Chapter 21
MONEY
I watched Solei walk back to my new car and chuckled to myself.
Her shoulders were tight and her movements stiff with tension.
She thought she was leaving, taking my kids back to her condo, and then going to meet that lame ass nigga.
He didn’t even have the balls to introduce himself to me when he left the gym after the game. But, fuck all that. I had other plans.
I turned back to where Junior and Solina were finishing their ice cream at the outdoor table, laughing about something on his phone. The seven days I’d given their mother were up. So now I was handling it my way. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text.
I pocketed my phone and walked back to the table, sliding into the seat across from my kids with an easy smile. “Y’all finished?”
“Yeah,” Solina said, vanilla ice cream all over her chin. “That was so good, Daddy. Did you know vanilla ice cream is mixed with just cream, sugar, and vanilla? And then… and then it’s all cooled down using ice and salt. And then it gets smooth and creamy and yummy!”
“Wow, pretty girl. I didn’t know that,” I told her, wiping the mess from her chin. “Aye, I got a little surprise for y’all.”
Junior looked up from his phone, curiously. “What do you mean?”
I leaned back in my chair, casually. “How do you two feel about takin’ a trip?”
“A trip?” Solina frowned. “But… but… I’m gonna miss doing my drawings in Miss Nelly’s class.”
“It’s okay, baby. I’m thinkin’ somewhere warm with the beach right outside our door.”
“Wait, seriously?” Junior sat up straighter. “Like, right now?”
“Right now.”
“But…” He glanced toward where Solei was sitting in the parked car. “Does Ma know?”
“She will in about thirty seconds.” I stood up, pulled out my wallet, and dropped cash on the table. “Come on. Let’s go tell her.”
I walked toward the car with the kids trailing behind me, their excitement building with every step.
She was sitting in the driver’s seat, checking her phone, probably texting Darius some bullshit.
I knocked on the passenger window, and she jumped, her hand flying to her chest. Then, she rolled down the window with a glare.
“What now, Money?”
“Change of plans,” I said, leaning down so I was eye level with her. “Kids ain’t goin’ home with you tonight.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“We’re takin’ a family vacation. I’ve got a jet waitin’ at the private terminal.”
For a second, she just stared at me like I’d spoken a foreign language. “A jet? Montana, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Daddy’s takin’ us on vacation!” Solina announced from behind me, practically bouncing. “Somewhere with a pretty beach!”
Solei’s eyes went wide. She looked at Solina, then at Junior, then back at me. “You can’t be serious.”
“Dead serious.” I straightened up and opened her car door. “Come on. We gotta go.”
“Money…” She lowered her voice, but I could hear the panic creeping in. “I’m not going on a vacation with you. And the kids… they have school. This isn’t…”
“Junior, make sure your sister uses the bathroom before we go. Your mother and I need a minute.” I shot him with that look that said everything without saying anything, and they left us alone.
“I’ve already called the school and told them it’s a family emergency.
Both of their homeroom teachers emailed a work packet for them to complete while we’re gone.
Your office also knows you’re takin’ a few personal days. ”
Her mouth fell open. “Money, what the fuck?”
“I handled it.” I kept my voice calm and reasonable, as if this were all perfectly normal. “Now, give me your phone.”
“This is insane!”
“This is a vacation, Soul. Relax.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“Yes, you are.” I leaned in closer, dropping my voice so only she could hear. “‘Cause if you don’t, you’re gonna have to explain to the kids why you’d rather go drop them off to go be with another nigga.”
Her jaw clenched. “That’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair, baby. But this trip is gonna be amazing.” I straightened up and rounded the car to open the driver’s door.
Solei’s head snapped toward me, her voice a harsh whisper. “This is kidnapping.”
“It’s a trip to your favorite island. Don’t be dramatic. Phone, please.”
“The kids don’t even have…”
“Already taken care of. I had someone pick up clothes for you and the kids. Everything you need is already on the jet.”
She stared at me like I’d grown a second head. “Have you finally lost your mind? Like seriously? Is it officially gone?”
“Maybe.” I leaned closer and watched her breath hitch as I spoke.
“Stop fuckin’ playin’ with me, Solei. I’d hate to drag you in front of my kids.
But, God help me, I will drag your ass on that fuckin’ jet so we can go on vacation.
” She huffed and rolled her eyes just as the kids approached the car. I smirked and started the engine.
???
The jet was exactly where it was supposed to be when we pulled up.
It was gleaming a white Gulfstream G650 with engines humming, the stairs extended, and a whole crew standing at attention.
The kids and I climbed out while Solei sat in the passenger seat for a long moment, staring at the plane like it was a death sentence.
I walked over and opened the door, holding my hand out. “Come on.”
“Money, please. Just take the kids.”
“And miss the opportunity to remind you what it feels like to be a family?” I crouched down so I was eye level with her. “Get the fuck out of the car, Solei.”
“I can’t just…”
“You can and you will.” I stood up and held out my hand again. “Now stop fightin’ me, put your phone in the glove compartment and get on the fuckin’ jet.” She did as I told her to, then looked at my hand as if it were a trap, but eventually she took it anyway.
The kids ran up the stairs ahead of us, their excited voices echoing as they explored the jet’s interior. I heard Solina squeal about the leather seats as Junior whistled at the entertainment system. Solei stopped at the bottom of the stairs, her hand still in mine, her body rigid with tension.
“This is crazy,” she whispered.
“This is necessary. You had your chance to do this shit another way. You didn’t take it.” I tugged her gently toward the stairs. “So now we do it my way.”
She stared at me with her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. “I hate you,” she whispered.
“No, you don’t.” I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. “You hate that you can’t resist me. There’s a difference.” I led her up the stairs, smiling to myself.
The crew greeted us professionally. Solina was already buckled into a window seat, her face pressed against the glass.
Junior was checking out the entertainment system with genuine excitement.
Meanwhile, Solei stood in the aisle, looking around like she was trying to find an escape route, knowing damn well there wasn’t one.
“Mr. Madden,” the pilot said, appearing from the cockpit. “We’re ready for takeoff whenever you are.”
“Give us a few minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
I guided Solei to the seats in the back and sat down beside her. She was trembling slightly, her hands clenched in her lap. “Breathe, baby,” I said quietly.
“Shut the hell up, Montana.”
“This is romantic, ain’t it?”
“This is crazy. Just like you.”
“This is me fightin’ for my family.” I leaned closer, my voice dropping so only she could hear. “When we said ‘I Do’, that meant forever. The good and the bad. Not until one of us gets tired or fed up. Nah, this is forever and nothin’ less.”
“Money…”
The flight attendant brought champagne for me and Solei, and juice boxes for the kids. “To family," I said, raising my glass. Solei didn’t touch hers. Instead, her eyes shot daggers my way.
The engines roared to life, and Solina squealed with delight, watching something on her iPad while Junior slipped in his AirPods. He gave me a nod of approval while Solei just sat there, fuming mad as the jet began to taxi down the runway.
I took a sip of champagne and watched her face as we lifted off, watched the moment she realized there was no going back, no escape, no way out of this except through it. The city disappeared below us, lights fading into darkness, everything she thought she knew shrinking until it was gone.
“Relax, Soul,” I said, setting down my glass and gripping her thigh. “It’s just a vacation.”
She slapped my hand away. “This isn’t a vacation. This is you trying to control me.”
I leaned back in my seat, completely at ease. “You’ll understand in a few days. You’ll remember how great we can be. Our love.”
“And if I don’t?”
I smiled. “You will.”
Because I wasn’t giving her ass a choice. Solei could fight me. She could hate me. She could spend the entire trip trying to resist. But we both knew how this was going to end. She was mine. And by the time we left Isla Parisio, she’d remember that too.
The plane climbed higher, cutting through clouds, leaving everything behind. She stared out the window, her reflection ghostly in the glass, her expression unreadable. But I saw the tear that slipped down her cheek, and I knew I’d already won.