Page 88 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings

“Em…” My brother took a couple of steps toward me, his tone remorseful.

I knew he wasn’t trying to take her side over mine. She was his mother, and he wanted to see a different side to her. Theproblem was it just didn’t exist, and I hated to be the one to point that out to him. I knew that about Rashida a long time ago.

“Don’t. Not right now,” I told him, waving a hand to let him know I really wasn’t in the mood for this.

“I’mma go take a shower.” Sapphire went over to a small tote in the corner where he stored his clothes and grabbed some pajamas.

When he was gone, I threw my head back with both hands now on my hips.

“Is there something I can do?” Blaine’s voice stirred a different kind of emotion, and my shoulders finally relaxed.

“I’m surprised you’re still standing here and didn’t run out the first chance you got.” Pinching the bridge of my nose, I had to laugh to keep from crying.

“Shit, I’m used to drama. I got three sisters,” he confessed, making me laugh out loud.

“This was a bit much,” I conveyed.

“You want to talk about it?”

“Not really. Not right now.” I strolled past him to the kitchen, in need of something to drink.

I grabbed a bottled water from the fridge and twisted the cap off. Blaine paused at the L-shaped counter and faced me. There was something on his mind, and I had an inkling of what it was. Taking a gulp of water, I joined him on the other side.

“So, uh, what’s up with you and this Marek dude?” I knew that was coming.

Clearing my throat, I set the bottle on the counter and looked him in the eye.

“We went to high school together… me, him, and his wife, Jordan. I was friends with both of them.”

“Just friends?” Blaine questioned, hiking a brow.

“I never had a sexual relationship with him, but we were close,” I worded carefully. “Jordan and I were too, in a different way.”

“So where do you stand now?”

“Well, since you are a fixture in my life, I guess I should let you know what’s going on,” I simpered.

“A fixture huh? I don’t like that. Nigga sounds like a chandelier or some shit,” Blaine joked.

“You know what I mean. Sapphire looks up to you, and I’m very grateful for you taking him under your wing and guiding him. He’s doing so good despite everything else wrong in our lives, but I am working on fixing that. Which is where Ivo and Jordan come in. They want to have a baby and can’t, so I’m going to be their surrogate.”

Blaine’s expression crumpled into bewilderment, and he straightened up.

“Like you having a baby for them?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“That’s… crazy. Wow.”

“I know. I was going to tell you if we kept seeing each other. I told you I had shit going on. Having this baby for them gives me a financial cushion that my brother and I need.”

“Nah, I get it… I just ain’t never heard of anybody doing that personally,” Blaine voiced.

“You think it’s weird and wild, right?”

“I think you’re doing what you gotta do for you and your brother and giving a couple something they want more than anything. It’s kind of dope, and it shows the kind of woman you are.”

Hiding a smile and suddenly feeling flushed with his warm chestnut eyes raking over me, I nodded. In all the chaos currently surrounding me, it was the first time someone made me feel emotionally safe. Everything with Ivo was socomplicated and intense. Blaine was a refreshing relief from that.