2. Kingsley
KINGSLEY
“Damn, you went to Alaska and back?”
I chuckled. I was late getting the paperwork to my dad. It had been nearly four hours. I wanted to be around Treasure for as long as she was comfortable with being in my presence. He didn’t need this paperwork until tomorrow anyway.
“My bad. Treasure texted, asking me to come over. I went to Liberty straight from Devers.”
He gave me a tight smile and nodded. “I admire your patience, son.”
I gave him a tight smile back. “I love her. No matter how much I try to make myself move on, my heart won’t let me. She’s all I think about.”
“That’s beautiful. Don’t give up on her then. Trauma can be tricky. It’s a lot like grief. It can appear at the most inopportune times, catching you off guard. Treasure is experiencing ups and downs. She’ll have to do her best to get a handle on that. Are you prepared to endure?”
“I’ve been actively wanting her to be mine for over two years.
I’ve been secretly wanting her since I was eighteen.
I haven’t been with anyone since what happened to her.
She doesn’t even know it, but after that, I dedicated myself to her and helping her heal .
. . no matter how long that takes. I didn’t want to corrupt my spirit with casual sex while trying to help her.
Today, she told me she wanted to be mine. ”
I slowly shook my head as a smile emerged on my lips. “I’ve been waiting a long time to hear those words from her. That has to be progress, right?”
He placed his hand on my shoulder and nodded. “That’s big. I can’t wait until she’s open to visiting with you. I already know she will be our next daughter-in-law. How do you feel about her not being able to have kids?”
I frowned. “I wasn’t just talkin’ out the side of my neck when we found out Karima was pregnant with her first baby.
I don’t want none of them crumb snatchers.
” I laughed. “I can tell that was something she wanted though just by the way she clings to her nephews. So if she ever wanted to adopt, I would. Honestly, I would do anything for her. It scares me sometimes. She’s deep in my soul. ”
“I want you to know that I’m proud of you .
. . I’m proud of all of you. All of you became productive adults who love hard.
You all inherited the best parts of your mama and me.
Kane is going through a slight phase, but we’re working through it together.
I love y’all. If you ever need anything, son, no matter how busy you think I am, come to me.
I ain’t never too busy for y’all and your mama. ”
“Thanks, Dad. I appreciate that.”
We shook hands, and he pulled me in for a hug.
Kenny Henderson was the greatest example of what it meant to love a woman.
Uncle Jasper was a close second. I’d heard stories about he and my mama’s fallout, but that was all before I was even born or thought about.
The parents I knew and loved were damn near perfect in my eyes.
They got along. When one was having a moment of difficulty, they were in the trenches together.
When Crew died, it was hard on all of us.
My parents seemed to relive Kendrick’s death whenever someone close died.
I watched my dad come unraveled when Grandma died.
My mama was there for him, feeling his grief and trying to bear it for him.
Kendrick wasn’t even her son, but she loved him like he was.
I was grateful that Kendrick’s mom had been executed.
My dad was low-key as hell, but I believed he would have found a way to kill her if the state hadn’t done it.
I’d heard stories about him in that aspect as well.
Seven said that he was the one who actually killed that cop.
Someone else had done most of the work, but when my dad saw that he was still breathing, he snapped his neck.
In the family meeting, they basically said the FBI knew about that shit. They just couldn’t pin it on him from testimony alone. There was no proof. I didn’t know what he did with that man’s teeth, but no one ever found them.
Wild hogs didn’t eat hair or teeth. He’d thrown Reggie’s body in the hog pin.
I knew those hogs had since been butchered.
I was a kid when that cop came up missing.
My mama was by his side through it all. She wanted that nigga dead too.
Apparently, the entire family did. I couldn’t believe they were threatening to come for him about that.
It had to be around twenty years ago when that man came up missing.
He was still listed as missing, but most people around here knew he was dead.
When I got to my vehicle, I grabbed my phone and called Treasure as I headed to Henderson Village. She didn’t answer, so I had to assume she was still enjoying her family. The house was still full when I left. When her voicemail picked up, I cleared my throat to leave a message.
“Hey, baby. I just wanted to let you know that I made it home. Call me before you go to sleep. I just want you to know you’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m making it my duty to make you the happiest you’ve ever been as well.”
I almost said, I love you. “Talk to you later.”
I ended the call as I turned in my driveway. Although I said it in the letter, I didn’t want to say it to her face, because I didn’t know how she would handle it. She hadn’t responded to me saying it in the letter.
Once I pulled into the garage, I put my Jag in park.
Taking a deep breath, I smiled. While I knew we still had battles ahead of us, knowing that she was committed to me felt great.
Even though I also knew she wouldn’t be committed to anyone else, it was still amazing to know that she finally trusted me enough to give me her heart.
I would surely have to thank Mrs. Harper for her advice to her.
By the time I got inside, my phone was ringing. It was Treasure. “Hello?”
“Hey, King. I just got your message. I’m sorry I missed your call. Red Squared was in here being a fool and got Uncle Red on his ass.”
She giggled, and it was the most beautiful sound I’d heard in a while. Her soul was happy . . . for now. “Well, it sounds like you are enjoying yourself. I just wanted to let you know I was at home. Call me when your company leaves, baby.”
“Okay. Talk to you soon.”
I ended the call and went straight to my bedroom to take a shower.
Today had been busy. That was intentional.
I was trying to keep myself from thinking about popping up at the Semien’s house for Treasure’s birthday.
I’d gone fishing at four this morning, then came home and cleaned and filleted my catch.
I still had a gator on ice from yesterday that I needed to do something with.
I dove right in that damn canal and got his ass.
My cousins thought I was crazy as fuck, but they didn’t seem to have a problem eating those gator bites when I fried them up in my black pot outside.
That was my guilty pleasure. If I got caught by the game warden, they would fine the fuck out of my ass, maybe even arrest me.
I had a hunting license, but I didn’t have the proper tags for everything I hunted.
I loved hunting though. It didn’t matter what type of animal it was.
Wild hogs, rabbits, duck, geese, squirrels, racoons .
. . shiiiid, none of them could catch a break.
During deer season, I stayed out there on our property on Nome Spur Road, lighting their asses up.
Sometimes my dad and Uncle Jasper came out there with me.
None of my cousins were as interested though.
After I’d gotten that gator squared away, I’d gone to my dad’s truck stop and made sure everything was running as it should.
Then, I went to the diner and ate. I had only been eating one or two meals a day lately.
I just hadn’t had much of an appetite. Royal seemed to think I had been depressed.
He was probably right. Without Treasure in my life, it seemed I was just a shell of a man.
I couldn’t even focus on my degree plan.
Hopefully, I could go back to that for the spring semester.
I already had a Bachelor of Science degree in finance.
I’d gone back to get master’s degrees in finance, marketing, and now business management.
My dad said I was the smartest of his kids and the most like him.
I had to agree . . . with being the most like him.
I was pretty low-key until I was around my cousins.
Those niggas made my Henderson side shine through without effort.
Things hadn’t gotten back to normal just yet though. We hadn’t really been hanging as much since Crew died. It didn’t help that Seven and Royal had women now, not to mention, Royal had two newborn babies. I knew his plate was full, but he always checked in. I lived right between him and Seven.
Once I was out of the shower and had on basketball shorts and socks, I went to the front room and chilled out in front of the TV.
Football season was in full swing, and I couldn’t wait to root for Shedeur Sanders.
I didn’t really have a team. I enjoyed watching most sports without any allegiance to any team.
It was more relaxing that way. That would all change if Ryder J made the pros next year.
When my doorbell rang, I frowned, hoping there wasn’t any bullshit.
Nobody ever really showed up unannounced, especially not this late.
Typically, I didn’t stay up late, because I was an early riser, unless I was with the crew.
Going to the door, I checked the peephole to see it was Kane.
I opened the door, maintaining my frown, wondering why he was here.
“What’s up, bro?” he said.
I stepped aside and let him come in. “What’s up?”
“I needed to talk to you.”
I closed the door and followed him to the couch. “You good? What’s wrong?” I asked.