Mel was dozing when I came in. Her hand rested on our son’s little cap. He looked just like me. I sat down beside the bed, exhaling for what felt like the first time all night.
She stirred. “You okay?”
“I am now,” I murmured.
She looked at me, concern written all over her face. “What happened?”
“She set me up,” I said. “She told the police that I had something to do with her brother disappearing. I handled it, though.”
Mel was quiet, then nodded once. “Handled?”
“Handled,” I confirmed. “It’s done.”
She didn’t ask how. She didn’t need to. I kissed her forehead, then looked down at my son. Nobody was ever gone threaten what was mine again.
Not without consequences.
23
Epilogue
Kilo
wedding day…
For once, my mind wasn’t running, wasn’t filled with shit I had to fix or enemies to handle. Today was about Mel. About us. About the life we built from ashes.
I stood in the suite at the Richmond Royale Hotel, fixing my cufflinks in the mirror. My tux was black on black. Benny was running around in his little suit, refusing to stay still. Jet was posted on the couch with a juice box, watching cartoons after his daddy threatened his lil’ ass.
Stacks was leaned against the wall, arms folded, watching the chaos with a grin.
“Boy, sit down somewhere ’fore you spill something on that damn tux,” he told Benny.
“Ain’t gone spill nothing!” Benny shouted, grinning wide, locs bouncing.
Buck was on the other side of the room, pacing while he talked on the phone. Something about the catering. He was always doing the most—even on my damn day.
“Tell them if the crab cakes ain’t hot, I’m flipping the whole fuckin’ table over,” he growled into the phone, then turned to me. “You good?”
I nodded, adjusting my tie. “Yeah.”
“You don’t look nervous,” Jace said from the armchair, flipping through his phone.
“I ain’t.”
“That’s ’cause he knows she the one,” Stacks added. “Real ones don’t get cold feet.”
I gave them a slight smirk. They weren’t wrong.
Keenan came in then, straightening his collar. “Gigi said bring y’all asses.” Buck smacked him upside the head because he was closer, but we did as he said because I didn’t want no smoke wit’ my mama.
I took one last look in the mirror before following behind my brothers and nephews.
***
The ballroom at the Richmond Royale looked like something out of a dream. Dark florals, gold accents, candles lit like firelight kissed every table. The aisle was lined with petals in a sea of blue and cream, with an arch at the end that looked like it belonged in a fairytale.
But I wasn’t thinking about none of that. Not once my eyes landed on my forever. She stepped into the doorway slow, withKeenan escorting her as a soft instrumental version of ‘If This World Were Mine’ playing low. Her veil was light, floating like it wasn’t even there. Her dress hugged her body just enough, classy but bold, like her. Cropped sleeves, shimmer trailing behind her like she came from the sky herself.
