Chapter 4 #2
I sat there thinking about everything he would want to discuss.
He’d want to know if Devyn knew everything yet.
If we’d talked for real. If she would still go through with marrying me.
I didn’t have the answers. He and Devyn’s whole family had me in a tight spot.
They interfered with some shit when they didn’t care enough to tell her for twenty-nine years of her life.
The only reason they started moving is that they knew this old Black Crow shit was getting serious.
Vivian’s name was on the list, and so was G’s.
They didn’t want her to be caught in the crossfire, but I had her safety under control.
That was their problem. They still carried shit the old way.
Secrecy and silent fuckin’ pacts instead of transparency.
Now, Dev ain’t fuckin’ with me. She cut her whole family off, and she was alone. She only had her friends. I was used to not dealing with my family outside of G and my mom. Shit, I was even dodging her calls because she wanted to meet Devyn.
Finally, I grabbed my shit and stepped out of my car. When I walked through the door, G was sitting on my couch, and Ibrahim stood by the window.
“Azani.” Ibrahim nodded toward me. “Good to see you.”
I could tell he was on edge. Usually, he’d have more to say. Maybe crack a joke or smile, but when he got like this, I knew he was on high alert.
“Good to see you, too,” I replied.
“Ibni…. Why did I have to come all the way here to speak with you? That’s not how we operate,” G said, folding his hands in his lap.
I peeled my coat off, dropped my briefcase on the table, and sat across from him in the chair.
“G, y’all overstepped with Devyn. You and Vivian take being elders too seriously. Nobody took the time to sit down with Devyn and tell her the truth about who she is, but as soon as I make a move, everybody wants to get involved. Make it make sense for me.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “So, you’re angry? Why? Did you want her to live a lie? You would have never told her.”
“Yes. I would rather keep the lie going than have her feel the way she does now. Do you know she cries every fuckin’ day?
She cut her whole family off. She’s alone and won’t let me be there for her, either.
Help me understand what I could have done differently that would’ve rendered different results. ”
Silence. He knew how the shit would go. Devyn was independent, living her life, having her fuckin’ way.
Telling someone that their family had basically sold them off to keep the peace would fuck up her head.
At least with the way I handled it, she would still have her family and me, no matter how fucked up the plan was.
“You pride yourself on being a man of honor. You’re not wrong, but you’re not right either, Azani.
We all took away her choice. Blame us if that makes you feel better.
But I know that even though you wanted to protect her, you were still selfish.
Vivian especially, when she forbade anyone from interfering.
She would have waited until just before Devyn’s thirtieth birthday and scared her into marriage with you. ”
My jaw clenched thinking about how they had all the answers after shit hit the fan. I lost the woman I loved behind this shit, and everybody acted like it was no big deal.
I gritted my teeth to keep from spazzing the fuck out.
“If anybody was selfish, it was y’all. We never asked for this shit.
You could have wiped out the whole bloodline and moved on with your life.
Why did you save them? Why did you agree to this arrangement when it really doesn’t benefit the Stone bloodline? ”
“Because relationships matter, and you need people for that. If we killed them off, we would’ve lost certain connections and benefits.
The Heathrows have a lot of power. Vivian’s family, the Silvermans, also have a lot of power and resources.
We all work as a network. You know this.
The High Table and Sector II are different now.
More complex, more families. It was much simpler back then. ”
I pulled my hair from the bun and sat back, staring at G. He was hiding something, and when I found out, I couldn’t wait to revisit this same conversation.
“G, just like you know me, I know you. It’s more to this shit. I’ll let you, Vivian, and everyone else involved handle it. My only focus is getting Devyn to forgive me. I can’t lose her. I refuse to lose her.”
“Hmm,” G said, leaning back again. “Sometimes the past should stay buried. Once you go down a rabbit hole, it will suck you in, and you’ll constantly look for answers. There are no clean decisions in our world. Not then, and certainly not now.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “We all have blood on our hands. Some we welcome, and others that haunt us. How about you, G? Any blood on your hands that haunt you?”
He stared at me for a second, lips pressed together, thinking about how he would answer me.
“More than you could imagine,” he said, staring off. “But I didn’t come here just to lecture you. We never go this long without speaking. You are still my grandson, and I love you. I don’t want this to damage our relationship.”
“You say that, but you went behind my back to force my hand. Why? We don’t even move like that,” I muttered.
“Asad. He forced us. I wanted you to tell the truth, but Asad would have spilled everything. I don’t understand him. He’s mad at me and makes you suffer.”
Fire burned in my chest. My own father hated me because my grandfather loved me.
“You know why. He’s jealous. The relationship you have with him is not the same one you have with me. It’s been that way.”
“I know,” he said. “But can we fix what’s going on between us? I’m not leaving DC until we’re good.” He smirked.
“It’s nothing to fix. Just don’t go behind my back conspiring with the Heathrows. Asad will always be who he is with me. I just expected you to be honest.”
“Deal. Now, where can I get some good soul food? I’ve been craving it since I stepped off the jet.”
I laughed because every time I came to Dubai, that’s what he asked for.
“Honey Buns. Lunch starts at eleven. It’s one of Dev’s favorite spots. I’m about to head to the gym.”
G just looked at me. I knew he could see how fucked up I was behind Devyn breaking up with me. All I could do was hope she forgave me. I just wasn’t sure that once she knew the full truth, she would stay around.
“What else is bothering you, Ibni?”
I looked away, jaw tight. “She wants me to meet her at a tea shop tomorrow. She wants to talk. I don’t know if it’s good or bad.”
G stood slowly, smoothing his hands over his suit jacket, then looked at me.
“Tomorrow,” he said, carefully. “Do not walk in there selfish. Don’t try to control or manipulate the conversation. Be honest about everything. I love you. I’ll come by before I go back home.”
He walked over and kissed my head like he always did. He and Ibrahim walked out. Once the door shut behind him, silence filled the house again.
That sounded easy until it came to Devyn.
Loving her made me reckless. It made me do shit I normally wouldn’t do.
I lied to her—manipulated situations so they’d go my way.
Crossed lines I’d judge other people for crossing.
The fucked-up part was that I’d do just about anything to keep her.
Even if it meant swallowing certain truths.
I sat there for a long time, staring at the wall in front of me. Tomorrow, I’d finally see her after a week. I had no idea how this conversation would end, but I wanted her back, and I was determined to get her.