Chapter Fourteen
Present Day.
After a long night at the Council’s clubhouse, Crown woke to brunch in bed the next morning.
He hadn’t made it home until four a.m. and had forced himself to take the day off from the office.
Nivéa knew he was exhausted because he hadn’t bothered to wake her when he came in.
Since she had been there, it had become their routine for him to rouse her from sleep, no matter how late it was, so they could talk or make love until they both fell asleep.
Wanting to do something special for Crown, she prepared fish, grits, shrimp, fresh fruit for dessert, and freshly squeezed orange juice before waking him.
“This shit good as hell, ma. I appreciate you.” He told her between bites, his eyes heavy.
“You welcome.” Nivéa replied, leaning over to kiss his cheek before returning to feed Nyla.
From his side of the bed, Crown watched her with admiration as she breastfed, thinking it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever witnessed. He loved everything about Nivéa, especially how great a mother she was.
“What? Why you staring at me like that, baby?” She asked curiously when she noticed his gaze lingering.
“'Cause you beautiful.”
She smiled. “Aw, that’s so sweet, baby.”
“That’s the truth.” Crown replied before shifting the conversation.
“I got one last thing to take care of, and then you’ll be good to go back to your shop. Everything will return to normal, but I’m hiring security up there. Nothing to worry about. Just in case.”
“Okay,” Nivéa said, knowing what that meant. Boe was dead.
Sighing, she gently released Nyla from her breast and lifted her to burp, her gaze drifting somewhere far beyond the room.
“What is it, ma?” Crown asked.
Nivéa sat in silence for a moment, gathering her thoughts so they wouldn’t come out wrong. She couldn’t care less about Boe’s fate. But she did feel quite disappointed that he hadn’t managed to do one decent thing for his daughter.
“I just hate that it had to be like that. Not for me, but for Ny’s sake. What am I supposed to tell her when she gets older and starts asking about her father? I don’t have any good memories to give her. And I’m not about to lie and make any up either.” Her voice thinned slightly.
“At the very least, he could’ve been a good father. I just… I don’t understand how someone can have kids and live like they don’t exist. Having Ny changed my whole perspective on life. I move differently.”
“I feel that.” Crown nodded. “But tell her the truth. That he’s no longer around, and even when he was, he was a sorry-ass nigga. She’s better off without him.”
Nivéa snickered at his rawness, but Crown didn’t crack a smile. He meant every word.
“I got y’all. I promise you that him missing from her life won’t matter, ‘cause I’m gon’ take care of her like she’s mine.”
“I believe you. Don’t mind me, baby. I overthink sometimes. Bad habit. But just know I appreciate everything you’ve done for us, even when I might not have deserved it.”
Crown’s brows furrowed. “What you mean by that?”
Nivéa shrugged. “I left your side during a rough time. You had just lost Mo, someone very close to you. I was mad and so scared. But I probably shouldn’t have handled it like that. I’m really sorry. I promise that’s not who I am.”
“Nah,” Crown interrupted.
“Don’t ever apologize for choosing what’s best for you and her, even if that means stepping away from me.
I wasn’t fully honest with you, so I couldn’t be upset when you found out the whole truth and walked away.
That was on me. I know your character. You a good woman trying to make better decisions in your life. I respect it, even when it hurts, ma.”
“God, why are you so perfect?”
“I’m not, but you already know that.”
“But I still love you anyway.”
Crown smirked, feeling that in his chest. How did he get here, and so soon? He still didn’t fully understand it, but he loved it.
“What time are you going to your office?” Nivéa asked, changing the subject. She was trying to see how much time she could get out of him that day.
“I’m not. I took off to handle this shit I need to deal with. After that, I’ll come back home, and I’m all yours.”
“Really?” She asked, surprised. Since she met him, he had always been such a busy man.
“Yeah, we can do whatever you want.”
“Okay, I’ll get some work done until then. I have these concepts stuck in my head that I think will be so dope. I just gotta figure out how to bring them to life. It takes forever.”
“What’s your process when you freestyle?” Crown asked her.
“Canva and Adobe are my best friends. I literally build layer by layer, word by word. It would be great if I could draw. It wouldn’t take me forever to put everything together. I could just sketch what’s in my head.”
“Yo’ man can draw.”
She eyed him, snickering.
“I ain’t playin’. Tell me what’s in your head, and I’ll sketch it for you.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. You already do enough, baby.”
“You don’t have to ask. If I spot you have a need, I’m gon’ figure out how to take care of it.”
“Okay, let me sit with the idea some more, and I’ll let you know.”
“Bet.”
Nivéa kissed Nyla’s head as she rubbed and patted her back. “Girlll, you’re going back to school soon. I’m going to miss your little greedy butt. But I’m happy to get out and get a break.” She laughed before getting serious. “So, this means I’ll be safe to go home, too?”
The smirk on Crown’s face slowly faded. He didn’t like the idea of them leaving at all, but he knew the time had come. He couldn’t make her stay without a valid reason.
“Yeah, once I get your whip. But I love y’all here. You in a rush to leave me?” He half-joked.
“Definitely not. I love being here with you, too. I’m not even sure I’ll feel safe there now.”
“You can always stay. Move in with me.”
They stared at each other for a while as Nivéa tried to gauge if he was serious. And he was.
“I hear you, handsome. Let me think about that, too.” She replied.
Nivéa had fallen hard for Crown and wanted to be with him all the time.
But she also understood that this was fresh, fun, and exhilarating, making everything feel perfect, even if it wasn’t.
She didn’t want to rush into living with him and later regret it.
She had promised herself that she wouldn’t shack up with another man until he put a ring on her finger.
Crown had gone above and beyond for her and Nyla, and she loved him for that.
But that didn’t excuse the stability she required.
She could overlook the dangers that came with him at that point, but she wouldn’t overlook her requirements.
He had promised to marry her, and she wanted him to stand by that before they made any permanent decisions.
She wouldn’t bug or remind him about it either.
She wanted to see if he would be a man of his word and just do it.
Crown nodded as his eyes dropped to Nyla, who finally let out a burp.
“Give her here. You eat.” He said, noticing she hadn’t had a chance to finish her plate.
With Nyla cradled in one arm, Crown ate with his free hand like it was nothing, second nature to him. It was Nivéa’s turn to watch and admire him. They enjoyed their meal together as a family until both plates were cleared.
Around two o’clock, Crown was out of bed and moving.
He and Nivéa held gazes as he dressed comfortably in front of her.
She watched as he slipped on his jeans and vest before tucking his guns into his waistband.
When he finished, he gripped her throat gently, forcing her onto the tips of her toes so their faces were close, and he passionately kissed her before hittin’ the streets.
The roar of his Harley echoed through the early afternoon as he navigated the familiar backroads. He made it to the warehouse in no time. As he approached, he could already see the cluster of motorcycles parked haphazardly in the lot.
Danger emerged from the building, meeting him out front with his hands held high. “Nigga, why you ain’t tell me we were having company?” He smirked.
Crown reached out and patted his shoulder like their father used to do to him.
“Come watch and learn some shit, bro.”