Chapter 12 Bishop
BISHOP
Ipushed the bathroom door open and peeked inside where Asante was already in the shower washing off the day.
We’d had a good brunch with my family. After King had asked him a hundred questions but had accepted him, the family had fallen in line and shit had gone good.
Most of the focus had been on Winnie and Rook since it was their marriage celebration.
I was thankful for that honestly. The whole get together had been a good way to let Asante get acclimated with my family without pressure.
Everyone acted the way they usually did and he fit right in.
He and Rook were already cool with each other and he and Winnie were cordial since they both spent time at the house Rook and I still technically shared.
That was part of way Winnie and I had grown close to each other. It just made sense for me to be close to my twin’s wife whether they planned on their marriage sustaining or not.
I trusted Knight when he’d said that he just wanted me to be happy but seeing it in action was otherworldly.
Casmi and Nova were probably the most welcoming.
Our parents had been polite but formal and it was hard to get a read on them but honestly with everyone else’s blessing I felt confident that shit would work out.
I didn’t need anyone to be best friends with Asante but the day had given me peace. I’d been prepared to stick shit through with Asante when I was faced with the thought they’d be ashamed of me. Just knowing they were willing to share space was enough to reassure me this shit could last forever.
After brunch, Asante and I had come home to change into some less formal clothes.
Then, we’d spent the day together going to the gym together, grocery shopping, locking in wedding gifts for Rook and Winnie and detailing both of our whips.
We’d decided to cook dinner together so we’d done that at his spot, done some laundry and overall just spent a lazy day in together.
It was nice and it made me even more excited to spend time together as a married couple, content and doing shared domestic labor.
I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth while I just thought about it. I knocked on the side of the door frame to announce my entrance and Asante glanced at me.
“What’s up?”
“You want company?” I asked.
“You know I do.” He pushed the shower door open and took a step back.
I shed my clothes and joined him. Our lips met almost immediately. I rubbed my hands up and down Asante’s arms. He reached over and adjusted the water’s temperature.
“How you feeling?” I asked.
“About?”
“Spending time with my family today.”
“I feel good about it honestly. It was nice. Your people are nice and they made me feel real welcome.”
“Good.” I turned away from him and grabbed my washcloth.
“I can see myself hanging out with all of them again.” Asante leaned in and kissed my shoulder then my throat.
“Even better.”
I hadn’t been being overdramatic when I’d said that Asante made me feel safe, protected and secure. I meant that shit. He had a way of caring for me that no one else had ever shown me.
Because of my work I was sure I seemed strong, unapproachable and emotionless but Asante treated me like somehow he needed to care for at all times and not only did I make it my job to treat him the same way but it was healing to something inside of me to feel like I was worth safety and openness.
We showered together then Asante collapsed in bed to get a nap before the night ahead of him.
I kissed him goodbye then headed back to the Barron estate where I locked myself in downstairs to do some work on my laptop and go over some security footage and technology to make sure everything was good.
I had meetings with Wes and Hawk scheduled so I met up with them and we made notes on a few different things we wanted to switch up.
We got together and changed out two of the cameras at the spot then went to the gym as a team for an hour and a half before hitting the gun range just to make sure we weren’t rusty.
After we wrapped up I headed back to the estate one more time to make sure I had given everyone access to the new cameras that needed it.
Knocking sounded throughout the door while I was halfway done and I checked the camera before I buzzed Knight and King in.
“What’s up?” I kept doing what I was doing while Knight collapsed in the seat beside me and King looked around at the different cameras.
“You got a lot of shit to do tonight?”
“Nah. I’m wrapping it up right now.”
“Well, you got plans tonight?” King asked.
“Nah.” I locked my screen and looked over at him. “What do you need me to do?”
“You got time to run me and King through some of the security shit back here?” Knight asked.
My eyebrows automatically fiddled together.
“What?” The word slipped out of me before I could stop it.
“Knight and I talked about the pressure you feel to make sure you’re taking care of everything and everyone and I ain’t fucking with that,” King said simply. “Besides you’ll be wedding planning soon so we want to be able to pick up some of the slack.”
“Oh.” I swallowed and King hit me on the back and collapsed in his own seat. “Knight is a little bit better at technology but I’ll sit in on this and be at the next workout to make sure I know everybody on the security team and am up on the drills.”
“Alright.”
I swallowed and cleared my throat then turned back to my screen.
I unlocked it and started from the beginning showing King and Knight how to get to each camera and turn the sound on and off.
I broke down who was usually assigned to each room as I went and explained what I usually looked for in each room. Then, I took any questions they had.
Once we finished I expected them to head out but instead Knight sat back in his seat and King sat forward.
“Asante seems like cool people,” King said. “And I appreciate anyone who looks me in my eyes and don’t back down. I’m happy for you.”
“Yeah,” Knight agreed. “And I saw y’all wearing them goofy lil grins while looking at each other.” He smiled. “I like that shit. I like seeing you happy,” he reiterated.
“I am.”
“Good. You deserve that.”
“And uh,” King cleared his throat. “Pops wanted me to let you know he wanted to chop it up with you before you got ready to head out.”
“You know what he want?”
“Probably to talk about this Asante shit. He’s the only one that hasn’t gotten you alone, right?”
“Yeah.” I scratched the back of my neck. “Do you know if it’s good or not?”
I regretted the statement immediately, how it made me sound like a kid still scared of their parent and desperate for their acceptance.
Knight shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter,” King said plainly. “I run shit around here so whether he gives you a blessing or not don’t matter.
My word is law around this bitch and I’ve spoken.
If you propse and Asante says yes, there’s going to be a wedding and if he don’t like it he ain’t got to fucking show up and I’m standing on that behind you. ” He met my gaze. “You hear me?”
I nodded. “Can you send him in?”
“Yeah. I’ll let him know you’re ready.” King hopped up. “If you need any help with this security shit, let us know though, alright? We may not be as good as you but practice makes perfect right?”
“Yeah. If you want to shadow some shit, we can arrange that.”
“Good because nigga you not gon’ be wearing no motha’fuckin earpiece during your wedding or any of them parties.”
“I guess not, huh?” I grinned. “Y’all will be professionals by then anyway.”
“Fucking right.” Knight agreed and climbed up too.
He and King both stretched and I dapped them both up before they headed out.
I checked my phone while I waited for my pops.
I checked in on Asante who let me know Kate had called out and he was behind the bar for the night.
I knew that meant he wouldn’t be able to talk much and mentally committed to heading out to the club so I could pick up some of the slack.
Light knocking sounded at the door and I verified it was my pops before I unlocked the door. I stood up to greet him and he gave me a quick hug and hit me on the back before he took a seat.
I sat down and we sat in silence for a moment with him looking around the room and me just staring at him.
“King said you wanted to talk to me about something,” I urged the conversation forward.
“Yeah. King and I have spoken about your potential upcoming marriage but I want to get the facts from the source. King is head of this household but I’m still your father.”
“You are.” I nodded once.
“That man, the one you bought to brunch and think you love. You-”
“I know I love him,” I corrected.
My father looked at me. “And you plan on marrying him?”
“Yeah.”
“And then what?”
“And then life goes on,” I said simply. “I’m going to keep doing what I do for the family but just married.”
He nodded at that and exhaled.
“Bishop-”
“I want you to think carefully about the next words to come out of your mouth about my future husband.”
“This critique isn’t about Asante, son. It’s about you.”
I adjusted in my seat.
“What about me?”
“You can’t be married to this job and married to your husband.”
“Well you’re a few minutes too late, pops. Knight and King already said they’d pick up some of the slack so it’s going to be cool.”
“They both talked to me about helping you out and that’s what made me want to have this conversation with you.
They can pick up your slack and that’s fine but ultimately King has a business to run and Knight is about to father two children.
They can’t be depended on no matter how much they love you wand want to be here for you.