Page 58 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings

Cambrie

S taten had taken the kids to his mother’s house for a few hours but said that they would be back for dinner.

The real reason was apparent when I got the knock at the door from a company that was there to install a playset in the backyard.

Not just no run of the mill swings either.

The setup resembled a school playground with tunnel slides, a merry go round, and monkey bars.

When I saw the different ways for a child to hurt themselves, I paused with a tight grip on the knife as a flash of the children outside playing danced through my head. Rogue was so fearless it worried me.

While they were doing the set up and making all kinds of noise, I planned a menu of lasagna rolls with a garden salad and garlic knots on the side.

It only took a couple of hours to finish up, so I invited Plum over to keep me company once they were done.

Seated at the counter, she picked through a bowl of fruit while I chopped onions and green pepper on the wooden cutting board.

“So, how have things been around here the last week?” she asked, lifting her eyes from the bowl and slipping a slice of strawberry into her mouth.

“Mmm.” I shrugged and kept my attention on the knife I was using. “Avoidance is the key in any type of tension, right?”

“Are we talking about Staten or the kids?” Plum pried.

“Little bit of both,” I answered. “Between the little pranks and attitudes around here, it makes things interesting. Rogue is constantly slipping toys in my bag, so when I get to the store or somewhere, I end up pulling some random action figure or Lego out. He even replaced the money in my wallet with play money.”

I had to laugh, thinking about that day in Mitchell’s, standing there looking crazy with a carousel of food being rang up and fake cash. When I looked down into his little face, his eyes doubled in size before he admitted to putting my money in his little safe.

“I spend most of my time with him since he isn’t in school.

Piaget is the free spirit, but she’s so emotional.

One minute she’s high and thinks she can do anything, and the next she’s doubting herself and constantly needing reassurance.

Tavi, girl… she knows how to push my buttons and bring out the worst in me.

I’ve managed to keep my cool with her though because she’s a master manipulator.

I just know she’s telling her mama all kinds of lies about me.

Then there’s Saga. He’s a lot like Staten.

Very quiet, closed off, but his eyes say everything he doesn’t.

Him and Tavi are good for giving me the cold shoulder. ”

“I don’t know how you’re keeping it together, because I would have been snapped on these little savages.”

“Well, we both know I can’t afford not to have this job. I’m saving on rent and other expenses being here, which means I can focus on taking care of Daddy and his needs.”

“And what about yours?” Plum insinuated.

“Plum, we have had this conversation, and with things being over with Sayer, what do I have to look forward to?”

“You’re not telling me that you’re just going to live like some old maid taking care of the next person’s kids and ignoring having a life of your own.”

“Right now, it just is what it is. I can’t afford to sit around daydreaming about that. I live in reality. Maybe one day I’ll open my own physical therapy practice for kids. You know that’s something I’ve always had on my radar, helping them overcome injuries from sports and other accidents.”

“I know. I just don’t want you to put so much into something that you lose sight of what you want and deserve,” she conveyed as gently as possible.

She knew I could be stubborn and didn’t like to feel like I was being forced into anything.

“I appreciate you always looking out for me. It’s crazy because lately I’ve been thinking a lot about my mama.” I went to check on the lasagna noodles in the pot and turned the burner off when I figured they were done.

I grabbed the ground beef from the fridge, seasoned it, and browned it on the stove.

“What about her?”

“I don’t know. I was talking to Daddy, and it occurred to me that all these years, I never wanted any details.

The doctors said the car accident isn’t what caused the aneurysm, so I just let it go, but how can they be sure?

What I do know is she was hit by another car during a high-speed chase and shootout, and I just left it at that. ”

“And now you want answers?” Plum asked, digging around in the bowl until she had a slice of watermelon in her hand.

“Is that crazy after all this time?” I asked, standing at the stove and tossing in the onions and green peppers with the beef.

“No, but it won’t help. At least I don’t think it will. She’s gone, and nothing is going to change that.”

“Maybe not, but at least I’ll know everything.

I just want to know why. Like what was going on, and how could people be so reckless and careless with other people’s lives?

And what happened to them? Did anyone go to jail or have to pay for what they did that night?

It’s a real possibility that she might still be here. ”

“You might not ever find that out though. Are you going to be okay with that?” Plum checked with me.

“I don’t know,” I whispered, grinding the meat with the veggies.

I’d asked myself that more than once. Would having all the facts change the way I felt or bring my mother back? Maybe not. Part of me believed it’s what caused my daddy to spiral so quickly too. He was never the same after my mother died.

“Whew. You on that heavy shit today. Let’s go smoke this blunt. I have to work later, and I would like to get home and take a nap before my shift.”

Once I whipped up the meat and prepared the rolls, I smothered them in mozzarella cheese before shoving the pan in the oven.

Plum and I smoked until we were both laughing about any and everything out back, trying out the new swings.

She was a regular pot user, but I only indulged every now and then with her.

Today was a good day for it. By the time she left, and Staten arrived with the kids, I was mellowed out and setting the kitchen table for dinner.

The front door slammed shut followed by a stampede of little feet, but only Staten appeared in the doorway.

His broad shoulders filled out a white t-shirt, and I did my best not to focus on the dick print in the sweats hugging his waist. He had some nerve always walking around looking like a damn snack.

Lately, we’d only seen each other in passing.

I made his meals, did his laundry, kept his house clean, and took care of his children.

At night we slept on opposite sides of the house, but I did a lot of tossing and turning before I could get to sleep.

I questioned whether I belonged here every single day.

Piaget and Rogue were the only two that seemed to give me a chance.

The constant coldness from Saga and Tavi was different because they were older.

“Smells good in here.” He inhaled deeply.

“Thanks. Dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes.”

“Cool.” He moved over to the counter, pausing next to me as I coated the garlic knots with butter. “Rossi said she was going to stop by for dinner.”

Immediately, the flutters took over my stomach like they did any time I was around him.

He could walk into the room and my train of thought would shift.

Whenever I thought about that night in this very kitchen, it made me shudder and ache in a way that I couldn’t even describe.

With my eyes trained on my task, I could feel his warm eyes drinking me in.

The faint scent of his cologne was so damn intoxicating with his natural masculine pheromones.

“You need me to do anything?”

Lord! The rumble in his deep baritone did something to me. I thought about my answer, and it wasn’t pure as I simpered and lifted my eyes to examine his face.

“You lifted?” he asked, squinting and tilting his head.

“Maybe. I might have tested the swings out with Plum too. You judging me?” I angled my head in the opposite direction and studied his reaction.

“Nah, just didn’t figure you for a smoker. You and all your health shit.”

“Occasionally. Cannabis is actually good for you and can cure all kinds of things. Plum just left, and she always wants me to blow one with her. I didn’t smoke in the house, and I won’t ever smoke around your kids.”

“I appreciate that.”

He pressed his back against the counter and propped his hands behind him, still facing me.

“Something on your mind?” I glanced at him but continued to lather butter over the last of the garlic knots.

“Nah.” He shook his head like he was trying to move the thoughts out of it and pushed himself off the counter.

“Staten.” Sighing, I dropped the basting brush and reached out.

Somehow, his warm hand was in mine, which he looked down at.

“You can talk to me. We’re the only two adults in this house, so… I’m here if you need an ear,” I offered.

“That’s the fucking problem, Cambrie.” He stepped into my space, lacing our fingers together while pressing me into the counter.

His skin was on fire, and he’d robbed me of control over my breathing when he brought his face closer to mine. Slowly, my eyes shut, anticipating what he was going to do to me.

“I want more than an ear, mama,” he whispered, lips barely brushing against mine before stealing a hunger-filled kiss.

Bundling my fist into the fabric of his shirt and pulling him in, I submitted in his arms. Our tongues swiped hungrily against one another, and he released a soft groan into my mouth as his hand slid to my ass.

When he squeezed my cheeks, I swear I almost came.

There were a million reasons why this shouldn’t happen, but they were all flitting, and being in his embrace made it so none of them mattered.