Page 32 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings

The space was vast, with enough room for a table that could seat up to ten people and a smaller circle table in a corner near the bay windows overlooking our back yard.

The ceilings were high, with a bunch of windows that stretched floor to ceiling and one large chandelier hanging above the main table.

A matching China cabinet sat behind my mother’s chair, and on one side, instead of chairs, there was a single tufted bench that matched the rest of the dining set.

Snatching up a roll for myself, I slid one to him as he sat on the bench and swung his little legs after taking a bite.

Ivo escorted Jordan inside, and Staten was behind them with Saga, Piaget, and Tavi.

Cambrie brought up the rear, eyes wide and lips slightly parted while taking in our immaculate family home.

Most people had that reaction after walking through, and this was just one wing.

“Everyone take your seats so we can have prayer. Marcie, you can start bringing the food in after.”

“Yes ma’am.” Marcie nodded from my mother’s side, preparing to bow her head as the rest of us took our seats.

“Father God, we thank you for bringing us all together this evening. We are forever grateful for your grace and mercy on us. Bless this food we are about to receive for the nourishment of our bodies. Amen.” Rossi opened her eyes and peered around the table at everyone.

Marcella settled in what used to be Justus’s seat opposite her.

For a moment, my mother didn’t speak as she observed her there, leaning in and poking playfully at Rogue beside her.

Piaget, Saga, and Tavi all lined the bench.

Ivo, Jordan, Cambrie, and Staten were lined up in order to Rossi’s left.

Which left me as the odd man out. I grabbed a chair from the other table and brought it over to sit between Marcella and Rogue.

Marcie trickled in dish by dish. There was roast with veggies, loaded mashed potatoes, and cornbread spread out in front of us.

My stomach rumbled from the hearty fragrance floating through my nose.

“So, Cambrie, tell us a little about yourself,” Rossi encouraged, making plates for the kids and passing them along to them one by one.

Like a deer caught in headlights, Cambrie paused. She observed the kids first before glancing at Staten beside her.

“Dang, Ma, put her on the spot,” I chuckled, shaking my head.

“Well, she’s the only one sitting here that we don’t know,” Rossi intervened with a shrug.

“Um, well, I’m an only child.”

“What about your parents?” Rossi prodded.

Cambrie cleared her throat, and Staten passed her the bowl of potatoes to stack on her plate. She accepted and put two scoopfuls on her plate.

“My mother died years ago. An aneurysm,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Marcella chimed in.

“And your father?” Rossi wasn’t letting up.

She was in mama bear mode. Being the mother of three sons left her ultra protective over us, especially when it came to women. Cambrie lifted her glass to her lips and sipped her water. She swallowed and took a moment before answering.

“He’s… alive. He lives at the Rosemont Lodge now.”

“Isn’t that a long-term care facility?” Rossi questioned.

“Yes. A couple of years ago, he started showing signs of early onset dementia. He has his days where he’s lucid, but it’s becoming a lot.

I had to move him to a more secure facility because they couldn’t handle him here in Oak Bluffs.

His paperwork was a bit delayed, but they transferred him today. ”

“What’s dementia?” Piaget questioned, scooping potatoes onto her spoon and looking up from her plate.

“It means he has problems with his memories sometimes,” Cambrie broke down for her. “He can forget where he lives, what year it is, who I am.”

“Oh. So sometimes when you see him, he don’t know who you are?” Piaget questioned.

Cambrie’s silence was evidence of a pain that seemed to sit heavily at the whole table.

“Sometimes.” She finally nodded.

“Damn,” Ivo mumbled.

“I need a real drink.” I tipped the glass of Merlot to my lips and gulped. “That shit heavy.”

“But sometimes he does remember me, and we catch up, and I love it. I don’t take it for granted because he could not be here,” Cambrie went on with misting eyes.

“A silver lining,” Marcella spoke up.

Rossi didn’t speak much the rest of the night.

We ate good, talked shit, and had dessert and drinks after.

The whole time she sat back, taking it all in.

I wondered what was on her mind, because I found myself doing the same thing.

Having Jordan and Ivo over for dinner was of the norm, but Staten and his kids was refreshing.

Don’t get me wrong, they was bad as hell, and loud, but them was my nieces and nephews, and I was sticking beside them. I loved how ratchet they was.

Outside of Saga, the other three were the opposite of their father.

This muhfucka never wanted to smile or laugh.

Like Justus, he would sit around with a scowl on his face when he was in a good mood.

Shit was just permanently etched there. Dealing with big bro, you had to be able to read his eyes, because they said way more than his mouth ever could.

Since I still lived here, I waited until everyone was gone to address Rossi in the living room where she was enjoying her night cap.

She thought I didn’t know about her having whiskey and enjoying those stanking ass black cigarettes.

I let her have it though, because she was that lady to me.

Nobody came before my mother, and if she didn’t approve of you, chances were you wouldn’t make the cut.

Our family was tight knit for a reason. There was no room for weak links among us.

“You’ve been looking like something is on your mind all night, Brick. What is it?” She sipped her drink demurely, and those copper brown eyes probed me thoughtfully.

“I’m good. Got a date though. I’m about to go get fresh and head out.” I jumped to my feet.

“I already know about this Steal Brick’s Heart mess. I don’t know why you think you can hide that from me.”

“Armon came up with it. I just wanted you to know I’m about to talk to Six about pretending to be my girl. He thinks this is a good way to clean up my image and secure my inheritance.”

“You talking about Six from the lodge?”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“That girl has already been through enough, Brick,” Rossi warned.

“What’s the harm in offering her an opportunity? She gets paid to be my girl and she gets to live her life.”

“Why her?”

“I don’t know. She wasn’t my choice. Everybody keep trying to say how I need to be humbled, and I need a girl that ain’t scared of me and all that other sexist, feministic bullshit.”

This time my mama actually laughed as she swallowed the last of her drink. Peering into her now empty glass, she took a moment before speaking.

“I will say this, Six isn’t someone you try and manipulate. That girl has seen things and done things. So trying to play her will result in your own downfall.”

“I’m not even on that, Ma. This is for the media. I got court in like a month for that assault shit. I ain’t trying to do no time behind some muhfucka trying me.”

“Then I approve. Do whatever you have to do.”

I didn’t want to wait and see what Six would say.

After my date with this airhead ass bitch Aja, I drove right over to Guardian Lodge so I could holler at her.

I didn’t get an hour into the date with that thirsty ass bitch, and she had snapped a dozen or more selfies and went live.

Like I get that was part of the experience, but the bitch wasn’t allowing me to initiate anything.

Seemed more like she was there to get her own presence up rather than participate in what the fuck I had going on.

When I arrived, Kiara and her baby girl were in the lobby chilling.

She was on her little tablet, and Kiara lounged on the couch reading a book and taking notes like she was studying.

I was trying to skate right by them and talk to Six, but Kiadra spotted me and came running right over.

“Hey, Brick!” She slid her arms around my waist and hugged me.

Smiling, Kiara closed her book and set it aside before shifting on the couch so she could also stand up. It was almost nine thirty, so they were the only two around other than Dorsey, one of the nightshift workers posted behind the counter quietly sifting through paperwork.

“What’s up, lil’ mama?”

“What you doing here so late?” Kiara questioned, sliding up on me with her books tucked under her arms and drinking me in thirstily.

I knew shorty was feeling me, but I wasn’t on that type of time with her.

She had a kid, for one, and was living in a shelter type situation.

Her story matched that of a lot of women in this place.

Dealing with a trap nigga, have a baby by him, he goes to jail, now you taking care of his seed by yourself.

I fucked with Kiara because she did look out for her daughter above anything else.

Rossi had run this place for a long time, which meant I’d seen all kind of traffic come through.

Kiara was a good girl who liked hood niggas.

If she focused more on herself and her child, she would be alright.

I just knew I wasn’t that nigga for her.

“I’m looking for Six. You seen her?”

“She was in the media room I think,” she answered, disappointment immediately displaying across her face.

“Thanks.”