Page 19 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings

“This is my son, Brick. Brick, show her to the computer room so she can get set up, please. I’m going to enjoy my snacks and get ready to clock out.” She motioned to the yogurt parfait in her lap with a bottle of sparkling lemonade water.

Using the control on her motorized chair, Rossi wheeled herself past her son and toward the employee entrance behind the counter.

“I ain’t no volunteer around this muhfucka, Ma,” he quipped comically.

“If I could reach the back of yo’ head, I’d slap the shit out of you.” Rossi had that serious mama tone that had me cackling under my breath.

“That shit funny to you?” Brick demanded, his thick brows knitted together seriously.

“Oh, so you want to act like you out here doing good things in the world, but only when the camera is rolling, right?” I clocked him.

He was pretty, but rugged and covered in tattoos.

The familiar don’t-fuck-with-me glare behind his striking oval-shaped orbs even intrigued me.

I knew better. Men were good at putting on a facade.

I’d learned to spot that shit at an early age.

Brick was no better than the rest of ’em.

He was honestly more dangerous because he had money, status, and power.

I could eyeball that off top. Men like him thought they could have what they wanted when they wanted. In a sense, he was just like Skully.

“Oop,” Sol sniggered, covering her mouth in shock behind the counter.

Brick immediately cut his eyes in her direction.

“You don’t know what the fuck you talking about. I don’t even fucking know you. So don’t come up in here ear hustling, thinking you gained some information.” He locked in on me with anger absorbing his stare, but it didn’t scare me.

“I don’t know you to gain anything. Now that I’ve met you, I hope it stays that way.”

“Who the fuck is this bitch?” he barked, pivoting to face Sol.

“Brick!” she hissed, immediately straightening up and standing tall.

“Fuck that! Fuck her too!” He swiveled back in my direction, indifference lingering in his sweeping gaze.

This was a prime example of why I didn’t fuck with these niggas out here.

It was bad enough trying to survive Darlene and Skully with all the bullshit they had going on.

I’d been in survival mode so long it was going to take the realest nigga in the world to put me into my soft girl era.

The way these niggas were moving out here, I didn’t see that happening.

This one in front of me had me all the way fucked up!

“You ain’t ever gotta worry about knowing shit about me, mama. I like to give the women in here the benefit of the doubt, but bitches like you make it hard for the next.”

“And niggas like you the reason bitches turn into lesbians,” I responded. “I think I can find the computer on my own.” Grilling him one last time, I brushed past him with little space between us as my shoulder bumped his.

“Bro, the fuck,” he growled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I couldn’t stand a judgmental, ignorant ass nigga.

I don’t know why God was always putting them in my path, knowing how I was.

A bitch might have been a virgin, but my innocence had been stolen a long time ago.

I stopped at the coffee station for my beverage first before locating the media room and letting myself inside.

There were ten desks equipped with a computer, and each one was linked to the large printing station in the far corner of the room.

First thing was first; I had to find a way to support myself.

This place was cool, but I didn’t know how long it would last. If that arrogant ass nigga was going to be popping up around here, I damn sure didn’t want to be here longer than needed.

Seated at a computer scrolling through Indeed, I didn’t pay attention to the door opening behind me. Then I heard his voice. Annoying ass.

“What’s good, followers? It’s ya boy! As you can see, a nigga suited up on that grown man shit today, but I’m looking for something to get into this evening.

I got an announcement coming soon, and I’m sure a lot of women will be tuning in.

” With his phone in front of him, he walked inside wearing a cocky grin.

Ignoring his ass, I clicked away on the keyboard and used the mouse to scroll through the Indeed site. I just wanted to find what I was looking for, print some shit off, and get the hell out of here.

“Where am I?” he asked, peering around. “Oh, this place is called Guardian Lodge. I know y’all see all the money, jewelry, and partying and shit I be doing.

But there are some good causes I put a stamp to, such as this one.

It’s a housing facility for women who need shelter or refuge from trauma situations. ”

He paused and I assumed he was reading comments while I printed out different job descriptions.

“Fake ass nigga,” I muttered, rolling my eyes and shaking my head.

“Yeah, see… I do give back in my spare time. I like helping people and giving them hope. This world already dark enough, you know?”

“Could you please take that somewhere else?” I snapped, spinning in my chair to face him.

“Hold up, y’all. I think somebody in here got something to say.”

“You aim that camera at me and it’s the last thing your viewers will see,” I threatened, both eyes lowering into slits.

“Damn, yeah, see some of them a little hostile too,” Brick chuckled. “Muhfuckas be ungrateful?—”

“Go to hell!” I spun to face him. “I don’t have to be grateful to you for shit!

You sitting there filming and faking for the people when really you just an entitled ass nigga that thinks the world is supposed to kiss his ass.

How about you turn that damn camera off?

If you was really about doing good things, you wouldn’t have to film them. ”

He didn’t say another word, just tapped the screen on his phone.

I assumed he was shutting the live down since he lowered it at his side.

Searing me with a hot glare, he flicked the tip of his nose and sniffled a little.

Brick made slow strides in my direction, barely blinking.

Instead of cowering, I stood slowly, ready to square up with him.

“You make it easy to see why a nigga would do something like that to you.” He nodded to my black eye.

“You should see him,” I responded with a stone face. “It’s funny how you turn into a completely different person when that camera starts rolling. Must be hard, being a fraud.”

Anger flickered behind his eyes before a callous smile curled over his lips.

If his attitude wasn’t so fucked up, he wouldn’t be so bad to look at.

I refused to see past that though. I’d ignored red flags before only to get fucked up in the end.

That wasn’t about to happen again. The dudes I fucked with in Skully’s crew were always more loyal to him than me, especially since I wasn’t giving up no ass.

“Fuck you!” he spat, eyes swirling with darkness and burning into mine. “You don’t know shit about me or what the fuck I do for anybody. I take disrespect out of a muhfucka’s ass though. Is that what you want for yourself?”

“What I want is for you to stop talking to me.”

“Done fucking deal,” he growled, backing away from me.

“Brick!” a light, airy little girl’s voice sang as the door to the computer room closed.

When Brick turned, his entire demeanor changed, and a genuine ass smile lit up his face.

“What’s good, Kiadra?” he greeted her, squatting in front of her so that he was about her height.

She was maybe four or five years old, with sandy brown hair, gorgeous hazel eyes, and the cutest little bell pepper nose.

“Hey, Brick.” Behind her, a slim chick with the same sandy brown hair in a blunt-cut bob to her shoulders smiled.

The little girl was for sure her twin. From the little twinkle in her eyes, it was obvious she carried some kind of torch for him. In a jean dress and a pair of white slides, she rested a hand on her daughter’s shoulder and toyed with some of her curls.

“What’s up, Kiara?” Brick slowly rose, pinching Kiadra’s cheek and making her laugh. “Y’all straight?”

“We’re good. I got interviews lined up this week, and Kiadra is starting at a new daycare your mama put me on to.”

“That’s what’s up. You put in for that one at Lulu’s Café, right?” he checked with her.

“Yep. I’m meeting her Tuesday to see what she’s talking about. I’m hopeful in finding something real soon.”

“You got this, mama.”

“Was I interrupting something?” Kiara glanced past him at me.

I didn’t realize I had been focused on them.

He had me so outside of my damn self that when he morphed into yet another personality, a bitch was awestruck.

Now I was scrambling to act like I wasn’t eavesdropping on their little interaction.

Glancing at me over his shoulder, I swear that nigga snarled and looked me up and down like I had shit on me.

“Nah. I don’t even know her. She got a chip on each shoulder, though, so watch her. I gotta bounce. I’ll see y’all later.” He pat her shoulder gently before brushing past the two of them to the door.

“Bye, Brick!” Kiadra waved happily, and Kiara watched him exit in a daze.

I turned back to the computer and decided to print off a few more jobs, then go back to my room. I wasn’t for the social shit today. Kiara and her daughter set up at the computers to my left, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught her eyeing me. In turn, I slowly lifted my gaze in her direction.

“You’re new here, aren’t you?”

“Something like that,” I mumbled, hitting print on my recent search.

“I’m Kiara. This is my daughter, Kiadra. We’ve been here about four or five months. I’ve been through a couple of jobs since then. Rossi says I have a problem with authority; I just don’t like people talking to me crazy,” she said, turning up her nose.

I wasn’t expecting her to just start rambling, but I didn’t want to cut her off when I still had to sit here. She pulled her chair from the desk and sat down while Kiadra got comfortable at the station beside her.

“That Brick is something else, ain’t he?” she tittered, shaking her head.

“He’s damn sure something.”

“Yeah, fine and rich. Winning combination if you ask me,” Kiara gushed.

“Some men are surface level only, and Brick is one of those men. I wouldn’t expect too much of him.”

“I don’t know. He’s been nice to me and Kiadra since we’ve been here.

He plays games with all the kids here. When it comes to their activities and field trips, it’s usually Brick funding and chaperoning.

He goes hard for them, even showing up for the little boys who don’t have dads for events at school where one is required. They all adore him.”

“Hmm, well, he does act their age,” I noted with a touch of sarcasm.

Was I tripping? Hearing Kiara’s view on Brick somehow rattled me. Her daughter’s response to him was even more telling. Kids didn’t fuck with you unless you were legit. Deciding I was still right, I pushed that shit to the back of my mind. Fuck Brick!

“So what’s your name?” Kiara asked, booting up her computer.

“Six,” I answered, watching her brows immediately lift. “Yeah, that’s my real name.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Six. What floor you on? We’re on two,” she volunteered, pointing to Kiadra.

“Same.”

“Really!” she squealed, a little too hype for me.

I was only twenty-two, but she seemed younger than me.

Probably a teen mom or some shit. I really didn’t care.

I wasn’t here for friendships. This was just a stop on my road to wherever the hell I could go to make money.

The only skill set I really had was doing hair and nails.

Darlene had to always look good to keep up with all the hoes she was in the running for chasing dick with.

She didn’t have to force me into it, though; doing hair, makeup, and nails was something I had a passion for. I did that shit in my sleep.

“Sorry if I’m coming off like a goofy or something.

Most of the women here aren’t my age though.

I’m only twenty years old. I had Kiadra when I was sixteen, and it’s been rough since.

My family basically disowned me, and her daddy was around, but then everything we had was taken by the feds when he got locked up. ”

“Damn, that’s crazy.”

“Yeah, so if I’m talking your ear off, it's because I don’t have a lot of people I can talk to in here. Rossi and Sol are cool though. Brick is sweet and always making sure me and Kiadra are good too.”

“Well, I’m going to head back up to my room.” I shut the computer down and moved over to the printer to grab my sheets and head for the door.

“See you around!” Kiara waved after me.

Back in my room, I tossed my papers on the desk and decided to shut all the curtains and get back in the bed.

I had no desire to leave this room the rest of the day and I hoped that nobody bothered me.

I was used to being alone, even when I lived with Darlene and Skully, and I had no desire to form any kind of attachments.