Chapter Ten #2
“What the heck is this place?” I ask, following Braxton to the bank of elevators.
My palms begin to sweat when he pushes the button, and instantly the ding signals our shuttle to death has arrived.
Always in tune with my emotions, Braxton grabs my hand and squeezes when I hesitate to move once the doors have opened.
“Scared of elevators?” It’s on the tip of my tongue to lie to Chief when he asks, but before I can, a high-pitched squeal scares the shit out of me.
“brAXTON!!!” A heartbeat later, a tall blonde throws herself at my man. Jealousy surges through me when he wraps his arms around her.
I’m seconds away from ripping this girl’s hair out when Braxton starts making introductions. “Cora, I want you to meet my woman, Sierra. Baby, this is my little sister, Cora, that I was telling you about.”
Jesus, I need to get my emotions under control. I was just about to have a smackdown with his baby sister all because I was jumping to conclusions. What the hell is wrong with me? I elbow Chief in the side when he chuckles. Guess the green-eyed monster didn’t go unnoticed.
“Oh my god! I’ve heard so much about you.
You’re way too pretty for my brother,” she chirps, throwing her arms around me.
Momentarily caught off guard, I hold my arms out.
I snap out of it when she starts to sway us back and forth.
Wow, she’s really friendly. I finally hug her back and just know that we’re going to be the best of friends. She’s too sweet not to love instantly.
“Cora, meet Chief. He runs the club here in Jacksonville.” It seems I’m not the only one who notices her bubbly personality and welcoming smile. Chief is looking at her like a man starved.
I burst out laughing when Chief whispers, “dibs.” What is he, ten?
“Oh, hell no—” Braxton growls.
Chief is saved from the lecture, I’m sure he was about to get, when the elevator stops and the doors slide open.
As we’re stepping off the elevator, Sparrow swats my ass when he sees the grin on my face. “Not funny, Birdie. That’s my baby sister,” he growls.
“The club is having a BBQ tomorrow, sweetheart. You should come,” we hear Chief says from behind us. Glancing back, Cora is biting her lip, and her cheeks are pink. That’s going to be interesting.
I slap my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing when Braxton dramatically huffs, “Brother, that’s my sister, and you’re too old for her.”
“Might be your sister, but she ain’t mine,” Chief says, making me and Cora laugh.
“You’re older than me, babe, and we work just fine,” I admit.
“How old are you?” I hear Cora ask and am shocked when Chief answers that he’s forty-two. I would have pegged him for maybe thirty-five.
“Wow. You’re fifteen years older than me. I would never have guessed,” she says, sounding shocked.
“Sierra, what’s the age difference between you and my brother?” Cora questions.
“That doesn’t matter,” Braxton says just as I answer, “Twenty-two years.”
“You really shouldn’t be a hypocrite, Brax.” I’m loving that she’s not afraid to stick up for herself to her brother.
“You should come tomorrow. The clubhouse is on the beach, and Sparrow was telling me how much you like to surf. Their prospect, Havoc, was just telling me there are plenty of boards at the clubhouse to use,” I say.
Hopefully, she can come tomorrow. It’d be nice to have another woman to hang out with while we’re here.
“Before we go in here, I have to warn you. My aunt is a little neurotic and thinks that she can communicate with a higher power. She’s harmless, but . . . just ignore whatever she says,” Cora warns Chief and me.
Without knocking, Braxton opens the door, and the smell of garlic and tomatoes has my mouth watering.
“Connie, this door wasn’t locked. How many times do I have to tell you . . . ” he trails off as an overly excited woman wraps her arms around me.
“You’re here,” the woman breathes before breaking down into tears. I’m completely taken aback by her reaction but more so by my own. There is a calming aura about her.
Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I hug her back and feel the same sense of peace that I get when Braxton wraps me up in the safety of his arms.
“I kept praying for my Braxton to find happiness again, and the Gods kept showing me a raven. Now, here you are,” she sobs, sifting her hands through my black hair. Looking over her shoulder, Braxton is rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
Staring into his eyes, I tell her something I haven’t shared with anyone else until now, “I prayed to find peace, and a month later, your nephew showed up in New York to bring me back to my family.” It’s true. As I found my way in my sobriety, all I wanted was my son and to find peace.
“You’ll have many babies and live a long, happy life together. The Gods have shown me,” she states matter of fact. I get a little freaked out when she presses her palm against my stomach.
“Connie, you’re going to scare her off,” Cora jokes, trying to distract her aunt.
“No fear, child. You’re a strong woman who hasn’t even begun to tap into your potential. But you will. You’ll see.” And with that, she releases me and latches onto Chief’s arm, and drags him down a hallway.
“Are you okay, Birdie? You look a little spooked.” I hadn’t ever thought about having more children, but now that she’s put the idea in my head, it’s kind of taking root.
“You want children?” I ask without thinking.
“Yes.” The way he answers without a moment of hesitation is reassuring and a little frightening.
“Soups on!” His aunt’s voice breaks the bubble.
“We can talk about it later, baby,” Braxton promises, kissing my forehead.