Thirty-Eight
After Bellamy received the text from Blaze that her godchildren had arrived. It was cute to see the change in her. For the first time since meeting her, I saw a side of her I’m sure only her family sees. Bell was bouncing around and chattering to me about her godbabies. Her excitement was palpable and cute. When we walked into the main room, a mini tornado attacked my little tornado, knocking them both to the ground and causing everyone around us to laugh. The two were cute as fuck, and the affection they had for one another was infectious.
You would think that Sarafina was my woman’s kid because she acted so much like her. The two of them together is a fucking riot. Sarafina is very much Bellamy’s protégé. She takes no shit, and her tongue cuts like a razor. And Vex's man whore ass got the brunt of it. Not knowing who she was, he settled right up to her this morning and tried to use the Church charm on her. That girl wasn’t having it. I figured Blaze, or her brother Sebastian, who is a fucking beast, would step in and make her off-limits. Instead, they all sat back and watched the verbal ass-whippin’ Sarafina gave Vex. And Vex took it all good fun, but the little shit has had stars and hearts in his eyes ever since.
Giving her time to do what she needed to with them, I sat at my usual table with the rest of the officers. Someone added the extenders to it to accommodate the few additional seats. We knew all the officers would eventually have ol’ ladies, so the table adjusted for that. It didn’t escape my notice that there was another seat next to Prez’s, one that would be for his ol’ lady, which was never a distinction he gave Beverly. During their marriage, that seat was never used or offered to Beverly; hell, it wasn’t even available to her if she chose to use it. Prez knows Savvy will be here today. I don’t know if that knowledge is why he finally did it, but he has made it clear that he has hope. The empty seat next to him lets everyone know that without words, that shit may be changing. Prez is in for the fight of his life. Savvy will not go easy on him; that much I understand from what Bellamy and Blaze have said about their mother.
My eyes trail over to my Prez, who has been unusually quiet all morning, only speaking when spoken to. I can tell his mind is consumed with the reality of seeing his woman again. My eyes trail away from him as he stares down at his coffee. I can’t imagine where his head’s at. He knows I’m here if he needs to talk. I said as much when I first came down, but he brushed me off. I'm not one to push, so I’m letting him be.
My eyes scan the room in search of my woman. Finding her, I watch as she animatedly talks to her godchildren. Taking her in from head to toe, I chuckle at her outfit choice. She cussed me the fuck out after our shower because her swollen pussy was giving her hell, and she couldn’t wear her bad bitch attire,
as she called it. It’s her damn fault I tore that pussy up again. Now, she is walking around bowlegged, and it’s what she deserves. My smirk doesn’t go unnoticed as I hear a few jabs from brothers that I ignore.
I chuckle when a few brothers call me a lovesick puppy as they watch me watch my woman. A few look at me warily, waiting for me to explode on them, but I don’t respond. I brush them off. Being known as the hard-ass VP of the LSMC mother chapter, my reputation precedes me as being deadly and feared. Since my woman came into my life, I’ve been anything but. I’ve been a fucking teddy bear constantly thinking about my feelings and shit. I wouldn’t change a damn thing about it.
Bellamy feels my eyes on her because she looks at me with a soft smile, sending me a wink. She holds my stare, and her face softens. That, right there, is why I’ll cut all the alpha male shit out. Don’t get it fucked up. I’m still Taz, but to her and for her, I’m Xavier, the man working damn hard to win her heart, which I’m damn close to doing. She already has mine, and I’m okay with that.
A movement at my side catches my attention. Prez stands, finishing his coffee. His eyes scan the room. His eyes light up when he sees his children cutting up and laughing. All his children except Princess, who has been quiet and pouting all morning. Putting his mug down, he looks at me and gives me a nod, which I return. I stand, finishing my coffee before he bellows out.
“Church.”
All the officers follow suit. Prez looks over at his children one last time. His eyes connect with Bellamy and Blaze, who turn to speak to their companions. Vex and Bull are up and heading to chapel, and with the inclines of his head, Prez invites them to join this meeting.
After what went down at the club with the attack and what went down with Blaze at his hotel, Prez will not want to wait for Beverly or Marco to make their next move.
in chapter seperator
Once everyone’s seated and settled in–we wait. Prez stares down at his hands. Not for the first time, I see how tired he is, how exhausting and emotionally taxing all this shit has been for him. All this shit came out of the left field; he was finally done with Beverly; she was out of his life and his club, and he was free of those chains. And then, his past comes knocking on his door, letting him know it’s not done with him yet. So I get it, which is why I stare all my brothers down, letting them know now is not the time to open their mouths to say some bullshit. Prez will speak when he’s ready.
Fuck, this shit sucks.
I hate seeing my friend and Prez like this. The man has been through so much shit and is still going through it. Soon, it will be over. He deserves some goddamn peace in his life. Looking up, he briefly makes eye contact with everyone before speaking.
“All right.”
He slams the gavel down, signifying that the church has begun.
“Yesterday was a fucking shit show. We learned more about what Beverly wants and plans for my daughter, Princess, and me.” His voice is cold, and his eyes are hard. “More information has come to light.” Cracking his neck, his eyes are now blazing with fury. “After Blaze left here last night, he was followed from the compound to his hotel. Blaze and his crew were approached by the fucker’s underboss, and a warning was given. We have forty-eight hours to turn Princess over, or there will be war.” He stares around the room, allowing the other officers to voice their anger at the new information.
Raising his hand, he continues, “I know Princesses spoiled-ass has been getting on everyone's last damn nerve. With that being said, she doesn’t deserve this shit.” There are a few murmurs of agreement.
With another sharp look around the room. “We will not be giving my daughter up. So if fucking war is what they want, then war is what they are going to get,” he says, voice raised, slamming his fist into the table. The brothers are bloodthirsty motherfuckers and hoot and holler in agreement.
“Last night, after I got the information, I went down and had a little chat and some fun with the fuckers we had in the hole. They didn’t know more than I expected them to. Telling me shit I already knew.” He looks at his kids and crew, then at his boys and Turbo. “Not sorry to say I put those useless fucks out of their misery. Ain’t no use having them stinking up the place if they ain’t worth shit.” He sits back in his chair.
He looks over to Bellamy, nodding. My little tornado is sitting next to me like the queen she is, with a stoic and determined look on her face. She rises from her chair and walks over to her father, standing beside him. She rests a hand on his shoulder, looking at all the officers and her team.
“Yesterday was the first last, and only shot those motherfuckers will ever get to come at this club. At coming at my family,” she says, her voice dripping with venom, and the fire in her eyes has my dick responding. Prez brings his hand up to the one she has on his shoulder and squeezes it. My eyes lock on my Prez, giving him a nod of understanding. This is a moment for them. It solidifies her acknowledging her place in this family as my woman and as the Princess… no Queen of LSMC until her mother takes her rightful place at Prez’s side.
“Now, Daddio. I don’t want you to lose your shit on me. Hear me out before you say anything, because we have a plan.” She looks down at Prez, who looks up at her with a questioning look. “Princess has been corresponding with Beverly. I'm unsure if you knew about that, but we do.” Meaning her brother Blaze and her. “We may or may not have cloned her phone the first night…” She pauses, wincing at her admission.
“I know. We know that something changed last night. Beverly is desperate. The text between Beverly and Princess was informative. Beverly laid her cards on the table. She told Princess that if she didn’t meet her at a specific time and location, that last night was only the beginning. According to Beverly, the strike on the club was a warning. She didn’t expect them to accomplish anything. And that the only way for Princess to save you and the club is to turn herself over. And if she didn’t, Beverly said she would wreak havoc on everything and anything associated with the club. She will destroy your businesses and will go after your families. Even hinted at involving the law. She held nothing back, the dumb bitch.”
The entire room explodes. Prez looks murderous, and I know he is done. I expected him to get up from his chair and raise holy hell, but he didn’t. He stares ahead and raises his hand to quiet the room. He looks at Bellamy.
“What do you have planned? Because right now, I want to walk out of this room, hop on my bike, and put a bullet in Beverly’s head.” he says in a deadly calm voice.
“No need for that. My god-grandmother will be here soon and already called dibs on the bitch’s brain juice. Maybe she’ll let you have a leg or something,” Sarafina says as she shrugs, and I hear a snort from Sin.
Yep, just like my tornado. A chuckle slips as I look over at my woman, and she seems less than impressed.
I sigh, shaking my head at Sarafina before looking back at my woman, who is giving her a death glare. After a few tense moments, Sarafina raises a brow at Bellamy but doesn’t receive the response she expected. With a huff, she sits back in her chair and crosses her arms with a look of indignation.
A few more moments pass, with Bellamy giving Sarafina a look, making her realize she might have fucked up. “Sorry,” Sarafina shrugs her shoulders but keeps her eyes on Bellamy, letting me and everyone else know she is not sorry.
Bellamy shakes her head and looks back at the room. “We want to wait until Beverly gives Princess the meeting location. What we know… is that Marco is in town. With his backing, she will only get bolder. They are all here. Unfortunately for them, they are not as good at covering their tracks as they believe themselves to be, and we also may or may not own their hacker who is a member of The Organization.” Prez’s head snaps back to Bellamy as Bellamy drops a bomb on us. Something that, until now, we didn’t even know was a possibility.
Prez’s eyes come to mine, and I know exactly what he is thinking. His eyes are narrowed at this new information. When he turns to his daughter, the suspicion in his eyes is unmistakable. Unfortunately, we both feel the same after the bomb she dropped on our laps. Did Savvy know all this time and not give a fuck? I wouldn’t blame her, but damn, that’s some cold shit to know that this shit was going on behind the scenes and wait until now to do something about it. Bellamy doesn’t feel the tension radiating off of me and Prez, or she does and is ignoring it. She continues without acknowledging either of us.
“Yeah, so here's the thing. My mother knew that your ex-wife was keeping tabs on her since the day you broke it off. And don’t look at me like that. My mom may have been hurt and angry for a long time, but she isn’t that cold. My mom is cold… to those that aren’t family, but she isn’t…”
“Oh no, baby girl, I’m an ice-cold, deadly bitch. And I make no apologies for it, and neither should you.”
Every eye in the room snaps up at the voice coming from the doorway. A beautiful, dark-skinned, older black woman ignores the tension in the room at her arrival, like we have an open-door policy. She smirks at Bellamy, her eyes passing over Prez, only lingering long enough to take him. Her promises come to mind when she smirks and turns those assessing eyes on me. Well, fuck. She smirks, gliding further into the room.
The only ones unsurprised at her arrival are Bellamy, her team, myself, and Prez, who sit frozen, watching the woman he once knew with fresh eyes. I would ask how she got from the gate to this room, but if I’ve learned nothing from my woman, there is nowhere they can’t get in and out of.
Savvy ignores the slack jaws in the room and walks over to Blaze, pulling him down by his face and kissing his cheek. Blaze's face softens at his mother’s hello, but his eyes never leave his father's. Savvy speaks to the rest of her family before turning and setting eyes on Prez again.
“Hello, Gunner.” She smiles a genuine smile. Prez’s mouth opens and closes like a fish. If it were any other time, I, along with everyone else watching the scene unfold, would laugh at the look on his face.
Savvy doesn’t wait for a response as she glides to the seat next to me and elegantly folds into the chair. Leaning forward, she folds her delicate and deadly fingers together, resting them on the top of the table as she looks around me and at Prez, who could not speak.
“Sugar, I heard that your woman is giving you some problems.” She doesn’t give him a chance to respond, but the dark look in his eyes says he wants to. With a wave of her manicured hands, she stops his retort. “Don’t you worry. My babies and I are here to help. Those goddamned mafia fuckers are a pain in my ass. No offense, little loves.” She looks at Sarafina and Sebastian, who both chuckle and shrug.
Sebastian leans forward. “No problem, Gran, we know you ain’t talking shit,” he says. His voice is controlled, but there is a hint of mischief in his eyes.
Savvy is a beautiful woman. The resemblance between her and my woman is uncanny. I thank the man upstairs that my woman will age gracefully. I can honestly say that Savvy is a beauty. I can appreciate that shit. As I watch her, I recognize Bellamy is her mother's daughter in not just looks but how she is; her demeanor and watchful, assessing eyes make it clear she is a woman about her business. Savvy carries herself with an air of authority, having everyone in the room sitting up and paying attention.
With her sitting next to me, I have to turn in my seat to look at her. She shifts, looks me in my eyes, and speaks, “Xavier Taz Highland, you remember my promise, boy?” A brow lifts, and she gives me a menacing smirk that sends a shiver down my spine. And I know better than to keep this woman waiting. I immediately fucking answer, “Yes, ma’am, and my answer is still the same. I would rather die than hurt her.” Our eyes stay connected as she searches and watches me, looking for a sign that my words are untrue. She won’t find shit because I mean every word.
“Well, excellent. As long as my beautiful daughter is happy, you may live.” she says as she sniffs the air and turns away from me.
I hear a few snorts in the room, but don’t acknowledge them. She claps her hands together. “Okay now…” She looks at me expectantly, and I stare at her, then at Bellamy, watching us with wide eyes. Bellamy inclines her head, which clarifies what her mother expects. Because even if the woman is scary, I take a few seconds longer than necessary to get up from my seat, but I do. Listen, she may be a world-renowned assassin and my soon-to-be mother-in-law, but she does not run this shit. I will give her the respect she deserves, but only out of respect for my woman and my Prez. Standing, I step away, and my woman takes my seat. She is stiff, but I refuse to let her stay that way. I also don’t know why she is reacting like this. I know she isn’t afraid of her mother or her pops. I think having them in the same room for the first time in her life. She isn’t sure how to react. I lean down and kiss the side of her forehead. And whisper for her to take a few breaths. She does, and I feel her body relax. Savvy watches the interaction and smiles, patting her daughter’s hand before turning to Prez.
“Now, where were we? I believe you were at the part where I’m a cold, badass bitch, and Beverly is a cold, conniving bitch. Prez’s other daughter is a silly, self-righteous, yet spoiled bitch, and my daughter is a bitch in love. Did I miss anything?” Savvy deadpans. She leans forward, resting her elbows on the table, linking her hands together, resting her chin on her knuckles. Looking at a still silent Prez and then around the room. I hear a few coughs of the brothers trying to hold in laughter, and of course, it is the girl that breaks first, and then the room, including the Prez, who has been sitting stoically to this point, bursts into laughter.
That is one hell of a way to make an entrance.