Chapter Eleven
The reception ended a little after midnight. Outside the venue, valet brought vehicles around, and guests slowly started clearing out. Members of the Knights who hadn’t followed Danger and Smoky stood nearby, guarding and saying their final goodbyes while the women hugged Nivéa one last time.
Crown barely paid any of it attention. His eyes stayed on his wife the whole time. He couldn’t wait to get her to himself, and get her body out of that dress. Nivéa’s dropped curls framed her face softly. She looked emotional, happy, and exhausted all at once. So beautiful to him.
“You ready?” He asked once he reached her.
“Yes,” Nivéa smiled.
Crown took her hand and led her toward his Harley parked near the front. She felt like Cinderella, running away with her Prince Charming, though she had changed out of her heels into a pair of nude-colored Crocs that she’d brought along for the ride.
“Y’all have fun and be careful.” Kerri told them both as she buckled Nyla into her car seat. “We will be home waiting.”
“We will, mama. Hit me as soon as y’all in the crib.” Crown told her.
“You know I will.”
“I’ll make sure they get there safely along with all the gifts. Don’t worry. Focus on your wife and nothing else. Enjoy.” Prophet said as he and Caresha loaded the gifts onto the back of Kerri’s truck. Kerri was taking her home since Danger had left.
Crown nodded, helping Nivéa adjust her helmet. Once he finished, he sat in front of her, releasing a deep breath as he riled up the engine.
“You sho you okay riding in that dress?” He asked her.
“Yes, I’m fine. You say the cabin isn’t too far from here, right? That you picked this venue purposely for that reason?”
“Yeah, baby.” Crown confirmed all the things they’d gone over that morning.
“Okay, then. I can manage. Stop with all that worrying. You heard what P said.” Nivéa tapped his back, teasing him.
“Aight,”
That smirk he gave her as he put on his helmet made her melt. It let her know he was easing up. She knew a bit of the tension came from not knowing what trouble had headed the Knights way and she was trying her best to comfort him.
A few minutes later, Nivéa sat behind Crown with her arms wrapped tightly around his waist while the Harley tore through the city.
She had not one worry in the world. When she was with Crown, her entire brain turned off.
He placed her in her soft girl aura and she loved it.
She had no idea of the exact location of this cabin or even what the hell it looked like.
But she trusted her husband to get her there safely.
The farther they rode from the city, the quieter everything became.
Streetlights eventually turned into trees, darkness surrounding the long private road leading toward the cabin.
Nivéa tightened her arms around Crown slightly as they bent a few corners, then finally pulled up to the destination.
He hadn’t lied. It only took them about fifteen minutes to make it there.
“Oh my God… this is beautiful.” Nivéa whispered as he helped her climb off the bike in the shed.
The cabin sat surrounded by woods. Warm lights glowed from inside while the lake reflected against the darkness behind it. Crown removed his helmet slowly while watching her reaction.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it. You rented this?”
“Nah, I designed it. My firm built it.”
She turned to him in shock. “So, you own this, too?”
Life for Nivéa seemed to be a fairytale since she had met Crown. He always had something he kept tucked away to surprise her with.
Crown looked at the property for a second, then back to her before answering honestly. “Yeah. It’s my backup in case shit ever goes down in the city and I gotta lay low. Now, it’s ours. We own it.”
“It’s beautiful. I’m not surprised, though. You have such good taste.”
“The outside ain’t nothin’. Come on.”
Inside, the cabin smelled like cedarwood, mahogany teakwood, and a faint fire burning nearby, wrapping the entire place in a warm masculine scent.
Rose petals and candle lights strategically aligned the wooden floors.
Jagged Edge was already playing in the background because Crown had come by that afternoon to decorate and put the playlist on repeat.
He didn’t give a fuck about running up an electricity bill.
He wanted this night special for them. The money to HillsPoint Energy next month would be nothing.
Nivéa turned, slowly taking everything in while slipping her Crocs off finally. Her feet were killing her from wearing those heels all day, but she wouldn’t bother focusing on that. Not with all this nice shit staring her in the face.
“When did you have time to get your ass out here and decorate, Ahmad?”
“You make time for the things that you want and love, no matter what.” Crown winked just as his phone pinged with a message from Kerri, letting him know that she and Nyla had made it home safely.
With an emotional smile, Nivéa slowly walked further around the front of the cabin. It was luxurious; dark woods, stone walls, and massive windows. The stone fireplace was what really captured her heart. She was a sucker for them.
Crown set his phone down on the bar and watched his wife quietly from behind while removing his shirt. His wife. That shit still felt unreal.
Nivéa turned back around and caught him staring. “What?” she asked as she headed towards the kitchen, flipping the light on.
That too had a rich feel with black and gold accents. Stainless steel appliances gleamed against the dark wood cabinets and marble countertops while a fancy liquor setup sat nearby. More floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the lake.
“Nothing.”
“You thinking something.”
“If I say what I’m thinking, you gon’ start blushing. And I wanna keep them jaws relaxed as much as possible, ‘cause I’ma need you to use ‘em real soon.”
Nivéa burst out laughing, shaking her head. For someone who always walked around constantly uptight, Crown could be hilarious when he wanted to be.
“Mission failed terribly, baby.” She told him, unable to stop smiling as she stood near the oversized island.
Crown chuckled as he walked toward her, his hands settling naturally against her waist. “You know how hard it was sitting through that whole reception? All night I’m watching niggas hug you. Drool over you. Dance with you. Pull you away from me.”
“You sound jealous.”
“I am jealous. I want you all to myself.”
The honesty in his deep voice made heat creep into Nivéa’s cheeks.
Crown lowered his head slowly until his forehead rested against hers, and Nivéa stared up at him, her hands gently rubbing the massive Knights tattoo on his back.
The man was marked up like the walls of a subway station.
He had about four Knight tattoos etched on him among the others, and she loved them all.
“You happy?” She checked in with his emotions.
Crown exhaled slowly through his nose before nodding. If someone had asked him that before she came into his life, he probably would’ve looked at them like they were an alien… as if they were incompetent. It wasn’t shit to be happy about once upon a time in his world.
“Very happy. A nigga used to think happiness wasn’t made for somebody like me. But you bring me pure joy, ma.” He admitted against her lips.
Nivéa’s chest tightened. Hearing everybody else speak on what she brought to Crown’s life had touched her, but hearing it directly from him always hit different. It made her feel warm inside.
Crown rubbed his hand slowly up and down her thigh while staring into the fire for a second before speaking again.
“I ain’t gon’ lie… before you, I was fucked up in ways I ain’t even realize.” He shook his head faintly. “I was surviving. Existing. Making money. Handling business. But living? Nah.
And then your fine ass came around with all that love in your heart and Ny.” He finally looked back at her. “You made me wanna slow down. Made me wanna see another day.”
Her eyes watered.
“Ahmad…”
“I mean it. Both of you made me wanna come home.”
Nivéa stared at him emotionally before finally smiling through her tears.
“You know you saved me, too.”
She didn’t even waste their time asking if he knew that because she knew he did. Anyone who knows her story…their story…knew he had saved her.
Crown stayed silent, allowing her to give the speech they both were too low key to give at the reception in front of everyone.
“I know everybody looks at you and sees this big scary President that doesn’t feel nothing. But you do. You felt my love and gave it back a hunnin’ times fold. You healed parts of me with that love. We both know I was so tired before you.”
She glanced down briefly, intertwining her hand with his.
“But do you understand the significance of what you’ve done to me, Ahmad Knight? You came into my life and made me feel… protected. You made me feel soft. Like I could finally breathe. You made my broken ass feel whole.”
Crown reached over and wiped beneath her eye gently before she could cry too hard.
“And I know we ain’t perfect,” Nivéa continued with a small laugh. “Our story honestly sounds insane when you think about it.”
Crown smirked. “A lil’ crazy.”
“A lot crazy,” she corrected. “But it’s ours.”
“It is.”
Silence wrapped around them, but it felt anything but uncomfortable. Nivéa reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I love you, Ahmad.” She whispered, her words hanging in the air like a spell.
Crown closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the sound. Of course, he had heard it a thousand times before, but every time she said the shit, it hit him fresh and deep. He wanted to drink it in, to soak up the moment.
“I love you too, baby.” He replied, kissing the side of her face. “More than I know how to explain.”