Page 93 of Don Caselli

“What up?”

“I’m not fucking slow.”

“Any fucking way. This new year and role require a lot from you. To step up within the family and be my mouthpiece when I cannot.”

“Understood.”

“Means, you need your own jet… got that sent to you this morning. Should be at the airport for your return… Happy birthday, pussy.”

I felt like I had a stroke and hadn’t heard him correctly. Menace didn’t say he bought me my own fucking jet. Ain’t no way he did some shit like that.

“Maverick?”

The line was quiet – again. He hated when someone used his real name. Stevie and Kora were the only people that called him by his actual name. Zoya, out of spite, always called him Menace. His ass killed my best friend, so he was always a Menace in my book, so I used the name he went by.

“Landon?” he replied.

“A fucking jet?”

“Don’t make this weird. I’m not fucking kissing you, either.” He ended the call, and I rested the phone against my forehead as I laughed.

There would be no hug, kiss, or anything to acknowledge that he did something nice for me. It had always been like that, and that was our reality when it came to our older brother. Every birthday, we always woke up to a large lump sum of money or an expensive gift waiting outside for us.

“Throw some ass for the birthday boy… throw some ass for the birthday boy!” Navy came out the villa and started shaking her ass.

I watched as her shit moved in the sun dress and bit my bottom lip. “You gonna get yo ass in trouble.”

“My middle name is trouble.” She walked over toward me, and plopped down beside me. “What’s the matter?”

“Why you assuming something wrong?”

She nudged my shoulder with hers and leaned her head on my arm. “Hey, you know you can be honest with me. You don’t need to always pretend to be alright with me.”

I looked over at her and smirked. “My brother bought me a jet for my birthday.”

Navy snapped her head up and stared at me. “I’m here for you, I promise… but you rich folks. Why is that a reason to be all in your feelings, nutcase?”

I pulled her onto my lap and laughed. “I’m not in my feelings… digesting the shit. Trying to figure out how I feel, you know?”

“I know how I would feel,” she muttered.

“How?”

“Grateful.”

“I feel that.”

“Blessed.” She kissed my lips.

My hands squeezed her ass. “Definitely feeling that.”

“Like you should welcome me to the miles high club.”

I kissed her neck. “Definitely giving you the membership on the way back home.”

She giggled. “I have some things planned for you today.”

I raised my eyebrow and stared at her. “Yeah?”

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