Page 69 of Maceo

“Says who? I’m your man, right?”

“Yes, but?—”

“But nothing. Didn’t I tell your father I was prepared to spoil you in every way?”

All I could do was nod. He’d been giving me everything. Whether it was physical, mental, sexual, or whatever, if I needed it, he provided it.

“Open the armrest,” he said, nodding at it.

I slowly opened the center console to find fifty thousand in bands of hundred-dollar bills.

“Why would you do all of this?” I wailed, burying my face in my hands.

“Because you’re mine. I take care of what’s mine.” He pulled my hands from my face and wiped my tears. “I love you, Sharina. I know it hasn’t been long, and I know my brothers are gonna be on my ass because I said I wasn’t looking for love… but I love you. You make a nigga feel good… seen… loved for more than what I can give you. For that, you deserve the world.”

I was shocked by his expression. I went into this not looking for love, either. As life would have it, I’d found my best friend.

I cupped his face. “I love you too, Maceo.”

That night, we’d fucked on every square inch of his house, and I expressed my gratitude with every part of my body.

“That was a wild night,” I said, fingering his locs.

“That was the night I knew I wasn’t letting up on you.” He peered into my eyes, and his face grew serious. “I’ve never been one to really plan for the future. I’m used to living in the moment. Meeting you changed that. I don’t know what the outcome of this whole thing will be, but whatever time I have left on this earth, I want to spend it with you right by my side, Sharina.”

He sat up with me still straddling him. When he slid me onto the couch and got down on one knee, I gasped.

“Mace—”

“I don’t have a ring tonight, but I can get one first thing in the morning. I don’t wanna wait weeks, months, or years. I wantwhatever forever looks like for us right now. Will you marry me, Shar?”

We were sittingwith the rest of the family at the big house, waiting for my father to get here. Jaeda had already broken the news of her findings to him, and he was pissed, to say the least. He’d already dug into my ass about it, but in the next breath assured me that we were going to handle this shit. I was just ready for it to be over.

The team wasn’t handling David’s death well, and there was still no sign of Zeno. I’d even had Jaeda track his location, but she came up with nothing. The last hit she got on him was from days ago, and right around the time David was killed. I couldn’t help but to think he was gone, too, and we were just waiting for a body to fall.

“This nigga just been doing the most this year,” Steel said, breaking me out of my thoughts. He slapped my shoulder with a grin. “Trickin’, secret missions, now he’s getting married.”

Shar had already called Salima first thing this morning to tell her about our engagement. She told my brother, and, of course, he told everybody else.

“I knew you were gonna follow in Deuce’s footsteps,” Smoke said. “Ol’ simping ass muthafucka.”

“Y’all leave him alone,” Jaeda defended, hugging me. “I’m happy for you and my girl.” She kissed my cheek. “She’s gonna make a beautiful bride.”

“How did you propose without a ring, Maceo?” Mia asked. “I would have said no until you came correct.”

“Who would you say no to?” I fired back. “You don’t have a man.”

“I could have had a man if you, your brothers, and y’all’s daddy wasn’t cockblocking at Mama Steph’s wedding.”

“No, the fuck you couldn’t have,” Deuce snapped. “I’m just getting used to my mama being married. You and Jaeda ain’t about to run my blood pressure up.”

Jaeda scoffed. “How did I get into this!”

“’Cause I know your ass is still looking at niggas online. Didn’t I tell you to stop that?”

“Stanley, I’m grown, and you are not my daddy. Didn’tItellyouthat?”

“You’re getting beside yourself, lil’ bit.”

---