Chapter 14 #4
I didn’t know an event coordinator who worked harder than Daylani.
Servers were in little black dresses, hoisting trays stacked with the finest champagnes and hors d’oeuvers.
I hadn’t taken a sip, but I knew my people hadn’t done it any other way.
Grabbing one from a waitress who was bypassing, I handed it to Solana.
I could feel how tense she was, and it wasn’t from the encounter we had just moments ago from linking our arms. This felt like discomfort, and the bubbly would ensure that she relaxed.
She had no reason to be tense or uncomfortable, but I understood her position.
These were my people, but they were no one to her.
She was simply a stranger, passing through.
That was why I wanted her to do something with her time outside of sleeping all fucking day.
She’d been put in a situation where she could live it up before she bore the responsibility of carrying a man’s last name and babies; she needed to take advantage of it.
Before we walked through the double doors, I took Solana in with my eyes. She had her head down as her clutch was tucked under her arm with the flute of champagne in her hand. The left arm was cuffed around my bicep.
“Aye?”
Her head was still slightly bent as her eyes traveled up my face.
Once our gazes were locked on one another, I tipped her head up.
“Keep it lifted. Don’t bow to no muthfucka.
Confidence… lesson four. Wear that shit like a badge of honor wherever you go.
Muthafuckas can smell fear, and if you’re scared, that means you can be controlled.
You look good tonight, Solana. You need to act like you know it too. ”
Her eyes widened. I removed my hand from her chin and gently lifted the glass.
Her full lips pressed against the rim as she took a sip.
Her throat moved slightly as she swallowed the champagne.
Knowing that the alcohol would loosen her up, I stepped into the ballroom, and she moved in sync with a nigga.
I hadn’t been in the room ten seconds, and I already felt the eyes on me.
Mostly everyone in here was familiar, but the eyes I felt were ones I’d grown used to since the day I was born.
5… 4… 3… 2…
“Shio. Look at you! You look so handsome!”
Shannon smiled, and even though she was complimenting her only child, she had her sights set on Solana, who had placed her half-full glass on the empty tray of another waitress passing by.
My mother, as always, was ravishing in a long, black gown that covered the So Kate’s I knew she was wearing.
Shannon could give Zendaya a run for her money because that was always her shoe of choice.
She had a pair in every color and stood proudly next to her husband in a pair every Sunday.
She was a sanctified woman, but she cherished her designer brands and labels just as much as she did her Lord and Savior.
“You’re breathtaking, Mama. But you knew that.”
Letting Solana’s arm go, I pulled my mother into an embrace, planting a kiss on her head.
Bella and the girls must have influenced her, because her shoulder-length roller set she got every week at the salon had been replaced with what looked like a wig frontal.
It looked good and age-appropriate, but I wasn’t used to seeing her in such a modern hairstyle.
Still, the black loose curls framed her face, and did little to hide her Somalian traits bleeding through.
Her milk chocolate skin was flawless even under the light makeup.
Her scent was one I loved since I was a kid, currently at war with my Xerjoff Alexandria II unisex parfum.
Pulling her back, only then did she move her eyes to me, and as always, her eyes grew wet.
She blinked away the emotion before showing it like she had always done.
Our moment lasted just a second before she was back on Solana. “You’re gorgeous.”
Solana lowered her head to hide her cheeks, but lifted them immediately, looking at me briefly as if she were remembering her newest lesson.
Good girl.
“Thank you. So are you. I love your dress.”
My mother pressed a hand to her chest, broadcasting the shiny ring my stepfather had placed on her finger. “Ohh, and you’re a Latina?”
“Yes, I’m Afro-Mexican. My father is Hispanic, and my mother was African American.”
“Is,” my mother corrected.
“Hmm?”
“Your mother is African American. Even if she is no longer among the living, she is still present in the presence of the Lord.”
Solana nodded in understanding.
“Ahhh, hell nah!”
Renello, Metavello, and Ezio now stood before us.
Nel was nursing a bottle of Ace like there weren't flutes and glasses all around this place to drink out of.
As if we were in a section at the club, he drank straight from the bottle.
Ezio had a smirk on his face while chewing on a toothpick, and Vello broke out in a full grin before hawking into the spit cup.
I would be happy as hell when Discover had their babies.
“I know you not cursing like that in front of me!” my mama scolded Nel.
She was forever getting on everyone about their profanity usage. The weed smoke she didn’t mind, and she even overlooked the dice games, but cursing in her face was where she drew the line.
“Auntie! My bad. This nig—I mean, this fool just full of cap.” Nel shook his head.
All of the men had their eyes on Solana.
She was all fidgety and shit, but these niggas didn’t seem to care.
Mocha and Scarlett walked up, arm in arm, both in black dresses that showed no signs of childbirth.
They were prim and prepped as they always were.
I gave a one-arm hug to Mocha and then planted a kiss on Scarlett’s head.
I still couldn't believe Benzino’s daughter had grown into the woman she was, like we weren’t near in age.
“Hey, boo. Who you?”
“Hi. I’m Solana.” Her accent was heavy, and I could see the shock on the girls’ faces when they heard her speak.
“You’re pretty…”
“Too pretty,” Mocha cosigned.
“I now see why the guys were in a rush to leave. You stealing our glam team, Shio?” Mocha dramatically blinked her thick lashes.
I shot her a grin before gazing at Solana, admiring her done up as I had been since she walked out of the house.
“Come.” Scarlett held her free arm out.
Solana looked at me for a nod of approval, and when I gave it to her, she went in stride with the girls.
Hopefully, they could get her to loosen up and enjoy herself.
Food and liquor were plentiful, and the DJ was playing straight hits so far.
As elegant as this space was, the music was straight trap.
When I saw that she was being introduced to the rest of the women, I focused back on the people around me.
Everyone was staring at me, including my mama.
“You dirty little liar.” Vello joked, sounding like a bitch.
Sighing, I placed my hands in my pockets. “What I lie about, Vello?”
“Oh, you know exactly what you lied about. I mean… she straight. Ain't that what you said?” Nel egged on.
“Neltz had already told you what was up,” I responded, dismissing their antics.
“And I told you that Neltz’s mind was fu—I mean, messed up. He still learnin’ to differentiate. He learnin’ his type.”
“What he need to be learning is the word. Children’s church is every Sunday morning at 9 a.m. sharp,” my mother butted in the conversation, making me shake my head. I already knew her mentioning Neltz going to church was going to rile these niggas up.
“I don't mean no harm, Auntie, but nephew walk through those doors and a trail of fire gone be behind him. That boy is a lil’ demon. But I'ma stick beside my nephew.”
“Hell yeah. Whole damn church gone be ashes trying to house his bad as— I mean, his bad self,” Nel backed his twin.
Now chuckling, I opted to be quiet. The twins hadn’t told a lie, though. However, Neltz did need his ass in somebody church. They at least should start him on some virtual shit so he could build his relationship with the Lord on his own terms.
“And back to you, college boy. She Spanish? And her name Solana? Nigga, you done went and got you a fuckin’ black Selena! Can she sing? Wait, don’t even tell me that shit. That shit ain’t fair!”
My mama jumped at Nel, who raised up his hands while apologizing.
“Nel, this ain’t he time or the place,” I stressed. He was making a big deal out of nothing. It wasn’t shit to Solana and me.
Ezio and I locked eyes before he tossed his arms around the twins, leading them away from my mother and me. I knew I would be hearing an earful from them tonight, but I didn’t want it to be in front of the First Lady.
“Can I make a suggestion?” My mother didn’t waste any time prying.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“When you do find yourself a wife, I want her to look similar to her. Black and pretty.”
I teased. “She’s only half-black.”
“She’s dark, so that’s good enough. You’re half of something, too, so…?”
She had a point. “How do you know she’s not a potential wife?”
My mother removed a flute from the tray of a bypassing waitress. “Because I know my son. I don’t know why you have her around, but it’s not for pursuit. She’s gorgeous.”
We watched her laugh with the ladies from across the room before my mom continued, “However, she has plenty to sort through before she’s ready to belong to any man.”
“You get all that from a brief meeting?” I questioned my mama, but it was mostly to lighten the heaviness I was feeling from the conversation.
My need for a wife had come back to the front of my mind. I hadn’t put any effort into finding one. I hadn’t hit Glow at all since ditching her for Don’s Mexico quest. I knew by the time Don pressed me, I would have to settle for whatever I could find, and I wasn’t a man who settled.
“Son…” My mama pressed her palm over my heartbeat.
She listened to its rhythm like she’d always done before speaking.
“I know things. Just like you know things. It’s Him.
The power of God is within us… Flows all through our veins.
Always have, even before I met the pastor.
That girl, she needs saving. And it’s not from a person, it’s from herself. Be careful with that one.”
My mother stepped back and let her eyes travel across the room again at the wives and Solana. “Pretty little sinner. Such a shame.”
With that, she sipped her bubbly while switching away.
When she was tucked back at her husband’s side, I tossed him a head nod and diverted my attention back to the women of the Rinaldi Mob.
Dasani and Azure had joined the small crowd of stunning women, and just like the rest, they looked damn good.
“I knew she was fine,” Ezio spoke from the side of me. I wasn’t even surprised that he’d made his way back over.
“Yeah,” was all I said in response.
“You’re a disciplined man, Shio. I know that, and these other niggas know that too.
But… just be careful. Don had a hand in putting her in your path, and you know that nigga—as ignorant as he is—just doesn’t do shit for no reason.
I’m not buying her father needing her here to learn how to be a wife. That's bullshit.”
“So, what you thinking?” I queered. Ezio didn’t tell me nothing I hadn’t already been thinking myself.
Solana did need some home-training, but no man on this earth is going to hand over his daughter to one man when she is meant for another.
The shit made no sense no matter how many ways I sliced it in my brain.
Ezio sighed and shrugged. “I don't know… not yet, anyway. I know you not gone tell me your thoughts, but her daddy put her out the way for a reason. Shit feels like a lose-lose situation. Dumping a beautiful woman that’s tied to a foreign cartel gang on a single man’s doorstep could very well result in him unintentionally bringing a war to our doorstep.
Then, if you fuck around and take her down—”
“Shit could still mean a war,” I finished his sentence.
“Exactly, nigga.”
“You know me, Ezee. I mean what I say.”
Ezio slapped my hand in a brotherly embrace. “And you say what you mean.” He patted my back before letting go.
We watched her a few more beats from across the room in the crowd of women, seamlessly fitting in.
Ezio chuckled. “The bitch bad, though.”
As fuck, I responded internally, refusing to speak the truth out loud.
Another thing, besides her beauty that was certain, I needed to learn more about Solana’s reason for being my current responsibility.
It could have been a test from Don, but Don didn’t fuck with us individually for trainings.
It could have been a door to open hell between the various mobs and cartels here in the States and in Mexico.
My worst thought was that Solana was her to force me to do some shit I didn’t want to do.
Checking the time on my watch, I decided to stay until the main event before scooping Solana and heading back to the crib. I had shit to do to ensure my ass didn’t fuck around and die over a girl that wasn’t even mine.
God first.
Make sure the family good.
Eye them Cuppacio boys, the little and the big ones.
Build a relationship with my brother.
Get my brother rich.
Health and wellness.
Stay on top of my mob shit.
Keep Hobo alive.
Get through the meeting with Ines Ledesma.
House a random.
Find the true reason Solana is here.
Find a wife.