6. Off Guard
OFF GUARD
Four months later…
“What’s the word, bro?” Eazy asked, seated at the island in Bull’s kitchen, scarfing down a plate of Toni’s enchiladas, rice, and beans.
“Quiet. Too quiet.” Bull shook his head. “I keep thinking, why didn’t I dig deeper before? How it took so long to get here?”
“Life, nigga.” Eazy paused and eyed him across the counter. “You became a father and had a family. That other shit took a back seat. Maybe if I had been here, gave you and T the benefit of the doubt—”
“Like you said, life.” Bull picked up the glass of fruit punch in front of him and took a sip. “Unlike these other muhfuckas, though, you never switched up, E. You been the same asshole you always been.”
“Fa life, nigga!” Eazy grinned and scooped another bite onto his fork.
“Any word on that work?” Bull questioned.
“Nah.” Eazy shook his head. “Nothing. Even the black web is mute on that shit. I been keeping my ear to it. The gallery fills my days, but I ain’t sleeping on shit.
A nigga find that, it’s official. I can launch my own spot.
Since you back in with your moms, you ever think about going through some of Bronx’s shit to see if you could figure it out? ”
“Bronx was smart. He wouldn’t put that shit in anything we could find.
It would be somewhere that meant something to him, in one way or another.
Somewhere the average muhfucka would never think to look.
” It was driving Bull crazy because he felt like it was in his face this whole time, and he just wasn’t seeing it.
Shit kept him up a lot of nights. Often retracing Bronx’s steps to see if he’d left any kind of breadcrumbs.
“Girl, that building was not it.” Lotus’s voice carried into the kitchen as she and Toni strolled inside.
It was her off day, but that didn’t matter; she was always at Bull and Toni’s house.
It became like a second home to her. She’d never had female friends aside from Rhema.
Toni was genuine, but sis damn sure had some spice.
The contrast with her and Bull was obvious. He was the only one who could tame her.
Lotus quickly realized over the last few months that she did not want to end up on her bad side after seeing her get raw with a few people.
That initial meek demeanor usually waned off within half an hour.
Eazy eyed Lotus in her little ass jean shorts and off the shoulder burnt orange graphic crop top.
Going on five months pregnant, she walked around with her stomach on display any chance she got.
He thought it was cute. Fresh wavy bust down pulled up into a ponytail, she removed her glasses from her face as she neared Eazy and set her LV tote on the counter.
“Hey, baby.” Lotus pecked his lips first and leaned in.
Eazy already knew what that meant. He held a forkful of enchiladas to her lips, and she devoured it.
“Mmm.” Lotus slid onto the bar stool beside him.
Toni paused behind Bull and hugged him from behind. He slid his arm across her shoulders and pulled her to him. Lips brushing across hers, he smothered her mouth in a passionate kiss.
“I missed you today.”
“I missed you more,” he mumbled against her lips. “You find anything?”
“No.” Toni sighed. “Nothing that felt… right. Where are the kids?”
“Taking a nap.”
“Bezai, why are they sleeping so late!” Toni scolded.
“Just trying to jack up the good little schedule we got going.” Lotus side eyed him.
“Aye, Breeze ate all the damn granola bars and two of them Greek yogurt things. Jou running around taking her clothes off all damn day and screaming at the top of her lungs. Ain’t nobody tell both of y’all to take the day off.”
Lotus fell over laughing because she knew it was true. Jou was off the chain, and Breeze was a sensitive savage. Nobody could tell her those weren’t her niece and nephew. She didn’t even consider watching them a job most days.
“The hell wrong with her?” Bull frowned, and Toni tittered.
“She’s just going through some things.”
“Fuck out of here. She’s a toddler.”
“Exactly,” Toni countered. “Now I gotta take them to the park or something to wear they little asses out again.”
“Well, me and E got some shit to handle with Jewel.”
“And I gotta go see Mama.” Lotus took Eazy’s fork from him and resumed eating the rest of his dish.
“She’s already planning this baby shower and bought some more shit.
I don’t know where she thinks all this shit is going in that little ass apartment.
” Lotus looked down at her plate but Bull, Eazy, and Toni all looked at each other, hiding smiles.
“Just make sure you remember we got a date, shorty. Don’t be late.” Eazy leaned in to kiss her.
She fed him another bite off the plate, and he climbed off his chair. Before leaving, Bull kissed Toni from behind and she watched him swagger out. The amount of love in her heart for that man took her by surprise most days. Somehow he managed to make her fall deeper for him with each passing day.
Lotus finished her food, washed her plate in the sink, and faced her girl.
“So, next week we’ll go a little harder. Maybe find a different realtor. I’m sure we can find a place.”
“Oh, you damn right. We haven’t gone through all this planning and getting all these credentials not to. The Pointe Family & Development Center is happening,” Toni assured her.
“Okay. Well, let me go deal with my mama. Knowing her, she will hold me hostage, and I will be late for this damn date night with Eazy. He’s so aggy lately. Always hovering, like he’s got something on his mind.”
“And you love it.” A soft smile graced Toni’s face when she glanced at Lotus.
“Whatever.” She went to grab her bag and glasses from the counter. “What time y’all heading to the Night Market tomorrow?”
“I was thinking around six,” Toni told her, picking up her phone and scrolling through a few properties that came up on her search.
The location is what was most important to her and Lotus.
Now that they’d agreed to put their education together on this project, it started to form a life of its own.
The two were taking city council meetings, attending other fundraisers, and rubbing elbows with the top officials in Prospect Pointe.
What they were building was something that went beyond the state programs. The two of them wanted to cater to specific families and provide them with resources for anything they could possibly need.
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” Lotus strolled toward the exit.
“Lo.” Toni stopped her.
“Yeah.” She paused in the doorway to the hallway.
“Make sure you wear something really cute tonight,” Toni advised.
Lotus didn’t know what the hell that meant, but she gripped the strap to her bag on her shoulder with a slight frown and strutted to the front door.
Toni decided to wake the kids up, feed them something to eat, then take them to the nearby park so they could get some fresh air for about an hour or so.
Bull knew damn well he wasn’t right for letting them sleep that long.
The two were beyond excited to get out of the house.
With her guards close, but not so much visible, Toni felt protected.
She had more freedom now than in the beginning.
Braxton was a villain she was glad had expired.
She knew there would always be threats, but she was glad Bull was recognizing that he had to let her breathe too.
About an hour later, she and the kids were settled at Pointe Parade Park.
Breeze chased his little sister around, climbing the slide and making her laugh the entire time.
Toni loved to see it. Her kids being happy was one of her greatest accomplishments.
If she had any say, they would never know the kind of pain and isolation she suffered growing up.
Already, they were winning because they had both parents in their lives.
“Nice looking kids.” A deep voice startled her from behind.
Within seconds, Ham, her new personal guard, was at her side, eyeing the tall, dark, older gentleman in the custom Marc Jacobs suit.
It was mid-July, so she knew he had to be hot, but he was a businessman first. Toni clocked the labels, the diamond ring on his pinky, and the tattoo on his neck.
Although he looked intimidating, for some reason she wasn’t necessarily scared of him.
“Is there something Mrs. Andrews can help you with?” Ham asked, arms crossed in an X across his legs.
“I’m not here on that type of time.”
“And exactly what type of time are you on?” Toni questioned.
“My name is Sudan. I’m an old acquaintance of Bull and his family.”
“I see, and what exactly is it you think that I can do for you, Mr. Sudan? Is this you being discreet with your threats?”
“No threat.” He shook his head, narrowing his eyes and studying Toni’s features carefully.
“I would like for Bull and his team to take me up on an offer. A lucrative deal that could benefit us all. With Braxton MIA, it leaves a lot on the table, and their crew is still indebted to me over what happened with Bronx.”
Toni blinked but didn’t respond. Sudan admired that. He already knew everything he needed to know about her according to the streets, but now he wished he’d done his own research. For some reason, he got the idea that there was more to Toni than met the eye.
“And you think I’m supposed to help you with that? Why?”
“Because it will ensure your family’s safety.”
“So, you are threatening me.”
“No. Not me.” Sudan shook his head. “But Braxton left a wake of angry people behind. Not all of them will be as gracious as I am. So, remind Bull of that. He knows how to reach out to me if he needs to.”
Sudan glimpsed Breeze and Jou Jou playing one last time before strolling off toward the parking lot where a black Town Car waited for him.
Toni’s stomach fluttered, and she took a breath before bringing herself to her feet.
Glancing at the time on her Cartier watch, she decided it was time to head back home. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.