He stood behind Trish to make sure she didn’t see the message he gave Carlos. He pointed his finger at him, made the talking motion with his hand, made a gun out of his fingers, then brought it to his temple before he pulled the trigger.
Carlos nodded his head quickly, then clapped his hands together.
“So, what you wanna get?” he asked as he took off through the store with them following in step.
He was happy that Brayden was there, because he could barely keep up with anything she said. His mind was in a tailspin. He was ready for them to buy their stuff and get the hell down the road, so he could get to calling folks to tell them what was going on. He danced on his feet, no longer tired at all while he took down their order. He was so overjoyed that he gave Trish such a deep discount that he didn’t make any money off the purchases at all.
“Are you sure? I mean, all this stuff for only two grand?” she questioned in awe.
“Baby, why you want to ask him that?” mumbled Brayden.
He snaked his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the side of her neck.
Carlos practically fainted at the sound of her low moan before she elbowed his cousin for him to stop.
“So, was it the house that brought you two together?” He finally asked the question that had been burning a hole in his brain.
“No, we’ve been talking for a few months. Deliver the stuff by Monday,” Brayden replied quickly. He could tell that Carlos was getting ready to pick.
“Hey wait, don’t forget about tonight…at your Mom’s house,” cried Carlos. “We have a lot to talk about,” he grinned.
Trish heard Brayden curse under his breath.
“It’s alright. It’s just one night. I was starting to get tired of seeing you every day anyway,” she teased.
“Hum, but I’m starting to wear you down. Me and my cock can’t afford a setback,” he whispered in her ear.
The sound of his deep voice and his breath on her had an instant effect on her pulse, causing it to pick up. The entire time while they were in his cousin’s store, his hands had been on her—touching, stroking, or holding her tight. She hadn’t experienced anything like it before. Even with George, she had always been the one that showed the affection while he yelled at her whenever she tried to touch him. She realized now, years later, that her ex-husband had never wanted her. If she hadn’t run after him and fought every woman he cheated or flirted with to keep him, he never would have married her. It was nice to be desired, to be wanted, and to be shown it by a man.
“You know I have to play hard to get, for a while anyway.”
She chuckled at the hard expression he gave her. She felt his grip tighten on her hand, as if to tell her not to tease him like that.
“I’ll skip tonight with you, but that means we have to spend Saturday together…the kids and us. We can cookout while the kids swim,” he suggested.
There was a reason behind him picking that day, but he knew she didn’t know that.
Trish opened her mouth to speak, then shut it. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.
“How did you know I have a pool? You’ve never been to my house.”
“No,” he said sheepishly. “Not really, but
Google Earth
might have taken me there once, twice, maybe four times.”
She frowned while she listened to him call back to Carlos to tell him that he would see him later tonight. It wasn’t until they had gotten back in the car to leave that she spoke what was on her mind.
“Why did you look my house up?”
“Because I wanted to see you, even if I was just looking at a satellite view of your house.” He saw the doubtful look that came across her face.
He sighed, “And I wanted to see if you had any late night visitors,” he admitted at last. He put the
Dodge Charge
into gear.
“And what if I had a visitor,” she eyed him closely.
His expression turned deathly serious. “I don’t fuckin’ share, Trish. When I want something, I’ll fuck a bitch or a motherfucker up over it.”
“And you’re saying you want me?”
“More than you could ever fathom.”
His words caressed her, causing a chill to run down her spine. Her light brown eyes scanned his handsome face while she absorbed his words.
“We have to hurry back to my car. I don’t want to be late picking up my babies,” she said in a strange voice.
Brayden stayed still for a few seconds more while he tried to figure out what she might be thinking. With a shrug, he backed out of the parking lot and drove on. He could see she was contemplating something from the way she was sucking and biting on her bottom lip. He opened his mouth to ask what she was thinking, but her action caused him to freeze.
She made reference to something they had seen in the store as she nonchalantly touched his arm, then rested her hand on his upper thigh. His eyes closed briefly. A sharp spark shot through his gut and stopped at his mushroom-shaped tip that was just inches away from her hand. He knew that she had no way of knowing because his cargo shorts were so baggy, but his cock sensed her presence. It came to life and began to leap in her direction.
Come on Saturday
, he thought.
He was ready to put his plan in motion.
Only two days away
.
Brayden sat at the round table in his parent’s house. Their voices were loud, as always. He laughed at the crazy stuff that his family said to one another whenever there was a large gathering, such as the one they were having now, to discuss
The Business
. In spite of the fact that his mother and father didn’t go around leaning on people, calling the shots, and ordering hits like they did in the old days, they still had pull to make things happen. His mind constantly went back to Trish throughout the evening. Now, all he had to do was wait for someone to let the cat out of the bag. He had to admit that he was surprised that the conversation hadn’t switched to him as soon as he entered the door. He knew that they all knew thanks to Carlos, who was now sitting across from him looking like he was about to go crazy with info that he knew. Thankfully, he knew that the topic that had called them all together was much more important than his love life.
“I’m telling yous, it’s gonna to come to war if Aldo lets Andreas make a move against Wanda,” his father repeated himself for the hundredth time in a heavy New York, Italian accent.
His parents never lost the speech or the accent of their old home, which they said they were thankful for. They said they would rather die than pick up the country twang of Georgia.
“Well, what the fuck should he have done? You would think she would’ve had her shit together all the years she had been waiting and praying for somebody to off that schmuck of a husband,” replied his mother.
She waved the wooden spoon she was using to stir the pot of pinto beans that was simmering on the stove.
“Ah, she was a big-eyed bitch that thought she was able to run the show, but Uncle Aldo was wise to let her try. The others would have cried murder if he didn’t,” his brother Basilio pointed out.
“Alls I’m saying is that action needs to be taken before this shit gets out of hand. The people are losing all respect for the family. She’s just standing by letting other people muscle in on our business,” fumed his father.
“It’s not our business anymore,” Brayden corrected him.
A loud uproar of protest went up due to his comment.
“The hell it is. We laid the fault lines that are still etched in stone to this damn day. I should slap you across your face right now,” growled his father as he drew back his hand.
Brayden rolled his eyes and laughed.
“And if they ain’t making no money, we ain’t getting no kickbacks. Shit, I’m too old to be riding some damn pole for tips,” added his mother.
“And your pussy too dry to be turning tricks too,” shouted her husband over his shoulder.
“If you licked it more often, then I wouldn’t have that problem, you fuckin’ one-minute man,” she tossed back.
Everyone in the kitchen began to laugh and hoot from her comment, including her husband.
“Look, why don’t you have Zita take care of it?” suggested Basilio.
“No, Dre and Aldo want to keep her out of it. She’s like a free agent. We only call on her when needed,” explained his father.
The handsome man with just a touch of grey at his temples shook his leg as he pondered. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Brayden.
“What would you do?” he asked.
Brayden ran his hands through his hair. He knew that his father was asking for his advice, not because he was so smart, but because he was neutral. He had used his uncles’ illegal money to start his first company when he was still in high school. He knew that they were using his business to clean their money, and he was fine with it. However, he put a stop to it as soon as he had grown his business to the point that he didn’t need their financial support. Even still, his brother and Carlos were still allowing shady things to go on in their companies, which meant they were still tied to the family business.
“To be honest, I wouldn’t do anything right now. Let Andreas oversee her area,” he responded.
“You mean, like a mentor?” asked his father, a bit surprised at his answer.
“Yeah, like that. Tell her that she needs to listen to him or she’ll be removed. She could either be a damn puppet or be dead. Besides, this is a bad time for Andreas to be taking over Wanda’s turf and pissing off the other
Dons
because he’s gotten too powerful. Calico is having issues already with her pregnancy, and it’s close to the holidays. Why add to that stress?” he explained.
Words of agreement went up after his reply was received.
“That is true,” his mother chimed in. She shut off the pot and walked over to the large table they were all sitting around. “I don’t want nothing happening to that baby. Speaking of which,” she paused and leaned forward to spill her cup of tea. “I heard that Beau has a pretty little black girl, too.”
“Well, damn,” cried Basilio, tossing up his hands. “What the hell is going on? Everybody going black,” he smiled, stealing a quick glimpse at Brayden.
Ah, here it comes,
he thought to himself.
“You want to know why? It’s because those women are fuckin’ fierce when it comes to their men. You ain’t gonna fuck over a black woman’s man; even if the bastard is no good, she’ll fight for him while he’s screwing her ass over. They’re loyal. Hell, I dated a few before I got with your mother,” admitted their father.
“So, they were good enough to date, but not to marry,” teased Carlos, elbowing Basilio in the ribs.
“It wasn’t that. It was because they were fuckin’ crazy,” cried his uncle.
“And Ma isn’t crazy,” laughed Brayden.
“Well, she hid her crazy until
afte
r
I married her. By that time, it was too late for me. I was already in love,” his father answered, smiling up into the face of his blushing wife.
“Anyway, he’s coming here to visit her in two weeks, before Christmas, since her family lives here too…and Andreas is coming with Calico. I think they both need to get away for a bit,” she grinned happily. “I can’t wait to have everybody over and to have Calico here so I can rub on her fat belly,” she said, rubbing her hands together with glee.
“I’ll let you rub my belly, and anywhere else later tonight,” her husband teased as he drew her between his legs.
She rolled her eyes and pulled away. She turned and walked back to the stove.
“You need to find yourself a pretty black girl, Bray. Shit at this point, she could be pink with green polka dots,” she remarked.
“Who’s to say he don’t already have one,” smirked Carlos.
Brayden glared at him from across the table. The mood in the entire room shifted as all eyes fell upon him. All the laughter along with the relaxed mood that had been in the kitchen disappeared to be replaced with a serious vibe. He watched his mom as she slapped her open palm with the wooden spoon she picked up off the stove.
“So, when were you going to tell us that you were fuckin’ around with this woman?” she snarled.
“I just decided to let big mouth Mookie do it for me,” he answered as he returned her glare.
“What the hell are you playing at?” she asked, throwing the spoon across the room. It missed by a mile. It bounced off the wall, making a loud noise in the still room.
“Mom, don’t make me have to put you in your place,” he warned in a cold tone.
His father’s eyebrows went up in shock. He held up his hand to silence his wife’s stream of curses. “All I want to know is does she know?”
“No, she doesn’t. She doesn’t know a thing about that, or about the family,” he answered.
“And what the hell do you think she’s going to think when she finds out, cause she will. I’ll tell you. She’s gonna think that you were running a game on her. Is that what you’re doing?” questioned his mother hotly.
“No, this is no game,” his father answered.
His narrowed eyes hadn’t left Brayden’s face the entire time. He could see that the feelings his son had for the girl were strong, and they were real. Brayden had set his sights on that woman and he wasn’t going to change the course, no matter what they said. He leaned back in his chair. He ran his hand over his face and sighed, loudly.
“Is she the one for you, son?
“Yes. I will marry her, make no mistake about it. She’s suffered, too, being with that asshole all these years. She has her problems from being with him, but it’s nothing that I can’t overcome,” he responded.
“I’m telling you that it will never—”
“Shut up!” shouted his father. His wife might have had power in some circles, but he had the last word when it came to
his
family. “You’re your own man, son. This might be an odd pairing in my eyes, but if she is what you want, then go after it,” he shrugged. “She will be accepted in this home,” he tossed back over his shoulder for the benefit of his wife.
**
Trish opened the door to her home two days later. She moved out of the way of the excited children that came running through into her house. She had been a ball of nerves the entire morning as she cleaned and re-cleaned the house. She had changed from the maxi dress to a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, to a romper, until her kids came into her room to help her pick out her clothes. Her boys could tell that she was at a loss for what to wear, and they knew why. They had been secretly talking about it with Ciro, Brayden’s son, and their friend, for a while. Them being in their early teens, they were old enough to pick up on the tension and the attraction between their parents. They were over the moon with the thought of becoming brothers. Even their sister was happy over the prospect of finally having a girl to play with as a sister. Her boys had pointed out that since they were all going to be in the pool, she should wear her two piece, which they quickly hand to her put on with a sheer cover-up on top.
“Those are a lot of bags,” she chuckled, closing the door behind Brayden.
‘They’re just some change of clothes, toys, and games that the kids asked to bring,” he replied smoothly. “At last, I get to see the inside of your home,” he teased.
She could feel his brown eyes roaming over her body. With newfound confidence, she turned and led the way deeper into her home. She was right to assume that he was watching her. He bit his lips and shifted his hardened cock. The bottom of her neon pink bathing suit showed off just the right amount of her ass to kick start his lust. Her hips swayed seductively. He wondered if she noticed the extra twist in her walk, or if she was doing it for his benefit. Either way, he was enjoying the display she was putting on for his greedy eyes.
“I’m just shocked that it’s still this hot with it being in December.”
“Yeah, it’s strange,” he replied.
He wasn’t going to tell her that around 5 o’clock, the skies were going to turn dark and a violent storm was going to be upon them, bringing sheets of rain, possible hail, and flooding, which was the reason his arm was straining under the weight of the bags he was carrying. He had come prepared to spend the night. He had known about the storm’s arrival since Tuesday, which would be ushering the first cold snap of the winter season. The loud screams of their kids echoed throughout the home.
“This place is really nice,” he praised as he looked around the one-story house. He admired how nicely she had decorated the spaces. “I can’t get upset with your choice of décor.”
She laughed at his meaning. “After so many years down South, I can’t help but fall in love with that Italian Tuscany style.”
“So you didn’t buy all this stuff because you knew I was coming over,” he mumbled as if he was wounded.
She smiled. She caught herself staring at him. He looked good in his tight-fitting dark green tee, heather grey, cotton basketball shorts, and tennis shoes.
“Let me give you the tour,” she offered with a start.
She continued to stare at him, this time openly when he turned away from her to address his kids, while he passed them one of the two bags he had brought with them. She marveled at how his shirt stretched from the movement of the muscles in his arms and strong, broad shoulders. Her hooded gaze traveled to his ass. She knew that it was firm from his hours at the gym. By the time he turned back around, she had hidden her lustful thoughts behind her mask.
He flashed her a perfect smile as he fell in line behind her.
“How many rooms?”
“It’s only a three-bedroom, but the slit open plan, extra rooms, and the backyard makes it feel larger than it is. This was the first home I bought,” she said with pride.
“Did you remodel it too?” he asked, glancing into a small sitting room.
“Yes, although I’m sure you’re going to tell me that I was suckered on the deal,” she said with a deep eye roll.
“Look,” he mumbled as he put his hand around her waist. His hand itched to slide lower to touch her ass, but he fought the urge. “You’ve done great for yourself. Don’t beat yourself up. The main thing is that you know now.”
“And I have you to go to now to help me whenever I get stuck,” she stated in a husky tone that caused a spike in his desire. “This is the master bedroom,” she informed him.
His eyes roamed slowly around the large room. A queen sized sleigh bed with an espresso-colored head and footboard sat on one wall with doors on each side of it. A matching nightstand was placed on the left side next to the bed. The rest of the room was filled with the remaining pieces of the bed set and a comfy chair. The large bay window brought in the sunlight and gave a clear view to the side lawn. He frowned.