Chapter 28 #2
Vernon tensed at the mention of his girlfriend, the woman he had been with for years.
There wasn’t much time between the death of his wife and the announcement of his new relationship, so he was positive his boys assumed that there had been crossover.
Truth was, there hadn’t been. Erica let it be known that she wanted Vernon, but he respected his wife enough to never cheat.
It wasn’t until months after she passed that he even entertained Erica’s advances.
“This is not about her. Me moving on with my life doesn’t negate the fact that I loved your mother. Shit, I still do.”
Vega laughed in a cocky manner and shrugged. “It damn sure doesn’t feel that way.”
Vernon’s eyes moved over to Ace who hadn’t spoken but he could see the same thoughts dancing around in his eyes. Instead of arguing the point, one he knew they would never accept, which was that he never cheated on their mother, Vernon moved on.
“I know how you feel and I know what you believe about me. I can’t change the past so I want to try and move forward in a way where we can all heal.”
“Heal? There isn’t shit wrong with me. Far as I know there isn’t a damn thing wrong with him either.” Vega pointed to Ace. “If you need a therapy session by all means do that shit but leave us out of it.”
“Vega, just hear him out. I’m just as tired of this shit as you are.
The divide amongst us is stressful. I’m not trying to have a fucking heart attack because my father and brother can’t be in the same room for more than five minutes at a time.
” The irritation couldn’t be missed in Ace’s voice and it only annoyed Vega more.
“I don’t know what the fuck either of you want from me. This should have happened years ago. I’m too gotdamn old to be worried about not having daddy’s love. Like I said, I’m good.”
“Are you? Because if you were, we should be able to move past this.”
“Me not fucking with you doesn’t have a damn thing to do with me not being good. It’s just me not giving a fuck about fixing what you fucked up.”
“That’s the point, Vega. Why can’t we just move past it?” Ace looked him right in the eyes and Vega was on the verge of losing his cool. Both his father and brother could kiss his ass at this point.
“You know what, I’m out. I knew this would be some bullshit. I don’t need it.”
Vega started toward the door and stopped when he heard his father’s voice.
“Ace is stepping down. He’s letting things go and it’s only right to offer it to you.
It should have been yours in the first place because your brother was never equipped to handle it.
You are, but you were too young for that much responsibility.
I loved you enough to realize that. It would have swallowed you whole, but things are different now.
If you want it, it’s yours. If not, we’ll dismantle everything and hand it off to others. ”
Turning to face both of them, Vega was torn. He didn’t want a damn thing from his father or brother. That had always been the case.
“Nah, I’m good. I’ll figure my own shit out. I don’t need any handouts.”
“Just like you don’t need family,” Ace snorted through a huff of air.
Vega looked right at his father but responded to his brother. “I’ve always needed family. I love you, Ace. You’re my blood and that will never change; we’re good. I put that on my unborn child, but business wise, it’s time for me to stand on my own.”
“So you don’t need me?” Vernon spoke with a longing and modesty he didn’t even recognize.
“I’ve always needed you. You just didn’t care enough to do anything about my need, so don’t try and force it on me now with your terms. Let me make that call because that’s the only way it’s gonna happen.
I love you, Pop, but right now, I don’t respect you.
Give me time to try and get past how I feel where you’re concerned. ”
“Will you?”
“I can’t tell you that right now.” The two men shared a look before Vernon backed down. He understood it was completely up to Vega at this point. All he could do was pray his son would give him another chance, but if he didn’t, there was very little Vernon could do besides accept his fate.
Vega leaned against the bar taking in the work which had been completed in his club.
There was still a lot more to be done, but even now, he could see the difference.
The main floor was now separated into sections, some filled with red leather sectionals which were VIP while others housed black leather sectionals for the general population.
The brand-new stage carried the same red and black theme as did the other accents on the walls and columns throughout the building.
The place looked brand new, and had Vega not been in such a fucked-up mood, he would have smiled at the progress.
He pulled heavily from the blunt he sparked up to calm his nerves after the meeting with his brother and father. After holding the smoke in a little longer than necessary, Vega allowed it to seep through his lips while he watched the construction team he hired moving around the building.
“It looks good in here.” Nene posted up next to Vega and looked around the building. He watched her profile with a scowl on his face which only deepened when she finally gave him her full attention, smiling seductively.
“The fuck you doing here?” His words flowed calmly with ease as he pulled from his blunt again, waiting for her answer.
With his movements being limited to business and Nyelle, Vega had been off the grid where most were concerned.
In his past, his nights were spent getting high at clubs and blowing money while women blew him.
These days he was home before midnight so he could be up by sunrise to hit the streets to buy low and sell high.
Properties now versus drugs. Although he still had his hands in the streets, Dix was in charge of delegating to Brink and Timmy who delegated to the foot soldiers under them.
“You won’t come see me, so I had to swallow my pride and come see you.
” Nene pouted slightly but she was being sincere.
She hadn’t seen or heard from Vega since the day he showed up at the pool hall and embarrassed her about sexing his boys while he was locked away.
It took her a minute to get over it, but she missed Vega, or rather what Vega had to offer, and she was willing to grovel to fall into his good graces once more.
“Most would take that as a sign that I didn’t want to be seen, yet here you are. How you even know how to find me?”
Very few people knew his moves and Vega wasn’t concerned about any of his people running their mouths about them, so Nene had to have really been looking for him.
“I dance here.” He frowned at her while she smiled hard at him. “Or at least I used to until you snatched up the place and shut it down.”
“Your name isn’t on the list of people I’m paying while we’re closed.”
“Do you even know my name? My real name?” Nene rolled her eyes, already aware of the answer. Vega knew what it felt like to lay between her thighs and how great her head was, but she was positive that was all he knew about her.
Chuckling to himself about her question, he shook his head and pulled from the blunt, speaking as he released the smoke. “Nah, I don’t. It wasn’t necessary or important to me.”
“Wow.” Nene wanted to be surprised but she wasn’t. Instead she stepped in front of him and reached for his belt. “But I’m sure you remember some other things. Maybe I can remind you.”
Vega smirked and knocked her hand away, causing Nene’s expression to harden.
“Are you really that upset with me because of Dix and Timmy?”
“Nah, not at all. The fuck I need to be upset about? You were never mine. You couldn’t be because you were for the whole team.
Even before I went in. I might not know your name, but I know your résumé.
We were cool, shorty, but never going to be more than we were.
I’m sure you knew that, so I’m confused about why you’re here trying to suck my dick for a come up. ”
Nene’s mouth opened and closed several times because she was at a loss and had no argument to defend herself from his evaluation.
“That’s what I thought.” Vega looked her dead in her eyes.
“If we had any chance of anything, which we don’t, you killed that shit when I got locked up and you said fuck me and moved on to my people.
I would have never rocked with you on no real shit, but I might have considered looking out for you had you looked out for me.
It got lonely as fuck in there. Just to see someone’s face to know they cared would have been worth a lot. ”
“I didn’t know it would have mattered.”
“Well, too late to worry about it now. I’m good on you, Nene. Good luck with life but I can’t do shit for you.”
She stared at him in disbelief but eventually tucked her tail between her legs and walked away. Just before she reached the door, she heard Vega’s voice one last time.
“Oh, and when we reopen, you’re still good to work here if you want, as long as you know it’s just business. The second I feel otherwise, that shit ends too.”
Nene didn’t bother to respond. She simply left the club knowing she had fucked up the one good thing she ever had.
Vega, on the other hand, could only think of one thing, or person.
Nyelle. There was no doubt in his mind that his decision to build a future with her was the best move he had made in a long time and one he would never regret.
Nene was simply a reminder of the alternative and Vega had no interest in the life he used to love so much.