Page 28 of Dom
She blinked started at them before picking them up. It wasn’t shit she hadn’t seen before. “Thank you, Dom.”
The way she said my name, all soft and drawn sounded out, like she was tasting it, I could already feel the heat in her stare. She still wanted me and that’s the only part that wasn’t newabout all of this, but it wasn’t her want that caught me off guard, it was her need. It was loud as hell in her eyes. She needed something, and someone to hold on to and right now, I was the only thing familiar in her upside-down world.
“Keep the phones locked at all times and use face ID only. If you change anything, I’ll know.” I told her. She nodded her head letting me know she understood and then I continued. “I’m settin’ you up at the spa front desk. You’ll be trained with a legit paper trail under yo’ new identity. Ain’t no more Victoria Blanca. That name don’t exist in this city no more.”
She looked up at me again. “You didn’t have to do all this…”
“I didn’t,” I said, stepping closer. “But I did… so don’t make me regret it.”
I could tell she wanted to say something else, maybe some sweet shit, maybe another thank you, but I had already read between the lines, and her gratitude wasn’t just about the phones or the job…. it was for me. It was for not turning my back on her like her own blood did. I could feel her desire for me the way her energy bounced, and she fought her suppressed thoughts. I didn’t let that shit faze me, because the truth was... Victoria ain’t got shit to offer me right now but a pretty face and some wet pussy and I got more than enough of both swimming in my city. Until she learned how to stand on her own two feet, she wasn’t nothing but a body with a past and a name that couldn’t be said out loud. Fuck no, I didn’t have time for that shit.
She looked back at me with them soft brown eyes, trying to keep it clean, but I knew that look. Victoria was bad and her face card never declined. Her waist was small, and her body was stacked like her ass should’ve come with a warning label. However, wanting me and being worth me were two different conversations. Right now, all she had to offer was a body and a pretty face. She ain’t had shit to give herself yet, let alone me oranyone else but I wasn’t heartless and if she stayed in her lane, I might just help her build something and not for me but for her damn self.
I just looked at her a second longer before I turned to go. Two of my shadows nodded at me as I walked past the elevators. They’d be posted outside her condo twenty-four-seven. Victoria wasn’t moving without one of my people shadowing her, even if she didn’t know it. I didn’t trust her… not yet at least.
Once I got back in the truck, I exhaled hard. My mind was already somewhere else… on Carmen. She said she hadn’t been feeling right, and she was going to lie down. I could hear the exhaustion in her voice and something about that didn’t sit right with me. Carmen didn’t get sick like that for as long as I could remember. I told the driver, “Take me to the crib,” but before we even hit the next light, my other phone vibrated with Keondra’s name on the screen.
I already knew this wasn’t gon’ be a smooth convo. I answered on speaker. “What’s up?”
Her voice came through all loud. “What’s up is Dique trippin’… talking ‘bout I gotta move! Dom, I pay two hundred in rent on my voucher… two hundred! You know what type of come up that is? Y’all not finna uproot me like I don’t got no say.”
I exhaled once again, then nodded at the driver. “Change of plans. Take me to the hood.”
I let her keep talking while we rolled through the streets heading to the city. When we got in her area, the kids were playing barefoot in the dirt patch out in front of the corner store bringing back memories of the kind of shit we did when we were little in the hood, we made our own fun. This was Keondra’s world, this shit was her whole kingdom, wrapped in Section 8 paper. When I pulled up to her duplex, she was standing on the porch with a bonnet on. She was still on the phone when Istepped out of the truck, with the phone pressed to her ear until she realized I was right in front of her.
“Dom…” she blinked, lowering the phone. “Oh fuck, you really pulled up?”
I walked up slowly, not on no rah-rah shit, but she could feel the heat. “You lucky I did.”
She sucked her teeth and crossed her arms. “So, I’m just supposed to pack up and go like I ain’t got history here? All my peoples are here.”
“You got history,” I said, “but you ain’t got no future here.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off with a look. “I’ll make this real clear,” I said, stepping closer to her so she could look deep in my eyes and understand how serious I was. “You got a child that’s connected to my family now… to the Royal name. That makes you part of somethin’ bigger whether you like it or not. This hood? This two-hundred-dollar setup? Man, that’s over. Dique don’t want his kid growin’ up on these corners, around them rats and broke niggas that hang on porches… and I don’t either.” I explained the most direct way I could. She stared at me, trying to match energy, but I could see the gears turning and she knew not to say shit. I continued, “I’m givin’ you a way out for a better life. You should be grateful, because the other option…?” I paused and then spoke again. “Keep poppin’ off, I’ll make you disappear and keep the child. Ain’t nobody gon’ miss a loudmouth.”
I could see the way her energy shifted as she processed what I said knowing that I wasn’t bullshitting while she tried to weigh her options of pride or survival. “Fine,” she said finally. “I’ll go.”
“Good,” I said, stepping back toward the truck. “Your new spot gon’ be secured and you’ll be watched. If you act right, you’ll be taken care of. Act stupid… you’ll regret it.” I got back in the Escalade and the driver pulled off. The second we turned the corner; my mind went back to Carmen. She was the only womanI cared about in a real way right now. I had to make sure she was straight, so I told the driver, “Take me to my wife.” And that’s exactly what the fuck I meant.
The steam floated around me, as I sunk deeper into the tub. I had filled it to the brim, letting the Epsom salt, coconut milk, and a splash of lavender oil soothe the ache that lingered in my body from the shootout that night. Rose petals floated on the surface of the water while soft R&B played from my Bluetooth speaker on the counter. My eyes were closed, but my mind was far from closed off. That feeling in my stomach was still there. It wasn’t a sharp pain, it was more like a dull, nagging discomfort I couldn’t shake. I pressed the palm of my hand to my belly and slowly exhaled letting the water do what it could.
When I finally got out, I wrapped my robe around me and made my way into the kitchen. I already had my pot of chicken souse reheating and seasoned to perfection with lime, onions, celery, garlic, a little scotch bonnet, and that splash of vinegar to make it hit right. The smell filled the penthouse giving it a warm and nostalgic feel. I poured myself a ginger ale over ice,grabbed a spoon, and took a seat on the edge of my bed with the blackout curtains slowly sliding shut behind me after I pressed the button.
I pulled the comforter over my lap, turned on a movie deciding to watch ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ for the third time, and started eating. The souse went down warm, but the ginger ale I could feel fizz in my stomach a little and of course, I tried to ignore it. A FaceTime call came through and I answered seeing that it was O’Shynn. She was posted up at her place with no makeup, a comfortable fleece warm up with bonnet on, and her legs kicked up.
“You look like you just got out the spa,” she said with a grin.
“I did…. except it’s my own damn tub,” I chuckled.
“You good though?” she asked, as her own voice showed a touch of concern. O’Shynn always knew when something wasn’t right with any of us.
I hesitated. “I’m okay, I’m just tired and then my body is sore. It’s probably a mix of everything.”
She nodded but didn’t press the issue. We chatted about her new dancers at the club, a money count mishap from one of her girls, and a few names from our past that popped up on her radar but halfway through our convo, the security camera alert pinged on my phone. I tapped the screen, and saw Dom.
He was looking too damn fine for his own good, standing outside my front door with his hands in his pockets like he wasn’t a whole cartel kingpin. I told O’Shynn I’d call her back and hung up, setting my bowl aside. When he entered, I could tell he was trying to read me. His usual cold stare was softened a little as his eyes roamed my entire body.
“You alright?” he asked, “And don’t bullshit me. What’s goin’ on with you?”
