Page 23 of Still Forever

The whole room erupted, guns cocked, women screamed, and faces dropped. The guns of almost every man in the room were trained on the three of us. The calm look never left Trouble’s face as he said, “I suggest y’all calm down and hear what the fuck he has to say before you’re down a couple men.”

The pressure was on. Even if just one nigga wanted to move up in the rankings and felt trigger happy, it’d be over for us.

"C’è un topo dentro la tua famiglia." (You have a rat in the family). I said as I pressed the button on the tape recorder that I had been having translated for weeks. When the audio came on, it was Mateo’s son-in-law having a phone conversation with a detective.

While Mateo flew to the States, he planned to raid his estate and collect information for their investigation into the death of one of their agents.

“Call back home and have your security go inside the home now to catch him there,” the recording continued, detailing all the plans that his son-in-law and the detective had made.

His face fell as he sat back in his chair.

He didn’t show any emotion for a second, then he waved his hand for every man in the room to lower their guns.

But even when they did, Trouble and Judah stayed trained on the underbosses.

"Ti rispetto… ma perché mi dai una mano?" (My respect, why are you giving me a hand?) He asked.

“I just saved your entire family and organization from tragedy. Now I need you to do something for me.” I set the recorder on the table in front of him. Letting the weeks’ worth of Italian tapes continue to play. “Call off the alliance with the Cross family.”

"Allora non vi sposate?" (so, then you’re not getting married) He asked. That fucked me up. I had only been studying to have this conversation with him for three weeks. I don’t know what the fuck he said.

I looked at the guy that Trouble had the gun aimed at, “What did he just say?” I questioned. He gritted his teeth like he didn’t want to help me. Trouble cocked the gun.

“He asked if you don’t want to get married.” He spat, still being held by the back of his collar.

I turned back toward The Don. “No. We don’t agree to the alliance. Call off the weddings for my brother and me.”

All eyes were on us; the entire outside was hushed as they watched the interaction unfolding around them.

He was quiet, and his jaw ticked as he tapped the tips of his fingers together. I held his stare, breaking all the rules as I waited for him to come to a decision.

“Very well. No wedding.” He said in a thick accent.

I reached out to shake his hand, but he didn’t take it.

Then he said something else, giving me a long spill.

He lost me from the first sentence. I looked back over at the man still held at gunpoint for him to do his newly assigned job as translator.

He scoffed before he said, “The Don says that you move with heart. And that’s dangerous.

But maybe you are what this life needs. And he’ll call off the alliance.

Not because he agrees, but because men like you don’t come around often.

But he wants you to remember that hearts win wars, but also get men buried.

For the things that you have done for him, your organization will receive a permanent seat at his table as National elite members. ”

The entire outside started clapping at that last statement. Then Mateo reached out to shake my hand, and I took it, bowing my head.

Everyone except for Cross had smiles; he looked at me with fire in his eyes.

I knew he thought that this would be the moment that he finally got his organization together.

But he wasn’t going to do it at my expense.

If anything, he would be better off coming to work for us, but that was another negotiation for another day.

Trouble and I nodded.

"Grazie, rispetto." (Thank you, respect) I said as I turned back to him and bowed again. Then I left him with the recorder. Immediately, a team of soldiers surrounded him, shouting orders to figure out how to handle the issue in Italy.

Trouble had let his target go. Judah tapped this target on the shoulder three times with the barrel of the gun and said, “You almost didn’t make it there, buddy. Neither did I, but this ain’t about me.” He said before I snatched his clown ass up. I brought him into a hug.

“Damn, bro. I doubted you for a second, but you know your shit.” When I came to Judah and told him that I wanted to do surveillance on Mateo’s team to find leverage, that nigga didn’t blink. He tapped everybody’s shit and sent me over a million recordings and videos so I could have them translated.

“What about you? Nigga you turned Spy Kid on us with the language switch! Muhfucka trilingual,” He laughed as we parted ways.

“I appreciate you; I owe you for life.”

“You don’t owe me shit, now, Kennedy, on the other hand. I want my banana pudding. If I don’t get it, I’ll call Cross myself and make the deal,” He said as I pushed his shoulder.

Trouble and my parents came between us; his face was unreadable as my mother embraced Judah, and my pops spoke.

“I don’t know why I was blessed with three of the dumbest, but bad ass sons in the world. But I’m a proud fucking father.” He gleamed as he embraced me and held it for a second. The patting on my back that he did constantly, but didn’t break the embrace, let me know that he was getting emotional.

“Every time I see one of y’all grow up and step into manhood, that shit does something to me. I love you, son.” He said, voice cracking.

“Love you too, pops. We get everything we know from you. We got the best blueprint out there.” I assured him.

We parted, and I saw my mama crying. Trouble’s mama’s boy ass hugged her before I could get to her.

When I made it over there, I pulled her away from him. “Jaxon, I’m so proud to have raised a man like you.” She said as I smiled and wiped her face. I kissed her forehead, and then I locked eyes with Trouble.

His jaw was tight, and his face was unreadable as we had a staring match. “You get one time to crash out like this. Go find Kennedy.” He said as he held his hand out for me to slap and then pulled me into him.

I damn near ran out of the backyard feeling like the world had just been lifted from my shoulders. I was almost at the door before I remembered something and turned to walk back into the garden.

Scanning the backyard, I saw Remy sitting with her father in the corner, crying into her hands. I went over to them.

“Rem,” I said as I pulled her from her seat and pulled her hands down from her face.

“You got some fucking nerve coming over here after throwing my daughter away like she’s trash.”

Before I could even respond, I heard a gun cock. The barrel of a Glock was pressed against his head before he could blink. On the other end of it, my father.

“Watch your fucking tone when you’re talking to my son.” He gritted. I gave Cross a smirk. I don’t know what status he held in Louisiana, but in New York, the Jennings Mafia ran shit. And either he was on the train, or he was on the tracks.

He put his hands up in surrender, taking a few steps back, before my father grilled him and tucked his gun into the pocket of his suit. Then he sipped from his cup and walked away.

Remy stiffened but didn’t break character. She just continued to cry, then threw her arms around me. “How long do I have to do this?” she giggled as she lay her head on my chest.

“Shit, as long as you need to. Thank you, though Shorty. Tell Zo he better treat you right.” I warned her.

“He'd better, or I’ll phone my crazy ass friend for a favor. Go find Kennedy, y’all better invite me to the wedding.” She whispered with a chuckle.

“I will, be easy.” I turned and jogged back toward the door, leaving the building. I didn’t care that we had just gotten elite status. I didn’t care that I had almost gotten us all murdered; all I could think about was KD and how I had to make it back to her.