Chapter 19 Carter
CARTER
Treasure was pacing back and forth, wearing the floor out.
She was so nervous about Kingsley coming to dinner.
I wasn’t sure why. Everyone already knew who he was.
We may not have known him personally, but we definitely knew his parents, KJ, and Karima.
They were always at the rodeos with Karima, and lately, he’d been at some of the local ones with his younger brother, Kane, competing in team roping.
Just as I was about to stand and go to her, Mythic circled his arms around her.
Since her attack, she’d been closer to him.
Anyone else wouldn’t have wanted to have a thing to do with him.
I was hoping she wouldn’t have blamed him for what she went through, although that shit had everything to do with his actions.
She clung to him, feeling like he was the only one that could rescue her.
“Treasure, cool out, girl. Everything gon’ be fine.”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “You’re right. How do I look?”
I slowly shook my head. “You look beautiful as always,” he said.
She wore jeans and a shimmy shirt, showing off her belly button piercing.
I swore she was a miniature version of our mother.
Cachet was a mixture of both mom and dad.
Mythic looked just like dad. I liked to think that Epic and I were mixtures of them as well.
She was wearing her natural hair loose and had gotten it straightened. It was a little past her shoulders.
Bali, Noni, Maui, and Cachet were in the kitchen with Mama, Grandma Rose, Aunt Kortlynn, and Aunt Shana, and Epic was in the barn with dad, Red Squared, Uncle Red, and Uncle Zayson.
It was a true family affair. Aaliyah, Asad, and Ashanni were on their way.
Uncle Zay’s daughters, Lauren and Kali, were also on their way, and their son, Zacardi, would be here a little later.
These were all the people we grew up with.
We looked at them as our aunts, uncles, and cousins, excluding the Hendersons.
My dad was an only child. My mom had a sister, but she didn’t live here, and they weren’t all that close.
They talked from time to time, but not enough for us to be close to her.
Aunt Shana was like her sister, but they were actually cousins.
Sometimes, I forgot they were blood related.
My dad said Uncle Red was on Aunt Shana from jump, and that was how he met my mama.
When the doorbell rang, Treasure froze. No one that came here regularly used the front door. So it was definitely Kingsley. For her to be this nervous showed just how much she liked him.
“Sis, you want me to get it?” I asked.
She nodded nervously as I stood and grabbed her hand. She was in Mythic’s arms, practically hyperventilating. “You wouldn’t be this nervous if you didn’t like him. We’re all here baby. Ain’t nothing popping off with all your people here to have your back. You understand?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded, then headed to the door. When I opened it, Kingsley was standing there with a bouquet of flowers. I smiled and slapped his hand. “Come on in, man. Before you go to where she is—”
“Don’t worry. I know she’s nervous about this. I could hear it in her voice when I called this morning. I won’t overwhelm her.”
“Can I ask you something?”
He frowned slightly and nodded. “Yeah. What’s up?”
“I know that Treasure is attractive, but why?”
I was really asking why he wanted to go through this with her. After what happened to her, any other nigga would have moved on. It was like he loved her by wanting to stick by her despite all that. Somehow, he knew exactly what I was asking.
“I’ve liked her for a while. I just thought the timing was off. I’m younger than her, and I didn’t believe she would have taken me seriously. So I waited. When that shit happened to her . . .”
He shook his head, refusing to finish his thought. He wasn’t high-yella like his siblings, but his skin had turned red.
“I want to help her through it. She deserves care that I know I can provide. I care so much for her. She’s beautiful inside and out.”
I closed my eyes briefly and nodded. He was the real deal, and I was glad my sister was trying to allow him to be there for her.
“Man, you’re exactly who she needs. Come on.”
I led him to the room where everyone was. When Treasure laid eyes on him, she gave him a tight smile. He did the same and slowly approached her. “Hey, Treasure.”
“Hi,” she said as her eyes darted about.
Without saying another word, he extended the bouquet to her. It wasn’t terribly big, but it wasn’t small either. Treasure smiled and accepted them. “I’ll be back.”
He nodded at her, then greeted everyone in the room.
Shortly after, Bali came into the room to speak to him.
Her eyes looked so weary. I knew she was tired as hell.
She and Noni didn’t leave the medical center until early this morning.
Angel had delivered a beautiful baby girl that they named Angelique.
She looked like Rylan for now. I couldn’t wait until Bali and I could start our family.
I knew it was only a matter of time, since she’d taken those pills.
She came to me and leaned over to kiss my lips, but I pulled her down on my lap, cradling her like a baby while she giggled.
I released her before she had my dick in here showing out.
She gave me an under-eyed look, like she thought I wouldn’t fuck her at my parents’ house.
I was gon’ shock her drawz if I yanked her ass in my old bedroom.
As she headed to the kitchen, I saw the smirk on Kingsley’s lips. Before I could say anything, Mythic said, “That shit shocked the fuck out of me, too. I didn’t think that girl was capable of being normal with her mean ass.”
“Watch yo’self, nigga. That’s my baby.”
He chuckled and so did Kingsley. The minute Treasure emerged from the kitchen, he stood.
He didn’t approach her, so I realized he was standing out of respect.
This nigga had me feeling soft and shit.
When Treasure got close to him, she nervously sat and he sat next to her, being sure not to be too close to make her uncomfortable.
She reached for his hand, and he slowly grabbed hers.
He brought it to his lips and pecked it. Treasure turned red as she smiled. I knew she needed at least one of us to stay in here with her, so she didn’t lose her shit, but all I wanted to do now was hold my baby in my arms. Their interaction was beautiful to watch.
Thankfully, everyone came inside from the barn and distracted me.
When they did, I could see Treasure flinch.
I supposed because they were loud, it triggered her.
It looked like she was about to panic, but Kingsley had her focus on him .
. . like had her looking like she was damn near hypnotized.
I could see her shoulders ease from where I sat.
She was definitely in good hands, and I knew so when she hugged him.
I stood from my seat and walked straight to the kitchen to find Bali drinking a bottle of water. I grabbed her hand and led her outside toward the barn. She pulled away from me and asked, “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere they can’t hear your screams. Any objections?”
She bit her bottom lip and smiled. “Lead the way, nasty.”
“She is going to stop fucking with him if he doesn’t learn to control that lethal ass weapon! Daddy Mayor, have you talked to him?”
I was listening to Bali’s conversation with her dad and playing on my phone as we sat on the back porch at her place.
Apparently, Seven had said something to Iesha out of pocket .
. . yet again. At this point, I didn’t think that nigga was gonna change.
I didn’t know who had called her to tell her what he’d said, but she immediately called her dad.
After dinner at my parents’ house, I followed Bali back to Nome to spend some alone time with her.
Everything had gone smoothly. Treasure had even walked Kingsley out to his truck when he left.
He only stayed a couple of hours. He said he didn’t want to overstay his welcome, but I truly believed Treasure would have been fine either way.
She only tensed up one other time, but I didn’t know why.
It was like he knew how to give her space without her saying she even needed it.
Noni and Red seemed to be doing well also.
I knew he was nervous about tomorrow. I was nervous for him.
Mrs. Taylor would be corresponding with the board of the NFR to get him back in.
I thought it was strange that he got disqualified for that shit.
His sponsor dropping him didn’t surprise me, but it did at the same time.
Somebody was on some shady ass shit. His sponsor wouldn’t have even known unless someone sent them video footage, same as they did the board.
Budweiser would have never had to know anything had happened, since no charges were filed.
I wondered if they had reached out to Noni about that yet.
When Bali got off the phone, she shook her head.
“Seven is gonna find himself fucked up. If Iesha gets her dad involved, he might shoot his ass. That nigga is former military and will stop at nothing to protect his daughters. Iesha told me that shit herself in regular conversation after she witnessed how hard Daddy Mayor went for his daughters. I just . . . He’s gonna lose out on a good woman. ”
“I frowned slightly. What did he say?”
“That nigga told her, that if she don’t let go of the pussy, that shit gon’ close up, and that she may as well be a nun.
To let him know one way or the other, so he can stop pursuing a lost cause.
Ace was laughing about the shit like it was funny.
That girl work for the family now, thanks to Mama and Maui.
Whenever we all have to be together, she gon’ be uncomfortable as hell. ”
My eyebrows had lifted. “He said that shit like that?”