Life After Heart Break

War

The next morning, I woke with Asia in my arms. It was the first time that I had allowed a woman in my home or bed, and I never stayed the whole night with one. I had to say it felt damn good waking up next to someone. Yet I felt sorry for her; she had just gotten her children back, and she didn't even get to see them. I tried to give her hope that they were still alive, but after looking at the morning news, it was confirmed that they had found two adult bodies, one of a pregnant female and the other a male, and three small children ranging from the ages of two to five.

It caused me to call my contact to see what they could tell me about the house fire. Sure enough, Hendrix f****d with the wrong people, and I was one of those people. It had nothing to do with Mai or her betrothed family; it was about him borrowing money and thinking he didn't have to pay it back because he was married to the princess of a Don. It didn't work that way, especially since he borrowed the money before marrying her, which made me check whether Asia was in any danger.

The man set off a web of events and wars that didn't need to be started. Now that Mai was dead, her family was coming, and until they found who was responsible, every mafia on the East Coast could be in danger. I wasn't worried because I knew my mafia was well put together, and we had allies up and down the East Coast, as well as in the Middle East-West, and West Coast, that we could call upon. Becca's family had a problem: they were so messy that no one wanted to f**k with them, but they had better get their s**t together.

"Who is the girl in your bed? She better not be one of your whores that I let wear one of my silk pajamas sets."

"It's after eight, why are you still at home?"

"Because I don't have school on Fridays. I'm a senior, and we don't have school on Fridays, big bro." I laughed because I knew she was lying. Destiny was skipping school as she normally did, and she knew I didn't play those games. I wasn't our parents, and I definitely wasn't our dad, who let her get away with everything she wanted because she was his baby girl or he didn’t care. It was hard to tell.

"Get your ass to school, or I'm taking your car keys. Also, stay out of my f*****g business and I don’t bring whores into my home. Therefore, she isn’t a w***e—"

"I'm definitely not a w***e, and please tell me what happened yesterday was all a dream," Asia spoke from behind my sister. Sadly, I couldn't tell her that, but my little sister's eyes lit up once she turned to her. It was hard to tell what that was about, but I'm sure she would elaborate once she was home.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to introduce you to my little sister, who was trying to skip school today, but this is Destiny, and if you are still here once she is home in a few hours, I will make sure to introduce the two of you formally. Sadly, I can't tell you that, and I wish I had better news. They found human remains... two adults and three children." I spoke as she dropped to her knees. It broke my heart to see her like that as I made my way over to her, pulling her into my arms.

"It isn't right, I've been away from my babies for a whole year. As soon as I got them back, this happens. Why wasn’t I good enough to be their Mother? Hendrix was right, I should have never become a Mom—"

"That's not true. I never knew you as a Mom, but I know that you are a good person with real values. You pulled yourself out of the mud and became something better; for yourself... for your children. When I first met you, it was your energy that drew me to you. You were the light to my dark. I didn't know you, but I knew you would level me out. Your ex did this. He borrowed money from loan sharks and thought that he didn't have to pay it back. He ignored their warnings, and when people f**k over some killers they make examples out of them. They don’t care who they hurt or kill; it's all about making people pay. It wasn't your fault, but I’ll make whoever this was pay for hurting my Shorty."

She chuckled against my chest, which made me smile. She never reacted when I called her Shorty before. Every time she would make a weird face or make a smart remark about it. For months, she did that, but today she laughed as if she liked it. Finally, we were getting somewhere, but I hated that it had to be in a situation like this. Still, I was speaking the truth. If she wanted to start a war with the mafia who done this, I would be right by her side.

"You'll do that for me? A woman you barely know."

"I know enough about you to like what I see and us being friends is to learn each other. Am I wrong?"

"No, but I was wrong about you. Looking at you, I thought that you were like him, but it was from how damaged I was. So, I saw every man the same, and it made it hard to move on with my life until that day I saw the two of them together. I was hurting for a long time, and all I wanted was for him to take me back. Like an i***t, I called begging him almost every day to take me back. I made a fool of myself, and everything he said that I was, it was all him. He said that I would bring harm to our babies, and he was the cause of their deaths. Killing won't bring them back, but it will stop them from hurting another child."

I nodded just as my phone rang. I knew it was my grandfather because it was getting close to the gala where he was going to introduce me as the new Don. Then, a month later, I had to be sworn in, and I couldn't understand why we couldn't do everything at once. I hated being around groups of people, especially when they were there to look at me like I was a piece of cattle being sold to the highest bidder.

'Pa, I know what I need to do, but I have another situation to handle right now. Can we talk about this later?'

‘I wish that we could, but this has to be done on time, Sev. Whatever you think that's more important, drop it and get your ass to my house for this fitting and Margret found you a date...'

'I don't need a date, Pa. I have one, and I'll make sure I take her to find a dress, but don't worry. Find someone else to go with Margaret's granddaughter. You and I talked about this and I'll be over shortly... bye.'

"Who is this date that you claim you found?"

"You, of course, but before we go to my Grandfather's home, my brother said the police were at your apartment. I'm going to take you to the station, then to a boutique I think you'll like. After you can meet my crazy ass Grandfather, but don't be alarmed, he's missing his legs."

The way she was looking at me made me want to laugh. No, I didn't ask her whether she wanted to do what I said; she just needed to be around people who made her feel loved. So, before she could say anything, I gave her some clothes that I had my sister leave for her. It would be mean to let her go through this alone. Truthfully, I was looking for her to put up a fight, but she left to shower or whatever she did, but I knew it took her about an hour before she came back down after we left for the police station.

"Sevyn, my man, what are you doing here in this hellhole. Or have you come to turn yourself in..."

"For me to do that, you have to have something against me, which you don't, but I came to bring my girl down here to talk with the chief about that house explosion."

"Oh, you most be Ms. Roberts. We use dental records to identify the remains found in the house, and I know you were only interested in the children's remains, but there was a match. I'm sorry for your loss." Again, she started to cry, and there wasn't much I could say but to hold her to my chest as I did so many times before until she stopped crying. It was then that the chief came and told her when she could collect their remains. There wasn't too much she could do, but I realized she was more like me than I liked to admit. She didn't want to have a funeral, and that was okay.

Our next stop was the boutique, where she could pick out a dress. Now I saw why men didn't like going shopping with women; it took her the longest to pick a dress. In the end, I had to step in and pick the dress myself, which made her mad and cry since she was still emotional. I didn't know how it felt to lose a child, let alone three in one day. I was trying to make her happy, but it ended with her crying.

It wasn't my intention, but we were taking too long at the boutique, and my grandfather was getting on my last nerve, calling me back and forth as if I was lost in a storm. I had to do something to hurry her shopping along, and it was to help pick out the dress she'd already tried on three or four times. I could tell she liked it but couldn't decide between the red and rose gold dresses. I picked the red one that showed off her curves more.

"About time, Sev, that man has been driving me crazy about where you were... Oh, this is the mystery woman whom you decided to bring to the gala besides my granddaughter."

“Your granddaughter." I laughed. I wasn't about to take that ugly little trick anywhere with me. All the guards in my grandpa's home had their turn with her, including my brother Quinton and our father. There was no way in hell she was about to be hanging on my arm at the gala.

"Yeah, I don’t think so… Margert, you know the reputation that your granddaughter has, and I would never be caught with that, but this is Asia. Asia, this is my Grandfather's caregiver. She's an aggravating ass woman whom I hate with a passion, but she takes good care of my Pa. Where is he, by the way? I hope in the living room and not that dark bedroom."

As always, Margert didn't say a word, but she pointed to the living room. The woman knew I didn't like her, her daughter, son, or granddaughter. She was there for one reason: to take care of my grandfather until I found someone else for the job."

"Grandpa, how are you today? Did Quinton and Kiran come by to see you like I told them?"

"Kiran came by with his friend. He thinks I don't know about him and how he likes to f**k niggas and bitches. I can see his rainbow from a mile away, and I don't f*****g care. That other brother of yours I haven't seen that asshole... and who is this beauty. Sit, let me look at you. Is this the girl you've been going on and on about? The one you are willing to start a war for?"

"She is."

"Then tell me the problem."