Page 36 of Karrington

As soon asI stepped inside of Caesar’s restaurant, all eyes were on me. He was old school and didn’t bother trying to hide the fact that his restaurant was a front. He was never open to the public, only using the space for meetings with his people. With a chuckle, I headed in his direction as he stood. His arms were opened wide, and I accepted the embrace. We didn’t bother trying to fake the funk and establish a father and son bond, but I did wonder if spending time with him would be reminiscent of being with my own father. The only person who gave me a slight feeling of that connection was Uncle Johnny.

“Thank you for coming, son. You hungry?”

“I could eat,” I replied as I sat at the round, brown table.

Caesar’s fingers snapped, and a woman immediately scurried over with a menu. As I looked it over, conversations finally started back up. Caesar’s barbecue joint had good food, and it was a shame he wasn’t open to the public. I was going to take full advantage, though, and get a slab of the ribs that fell right off the motherfucking bone.

“What’s this about, Caesar?” I asked, sliding the menu forward on the table.

“I wanted to feed you first, but I’m sure you’re a busy man, so I’ll get to it.” He gestured with his hand, and three men walked over to the table. While one set a black briefcase on the table, the other opened a case that was filled with drawers of jewelry. The third man handed me a portfolio, and as I flipped through it, each page had a different luxury car on it. “There’s two million inthis briefcase. I want you to pick whatever pieces of jewelry you want, and three cars.”

My brows wrinkled as I looked up at him. With a shake of my head, I set the portfolio down. “Caesar, I know it would be considered disrespect for me to decline, but I—”

“I’m glad you know that, so you won’t do it.” His grin spread. “Let me thank you. You also will have a favor with my organization. If at any point you need anything, never hesitate to call me. And on the off chance Donovan’s father finds out you’re responsible for his son’s death and decides to start a war because of it, I’ll fight beside you.”

Sighing, I picked the portfolio back up. I didn’t want to get on his bad side and not accept the gifts, so I picked the cars and some necklaces and earrings to give to Eyela and Ma. Less than fifteen minutes passed before my food was coming out.

As I ate, we talked and got to know each other, and he was surprisingly a chill dude. I wasn’t sure if we’d hang out on a regular basis, but he did invite me back to the restaurant next week, and we made plans to catch a few NFL games together since Eyela had gifted me with a season pass for the presidential club suite for my favorite team—the Eagles. Nothing would replace the bond I had with my father, but I was grateful to have men like Caesar and Uncle Johnny in my life.

20

Eyela

Two Weeks Later

“I’m notsure why you’re so nervous, princess.” My eyes rolled at the sound of Mommy’s words. While I was a nervous wreck, she was excited. “This was one of the main goals of the marriage.”

“Well yes but still. What if I’m not pregnant? What if I am? Am I ready to be someone’s mother?”

She chuckled. “You were just excited about the possibility. What’s changed?”

As I scratched my ear, I sighed. She’d come over to keep me company while I baked a cake for Karrington. My period was late, and that hadn’t happened since I gave him my virginity. When I first realized it, I was excited and immediately called her. Now, my nerves were getting the best of me. The puppies would be here in December, and I felt like I could fail with them. I couldn’t fail with a human baby. Even though I could vocalize why I was feeling how I was feeling, I didn’t want her trying to give me a pep talk to change my mind. I wanted to feel it becausethat would be the only way I’d do whatever it took not to let it happen.

When she realized I wasn’t going to respond, she walked over, squeezed my shoulders, and kissed my cheek.

“You are ready. Even if you aren’t, that baby is gonna come. You won’t be alone. I’ll be with you every step of the way. I know I wasn’t a perfect mother, but no one is. What matters most is that you love that baby, nurture and guide them, and make better choices for them than were made for you. That’s how our bloodline gets stronger and better.”

Nodding, I smiled as my eyes watered. “Thanks, Mommy. You weren’t perfect because you’re right, no one is, but I wouldn’t trade you and Daddy for any other parents in the world.”

I set the icing on the island so I could hug her back fully. Once I got the cake iced, we headed into the spa to be pampered, then she left. I decided to take a quick nap before Karrington came home. He’d been super busy checking in with the teams and getting ready for the ceremony in October. I wanted this news to make him happy, and I hoped he hadn’t changed his mind about giving our marriage a real chance. He hadn’t been as flighty, but that month of avoiding me had traumatized me. All I could do was hope he never did it again.

The Test

“Little one.”

Karrington’s voice and his gentle touch coaxed me out of my sleep. “Hmm?”

“Uh… Is there something you need to tell me? Why is there a pink and blue cake on the island in the kitchen?”

My eyes popped open, and I sat up so quickly I almost head butted him. “I overslept. What time is it?”

Chuckling, Karrington followed me as I dashed out of our bedroom. I didn’t feel like I had any symptoms really, but I had been more tired than usual. At first, I thought it was PMS until my period never came.

“Eyela…”

“I wanted to surprise you,” I whined. “I had this cute little speech. I was going to pour you a shot of whisky and tell you we were either going to celebrate or—”

Karrington scooped me up into his arms. “Baby, stop, and take a deep breath for me.” I did. “Now… Are you pregnant?”

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