Chapter 12 #2
Dom caught the look on my face from across the yard and for a second, I saw him look like his eyes were narrowing, like a predator deciding if he wanted to come be curious or not.
However, he didn’t come over. He trusted me to tell him whatever I was thinking if it was something intense.
He knew the weight I carried, and he knew how I carried it.
I let the image of the shooter replay in my head a few times searching for the clue that pulled this back into business and out of fear, but I couldn’t really see the shooters.
The pieces wanted to click into perspective so bad, but I didn’t want to entertain anything that wasn’t correct but at the same time I needed to make things make sense.
Maybe Kilo’s opps wanted to fuck with me so Kilo would snap.
Maybe it was an angry associate caught up on the headlines.
Maybe it was a message to the Royals masked as a random act.
The options spread wide but narrow at the same time.
I pushed the thoughts away briefly trying to snap out of it.
I would hold this thought like a fragile thing and not show it yet but not like this.
The men in my life reacted in ways that added more bodies to the ledger before the ink could dry good from the last and I knew that.
I also knew the way the public moved as well and a hint in the wrong direction and the cameras will eat you alive.
The lawyers would file motions just to make noise, and men who want trouble will smell blood in the water and come like some damn sharks.
For now, I would let it sit in the back of my mind while I kept my eyes open.
I would beat Kilo’s case like it was the last case I’d ever fight.
The chef called that the plates were ready and it was right on time because everybody had been ready to eat.
Candy D insisted that I sit down and let her fuss over me, while Dique was already acting like he was frolicking with the damn grill to see if anything else needed flipping.
I adjusted my dress and let my smile come back slow because business had its own face and family had another; the last thing I wanted was for anyone to assume something was wrong or try to invade and get in my thoughts.
I would keep the thoughts tucked tight inside me for now only wanting facts first and action after the confirmation.
This was the law of my life, and this was how I had always survived.
I took a breath and let the afternoon light glow over me as I placed my hand in Dom’s hand for a second with a smile on my face before we ate.
While the chef fixed plates, Tone finally showed up all smiles as everyone congratulated him and he showed pictures of his junior, even to the shadows.
Keondra and Dique started arguing about him answering his phone every time one of his women called and Candy D had to step in and straighten them both.
Dique tossed one of his hands in the air as he passed Amour a tiny, glazed rib.
“What ma? I didn’t do shit to this crazy ass girl.
She need to stall me out. I’m a player baby, I had a baby, I didn’t say I was ready to retire my jersey.
She know that… her ass not as innocent as ya’ll think. ” He chuckled, shaking his head.
Keondra wrapped the towel around her body and sucked her teeth staring at the sky.
“I’m tryna change Lord, but baby this man is testin’ me real bad.
” She hissed and then placed one hand on her hip and focused back on Dique.
“I keep tellin’ you family time is for us.
You not ‘bout to keep playing in my face. You could’ve left me in the hood for that. ”
He shook his head in disbelief. “Keep it up, I’m ‘bout to put yo’ ass over my shoulder and carry you right back where you wanna be.”
“Well at least I could eat some black-eyed peas without being shot at.” She snapped rolling her eyes.
Candy D stepped in again with her drink in her hand. “Nope,” she shook her head. “The devil is a lie and especially not in front of my grandbaby. If you two can’t handle having sex without emotions, then stop doing it.”
“Who said it was emotions involved ma? She wanna control me, I can’t be controlled. You know that, look how much you had to whoop my ass growin’ up.” He teased.
“It’s not about emotions; it’s about the respect.” Keondra told him.
“Hey, I said what I said… figure it out.” Candy D said once again.
Keondra stuck up her middle finger at Dique, and he stuck out his tongue telling her, “Nah, not right now.”
Honestly, I laughed and so did O’Shynn. I’m sure Keondra knew she couldn’t take Dique serious. O’Shynn then gave me a look, and I gently grabbed her by the arm pulling her to the side. I dropped my eyes into tiny slits with genuine concern.
“Are you okay sis? You’ve been really quiet and don’t lie to me bitch.” I scolded.
She shrugged. “I’m okay, just evaluating my own life, nothing personal.” She told me. “Anyway, I heard we’re going on a family trip out the country soon and I need that. I can’t wait.”
“Will you be bringing your baller?” I asked. “I can tell you like him a lot O, and if that’s the case and he’s willing to accept you then don’t run away from it.”
“I do like him, too much to get him killed behind my lifestyle if that ever happens and that’s what I’m trying to figure out.” She admitted.
“Don’t look at it that way and don’t shut him down. I bet you’ve been ignoring every damn call now.”
A smile crept up on her face. “You think you know me.”
“I do,” I chuckled. “Don’t do that… what’s meant will be,” I told her looking over my shoulder at Dom’s fine ass and then back at her. “Trust me.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I’ll think about it.”
With that, she walked off to get a drink to wash down with her food and after everyone ate, the yard had finally quieted down, and the sun was turning orange and gold now sinking low behind the water.
The music had faded out and the smoke from the grill had cleared up although you could still smell it in the air.
Candy D and Pops had hugged me tightly before they left, and Dique took Amour and Keondra home after she fell asleep.
Her little curls were stuck to her cheeks from running around the backyard and being in the pool.
Tone had slide out as well but not before he got plates for him and Shona, promising he’d be on call the moment anything popped off in the streets, but Dom told him it wasn’t happening.
Dom was serious about Tone and this maternity leave.
When they were all gone, it was just me and Dom.
The mansion didn’t feel too big anymore like open space.
Right now, it felt just right especially since this was the first time since we’d been married that we ever lived together under that same roof and just to think our first home is a mansion where our kids would grow.
My touches were everywhere when it came to the designs because they brought my visions to life exactly like I thought they would and Dom had no complaints, when he said it was all on me to do my thing, he meant that.
I only prayed that how we were right now in this very moment would last forever and he wouldn’t get afraid and revert back to being closed in.
The candle flames flickered low on the marble counters trying to push out the smell of a cookout that was coming in through the open terrace.
The air smelled like grilled foods, and salt from the ocean.
Dom was standing outside on the balcony when I found him.
He had one hand resting on the railing, the other hanging loose at his side with his chain still on and his many tattoos catching the last light of the day which was a beautiful sight to see.
He was calm, but I knew that mind was working studying the world even when it was supposed to be peaceful.
I stepped up behind him and slid my arms around his waist with my cheek pressed against his heavily tattooed back. His body was warm, solid, and smelled so good. He let out a slow breath and exhaled.
“How you feeling husband?” I asked softly.
He covered my hands with his. “I’m good,” he replied in a low tone. “You good?”
I nodded. “I’m better now.”
We stood there in silence another couple of minutes as the ocean waters softly crashed along the seawall while a huge yacht drifted right past us just cruising. The city lights were coming alive one by one in the distance.
“We really did this,” I whispered.
He turned around gently lifting my chin and his eyes were darker in this light yet calm and genuine at the same time. “We deserve something that’s ours,” he said. “Somewhere nobody can touch you or my child. This separates us from the world.”
The way he said my child still did something to me.
He didn’t kiss me right away, instead he waited just looking deep into my eyes letting me look into his too, but it wasn’t any smiling it was more like studying each other’s soul although nobody knew me better than him and vice versa.
He let the moment settle in, taking it all in and then next thing I knew he scooped me up like I weighed nothing at all with one arm under my thighs and one around my back.
He then carried me slowly through the living room, past the long hallway, up the spiral stairs.
The mansion was quiet enough that we could hear his footsteps, my breathing, and still was able to hear the faint echo of the ocean outside.
The master suite doors were already open, and the room still smelled like new paint and fresh linen with lavender.
The bed was enormous, sitting low, white, soft in an oval shape.
For all the money it cost, it was well worth the comfort, and I just loved the floor to ceiling windows that faced the water.
Dom grabbed the remote to open the curtains allowing the sunset to pour in.
He set me down at the edge of the bed, but his hands didn’t leave my body.
Instead, one hand slid along my jawline and the other one made it to my hips.
“I got you,” he groaned.
I looked up at him and tilted my head to the side sliding the straps down from my dress. “I know,” I said.
The more my stomach grew, the more he tried to be gentle with me.
He was starting to get nervous especially since the baby was moving now and I could tell.
When he told me about his experience with Shona giving birth, I laughed so hard I literally had to catch my own urine from peeing on myself.
My poor husband was so hard but so soft about this no matter how much I tried to tell him the baby was okay.
Dom had this serious look in his eyes when he instructed me to lay back, “lay back wifey,” he ordered and I did was I was told.
He then slowly removed my lace panties and slid them off before spreading my thighs propping each of my feet on his shoulders so he could eat my pussy like his last supper.
He planted his face deep and took a long sniff. “Fuck, you smell good baby.”
My legs began to quake around him anticipating feeling his tongue. My breast was usually sore, but my pussy was hot always ready for him and when he placed his tongue on my swollen nub, I nearly lost it about to cum right away.
“Mmmm,” I moaned slowly rocking my hips.
“Just like that,” Dom gently sucked and slurped.
“Give me this pussy,” he groaned before taking me to heaven and back.
Dom was gentle but after making me cum three times, I couldn’t take it anymore especially watching him slide his heavy dick in and out of me through the mirror on the ceiling above the bed.
When he pulled out with it glistening, I immediately gobbled it up allowing him to put the rest of his seeds in my mouth while some dripped along the sides.
Had I not been pregnant we would’ve made a whole other child tonight.
When it was over, we were lying together in the softness of the low lights tangled in the warm sheets around us still listening to the sound of the water outside going steady like it understood it was time to calm down.
My head rested on his chest and his arms were around me.
His thumb traced slow circles over my hips and I loved it.
Dom wasn’t sleepy and neither was I, so we just lay quietly before he kissed the top of my head once and then twice.
I had always been in love with him, but now I wondered if he felt the same.
“Dom,” I said.
“What’s up wifey?”
“I know you love me, but are you in love with me?” I asked.
He nodded his head. “Since day one, I just didn’t know it.”
I didn’t ask him anything else, but instead just closed my eyes and went to sleep in the arms of a king.