Chapter 37
Midnight Moters they clearly had their lives together.
Suddenly, Silk and his trio rolled in. I snickered under my breath, and Clo gave my ass a playful pinch.
I couldn’t even lie—his three girlfriends looked so much alike I genuinely thought they were triplets.
I guess the old saying is true: if you stay with someone long enough, you start to morph into the same person.
“Damn, Mercedes, how you been?” Silk asked, doing the mandatory guy handshake around the circle, even giving a nod to Rizz, whom he clearly couldn't stand.
“I’ve been fine, thanks for asking,” she replied flatly, keeping her body pressed against Rizz.
“Damn, Rizz, how do you even know Mercedes?” Silk asked, trying to sound unfazed.
“School. We actually graduated around the same time,” Rizz said with a sharp smirk.
“Well, you got a good one,” Silk muttered before walking off toward the cars with his ladies in tow. Clo and the other guys drifted away into a side room for a meeting, leaving a whole security detail standing on the wall.
I headed over to a food truck to grab some nachos, and soon Junie, Mercedes, and Dream met me at a nearby table to share the food and take a few shots.
“So, Mercedes, you really left my brother for Rizz?” Dream asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Your brother left me because I started making my own real money and didn't need him anymore. Honestly, it was for the best,” Cedes replied without blinking.
“But girl... you left a boss for a worker,” Dream pointed out.
Mercedes let out a dry, nonchalant laugh. “Girl, your brother isn't a real trap nigga. His best friend is. Silk makes his money off desperate hoes.”
Dream's defensive posture softened immediately. “Why you getting so defensive? You know you’re forever going to be my sister.”
“Bitch, am I? We way past talking about your brother and my current man.”
“Look, I saw you write I miss you, saw you graduate, learn a trade, and level up your whole life. I’m proud of you, Cedes,” Dream said genuinely. “You stopped stripping and now you're managing a whole club and lounge.”
“Girl, come here. Give me a hug,” Mercedes said, her walls dropping. They embraced and kissed each other on the cheek.
Deciding to stretch my legs, I wandered off to check on the men.
Clo and his crew—alongside Jefro Latti, a known mafia legend in the city—were locked in a back room talking heavy business.
With thirty guys standing guard along the walls, it looked like a literal syndicate summit.
Clo caught my eye from across the room and mouthed, “Baby, I’ll be out in a minute.”
I smiled and walked back out toward the DJ, who was currently blasting Caresha. Before I knew it, I was laughing and twerking on Dream.
Mercedes was a few drinks deep and having the time of her life, dancing right beside one of Silk’s girlfriends. They were taking turns hitting waves until Mercedes suddenly paused.
“Wait, what’s your name?” Mercedes asked over the bass.
“I’m Vonvay. What’s yours?”
“I’m Mercedes. I like you—you’re a whole vibe.”
Across the patio, Silk stood against the wall, watching with a tight smirk while Vonvay and Mercedes actually traded phone numbers.
A moment later, Junie got up from the table and muttered something about heading to a food truck.
I sat back down, but after two minutes realized those girls had completely finished my nachos.
I decided to walk over to the food truck myself, only to spot Junie standing there while Mario casually smacked her on the ass.
She turned around and flashed him a slow, knowing smirk.
What in the absolute fuck?
I spun around on my heel, my mind racing, when Silk suddenly grabbed my wrist. I whipped my head around and glared straight into his eyes.
“Don’t even start, cuz. You’ll be betraying your own cousin,” I warned him.
“He’s my brother-in-law,” Silk replied smoothly.
“He’s not even married to her yet, Gold. They’re young, and they both have that wild dog in them. Junie just knows how to work hers better. You're a good girl; you wouldn't understand.”
This nigga must've accidentally gotten a contact high from whatever his sister was sniffing.
“He looks up to you like an idol, player. I think you need to tell Don,” I said, pulling my arm away before walking off.
Just then, Clo appeared at my side, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Baby, what was that about? You seem tense.”
“Just tired of Silk and his weird obsession with Mercedes,” I lied smoothly.
“Well, forget him. I’m about to race Jefro Latti, and I want you riding shotgun with me. We’re betting a hundred thousand.”
“You already know I’m riding with you,” I smiled, letting the drama melt away.
We walked out to the cordoned-off street where the race was about to go down. The roar of tuned engines echoed across the closed track as I climbed into the sleek black 2026 Bentley Continental beside Clover. He flashed me a cool, confident smile before clicking his seatbelt into place.
“You ready for this?” he asked.
I grinned back. “Let’s show them what we’re working with.”
Right across the starting line, Jefro Latti sat in his 2026 BMW 4 Series 430i Coupe, revving his engine with a cocky smirk. He caught our eye and gave a sharp, respectful nod, signaling he was ready for the smoke.
The race official stepped forward, raising the checkered flag high.
“Three… two… one… GO!”
Both cars exploded off the line, tires biting hard into the asphalt as Clover punched the accelerator down the straightaway. I gripped the heavy door handle, laughing out loud as the roadside lights blurred into streaks of color.
“He’s gaining on us!” I shouted over the engine's deafening roar.
Clover stayed completely ice-cold, his eyes locked on the upcoming apex. “Trust me.”
He took the turn with absolute precision, carrying just enough momentum to slide right alongside Jefro. The crowd packed behind the heavy safety barriers erupted into cheers as the two powerhouse luxury cars went bumper-to-bumper down the final stretch.
My heart pounded furiously against my ribs.
“Come on, Clover!” I screamed.
He glanced over with a quick, effortless smile, keeping his hands steady on the wheel before easing all the way down onto the throttle. Our Bentley surged forward like a missile, crossing the finish line a full car length ahead of Jefro.
The checkered flag waved furiously as the crowd flooded the sidelines to celebrate the insane finish. Jefro climbed out of his BMW, shaking his head with a good-natured laugh as he walked over to our car.
“I’ll give it to you,” Jefro said, clapping a hand on Clover’s shoulder. “That was one hell of a race.”
Clover wrapped a strong arm around my shoulders, pulling me close against his chest as he grinned. “We make a great team.”
I leaned into him, still buzzing from the adrenaline rush of the speed. “We sure do,” I replied softly. “And this is a night I’m never, ever going to forget.”
As the neon lights bounced off the polished chrome of the cars and the celebration raged on around us, I knew one thing for sure: no matter what chaos came our way next, my absolute favorite place in the world would always be right here, riding shotgun beside Clover.