Chapter 13 #2
“Are you fuckin’ kidding me? You met and married my sister and didn’t say a damn word about it?” His frown was now mixed with confusion. “Wait a minute. You went on that ride to take care of Jinx with me and didn’t open your mouth about what you were doing with my sister?”
“Do you tell me who you sleep with?”
He jabbed his finger in my direction. “You knew about Shawna.”
“Because her uncle was trying to come up in my territory and that fool ass Jinx threatened you.”
Before they were married, Shawna Allen was the niece of Scottie Allen, the leader of the Bond Street Savages.
Jinx was his lieutenant and Shawna’s ex.
When Jinx found out Shawna, an FBI analyst on Cade’s profiler team, was sleeping with Cade, he threatened to kill him.
Cade, like me, didn’t take threats lightly, so Jinx had to disappear.
As for Scottie, that bastard had gone on the run.
But we were gonna find him, and when we did it wasn’t going to be a sweet reunion.
“Look, what Dakota and I do is our business, even moreso now that we’re married.”
“Secretly married,” he said. “Let’s not forget that part. Was that your idea? Are you embarrassed to be married to her after all the women you had lined up in your club that were waiting to become your old lady?”
First, I hated that term. Never would any woman I committed to be referred to in that way, even though it was sort of synonymous with club lingo.
Second, I would never be the one to tell Cade or anyone else that it was Dakota’s idea to keep our marriage a secret.
When I took those vows with a fake Elvis standing on one side of us and a fake Michael on the other, it meant something.
It meant that no matter what I would hold that woman down.
I would support her and love her, protect her and uplift her.
There was no ambiguity where she was concerned.
“Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit, man. I’m never embarrassed by a damn thing that I do, and I certainly wouldn’t start with Dakota.
She’s the blessing I don’t deserve, but she’s mine and that’s that.
” Sighing, I flipped the safety back onto my gun, then dropped it into the drawer.
I slammed the drawer before dropping my arms onto my desk.
“This isn’t how we planned to make the announcement, but know this, I love and respect your sister. ”
“So much so that you’ve got pictures of her floating around the internet. Yeah, that’s showing a lot of respect.”
“I didn’t take those fuckin’ pictures and you know it.
But I’m damn sure gonna get them removed and have the person who took them delivered in a box to their mama.
” This day was getting worse by the minute, but I hadn’t gotten to where I was today without knowing how to take care of my business.
Finding the bitch ass who’d taken those pictures was just another thing on my to do list.
“You putting a ring on her finger puts a mark on her life, you know that,” Cade stated in the calmest tone he’d had since he walked his light-skinned ass in here.
“I don’t get in my sister’s business about who she lets into her bed.
As long as the man doesn’t play in her face, use her, or hurt her in any way, they’re safe.
But you … you, Fury! You know what that shit means. ”
I did know. I just didn’t give a fuck. “As long as I breathe, nobody is going to touch her or even put disrespect on her name. She’s my wife. You know as well as anybody how much weight that carries.”
“The same weight that being a Donovan carries,” he shot back.
Both of us went quiet, both thinking about those two points. The biggest issues in this conversation.
“Look,” I said, breaking the silence, “I knew what this all meant the day I proposed to her and I didn’t care.
The only thing that mattered then and the only thing that matters now is how much I love her.
As her brother and as someone I’ve come to know very well, I’m giving you the respect of assuring you that I will protect her with my life. ”
“I would’ve rather had the respect of you not going behind my back and putting your hands on my sister.”
I wanted to be pissed at his words, wanted to say fuck it and grab my gun again to put an end to this bullshit, but I didn’t because he was right.
If he wanted my sister, I wanted him to come to me like a man and say that shit with his chest. I should’ve done the same for him because like I said, we had gotten to know each other well and I did respect him.
I could fall back on the stance that what Dakota and I do is our business, which was definitely true.
But there were rules, expectations and protocols between men like us.
Men who walked in a world where disrespect could get you killed.
So, I nodded. “My bad for that.”
Another stare down began and ended moments later with his slight nod. “My father’s gonna want your head on a platter. I won’t stop that from happening if it comes down to it.”
I shrugged. “Wouldn’t expect you to. And I’ll cross that bridge on Sunday when we plan to tell your family.”
His eyes widened again. “Y’all really out here playin’ with fire.”
The corner of my mouth lifted. “Been doing that for forty-four years, no need to stop now.”
“Yeah, you’re saying that today while you’re sitting in this office but wait until Sunday when he’s right across from you at the dinner table.”
I wasn’t afraid of any man and Cade knew that. Did I want his father to bless my marriage to Dakota? Yes, for Dakota’s sake. I stopped asking for approval a long time ago and wasn’t about to start again now.
Ignoring that remark, I continued, “The pictures will be down by noon, and I’ll take care of the photographer. Outside of that, I’ll see you on Sunday.”
Cade stood, and I did the same. Walking around the desk, I extended my hand to him. “Handle that shit and make sure it doesn’t happen again. I’ll go to war about her,” he said seriously and clapped his hand into mine.
“As will I,” I said.