby girl, please.” He waved me off, causing me to giggle. “You’ve always been a mama’s girl, and I’m okay with that. I’ve forever admired the relationship you two have, and I thank God I picked a wonderful woman to build my family with.” I gushed at his love for my mother. I wanted that so badly for me. “Now, tell me… what’s the matter for you to want to holler at your dear old dad?”

For the past few days, my thoughts have been in a whirlwind, and I need someone to talk to. My feelings for Andre are growing by the day, and I don’t know what to do about it. The night he popped up on Bri and me, I was nervous. I didn’t know he was coming, and I’ve never had another male around my child. Those two ended up bonding in a way that made my heart smile, and it scared me. He told her he was my boyfriend, but we’d yet to discuss anything remotely close to that. He also kissed me twice on the lips—something he made sure I knew he didn’t do during our first time together. I was genuinely confused by it all. His switch-up had me wondering if this was all a ploy and if he was gearing up to kill me.

“So, you know that I love my job with the agency. Working with the FBI has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember.” I pulled my legs underneath me as I got comfortable on the couch. “Sometimes, lines are crossed when I’m used as bait for the male criminals?—”

“Have I ever told you how much I hate that?” he interrupted me and frowned as he sipped his scotch. “Just because you’re beautiful doesn’t mean you have to flaunt your assets to get the bad guy. Your skills don’t start and stop there.”

“I know, Dad.” I dropped my head in embarrassment. “For the first time, I’m ashamed and regret my actions. See, there’s this guy, Andre Boudreaux?—”

“Boudreaux?” my father asked, interrupting once more as he leaned back in my seat. “That family is very prominent in the business and judicial world. His cousin, Jules, is one of the best lawyers to come through my courtroom.”

“I know…” I nodded. “I know of all the good they’ve done and how wealthy they are, but I know they’re criminals too. In my heart, I know there’s a dark side to that family, and so badly did I want to be the one to prove that.”

My father listened intently and without disruption as I explained to him my feelings. From all the informants that have died or disappeared to his mother’s outlandish accusations, I gave him all the evidence I’d collected over the last two years. I even told him about my theory of Dre killing Rissa and Eric. I knew the Boudreaux’s doubled as a crime family, but I’m not sure if it matters anymore with the new information I’d learned from Gabby, Bridgette, and the other auction dates. I also was struggling with my feelings, which shouldn’t affect my work as an agent, but for Dre, it was effecting me.

“Those are serious accusations, baby girl.” He pushed his chair back from the desk. My eyes followed him as he walked over and shut his office door. “If you feel that way, why are you considering backing off?”

I dropped my head in shame. “I’ve fallen in love with him, Dad. Andre is so smart and funny. The way he loves his grandparents is so damn sweet. What sold me is his willingness to help people. I’ve been doing my research on him and all the things he does not only in his hometown, but here in Milly Grove too—it’s commendable. We started dealing with each other based on false pretenses, and that’s my fault. I wanted to get close to him to build my case. The only thing I did was fall in love with a man who would probably kill me once he found out who I was. By chance, he does forgive me, we still can’t be together. He’s made it clear that he doesn’t want a relationship. Now, I just feel stuck. Being honest could get me killed. Continuing to lie could get me killed as well. I just don’t know, Daddy. This happening wasn’t on my bingo card.”

For the past few days, I’ve been contemplating coming clean with Dre. I didn’t expect anything to come of our sexual relationship but coming clean will better my chances of not getting killed when he learns of the betrayal.

“I’m going to tell you what I think out of love, baby.” He walked over and took a seat beside me. His eyes held so much love for me, and I knew my father was about to give me great advice as only a father could. “You’re wrong on all levels. That man has done nothing for you to lie to him the way you have. Even if he has, you don’t go around using your body to get what you want. What kind of example does that set for your daughter?”

“Dad…” I shook my head with tears in my eyes. “I don’t mean it like that.”

“That's exactly how it looks. God forbid you try and seduce the wrong man and end up in a body bag because of it. You already have a hard job in a field dominated by men, and you’re proving them right by flaunting yourself the way you do. It stops now.”

Wiping the tear that fell, I nodded my head in shame. My father was right, and I wasn’t going to debate about it.

“Good. Now let me tell you something else… not all heroes wear capes. They wear suits and ties with Glock 19s tucked on their waist. Do you think your father has always been a law-abiding citizen? No. I’ve done things to people in my day that could have very well put a needle in my arm.” I gasped in shock because I had no idea. “My friends and I would eliminate anyone in the way of feeding our families. If someone tried to prevent us from following our destiny, they were handled too. That is the way of life—not only then, but now too. Do you know how many men commit heinous crimes against the elderly, women, and children… or flat-out terrorize the city? They have the best lawyers money can buy, and they’re often let back on the streets to tournament more people. The justice system doesn’t always get it right, baby.”

“What are you saying?” My heart pounded in my chest as I listened to him. “Are you saying I should look the other way when it comes to Andre because he’s some sort of vigilante?”

“I’m saying don’t stick your nose in shit that doesn’t concern you. I’m saying do your job and come home to your daughter.” He stood from his chair and walked over to his minibar. “I’ve met the man, and you can always tell when someone has layers to them. What I will also say is he’s not the worst man that’s on the streets. I may not be connected to the life like I used to be, but I know people who are. Your doctors, lawyers, teachers, judges, and politicians are the criminals of the world, and yet they’re free. They are some of the most sick and dangerous people you don’t hear about. We need Andre Boudreaux’s in this world to rectify what the justice system can’t.”

I was silent. I’d aged from seeing my father as a righteous man to seeing him as an everyday human being. He threw back another shot before continuing, “No one is perfect, baby. Not me, and not you. If you really love that man, you have to get out of your own way. Stop judging him when you’re not the most perfect person yourself. You need to have a conversation with him before he decides that you’re far more dangerous than his enemies. There’s nothing worse than being betrayed by the one you’re laying your head next to.”

As much as I wanted to deny it, my father was right. I had to come clean with Andre, and I needed to do it sooner rather than later. I just hope that once he knows the truth, he can look past my reasons for lying to him. I love Dre, and I pray he can look past my indiscretions and love me too.