Page 33

Choyce Mancinelli

" M ommy, where are we going? This isn't the Lego store," Cherish groaned from the backseat. Had it not been for her little attitude, I might've laughed. Cherish was my daughter, but she had an attitude similar to Chosyn's.

"I know, baby, but I told you mommy has something to handle first. Once I'm done, we can go to the Lego store and you can get whatever you want."

"Can we get something for Kage, too?"

"Of course. Whatever you wanna do when I'm done here, we're going to do.

"Yay! Okay, mommy."

I smiled at her excitement and thanked God for her all in the same breath.

A lot about me could be questioned, but the love I have for my daughter wasn't one.

Parking my truck, I hopped out, adjusting my clothes, then went toward the back to grab Cherish.

Since I had no plans on handling business today, I dressed us in matching Milano sweat suits and Crocs.

I wasn't a fan of Crocs, but Cherish wanted to wear them, so I went along with it.

I bent down, tugging at her hoodie to pull it down.

"Baby, when we go in here, I need you to be on your best behavior, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy."

"Okay, come on."

I kissed her cheek, took her hand into mine, and walked toward the front door.

I made a mental note of the number of cars that were parked outside, so I'll know how many people to expect at this impromptu meeting.

I pressed the doorbell a few times before the door opened, revealing Honor's usual glower whenever he saw me.

I held his deepened stare, fighting back a smile of my own.

Honor thought his smoldering facial expressions were a turnoff, but he couldn't have been any more wrong.

There was nothing I loved more than a mean ass nigga, especially when he's mean to everyone but his girl.

"Are you gonna let us in or keep staring like the big bad wolf?" I asked.

Honor ignored me and bent down towards Cherish.

"Wassup, you remember me?"

"Yes." Cherish's brows pinched together as she brought her finger to her chin and tapped against it like she was deep in thought. "Honor!" she shouted, remembering his name.

"Right! It's nice to see you again, Cherish."

"Same." She nodded, giving him a quick hug. I could tell it caught Honor off guard from how his shoulders hiked, then stalled before resting.

"That's enough, Cherish," I said, pulling her back some.

"Cherish, you wanna watch a movie in my game room?"

"We don't plan on being here lo?—"

Honor mugged the shit out of me, shutting me up quick.

"Okay. I can't stay long. We're going to the Lego store."

"Word? I love Legos."

"Really?" Cherish's eyes popped open in shock.

"Yup."

"Wow. My mommy doesn't like them, but my Uncle Kage and I love to do them."

"That's cause your momma has poor taste."

"Really?" I frowned.

"Honor, why are you standing at the door when you have your brothers waiting on you?"

An elderly woman whom I knew as Gigi from my research on Wolfe came over, opening the door wider.

"I guess everyone decided to bring their children to work today," she sassed, smiling politely at my daughter but rolling her beady eyes at me. She was holding a baby who looked just like my daughter when she was a baby.

"Is that Chosyn's daughter?" I asked, completely in awe of the adorable baby.

"Come on, sweetheart, let's go into the movie room." Rudely ignoring my question, Gigi held her hand out for Cherish.

Cherish looked at me, and I nodded, letting her know it was okay. They walked into the house, and I followed behind, only getting in a couple of steps before Honor closed the door and backed me up against it with his gun digging into my hip.

"Nice of you to wait until my daughter left." I smirked.

"I might not kill you in front of her, but I don't have a problem with making her an orphan. You're here because this shit we're dealing with started with you."

"What shit?"

"A nigga trying to set up in Ember Hills. When you get in this muthafuckin' room, your ass better not touch nothing, don't ask for nothing, and only fucking speak when I address you. Do you understand?"

"Honor, you're not my daddy. In case you forgot, the nigga who shot me out his balls is dead.

"And it’s nothing to reunite the two of you. Act up in there and I'll let Wolfe do the honors. Shit, he might even let Chosyn get some get back." He smirked, and for the first time, my stomach churned at the sight of his handsome face.

"Fuck you, Honor," I gritted, my chest heaving with anger.

"I asked if you understood my terms, not who you wanted to fuck."

"You wish I wanted to give my pussy to you. Your whipped ass probably wouldn't even know what to do with it. You like skinny bitches anyway. My pussy's fat and juicy, just like these muthafuckin' hips. Now move that fucking gun or you'll be mourning the loss of your bitch come tomorrow."

The laugh that followed came out low, delayed even, but I felt every bit of it on my skin. That wasn't anger in his voice. It was amusement. Honor was entertained by my threat. He jammed the gun deep into my side, moving it around until the metal pinged against my rib cage.

"The nigga you think I am, won't have shit on the monster I become if you touch Navy. For the sake of your daughter, I'ma give your stupid ass one more chance to do as I fucking say. Now do you understand?"

Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I met his gaze with a hardened stare.

His eyes brewed storms of violence and a twinge of lust that might've been missed by someone who didn't know what to look for when staring at a caged soul.

But I did. Honor hated me because when he looked at me, I became a reflection of him.

We were one in the same, caged by those who were supposed to protect us, yet fighting to be freed by the very emotion that betrayed us.

My heart thundered as we both continued to stare, his gun still pressed at my side.

Still, he didn't look away, so I gave him the answer he was looking for instead of the throbbing, wet pussy he deserved.

"I understand. Can we get this over with now?"

Moving his gun from my side, Honor walked away, nodding for me to follow. I trailed behind him, breath still caught in my chest.

"'Bout time, nigga," Crown scoffed at the sight of me.

I rolled my eyes and stood off in the corner.

I was somewhat familiar with everyone in the room.

Honor, Wolfe, Crown, Rize, and Lynx, but the one person who sparked my interest was Killian.

He stood across the room in the corner opposite mine, with two mutts sitting on either side of him.

I opened my mouth to ask why he was here, but snapped it shut the second Honor's eyes landed on me.

"Ight, what y'all got for me?" he asked the room.

"Y'all already know about the bug Choyce put in our ear about the nigga setting up in Ember Hills.

I went to see Killian 'bout that shit. Before we could get into the details, shit popped off with Four.

I hit the ground running, trying to figure out who would fuck with her car but now I'm starting to think this shit is connected," Crown explained.

"You think niggas would get at Four to get to you?" Wolfe asked.

"Everyone's got a weak spot, Four's mine. What doesn't make sense is how she didn't know someone fucked with her steering wheel?"

"Kysre said River wasn't her normal self. Said some shit about her finding a pair of contacts and River popping 'em in before the race started."

"What does Kysre popping in contacts gotta do with Four not realizing her steering wheel is fucked up?"

I frowned, wanting to ask if this nigga was stupid 'cause wasn't no way he got that from what Rize said.

"He's saying River popped some old ass contacts in her eyes. They might've been bothering her so her focus was on that and whatever else she had going on instead of the state of her car,” Wolfe explained.

"Nah, Four wouldn't do no dumb shit like that."

"Crown, I'm telling you that's what Kysre said,” Rize said.

"And I'm telling you Four didn't do no shit like that," Crown barked, grabbing the attention of the mutts who were now sitting on their hind legs.

"Are you calling my woman a liar?" Killian finally spoke, low and gravelly.

"Nigga, what?" Crown frowned.

"Kysre. Are you calling her a liar? Killian repeated, coming out of the shadows of his corner. Each step he took felt like a threat he planned to make good on.

"Y'all doing a lot of fucking talking but still ain't saying shit. River's mental state doesn't matter," Honor asserted, gaining control of the room. "We need a name." He glanced toward Killian, then at me. I chuckled because this nigga couldn't be serious.

"Oh, is it my turn to talk?"

"I can bury you ass six feet deep if you prefer that instead," Wolfe offered.

"We both know killing me will have your wife in shambles. She might hate me, but beneath that is love. Anyway, the guy who wants your spot in Ember Hills' name is?—"

"Breeze," Killian declared before I had the chance.

"Y'all both fucking knew and didn't say shit?" Crown spat.

"I found out his name today from Kage when I was on my way over. An associate of Breeze reached out about wanting to buy," I clarified. "Had Honor been nicer to me, I would have said something sooner."

"An associate reached out to Syn as well. I took it upon myself to set up a met for next weekend," Killian followed up.

"Set up both meets for the same day, same place," Honor ordered.

"Fuck, next weekend is Four's birthday," Crown groaned.

"What's more important getting the nigga who wants her dead or celebrating what might be her last birthday?" I asked without thinking.

Every man in the room pulled their gun out and aimed at me. Except for Killian, he used his dogs instead. They viciously growled in my direction, waiting for their owner to give the command.

"Speak death on my muthafuckin' wife again and I promise you gon' see me," Crown threatened.

"Whatever! Can I go now?" I looked toward Honor, who tossed his head in the direction of the door. "This was nice. We should do it again." I smiled, then hurried out the room.

Moving around the house, I searched for the staircase that led to the basement.

When Lucian built his compound, he designed the homes to be similar in layout.

Honor's house was similar to mine, which made finding the movie room that much easier.

I was surprised that the meeting was being held here since Honor rarely came here.

I walked inside the theater, doing my best to stay quiet, and snapped a quick picture of Cherish holding my niece.

"Mommy, look." My daughter smiled proudly.

"Great job, sweetheart, but it's time to go."

"Do I have to?" she whined.

"Yes. Now come on."

Gigi took the baby from my daughter, then mumbled something that caused Cherish to smile. Cherish ran over, grabbed my hand, and started rambling. Whatever she was saying was lost on me as I watched Gigi rock Chosyn's daughter. Gigi caught me watching and snickered.

"What?" I grimaced.

"You've spent so long sharpening your words that you forgot to remind your face that it's not void of emotion."

"What? You don't know anything about me."

"I don't, but I know Chosyn very well."

"I'm not her."

"You're not, but your eyes are. Like her, you want to be loved, to be chosen, but the armor you wear is a lot tighter than hers.

Chosyn allowed Wolfe to reach her heart without being cut, but with you, a man wouldn't even know where to begin.

Forget a man, your family... your sister wouldn't know where to begin. "

"I have no sister, and if you let Chosyn and her family tell it, I'm not welcome into their family. They deal with me because I made to where they have to. If the choice was theirs..." I shook my head, not wanting to speak death on my life, even though at every turn I found myself staring at guns.

"See, it's that right there. You're quick to piss people off because it's easier on you if they're mad at you, so you don't have to live up to their expectations. You play the villain because it's easier to bleed than to fade scars."

"They wouldn't forgive me even if I begged."

"Forgiveness," Gigi whispered, "doesn't begin with them. It starts with you. Forgive yourself for what you've done wrong. Apologize to your inner child. Make things right with your sister, because the cycle will continue with these two."

Her eyes bounced from Chosyn's daughter to mine. I gave the baby one last look before leaving the theater room and the house. After buckling Cherish in, I sent Chosyn the picture I had snapped of our kids, hoping she would see it as an olive branch.