Page 36 of Welcome to the Table

“Did you ever tell that girl how you feel about her? You never bring a girl home, and I think it’s because you want to bring her here.

Stop hiding your feelings because of what her family may think, and follow your heart.

She got away once, don’t let her get away again.

” I dipped down and let her kiss my forehead while thinking about what she said.

Brewster was right. I never expressed my feelings, ever. All I knew was the streets. Home was the only place that brought me peace, but I knew if I acted on my feelings, a whole lot of shit would change, and I wasn’t willing to risk it at all.

“It’ll happen when it’s supposed to, but now is not the time,” I told her.

She rolled her eyes. “I only have to clean this kitchen. I washed our clothes and sent the rest to the cleaners. I’ll take your advice, although I don’t want to, but you’re right.

I need to get out of this house before I lose my mind.

” She walked away from me, sliding the card from the counter and into her bra.

She continued to hum her song, and that was my cue to leave. I grabbed my key fob off my key hook.

I knew I was driving, so I decided to bring out my big body Hummer with my custom-made black rims. I had her custom-painted matte black, but she shone like a diamond.

I hopped in, and Lil Wayne started banging through the speakers before my phone rang.

Without looking at the screen, I knew who it was. I answered via Bluetooth.

“Nigga, where you at?” Hellcat’s rude ass said through the speakers.

“Nigga, good morning to yo’ rude ass, too.” I laughed because this nigga was not a morning person, so I knew he was pissed.

“Man, fuck the pleasantries. I’m on my way to my parents to let Jaci work my fucking nerves all day in every mall that she can get to,” he fussed.

I laughed on the inside. He and Jaci had a love-hate relationship. It was funny because he turned into a fucking marshmallow when Jaci whined.

“Nigga, I’m on my way to the house. I know yo’ egg head ass ain’t driving, so I got it. Just meet me there,” I told him and disconnected my phone.

As I drove through the dirty streets of New Orleans, my mind went to Jaci.

She was young but fine as fuck. I damn near watched her grow up alongside her brothers, but I didn’t see her sexy ass like a sister.

I always felt like I had to protect her, even when she was in New York.

I kept tabs on her that no one knew about.

I was borderline obsessed with her. I had cameras everywhere in her apartment, so I knew what she was doing once she got there from school, which wasn’t much.

Hellcat didn’t even know that shit, and we didn’t hold secrets, but that was one that I had to hold, or it would get me killed.

I valued my life too much to play Russian roulette with it.

Crazy thing is, Jaci didn’t even know how I felt about her, and I needed to keep it that way.

I always had self-control around her when we were growing up, but when I saw her days ago, that shit went out the window.

I prayed nobody noticed it. I didn’t have to worry about Melph because I knew he was gone, but that nigga Calliope was a different story.

He was too quiet for me, but welcomed me with open arms, and that’s the main reason I didn’t act on my feelings.

The shit went deeper than trying to fuck with their sister. My loyalty was to the family, and that was a line I didn’t want to cross. We never had a sit down and talked about it, but it was an unspoken rule that didn’t need to be discussed.

I pulled up, let the camera recognize my face, and the soldiers saluted me like they were in the fucking army.

I found that shit comical. It was too much going on, and I knew Athena could handle herself.

This was Wisdom’s doing, but it wasn’t my fucking business as long as they were safe.

I pulled in behind Hellcat’s car and put it in park.

I hopped out and walked to the front door.

When I walked in, I didn’t see anyone, but I heard arguing or yelling.

I wasn’t for the bullshit today. I knew how Hellcat felt about Wisdom, but I didn’t know why. I would ask him later.

I followed the voices, and it led me to the kitchen. Hellcat was standing there with his knife swinging from his hand, with Wisdom on the other side of the counter next to Athena. It looked like they were about to eat, but some bullshit had started.

“Why the fuck you gotta live here? I don’t trust you, nigga,” Hellcat barked.

My head shook. This nigga just wasn’t gon’ leave the situation alone.

“Hellcat, you can’t tell me who to have in my fucking house. Do I tell you what bitches to bring to your penthouse?” Athena barked at him.

“This shit is different. You don’t think this shit is a setup?

This nigga dropped out of the sky and came here.

It’s been how many years since this nigga came around?

What the fuck was he doing in that time?

Nobody fucking knows, yet here he is, trying to save the fucking day.

She didn’t need this bitch ass nigga. She got us.

” His hands hit the table with a thud. This nigga was on one early.

“I’m following your father’s orders, and he trusts Wisdom, so calm the fuck down in my house,” Athena yelled.

Hellcat jumped, but I pulled him back. He was going too far.

“Fuck that nigga. He left you here. We could protect you. Send this nigga packing,” he said.

Athena squared up with Hellcat, and I knew to back up.

“Hey, Grove, let them talk this shit out. Go see what’s going on with Jaci. She should be awake and getting dressed. She been talking about going shopping and hanging out with her brother since she got here.” Wisdom told me, and I mugged him.

I wanted to say something, but I didn’t want to make shit worse.

We would never make it to the mall. They would be rearranging furniture in this bitch.

I ignored Wisdom. The nigga didn’t know me that well to be telling me shit.

Yeah, he was older, but my fucking bullets were new every day of the fucking week.

I looked at Hellcat as he stood up to Athena.

“You ain’t gotta listen to that nigga. Athena is the only one in this bitch taking orders from him.”

Whap whap

“Don’t you ever in yo’ fucking life play with me like that, Hellcat.

You think I wanted any of this shit? You think I want niggas watching my every move because Melph made it hot where our peace supposed to be?

He left me here. How the fuck you think that makes me feel?

He left me with his best fucking friend when we supposed to ride together, so don’t come in my fucking house thinking you know what’s going on because you fucking don’t. ”

Those licks made my ass cheeks tighten. The vein in his jawbone ticked like a bomb as he looked at her with remorseful eyes. I saw blood trickle from his mouth, and Athena instantly regretted what she had done. She went to touch him, and he backed away.

“Nah, you right. I deserved that. I was out of line, and you were supposed to pop me because this nigga knew better.” He nodded his head in Wisdom’s direction.

He just stood there.

“Let me fix it, Hellcat. Stop acting like yo’ ass all hard, and you not,” she told him, walking away to get the first aid kit.

“Hollygrove, go see about Jaci, and Wisdom, find something safe to do while I talk to my son,” Athena said without even turning our way.

I was glad I knew where her room was. I made sure Wisdom walked off first because I didn’t trust him.

We went in opposite directions. I went to the stairs and that nigga left the kitchen.

That was all I needed him to do. I walked up the steps slowly because I didn’t know if I could handle being in the same space with Jaci too long.

It was okay when the family was around. Only I knew how I felt about her.

Thank God she didn’t know. She probably looked at me as a big brother because I did have a few years on her, but not enough to look like a pedo.

I made my way to the top of the stairs and down the hallway to her room.

Before I got to her cracked door, I heard her voice.

I took a chance, not knowing if she was fully dressed or not.

I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but I knew she was probably on the phone.

When I got to her door, I pushed it open a little, and my dick got hard as fuck.

Jaci was standing in her full length mirror, pulling her long hair into a ponytail.

She was standing there in her pink bra and panty set.

She didn’t see me at first. I pushed the door open, and she looked at me through the mirror, flashing a knowing smile.

Jaci was so fucking beautiful. Her body was perfect.

Thick thighs that would save my life, skin looked so fucking soft, blemish-free face.

Her button nose and 5’5” stature would make any nigga weak in the knees.

I looked at her bed and saw that she had her jean mini skirt with her matching a pink crop top and sandals laid out.

“You know Hellcat ain’t gon’ let you wear that shit to the mall,” I told her, and she laughed.

“My brother can’t tell me what to wear, but what about you? What you gotta say about what I’m wearing? You like it?” she asked me.

I thought I was tripping. I shook my head and ran my hand through my dreads. She was fucking me up.

“You wear what you wanna wear, Jaci. I ain’t got no say so in that,” I told her, and she batted her lashes at me.

She was blushing, and that shit was making my heart beat wild as fuck. I couldn’t take it. I had to get away from her before I fucked around and had her lil ass bent over.

“But you do and don’t even know it.” She winked her left eye at me, and it was my turn to blush.