12. Lonely Hearts #2
“Goodnight. Get some rest.” Kissa blew her a kiss before turning to leave with the rest of the family.
“What you still doing up?” Bull was in all black when he stepped into his home after midnight.
Everything was still, but the warm fire from the living room drew his attention, and he found Toni seated beside it.
Sipping wine and smoking a joint while looking into the burning wood, her head turned when he entered.
“Just thinking,” she answered, eyes low while turning back to the fire and resting her palm over the rim of her glass.
“Everything okay?” Bull slowly slipped his hoodie over his head.
“Yeah.” Toni’s brows drew together, and he knelt so he could slide in behind her.
With both knees bent, he reached for the joint in her hand and kissed her gently.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on in that busy ass head?” he suggested, taking a tug off the joint and holding the smoke.
“I was just looking around at all we have, and… I’m grateful. It’s not traditional, but we make it work. Our kids are happy, and they have everything I never had and then some.” She tipped the glass to her lips.
“True.” He nodded.
“You saved my life. In more ways than one,” she confessed.
“I didn’t really have any direction. Having Breeze and Jou Jou gives me a purpose.
I was aimless before they came along. When my mama married Urso, the only thing I had was school.
I participated in as many after school programs as I could, so I didn’t have to go home and deal with them.
Mostly the stuff that didn’t cost a lot because it wasn’t like my family was going to pay for it.
When I graduated, I got a partial scholarship and went to college, but finding a career was a different story.
Most places are looking for people to do internships, and I couldn’t afford that.
So, I went from one dead-end job to the next. ”
“Do you know what you want to do?” Bull asked, passing the joint in her direction.
“At first, I thought I wanted to do social work, but there is so much politics and other bullshit you have to go through when you’re in that field.
I know I want to serve. It’s what I’m good at.
Lately, I can’t stop thinking about the cost of sports and other after school activities.
I thought about starting a foundation or becoming one of those fundraiser type people.
When I was in middle school and high school, we would organize drives for different things to get money if the school didn’t have it.
I wouldn’t know where to start, though.”
“What if you had the opportunity to start your own foundation?” he presented, a light bulb going off when he thought about some people he might know. “Something run by you and a team of people with the same vision. You could create your own policies and run things how you see fit,” Bull suggested.
“It sounds too good to be true. Something like that takes time, connections, and a lot of money.”
“What would you think about maybe getting your feet wet first? See if it’s something you genuinely want to do, and then take it from there?”
“I would be interested, but what about the kids? We would have to do daycare, and I really don’t want some stranger taking care of them.” She puffed her joint again and let the smoke sit in her lungs before her eyes lit up. “What did you think about Lotus?”
“Jewel’s sister?” Bull frowned before shrugging. “She seemed cool. Free spirited, shit talking.”
“The kids adored her. She said she was a nanny for some rich couple, and she has a degree in child psychology. She practically raised Jewel’s daughters,” Toni went on, the idea suddenly making perfect sense.
She loved Lotus’s entire vibe, even off just the one interaction they’d had.
“If she has a job, why would she come work here?”
“I don’t know. Could you get her number for me, so I can talk to her? I’ll invite her out to lunch or something, and we can chat.”
“Yeah. I’ll hit Eazy.” Bull exhaled and brought the joint to his lips again.
“Eazy?” Toni glanced at him over her shoulder and hiked a brow.
Bull locked eyes with her and nodded before giving her the weed back.
“Why not Jewel? He’s her brother. Is there something going on with Lotus and Eazy?” Toni guessed.
“Got me in here pillow talking and shit,” Bull muttered. “Don’t mention it around Jewel. He don’t know, and I don’t know. Hell, I don’t think they know what the fuck is going on either.”
“Mmm. I know how that goes.” Toni gripped the joint between her fingers and lifted it to her lips.
Bull wrapped her in a hug and nuzzled her neck before giving her a few soft pecks.
“I learned not to force shit. When it happens, it happens. Eazy lost a piece of himself when Niva died, too, though. He never really got to deal with it, but now he met somebody, and it’s going to force him to come to grips with what he lost to make room for what he can have.”
“Boy, let me find out you got a deep, poetic side.” Toni nudged him with her elbow, and Bull chortled.
“Nah, it’s just perspective, baby.”
“So, how was your night? Where have you been?” She brought her glass to her lips and casually sipped.
“Just making a play with Eazy and Jewel.”
Toni was sure she didn’t want to know what the ‘play’ was, but it toyed with her curiosity.
She knew Bull had legit businesses. He was nothing like Bronx, depending on an illegal stream of cash to live comfortably.
His shit had to have a paper trail, and he’d worked hard to build a name for himself.
Not only did he have a shop in LA, but he opened a brand new locksmith agency right here in Prospect Pointe.
She admired him and how he was his own boss.
It inspired her to do more with her life.
Being a mother was the best job ever, but she couldn’t deny that she wanted something for herself too.
“As long as you’re careful.”
“Always.” Bull kissed gradually along her neck, sending jolts to her pussy. “I’ll call my boy Kozi in Stonebridge and see if he can hit his wife up about the Gray Foundation.”
“Are you talking about Keaton and Xylo Gray?” Toni questioned, jaw practically touching her chin when she pivoted to face him.
He forgot she lived in Stonebridge. You would have to be on another planet not to know about Kozi and his reach.
He was a casino owner, but he and his wife were big philanthropists too.
When it came to endorsing the underprivileged, they were constantly stepping in to make sure the inner youth had the support they needed.
He’d donated anonymously over the years.
It was a good cause, and Kozi and Xylo made sure that all their benefactors always knew where the money was going.
“Yeah.” Bull nodded.
“You know them?”
“I know Kozi through a mutual friend,” he disclosed.
“I have attended a lot of their events. Xylo is one of the most beautiful, sweetest, humblest women. I admire all the work she’s done with the Gray Foundation. It would be so dope to work with her!” Toni gushed.
Bull took her in his lap, and she sat with her legs snaked around his waist, and her arms draped over his shoulders while running her fingers along his neck and through his locs.
He was so handsome, giving her butterflies with the intensity blazing behind his glimmering irises.
She enjoyed this side of him. For years, she’d been fantasizing about the day he would be able to let down the barriers surrounding his heart and allow her access.
Now she was drunk off it and wanting more.
“We got invited to dinner this week over at Eazy’s people’s house. His granny been harassing me about coming through, and she is determined to meet you and the kids.” Bull swept some of her hair over her shoulder and admired her plump lips.
“Speaking of… do I need to be concerned about you and Essence?”
Bull’s silence was a giveaway, and Toni nudged away so she could look into his eyes. He sighed and shook his head.
“Nah. Not at all.”
“But I’m not tripping. There is something there?” she prodded.
“It was a long time ago, T. I told her that, and we both clear on where we stand. My heart and everything else is tied up in the people under this roof,” he pledged.
“As long as she knows.” Toni continued to stroke his neck and tilted her head. “I know I might seem meek and everything—”
“I know you got an inner goon.” Bull toyed with her, grabbing her ass in both hands.
He fed her sloppy, slow, tongue filled kisses until their lips ached, and he was balls deep in her pussy beside a roaring fire.
After hours of wearing each other down, Toni rested her head against his sturdy chest and drifted off, listening to his heart beat while Bull puffed on a blunt until, eventually, he joined her.
“Eazy.” A familiar voice called out when he and Jewel hopped out of his car and started up the sidewalk to the back of his grandparents’ house.
It was after 10:00 a.m. the following morning, and they both were exhausted from being up all night.
Pausing, he turned and caught Braxton leaning against the side of his black Jaguar with his arms crossed over his square chest. He’d always admired the man, like most of the hood.
Braxton was what they strived to be like.
He had money, a beautiful wife, and a family.
Even though Bull and Bronx had their issues with the man, when it came down to being compensated, Braxton always made sure to look out for them.
“What’s up, B?” Jewel chucked his chin at the old man.
“What you doing here?” Eazy asked, hands going into his jacket pockets.
“Wanted to talk to you about something. Jewel, can you give us a minute?” Braxton requested.
“Yeah. I’m going to check on my moms anyway.” Jewel started toward the house, and Braxton approached Eazy next to his car.
“Early morning. Where you coming from?” he questioned.
“Just had a job run over. What’s up? What’s this about?” Eazy queried.