4. Brick #3
She yawned and stretched her arms above her head before looking around curiously.
“Says they are her mother and sister,” Marcie declared.
Mothafucka. Sighing, I bobbed my head.
“Aight. We’ll be right down,” I said before hanging up.
“What’s going on?” Six frowned and sat up.
“Some people are here for you.”
“For me?” she repeated, face balling up.
“Your mother and sister.”
Her entire face might as well have turned white.
I tossed the control to my PS5 on the table and stood.
All my alarms were going off. I didn’t even like the type of power Six had over me.
Protecting her and making sure she was good came before any and everything.
Now I understood how my pops felt when Rossi almost died.
Powerless. Like you know some shit coming but can’t stop it.
I didn’t want that for her, and I’d be damned if I let anybody else come into her life trying to fuck it up.
“You want me to get rid of them?”
“Um . . . no.” She shook her head. “I’ll take care of it.”
Shoving the covers aside, she climbed out of bed and slipped her feet into the Ugg house slippers I bought her. The weariness in her eyes had faded, and I could tell she’d slept well as she smoothed her hair back into her ponytail. Reaching for her wrist, I pulled her into me.
“I got ya back.”
“I know.” She smiled, and I knelt for a kiss.
I wasn’t about to let anybody think they could fuck with her.
So these bitches better be on their best behavior.
Six shuffled toward the door, and I was on her ass all the way to the stairs.
Marcie had let both women in and shown them into the living room where she watched them like a hawk.
I don’t know what I expected to find, but I was surprised that neither of them looked more ran through than they were.
Six actually resembled her mother a lot.
She was older, but she was still beautiful.
I didn’t see no missing teeth or craters in her face either.
Poised on the edge of the couch with one leg crossed over the other, she surveyed our living room carefully.
High-waisted jeans hugged her waist, and she sported a red V-neck top that clung to her double-D breasts.
Her nails were long, designed in gold and red as she reached up to sweep some of her long Brazilian weave from her face.
On the opposite couch, a younger woman a couple of years older than Six sat with one arm propped against the side.
Her wrist had a tattoo I didn’t recognize, and the red and blonde locs accented her diamond-shaped face.
With smooth red-mud skin and a small mole above her corner lip, shorty was eccentric, but still bad.
Clearing her throat, Six paused in the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, arms crossing over her chest.
Her mother turned first, while her sister looked her over slowly.
“I’m your mother, Six.”
“What does that have to do with anything, Darlene?”
“I wanted to make sure you were OK.”
“You mean after everything that your sick ass boyfriend did to me!” Six spat. “Yeah, I’m fucking fantastic!”
“I had nothing to do with what Skully did. Now this nigga is underground somewhere, and I can’t find him.”
“That sounds like a you problem,” Six voiced. “If I ever see that nigga again, he’s as good as dead.” Her tone and how self-assured she was had my dick bricking.
From the couch, her sister eyed me carefully before standing. She was about Six’s height, but she was a hell of a lot thicker with about twenty extra pounds all in the hips and ass.
“Ma, I told you not to come here on that with her.”
“Leni, what are you doing here? Last time I saw you, it was clear we weren’t sisters. Why are you even with her after everything she allowed to happen to us?”
Leni sighed and dropped her head before lifting her guilt-filled eyes to her sister.
“Because I’m trying to make amends with my family. Including you.”
“You’re both full of shit. You came to me because you ain’t got nowhere else to go. With Skully gone, it’s just a matter of time before his men and his opps start circling,” Six declared.
“That’s not true.” Darlene jumped to her feet. “Don’t be acting like you forgot where you came from and who took care of you just because you sitting up here in this mansion, Sixtine. I’m still your mother.”
“You’re just the woman who birthed me,” Six corrected her. “And I don’t owe you shit, so you can miss me with this guilt trip.”
“Six, we’re still your family,” Leni spoke up. “I know that I haven’t been there for you like I should have as your big sister?—”
“And I bet you got a bunch of reasons why you want to be here now, right?” Six tilted her head. “Starting with Brick and this house. All you see is another means to an end. Both of you need to leave.”
“You heard her.” I stepped up behind Six.
I was with whatever she was. If she didn’t want them here, they needed to get the hell on. She’d been through enough, and I wasn’t about to let anybody fuck with her about her peace. Leni simpered, eyes drifting over me.
“Let me remind you, Six, that I’ve always taken care of you, and it wasn’t always easy. I made sacrifices—” Darlene ranted.
“Sacrifices?” Six scoffed. “Please, you don’t give a damn about me. You came here because you thought maybe I would throw you a bone. But taking care of you isn’t my job, Darlene. You’re a grown ass woman. How about you learn how to do that on your own for once?”
“You’re an ungrateful ass thing!” her mother hissed. “Where am I supposed to go? I don’t have anything, and you know that!”
“You always bounce back.” Six backed up. “Now let me walk you out.”
Those bitches looked sick when Six let them pass her, and they stepped onto our porch.
I was proud of her for standing her ground though and not letting them walk up in here like shit was sweet.
Her mama had some kind of nerve trying to throw the past in Six’s face when it was clear she’d never done right by her.
She thought by providing a roof over Six’s head, however unstable, and not starving her made her an exemplary mother or something, but she had my girl fucked up.
Darlene stomped down the sidewalk ahead of Leni, who turned to Six with glistening brown eyes.
“I DM’d you my number. Just in case you want to link up,” she insinuated.
“I really didn’t come here for anything else, Six.
We both know how Darlene can be, and you’re right .
. . you don’t owe her shit. I just want to try and have a relationship with my sister.
I know what it’s like to walk through life aimless and alone.
Even living with my daddy, all I was ever told was how I wasn’t shit and would end up just like her.
I got a little work-from-home gig though, making decent money.
I honestly don’t want anything from you but a chance to rebuild our relationship. ”
When she turned to go, I caught the flicker of regret behind Six’s eyes as she blinked back tears.
It might not have been something she was prepared for, but it was obvious she was considering Leni’s words as she watched her walk away.
I didn’t trust either of them, but that wasn’t for me to decide.
I could give my two cents, but ultimately it was up to Six whether she wanted to mend fences. Slowly, she shut the door and faced me.
“You good?” I cupped her chin.
“I’m good. Nothing I can’t handle. I’m used to Darlene and her narcissistic bullshit. I wasn’t expecting Leni though. I haven’t seen her in years.”
“How you feeling about what she said?” I prodded, watching her stare off before shaking her head.
“I don’t know. Part of me wants to believe her, you know? I mean, she’s only two years older than me, and we both had bad shit happen to us. I can’t all the way blame her because like me, she was just a kid too. This is on Darlene.”
“So does that mean you’re going to try and have a relationship with her?”
“What do you think?” she cocked a brow and queried.
“I think only you can decide that for yourself, mama. I’d say be careful though. I don’t want anything else bad to touch you because you don’t deserve that shit. If I can protect you, I will,” I vowed.
“I know. I trust that.” She stepped closer, looping her arms around my waist and hugging me.
“I was about to take a walk, maybe go check in on my bros. You want to come?”
“I would love some fresh air. Let me go grab some shoes.” She stood on her toes and pecked my lips before pulling back and sauntering around me to the staircase.
I watched her start up the steps, grinning in my direction while I waited at the bottom.
While she was gone, I had security tail Darlene and Leni off the property in the Uber they used.
I didn’t want them bitches to have the element of surprise on us again.
From here on out, I was going to keep an eye on how they were moving.
If for nothing else, for the simple fact that I had to be on the lookout for that bitch nigga Skully.
That nigga was about to meet the dirt, and I was going to make sure I was the nigga who put him there.