Chapter 4
Navy Achebe
"I can't believe you let him dick-boozle you," Chosyn smacked after sipping from her wineglass. We were laid out in Wolfe's man cave with wine and Chinese food, while Wolfe and Crown kept Phoenix occupied upstairs.
"No forreal! That nigga wouldn't have gotten any of my goodies after biting my ass up like that," River added, biting into a shrimp roll that wasn't even hers.
Before going to the spa, I showed them how Honor had decorated my neck and shoulder.
Of course, Chosyn lost her mind. Luckily, Honor had left the house before I did, so I didn't have to worry about her going off on him.
Chosyn spit that blade out and ran upstairs so fast that my head twirled in River's direction.
"Don't look at me. I'm not running behind her crazy ass. I'm carrying twins."
I sucked my teeth so hard because River was five minutes pregnant and milking the hell out of it.
When I got upstairs, Chosyn's crazy ass was slicing up this nigga's shoelaces.
It took me almost ten minutes to calm her down and explain that they were passion marks.
She was still pissed because she didn't want the people at the spa looking at me funny.
We agreed we'd do manis and pedis only, then go back to Chosyn's house to relax.
"Didn't Crown have you sucking dick in the back room of that church after disappearing for two months?"
"And I oop!" Chosyn laughed, high-fiving me.
"Really, hoe? I told your ass not to tell anyone," River pouted. "That was low, Navy."
"Shouldn't have ate my damn shrimp roll." I laughed.
"Damn, that was yours, wasn't it?" She giggled.
"It was, but it's fine. As for being dick-boozled, as Chosyn put it, I don't know what it is about Honor. It's hard for me to tell him no and stand on it."
"It's not just Honor. It's all these Gravehart men. Like you said, Crown had me on my knees, gagging in the house of the Lord," River said, shaking her head.
"You're going to hell for that." Chosyn laughed.
"It's cool, I'll be there with my man." River shrugged, and I died laughing.
"I can't with y'all," I said, wiping my eyes of tears.
"No forreal, we need to find a way to get these men to work this shit out. I want Honor to walk me down the aisle like he did Chosyn," River said, and I felt for her. Honor wasn't close to the girls, but they knew without a doubt he would give his life for them.
"Well, no sex won't get it done, obviously." I laughed and pointed at my neck.
"That's 'cause y'all some weak hoes. Y'all let Crown and Honor control y'all. Wolfie knows who wears the pants in this relationship. What I say muthafuckin' goes! If I say this pussy ain't bussin' open and no throat, then that's what the fuck it is because who gon' check me?"
"Okay, Big Chosyn," River smacked, then flashed me a quick look.
Catching it, I grabbed my phone and opened Wolfe's text thread.
Me
Come to the basement.
Chosyn talking big shit.
Wolfe
Give me a minute.
I winked at River, letting her know Wolfe was on his way.
"See, the key to keeping your man in line is making sure he loves you more than you love him. That way, he knows he's gotta keep the same energy it took to get you, to keep you," Chosyn continued.
"Oh, so Wolfe loves you more than you love him?" River snickered.
"Yup, and he knows it. I'm big momma in this bitch. My nigga gon' always do the most 'bout me while I sit back and—"
"Fuck you in here lying for, Chosyn?" At the gravel of Wolfe's voice, Chosyn froze.
"I… I… I—"
"You what?" he quizzed, coming further into the basement. Pulling Chosyn from the couch, Wolfe flopped in her spot and then sat her on his lap. "Stop actin' like I didn't have yo' ass singing 'Dangerously in Love' this morning while I ate you for breakfast."
"Wolfe!" Chosyn smacked his chest, then buried her face there, trying to hide the blush that flared in her cheeks.
"Damn Chosyn, he had you singing off the strength of head." River laughed.
"Okay, this is too much for my ears," I chided.
"You didn't have to tell them that," Chosyn added.
"I'ma always do the most 'bout you. Say the most when it comes to you. I don't love quietly when it comes to you. You're my heart. If some happens to you, I'ma be down bad… shit, probably worse than how these niggas be off that fent."
"And that's why I love you," Chosyn cooed, nuzzling her nose against his.
"Nah, that's why you got shit fucked up.
Just 'cause I love you loudly and put niggas in the dirt behind you doesn't mean you can play on my top.
Relationships aren't about who loves who more.
Can't even say relationship when speaking on us 'cause we're fucking married.
Our love is harmony. You move how I move and vice versa.
There's no such thing as more between us.
We're equals in this. The only time someone can love the other more is if I'm saying it to you. "
"What's the difference between you saying it and me?" Chosyn frowned.
"You're saying it to boast like I won't leave you where I found you. I'll be a single father out here, and you'll be cool to do whatever."
"Wolfie," Chosyn whined the second he gripped her jaw. He wasn't even squeezing, but just from him touching her in that way, Chosyn folded.
"Nah, don't Wolfie me! You talk big shit like I'm some lame ass nigga that's gon' tolerate that shit. You wanna be out in these streets, my heart? Let me know, and I'll renounce you of that last name and find a nice wholesome church hoe to be Nix's momma."
"You think I'ma just let some other bitch play wife and mother to mine? Don't play with me, Wolfe. You're not the only one to put belt to ass. I set fire to hoes for the thrill of it," Chosyn reminded him, evening out her tone.
"Fuck it. Meet me where them flames be, baby." Wolfe laughed, then kissed her lips.
The two fell into a rhythm almost too intimate to witness. Their kiss wasn't raunchy or messy. It was tender, unhurried, like watching two people fall in love for the first time.
"Okay, where the hell is my man? I wanna do cute shit too. Crown!" River yelled, and within seconds, his big goofy ass was walking into the basement with Phoenix in his arms, but her face was buried in his chest.
"What you need, Four? You hungry?"
"She better not be hungry after eating my shrimp roll," I scoffed, still not over it.
"I have food. Wolfe and Chosyn are doing cute shit, and I wanna do cute shit too." She pouted. I shook my head. River was such a spoiled brat.
"Navy, come hold Nix since your bitch ass nigga not here."
"Really, Crown?" I spat.
“Hell yeah! I gotta show Wolfe how to properly love on his woman." Crown smirked, winking at River as she sat blushing.
The entire room laughed so hard it felt like the basement shook. I stood, walked over to grab Phoenix, and almost spit all over her from the next laugh that hit me out of nowhere.
"Crown! Why the hell you have them big ass glasses on my daughter?" Chosyn barked, trying to wiggle out of Wolfe's arms.
River started wheezing. I was crying real tears, and Crown adjusted the glasses on Phoenix's tiny face like her wearing them was normal.
"Fuck y'all laughing for?" Crown asked, yanking River up just to steal her seat, then plopped her on his lap with a smug grin. "Wolfe and I were tryna see what my baby gon' look like with glasses."
"Huh?" I frowned, truly confused. "Y'all are not brothers, and Chosyn and River aren't sisters. Y'all kids won't look anything alike," I said, tossing the glasses toward River since they were identical to the ones she wore.
"Fuck outta here, Navy. That's my brother," Wolfe said, pointing at Crown. "And that's her sister." He continued dragging his finger from Chosyn to River. "River's twins and Nix are gonna look like triplets, watch. And when you have a kid, we'll be the only niggas out here with quadruplets."
The way Wolfe's grin grew when he said that made my heart smile. It was amazing to see how in sync these brothers were, even when they weren't speaking to each other.
"You might have to get another baby daddy, though. Shit, Rize might be up for it." Crown laughed, only to grunt when River elbowed him in the stomach.
"Chill, Four. Pregnant or not, I'll still finger that pussy until you cry again," he warned, and her whole face flushed.
"Don't be embarrassed. We all know. What we didn't know was that it was punishment." Chosyn giggled.
"It wasn't until he did it for a second time and refused to give me dick," River smacked.
"Gotta put my foot down with this one. Her ass is too spoiled, and my couch lady said I need boundaries," Crown shrugged.
"Fuck a boundary!" River spat.
"No forreal. Keep playing with my bestie, and we're gonna run down on your couch, lady," Chosyn threatened. "Right, Navy?"
"Uh, yeah, sure," I answered, a little thrown off by the text I'd received from Talon.
Talon
We need to talk. Before you say no, it's about Honor. Choyce has us staying at her place in Briar Ridge. I'll send the address if you want to stop by. If not, call me.
"Are you okay?" River asked.
"Uh, yeah, I just have to make a call really quick. Chosyn, you want Phoenix?"
"Nope. Wolfe will take her because he and Crown aren't supposed to be down here. I know one of y'all snitched on me," she accused with sharp eyes glaring in my direction.
"She told me to." I nodded toward River.
"Snitch!" River shouted after I handed Phoenix off and headed up the stairs of the basement to call my brother.
I wasn't sure what Talon wanted, but it had been a while since the two of us had a conversation.
"Hello?" he answered.
"What about Honor?" I asked, cutting straight to the point.
"Well, it's nice to speak to you, too, sister."
"Talon, stop. We both know the kind of relationship we have."
"We don't have a relationship, Navy! That's the fucking problem!" he shouted.
I pulled the phone from my ear, put it on speaker, and stepped outside. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I counted to five before letting out an exaggerated sigh.
"You said you needed to talk to me about Honor. Either talk or get the fuck off my phone."
"Wow." His chuckle was low. "You still only care about that nigga."
"No, I care about the people who cares about me. You've been jealous of Honor since Lucian let him out of the basement. You hated how Lucian kept him close while shutting you out."
"That's what you think? That our father shunned me and favored the orphan he snatched from a druggie who stole from him?"
"Well." I shrugged.
Talon's voice dropped. "What Lucian did wasn't fucking favoritism, Navy, it was a mind game. He wanted to control Honor, keep him on a leash and—"
"And you let me kill a man because you didn't have the balls to do it yourself!"
"Navy," he groaned.
"No!" I snapped. "You wanna talk about everything our father did, but you're not innocent either. She was dying in front of you, Talon. Our mother's life was slipping away in your face, and you froze! I did what you couldn't. I… I… I fucking killed—"
The confession ripped the ground from under me, stealing what little control I had left. My chest cinched, throat burning like barbed wire dragged across it. Blood on my hands, the weight of the knife, Talon's wide eyes, my mother's shrill scream. My vision tunneled, black crowding the edges.
"Breathe through it," I mumbled, but my body wouldn't listen. I shook so violently my knees buckled beneath me.
"Navy!"
A door slammed. Footsteps pounded the pavement. I swayed, fighting against gravity as it fought to pull me down. Before I hit the ground, arms caught me. Honor dropped to his knees and held me against him.
"Navy, what the fuck?" His voice snapped, and for the first time, I felt small in the arms of the man I loved.
Honor saw me at what he thought was my worst.
I'll cry in his arms. He'll kiss my forehead and whisper how he'll wipe out the entire population if I ask him to. I'd laugh telling him as long as I had him my problems didn't matter. Then it'll end.
But those instances weren't my worst. My worst was more like Chosyn on a mild day. With a father like Lucian, it was impossible not to inherit some of his worst qualities. Choyce thought she was Lucian's first apprentice, but she wasn't. I was.
The side of me my father influenced was the part I hid. The parts of me I never wanted Honor to see.
What I'd done that night haunted me. It wasn't something Honor could fix with a kiss and a threat. The damage had already been done, and Talon was the trigger.
"Navy," Honor whispered, cradling me with a panicked gaze. "What happened?"
"I—"
My thoughts ran scared, too afraid that if I told Honor the truth, he would clip my wings. In his eyes, I'm pure light. He thinks I've never been tainted unless it was from the bite of his teeth. I couldn't bring myself to change that because without my light, Honor would fade to black.
"Navy, tell me something, or I'm going into this house and making shit ten times worse."
"I—"
I let my eyes fall toward my phone. Honor picked it up, then frowned at the name on the screen.