Capri 3.5 (Season Three: Delgato Family: Capri)

21. Capri

capri

. . .

“Quameer how are you expected to know how to help her in the delivery room if you keep trying to hunch her in my damn studio,” Blair scolded Meer, as I was bent over in this position that I kept calling the doggy style, and Blair continued to give me every excuse why it wasn’t called that.

“You cannot ask my wife to bend over like this and not get me excited… shit this a private class... take yo ass in your office and pretend like we’re not here,” he told her, and she rolled her eyes.

I sat back down on my ass and shoved Meer away from me. He already knew all it took was for him to look at me and I was ready to get it on. At almost six months, my stomach was here and ready for the world to know.

It worried me that we didn’t know where Tasha was, and I was only progressing in my pregnancy. I wanted to be the one that ended her, and I didn’t want to hear any excuses from my brothers or husband. Tasha had caused enough damage in this family, and I never trusted her. Forty told me to trust that she wouldn’t go against us and look where the fuck that got us.

Cappy was still doing physical therapy because of his arm, and she was running around here free. Morgan and Martin’s news had finally died down and authorities were looking for Morgan not knowing he was already dead.

There was push back on who the new district attorney would be, so it wasn’t as easy for me to step into my role right away. Devon told me not to worry about it and he was going to handle everything.

Blair sat down Indian style in front of us and I could tell something was wrong. “I think I scared Quasim away.”

“What do you mean? The both of you were so into each other in France and Italy. That was the most I saw Sim smile…ever.”

“Facts. It was nice seeing him out of his shell, and you do that for him, B,” Meer agreed, settling behind me and rubbing my stomach.

If it was one thing my husband was going to do, it was to rub and love on my stomach. Rayce was going to come out spoiled like her sister and there wasn’t anything I would be able to do about it.

Secretly, I loved seeing Meer become a girl dad. If it was meant for us to have a boy in the future, it would happen. Right now, I was excited to see him really step into that role with two girls. He was truly the only man in the house, and outnumbered, so I wanted to give him a boy one day.

Blair looked down at her hands. “I told him that I couldn’t wait to have his babies and become his wife when we were in Italy. Remember the night he took me to shore for dinner?”

“Yeah.”

She took a deep breath. “I blew it, Capri. At that table, I could feel the energy shift and he became tense. You know I get word vomit at times… it just came out because I was feeling it. I want to have that man’s babies and love on him so bad.”

I scooted across the floor and wrapped my arms around her. “Quasim is just different… I don’t think you scared him away. I think he needs time to process what you said to him, Blair.”

She lifted her head and looked at me crazy. “He shut down on me, Capri. I’ve been around Quasim to know when he’s reverting to his old ways, and he is. I text him to ask to hang out, and he replies, but always has an excuse… I even followed him to the barber shop.”

“Shit.” Meer snorted and I shot him a dirty look.

Blair looked at him. “Exactly. I’ve become that girl… the one that is chasing after a man. I promised myself that I wouldn’t do that again.”

I held her tighter, not knowing what to say to her. To me, Sim wasn’t like the others and he was worth the chase. He had been through so much and seeing him in Capri, I never saw that side of him. Meer sat up with me at night and was so happy about witnessing his brother come back to life.

At the same time, I couldn’t sit and expect her to chase him. Blair had life happen to her, too, and she wasn’t wrong for wanting kids and marriage one day. She knew exactly how short life was and wanted to experience it. After everything she had been through, she deserved to have all of that and then some.

Quasim deserved those same things too. He was too scared to experience them again because of his past. Too afraid of losing someone else that he loved.

Meer looked at us. “I can’t speak for him because he’s a grown ass man, B. I can say that there’s a lot of emotions and feelings that he hasn’t dealt with… only pushed them away.”

“I’m in love with him,” she confessed.

I saw the way Blair looked at Quasim, and how he looked at her. The feelings were very much mutual, but I couldn’t tell her that. I couldn’t tell her how Sim felt because it wasn’t my place. He had to be the one to tell her that, and since he was afraid, he was doing what he knew best – creating distance with her.

“As much as I wished I had the answers… I don’t have them, babe. I want you and Sim together so bad, but that’s not for me to decide.”

She swiped her tears away and gave me a weak smile. “Enough about me… this is about you two and getting prepared for my God daughter.”

“Nah. I’m more concerned with you. You don’t need to fake it with us… we’re family, B,” Meer said.

I don’t know how I could fall even deeper in love with him. Every day he showed me why he had my heart. Meer could be a clown and joke around, but when he was serious, he meant business. The one thing he never played about was his family, and seeing how he was staring at Blair, he considered her family.

“We were on vacation; he was drinking and we were having fun. Maybe I was stupid to look deeper into that… it’s my fault because soon as a man is nice to me, here I go falling in love like a dummy.”

Meer looked toward the door. “B, he got two IG’s watching your studio at all times… I’m damn sure you can’t make a move without him knowing. His ass knows you followed him to the barbershop. You didn’t look too deep into anything… Sim just gotta handle his shit.”

“How long am I expected to wait for him to handle his shit? Am I supposed to sit here and accept little pieces of affection that he feeds me? I’m in love with him, but I cannot chase behind another man again. I deserve to be chased… hell, I’ve gone through too much not to be chased,” she vented, and looked at her watch.

“Maybe we should have dinner at our house… invite you both.”

“No… you two have enough going on without getting mixed into my mess. If it’s meant for me and Quasim to be together, then the first move will be on him because I’m done.” She hugged me before she stood up.

Meer stood up. “Come give me a hug, B… I know you need one.”

Blair laughed as she gave Meer a hug. “Thanks, Meer. I know listening to me vent about your brother isn’t what you signed up for.”

“Listening to my family is exactly what I signed up for. Like I told you, I cannot answer for him, but you know we’re here if you need us.”

“We love you, Blair.” I called from the floor and they both looked down at me on the floor. “You know… I can get up myself, but it would be easier if you both helped me.”

Blair laughed. “Girl, come on.”

We finished our class with Blair because she had another class right behind ours. Meer had me wait in the studio while he pulled his gun, and left out and checked our surroundings. He hit the IG dap with the two waiting outside before he came and got me, putting me into his truck.

“Do you think we should talk to Sim about Blair?” I questioned as I put my seatbelt on, and checked my mirrors.

“Nah,” he replied, as he kept his head on a swivel.

The minute his truck left the block that Blair’s studio was on, we heard bikes and saw a mix of Reapers and IG’s surround the car.

“Nah?” I mocked.

“Exactly what I said, Sug. That’s not our business and we not about to make it ours. We can listen to Blair and be there without inserting ourselves in their shit. Sim is private, always been that way… I’m not getting myself involved in his shit.”

As he spoke, I watched as he kept his eye out for everything. “You’re right… they were so perfect when we were in Italy.”

“I want my brother to be happy and in love. Want him to experience exactly what I have, but he has to be ready and want that same thing. Can’t want it for him, and we gotta mind our business.” He reached across and rubbed my stomach.

When we merged onto the Brooklyn Bridge, the Reapers fell back, but the IG’s remained. I sat back and watched as Meer whipped us through the city and through the tunnel until we got on the highway.

“Where are we going?”

He looked over at me briefly before returning toward the road. “I wanna show you something real quick.”

Waterhead: Ry wants to stay with me this weekend. We’re going to Broadway.

I read the text that popped up on the truck’s screen. Meer read the message and shook his head.

The more that came out about Morgan and Martin, the more I continued to be surprised. Martin was broke. He had filed for bankruptcy a few months ago, and that big house they lived in was a rental.

Even as his wife, Brandi didn’t have nothing from him to help her out. She was just a broke as Martin was before his ass was killed. She moved into my townhouse with Ryder, and seeing my girl’s face was all I needed. Some would call me stupid, but I saw a little girl that needed her mother. Brandi made some very questionable decisions with her life; however, Ryder didn’t know that side of her mother and I prayed that she never did.

None of what I did was for Brandi. It was for the little one that I now had the pleasure of raising. If Brandi chose to go against the grain again, there wasn’t nothing that I could do to help her escape Quameer’s wrath.

“Her ass better be following up on those job leads I emailed to her,” he muttered.

I turned to look at him and busted out laughing. “You sent her job leads, Meer?”

Meer smirked. “Hell fucking yeah. The fuck she thinks this is? Her husband was fucking broke, and she don’t have money. Had her ass selling those Chanel bags too that she packed with her.”

I had tears as I listened to his ass calmly explain how he was making his baby mama get a job, and sell her bags. “Meer, you did not.”

“Sug, when somebody got you fucked up you gotta stand on that shit. That’s the same shit I’ve been trying to teach yo ol friendly ass.”

“Wait, I’ve been better.”

Meer looked at me. “Oh, don’t kill her… I want her to be my bestie so we can braid each other’s hair… that’s Peach’s mama,” he mocked me and I shoved him.

“Quameer, you know damn well I never said anything like that.”

He laughed as he grabbed my hand and kissed it. Snatching it back, I slapped him upside the head. “You better hope your bestie don’t do no other shit because I’m not considering shit… Peach will get her fucking horse and Brandi will be buried in navy… feel me?”

“Yes Meer.”

As much as he teased me, he knew that me and Quasim were both right. The only threat that Brandi held was between her legs. It would break his heart to take Peach’s mother away from her, and it would break mine, too.

I’ve always had to be the bigger person. Brandi didn’t deserve the grace that extended to her, but Peach did. Brandi’s karma was watching Quameer love me the way I deserved, and watching me love him the way that he deserved. She may have had him first, but she never got this Meer. She never experienced this grown man that I rolled over next to every morning.

When Peach and Brandi finally did reconnect, I witnessed the way that little girl launched herself into her mother’s arms and they both sobbed while holding onto each other. I didn’t want her in my townhouse, but for Peach I would move the mountains and the moon for her.

I watched as we exited the highway and drove for a bit before we hit a light and went down a long winding road that used to be gravel and unpaved road. It was now paved with the greenest grass on both sides, and tall trees lining the limestone pavers that led to a huge black iron gate with two cursive Ds in the middle of the gates.

“Meer… why are we at the compound?” I looked around, not believing that this went from all unpaved and touched land to looking like this.

As much as it screamed expensive, it was also secured. As we drove down the long-paved driveway, there were cameras at every turn hidden in the bushes and trees. The compound was something that made me depressed every time I spoke about it, so it was easier to push it out of my mind.

I hadn’t thought about it since the day I had a conversation with my father about it. My parents’ house had been completed and the twin’s houses were next, and I hadn’t made my way here to see any of it. I made the excuse that I didn’t need to see it because everyone was staying at the lake over the summer.

As Meer drove down the driveway, I witnessed how much had been done and I couldn’t believe it. Capone and Cappadonna had a vision and made it happen. I watched as Meer slowed down and hit the code and the gates opened, and we pulled through.

“I told you that I wanted to show you something,” he replied, as he slowly drove through the winding roads leading up to the homes.

There was nothing but acres and acres of grass in the distance. Aside from that, the landscaping looked amazing on the drive up toward the houses. I was a kid with my face pressed against the glass as I saw the main two homes side by side.

They were nearly identical, except for a few small touches. I smiled because they were Capone and Cappadonna’s homes. Then my parents, there home was right in the middle of everyone. There was a basketball court, tennis courts, and a swimming pool that resembled something in a resort.

Aimee and Capella’s house was completed. A two-story farm house style home with black trimmings, and modern touches. Who the hell knew when they would move into it, but it was there for them.

I gasped so hard that I started choking and Meer reached over and patted my back. “Wha…what is going on, Meer?” I looked at him, as he put the truck in park and hopped out.

He picked me up and placed me down on the ground. “When I tell you to let me handle it, I need you to know that I’m gonna handle it. I spoke with your brothers, wired that money and bought this land for us. Our piece of Inferno in Delgato land.” He smirked.

I jumped up into his arms and kissed him on the lips. We spoke about the compound and then never brought it up again. With everything that had been going on, I didn’t feel the need to bring it up to him or create even more pressure.

It was a special feeling when you got to experience what it felt like to have a man listen to you. Not just wave you off and pretend to listen, but one that actually listened and stuck true to his word. Since day one Meer had stood on business and doubled down on his word when it came to me.

“Quameer Robert Inferno… you bought the land that was already given to us?”

He kissed me on the lips and held me up. “Nah, it was given to you. I’m a man and I provide for my family, Suga… no more having your brothers provide for you. I’m your husband and I’m doing that now… hear me?”

“Have you had that conversation with them?”

Meer kissed me on the lips.

“I have and they already knowing how I’m coming behind you. I’m taking the responsibility of providing for my wife. They have no choice but to respect what I want for my wife… just like I respect what they want for theirs.”

I’ve always admired and respected how Meer approached my brothers about me. As much as Naheim claimed he was in love with me, he could and would never step to my brothers the way that Meer had. He came to them with respect, and they had no choice but to allow us to be together.

“Baby, I love you so much. Not for what you do for me, but for how you love me. How you show me that there’s never a no when it comes to you, you’re going to make it happen for us.”

We shared a kiss before he put me down on the ground. The house wasn’t complete but the foundation had been laid. “The hardest thing I ever had to do was see another nigga hurt you. I swore that the minute you gave me your heart that I was gonna show you how it’s supposed to feel.”

I stared up at him, stood on my toes and kissed him on the lips. “And you have… I hope that I have shown you how a real love is supposed to feel. How a woman is supposed to pour into her man. One who loves and cherishes you for you are. I accept all that you come with, Meer because I love you… I love Peach, and I love our family we’re building.”

He kissed me on the nose. “You have, Suga… you’ve shown me more than you know.” We stood in front of our home hugging.

“You gonna catch a chill out here,” I turned when I heard my mother’s voice, and she was standing in her doorway.

Our homes weren’t all that close to each other, but it was walking distance to get to each house. Meer held my hand as we walked toward my parents’ house. My mom stood there with her hair pulled into a top bun like how mine was currently.

“I never realized how much you resemble your mother, Sug,” Meer whispered as he kissed my ear, and pulled me in front of him.

My mother kissed me on the cheek and then kissed Meer before she touched my stomach. “Look at her just letting her presence be known.”

“Hey Mommy.” I smiled.

Jean Delgato wasn’t the most emotional woman, however, as she stared at me before giving me another hug, I could see that she was happy for me. “You need to eat something… both of you.” She ushered us inside and closed the door behind us.

“What you made, Mama Jean?”

She smiled and pulled Meer’s hand into the kitchen. “Guess I’m just chopped liver then.” I strolled behind them.

Jean may have not been excited about me and Meer being together, but my baby forced her to respect our relationship, and now he was her favorite person.

“No, you gonna sit on the couch and rest your feet… I don’t want you to have swollen feet like Erin had because she couldn’t sit down. Plus, I need to feel my baby… she’s moved today?”

“A little… not much.” I plopped on the couch and kicked my feet up while Meer was digging into whatever salad my mother made.

My father popped his head around the corner. “I knew I heard my Suga Cane… you finally told her, eh?”

Meer nodded while his mouth was stuffed with salad. He went to dap my father, who pulled him into a hug. “You’re my son-in-law, you give hugs.”

There was so much that needed to be discussed with my father, but right now wasn’t the moment. He came over and kissed me on the forehead before rubbing my stomach with a smile. “Where’s Ryder?”

“With her mother,” Meer replied.

“Dammit.”

“What happened?” I asked concerned.

He laughed and took a seat next to me. “CJ is coming over and I’m putting him onto old school kung fu movies… Ryder said she wanted to see them with us.”

“Awe, next time. Daddy, you have enough of those movies so you’ll be able to show them to her.”

My mother waved her wooden spoon as she fixed plates. “All the grandbabies are coming over next weekend so make sure she comes, too.”

Meer continued stuffing his face and accepted the plate of food and walked it over to hand to me. “I got you… she gonna be excited.”

“That little girl makes the best lemonade and she loves to cook… you know that?” My mother looked at Meer.

“Oh goodness this is good… Mommy, you know I love when you make fried fish.” My mouth continued to water as I demolished this food like I hadn’t eaten.

“Thank you, Princess… you need to come over more so I can fatten you up. You’re all stomach.”

“Tell her, Ma… she always talking about she’s fat.”

My mother chuckled. “I was your size before I had the twins, and then got back down, and then had Corleon and it went to hell… by the time I had you, my shape was gone.”

“Not to me,” my father licked his lips as he looked across the room at my mother, and I stared down at my plate because I really didn’t want to lose my appetite.

It was how my mother blushed when my father looked at her and complimented her. As much hell that my mother put me through, I was seeing her differently.

She was literally just a girl.

As I stared at her, she wasn’t my mother. She was Jean Delgato, Desmond’s wife. She was his forever, the person that he had loved for years. The woman who carried his children and made sacrifices that I couldn’t say I could make.

Meer sat beside me, pulling my feet into his lap and rubbing them while I fed him my food. My mother and father were teasing each other as they often did, and Meer was busy messing with the TV to put on the game, and I was at peace stuffing my face while carrying my baby girl.

“Mommy, can you make fishcakes when I come back over?” I called from the living room, still eating and forgetting to share with Meer.

As long as I was eating, he was satisfied. “I can make them now… I have the stuff… let me check the freezer in the garage,” she rushed out the kitchen.

My father laughed and shook his head. “You know she’s going to feed you until you’re full… might as well go ahead and get comfy because you both gonna be staying the night.”

Meer had already kicked his sneakers off, and was chilling like this was his damn house anyway. “You wanna go roll up, Des?”

I looked at my father shocked. “Daddy, you smoke weed?”

He stood up, sharing that same smirk that all of his sons shared. “Baby, all of this that y’all doing… I’ve been doing.”

Quameer bent down and kissed me on the lips. “Be back, Suga.”

“Take your time,” I smiled and kissed his lips again.

Since we been together all day, Meer hadn’t smoked. He didn’t smoke around me, and not that he was complaining, I knew whenever he smoked it was his time to decompress, so I wanted that for him.

“Got the cod right here and gonna let it thaw.” She smiled, excited that I was over here with her.

I had to admit that I was happy to be in this place with my mother. The minute I stopped kissing her ass and trying to be everything she wanted, things were better. It helped that I had a husband that wasn’t afraid to step in for me and let my mother know she was wrong.

As I rubbed my feet together watching this stupid game that Meer left on, I felt baby girl kick, and I smiled as I closed my eyes and got more comfortable on the couch as I heard pots and pans slapping against each other as my mother prepared one of my favorite foods.

My sleep hadn’t been the best and I shuffled back and forth to the bathroom to pee. I wish I could blame pregnancy on the reason that I couldn’t sleep. All I kept thinking about was this was the calm to the storm.

That something was going to happen and I couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to control it. Tasha was still out there and had slipped out of our hands plenty of times. She had decided to seek shelter with the Chrome Vipers and thought that would save her.

Whenever I was determined and wanted something – or someone, I didn’t rest until they were mine. I didn’t care if I was in labor, I would make sure I handled her before going to have my baby. Capone had his way of dealing with her, and now I had mine. She couldn’t have any breath in her body. She was given a second chance and the bitch must have been slow because who wouldn’t have taken that?

Instead, she chose to seek shelter with a no-good man that couldn’t protect her. Did she not learn her lesson with Naheim? She thought she held the golden ticket when she had his baby, but that man couldn’t save her.

“Yeah, somebody is following us.” Alaia quickly pulled me from my thoughts. I wanted sticky wings and decided to drive into Brooklyn for some. Alaia, Erin and Aimee decided to take the ride with me.

Before we headed back, Alaia asked me to drive her to the laundromat to grab something before heading back. I looked around and didn’t see anything, which made me look at her ass weird.

“Who is following us?” I asked as I pulled off the block quickly, bending the corner, and no one was following us.

Alaia hit my safe, and then pulled her gun out of her purse. “I promise someone is about to follow us. He watched me leave the laundromat and soon as I walked to the car, he ran to the one waiting on the other end of the block.”

I trusted my sister, so I took her word. Since she popped my safe already, I grabbed my gun and rested it on the center console, while Aimee cocked hers back and was now wide awake. She had been half asleep and listening to music on the ride to the laundromat.

I knew she was still going through the motions of trying to figure out what came next for her. I couldn’t even blame her because it was a lot to digest, who wanted to get married just to end up in divorce? I don’t know what happened with them in Monaco, but they were on good terms it seemed like.

At least for Rory.

Aimee was still living with Cappadonna and Alaia, while Capella was staying with Jasmine. He was between both Jasmine and his father’s house. I would take whatever they were doing now than when they spoke through everyone because they refused to talk to each other.

We headed down a few more blocks and didn’t notice anyone following us, so we relaxed some. “Maybe I’m tripping or something… all of this has my head on a swivel these days,” Alaia admitted.

“Which is what Cappy taught you, so you’re not wrong. Did you put the order in for those sticky wings?” I asked, wanting some sticky wings so bad that my mouth watered.

I didn’t have many cravings, but these sticky wings had been my consistent craving. Every time I thought I was over them; my mouth went watering for them.

“Yeah. I ordered them… guess we can pick them up and then head on back home.” I looked out the side mirror and saw Havoc and Kincaid following behind me.

Meer didn’t allow me to leave the house without a God with me. Aimee rested back in her chair. “Do you guys think I’m a bad mother?” she randomly blurted, and me and Alaia looked at each other.

“Not a bad mother, just one trying to find her way,” Alaia replied.

Aimee sucked her teeth. “Be honest with me. I’m a terrible mother, and maybe I should give up my rights… Rory is much better without me.”

“Where is all of this coming from?” I asked, looking at her through the rearview mirror, as she avoided eye contact with me.

Aimee shrugged. “I feel like everyone thinks I am, and just not saying anything to me. Pops checks in with me every morning. Then you pop in on me randomly throughout the day and offer to take Rory off my hands. I know I’m not a perfect mother like you and Erin, but I swear I’m trying.”

Erin looked at Aimee like she was smoking crack in front of her. “It’s called support, Aimee. We recognize as a family that we missed some things with you and we want to be there for you. Do you think I ask you to come coupon with me because I need help? I ask you because it gets you out the house and I care about you.”

Alaia turned around in the chair and looked at Aimee. “I am not a perfect mother, and I want you to know that right now. One night when Capp came home, he found me in my closet rocking because Promise would not go to bed… my fucking daughter is bad as shit. I love her little life, but she is spoiled because of her father, and she gives me the damn blues some days. With the twins here, it’s even worse because all she wants is her father. She doesn’t like to share her time with her father and the twins. Please know that my husband will find me in the closet again because motherhood isn’t perfection. We are all in this hood together and tackle it differently, but no one is a better mother than the other.”

Erin sucked her teeth and sat up in her seat. “Aimee, stop looking at our lives and marriages and trying to put yours together based on what you see . I don’t care how perfect me and Winston look, we go through real life struggles. We have a special needs daughter that requires a lot of time. Not to mention Cooper, CJ, and Jaiden. He may be out the house and on his way to the league, but he still needs me, too.”

Aimee swiped her tears away. “I don’t know what kind of mother I will be to my child. Most nights I’m up while clinging onto Meer because I’m worried if I will be good at it. Hell, I stress about being a good wife the second time around. Aim, you made a mistake and had bad judgment, but nobody is going to write you off because that’s not what family is… you are family.”

“I feel like Capella wrote me off when he slept with Shante.”

“That little whore,” Erin sighed.

I knew it would take a lot for them to fix their relationship, so I wasn’t going to give her false hope. They both had betrayed each other’s trust and now had to figure out how to fix their marriage, if it was even worth fixing. The space and break they were taking from each other was probably what was best.

“You both need some time. Maybe the space is good for the both of you… Rory doesn’t need you both fighting around him. All he needs is love from both of his parents and both of you figuring out your own shit.”

“Yeah,” she replied.

I pulled on the opposite side of the restaurant and Aimee jumped out to grab our order. Alaia sighed as she looked at me. “The girl is so lost and sad. Her family really did a number on her. So much so that she doesn’t know how to react when it comes to being loved by a real family.”

“She has never had real support so she doesn’t know what it feels like to actually be supported. Add in the fact that Capella went and made their situation worst by cheating on her. The girl is trying to figure out how to be a mother, wife, and person for the first time,” Erin added.

“I’ve been there before so I’m giving her the grace that I wished was extended to me. Did I go out there and get blackmailed by my ex-boyfriend, no. But I remember having to shoot my way away from a club in Delaware with Kincaid because my marriage was in shambles.” I shrugged, not missing those days.

“Thank God for Quameer,” Alaia smiled at me. “I’m sorry for not really seeing you during that time, Capri. Me and Erin always beat ourselves up because we should have saw it.”

“Um, Alaia… you weren’t even around when that whole thing went down,” Erin laughed, and Alaia paused.

“You know what… you right. I wish I could have been there during that time. But it doesn’t excuse that we didn’t see you when you were going through your stuff… especially when you slid back with Naheim. If that wasn’t a cry for help then I don’t know what is.”

I grabbed her hand and looked between both her and Erin. “You both were there for me when I needed you. Alaia, you had a lot going on, coming into my family and dealing with your own trauma. But, yes, thank God for my Meer… I ain’t letting up off him.”

“Girl, Roy told me how you pulled up and popped that stylist in the mouth.”

“And would do the shit again… I ain’t coming up off his ass, so every chick gonna have to see me about Quameer Inferno.”

“The way I would skin a bitch behind Capone Winston Delgato needs to be studied.” Erin laughed.

Alaia held her gun up. “Baby, I keep it on me because bitches think because I wear a hijab that I won’t lay ‘em out over Cappadonna… that bitch Tasha gotta see me.”

We all broke out into laughter as Aimee jumped back into the car, tossing my damn food any which way. “Bitch, that’s my ch?—”

“She not lying… someone is following us,” Aimee said, as she hit the locks and looked around.

I had been driving lazy with the seat back, and with one hand because I just wanted to get home. Hitting the button, I leaned up and fixed my mirror and whipped out the spot before heading down the block and making a right toward the Brooklyn Bridge.

With the way that Havoc and Kincaid moved, one in the front of me and one in the back, I didn’t need to tell them that someone was following us, they already knew.

Unlike before, a car actually whipped right out a few cars behind me and followed us. “What’s the plan?” Aimee asked as she got ready.

I could hear Erin cock her gun back behind me, as she turned her head to look out the window.

“Taking those niggas right through IG territory. I was supposed to stop by there before heading back home anyway, and I know Meer is there.”

Alaia pulled her phone out and called Cappadonna. “What up, Sweet Joy?”

“Roy, somebody is following behind us.”

He got quiet. “Baby Doll?”

“Yeah.”

“Aimee?”

“I’m here,” Aimee replied as she continued to look out the back window along with Erin. I kept my eye out as I zoomed through traffic, keeping up with Havoc.

“E?”

“I’m here, Capp.”

“Hold on.”

“Suga, where exactly are you?” Meer came onto the phone demanding answers.

“Heading over the Brooklyn Bridge then getting on the FDR to head your way,” I explained, as I kept watching them follow me as I whipped in and out of traffic.

“You good?”

“Meer, you know I am,” I quickly dipped in front of a truck, and exited the Brooklyn Bridge, heading onto the FDR exit. “Havoc and Kincaid with me, forgot?”

“My fuckin’ wife… Havoc and Kincaid gonna hold it down and bring ‘em to us… ight?”

I could hear Cappy in the background. “Nigga, give me my fucking phone… Joy, handle that shit… you know what to do. Daddy gonna take care of the rest.”

“Got you, baby.”

“Aimee, you know how we get down. Both you, Erin and Alaia handle shit so Baby Doll can focus on driving. Make sure Baby Doll and my niece straight, ight?”

There was no way that they would be able to get to us with traffic, so the only thing they could do is trust that we could hold it down until we rolled onto IG territory.

“We know.” Aimee cocked her gun back, as she turned in her seat to watch the car that was now on our ass.

Alaia ended the call, and I hit the button for my digital plates. Meer put me in a brand-new Mercedes AMG GT-53 as a wedding gift for me. As I whipped in and out of traffic, I continued to watch as they gained on me.

Kincaid signaled to Havoc and they both pulled their guns and aimed behind them at the car. We watched as Kincaid merged from the divider, slowing down so he lined up exactly with the car, and out the rearview mirror, I saw him extend his hand into the passenger side window and squeeze that trigger.

“Oh shit… motorcycles, Pri,” Aimee said, as she watched the motorcycles come and circle around the car. “They’re women,” Aimee said, as her face was glued to the back window.

I looked in my mirror and all of their bikes had hints of pink in them. Didn’t matter that their bikes had hints of pink, I saw the fucking viper clear as day on the side of their bikes.

“Chrome Vipera,” I said under my breath, pissed that I wasn’t on my bike and was in this fucking car.

Alaia looked at me. “They got women doing their job…. Fucking pussies,” she rolled her eyes, knowing that although we handled business, our men finished that shit.

“You got it, Aim?” Erin asked.

They locked in on all angles of our car, and I knew once they got on tight enough it would be impossible for me to get away. I swerved, knocking wheels with the one on my side, and she zoomed down some, while another replaced her.

“Oh, bitches is crazy… they coming for a car with Lady Inferno in it.” Aimee was talking, and I was locked in with shorty on the side of me. I watched as the divider was getting closer and closer to the lane I was in, and the shoulder she rode was thinning out, but she had a point to prove.

Baby thought she was pressure, and she was gonna get me to crack. Soon as I saw the shoulder end, before she could maneuver, I swerved, knocking her ass up against the divider, sending her ass crashing out on the side, and falling off her bike.

I smirked, as I quickly used the space on the side shorty was on and got away from the weak ass lock on, they were trying to do. “You having fun with this shit,” Alaia laughed.

“You already know.” I bumped my fist with hers, and she opened her window, and shot the wheel of the one on her side.

Aimee was out the back of the window as she let her shit go at the car, which swerved, and sent all the cars trying to get the fuck out of our way. One of the CV’s got close enough to the car, and Aimee hung out the window while Erin held her legs, and pulled her off the bike, sending the bike barreling across the lanes, nearly missing Kincaid.

“Weak ass bitches,” I muttered, and dipped around the cars, leaving them in the dust. The original bitch that had dipped off, was on my ass like she had a hard on for me.

She wanted me.

She zoomed behind me with the remaining ladies behind her, and the car following. More bikes came and this time it was Chrome Vipers. Havoc motioned for Aimee to roll her window up, and then signaled for me to speed up.

Soon as one flew by, he was sent to his maker because Havoc pulled that trigger like it owed him money. As we inched onto Harlem River Drive, I cracked my neck as I tried to lose this bitch.

POW! POW! POW!

Shorty finally pulled her shit and decided to shoot at my whip, which pissed me off because my baby got me this. Erin rolled her window down as we sped down the shoulder. She bit down on her bottom lip as she second guessed herself.

“You got it, E… take the shot... do this bitch in,” I told her calmly, as I moved up some, so she was lined perfectly with her.

Soon as she realized what was happening, she tried to aim at me, but Erin had already got her. “Fuck you thought!” she snickered.

The car was still on us, and a second one pulled to the side of them. It had been there since we were on the FDR, but I assumed that it wasn’t with them. They were talking side by side while we were about to head onto the George Washington Bridge.

They were smart and fell back, as Kincaid and Havoc both locked in on both sides of the car. When it became too narrow, Havoc motioned for me to go forward while he and Kincaid locked down the back, making sure nobody got through.

“I already know you spinning some shit, Sug… I get nervous when I don’t hear from you… let me know something,” Meer said, soon as I hit the button on my screen.

“About to be on the George Washington Bridge. They got the Vipera’s out.”

“Kiki… roll out with Goddesses, now!” I heard Quasim order Kiki in the background.

“She headed to the George Washington Bridge now. Soon as she fly off that bitch we doing those nasty ass Chrome pussies in,” Meer sneered, as I continued to whip in and out of the cars that were waiting to get on the bridge.

“Skyler, I need you to do some shit… I know you know already,” I heard Aimee in the background on the phone.

“Tell me what you need.” I heard Skyler yawn over the phone.

“Cameras on the George Washington Bridge… I need you to go ahead and clear em for a second,” Aimee told her.

Skye grew quiet. “Where’s Core?”

“I don’t know… can you do it?”

“Bitch, no… I’m good, but that nigga is better… one sec.” The line went quiet as I whipped around Fort Washington Avenue, because traffic was thick getting onto the bridge.

“Core?” We heard Skyler’s voice.

“What up, baby?”

“Um, Core… your sister needs you right now.”

That silly flirtatious voice went out the window. “Where you at Capri?”

“It’s Aimee.”

“Grasshopper… where you at?”

I could hear in his voice that he was moving. “George Washington Bridge.”

“I’m on speaker?”

“Yeah.”

“Capri, hit those plates for me, sis’.”

“Already done.”

“Perfect.” I could hear computer keys in the background as he was quiet. “Oh shit… they call themselves trying to be responsible with better software… bet.”

“Can you get in?” Skyler asked.

Corleon snickered. “I could get into anything… including panties… right, Geeky.”

Skyler laughed. “Nah… you want to get into these.”

“Bet I do,” He cockily replied, as I heard the keyboards in the background.

I shook my head as I wormed my way through traffic, and Alaia and Erin kept watch. “Core and Skyler please.”

“My bad, Capri… I’m on the live cameras and it’s clear ahead… get through that traffic and then it’s clear for you to make it across,” Skyler replied.

“Them cameras are good to go… where’s Quameer?” Core asked.

“Waiting for me to come off the bridge with the rest of the IG’s,” I replied as I continue to make my way through traffic.

“The cars not gonna make it through, but the bikes are def gonna be on us,” Erin said, as she continued to watch.

“Thanks, Core… we got it from here,” Aimee said.

“Handle shit, Grasshopper… making my way over there now,” he said, and they ended the call, as my car hit the tail end of the traffic.

Felt like I squeezed through the impossible as I took off and soon as I did, I heard the bikes right behind me. Havoc and Kincaid both held it down as best as they could. Alaia held her head out the window and shot one that came too close to the car.

Kincaid had two on him and they were trying to trip him up, so I grabbed my gun and lowered my window. As he sped by me, I aimed my gun and let it go, catching one in the back. He fell from under his bike, his bike almost smacking the front of my car and causing me to quickly merge into the other lane.

“Pri, merge!” Alaia screamed when I almost hit a stalled car.

I whipped into the other lane, missing the second car by seconds. The bridge wasn’t empty, so the cars that were on the bridge were all scared and stomped on their brakes instead of speeding the hell off this bridge.

“Yes, Meer?”

“It’s Sim… take that lower level for me.”

When Quasim got on the phone, I knew some shit was about to go down. “K… about to take it now.”

“When you come around and jump on the expressway, keep going… don’t stop.”

“Got you… heading there now.”

I signaled to both Havoc and Kincaid and they followed behind me. Soon as we sped around and entered the expressway, I looked in the rearview mirrors when I heard an engine roar and saw Capone’s car come speeding, taking out some of the CV’s. One of them were on his hood, as he hit his brake and sent that man flying.

He sped in front of us and slowed enough to wink at Erin, as he let his arm out the window and hit one of the Vipers who didn’t even see it coming. Right behind Capone I saw Quasim and Quameer leading the rest of the Gods. Quasim signaled and the rest of them sped around them to handle business.

I saw Meer’s bike as he was gunning through everyone to make it to me, but I had to keep going like Quasim had instructed me to. He leaned lower and extended his hand and aimed at one of those Chrome bitches.

We couldn’t see their faces because they all had their helmets on, but I knew he had fire in his eyes. Quasim maneuvered through them all and was coming for the three bikes that were on me. I watched as he zoomed forward and used his wheel to trip up homie, who turned to look at Sim who shook his finger, letting him know he fucked up. Sim signaled for me to go up further and I stomped on my gas as I watched him easily pull his shit and end him.

“Roy!” Alaia yelled, as she held her gun out the window and got one of those bitches that was coming up on him. Her bullet ricocheted off the bike, but was enough for her to fall back. Soon as she got her standing, she tried to zoom by and Capone smacked her off the expressway onto the shoulder.

Cappadonna was right beside the car, while I watched Quameer move toward the front of my car. Cappadonna put his hand to the mouth of his helmet and touched his chest as he looked at Alaia, and then sped forward while another God took his place. We sped down the highway because we could hear the sirens in the distance.

I continued to follow them to safety. As I looked in the rearview mirror, I saw destruction. At this point, they should have already known how those Inferno Gods and Delgato twins were coming.