Chapter 25
A lot had happened over the past two weeks .
. . I’d been shot, we found out Noelani was pregnant, she shot and killed an obsessed co-worker, and I turned twenty-nine.
My birthday happened to fall on a Sunday that Mrs. Natavia had already planned to have dinner.
Noelani shared with her that it was my birthday, and the two of them made a big deal about it.
Of course, Ramina and my mother were invited, but they also invited my uncle, as well as Rocky, Russell, and their families, which was a lot of people. It was the first time I’d been celebrated in that way, and it was a good time, but by the time the night ended, I was definitely overstimulated.
Noelani seemed to be handling the shooting well but had taken a month off from work. She’d actually gone back on the Monday following the shooting, but because the news had gotten wind of the incident, the staff and the students bombarded her with questions.
It would be another three weeks before the ballistics would be back for Kenai’s gun. The police wouldn’t be able to confirm that he was the person who shot me until then. No charges would be pressed against Noelani because it was clearly a case of self-defense.
Like Sonshyne, I felt guilty for not being there to protect Noelani. If I hadn’t left the hospital with my uncle and met up with Rocky and Russell, it wouldn’t have gone down that way. Although the time I spent with my brothers was very much needed, it could have been postponed for a day or two.
Rocky and Russell seemed like honest, solid men, and I believed they were telling the truth about not knowing they had another brother.
We met at the youth center and talked for over an hour, mostly about me.
They wanted to know everything about my childhood up until the moment they walked into my hospital room.
Aside from my mother and sister, and now, Noelani, I’d never had anyone show that much interest in me. My brothers wanted to truly know me, and that meant more to me than they’d ever know.
“What made you start hitting up corner boys and stash houses?” Russell asked.
“I’d like to know that too, because based on what your uncle said, that’s what got you into this predicament,” Rocky added.
“I’m not proud of it, but I’ve been stealing shit and selling it online since I was in middle school.
My mother was struggling to make ends meet, and I wanted to help her.
I used the money to buy groceries and get things for me and my sister, so my mother wouldn’t have to.
As I got older, I noticed things in certain areas of the city that I hadn’t paid much attention to when I was younger.
People I went to school with lost family members to drugs or to the system for selling drugs.
I guess it bothered me enough to want to do something, and that’s what my young mind came up with. ”
“What did you do with the money?” Rocky asked.
“It was never about the money for me. It was always about how I could use it to help others. I used it to offset the cost of fixing my neighbors’ cars because most of the time they couldn’t pay for the parts and labor.
I also had block parties for the kids a few times a year, giving away backpacks and shit like that. ”
They both nodded, and Russell said, “That’s very noble of you.”
I shrugged nonchalantly and replied, “I had to live up to my last name.”
“When you moved here, did you plan to keep hitting up stash houses?” Rocky asked.
“Not at first. I got a tow on the west side of town, and it reminded me of what I saw in Savannah, except the corner boys are minors here. I didn’t feel right robbing young boys, especially considering they’d be held accountable for the missing money.
Instead, I used them to get information and threatened to kill them if I saw them on the corner again. ”
“In all these years, you’ve never been caught?” Russell asked.
“Not once.”
“Tell us about Zelle and why he’s on a mission to take your ass out,” Rocky said.
By the time I got around to asking questions about them, I received a phone call from Noelani, but it was actually one of her sisters using her phone, telling me to get to her apartment immediately.
Needless to say, my conversation with my brothers came to an end.
We’d only connected once since then, but we had other things to discuss, so I hadn’t had a chance to ask them anything about their lives.
Although Kenai had confessed to shooting me, Zelle was still a problem. Rocky and Russell put some feelers out and found out that about fifty members of the Savannah chapter of the Westside Riders arrived in Onyx City around the time I was shot and set up shop at the stash houses.
Their purpose for having a larger presence was to catch the person who’d been hitting them up. Little did they know, that person had retired. Word on the street was that they were getting antsy because nothing had popped off since they’d been in town.
I pushed the situation with Zelle to the back of my mind and was focused on healing and enjoying my woman. Now that everyone knew she was pregnant, it seemed her belly had grown overnight, and some may say I was obsessed with her.
“Hey, where are you going?” I asked when Noelani got out of bed.
“To the bathroom if you don’t mind.”
“As long as you’re coming back.”
It was a little after eight in the morning, and I’d been up for a while. I had a lot on my mind and needed to sort through my thoughts. Noelani had been curled up on my good side with her limbs draped across my chest and legs until a few seconds ago.
I watched her as she returned to bed, and I almost couldn’t contain my joy. Getting married and having a family wasn’t something I aspired to do until she came into my life. Now that we were a few months away from starting a family, I needed to change her last name.
I’d already bought the ring and received her family’s blessing, but I had yet to pop the question. I wasn’t big on people and would prefer it just be me and her when I did it, but it wasn’t about me. Noelani was big on family, and I was sure she would love for them to be present when I proposed.
“Hold on,” I said before she crawled back into bed.
“What’s wrong? Do you want me to get something for you?”
“No, I just want to look at you.”
She smiled and looked down at her naked body. “Umm, okay, but the baby didn’t grow that much overnight.”
“This isn’t just about the baby. I liked looking at you before I knew you were carrying my seed. Turn around.”
She slowly turned around, pausing and posing, giving me time to take in the view.
“I love you.”
She crawled into bed and straddled me, being careful not to hurt my arm. I used my good hand to caress her stomach. It was still early in the morning, and she hadn’t been awake long, but her beauty was brighter than a diamond.
“I love you more.”
I shook my head. “Don’t play with me because that’s not possible.”
“We can argue about it, . . . or you can let me ride your dick to prove it.”
“Ain’t shit you can do to prove it, but I welcome the challenge.”
She lifted her body just enough to slide down on my dick. The girth always gave her pause as her pussy adjusted, but after that, she rode my shit like a seasoned jockey. Having only one good arm limited my control, but I made the most of what little control I had.
I reached up, grabbed her neck, and tightened my hand around it. She held onto my arm, winding and grinding on my dick like nobody’s business. Her full breasts, with protruding nipples, bounced as she chased her climax, and I loved the visual.
“Rowdy, I’m—”
“Shh. You ain’t gotta tell me, baby. I know this pussy better than I know anything else. Gimme that juice.”
I squeezed her neck hard and fucked her from the bottom, and within seconds, my dick was covered in her nectar. I didn’t even try to hold onto my nut. As soon as I knew she’d gotten hers, I released with a vicious growl.
A few hours later, after a nap, we showered and dressed for the day. It was approaching 1:00 p.m., and Noelani suggested we have brunch at OC Eatery.
“They close at two, so we still have plenty of time,” she said.
“You don’t want to go to your brother’s?” I asked, knowing she knew nothing about the early birthday celebration her family had planned.
“My brother’s? What’s going on at his house?”
“He didn’t text you?”
“No, Rowdy. What are you talking about?”
“He wanted to put some food on the grill before it got too cold.”
“Really? This is the first I’ve heard about it. I guess we’ll go to brunch another day. Let me change into something else because it’ll be chilly this evening.”
I waited in the living room while she changed, and about ten minutes later, we left, stopping at the store to pick up a few things before heading to Shyne’s house. It was weird being chauffeured around by my woman, but she wouldn’t let me drive, and I didn’t want to argue with her.
“I can’t believe he told you about it but didn’t tell me,” she complained.
“Don’t be mad at him, Noe. He probably thought I told you.”
“I guess that’s possible. Anyway, does it feel weird having big brothers after all these years?”
Since I met my brothers, she would ask me random questions. I was surprised she hadn’t asked this one sooner.
“It doesn’t feel like anything, at least not yet. I’ve only seen them a few times since we met.”
“I guess that makes sense. At least you’re not angry at them anymore. Are you open to building a stronger relationship with them?”
I shrugged. “I’m not against it and taking it a day at a time.”
“Good. They’re good people, and unlike the Westside Riders, Onyx City Mayhem does a lot for the community. They’ve partnered with the youth center often since it opened, but they were doing a lot before that.”
“I get a good vibe from them. Ramina used to work at a rec center in Savannah, and when she told Rocky, he pretty much hired her on the spot.”
“That’s great. I’m so glad your uncle ignored your wishes and reached out to your brothers.”
“Yeah. Me too, I guess.”
“Surprise!” Everyone yelled as we entered Shyne’s backyard.
Noelani was startled, so she clung to my good arm. I watched as she looked around at the décor with a look of confusion covering her face.
“Is this for me?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s an early birthday celebration for you,” I said.
“Happy early birthday, Lani!” Indira cheered, holding up a red cup I was sure was filled with liquor.
“Aww! Y’all did this for me? I feel so loved.”
“You are loved, sweetheart, and you’re also nosy. It’s hard to surprise you, so we couldn’t be too obvious with our plans,” Mrs. Natavia said.
“Y’all got me good because I had no idea.”
I followed her around as she greeted everyone, and I spoke to them as well. When she got to two women I hadn’t met, she squealed as they embraced, and I noticed the two men with them.
“Oh shit! Dakari Bentley and Bronx Ravens from the Blazers?” I questioned.
They nodded and stood, offering me a handshake as I introduced myself. Once they greeted Noelani, they returned to their seats. She finished greeting the guests, and while she found a place to sit, I found Shyne and pulled him to the side.
“Thanks for doing this, bruh,” I said in a low voice.
“You know it’s not a problem. I’ll do anything for the people I love.”
“You got the ring?”
“It’s inside. I had to hide it from Raine because she would’ve asked too many questions and none of the women in my life can keep a secret like this. Remember that for future surprises.”
I nodded and laughed as I followed him inside. He’d hidden the ring in the guest bedroom, in a shoe box at the top of the closet. I shoved the ring in the pocket of my sweats.
“I appreciate this. I can’t lie. I’m nervous as fuck, so I need to do this as soon as possible,” I admitted.
“No worries. I got you. I’ll suggest we sing Happy Birthday and cut the cake now before we forget. That’s happened quite a few times, so it won’t seem strange, and nobody will be opposed. Once we’re done, the floor is yours.”
I blew out a breath and nodded in an effort to relieve my nerves. Shyne noticed and put his hand on my shoulder.
“You got this, man. Noelani loves you, is carrying your child, and wants to be your wife. She’ll say yes.”
“I hope I can find the right words.”
“They’ll come to you.”
I nodded, hopeful that he was right.