Page 42 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings

“Coming right up. Oh, and the name is Bethany.” She winked and walked off.

“It smells so good in here. I feel like I’m going to have to run this meal off later.” I picked up my menu and opened it.

Everything looked so good I found it hard to choose, and I didn’t want to come off like a pig in front of him. I decided on a cheeseburger with fries, and he ordered a twelve-piece wing combo with potato wedges. Our drinks were brought to us first, and I turned my nose up at the whiskey.

“I’m more of a tequila girlie.” With my nose squinched up, I pushed the glass to the center of the table.

“My grandpa used to say whiskey was liquid sunshine.” Staten picked up his glass and twirled it around as he studied the different hues in the liquid. “This is part of the Marek Reserve.”

“You have your own whiskey.” I eyed the glass in front of me. “I remember reading about this when I was a kid. One of the first black families to own and distill their own liquor in the state.”

I’d lived in this town all my life. There were so many rumors about the Mareks and what they did or didn’t do that I paid it no mind.

It never fucked with me or my little orbit.

Messing with Sayer was the closest I ever got to the streets.

My parents didn’t play that shit. Meeting Staten brought me into his tight-knit world I knew nothing about.

It was ominous, and I’m sure filled with secrets I wanted to know nothing about.

The NDA I had to sign all but told me to keep my mouth shut or I’d end up in court until I was ninety years old.

“Swear on the bottle,” Staten recited, breaking me away from my thoughts. “You took the job, signed the papers, now you seal it with a sip.” He tipped his glass to me. “It’s tradition.”

“Hmm.” Gripping the double shot in my hand, I raised it to his. “Sealed with a sip.” The warm liquid slid down my throat with a smoothness I wasn’t expecting. “Damn. That’s good.”

“Indeed,” he agreed, setting his glass on the table.

Being so close to him left me canvassing him, wondering about the tattoos all over and that deep, penetrating stare behind his eyes.

“Can I ask you something?” I leaned forward with my arms crossed in front of me.

“Depends on what it is,” he countered.

“What happened to you? Sol mentioned that you just came home after being gone for a while.”

Lifting his eyes from his drink, he peered across the table into mine while twirling the glass.

“I almost died. My mama was paralyzed. I couldn’t stay here and be what my pops wanted me to be.” Staten listed off.

“That makes sense. How did you end up raising four kids by yourself?” I sipped my water and leaned back into the soft leather of the booth.

“I co-parent with Tavi and Saga’s mama. She lives in Jersey, so they spend half the year with her. Piaget’s mama never wanted to be a mother, but I didn’t want her to have an abortion, so I told her I would take her when she was born.”

“And she went along with that?” I asked, shocked that a woman would just give up her child like that.

“She did. She wanted to go right back to her life like Piaget never existed.”

“Wow. So she’s not involved at all?”

“Nope. Stopped reaching out when Piaget was two,” Staten declared.

“And Rogue?”

Staten sighed. The evident stress lines in his forehead told me all I needed to know.

“I brought Cyra here with me and the kids to help out. Back in Chicago, she would sit with them sometimes when I had to work. I realize bringing her here was probably a bad idea though.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because the minute she found out who I really was and how much money my family has?—”

“Let me guess, she thought your money was hers?”

He nodded.

“I don’t have a problem helping her out, but she’s not my woman to take care of. I told her to get her life together and sent her ass back to Chicago.”

“Hmm.”

“Can I ask you something?” This time, he leaned forward, intensity glazing his rosewood eyes drifting into mine.

“What’s that?” I took a bite of my burger.

“How is a woman like you single with no children?”

Breaking his stare, I chewed slowly, swallowed, and took a sip of my drink.

I’d been trying to block Sayer to the furthest corner of my mind, but it fucked with me that he was about to have a baby with another woman while lying to me about working on us.

I’d given that nigga years of my life only to be blindsided by this.

“I was in a relationship. Thought we wanted the same things. Turns out he did, just with someone else. I never wanted to be one of those girls with a baby daddy and all that other drama. No offense.”

“None taken. I get it. Trust me, I didn’t intend on having four children with three different women.”

“Your children are beautiful, and a blessing. A little rowdy, and loud… but still a blessing. I mean… can you imagine your life without them?” I queried.

“Nah, I really can’t,” he admitted, this soft, rare smile gracing his lips.

We chatted some more while finishing our food, and when I checked the time, I saw that it was almost ten p.m. Staten paid and walked me to my car where he opened my door for me yet again. I paused before climbing inside and faced him.

“Thank you for the meal… and the conversation.”

“You can thank me by hooking up some of that potato salad and roasted chicken your pops was talking about. He was ready to risk it all for that.” He rested his hand on top of my door, the most relaxed I’d seen him since we met.

He was always so reserved and cautious with how he spoke or reacted.

“He’s a mess, but… I think I can arrange that this week.”

“If you can’t cook, you know my kids won’t let you hear the end of it. I’m terrible at making pancakes, and Tavi won’t let me live it down.”

“I’ll bring my A-game,” I assured him, not intending for it to come out as flirtatious.

A long pause between us left his eyes dancing in mine curiously.

Unsure of what was happening, I caught how his gaze drifted to my lips before he stepped into my space.

Staten had such a demanding presence. Not only was his six foot three frame solid, but his piercing stare as he slid his muscular arm behind my back was magnetic.

The beat of my heart against my ribcage kept me from moving.

Everything screamed at me to stop him when he reeled me in, but I couldn’t resist.

Part of me had to know and didn’t want to be deprived of whatever this was.

With a hand against his chest, I melted in his embrace when our mouths fused together, and our tongues danced slowly in a soul-stirring kiss.

The overwhelming burst of elation ripping through my veins left my knees weak as Staten backed me into the side of my car.

He rested his other hand against the door and dipped his head a little lower to deepen the kiss.

Breathless, I managed to push him away. His fingers gripped my lower back like he didn’t want to let me go, and my middle pulsed anxiously.

“Staten, we can’t do this.” I tried to wiggle out of his arms.

Taking a step back, he bobbed his head and let me go.

“I’ll follow you back.” He turned and walked away, leaving me staring after him for a minute and trying to keep my head from spinning.