24. Autumn #3
Shad grins and follows Set out, and a shiver runs down my spine. They keep Shad’s little ass away from shit for a reason, and him being the baby out of the four of them was only part of it.
Brina gets up and runs after them, rubbing her growing belly. “Shad! Casey! Can y’all talk while I do my bestie’s hair?!”
Turk kisses my cheek before walking to Nut, who moves Dal off him to stand, and they embrace like the brothers they are.
“Aww, widdo Turkey and widdo Nutty are fwiends again. Are y’all gonna kith?” Wyn cackles as she and Macy walk back inside the room. Wyn takes a seat and takes a bite of a huge sandwich, while Macy grabs her purse.
“I’ma head back to the hotel, Dally. I’m whooped,” she says as I take a seat next to Wyn.
Dal simpers and gets up to hug her friend. “Okay, Mace. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning for onboarding. I’m so glad you’re here!”
They rock back and forth and squeal, upsetting the baby. “Me too!”
She turns and grabs the little girl from Reem and rocks her until she quiets down. “Don’t worry, little angel, I’ll see you soon.”
“You’re really good with her,” I remark.
She smiles sheepishly before making sure her hat’s on secure. “Thank you. I mean, I have like eight months before I have my own, so I might as well get all the practice I need.”
“Damn! Why is everyone pregnant around this bitch?” Wyn holds her breath and starts fanning the air. “I refuse to catch what y’all got.”
Macy laughs her off. “Girl, you are hilarious. Bye you guys!”
Reem stands and walks Macy to the door before coming back to all eyes on him.
Dal narrows her eyes and points. “Keep it cute, or I’ll cut yo ass.” She stands and stomps out to find Brina, while Reem just shrugs.
“What’s going on with Patience, Dub?”
Turk rubs his eyebrow and sighs. “I figured Auty and Wyn caught up with Shad because he sent me an email with some shit that can get Pay back home. It’s just getting inside East Kenton.
Rico deep undercover there, but I don’t know if he’ll be able to get me into the Council meeting, and who knows if they’ll hear me out long enough to stop they shit. ”
Ty nods. “Aight. So we gotta get yo ass inside wherever they hold the Council meetings and hold ‘em off. Sounds easy peasy, Dub.”
“When’s the Council meeting?”
“Thursday,” Turk sighs.
“Thanksgiving? I thought Native Americans hated that shit.” Ty scratches his head like he’s genuinely confused.
“Just be on go that morning. I gotta iron some more shit out… you ready?”
Turk holds out a hand to me and I place mine in his so he can help me up.
“So y’all a thing now? Or you and Patience? Or shit, you and Patience, Haze?” Ty asks.
Turk ignores him, only having eyes for me. Giving me the floor, seeing what I’ma say.
So I wrap my arm around his waist and kiss his shoulder before smiling at his friends. “Heard you be at Storyville every day now, Ty-Ty.”
His ears turn red as he waves me off, but Reem’s smirk as he rocks the baby is telling.
“Here y’all go, keeping secrets again. Fuck y’all,” Nut booms, but when we catch eyes he winks at me, and I beam back before my man leads me out.
After we get Deuce, get home, and put him to bed, I find him pacing the floor of his office.
He stops when I knock and enter. “Thought we would have been sleep by now.”
He storms over and kisses me hard before resting his forehead on mine.
“I love you, you know that? You my heart. My soulmate. This shit with all of us is new, and I know you love us both, but I never want you to feel like I’m choosing someone over you, like I’m like everyone else leaving you out to dry.
My feelings for you are completely different from my feelings for Pay. And you’re my best friend, Auty–”
“Slow down, love.” I cup his cheeks and pull back enough to look him in the eye. “What’s wrong?”
His eyes get misty before he blinks it away. “My plan to get Pay… it’s a little… unorthodox. I don’t know if you’ll be okay–”
I place my index finger on his lips, and he can’t help himself but to kiss it, making me smile.
“You do whatever you need to do to get our woman back. If you gotta level a fucking city block, empty our accounts, if you gotta marry her, kidnap her… I’m behind you one hundred percent, Turkey.”
He searches my eyes. “Renelle don’t fuck with me foreal She’s the one who put Grimey up on game about Pay.”
“Then it’s on sight every time I see that bitch,” I say with no hesitation. Renelle was an extension of G-Pops and Turk, so I have no hard feelings about cutting her off.” It’s forever fuck her and Thing One and Thing Two.”
“What if I gotta kill Grimey? You think I can do it? Kill my brother?”
I kiss Turk, trying to pour some reassurance into him before pulling back.
“I’ll pray like hell it doesn’t come to that.
But let me be clear: your brothers are Set, Nut, Shad, Ty, Reem, and Rico.
At any time when he got older he could have made himself known, but he didn’t.
The way he acts about Pay… we cannot let him get his hands on her nor our baby.
Promise me that you’ll do whatever you have to, Turkey. ”
He pulls me in close, and I hear the chaotic beat of his heart. “I promise, Auty.”