Chapter 24
Shio Cuppacio
Staring at my text thread, there was nothing there.
No messages waiting for me. While I shouldn’t have cared either way, I was on edge, which is something I couldn’t afford to be.
An on-edge Shio Cuppacio lost sense of routine, and things like working out, eating clean, and catching the pastor on Sundays were skipped.
I found myself reacting immediately, and my thoughts were being eroded because of her.
I had been at the hotel since the night I ruined hundreds of thousands’ worth of cocaine and got a taste of Solana.
It wasn’t because I didn’t want to face my responsibilities at home.
I just didn’t want to be around Shya with my head so fucked up.
Between Solana’s wants, the DNA test not confirming Shya was my child, and Bahati entering desperation when I was there, I just needed a fucking minute.
But tonight, I was going to have to pull myself together and take my ass home.
By trying not to become my father, I was slowly turning into him, and Shya didn’t deserve that.
My plan wasn’t to leave Bahati with Shya now that I knew of her existence, but considering Bahati’s ability to get her ass up every day and cook full-course meals—lifting heavy pots filled with chicken broth and all that—holding a fifteen-pound toddler should’ve been easy.
She didn’t need me, but that didn’t mean that Shya didn’t either.
“First, you went on a drug binge, and now you’re standing out here like you lost your best friend.” Nel shook his head as I lifted mine from the phone in my hand. “Fuck you on?”
Nel’s lip curled over his nose as if he smelled something foul when I knew that shit was a damn lie. The only thing that nigga smelled was Imagination by Louis Vuitton and money—a whole fucking lot of it.
“You had us moppin’ and sweepin’ and shit like we was Cinderella, cleanin’ up your dope. You still ain’t gave us no fuckin’ explanation.” Nel had lowered his volume, but his voice still held a judgmental flair.
I looked at him before focusing back on the phone. “And you not getting one.”
That shit was days ago, and he hadn’t let me live it down yet. I’d already sent the money to Ezio so that the supply wasn’t short. I appreciated them setting that shit right at the cabin, but as much bullshit as I’d cleaned up for them over the years, them mopping and sweeping wasn’t shit.
Today, the entire family, along with the members of the mob and their significant others, was standing on the lawn of the Mecanio Estates.
Rio had finally removed that Gay Boy Mansion sign Don put in his yard years ago.
I guess he had no choice since there were close to two hundred people standing about.
In true Rio fashion, cocktail bars lined the yard to keep us entertained while we waited to be let inside the house.
The gender reveal started at five, but Pia had purposely put the wrong time so that everyone would show up on time.
What she didn’t anticipate was her father not allowing anyone inside, including her, until exactly five o’clock.
“You hear this nigga, bae? W. E. B. Du Bois has a fuckin’ thesis statement for everything except why he had cocaine strewn every fuckin’ where at the cabin.”
“Nel…” Ezio warned but it was no use. Once that nigga got started, he wasn’t letting up.
Pia and Vello snickered as if he’d told the joke of the century while I shook my head. Nel told her ass every fucking thing so it made no sense in scolding his ass about discussing mob business in front of her.
“Yeah, chill, Twin. It’s mad people out here. Ion remember half of these muthafuckas pulling up for my party,” Vello said, his eyes on his fiancée.
He had been listening to what we had going on, but Discover had his undivided attention.
She was standing a few feet away with the other women, and although this was her first time popping out, she looked good.
Motherhood suited her well. Her face was still slightly rounder than normal, but other than that, Vello’s woman was holding her own.
Pia nodded and looked around. “Yeah, my dad contacted everybody he knew. I don’t even know some of these people.”
“Twin just hatin’ ’cause his party was cut short, baby. Them twins said, ‘Fuck yo’ plans, daddy.’” Nel was on a roll, this time getting laughs from everyone.
He and Pia had already made their rounds to everyone on the lawn, assuring them that the party would start soon.
We were the first stop, and forty-five minutes later, they were back in front of us.
Now, we were all just standing around, getting sweaty.
It was the middle of summer, so it was hot as fuck outside, but the bottled water I’d downed minutes before had done well enough to keep me hydrated.
If Rio didn’t open the doors soon, I would be tempted to go sit in my truck for a minute to get some cool air.
“I’m gonna go talk to the girls,” Pia said, trying to excuse herself.
We’d been instructed to wear brown if we thought the baby was a girl, black for those predicting a boy, and white for those who were neutral.
I was neutral about their baby’s gender, so I was in a white Louis Vuitton shirt and shorts set.
I wasn’t normally a matching set type of nigga unless I was working out, but since I hadn’t been home, I had to go to Bayside Shops and get whatever I found.
Luckily, my sales rep was in the store and brought this fit straight off the truck.
On my feet were white Louis Vuitton Skate Sneakers, and although I had a full bottle of the Imagination at home, I told the sales rep to throw that in the bag too.
Pia was looking stunning in a brown dress that was long, tied around her neck, hugged her belly, and flared to the floor.
She had some type of shimmer lotion on that had her glowing even more than the pregnancy did.
Her signature hairstyle was always some type of ponytail, and today was no different.
A heavy side bang and a long, Barbie-like ponytail that fell to the middle of her back completed her look.
When the glam team called me this morning, I didn’t even answer because I knew they were asking if I needed to get Solana on their list since the other wives probably were.
Once the call went to voicemail, I sent the trio a text asking them to pull up at my mama’s house to get her right.
She’d hugged me the moment I got out of the car and was somewhere amongst the rest of the mature women.
Of course, those expensive motherfuckers did a good job making my mother look even more beautiful than she already was.
Nel tightened his grip on Pia’s hand, stopping her from moving.
“Sprung ass.” Ezio cackled as we all either watched the two guests of honors or shook our heads at Nel’s foolish ass.
Ezio and his junior were in matching black Casa Blanca sets. Lil’ Ezee was getting too big and was spoiled as hell by everyone, especially Ezio’s mom. She had Lil’ Ezee now, holding him hostage somewhere with my mother.
“Nigga, don’t be mad at us cuz you can’t love on yo’ wife out loud cuz yous sceed of Masa.” Nel used his best slave voice, and that shit had us all laughing, including Ezio.
“Fuck outta here! That nigga ain’t my masa, nor do he regulate shit ’round here.”
Nel kissed his teeth. “Oh, yeah? Well, why yo’ money gettin’ low cuz you be too scared to tell Jisei no? You know if you say no, she going straight to the big dawg!”
“On foe ’nem! I ain’t never runnin’ out, nigga!
” Ezio reached into his pocket, popped a rubber band from a wad of money, and began spreading straight blue faces between his ten fingers.
He had his diamond grill in, and was sure to flex that, too, as he glared at Nel.
“Mine can have whatever the fuck she like, no interference needed.”
He then smirked at Pia, who was still being held at Nel’s side, her eyes jumping from the other wives back to our crew, standing together.
“Aye, Pia… You got the latest Chanel collection?”
Pia looked to Ezio and smiled, placing her finger to her chin. “Hmm. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I do. You tricking?”
Ezio smiled right at Nel before saying, “Big trickin’! I’ll have it to your door ‘fore this nigga wakes up to shake the piss from his dick. Don’t act like you’n know who yo’ big homie is.” Ezio directed the second statement to Nel.
“Nigga, you think we turnin’ shit down? Hell nawl, we ain’t. And don’t be out here on that light-skinned shit, tryna show out. She better have the whole collection before the sun rises. Money flashing don’t impress us… It’s the spending that do. Ain’t it, bae?”
“Facts!” Pia was always backing Nel’s bullshit. It had been that way since we were kids.
“Shit, I can have it delivered tonight. How long this baby shower last?”
“It’s a gender reveal, hoe-ass nigga.”
“Same thang, bitch. But I got you, Pia baby.” Ezio winked after mimicking Nel’s voice, making Pia giggle.
She’d been hard as nails when she first popped back up. Between her father and Nel loving her and allowing her to rest in her womanhood, she’d turned into a version of herself that most women yearned for. And it hadn’t taken but a few months for it to happen.
“Aite now, clear-ass nigga. Pipe the fuck down, joe! You spendin’ now, but was cryin’ when it was time to pay for that Medieval Times-ass wedding.
” Nel put his hand up, mimicking a phone, and pressed it to his ear.
‘“Don, what you said you was covering? Yo’ sister keeps adding shit.’ Crybaby-ass nigga. ”
Ezio looked around before staring at Nel. “And who paid for this?”
Nel looked at Pia, and she tucked her lips in.
“Exactly! Daddy Dickemdown did, nigga.”
“Ezio!” Pia squealed as she held her stomach, trying hard not to laugh at her father being cracked on.
“Fuck you.” Nel sneered.
“Fuck you, nigga. That’s why you dressed like a basic nigga. How we shuttin’ yo’ shit down?”