Chapter 13
Roy hated traffic. Specifically, L.A streets that felt like they never went anywhere even when you were moving.
But today, he dealt with it. He fought his road rage since he had the twins with him.
The twin’s excitement made Roy happy, plus his trunk was heavy with lots of items that the boys picked out today.
Bags of clothes, sneakers, and electronic devices that Cain and Abel wanted soon as they saw it at the mall.
“Uncle Roy, what’s your real name?” Abel asked Roy out of nowhere.
Roy looked over at Abel and smirked. He tugged at the bottom of his beard then looked in his mirror at Cain.
Cain sat behind the passenger seat, knees bouncing, face lit up from the brand new iPhone Roy bought them today.
He was already comfortable and aware of how to work the phone and couldn’t get enough of it.
“Royal.” Roy smirked, eyes on the road.
“Wow, that sound like a girl name!” Abel frowned.
“It is a girl name; that’s some bitch shit.” Cain spat, shaking his head like he was disappointed to hear Roy’s real name.
“Shut yo ass up, and I told you to watch yo mouth. I’ll pull this truck over and make you do a hundred push-ups on the sidewalk. Keep getting slick and I’ll take the phone for a couple of days as punishment,” Roy threatened.
Truth was, he loved being able to boss the boys around in a good way. Roy wanted kids one day. He grew up looking up to his father and mother. He was the only child, and at times got lonely until he met Luca.
“You can’t be mad at me because yo parent’s gave you a girl name. My momma gave us some biblical names… I think it’s tight.” Cain grinned.
“My name means kingly. So, any broad that you come across that’s named Royal got a nigga name.” Roy boasted.
“Oh, Kingly? That’s steez as fu—hell” Roy shot Cain a look that said watch your mouth followed by a chuckle.
Abel leaned his elbow against the middle console, resting his chin in the palm of his hand like he needed answers.
“Why Uncle Luca gotta see a throat doctor?” Abel asked. “He got a disease that we should know about?”
“Shut up, Abel. Something happened to him, that’s why he whispers and got us taking sign language classes.” Cain mushed Abel in the back of his head.
Cain and Abel really liked being at Luca’s estate.
The pair tried their best to be on good behavior.
Cain and Abel’s biggest fear was being forced to live back with their mom.
Luca was patient with the boys, and besides his busy schedule, he made time every day for them.
He even hired extra house staff to help the boys adjust to the routine he had come up with for them.
“Nah, he good,” Roy reassured Cain. “Luca just wants to fix something that hurt him and his voice a long time ago. You guys make him want to talk again.” Roy smiled.
He was excited for Luca, even happier that the boys came along.
Roy knew that Luca was taking the loss of Dontrell the hardest. Getting out of prison to become a Don and have your family being at odds was hard as fuck.
He stayed on top of shit just to make Luca’s transition as easy as possible.
It wasn’t much to do besides overlook the duties of the new blooded men that Luca appointed different positions to since business had been put on hold.
“How our mama doing?” Cain randomly asked.
The question hung heavy in the car. Roy glanced in the rearview mirror, both boys were watching him intently now.
“She straight,” Roy said carefully. “Getting herself together.”
Abel offered a small smile; Cain hesitated before speaking.
“Can we see her in a couple weeks?” Cain asked.
Roy tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
He wished La’Nova could whoop Tracy’s ass all over again.
It amazed Roy how no matter how fucked a kid’s parents were, kids still loved them no matter what.
In Roy’s eyes, Kentrell and Tracy didn’t deserve that kind of unconditional love with the way they failed the twins.
Before he could answer Cain’s question, Abel spoke up in a quiet voice.
“We don’t wanna live back with her,” he confessed lowly.
Roy’s jaw flexed.
“Why?” He asked gently.
“Feels like she doesn’t love us… we love her… but it just feel like we always in the way.” Abel shrugged, eyes fixed on the window now.
His heart tightened. He sniffed back his own set of emotions, refusing to cry again from feeling rejected by his mother. Cain didn’t argue with that because he felt the same way as Abel. Roy felt Abel’s words in his chest and hated that the young boys felt that way.
“I think your mama love y’all,” he said honestly.
“I just think she selfish. And selfish people don’t know how to love right.
She gon’ regret that shit, believe that.
It’s nothing y’all did, it’s all on your mama.
God sees how much y’all love her. Both of you gon’ be successful and blessed because of that. ”
Neither boy spoke, too deep in their own set of thoughts to respond to what Roy said, although it offered them comfort.
“I’ll talk to Luca about visiting Tracy in a few weeks… Understand that your Uncle Luca wants to protect y’all feelings and he cares about your safety. You guys will see Tracy when the time is right.” Roy reassured them.
Cain and Abel nodded their heads. Roy playfully nudged Abel then reached back and flicked Cain’s knee, lightly making them both laugh.
“Enough heavy shit. What y’all wanna eat before we take this hour and thirty-minute drive back to Uncle Luca’s house?”
Both boys yelled at the same time.
“MCDONALD’S!!!”
Roy laughed despite not wanting to eat at McDonald’s.
“Figures.” He shook his head.
Ten minutes later, Roy turned toward the nearest McDonald’s close to the freeway. Soon as he pulled into the parking lot someone caught his eye.
Serenity.
She stood outside of a white Benz; next to her was another woman he recognized immediately from House of Angels. Roy’s stomach tightened as he took Serenity in.
“Y’all hold on a sec.” He eased the car into a parking spot right across from Serenity.
Cain leaned forward, following Roy’s gaze.
“Who that?” He smirked.
“Mind your business,” Roy said too quick.
Abel squinted his eyes then mimicked the same crooked smirk as his brother.
“She pretty.”
Roy didn’t respond. He never liked the effect that Serenity had on him.
He took off his seat belt and hopped out of his truck smoothly.
The heat hit his chocolate skin just as Serenity turned and noticed him.
A slow smile spread across her lips as she said something to the woman she was standing next to, never taking her eyes off of Roy.
Serenity was dressed in a cropped cream cardigan, it hugged her shoulders, barely buttoned.
Her breast spilled at the edges daring to review her toffee-colored areolas.
The fabric clung to her small waist and flat stomach like it knew its assignment.
High waisted white pants fit her perfectly, it accentuated her wide waist and heavy bottom.
Roy licked his lips then sneered Serenity’s way.
He couldn’t stand her; he told himself this every time he ran across her but couldn’t help to feel attracted to Serenity.
Her blonde lace front wig fell down her back in loose, defined curls that were honey-colored at the ends.
She batted her long dramatic false lashes, framing her cat eyes.
Serenity’s high yellow complexion glowed naturally, her pretty pink lips looked juicy and glossy. Roy fought the strong urge to squeeze his dick, remembering all the filthy things Serenity did to him.
“Hey Royal, you stalking a bitch?” She popped her lips, cocking her head to the side ready for his smart nasty mouth.
He scoffed, frowned his face then quickly jerked his head back like she had him fucked up.
“Relax,” he said coolly, not acknowledging the other chick next to her.
He wanted to wring Sabrina’s neck for reporting him to La’Nova weeks ago.
Sabrina was pissed that Roy offered no tip after he realized she couldn’t take dick.
Serenity’s soft laugh brought him back to reality.
He rubbed his hands together like Birdman, nodding his head to the left. Confident wasn’t the word for Roy.
Without waiting for Serenity to get the gesture, he stepped away from the pair until he was a good enough distance from her friend.
Seconds later Serenity walked in front of him.
She couldn’t help but to blush hard as she observed Roy resting his hand on top of his Amiri V-neck shirt.
His gun poked out the shirt, his cologne tickled her nose.
Roy was fine as hell, the type of chocolate man you dream about being exclusively yours.
His body was cut up perfectly like he ate and slept right with a cold work out game that kept him fit.
Men like him did and said whatever they pleased because they knew their dicks were as lethal as their mouth pieces.
“What you out here on?” He licked his full cinnamon lips, eyes capturing hers.
“Nothing, thinking about switching shit up,” Serenity said a little too eagerly.
“Switching how?” Roy asked, already knowing he shouldn’t care.
She leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice like they were sharing a secret. Serenity had to tilt her head back to look up at Roy, she placed her hand over her perfectly arched brows to block out the sun.
“Only Fans.” Serenity’s smile was contagious, only Roy didn’t see shit to smile about from what she said.
“Oh.” Roy offered. He blinked his eyes then looked back at his truck, already prepared to end their conversation.
Besides Serenity’s bullshit, he actually didn’t mind dropping big bands on her at House of Angels to just smoke and vibe with her.
He never got too personal with her. Serenity was just so damn beautiful to him.
Many of times he wanted to ask about her past and what landed her at House of Angels.
Roy always thought against it because he never wanted to give off the impression that he wanted more than just sex and conversation from her.
“Don’t look like that,” she quickly teased, confused about the disappointment that crossed his handsome face. “I’m smart with it… You and Nova kept telling me to save my money. I got enough to get an apartment.” She cheesed hard, her cheeks damn near touched her eyes,
“That’s what’s up, a nigga like to hear that. Let me know where you moving to.” Roy offered, actually happy to hear that she had saved her money to get the hell away from House of Angels.
House of Angels wasn’t meant to be a permanent place for women to live. Although Lucille never forced the girls out, she encouraged them to be about business and venture away. Serenity had been there for too long. Roy thought she was too pretty to sell herself and her body short.
“Yeap.” Serenity popped her lips again. “Less touching…more money.” She tilted her head, eyes dancing up at Roy’s.
“You could even be on camera with me. Help me run my shit up.” She laughed again, soft and playfully.
Roy didn’t laugh, his chest tightened, something ugly and confused twisted inside of him. He looked at her and hated how angelic she appeared standing there in all white like she wasn’t selling pieces of herself to strangers.
“I’m cool, ma,” he muttered. “I saw yo fine ass soon as I pulled in and just wanted to holla at you.” He downplayed approaching her.
Roy hated that he liked her, hated that his mind kept trying to separate who she was from what she did. Often, he couldn’t stop picturing her without the business attached to her name and all the money he spent just to slide inside of her warm tight walls.
Serenity studied him for a moment, then shook her head.
“You complicated as hell, Royal.” Her soft smile remained.
“So are you,” Roy replied.
“Guess that’s life.” Serenity shrugged, ready to end their conversation.
Today she didn’t feel like dealing with rejection. She dealt with that enough with Roy. He confused the shit out of her, and she hated getting in her feelings whenever he did visit House of Angels and didn’t pay to see her only.
“Hey,” she perked up. “Have you seen La’Nova?”
“Nah,” Roy lied smoothly.
“That’s a damn lie.” Serenity rolled her eyes. “Can you please give her my number. I miss her like crazy; she’s been ignoring my calls. I just want to make sure she good.” She rushed the words out.
“Fasho, stay dangerous.” Roy licked his lips.
He forced his feet to turn away before he said something he couldn’t take back. As he walked toward his truck, he felt her cat eyes on his back. Soon as he slid back in the driver’s seat, Cain leaned forward from the back seat.
“She bad as fuck.” Cain eyed Serenity from across the way.
“Mind your phone and watch your mouth,” Roy told Cain.
He shifted the gear in drive and drove around to the drive-thru.
“You like her.” Abel grinned.
“No I don’t,” he quickly lied.
The taste of denial sat bitter on his tongue.
“Y’all mind y’all business, she just a good lil friend of mine.”
“Hmph, good lil friend. I got a couple of those over on the south side.” Cain boasted goofily.
Roy chuckled, tugged at his goatee beard then quickly placed a big order for him and the twins.