Chapter 8
BALTIMORE
Weeks later…
Whereas Maddie and I were able to be free around my people, the situation with her people was a little more delicate. Duval fucked over his family. They were still his family, though. It was tacky as fuck to throw our budding relationship in their faces so soon after his death.
Therefore, Maddie and I agreed to slow walk our introduction.
Neither of us were concerned about the backlash.
Emotions were just too high right now. The only person I was sure didn’t give a fuck was Adir.
His cold-hearted ass kept watching me like I’d steal all of Quilo’s graduation presents and take off running out of this bitch, which didn’t sound too bad.
Dozens of high school graduates and their parents were in attendance celebrating the current graduating class.
Several mamas had already stepped to me, and I peeped a few more who were itching to come speak to me.
That shit was irking my damn nerve for the simple fact it made Maddie uncomfortable.
Although she mingled and laughed, every time her eyes fell on me, they were void of the light I’d had the pleasure of putting there over the last few months. If she thought these bitches could hold a candle to her, she was sorely mistaken.
I snagged her gaze and held her captive.
With a simple gesture, I motioned her over.
She gave Genesis to Heir, excused herself, then strutted my way.
I didn’t miss how niggas followed the sway of her ass in the denim jeans she wore.
Bypassing me, she eyed me and up down. The smirk on her face told me I had better follow her.
Most of Niceville Gardens Convention Center was blocked off to the public. It was the only way to ensure none of the teenagers or children roamed the building without adult supervision. There were too many nooks and crannies, and the last thing any of us needed was a missing kid.
One nook was where I cornered Maddie. I took her into my arms and hugged her tightly.
Her hands smoothed down the back of my head and neck as I leaned in to kiss her.
Like any time our lips locked, it was passionate and raw as hell.
Aside from pecks every now and then, I remained professional when on duty.
When I wasn’t on duty, I was on her line talking her to sleep.
Her mama hadn’t left yet, so we were being easy around her ass too.
Frustrating, it was. However, I’d waited for Maddie all this time.
Easing our love into the open was just a matter of time.
“Spend ya birthday weekend with me,” I requested. “After ya party, I have somewhere special I wanna take you.”
“Okay,” she agreed without any hesitancy.
There was still so much to me that she had to learn.
She knew that I liked to please her. Acts of service, affirmations, and touch were some of the things she knew about me.
I needed her to see the provider and the hopeless romantic.
Hell, maybe she did see me as a hopeless romantic.
After all, I’d been pining for her for over a damn decade.
Someone cleared their throat, interrupting our session.
“This is kind of crazy.”
Glancing behind me, I scanned the upset expression on Denisha’s face. I wasn’t surprised that she’d shown up here. Her sister had a son who’d just graduated from Niceville Shores Preparatory High. Denisha wouldn’t have missed a chance to be in the same room with me again.
Her angry eyes were trained on Maddie, whose hands slowly fell from my face.
Kissing my lady’s lips a few more times, I said, “Gimme a minute, aight.” Her eyes bounced between me and Denisha.
“Aye…” I brushed my thumb across her swollen lips.
I’d nearly eaten them off her face. “We locked in, right?”
“Right,” she stated.
“Aight, then. Gimme a minute.” I tilted her chin up, kissed her lips, then her cheek. This time, she walked away without even looking back. Only then did I look at Denisha’s frowned up face.
She chuckled. “You gotta be kiddin’ me. That’s what you left me for? Choosing an old, washed-up widow over me is like choosing a street mutt over a thoroughbred.”
My jaw tensed. While I wouldn’t have put my hands on her, my words were just as deadly.
“What’s lower than a street mutt?” I asked her.
“Nothing—”
“You,” I interjected. “A street mutt would get my loyalty, my dick, my ring… all that shit. You won’t even get a second thought.”
She sputtered indignantly.
“If it’s not obvious, stay the fuck away from my shawty.”
I left her standing there looking stupid. If there was one thing I wasn’t about to do with my time, it was argue with a woman who I wasn’t waking up next to.
Back inside the main area, I scanned the crowd for Maddie and found her talking to Adir.
His eyes followed me as I went back to my post and dapped Jahdi.
He’d moved into position without me having to order him to.
Knowing my time working for the Bell family was coming to an end, it was imperative that the person replacing me was elite in every way.
Adir was protective of his family, but especially his auntie.
After all the shit she’d been through, he wasn’t about to let anything happen to her.
Although he’d known me for a while, his senses were high, and I couldn’t blame him.
Only, he had nothing to worry about. If anyone was going to ensure the safety of Maddie, Heir, and Genesis Bell, it was me.
Adir and I would talk. Regardless of how he felt, Maddie and I were inevitable. He might as well called me Uncle Cooley ‘round this bitch.
One week later…
From my spot near the bar, I kept a keen eye on the VIP section where Maddie sat her beautiful ass on a couch enjoying her second flute of champagne.
I observed every move she made, checking for any signs that she was in distress.
She wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but I knew this was the last place she wanted to be tonight.
Black & City was packed from wall to wall with many of the Bells’ associates here celebrating Maddie Bell’s forty-eighth birthday. Although she wore a pleasant smile, home with Genesis was where she would’ve rather been.
My girl looked so fucking bad tonight. Maddie could wear anything and make it sexy.
Tonight, she wore an all-white, form fitting pants suit that was tailored to her body with a precision only surgeons knew.
Every piece of the expensive fabric molded to her mahogany skin like a second layer of skin.
If she turned just right, anyone would notice that the back of the blazer she wore was bare, exposing the exquisite structure of her back.
Underneath the revealing blazer, her breasts sat nicely, drawing anyone’s eye to the fullness of them.
It gave me great pleasure to know that I’d be seeing every inch of her flesh soon. The plans were laid, and everything was set for our arrival. Tasting her pussy again was top on the list. A nigga was craving her badly, and I wouldn’t be satisfied until my face was buried in her ass.
“Careful, big dog.” Adir appeared next to me and chuckled at the look I shot him. He’d broken my concentration. “Ya infatuation with my auntie is starting to bleed from ya pores.”
“Good,” I drawled.
I placed my eyes back on Maddie just as block-head ass D.
C. Gladden approached Maddie’s section. The mayor from Mobile, Alabama, was newly divorced and clearly on the prowl.
Throughout the evening, I’d caught him eye-fucking Maddie’s section.
He’d finally gathered the balls to approach her.
I grit the back of my teeth as Maddie stood to speak with Gladden.
Security wouldn’t let him in the section, so Maddie stood by the entrance to rap with him.
“Couldn’t be me,” Adir chimed in.
Briefly, I glanced at him.
“Ain’t no way I’d be all the way over here while a nigga is all up in my woman’s face,” he added.
“Since you wanna be funny, I might as well let you know, this is my last year workin’ for you.”
Adir’s head tilted to the side. “Really?”
“I have an ownership deal with the Bears on the table,” I offered.
Surprised, he said, “Oh, shit. And here I thought you were gon’ quit to pursue my auntie.”
“I’m ten steps ahead of you.” There wasn’t any shame in how I felt about Maddie.
“Matter fact, after tonight, there’s no more treading lightly.
” I was tired of that shit. The last week I’d been sitting on Maddie’s phone wishing I was near her.
The only way we could maintain any decency was to stay away from each other.
It was time for me to be able to share dinner with her and our kids.
We got a few minutes in together, but it was hardly anything to satisfy either of us.
I wanted to spend more time with Genesis and even Heir.
Adir turned to me and dapped me. “You had every right to kill Duval. However, I respect the fact that you gave me the chance to face him. I never hesitate to shed blood. That night in the dungeon, I hated that we seemed to be on opposing sides. You’ve always been solid, and I don’t doubt you fuck with me and my people the long way.
I’ma hate to replace you, but I wouldn’t have anyone else sniffing after my auntie, or assuming the helm of the household where my cousins live. ”
Chuckling, I replied, “Yeah, me either.”
We both put our eyes back on the VIP section where Gladden was still in Maddie’s face. I couldn’t take much more of it.
“What makes a billionaire want to spend his days risking his life for a woman who wasn’t his?” Adir asked.
Shrugging, I didn’t have an answer. “I mean, when you say it like that, it does sound a lil’ crazy.”
He shrugged too. “A lil’ crazy ain’t never bothered me.”
I knew the level of Adir’s crazy, so I simply laughed.
Mid-laugh, Maddie’s gaze locked with mine. Gladden was still in her face, and the awkward smile on Maddie’s face caused my feet to move.
“‘Bout time,” Adir called after me.
Wading my way through the crowd, I never took my eyes off Maddie. The closer I got to her, the more I saw her shoulders relax. Jahdi stood on one side and Stacy stood on the other. Still, my presence was what brought her comfort.
“Evenin’,” I spoke to Gladden even though my eyes scanned Maddie from head to toe and back. Nervously, she smiled at me, and relief was evident in her eyes.
When I stood next to her, her supple body brushed up against my arm.
Resisting the urge to swallow my tongue, I kept my attention on the matter at hand.
Remaining professional was starting to become hard as fuck.
Especially when I wanted to break a nigga’s face just to stop him from staring at my woman.