17. Crew
Crew
The smell of smoke and grilled meat floated through the backyard cocooning us in a bubble of summertime nostalgia.
There were still armed guards posted around the property, that would never change but now they were more for decoration and intimidation of the average criminal.
My family was free to live out loud without the worry of being killed or taken away.
Peace and the triplets were sleeping in the little screened in tent that Ms. Leona had gotten out for them to nap in on warm summer days like this, while their sisters and cousins ran around the backyard playing tag with nerf guns and super soakers.
Timberly and Tati had DJ pinned down behind a tree while he yelled at them about cheating.
“It’s not fair. Y'all are cheating.”
“It is too. Uncle Black said to use your enemies’ weaknesses to draw them out. You are in love with Tati, so I teamed up with her to get closer to you.” She shouted.
I couldn’t do nothin’ but laugh because that shit was funny, but so true. Baby girl had figured out what it took adults years to learn. Black and Blue sat across from me on the deck smirking at the monsters that they had created.
“You just mad that I have better aim.” DJ shouted.
“Boy please, you know Timber and I have the best aim.” Tati said, with a hand on her hip.
“If that was true it wouldn’t take two of you to take me down then.” He yelled from behind the tree.
The funniest part was that he was so worried about the girls teaming up on him that he did see the ambush coming from behind.
Amyi, Kema, Tyra and Mecca flanked his position and were creeping up on him with water balloons and buckets of water.
By the time he realized something was wrong he was soaking wet.
His wet clothes didn’t stop him from chasing the girls down and trying to get them back.
This was the life I had always dreamed of, sitting with family and friends, watching our children grow up happy and healthy.
Timberly had been through so much this year and at first, we worried that she would carry the weight of all the death and trauma she’s witnessed.
But she hasn’t let anything stop her, she was a very resilient child, not letting anything keep her down.
She was still the same funny, happy kid, full of love and kindness, who saw the good in me the moment we met.
Everyone who ever threatened that joy inside her was now rotting in the ground.
The Harris’s had long been dealt with partially by us and the rest by Valdez himself.
Their family name had been dragged through the mud after some incriminating evidence of their corruption and illegal misuse of the legal system had been accidentally leaked to a few major news networks.
Anyone that had ever done dealings with them soon renounced even knowing of their existence, rather than being seen as an accomplice to any of their crimes.
Valdez’s ex-wife and son made it back home safely.
I was a man of my word, and they had honored our agreement, so I had honored mine.
After the announcement of Valdez’s death was made public, his son took over his empire, just as Valdez had planned.
The only thing he hadn’t planned for was that his son wasn’t a sadistic bastard like him.
Him and his mother dismantled Valdez’s entire illegal empire, selling off what could be sold and free those who had been stolen, even going as far as compensating his victims and helping them with relocation.
After everything was said and done the tyranny of the Valdez family would end with his father.
And as long as he kept it that way neither he or his mother had anything to fear from me.
“Why are you in my business? Was I harassing you when you and Crew first met, no. I was hyping you up to get your back blown out but nawl. So why can’t I get my back blown out in peace. You nosey that’s ya problem.” Tyra said, shaking her finger at Nova.
“I’m just trying to see who got my friend smiling at her phone like that. Your mean ass don’t do all that lovey-dovey shit as you call it so spill bitch,” Nova said.
“I am not mean. I’m a very sweet individual.” Tyra tried and failed to convince everyone.
“You have never been sweet, and you talk a lot of shit. So again, who is this man and what has he done to you to have you laughing and key keying at your phone? Don’t make me get Blue to hack your shit.
You know he’ll do it.” Nova said, looking over at Blue who was looking innocent of all allegations.
“Whatever tramp. Crew get your nosey ass wife.” Tyra huffed, rolling her eyes.
“They're good dudes.” Blue said quietly.
I knew that nigga had already done a background check as soon as Nova said something. But then what he had said hit me.
“They.” I asked.
“Not my story to tell.” He said.
If Blue said they were cool, then I believed him.
Nobody was getting near anyone in our family without a thorough check by Black and Blue.
They weren’t working with me exclusively anymore, but they were still family and that would never change.
I listened to them argue about it for another few minutes before they changed the subject to the kids and shopping.
“I couldn’t have picked a better life for you if I had planned it myself.” Pops said next to me.
“Oh really.” I said, smirking at him.
“I told you all you had to do was listen to your old man and find you a wife. Just think you could have had this years ago.” He smiled
“Nah I wasn’t ready for it then. Nova came into my life at exactly the right time.
I was able to appreciate what Nova and Timberly brought into my life back then.
I was so wrapped up in my grief and thinking that what I had was real with Sabrina.
I don’t think I would have gone as hard as I did for Nova.
And let’s be real Nova ain’t the kind of woman to sit around and wait on a nigga to figure his shit out.
I would have lost her dragging my feet. So no, I'm glad she came when she did.” I said honestly.
“You right. Tyra would have stabbed you for playin’ with her homegirl feelings too, so right place, right time. You remember how many times she done threatened you over Nova.” Pops laughed.
“You were better off playin’ in traffic. You remember what she did to Sabrina.” Blue smiled like he was reminiscing about a good memory.
“Why are ya’ll talking about that lady?” Nova asked loudly as hell.
“What lady?” Black asked.
“You know what lady.” Tyra joined in.
“Sabrina?” I asked, trying to find out what the fuck they were talking about.
“Yes, she who must not be named.” Tyra said, with pride, like she was the one to come up with that silly shit.
“Yeah, we don’t say her name because she is irrelevant and non-existent in our lives. So, from now on, anytime y'all feel the need to speak about her. That’s what we expect for y'all to call her.” Nova announced.
“You know what. Y'all got it.” I said, not about to argue about that.
“Yo, make sure you keep the crazy one away from my wife.” August said, pointing at Tyra. “I don’t want any of that crazy rubbing off on Anesia. I already got to deal with Kema and Mecca full-time.” August said.
A fussy cry from behind me broke through the laughter, making me turn towards the back door.
Ms. Leona was lifting Peace from his pillow and soothing him with soft coos and pats on his back.
I raised my hand, stopping Nova from leaving her friends by the pool, before going over to get Peace.
I took him from Ms. Leona after receiving the stink eye from her and Aunt Pam.
“They mad at you for gettin nephew?” August said, tilting his head towards the auntie’s.
“Hell yeah. Like I don’t want to spoil my baby too.
” I laughed. “Sitting Peace with his back to me so he could scope the scene like us.” Our son was the perfect combination of both Nova and I.
He had her golden complexion and freckles with my eyes and fat dark curls.
Those eyes so much like mine took in everything, like he was processing it all and just waiting for the right time to express his thoughts on the situation.
“Let me get my boy.” Pops said, holding his hands out for Peace.
“Damn, I just got him. You just as bad as the aunties.” I said, handing him over. I knew a losing battle when I saw one.
“There’s my boy.” He said, rocking Peace in his arms. “I have to start training him early to take over the family business.”
“Please don’t let Nova hear you say that.” I told him, looking her way but it was clearly too late.
“The baby is only two months old. Please don’t start planning his life before he even starts crawling.” She huffed.
“Princess, it wasn’t me. That’s his great grandfather over here, deciding his major in college already.
“Damn, when you become a snitch?” Pops frowned.
“When my wife is involved, I’m tellin it all. You not about to get me in trouble. I have to live with her.” I told him.
“Right answer.” Blue said.
“That’s what I’m talking about Nova. My sis runs a strict program.” Mecca laughed.
I watched the woman I had fallen in love with get out of her chair, walk over to me in the blue dress that she had picked out earlier today when I cornered her in the closet.
The way she looked in that dress made me want to have a repeat of this afternoon.
This was the reason that I couldn’t keep my hands off her and the reason she would be pregnant again sooner than later if I had anything to do with it.
Just like me she couldn’t resist the feeling of having me buried deep inside her wet pussy as I came.
She had an appointment with Dr. Gibson tomorrow, and once we got the all-clear I would be putting another baby in her.
“Stop looking at me like your own personal breeding machine.” She laughed, sitting down next to me.
“You’re not supposed to kink shame. Especially if you like it too.” I told her.
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it. I like it very much. It’s what happens after that we don’t have time for. We just had a baby Crew, and I know he gives you baby fever, but you don’t have to have a baby dancing on your bladder for nine months.”
“I know Princess. I’ll wait as long as you want.” I smirked.
“You don’t even believe that yourself, but I’m gonna hold you to it.” She said leaning in to kiss me.
The kiss started out innocent and sweet, but then she bit down on my bottom lip before running her tongue over it and sucking it between her soft lips.
“You play too much. When I have you upstairs pinned to the wall with your legs over my shoulders don’t blame me.” I said between kisses.
“That sounds oddly specific, like something you been thinking about for a while.” She giggled, against my neck.
“Always.” I said truthfully. And then in the blink of an eye my mind went in another direction. “Do you remember the agreement we made when we first got married?”
“Yes. Why?” She said, serious now.
“We agreed to a marriage of convenience that protected you and in doing that benefited me, nothing more nothing less, right?”
“Where are you going with this?” She asked, looking me in the eyes.
“I lied to you.” I said, holding her close to me, when she tried to get up.
“I told you that I would let you go after three years if that was what you wanted, but that was a lie. I never planned on letting you get away from me, because even then I knew that you and Timberly were the missing pieces of me, the pieces that made me whole, that made my life worth a damn and if I had to trick you into marrying me then so be it. I would do that shit again.” I said and waited for her response.
“And so would I. I love you, with all of me. Now shut up and take me upstairs so we can work on baby number three.” She said, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me down for another kiss.
“See I told you so.” I growled into the kiss as I lifted her in my arms to do just that.
Everything in our lives had come full circle and we were still standing in this thing called life together. And if anything, ever dared disrupt the life we’ve built again I wouldn’t hesitate to bring the ruthless savage back out to play.
I mean that nigga ain’t never really left.