Page 85 of Search My Soul (Taylor Family Saga #3)

“Damn, this food is good as hell,” Duke mumbled with a mouthful of food. We were at this new steakhouse for dinner. I told his ass that I wanted to stay home, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He, Murk, and Huncho were beginning to piss me off because no one seemed to respect my wishes.

“Yeah, I can’t lie, it tastes better than I expected. They must have somebody auntie with the bat wings in there. Even the greens taste good, and you know I don’t fool with anyone’s greens like that.”

“Yeah, it’s a black owned spot, so you know they got their great aunt in the kitchen. You know my ass is greedy. I’m ready to ask for a second order because I know I’mma be hungry later on.”

“Bro, you sound greedy as fuck,” Murk commented. He had been glued to his phone since we got here.

“Listen, I’m being honest. Unlike you, I don’t have a woman to cook dinner for me.

This bachelor life is for the birds for real.

” His comment triggered a thought that I had forgotten about.

When we buried Zion, I noticed how close him and my sister seemed to be.

Normally, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but it was something about their connection that threw me off.

“You fuckin’ my sister?” I blurted the question out. I needed to know what was going on between the two of them. Duke was like family to me, but Patience was blood. Nobody came before blood, and I wouldn’t hesitate to end his life if he ever tried to cross mine.

Duke choked on his food as I sat back observing him. Murk thought the shit was funny, but I found no humor in any of this. My sisters were off limits and everyone in my crew was aware of this. Nothing had changed so I wanted to know what was really going on.

“What made you ask me that?” Strike one. I hated when a mothafucka tried to beat around the bush.

“Duke, how long have you known me?” I asked calmly, doing my best to keep in mind that we were in a public setting.

“We’ve been boys since we were youngins on the playground.”

“So then you know me better than most, right?” Duke straightened in his seat and used his napkin to wipe his face.

“Look, this wasn’t the way I wanted this conversation to happen. Patience and I have been in each other’s lives for the same amount of time. I?—”

“Are you fucking my sister? This ain’t a complicated question, Duke.

I saw the way you handled her during and after the funeral, and it wasn’t like a family friend.

You took care of her the way her man would, and I want to know why that is.

Now either you are going to be a real one and tell me the truth, or you’re going to continue to play in my fucking face.

” I raised my eyebrows as we stared at one another.

After all the bullshit I’ve been through, I wasn’t in the mood for another mothafucka to lie to me.

“It’s deeper than fuckin’. I love?—”

“Didn’t I tell your bitch ass that my sisters were off limits?

” I grumbled through gritted teeth. If we weren’t in this restaurant, I probably would have knocked his ass out.

We didn’t play when it came to our sisters, and he knew that.

The last man who tried to hurt Patience ended up on a missing person’s report, so I don’t know why he even thought it would be cool to play with his own life like that.

“Soul, I understand how you feel about the situation, but you don’t understand.”

“Naw, it’s you who doesn’t understand. You and Patience have no business being together. You aren’t good enough for her, and you know that.”

“Damn, Soul,” Murk retorted, but I didn’t care.

The same way Duke knew everything about me, I knew the same about him.

He and I used to fuck the same bitches, running trains on them and everything.

He stayed with a different bitch on his arm, and they were constantly fighting over him.

There’s no way he thought I would ever approve of him being with my sister.

“Damn, I’m glad to know how you really feel,” Duke replied, setting his fork down onto his plate. We’ve never had the kind of relationship where we sugarcoated anything, so he shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Yeah, it is. I might not be shit when it comes to women, but you know how I carry my sisters. You and I have been running through bitches for years. Hell, you were talking about how you made Mercedes get an abortion last year, so when did you even find the time to pursue my sister? Come on now. You can be in your feelings all you want, but you know you ain’t shit.

” I huffed. Duke could try to act like he had amnesia, but we both knew the truth.

My sister deserved to have a man who was only with her.

Duke didn’t have a monogamous bone in his body, and I wasn’t the kind of brother who would sit around while their sisters got cheated or beaten on.

“I would never cheat on Patience. I’m not gonna act like I haven’t been a fuck nigga in my lifetime, but things are different with her.”

“I’m not tryna hear none of that shit. Did you forget my sister has a child?

You must not value your life, because I would slit your throat behind Romi without a second thought,” I vowed.

Duke knew firsthand how hard I worked for my family, so it made me wonder why he even thought this would be a good idea.

“Your threats don’t move me because I don’t plan to hurt them.

I love Romi as if she came from my balls.

Even if Patience and I decided not to deal with one another, she would still be my baby.

The only reason I never spoke on this situation was out of respect for your sister.

She knew how you would react, so she has been keeping me at arm’s length for years.

I’m gonna tell you the same thing I told her, I’m a grown ass man.

I’m not afraid of you, and I don’t plan to hurt her.

We’ve been playing this cat and mouse game for years, and I’m tired of it.

” Running my hand through my beard, all I could think about was the fact that the people in my life couldn’t seem to be honest with me.

Then, when shit hit the fan, they wanted me to show up and save the day.

Everything was becoming too exhausting for me.

“I guess you’ve got it all figured out, huh?

My promises remain the same. If you aren’t gonna be the man they need, leave my family alone.

We’ve been boys for a long time, but I promise you don’t want to make an enemy out of me.

I’ll forget I ever held any love in my heart for you and bury your momma right next to you.

” I needed a blunt or something to take the edge off, but I’ve been taking a break from any and all drugs.

My mind was fucked up enough, and I didn’t need anything else to make it worse.

“Understood,” Duke replied before his phone rang. The grin on his face pissed me off, but I assumed it must have been my sister.

“What’s up, ladybug?”

“Where are you?” I recognized my niece’s voice right away, and it caused me to focus my attention on Duke.

“When are you coming to get me? You haven’t come over in a really long time.

Do you not love me anymore?” The sadness in her voice made me angry, but I decided to sit back and see how things would play out.

“Of course, I love you, ladybug. You’re my favorite person in the whole world. I’ve been busy with work, but I promise I haven’t forgotten about you. That could never happen.”

“Okay, well can we get ice cream when you come? Oh, and can you buy me another squish mellow?”

“You can have whatever you want. I love you, princess. Give me a couple of days and I’ll be there to see you.”

“Okay, I love you too.” The grin on his face remained which told me that he truly had love for my niece.

“Why are you looking at me like you want to chop my head off?” Duke inquired, reaching for his glass.

“You already know what I’m thinking. My sisters are my everything and my niece means more to me than them.

You’re a grown ass man so I would never try to tell you how to live your life.

However, when it comes to my family, I will kill any and everyone who tries to harm them,” I warned.

Duke was someone I considered a brother, and I trusted him with everything in my life, but I would drop him where he stood if he ever tried to hurt them.

“You already know what’s understood doesn’t have to be explained. Like I said before, I would never do anything to hurt either one of them intentionally. We’re brothers so I would never want to jeopardize our friendship.”

“All right. I hear you.”

“So what’s the deal with you and Neeya? Have you spoken to her recently?” Murk questioned.

“I haven’t spoken to her in a while. I check on her when I can, but the communication has been slim.

There’s no beef between us, but I can’t be her friend or anything else right now.

I wanted to try because I missed being in her presence but not being able to have her as mine was too much for me to handle.

I love her too much to settle for a friendship. ”

“I get where you’re coming from, but wouldn’t that be a good start? The two of you have gone through a lot and maybe it could help you to rebuild if you start back as friends,” Murk reasoned.

“I don’t know. I’m not going to be okay with the idea with her dating another nigga, but I don’t have anything to offer her right now.

I’m still fucked up behind us losing Zion and I’m sure she is too.

” I shrugged, taking the rest of my drink to the head.

A part of me felt guilty because I hadn’t been there for Juicy the way I should have been.

I didn’t process grief well and I would have only caused more issues for her had I been around.

The ladies kept me updated on her well-being so that was enough for me.

“Ahh, shit,” Duke exclaimed.

“Speak of the devil,” Murk mumbled under his breath.