Chapter 37
Christmas Day was magical. Our penthouse, both floors of it, was filled with people—Orlando’s kin—and so much joy. His uncles introduced him to their wives as “Jah’s baby.” That nearly had me in tears. The wives were sweet and beautiful, and all three said they loved my music. Jah’s wife was a plus-sized influencer, and her body? Goals all day! She was gorgeous, and I could tell Orlando had inherited the way he treats me from his dad. Jah adored her, and it showed. His cousins were excited to meet him. Set Jr. was especially stoked since he was a huge hockey fan. Shu’s little ones—Ma’at, Ra, and Amun were so cute, and they were obsessed with their Uncle Jah who really did seem to be a big teddy bear to me. I wasn’t stupid, though. I could easily see the potential lethality in him. His Aunt Taneisha’s daughter, Haley, pretty much sat with her mouth hung open in awe all day.
Orlando was so happy, and again, when everyone but his father left, I retreated to the bedroom to give them time alone. I was elated for my beautiful man, ecstatic.
“Your father left?” I groggily asked when I felt him climb in the bed and pull me to him.
“Yeah,” he replied, kissing my shoulder.
“How do you feel? You good?”
“I’m great. I like them, my family. I like my father. He’s a little scary, but he’s cool. You know?”
“Yep. I see him the same way.”
“How are you?”
I sighed. “I’m happy for you, baby.”
“But how do you feel about you? I know the lawyers are off for the holiday, but you haven’t said much about the process of the case y’all are building to expose those assholes.”
“I…I think I need a break. It’s-it’s getting more and more stressful, and I don’t wanna feel like this while I’m carrying our baby. I want peace and calm.”
I squeezed my eyes shut when the lamp on his side of the bed popped on.
“Shit,” I said under my breath.
“Somebody fucking with you?” he asked, flipping me over to face him. There was pure fire in his eyes.
“You inherited this from him, you know?” I posed.
“I inherited what from who?”
“That bloodlust I see in your eyes from your father.”
“If don’t nobody fuck with mine, I won’t fuck with them. It’s that simple.”
I stared at him, mute.
“Damn, I sound just like him,” he muttered.
“Exactly.”
“Whatever. Stop tryna change the subject. What happened?”
“Nothing. I’m just tired of thinking about it. Maybe it’s avoidance. I don’t know. I just know I wanna be happy with you. I’ve never been happy like this before, and this shit with Smoke and everyone else who messed with me is ruining it.”
“Okay. Put it on hold, then.”
“Really?”
He placed a big hand on my cheek. “I want what you want. I want justice for you. I want them muhfuckas exposed, but not at the expense of your sanity. Ain’t shit more important than you.”
I blinked, trying to figure out how I could love this man any more than I already did. “I’m not doing the Sable Woman Fest this year, either. I’m gonna do it next year. I did a whole-ass tour this year, and shit, I’ve basically been working nonstop since I was fourteen years old. I deserve a break.”
He kissed me before giving me the brightest smile. “You sure do, baby.”
* * *
“This is crazy. I never even thought about going to a hockey game, and my son is a damn professional,” Jah Mitchell said.
Orlando invited him and everyone else who came to visit to the Sires home game taking place a couple days after Christmas. Since there was a whole group of us, I welcomed them to my rarely used owner’s suite. I loved sitting at the glass when it was just me and my security but couldn’t secure enough seats out there for all of us to sit together. Of course, people still found me in the suite. My fans did not play! As much as the invasion of privacy irritated me, I appreciated their love and dedication.
“Did he tell you he’s the team captain?” I asked Jah from my seat beside his.
“Naw! He the captain? Aye, Set, Shu! My boy is the team captain!” Turning to his wife, Tricia, he added, “You hear that, baby?”
“Baby, he’s your boy. I ain’t surprised,” she declared.
“I know that’s right! He’s an athlete just like his uncle!” Set shouted. Now, he was frightening. He was always scowling and growling.
I guess my thoughts were showing on my face, because Jah said, “Set don’t bite,” through a chuckle.
I smiled. “I know.” But did I? Did I really?
“We all rough ‘cause that’s how we were brought up, but what we love, we protect. Believe that.”
“I do believe it. I’m just thankful you and ‘Lando found each other.”
This big, mean man’s eyes misted. “Me, too. I can’t wait to meet my grandbaby. I’ma lose my complete shit over him or her!”
Giggling, I replied, “I can imagine.”
“Yo, Jah! Some white boy just shoved your baby!” Set reported. “Number twelve. Who the fuck is he?”
Jah jumped up, moving to the glass windows. “Shoved him? The hell going on?!” Turning to me, he added, “How can I get down to the team benches? Ain’t nobody gon’ be putting they hands on my boy!”
“Uh, it’s part of the game. They push, shove, fight. ‘Lando does it, too,” I tried.
He just stared at me.
“The bench is off limits,” I explained.
“Shit,” he grunted. “Number twelve. Hey, Trish…remember that. Number twelve.”
“Okay, baby. I got it. Who he playing, again?” she responded.
Everyone looked at me.
“Uh, the Chicago Blackhawks,” I said.
All eyes returned to the action on the ice. I opted to watch on the monitor, and my only thought?
O.M.G!