Chapter 14
Jabarri
The house is a disaster, they came at us from all sides, but that was probably the only reason we are still alive. That is a lot of house to try to cover, even for fifty-ish men. It spread them out and allowed us to take them out in smaller groups. Had they just split into two groups and come at us, they might have stood a chance. But then again, every person in that house is a trained fighter, so either way, they were in for a fight. We have moved the entire family to the resort, but it certainly isn’t the compound. We had to cancel some bookings, but Shepp allowed us to put them up at his hotel instead for the inconvenience. That night, I felt like a teenager sneaking out. We packed as much as we could and headed to the resort, but as soon as I could, I was on my way to Skai. I chose the house furthest away from my brothers so I could hopefully make moves without them being all up in my business. Truthfully, we all had our hands full with wives, children, and now the rebuilding of the compound. Asher has been working overtime to get our living situation redesigned. We had toyed with the idea of tearing it down to the ground and rebuilding, and then someone suggested, since we have so many acres, to tear down the compound and build individual homes. When we built the compound, we did not have wives or kids in mind, so there is some merit in having individual homes instead of one big house. However, that house is as much a part of the family as the rest of us are, but we all have to agree.
But in the midst of all of the uncertainty, Aryan and Brooklyn are finally getting married. I swear my brother moved slower than molasses in winter, but he finally got his head on straight. I mean, after he confessed about his first wife and child, I understood to a point, but the other part of me wanted to punch him in the mouth. He had a woman who wanted him and loved him, and he was out here acting stupid. Meanwhile, I had to wait and fight to have Skai in my life. I double-check my tux in the mirror and head to the wedding. Skai is the Maid of Honor, and I can’t wait to see her and ogle her from across the room. I like turning her on, knowing it’s just me who’s gonna take care of her later. I like watching her squirm, knowing she is wet and dripping, needing me to get her right. That shit turns me on. I focus back on the task at hand before I say fuck the wedding and go steal Skai and run away with her. I grab my keys and head out.
Skai
The wedding was beautiful. I was so happy to see my friend finally getting married to the man she loves. And it was equally nice to see Aryan loving on Brook open and freely. After the wedding, we danced all night long, about halfway through, I came up out of my shoes because my feet were over it by then. I also spent the entire night avoiding Jabarri’s stares. He is such an asshole. He knows exactly what he does to me when he stares at me like he is. When everyone’s attention is on other stuff, I sneak out of the ballroom and slip into the empty room next to it. The room is dark, only illuminated by the moonlight coming in through the glass doors. I make my way to an empty table and sit down. Our events are always entertaining, but they can sometimes get a little overwhelming. I can hear the muted music coming from the party as I lay my head on the table, closing my eyes, and release a deep breath.
“Can I have this dance?” Jabarri asks, and I am not surprised that he found me in here. I felt him as soon as he walked in, even though he was completely silent. I don’t bother to lift my head off of the table. I simply roll my head to other side to look at him.
“No,” I say, smiling. “My feet and body hurt.” He takes a seat in front of me, leaning down to pull both of my feet in his lap, and he begins to massage to my feet.
“That feels so good,” I moan.
“You look so beautiful, baby. I can’t wait to see you coming down the aisle to me.”
“We have to finally talk to DJ and my mom.”
“We tried at the baby shower,”
“Yeah, until it was battle royale,”
“Right. And I wouldn’t dare do it now. It’s Aryan and Brooklyn’s day.”
“Yep. So where does that leave us?”
“Maybe we don’t plan anything right now and just go with the flow,”
“We can just be a couple,” I suggest.
“And how do you think Josh and your mother would feel about that?”
“Probably betrayed, but they might not care?” I say, looking at him, and the look on his face says be fucking for real. “Fine.” I concede.
“Well, we’ll just focus on us.”
“Focusing on you is easy,” he says as he hits a spot on my foot that makes me slide down further in my seat as I moan out my appreciation for his massage.
“You better cut that out before we see how steady this table really is.”
“Well, wouldn’t that be a way to let our family know we’re together? Hearing us fucking in the next room.”
“Yeah, I like being able to breathe without assistance, so I’ll control myself,”
“Yeah, and even though I am grown, my momma will still knock the hell out of me. I can hear her now, ‘You’re not that grown, little girl!’”
“That definitely sounds like Savvy,” he says, laughing. “Hey, what are you doing?” he asks when I pull my feet back from his lap.
“One of us better get back to the party,”
“You,” he says.
“Why me?”
“Oh, cause I told them I was leaving, so they’ll be looking for you, not me.”
“Damn, I should’ve thought of that.”
“Well, go say your goodbyes, and I will meet you in the parking lot. Let’s go home,” he suggests, helping me stand and walking me to the door. I turn left, and he goes straight to the front of the hotel. I make my way into the ballroom and head directly to my mom.
“Hey, Sweetness, are you okay?”
“Hi, Momma, I’m fine, just tired. I am going to head home.”
“Do you need someone to drive you home?”
“No, Ma, I don’t want anyone to have to leave the party just to take me home. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,”
“Okay, how about a spa day? Just you and me?”
“Oouu! Yes, please,” I say, grinning from ear to ear.
“Okay, I’ll make the reservation. Text me when you get home.”
“Okay,” I tell her, hugging her tight. “Tell DJ good night for me.”
“I will,” she says. I make my rounds, saying good night before heading to get my car, and just like he said he would, he was waiting for me and we head home.
It is our first game of the season, and Saint has stacked his team with pure talent, but the other team doesn’t stand a chance. I’ll be on the sidelines with him, and the entire family is coming to support Saint and the team. We had custom sweatsuits made for the coaches and staff. I, of course, had to get something different because I am so much smaller than everyone else. So instead of wearing a sweatsuit, I wear a jumpsuit with The Hut on the back with my sneakers and sun visor cause Mississippi heat will have you on a three hundred degree slow roast. It’s time for the team to take the field. They are lined up in the tunnel with Saint up front so he can run out with his team. The stadium is a sea of navy blue with navy blue and gold shaker poms screaming as they wait for the team to take the field. Saint has worked hard since he came here to build an amazing football team and bring school spirit and pride back to the college. It has gone from an okay school to one of the most desired schools to attend and the crowd is proof of that. The music changes, and you can feel the energy in the stadium change. I swear it’s electric. When Swag Surfin by F. L. Y. comes on, the roar shakes the stadium, and the team runs out on the field as the band, cheerleaders, and majorettes flank them on either side. I am at the back,
“Good luck, baby,” Jabarri says, making me turn around.
“Thanks, baby,” I say. He sticks his hand out, and we slap the back of our hands before double slapping palms, locking thumbs as we come in for a hug, and then sliding our hands apart with a snap at the end. I turn and run out on the field, and all you see is blue swaying from side to side. The team is in a huddle chanting, The what? The Hut! The what? The Hut! That’s right! They are hype and ready to win this game, and I almost feel bad for the other team, but I don’t because they’ve been talking way too much shit for me to care about the ass-whipping they are about to get. The family is taking up the first several rows, ready to enjoy the game. We get the ball first, and it’s game on.
“We didn’t have to beat them that bad,” Saint says after the game, it’s just him and I walking out of the locker room.
“Yeah, we did. Now maybe they’ll learn to keep their damn mouths shut.”
“I hear you, but damn, forty-two to three is embarrassing.
“They’ll be okay. Let’s go, our family is waiting for us,” I say and sure enough, everyone is waiting for us in the parking lot, ready to go celebrate.