Page 26 of Hood Legacy

“I can,” I laughed. She handed me the shoes and then helped me finish getting ready. Thirty minutes later, I was sitting in the back of the car my parents sent for me, on my way to the restaurant.

I walked into the restaurant and looked around. The room was cold and dull, which fit my parents to a tee.

“Hello, I am here for the Glover party,” I said, checking in.

“You’re the last to arrive,” the hostess said. She walked away from the podium, and I followed behind her, already dreading having to do this. She led me to a room in the back and opened the door. I was about to walk into the room, but a hand on my back stopped me. I turned to look into Aceyn’s eyes, and my heart melted. He smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but return the gesture. He looked good in a black suit and a pair of black loafers. His lineup was fresh, and when he smiled at me, I noticed that he wore his fangs, giving him an edge.

She looked good as fuck,and I knew I’d made the right decision to cancel my meetings to be here. I licked my lips and took her in. A nigga was weak as fuck and falling fast. When my phone rang in the locker room earlier, it was my pop giving me an update on Mama. She was still against doing another round of chemo, and he was thinking about taking her out of town for the weekend and wanted my input. I was down for whatever they wanted to do and told him I’d be by later to talk in person. When I finished the call with him, I decided to move up some meetings or cancel them. I wanted to be here with Legacy for support and am glad I’d come.

“What are you doing here?” she asked softly as I hugged her. “I thought you had a meeting.”

“This shit is more important,” I answered, then kissed her forehead. I took her hand, interlaced our fingers, and walked to the table. Her parents watched us closely with a disapproving look. I’d clocked their shit the second I stepped into the room. They didn’t think highly of Legacy and thought even less of me, which was cool because I liked being underestimated.

“Thank you,” she said as I pushed her seat. “Doctor, Professor.”

“Legacy,” her parents said her name in unison.

“This is Aceyn Bowlin,” she introduced us. Her parents barely glanced at me before returning to their daughter. Legacy sighed and shook her head; her parents’ behavior had to be normal for her. “How are you?” she rested her hands in her lap and crossed her legs.

“Fine,” her mama replied.

“Managing,” her daddy said. “How are you?”

“Good,” she answered. The conversation between them sounded like a fucking meeting instead of a family catching up.

I adjusted my suit jacket and shook my head. This shit wasn’t going to last long.

“Where is your detail, Legacy?” her mama asked, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see her foot start to move. “I pay for Jermaine to be with you always. Where is he?”

“I let him go,” I said before Legacy could answer.

“Why?” her mother questioned with a slight attitude. “He is my employee, not yours.”

“Your employee is trash,” I answered. Legacy stiffened beside me, and I knew she hadn’t told her parents about her stalker. “I’m replacing him.”

“So, you’re dating the help?” her mama asked. Her dismissive behavior would get her feelings hurt if she didn’t get it together if she kept trying me. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Aceyn is a doctor,” Legacy said, shaking her head. “He’s the team’s doctor.”

“The team doctor?” her mama questioned. “Then he’s dating the help.”

“Are you fucking him for a spot on the team?” her daddy dared to ask, and I started to laugh. “He’s laughing, you must be!” He sneered at Legacy as if she wasn’t shit. “I can not believe you! Don’t you have respect for yourself?”

“This is why we sent you, Jermaine, to keep you in check!” Her mama slammed her hand into the table and shook her head. “You–”

“I’ll kill you,” I said, tapping my gun against her mama's forehead. “If you disrespect her one more time, I’m going to blow your fucking brains out all over this damn table. Please try me.” Her parents turned and looked at me; her bitch ass daddy looked scared as shit, while her mama looked annoyed. “The way you’re speaking to her ain’t gonna fly with me. Watch your fucking mouth.”

“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are!” her mom scoffed as if I was a little nigga and I smiled.

“My name is Hood,” I said as I stood. The barrel of my gun pressed into her forehead, and my trigger finger was itching to squeeze. “That’s who the fuck I know I am. Now, I don’t know who the fuck you thinkyouare.”

“I’m her mother.”

“Nah,” I denied and shook my head. “Parents don’t talk to their daughters the way you and that bitch nigga over there was speaking to Legacy. That shit was on some dismissive, verbally abusive ass shit. Trust me, cuz my mama speak life into me, even when she mad at a nigga. There's a difference.”

“You’re only defending her because you're sleeping with her,” her mama declared, and my face twisted in confusion.

“Nah, I’m defending her because y’all are some pieces of shit,” I said, shaking my head. “We ain’t fucked yet, and I'm pulling a gun on you. Can you even imagine how I’ma move when I finally slide into them walls?” I smiled. “I know I’ma spazz then, but it's cool cuz I’m fallin' in love with her ass, so that shit is to be expected.”

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