Chapter 32
“ Y ou’re late,” Fallon said, tapping her tablet to wake it up.
“Blue had an emergency,” I replied, bending the truth.
She was still tangled in the sheets, with a smirk playing at her lips when I stepped out of the shower after leaving the gym. I knew what time it was because pregnant Navie was horny as fuck. Usually, she respected my schedule, but this morning, she didn’t care that neither of us had obligations.
“The city can wait. I can’t stink. I need you.”
She needed me to please her before she was stuck spending the morning with Sloane and Danielle. Fallon had them busy in the community to soften Sloane’s image, and Danielle was capturing all the behind-the-scenes moments.
“All the more reason you should be on time,” Jaleb added.
“Numbers must not be looking good if you’re bitching like this,” I replied, settling into my seat.
“The election is around the corner. Things are tight, and Jackson isn’t giving an inch.”
“I know. What’s left on the agenda?”
Fallon swiped through a few screens. “Town hall tomorrow. Last TV spot Tuesday night. And the canvassing schedule for the weekend.”
I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck when Jaleb added. “We gotta lock down the people who already like you. We don’t let Jackson and Calloway sway anyone who’s on the fence.”
Fallon tapped her tablet again, the quiet hum of the office feeling heavier than usual. “I sent Navie the wardrobe options for election night. Did you at least talk about it since you were late?”
“We talked, but not about that,” I smirked, causing Fallon to roll her eyes in disgust.
“Just like a nigga. Career on the line and still thinking about pussy.”
Fallon was back to rattling off shit we’d already discussed, but her nerves were worse than mine these days. While she repeated plans, I skimmed my social media account.
“You knew about this?” I asked by flashing my phone at Fallon. Her eyes focused on Navie’s well-curated photo shoot announcing our pregnancy.
“About what?” Fallon’s eyes bulged, “Ohh! I told you from the beginning we can’t control her. You said we’re doing it, so here we are.”
“Fuck!” I groaned, dropping my phone to free my hands to massage my temples.
“It was getting hard to hide anyway. Better you guys announce it than someone else.”
“I don’t wanna’ hear that shit right now.”
“The truth hurts sometimes. It’s out, and now you move on and handle business,” Jaleb replied.
“You’re enjoying this shit, aren’t you?”
“Watching you get your ass handed to you is a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be,” Jaleb admitted.
“I’ll leave y’all to enjoy your win since they don’t come around too often. I have a meeting.”
As I walked the halls to my meeting, my public response to Navie was much different from the tone in our text thread.
Me: I’m going to put my foot in your ass.
Blue: Heard that before. I thought we were a team
Blue: Were you just running game on me
Me: We are a team but you wanna be a single mom so bad.
Blue: Never, I’d be a deadbeat before a single mom.
Me: I’m not playin’ with you. You got me fucked up fr playing with son.
Blue: Hmm I might like that.
Me: Navie.
One word that let her know I wasn’t in the fuckin’ mood to play had her texting a different tune.
Blue: You needed me to show up for you, and I did. It was going to come out anyway. Don’t be mad. I love you, Stink.
Me: Love you, too.
Pushing through the wooden doors, my expression soured as I entered the meeting room. I honestly tuned out most of the day, staring at Blue’s photoshoot. It was well done and she looked beautiful, but that wasn’t the point. The day dragged on, finally relinquishing its hold so I could go home.
Walking into my building, Rylo smirked like he had something juicy to spill. Instead, he hit me with words I wasn’t expecting.
“You’ve got a delivery,” he said, like he’d been waiting all day to say it.
I raised a brow. “From who?”
He slid a black bag across the counter like it held state secrets. “Navie.”
My lips curled as I opened the bag. Sitting inside was a bright orange Nerf gun, loaded to the brim. Taped to the side was a note in her handwriting.
Put your gun where your mouth is. Come find me.
I shook my head and laughed at how insane this woman was. It didn’t reflect how fuckin’ irritated I was. Tucking the bag under my arm, I headed for the elevator, welcoming the offer to take out that frustration on her.
“Don’t get shot, boss man,” Rylo called after me.
I loved Navie’s confidence, but wasn’t worried stepping on the elevator.
At twenty-two weeks pregnant, she was a half a step slower.
When I got upstairs, the apartment was dim and silent.
I stepped inside cautiously, Nerf gun in hand, and paused to allow the doors to close so it didn’t give me away.
Navie was inpatient as fuck, so I rested my back on the wall, stilled my breathing, and waited her out. It took longer than I expected, but never one to wait for anything to happen to her, Navie took charge.
Whap!
A foam dart hit my shoulder.
“I knew your impatient ass was coming,” I muttered, ducking behind the wall as another came flying.
“And you still got shot. Twice .” Navie’s voice rang out from somewhere deeper in the house, smug and full of trouble.
“I keep telling you, it’s not how you start but how you finish, Blue.” I crept forward, trying to pinpoint her location.
Another dart whizzed past me and hit the picture frame on the wall. Navie was quick, but I chose to search the kitchen for cover and wait until she peeked her head out from behind the couch.
Pop! My shot nailed her square in the chest. We lobbed back and forth until Navie was out of darts. My suit jacket was gone, my tie was half off, and she was hidden behind the pillows on the couch.
I stepped over the couch, kneeling over her body, careful to give my son room with my Nerf gun to her forehead. “Apologize for that stunt you pulled earlier.”
Navie tilted her chin up, out of breath. “Fine, if you want me to lie, I’m sorry, Tre .”
“Your stubborn ass should be sorry. We talked about this.”
“You really want me to be sorry for helping you?” She swiped at the barrel, and this time I let her, but aimed it at her thigh and pulled the trigger.
“I know why you’re so uptight, even if you don’t.
Our family helps each other. Besides, the life he’s about to inherit, he can stand to earn his keep. ”
“My boy doesn’t have to earn a fuckin’ thing. We believe in nepotism over here,” I smirked, palming her stomach.
“Yeah, well, somebody had to ensure there’s some nepo for him to tism . Fallon loves you too much to go against you, so I did what was best for the team, Jordan .”
“I know you meant well, but don’t do that shit again, or you’ll find yourself on punishment.”
Her eyes lit up. “What kind of punishment?”
“Not the kind your horny ass likes. You saw Sloane calling the shots because there was nobody else there. He has a father. No more making decisions like he doesn’t.”
“Okay.”
“And no more nerf wars until you have my son. You could’ve hurt yourself.”
“You hear that. Daddy’s the fun police,” Navie said, dropping her head, talking to her belly. Then her eyes ballooned, shooting at me faster than the bullets left the gun. “He kicked.”
“Stop playing.”
“Stink, I swear!” She grabbed my hand and placed it on her stomach.
A grin spread across my face, I couldn’t hide. Every leftover worry I carried melted against that tiny flutter.
“Can’t believe you’re having my baby.”
She nodded, leaning into me, her hand still over mine. “ You ? I can’t believe I let a man trap me.”
The uncertainty didn’t disappear completely, but it didn’t feel as heavy listening to Blue tell me all about her day. Not when our little boy was already reminding me that this family was worth every risk.