32. Damier
I t was midafternoon, and I was still in bed, listening to news and sports highlights on TV, half asleep. I was laid up at my mom’s still, Dream curled against me, her breathing soft and even. She was finally getting some much-needed sleep, and she looked peaceful.
It had been two days since I got her back, and I hadn’t left her side. I wasn’t going to. She needed to heal, and I needed to make sure she felt safe.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, the vibration low but enough to pull me out of my half-asleep state. I reached for it, squinting at the screen. It was a call from my great-uncle, Lucian.
I didn’t get up. I stayed where I was, one arm still draped around Dream as I answered.
“What’s good, Unc?”
Lucian’s voice came through the line, low and raspy but clear as day.
“What’s good? I’ll tell you what’s good,” he said, his tone sharp. “Let me tell you something about loyalty, boy. It ain’t just a word. It’s action. It’s respect. It’s knowing your place and sticking to it.”
I sighed, already knowing this was going to be one of those calls. “You calling to lecture me, or is there a point to this?”
“The point,” he said slowly, “is that loyalty cuts both ways. And when it doesn’t? That’s when you have to remind people where they stand.”
I frowned, sitting up slightly but careful not to wake Dream. “What’s this about?”
Lucian’s tone shifted, a little colder now. “Felix. That son of a bitch is mad we cut ties and thought he could outmaneuver us. Got a call from my Mexico team—they sent me something you need to hear.”
I sat up fully now, my blood already starting to boil. “What did he do?”
Lucian didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I heard the crackle of a recording through the phone. Felix’s voice came through, clear and full of venom.
“Burn it all down—the Knight Estate, their warehouses, every fucking thing they have. I’ll make them feel the betrayal. They think they can cut me out? I’ll make them pay for it.”
My jaw clenched as I listened, my fists curling tightly. “Cut that shit off, Unc,” I growled.
Lucian stopped the recording. “You hear that? That’s what happens when you let a snake slither around too long. He was planning to ambush us, boy. Burn it all to the ground. King told me you told him to stand down. Why?”
“It was bad timing, but I will handle it,” I quickly said, my voice cold.
Lucian let out a low chuckle, the kind that made the average man shiver. “No, you won’t. Because I already did.”
I froze, letting his words sink in.
“You’re still learning, Damier, and that is okay,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “I’m still very much in this game, even without lifting a finger. Felix made his choice, and I made mine. My Mexico team fed him to the pigs.”
I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. Lucian never played around.
A notification buzzed on my phone, and I glanced down. It was a text from Lucian. I opened it, and my lips curved into a small, dark smirk. It was a picture—proof of what he’d done. Felix’s fate was unmistakable. My uncle had really thrown Felix in a pig pen and let them eat him alive.
“You see that?” Lucian rasped. “That’s how you send a message.”
I shook my head again, still smirking. “You’re treacherous, Unc. I swear, I got this dark side from you more than my pops.”
“Damn right,” he said, his tone unapologetic. “Listen to me, Damier. The beef with Felix was bigger than you. You don’t need to lift a finger on this one. Sit back, focus on the family business, and keep bringing in the billions. You’ve done enough for now.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “I hear you.”
“King told me about what you did to get your fiancée back,” he added. “You stood on business. I respect that. But next time? Use your foot soldiers. You’ve earned the right to let them handle it.”
I exhaled, appreciating his words even if they came wrapped in a lecture. “I got it. Good lookin’, Unc.”
Lucian’s voice softened slightly. “You’ve done good, boy. Now, take care of that woman and start building your legacy with your children. Dismissed.”
The call ended, and I set the phone back on the nightstand.
Dream stirred beside me, her soft voice breaking the silence. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, leaning back against the headboard. “Just my great-uncle giving me his usual lecture about life.”
She nodded, stretching slightly before swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “I need to pee,” she said softly. “And take that antibiotic the doctor gave me, but I need to eat something.”
As she stood, I watched her carefully, noticing how much stronger she seemed, even in these small moments.
“I was thinking,” I said, breaking the silence. “It’s probably time for us to head back to your crib… I mean our crib. Get you and Donta ready for Thailand. Mia’s meeting us tomorrow to handle all the arrangements, and y'all can look for the house you want.”
She paused, her back to me. “That’s fine,” she said, her voice quiet. But then she sighed deeply and turned back around, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at me, her lip trembling. “Damier,” she whispered. “Do you realize I was raped twice by Lamari?”
Her words hit me like a freight train.
She continued, her voice breaking. “I’m angry. I’m so angry. I hate him for what he did to me. And I hate that I just laid there and let it happen because I didn’t have a choice.”
I sat up, my chest tightening as I reached for her hand.
“I didn’t enjoy it,” she said quickly, her tears falling freely. “But I feel ruined. I feel like you’re going to look at me differently. Like I’m broken.”
I pulled her closer, my voice steady, even as anger burned beneath the surface. I wanted to go back and kill Lamari again. “Dream, I don’t look at you like that. You’re not broken. You’re strong. You did what you had to do to survive, and that doesn’t make you any less.”
Her sobs grew quieter as she leaned into me, her forehead resting against my chest.
“I feel so… ashamed, like you will never have sex with me again,” she whispered.
I tilted her chin up so she could see the sincerity in my eyes. “Don’t say that,” I said firmly. “I don’t feel any different about you. When you’re ready to be intimate again, I’ll be here. But right now, I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
She nodded, her tears slowing. “Thank you,” she whispered.
I kissed her forehead, holding her close. “You’re mine, Imani. Nothing’s going to change that.”
For the first time in days, I saw a faint smile break through her pain. And for the first time, I felt like we could both start to heal.