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CHAPTER 7

Stephon

“ Y err,” I said, answering the phone call I’d just received; it was Brice.

“Where are you? I’m trying to slide through. The gym or your office.”

“Neither. I’m headed into my mother’s house right now,” I paused before answering.

“Let me know when you’re heading back to the office. I’ll meet you there.”

“Gone,” I said before hanging up. Why in the fuck was Brice here, and why hadn’t he told me he was coming to the east coast? Last I checked, and I checked in every day, shit was running smoothly. So this pop-up was pissing me off. This led my mind back to the question of what in the hell he and his sister were up to. If it had anything to do with me, I’d handle it accordingly. I didn’t care if Devin had hand-picked his ass or not .

As I always did, I rang the bell a couple of times before using my key to open the door. I wanted to let her know I was there before barging in.

“Ma, where you at, old woman?” I yelled out into the oversized house as I walked further in. I had definitely gone overboard; my mother alone did not need all this damn house.

“Stephon Angel Rockwell, if you call me old one more time, I’m going to whoop your big ass,” she said as she appeared in the doorway that led from the kitchen.

“Ma, you’re cussing and using my whole government name. What’s gotten into you, old woman?” I laughed. Just as I’d finished my taunting, she took off her house shoe and threw it at me from where she stood in the doorway. I couldn’t help but laugh loudly at her because she’d missed, and I wasn’t a small target. I wasn’t as lean as when I played football. I’d easily packed on another ten pounds since.

“Come on, Ma, I know your aim gotta be better than that,” I teased as the other shoe flew across the room, hitting my shoulder. She finally finished her walk across the room, stopping to embrace me, where I leaned down for her to kiss my cheek. I picked her up when I stood upright because I knew she hated it. She was small in comparison to me, but was of average height.

“Put me down, Lil’ Boy,” she laughed as she popped me on my head. I finally sat her down, and she gestured for me to follow her into the kitchen. As I walked through the house, I saw she had rearranged the furniture again. She had decorated it with this quaint, cozy vibe that made you feel at home. Plants adorned the room, and bright light filtered onto her plush furniture, which was filled with different colored pillows. It wasn’t one of those museum houses you were afraid to sit in. I didn’t know how she moved it all, but I didn’t like it. I was always a phone call away, and she knew that. I sat at the breakfast table while she made a cup of coffee. I gazed at her youthful appearance. She wore jeans and a T-shirt and had her wavy hair in a low ponytail.

“Ma, what did I tell you about moving all this heavy shit…stuff around without calling me? If you want to redecorate, I can call Demitri’s wife, Melanie, to do that for you.”

“Steph, I don’t need an interior designer. Now, to what do I owe the visit? Is everything ok?” She asked and looked in concern. She’d completely ignored me.

“Ma?” I questioned sternly.

“Stephon, you do not run me, Lil’ Boy. Besides, I need something to do since you retired me. I get bored and tired of always looking at the same arrangement, so I change it,” she returned as she finally sat beside me at the table.

“Tsk. You and this Lil’ Boy that you refuse to stop calling me. I am thirty-nine, and all man, everywhere! Why would you think something is wrong? You know I can’t go too many days without seeing you.”

“You’ll always be un Nene to me. You’re right; you're thirty-nine and didn’t bring me any grandkids to watch. I also don’t see a daughter-in-law by your side. You’re always working and never have any time for yourself,” she said as she waved her hands around the empty room. I took a deep sigh. I’d been hearing this for the last four years. I blamed Devin’s ass because before he settled down, I didn’t have to hear shit like this.

“Stephon, don’t you think it’s time? I don’t want to be all old and decrepit trying to chase after your babies,” she sighed this time. I didn’t want to talk about this because I had no prospects. My needs were met, and that’s all I was concerned about. At least, it was until a deadly beauty started to cross my mind more and more recently. She was every bit my equal. I couldn’t help but see myself with her. I hadn’t seen her since that day and probably wouldn’t again. From what I gathered, she’d been here two years, but we’d never crossed paths. As quickly as I let that thought enter, I let it leave. It didn’t matter how she’d made me feel just by looking at me. I couldn’t trust that feeling or her. So, I quickly shifted the conversation.

“The same could be said about you, Ma. Why haven’t you moved on from Dad? It’s been twenty-four years. This is a big ass house, Ma. I don’t like the fact that you live in it alone. Like you said, we’re getting older. I want you to have someone like you want me to,” I said with conviction. We both sat in a stare-off. It was so quiet that I could hear the refrigerator running. We were cut from the same stubborn cloth, so there was no telling how long we’d bore into each other. However, I decided to break eye contact first.

“Hmph,” I heard her grunt out.

“Ma, what are you doing next Saturday? My team is securing the Mayor’s Ball. I’d like you to be my plus one.”

“I’m not going because you’ll be working, and I’ll be alone.”

“Yeah, nah,” I said .

“I’m not asking anymore. You’re going, and the Havens and Cains, your little crew, will be there. So, you won’t be there alone.” I took out my phone and went into my banking app.

“I just sent you a few stacks. Go shopping and get all glammed up on me, Ma. I gave you plenty of time, so don’t use that as an excuse.”

“Tsk, Stephon,” I leaned over to kiss her cheek before standing.

“You’re leaving?” She asked.

“Yeah, I have an appointment at the firm and another late this afternoon at the Midtown gym. Justin thinks it’s a good idea to rebrand to try and bring in more members.”

“Well, you be safe out there, son,” she said as she stood to walk me out.

“Always, Mamá, I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said as I turned to walk to my car. I took out my phone to text Brice to let him know I was on my way.

Sitting at my desk, I powered up my laptop to review the plans and guest list for the Mayor’s Ball. I needed to make sure everyone understood their assignments for the night. I’d done this several times. Tediously running every name and face through our database. I’d do whatever I needed to ensure the night went smoothly. Brody had also told me that he was good to go this weekend. After some time, I glanced at my watch to see it was near lunch. My stomach was telling me I needed a break.

Where is this nigga?

Just as I stood to leave, there was a knock at my door. It was Brice.

“It’s about time your ass decided to show up.”

“I had to slide to the docks,” he said. I raised my eyebrow in question. Before he could start to talk, I cut him off. I didn’t want him talking here. I had too many outside ears in the office today.

“You hungry? I’m fucking starving. Let’s eat. Follow me, we’re headed to Two in Midtown,” I said. Two’s was Devin’s brother Dorien’s Restaurant. It was also near Hardrock Gym, so I killed two birds with one stone. Brice glared at me like he wanted to say something; I wanted him to; I was goading him. He followed me out of the three-story building that housed my Security firm and into the parking lot. He stopped at a rental parked beside my blacked-out Ford Raptor.

“You not about to be bossing me around and shit Steph. Your ass is lucky that I’m hungry.” He said with his chest all puffed out. I laughed.

“Get your ass in the car.” Now, I was only fucking with him to see how far I could push him. I knew he was trained to be cutthroat, just as I was, so why was he holding back? I needed the pushback so I wouldn’t feel like they were placating me. I wanted to trust him, and something uncontrolled and carnal inside me needed to trust his sister. The hold that she had on my mind bothered me to no end. Whether I could trust either of them was still to be determined. That would start at this lunch with questions. I waited until he got in his car and started it before climbing into mine. I pulled out of the parking lot and watched him follow behind me in my review.

We arrived at Two’s about twenty minutes later and quickly found a parking spot. His demeanor was still tight as he exited his car and walked beside me.

Good.

“Good afternoon, and welcome to Two’s,” the hostess greeted us without looking up. When she finally did, her tone changed.

“Oh, hey, Stephon,” she said in a singsong voice meant to seduce me.

“Will you be dining at your usual booth?” she asked. I nodded. Then, we followed her to the booths in the farthest corner of the main dining area. It was later than I usually took lunch, so many of the tables we passed were empty. I knew Two’s would be slow at this hour. Besides, I fucked with their chicken marsala heavy, and I had a taste for it today. I always sat at this booth, knowing no one could overhear our conversation. That way, we could freely switch from Brice and Steph to Ice and Rock. She set our menus down, grazing my hand as she did, before returning to the hostess stand.

“You fucking her, Steph?” He said with a grimace.

“Not that my dick is any of your concern, but hell no!” I know that sounded harsh, but my dick was picky. It also wasn’t his damn business.

“You’re right; I just thought you had something going on with my sister,” Brice said inquisitively.

“And why in the fuck would you think that?” I questioned as we both glanced over the menu.

“Last week, we spoke, and your name was mentioned.” I didn’t respond but waved my hand for him to continue. I’m guessing she mentioned it after our little run-in.

“Look, Steph, my sister has been hell-bent on finding out who killed our father. She’s under the impression that it was a hit. You know as well as I do that shit like that comes with the territory,” he said and sighed with concern. Before he could continue, the waitress came to take our drink orders. We quickly rattled off the drinks, deciding to go ahead and order off the lunch menu. After she’d left, he began to speak again.

“More recently, she’s been moving recklessly. I was hoping she’d reached out to you for help. Since all that security, private investigating shit is what you do. Because I thought that at least she has you out here; she’s all I have left. I can’t lose her while she’s out here playing vigilante and shit. At this point, I wouldn’t give a damn if you married her stubborn ass, hell I’d want you to because at least I’d know she was safe. Steph, you’re one of the only ones I trust out here.”

Shit, so she was after someone in that dining room. There goes my prior theory.

My mind was working a mile a minute.

“Did you just ask me to fucking marry your sister?” Out of all the information he’d just told me, my mind latched on to that singular statement. There was no way I’d heard that shit right .

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t fucking know, man,” he said as he lifted his hand to scratch his head. He looked distressed. I couldn’t help the loud laugh that rose from my stomach.

“You’re seriously laughing right now? When I’m about to lose my damn mind. I thought we could be on some mafia shit. You know, arranging marriages to strengthen the family,” he said with a deadpanned expression. It only caused me to laugh louder.

“Bet. Fuck you, Steph,” he said but started to join in on my laugh.

“Nigga, one, here in the US, we’re higher than the fucking mafia. Two, you’re just sitting here casually offering your sister up for marriage. The second deadliest motherfucker we know. She might try and kill us both for even speaking of the shit,” I said.

“Sounds like a perfect match,” he said with a smirk. I’d thought the same thing, but I wouldn’t dare tell his ass that.

“Besides, she already likes you; she talked about you today, too,” he continued.

My mother was right: men gossip just as much as women .

“Brice got damn it,” I said as I ran my hand down my face. I didn’t even have any words because his ass was gone off something.

I would marry his fine-ass sister, but would she even have me for real?

I couldn’t tell you why I gravitated toward the possibility, nor did I know what he wanted me to do with that knowledge. I chuckled at how this afternoon had gone. This was the second time my name was brought up in marriage talks. Luckily, the waitress brought out our order stopping the crazy ass conversation we were having. Once she left, we both said a quick grace, and I shifted the conversation.

“How’s things going at the hospital?”

“I don’t know, man. To be honest, I’m getting burned out there. I love my job, but always being on call and working six on three off is getting old quick. I’m thinking about coming out here if JoJo doesn’t come back.”

“I’ll look out while she’s here. I can’t guarantee anything. Her ass is a wildcard, but at least you know she’s not alone until you get shit figured out. So, what’s up with the Docks?” I asked.

“Last week, one of my guys, Sin, asked for a transfer from our Cali docks. Saying he wanted out of California. Like I said earlier, I don’t trust a fucking soul outside of you and my sister right now. I granted his request because I knew there was a vacancy here. My gut tells me he’s up to something. I went over to check on him. So far, he’s clean.”

“You make sure you keep an eye on that shit. When you return to Cali, I’ll add him to my list of check-ins,” I told him. I let Ice do him, and I did me. I never questioned his ability to do his job because he was fucking good at it, just like I was. We talked it up for an hour before I had to head to my meeting at Hard Rock. I hope this shit went by smoothly because I was tired. I was about to call it a day early for the first time in a long time.