Chapter 7
Three Months Later
Star Island wasn’t that quiet because the ocean always made a sound, even when it looked still it had a vibe of its own and was like calmness to my ears.
I stood out front of the mansion with the key in my hand watching the water hit the dock behind the gate of the big white house with wide windows and palm trees lined up so neat you could tell this was money.
I didn’t buy it for it to be perfect. I bought it because nobody could get past the gate without being seen before they got within fifty feet of my family and that mattered more than ever.
I ran my hand down my face and took a deep breath grounding myself.
Five months ago, I was still half in war mode every minute of the fucking day still ready to shoot first behind anything that moved wrong.
I was still the man, and I always would be but now I had something to lose that wasn’t made of bricks or money, or cartel shit, or Royal Enterprises.
I had my son, or my daughter… it didn’t matter which one it was because either way I was locked in.
The mansion was wide and open when I walked inside with marble floors.
It had floor to ceiling glass facing the ocean.
The master bedroom sat upstairs with a balcony view over the bay.
I walked into it and stood there with the sliding doors open just enough to let that breeze in.
I owned the land I was breathing in. I purchased both mansions on the left and right side of this one was well which was much smaller than this one, but I did that to keep my people close when needed and so my kids would one day have these mansions inherited down to them.
My security moved through the house without speaking with one checking the sensors.
One walked the perimeter. One waited near the front door.
They were in their all black everything and that’s all that mattered.
They weren’t hired to be seen. They were hired so nobody else would be.
My phone vibrated in my hand and Tone’s face popped up on FaceTime.
He didn’t even speak; he just grinned like he already knew something. “So, this the spot?”
I lifted the phone and let him see the view. The ocean, the clean lines, the open room behind me, all of that. He whistled low. “Yeah. Carmen gon’ fall out on the floor when she sees this.”
“That’s the point,” I said.
Tone laughed. “You getting’ soft, my boy.”
“Say that shit again,” I muttered but with a slight smile.
I wasn’t ashamed. I loved my wife, and I was tired of running from that shit.
We crossed the line, but now that we did wasn’t no way I was goin’ backwards.
If this was what real love felt like, I should’ve let it in a long time ago, but like I said, this shit come with a price.
He laughed. “Relax King. I know what it is nigga. You protecting what’s yours, and it’s about damn time too cause she deserve this one.”
I didn’t respond right away, instead I adjusted my Glock, and I just looked at the reflections in the glass that showed the space and all the room for something to grow that didn’t have blood on it.
“She coming?” Tone asked, snapping me from my thoughts.
“Yeah, I sent for her,” I informed.
He nodded because he understood without needing extra explanation.
Carmen didn’t know where she was being taken yet.
She was just told to be ready. I wanted to see her face the moment she stepped in here.
The exact moment her eyes touched her future.
She was supposed to be at her office, but I learned her ass was at the gym, like always.
I didn’t know why she felt like she had to work out so much, but she claimed that she didn’t want to get all big and out of shape.
All I could think about is my baby probably being in there being tossed around like a basketball every time she moved.
Tone leaned back in his own seat. “You moving different, Dom. I like it. I like this peace too. Shit, work is work but at least we ain’t had to tear no blocks up lately, and ain’t nobody trying our patience either. Shona eight months now and I can’t wait for my son to get here.”
“I’m movin’ the same,” I said. “I’m just movin’ for more. I need my family under one roof. She can keep the penthouse just like I’ma keep mine… hell it’s paid for; we own the buildings but as far as an heir on the way? No…” I shook my head. “We gotta be in this mansion on our king and queen shit.”
“I hear ya, you ain’t wrong.”
I looked at Tone and thought about how we had been riding for each other for years.
I didn’t keep too many dudes around me that I would have to question, but Tone had always been loyal.
“I been thinkin’ about something else too.
When Shona have the baby, I want you gone Tone.
Don’t worry about none of this Royal shit, I got it covered.
I just want you to take at least three months. ”
He fell out laughing. “Nigga three months? You sending me on maternity leave? Damn, do we get PTO and vacation time now too, where the fuck this come from.”
“I’m serious Tone. We family, but when you start having kids and shit that family comes first.”
His demeaner changed and he got serious again as he adjusted his big medallion on his chain.
“Imagine me leavin’ for three months, if some shit pop off, I gotta be there.
Nigga, if you ever die on me…” he shook his head like he didn’t want to think about that before he continued.
“Nah fuck that, ain’t shit happenin’ to you, but before the empire, all we had was us, that shit don’t even feel right cause I’m used to havin’ yo’ back, but I feel you. ”
I knew he was genuine, that’s why I’d give Tone the shirt off my back.
It was never about the money, or the clout, or just wanting to be attached to the name or none of that other shit.
“I’m gon’ always be okay.” I told him, thinking back on what pops said.
“Even King’s die one day, but that ain’t no time soon. ”
“Yeah, I hear you,” he said. “But aye, where that nigga Rick Ross at? I heard he got a crib out there too. If you see that nigga, tell ‘em I need a ten-piece lemon pepper, all flats, fried hard, with extra lemon pepper. Fat muhfucka…” he laughed before ending the call.
I chuckled and slid the phone back inside of my pocket. Behind me, one of my shadows spoke low so his voice didn’t carry in the house since it wasn’t furnished yet, so the slightest sound made it seem like an echo, or it was louder than it really was.
“Perimeter is clear and the cameras are synced. You got full visuals from your phone.” He told me.
I nodded my head one time. This wasn’t about luxury; this was the place where nobody would ever get close to my woman or my child without going through me, first. She had always been protected but this was different.
I walked the long corridor and entire mansion again.
I checked the back patio, looked at where the pool met the ocean like the water didn’t know where one stopped and the other started as they combined into one.
The sun was beginning to settle, casting pink and gold colors in the sky.
This was that soft Miami dusk that always made shit feel like something big was about to happen whether it was or wasn’t this was the place to be.
I didn’t necessarily feel at peace. Instead, I felt like I was ready and when you’ve lived the life I’ve lived, that’s the closest thing to peace you get.
I now stood in the middle of the living room with the ocean sitting wide behind me like a wall made of blue coloring.
The mansion was quiet enough that I could hear my own pulse thumping.
I pulled my phone out, hit FaceTime, and waited.
Carmen answered on the second ring. She had her hair pulled back in a messy bun; the kind women did when they were focused and didn’t give a fuck about being cute but somehow looked even finer.
Sweat glistened on her face on down to her collarbone.
She still had her gym fit on wearing black leggings and a cropped tee that showed just enough of that small round bump to remind me that she was carrying my child. She was even glowing too.
She tilted the phone to the side as she grabbed her bag and wiped her face with a small towel. “Okay. I’m leaving the gym now. The driver said Star Island. Is something going on over there?”
I shook my head. “Why you saying it like that? Not every time I send for you something gotta be wrong.”
“Because when you say ‘meet me,’ it’s either business or some cartel business,” she replied truthfully, sliding her sunglasses on.
“And I really just wanted to shower and take a nap today. Trial kicked my ass earlier. Kilo...” she shook her head.
“He’s a mess, but he’s innocent and that’s why I’m trying my best.”
Her voice had that tiredness in it when she spoke.
She’d been moving all week between meetings, cases, and making sure paper trails were closed tight.
She didn’t complain though cause Carmen wasn’t a complainer…
she just got shit done with an iron fist, she just stated facts like she could survive anything thrown her way and she did.
“You can nap after,” I said. “And you ain’t supposed to be pushing yourself like that anyway. All that training is doing too much.”
She rolled her eyes with a half-smile “Husband, I work out and I’m pregnant, not fragile. This is how I stay sane and fine. Now if I get all out of shape, you wouldn’t even look at me.”
“I don’t care about sane, and I don’t care about fine when it comes to you, I know what I got.” I said. “I care about safe.”
She took a little pause letting me know she heard me. Her tone softened a little bit. “I know.”
My eyes dropped to her stomach again. It wasn’t huge yet, it was just enough to let you know she was definitely carrying.
“You ate yet?” I asked.
“Just a protein shake,” she replied.