Chapter 19 Teo #2
Her lips parted, something quick-witted on the tip of her tongue.
But she let whatever it was go when I pressed a slow deliberate kiss to her lips, effectively silencing her.
She couldn’t stop the grin, the blush, of the contented sigh.
Eventually, she rested her head against the seat and stared out the window.
We were quiet for several minutes, allowing the Atlanta streets to stretch around us.
The city moved quickly as it always did when I visited.
Old-school Chevy Impalas, and Hellcats weaved in and out of traffic.
Mom-and-pop shops with faded signs sat between new high-rises, while corner gas stations stayed busy with folks posted up.
“You talk to your mom before we took off?” I asked, finally breaking the silence. I kept my tone easy, but I genuinely wanted to know.
Shit had been hectic since the wedding. Her father hadn’t made any real improvements. Bash was out for blood... but who could blame him? We were practically searching for the same person. Bash had his ways, and I had my own.
But Yanna had been trying to hold it down for her mom, all while still adjusting to life as my wife.
She hesitated for half a second before shaking her head. “No, not yet. I was going to call her when we settled in. I want to go see her, and daddy.”
I nodded. “You worried about her?”
“Yeah, she has never had to be without him.”
“Then we’ll check on her first,” I told her easily, bringing her knuckles to my lips, and pressing a soft kiss against them.
Yanna looked up at me, her expression softer than before. “You already planned that, didn’t you?”
I grinned. “I did. But like I told you, I know my wife.”
I didn’t visit the Reeds home often, but everything was just as I remembered — outside of the addition of the new three-car garage attached to the main house.
Yanna and I stepped onto the porch, and I watched her look through her small handbag, fishing for her parents’ house key before Bash swung the door wide, standing there with a lazy lean.
One palm pressed against the frame, while his sharp and assessing gaze flicked from me to his sister, clocking every detail like the overprotective nigga he’d always been. If you didn’t know these two, you’d assume he was the oldest.
Without saying a word, he pulled her into a brotherly hug, then asked, “How have you been holding up?”
“It’s been touch and go, but I’m managing,” she answered, rolling her shoulders.
He understood, because his ass had been managing as well. “Yeah, me too. Come on in, Ma been waitin’ on you.” He stepped to the side finally letting us both in before dapping me up.
“She’s back there with pops,” he told her. “Let me holla at Teo for a minute.”
She gave her brother a quick nod, and me a small smile, already moving toward the familiar hallway. “I’ll be with Mama when y’all are finished,” she tossed over her shoulder, not sparing either of us a second glance.
She was already halfway down the hall when Bash’s tired eyes hit mine. “We gotta Gianni problem. That nigga been moving funny since the wedding. And the more I look into the days leading to the ceremony, the more this shit starts to smell foul as fuck.”
I nodded once, processing his words, walking deeper into the house, pausing at one of the rooms Bash often used as an office when we were younger.
It was absent a desk, but it had all the other basic essentials — seating, bookcases, and a large table covered with papers and photographs.
Bash motioned for me to take a seat, his expression growing more serious.
“And the bitch,” he damn near growled, “the next time I see her ass, I’m a put a bullet in her.”
Now that was something we both could agree on.
I knew Isabella was an opportunist but I didn’t think she would cross her own family to get me. Poisoning a room full of family members to gain control of her family’s assets while simultaneously starting a full-blown war between all the northern families was a bold move, even for her.
But now it all made so much sense. She found an alliance that would give her the muscle she needed. The attack at my wedding put every family on alert, including her father who lost all of his most loyal men. Tommy, his brother, being one of the men who was among them.
To my knowledge Gianni hadn’t even reached out to the Reeds. Which was telling.
If Gianni was really in control, he’d have made some kind of move—offered condolences, reached out to Antoinette, something to maintain appearances. But he hadn’t.
I exhaled through my nose, clenching my jaw as I leaned back in my chair. Gianni beefing up security wasn’t surprising, but him not fucking with the Reeds? That was suspect as hell. He was moving like he had something to hide, or worse… like he was trying to get ahead of whatever was coming.
“Has Gianni reached out to you or Mrs. Antoinette at all,” I asked, just wanting to confirm what I already knew. “
Bash balled his fists, shaking his head. “Nah, he’s been duckin’. I’m a roll up on his old ass though.”
“And what is it that you know about Isabella?”
Bash ran a hand over his face not masking the pure look of disgust when he scoffed. “The bitch was here. Days before the wedding.”
“I know.”
He looked at me with raised eyebrows, taken aback. “You knew she was here and didn’t say anything?” His eyes squinted, and I already knew he was on the verge of crashing out.
“You don’t think that’s something you lead with,” his tone was flat, but he was shaking his head like he was trying to keep his temper in check.
“Just found out. Calm your crazy ass down.” I deadpanned.
“Why you think we are in Atlanta? She ain’t been in New York for a week.
I had Keem track her last known location, and guess where her name popped up?
Atlanta. She paid some no-name security off-the-books.
A payout was made a day before the wedding, covered by a shell company tied to one of her legitimate businesses. ” I dragged a hand down my face.
“Sophia just confirmed it this morning. She traced all the money to one shell company back to an offshore account under the name ‘Bel V. Esmond’, one of Isabella’s aliases.
That account has been funding the Moccasin operation for over a year.
$50k weekly payments to three different shell companies.
Roland’s stopped after I handled him, but the other two kept running. ”
Bash’s jaw ticked. “So, she’s the money.”
“Yeah. The Moccasins provided the muscle. They had the men she didn’t. And she provided the contacts. Explains how Roland got access to Wes in the Bronx.”
“What you mean?”
“That nigga ain’t family. Neither one of them. Wes just pays his dues to operate in the Bronx. He normally don’t fuck with corner boys but Isabella vouched for him using her family name. Nobody questioned it. “
Bash let out a humorless chuckle. “Not even Gianni?”
“He acted like it was news to him when it came up.”
“Hmm,” Bash hummed. “I guess that also explains why one of my men saw Isabella’s hoe ass leaving Sorella a few days ago—with none other than Bianca Moccasin. When I got word she was in town, I canvassed the entire city. All of their asses was ghost.”
That confirmed what I’d already pinned together.
“Figures, she’s cementing alliances.” I said, thoughtfully.
“That’s exactly what she is doing. I heard she’s been braggin’ that she has the North fighting. And that Georgia is up for grabs now that Pop’s out of the picture.” His fingers tapped against the table.
I nodded, my jaw tight. “She made a move on our wedding day, knowing it would start a war. And leave everyone distracted.”
Bash exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You think Gianni in on it?”
I considered it. “Nah.”
His eyes snapped to mine. “You sure?”
“If he was, he wouldn’t be hiding.” I folded my arms, thinking.
“Gianni’s been moving defensive; beefing up security, ducking calls.
That’s not a man in control, that’s someone trying to keep from losing everything.
I think he knows he has a problem with his daughter.
But she must have the leverage and the men now to put him in hiding. ”
Bash muttered a curse under his breath, shaking his head when the sound of my wife’s combat boots banged against the hardwood floors.
“Bash you’ve had my husband for almost thirty minutes. I want him back,” she barged in not even bothering to knock. She looked at her brother pointedly. “Y’all can talk strategy later.”
Bash let an unusual grin cover his features, leaning back. “I swear, you really think you run shit, huh?”
Yanna didn’t even blink. “I know I do. At least in this instance.” Then she looked at me with those hypnotic eyes, and I knew I’d do whatever she fucking asked. “Come visit daddy with me.”
The visit with her parents ended up lasting a bit longer than expected, but I didn’t rush her.
She needed the time with her people, and more importantly, her mother needed her.
Samuel was still in the same condition as the night we got the call—fucked up, but holding on.
.. barely. Fortunately, Bash and Yanna agreed on moving him back home with round-the-clock care and heavy security.
Bash stuck around for a while, but eventually, he left out needing to handle business.
We weren’t too far behind him, but before we left, Yanna made sure to promise her mom we’d be back soon to check in on everyone.
The drive home was quiet, but not heavy.
By the time we made it back to the penthouse, we both were moving on autopilot, settling into the comforts of our home for the time being.
After a quick dinner and a shower, we both were eager to ease into bed.
Once she emerged from the bathroom, she was still damp from the shower, while I had been out and chilling for at least thirty minutes, letting the television watch me.
The faint flicker of the screen filled the room, while the soft murmur of some television series played in the background. Neither of us paid much attention to it, as the words seemed to fade into the night.
Yanna climbed into the bed beside me, smelling like fresh strawberries, her arm brushing against mine as she pulled the sheets over her legs, settling into the pillow.
She exhaled slowly, releasing some of the built-up tension.
Eventually, her head found a spot on my shoulder, and I wrapped my free arm around her while my free hand absently fidgeted with a set of small weighted rollers I often used for relieving anxiety.
“Feel better?” I asked, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
“Mmm.” Her answer was soft, tired.
I tightened my arm around her, letting my thumb brush along her shoulder. “Good.”
A beat of silence passed before she shifted slightly, snuggling even more into me. Something I wholly welcomed.
“What are we watching?” she murmured, eyes barely open as she barely looked at the screen.
“Hell, if I know. It was just on.”
“Mmm.” Another tired sound. “Looks boring.”
“Probably is.” I chuckled, looking at the screen to see a group of people sitting around a table, talking endlessly about something mundane.
She let out a sleepy giggle, curling into me.
Neither of us moved to change the channel or turn it off. We were both too comfortable and relaxed to bother with it. Before long, the room was filled with the soft sound of her steady breathing, signaling that she had drifted off to sleep.
I watched her… admired every bit of beauty she possessed.
The slow rise and fall of her chest synced perfectly with mine. She fit comfortably against me, like her body already knew where it belonged.
Placing one last kiss on her temple, I allowed my mind to slow down long enough to fall asleep. Tomorrow the chaos of our daily lives will resume, but tonight I will savor this quiet moment.