Chapter 16
SYNDER
Sienna’s holiday spirit seeped into me. So much so that we were in line to get Whimsy’s pictures taken with Santa and his elves. Personally, this wasn’t my type of shit. However, Whimsy and Sienna were geeked as hell.
We were in the middle of the mall, dodging fans felt like I was on the football field.
Security was locked in, though. This was the first time I noticed Sienna’s security detail.
They moved well with mine, which I was glad for.
I already had my eyes on a few niggas who ogled Sienna a little too long.
Since meeting her, my territorial instincts multiplied by a thousand.
I didn’t want anyone to look at her, touch her, or breathe her way.
At my earliest convenience, I was tattooing my name on her body; just in case she got shit confused.
She would never get the chance to forget about me.
Several screaming kids preceded Whimsy having their picture taken.
When it was Whimsy’s turn, she pulled Sienna along with her.
Sienna took it in stride and sat next to Santa.
I didn’t miss the way his raggedy ass eyed my woman.
Whimsy hopped in Sienna’s lap and beamed brightly for the camera.
Shit, the picture was so fire, that I had to capture my own with my cell phone.
Immediately, I made the picture my screensaver.
Once they were done, we set out to do some shopping.
Holiday season was crazy in Atlanta. Stores were packed from wall to wall and majority of the people packed inside the establishments didn’t have the patience Job exhibited.
There were more than a few side-eyes, glares, eye-rolling, and heavy sighing whenever someone bumped into someone else.
Still, I grilled anyone who even thought to look at Sienna crazy.
“I really don’t need any of this stuff,” she mentioned while we stood in line to checkout. We were in our fourth store, and by now, Whimsy was over it. I had to give her some cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites to calm her little ass down.
“Why not?” I asked.
“You practically fill my closet every other day,” she stated. I knew how much that shit irked her, but I wasn’t letting up. Spoiling her felt like I was spoiling myself. “By the way, no more new jewelry. Where the hell am I supposed to wear all that stuff?”
I chuckled. “We’ll find plenty of shit to do. I have three holiday parties comin’ up and plenty of holiday type shit we have to attend.”
“We?”
Grinning, I confirmed, “We. You don’t want me lookin’ all lonely in my photo ops, do you?”
She giggled. “You could never be lonely. Not with all the women who throw themselves at you.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” I replied.
She frowned.
“There’s this one, though. I’m ready to risk everything for her. She’s insanely passionate about Christmas. Her eyes light up when she talks about her family. I can count on her to tell me the truth even when that shit slaps the fuck outta me.”
She smacked her teeth, then laughed.
“She listens to me when I need to vent, and she sets the temperature just right when she starts the shower for me. She’s crazy about her family, her boutique, my daughter… And I’m waiting for her to be as crazy about me as I am about her.”
Sienna blushed as she chewed on her bottom lip.
That shit was so fucking sexy. If we were alone, I would’ve stolen a kiss.
We weren’t alone, though. There were cameras every-fucking-where, and I couldn’t risk going there on such a public level.
Not without her permission, of course. Paying for whatever she picked up made her upset.
I could take her being bothered by me showering her with whatever I chose to; she had to get used to it.
This play was simpler than the others. All I had to do was show her me.
I had to show her that I’d bend for her.
Even if that meant standing in line for some fucking Santa Claus pictures.
Later that evening, after dinner, we were in the living room wrapping some of Whimsy’s presents together when several notifications had our phones singing in unison.
She chuckled and shook her head. It was only a matter of time before our day out caused mayhem. Sienna’s silence drew my gaze to her. She stared at her phone screen with her face set in a deep frown.
“What’s up?” I questioned. When she didn’t respond, I took her phone. It was a photo of us waiting in line for Santa. It was shared by Aaron Perdue an NFL wide receiver. The caption caused my blood to boil.
@therealaaron Been mindin' me & mine, but you niggas some clown ass muhfuckas. Had the nanny bent ova my balcony last Christmas. She ain't nun special.
He followed the post with another post, picturing him with his son and Sienna. Unlike the picture she took with Whimsy at the mall, she didn’t look happy at all in this picture. She got up from the floor and headed toward the hallway. I jumped up to follow her.
“Sienna,” I called to her back.
“Not right now,” she said.
“That ain’t gon’ work for me,” I countered. She entered her room, and I was right behind her. Seconds later, my phone started ringing.
“Not now, Synder!” her voice escalated. I’d never seen Sienna this upset, which in turn upset me. She was near tears.
“Either tell me what’s wrong, or I’ma assume I need to kill a muhfucka,” I stated.
“What? No!” she answered.
“Then, why the hell are you about to cry?”
She grimaced and plopped down on her bed.
“Listen, Sienna. Just ‘cause this nigga posted this doesn’t change my mind about us,” I said.
She looked at me like I was crazy. “You think I slept with that creep?”
“If you did—”
“I didn’t!” she popped up from the bed and shouted. Tears spilled from her eyes. I was by her side in an instant.
“Calm down, lil’ baby.” I took her head in my hands and wiped her tears with my thumbs. “Calm down,” I repeated.
She sniffled and swiped my hands away. “Ugh! I hate the day I ever worked for his ass! All he fuckin’ did was say vulgar shit, cuss me out for every little thing, and then when I walked away, he started harassing me!
Do you know how hard it was for me not to involve my family?
Ugh! He doesn’t know how I saved his miserable-ass life! ”
She ranted, and I listened. Partly because this side of Sienna made my dick harder than a muhfucka. The other part wanted to get all the details about what the fuck Aaron did to her.
“He’s the reason you don’t work with single fathers,” I surmised.
“Yes!” she confirmed. “He made my life hell last Christmas. And here he is trying to fuck it up again!”
“Well, he won’t,” I assured her.
“He’s already halfway there posting lies about me!” Her phone rang, and she groaned. “Now look. My family is about to crash the fuck out!”
“As they should,” I responded. They didn’t have to worry, though. Sienna was my responsibility. There wasn’t a soul that would slide on some bullshit when it came to her. Plus, my girl loved Christmas too much to allow anybody to ruin her holidays.
Leaving her room, I dialed a number I knew by memory. It was time for me and her family to become better acquainted.
We were in Chicago tonight. Although the Jets were on our tenth straight win, that shit was at the back of my mind. I had business to handle, but not without going behind Sienna’s back and asking her people to cool out. They were indeed on Aaron’s ass. I wanted that nigga, though.
Aaron’s post went viral, of course. There were many who believed his ass and others who knew he was lying. Every client Sienna had worked for came to her defense. Then there was me and her family, ready to put a hole in this nigga.
“You’re going out tonight?” Sienna asked when I came into the hotel suite’s living space. Her face reflected subtle disappointment, but the red Santa hat on her head made me chuckle. “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s not any of my business.”
“I’m just makin’ a quick run,” I said. Her eyes traveled the length of my body clothed in all black. Then her gaze settled on my mouth. I had my bottom grill in, my jewelry on, and a fresh line-up.
“You’re making a quick run looking like that?”
Chuckling, I asked, “You don’t like the way I look?”
“Yes… I mean…” she stuttered before chuckling. “It’s not any of my business.”
“You said that a few seconds ago.”
“Right,” she mumbled. “Well, enjoy your night and be safe. I have a tub of popcorn and Christmas romantic movie waiting for me.” As she passed by me, I caught her with my arm.
Her body heat seared my arm, but I didn’t move it. Peering down into her eyes, I asked, “You still thinkin’ about us?”
Her eyes fluttered as she nodded.
“Aight. May I have a kiss before I leave?” I questioned and saw the answer in her eyes almost immediately. Bending, I placed my lips against hers. “Wait up for me, yeah?” I mumbled against her soft, plump lips.
“Okay,” she whispered. I kissed her again, then let her go.
Damn, the more I was around her, the more difficult it became to not picture her naked and spread out beneath me.
She’d gifted me another ornament after my game earlier this evening.
It was as stunning as the others. No lie, I was like a kid opening the box with the ornament inside.
I had plenty of money, but gifts like the ornaments were priceless.
An hour later, I sat in VIP accompanied by Legend.
Chicago nightlife was like no other city I frequented.
The club was packed with anyone from corporate niggas to gangsters and their mistresses.
I wasn’t inside this club because I wanted to be, rather, this was Aaron’s stomping grounds.
He was born and raised in Chicago and played for Chicago.
I’d already spotted him walking through the club with two of his homeboys.
I was aware that my presence would cause a scene, especially because I was in the same club as Aaron.
He was still riding high off his fucking posts about Sienna, but I was about to silence his ego.
As soon as I saw him and his homeboys heading toward their VIP section, I made my move.
Aaron peeped me standing at the entrance of my VIP section and grinned like I wasn’t about to fuck up his night.
Security glanced at me, wondering what the hell I was doing.
Legend stood next to me. He was on the same shit I was on.
Aaron puffed out his chest as he neared my section.
Before that nigga could wonder what his next thoughts were, I snatched his ass up and dragged him inside my VIP.
He weighed a cool two-fifty, but I wasn’t far behind him.
Conditioning had my body right, so when I started knocking this nigga’s brains out, there wasn’t shit he could do with me.
Legend and security handled those other niggas.
I focused on making sure this nigga knew to keep Sienna’s name out of his mouth.