Page 80 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings

“Nadia, stay out of my business. This is my household. There’s nothing wrong with Cambrie. Tavi is just a smart ass that thinks she runs shit around here. She’s a child. Her and Saga are used to holding things down when I’m not around, but I want that to change. I want them to be kids, go to school, and not have to worry about having dinner cooked or doing laundry. I leaned on them a lot in Chicago, and they don’t have to do that here.”

“I could always come back?—”

“No.” I immediately shut her down, which gained a moment of silence from her end.

“I’m not trying to give them the impression that we’re getting back together.”

“What if we did?” she suggested softly.

“The hell you even talking about? Why would we do that?”

“Because I know you. I know how that business works. You’re going to need someone that can understand that part of your life. We were good when we were on the same page, Staten. Don’t you miss that?”

“Honestly? Nah. When you walked out on me, you took all the good shit between us, Nadia. Now you’re just the mother to my children. I respect you as that, but that’s all it is.”

“Staten—”

“I have to go.” Ending the call, I shook my head and tucked the phone into my drawer, deciding to leave that part of my life right where it was.

Saga and Tavi had phones now for school and iPads, so if she wanted to talk to them, she had full access. I didn’t want to keep going back and forth with her or Cyra, and those were the only two that ever called that number. By the time I got downstairs, Rogue and Piaget were chasing each other in the living room, and Tavi sat on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest, wearing a pout. With one leg draped over the other, she followed Rogue and Piaget with her eyes, but it was obvious she was in a mood. I decided to go check on Cambrie in the meantime and see if she was ready to go. She’d left her door cracked, and her voice carrying into the hall made me pause.

“I’m fine, Plum.”

“No, you are not. I know what you sound like when you’re fine, Brie. What’s wrong?” a woman asked through speaker on her phone. “Is it Uncle Los?”

“No. He’s fine. I talked to him on the phone this morning, and he is still lucid, complaining about the food they have him eating.”

“So then what is the problem?”

“I fucked up, Plum,” she whispered. “I did something I can’t take back, and now I just want to crawl in a hole and disappear.”

“Girl, your dramatic ass needs to chill. I’m sure it’s not that damn bad,” her friend chimed in.

I had to chuckle because she sounded like she was keeping it real with her.

“Unless… did you get busy with your boss?”

“Ughhh, Plum. I’m not having this conversation.”

“The hell you aren’t, Cambrie Marie Rhodes! I’m supposed to be the loose one of this two peas in a pod shit, not you. You’re the good girl. You’ve had like two relationships your whole fucking life! You slept with Staten!” Plum hissed.

“I gotta go.”

“Bitchhhhh, you better call me later with allll the details!” she squealed before Cambrie hung up.

I tapped on her door to let her know I was there, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Standing near her bed in a yellow, two-piece, ribbed fit summer set, my gaze swept over every womanly curve. The high-waisted flared pants hugged her ass and waist just right, and the little matching baby tee clung to her breasts. A small locket hung around her neck, and she completed the look with a pair of white and yellow platform sneakers.

“I was just grabbing my purse.” She slid her phone into the side pocket of the crossbody Coach bag.

Stepping into the room, I closed her door and pressed my back against it, which made her pause in stride.

“I’m sorry.” Those weren’t words I was familiar with, just like whatever this was between us was something I wasn’t used to.

Her opinion of me mattered for some reason.

“It wasn’t just your fault.” She sighed. “It takes two, right?”

“I don’t want you to leave.”