Page 7 of River & Crown
"Ight. Go get Honor," I dryly stated.
"Okay."
Turning for the door, Emily walked over and yanked it open. Peering over her shoulder, she asked, "What about us?"
"I still wanna get to know you." I winked.
She simpered, deepening the colors in her cheeks. The door closed, and my eyes closed with it.
It's not your time.
The voice was whispery and sweet. I smiled, knowing exactly who it belonged to.
I love you, Ma.
Opening my eyes, I used my right hand to make the sign of the cross, kissed my fingers, and then silently prayed for strength and decrement.
Prologue: River Ashland
Before River Knew Crown
Pissed.
Enraged.
Fuming.
Every emotion based in anger traveled through me as I weaved this busted Toyota Camry in and out of traffic. My foot mashed the gas, and my fingers gripped the wheel as I cut close into the left lane just to speed past three cars and cut back into the right. Stop signs and red lights didn't matter. I silently asked God to guide me and get me to my destination in one piece.
"River."
I snapped my head to the left. The rich, gravelly voice of my lover used to bring me so much joy and cut my oxygen supply in half. Hearing my name in that sexy baritone caused my heart to fall off rhythm. I used to clamp my thighs together to keep the flooding within the realms of my pussy lips.Used towas literally thirty minutes ago, before the man I loved decided to hang out of a fucking window and shoot up a block with a M4 assault rifle. A damn gun no regular nigga off the street should have access to. Now all his Dave East-sounding ass did was piss me the fuck off.
"River."
I grimaced in his direction, then quickly focused back on the road. I had no words for Sincere. I had no words for anyone in this moment. All I felt was anger coursing through my veins. My blood was boiling, heating my skin to the touch. Sincere had lost his muthafuckin' mind.
"River!" he barked. Instead of looking at him, I focused on the road's lines blurring as I zipped by.
"River!"
Making a hard left, I jerked the car, sending his body slamming against the door.
"Fuck, River, slow the fuck up," he gritted.
I shook my head, truly at a loss for words. Anything I might've said to express these unnatural feelings escaped me. It was clear Sincere's outlandish behavior didn't bother him the way it did me.
"River." This time, he sweetened his voice, knowing it was hard for me to ignore the sweeter, softer rasp of his tone.
It always sent goosebumps down my arms. I didn't have to look at my arms for confirmation. The way my heart fell out of rhythm and my heavy breathing slowed was a dead giveaway. Sincere's love had me in a chokehold, even in his darkest hour.
"I apologize for that shit, ight. I shouldn't have brought you along. I don't trust too many muthafuckas the way I trust you. None of 'em drives like you either. I knew if I brought you along, I'd make it home and not have to stress 'bout possibly not making it back to you."
"Sincere." I sighed, easing off the gas. We were long gone from the block he sprayed and in the clear.
"Let me finish, Riv. I fucked up and acted on some selfish shit. My heart might've been in the right place, but I went about it wrong. This street shit is dog-eat-dog. I had to eat them nigga's 'fore they got at me."
Sincere being in the streets wasn't new to me. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with him. All that mannish, brash, unbothered niggas standing up straight when my man came around turned me on in the best way. I loved it... as a bystander, of course. Until today, Sincere kept all street shit away from me. Being that close to it was enough for me to know I wanted no parts.
