“You crazy. But Porsha is like family. She was the first person in Mina’s circle to welcome me. To advocate for me. Gave her stamp of approval for Mina being with me.” His appreciation was laced through his voice and all over his face.
“You mean when you were being a fake white boy?”
He gave a half smile at the life he had basically uncovered. Even I’d heard the news inside about him finding out he was Black. “Yeah even back then. I don’t have no favorites among my sisters, I’d do whatever necessary for any of them. They might be aggravating at times but it comes with the territory. But Porsha is special. She’s a real one. She loves real hard.”
I held up my hand to stop him because he needed to know this relationship wasn’t something that I took lightly.
“You ain’t got to worry about that loving hard being reciprocated. I wouldn’t be with her if I was about to play games. If anything, her mean ass was playing with me all this time. Somebody go have this talk with her.”
He nodded and smiled, which wasn’t the reaction I expected. “We know you not. I know you not. I wasn’t coming to threaten you or no shit like that. I was going to thank you.”
“Thank me? Coby, are you well? You sure you ain’t got another lil linebacker baking?”
“That would be impossible. Well, shit, not with me, it’s not. But improbable and not what we talking about. We know y’all been together for a minute. Porsha was in a better head space and we didn’t know why. Now we do. You’re the reason for it, bruh. So thank you. My sister being happy makes my wife happy. It’s one less person she loves that she has to worry about. Mina might be tough as shit to y’all but that loving hard thing is a common trait among all of them. Well, not Rye, she’ll cut a man off quick.”
I laughed and looked at Rye dancing with Antwan and her little girl. She looked like a sweet little lady but Lyric said she was even wilder than her.
“Facts.”
Coby’s hand on my shoulder had me turning back toward him. “But now we ain’t got to worry about somebody doingher wrong or whether she being treated well. And it’s one less muthafucka I got to worry about potentially having to kill.”
“I know they call youMurdaand all but stop playing.” I chuckled but his brows just rose like I’d said something funny.
“I know you ain’t think you was the only one round here that knows the Millers, Cannons and the Warrens.” He was saying without saying that he knew the same people I did.
That nigga gave me a wink and a smirk, which caused me to stand up straighter. I had to look at this man completely different because what the fuck he mean?
“Not us over here bonding over mutual mob ties and murders.” I didn’t say anything else, just sipped from myPrismand wondered who else around us was affiliated.
His face went back to the normal look he wore as his oldest son came up tugging on his hand. Jacoby picked him up and turned right back into the family man.
“Just means it was always gone be this way. But thank you for real. You even more family now so that same energy I’d give to Porsha is extended to you. I know you ain’t gone take it, but if y’all need anything—”
“It’s appreciated but definitely not necessary. Just like before you knew you came from some rich folks you got stuff on your own. I wouldn’t be a man if I couldn’t say I did the same.”
His little boy who looked like the more tan version of him with slightly darker hair and lighter eyes was distracting him and giving me baby fever. “Understood. But let me know if you want to jump on the family vacations and shit. Hit up one of the cribs—”
“One of?”
Antwan walked up holding his daughter and when I looked I saw his wife now at the table with Porsha and Billy. I was sure Yzzy would’ve been over there if she wasn’t the bride. “These niggas got a house on just about every island. Like a luxuryrental pimp my house kinda thing. Took Rye there for our second honeymoon.” He was grinning and bouncing his baby girl to the music. She had the same pecan colored skin as her mother and two pretty afro puffs.
“Ain’t that just an anniversary?”
“Nah man, second honeymoon. I’m celebrating that woman marrying me every chance I get. You know how much of a fuck boy I was? Rye lil’ tiny ass ain’t wrapped too tight. Keeping her happy keeps me happy and breathing and here for my baby with the chance to give her a sibling.” He bounced his daughter in his arms with a smile.
“I can’t even lie he really was an f boy.”
Coby was cleaning it up for his son, whereas Antwan didn’t. I knew that was partly Rye cause these two weren’t going to sugarcoat anything. Now the little girl was probably gone be calling some other kid a raggedy bitch on the playground.
“Aye, I’m reformed!” Antwan had the nerve to look offended, which somehow made the situation funnier.
“Getting kicked in the nuts does that to you.”
I looked between the two of them waiting for the story while Coby just laughed, and Antwan grimaced. “There’s a whole story there.”
“Just know his ass deserved worse. But that’s how you know Rye is a good one. They all are. Count yourself lucky.”
“From how I started in this world, I never thought I would be here. I’ve been blessed a lot and I know that woman over there is the greatest one of all.”
