“Nay, shut up!”
“Nope. You love it and you love me, so get over it.” She smiled.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Armond Davis
TOO MANY THOUGHTS PARADED through my brain as I navigated the streets of Colton. I had a meeting in Arlington and wished I was staying at my brother’s spot out there instead of the hour and a half I took to travel in the opposite direction. Though my peace was well with this trip, my thoughts— though they needed to be on the task before me—were steady on my girl.
Dr. Hanna was there to prove to Brandy what I’d already known. My baby was pregnant and I noticed it the second I saw her and her sister in the mall when I returned from Germany.
She’d gained weight in her thighs. Not a lot but as much as I stared at her there was no denying I would notice. Those hips were spreading and she looked damn good. Brandy often picked at her food, when normally, she’d pig out. It didn’t matter what we were consuming. Shit, I had more takeout boxes in my fridge than I’d accumulated in a year because of her “food moods.” My only concern for her now was how she was going to play it off for our mothers.
After a few minutes of debating on where I’d want to raise my family, I focused on the meeting I was about to sit in on. Arlando figured out what he wanted to do with Serg. And the informationI’d learned about him over the last couple of months had me questioning a lot of things I normally had no concern about.
I found myself driving more often than not since I touched down. I never realized how much peace I gained when I was able to process my thoughts in silence without interruption. Of course, I had Manuel following me, but this, if I stayed, would become my new norm.
I pulled up to my Aunt Giulia’s estate and instantly noticed my father’s ugly ass Cybertruck. I still didn’t know what possessed that man to get it. Didn’t matter what paint job or tires you put on it, the shit would still be ugly. Parked next to him was my mother’s brother’s, Uncle Vino, red Lambo. At least I knew who was present without being surprised. My brother’s Range Rover was pulled up to the door. Lazy fuck.
I parked beside my father’s truck then made my way to the entrance. My aunt was already outside waiting when I walked up.
“Ciao, nipote,” she said with extended arms.
She was a tiny little woman with a big voice and big hair. Her curly mane was dyed ginger, and though it looked good, the wind was trying to blow the style away. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed both of her cheeks before she led me inside.
“Ciao, Zia Giulia. Sei bravo?”
“You know I’m well, nipote. Not so much for Serg though. Arlando beat him to a pulp. He’s barely recognizable. Come.”
She led me through the foyer and living areas then ushered me down two flights of stairs, bypassing the entertainment area we would all prefer to be in at this moment. The basement, which we weren’t even supposed to have in this part of Texas, was nothing but concrete and metal, the perfect backdrop to anyone’s horror film.
We walked a little before being greeted by the open space and Serg sitting right in the middle. He was held by chains. Only clothing he had on was his underwear barely hanging on.
I nodded at my father who stood to the side with two of his underbosses, my cousins Gino and Carlo. My uncle was on the opposite side with Arlando and his underboss Bello. He walked over to me and extended his arms for a hug. Vino had always been the friendlier uncle though his tactics were vicious. I greeted him then walked up to my father. He kept a stoic face, but I knew he was happy to see me. I was his spitting image and ran my organization along the likes of his. Though I didn’t like my father personally, business wise, we were more alike than I cared to admit.
“Father,” I said.
He shook my hand but didn’t say a word. He was pissed off due to having to leave his bimbo back home and not chilling on a beach.
“Glad to see you’re doing well though your people tried to steal from me right under your nose,” I stated.
His eye twitched and his nostrils flared. His jaw got tight. I knew it. This was all him and he was using Serg as his pawn. I didn’t need anyone telling me that. I saw it in his demeanor. Fucking bastard.
I looked at Arlando and he nodded. I shook my head then left my father where he stood. I didn’t have any words for him. Not in this setting anyway. Shit, in no setting. Fuck him.
“Serg, our once loyal Serg, decided to take orders from our father instead of staying loyal to those who’ve taken care of him and his family for years,” Arlando explained. “Made him give up shipping information, link ups, drops, warehouses, ports, fuck… the list goes on. Apparently, our father’s business ventures aren’t holding up to his standards, so he thought it was cute to stealfrom his kids. Then had the nerve to order the hit on Bryce when shit didn't go his way. He reached out to Joshua.”
Giulia sucked her teeth and Vino shook his head. They were the only ones who had any power over what happened to our father. Though I would kill the bastard myself, right fucking now, I had to respect the house I was in and those who lived here.
“You steal from your children when you have billions of dollars to yourself? You should be ashamed of yourself, Andre.”
“I didn’t steal anything.”
“Motherfucker, you tried,” Arlando spat.
“And what did my poor Bryce do to you? That is dishonorable to our treaty. You know the rules,” Giulia said.
“Fuck those rules! You only made them because of Adriano,” Andre barked.
