Chapter 6 #2
This time Kaz joins in with Mase and I as we laugh at Salv. He really thought he was a Casanova. Salv thinks because he fills his list with strippers and party girls, he’s this debonair muthafucker, but he’s as crazy as they come.
“I will advise you not to take lessons from him,” I say. “But you can always do like I did.”
Salv snorts. “Yeah, by all means, follow after the asshole that kidnapped his wife and trapped her with a baby.”
“Fuck you, Draco,” I say using Salv’s street name.
We all had street names we used to deal with Brotherhood Familia business. Salv is Draco, I’m Saint, Kaz is Nox, and Mason was Lux or the light. Mason never showed his face; he was known by name only. Because if you ever saw Mason’s face, it was the last thing you’d ever see.
“It worked, didn’t it?”
“Ask us again when Tiffany forgives your ass,” Mase adds, and the table laughs. I flip them all the middle finger.
For the rest of the meeting, we talked about our plans for the next few weeks. We have a lot of products moving into the States in the coming weeks, and we all need to be on one accord as to when and where to make sure shit runs smoothly.
The waitress comes and clears our plates and glasses off the table as Mason tips the waitress this time. Although our meal is on the house, we still pay the waitstaff.
“So, Nic, any more letters from the Horseman?” Salv’s question grabs my attention.
I quickly glance over at Mason before answering. “No. Nothing else.”
I didn’t tell Salvito and Kazimir about the latest letter.
The thought of them reading what the Horseman referenced makes me feel as if my skin is being peeled off.
The only person who knows the true trauma I faced at that school was Mason.
Trust me, it wasn’t by choice. He happened to walk in on it.
I’m still to this day thankful that my brother came back to that room that day.
“Silence doesn’t mean the asshole isn’t planning.” Mason hands the cash over to the server.
“I agree,” I say. “I’m taking all the precautions.”
“Sis and nephew have been back for a while now. Everything going well?” Kaz asks.
I run a hand down my face. Quickly, I fill them in on Tiffany’s request to go back to work and the fake search for a nanny for Noah.
“I don’t like the idea of her going back to work,” Mason says.
“And you think I do? I don’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice, Nicholas.”
I glare at Mason. He knows nothing about being in love.
Mason has arrangements. He finds a woman he likes and offers her a six-month contract to spread her legs for him.
When those six months are up, he leaves them with a nice settlement and moves on to the next.
To him, romance and commitment is waiting for the ink to dry on his latest contract.
“If he fights her on something as simple as her wanting to go back to work, he will never win her back. He broke her trust. Not intentionally, but he ruined the image she had of him.” Salv finishes the rest of his bourbon, then slams the glass down on the table.
We all stare at him. We can depend on Salv for some bullshit remarks and comic relief. Never has he been the sane voice of reason.
“When did you become a relationship expert?” Kaz jokingly asks.
Salv shrugs. “Out of all of us, who has had the most relationships?”
I look at Mason, who is looking just as confused as me.
“Do you really think those weekly trysts you have with strippers are relationships?”
Salv looks startled by my question. “Peaches and I have been together for three years.”
I toss my hands into the air. “You don’t even know her real name.”
“That is beside the point,” Salv says, causing us to laugh. “The important thing is I know women. And I know Tiffany is testing your boundaries. Plus, the woman just started doing the job she loves right before Noah came. It’s not hard to believe she wants to go back to work.”
I shake my head. “I think she’s just trying to piss me off. But I won’t fall for it. If this little stunt will make her believe I am the man she needs, then I’ll give it to her.”
For now, my wife could get whatever she wanted. As long as she knew there was no option of us not being together.
“Have you vetted the nannies?”
I cock my brow at Mason. “You know me better than that. I’ve already hired the nanny. This whole interview thing is just for show.”
“Smart move,” he says.
After a few more minutes, we ended our meeting. I head to my car with Ghost trailing me. I climb in the back as he gets in the front passenger seat. Roc is my driver, as always.
“Maseo’s crew outfitted Boss Lady’s office with the new cameras last night. You will now have eyes on her at work.” Ghost informs me.
If anybody thought I’d let her back in that building without being able to watch her all day, they clearly didn’t know me at all.
“Good. Any updates on the tapes?”
I’m not too concerned about the guns being found.
Hell, I’m not even bent out of shape over the money I lost on them.
The weapons aren’t traceable back to me, and the money is a drop in the bucket for my pockets.
The problem is that somewhere out there, someone was able to infiltrate my organization.
“Maseo said from first view of the tapes, they don’t look tampered with. The guns were taken in transit. But after reading the logs, there was no documented stop.”
“We need to find the captain of that cargo ship?”
“Already on it. So far, no luck. But we’re still searching.”
I hate having shit unresolved. This missing product was a problem I needed handled quickly. With the Horseman lingering and sending messages, I needed to make sure all my shit was in line. I had no idea what this muthafucker had planned, but I would not make it easy.
Our trip back home was quick. Roc pulled up in front of the house to let me out. I had timed it so perfectly that by the time I got here, the nannies would already be waiting for the interviews to start. I walk into the foyer, and Gloria is there to greet me.
“Everyone here already?” I ask.
She grins. “Yes, Mr. B. The ladies are in the receiving room. Mrs. B is in your office waiting for you.”
“Give us a few minutes and then send the first one in.”
She nods. I head to my office. As soon as I walk in, her soft bergamot, vanilla, and coconut scent surrounds me.
My dick jumps behind my slacks. It’s been entirely too long since I’ve been inside my wife.
I was going through fucking withdrawals.
Making love to Tiff was my favorite pastime.
There was no place better than being buried between her thighs.
Not having access to my favorite place was hell.
When I walk fully into the room, she stands from her seat.
The little summer dress she’s wearing hugs her body like a lover.
The thin straps barely contain her milk-filled tits.
My son did his mother right. He spread her hips and ass and gave her just a little more meat on her bones. She looked like a fucking goddess.
Her hair was in a high ponytail at the top of her head. Those tight, springy curls falling over her forehead. She looked so good it hurt my heart and eyes to stare at her knowing I couldn’t touch her.
“Finally, you’re here.” She greets me with a smile.
It isn’t as bright as the smile she used to give me when I walked into a room, but it wasn’t the angry glare she’d been giving me lately. I’ll take the lazy smile over her anger and hurt.
“Sorry, my meeting ran late.”
She twists her hands together. “What if we pick the wrong person? What if Noah doesn’t like her? What if she’s a serial killer?”
Part of me wants to laugh at her anxiety. If she’s this concerned, we can cancel this and she can stay home. But I don’t laugh. I take her fears seriously. Walking over to her, I grab her hands in mine.
“Baby, relax. Take a deep breath for me.” She follows my command by taking a deep breath and letting it out.
“Better?” I ask.
She nods.
“Good. We aren’t going to pick the wrong nanny. All these women come highly rated. And before any of them would get a chance to hurt my son, you know they would be dead and buried in an unmarked grave.”
Her eyes widen before lowering. The only good thing that came out of the Horseman sending her that video is that she now knows the truth about me.
When I was around her and my son, I kept the face mask on.
The mask of the kind, gentle, meek husband.
I will always be kind and gentle with those two, but now she gets to see what else I can be.
“I guess you’re right.”
I want to pull her closer to me and kiss those luscious lips I fantasize about. But I already know just holding her hands in mine was pushing it with her.
Letting her hands go, I step back. “I know I’m right. Now come on, let’s get this started. Unless,” I pause. “You no longer want to go back to work?”
Her brow lifts and her lips pinch. “You wish,” she teases.
I smirk as I escort her to the leather sofa in my office. Not long after we take our seats, the first nanny walks in.
We go through the first few ladies quickly. All of them are qualified, but they aren’t the ones I hired.
Now, Ms. Rose sits across from us. She looks to be in her mid-fifties and has a very calming presence. She makes direct eye contact with both of us, unlike a few of the women who seemed to focus only on me. Ms. Rose places most of her attention on Tiffany. Which is understandable and what I prefer.
“And it says here you worked with an organization called Daughters of Egypt?” Tiffany asks, reading the resume Ms. Rose provided. “Can you tell me a little about that?”
Ms. Rose smiles warmly. “Yes. Daughters of Egypt is an outreach program. We train young girls how to navigate the world by training them in the arts, sciences, and all other aspects of education. We teach young women there are more options than what society deems as women’s roles.”