Page 71 of Maceo

“Shar?” Deuce said. “Small and intimate? That doesn’t even sound right.”

“Don’t do my girl like that,” Jaeda said. “I’m sure whatever y’all plan will be beautiful, Maceo.”

“The question is, have you asked Mr. Paul’s permission?” Smoke asked. “You know that nigga has a couple of loose screws. He might shoot your ass.”

“I’m gonna swing by and talk to him today,” I confirmed.

“Good,” my father said. “It might sound sexist, but it’s different when you have daughters, and she’s his only daughter. Whatever man Jaeda and Mia end up with better ask for permission to take my babies.”

“I’m getting married in secret before y’all can scare my husband off,” Mia declared.

“We can still scare him off,” Steel told her. “Marriage ain’t nothing but a piece of paper. Yo’ nigga better come correct or come up missing.”

Mia stuck her middle finger up at him, and my father laughed. “Mia needs a man that’s just like y’all so he won’t be a pushover.”

She frowned. “Ew! I don’t want a man like any of them. He should be sweet and wholesome?—”

Steel cut her off. “Oh! So you wanna rule over him? Got it.”

They started arguing, and all I could do was shake my head. I got up from the table and dapped my pops so I could leave. He walked me to the front door and out to my car.

“I’m sorry about this shit, Pop,” I said, sincerely.

“No need to apologize now, man. What’s done is done. We’re gonna take care of this problem and move on. I hope you’ve learned your lesson about why we don’t work with outsiders anymore. It’s very, very rare we let anybody infiltrate our circle for this very reason.”

“I get it. I’m done with that shit.”

“Listen, if you want more responsibility, I’ll let you split running point with Deuce. You have to know you are his right-hand for a reason, Maceo. Remember that when you feel like you are disposable.”

I nodded.

He pulled me in for a hug and kissed my temple. “I love you, son.”

“I love you too.”

“Now, go get my daughter-in-law her ring. It better be a nice one too, nigga.”

I grinned. “Only the best for my baby.”

We dapped each other again before I climbed in my car and made my way to the jeweler’s.

“Oooo, what about this one!”

Salima pointed at a beautiful ring with flawless diamonds in the center display case.

“Let me see that one, Enzo,” I said to my jeweler.

“Now that’s a nice one,” he said, opening the case. “Vintage. Three carats. I’d cut you a nice deal on this one.”

He pulled the ring out and handed it to me. I inspected it carefully. It was definitely top of the line and one of a kind. When I turned to Salima, she was giddy with excitement.

“You think she’ll like this one?” I asked.

She nodded as she took the ring from me and slipped it on her finger. “I think she will love it. It’s not too big that it would weigh her finger down, but it’s definitely a conversation piece. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“I actually designed this one myself,” Enzo said.

She gasped. “Really! You do custom pieces?”

---