Page 87 of Bear
“Okay, cool. Your account is set up and ready to go.” I tried to sound easy going but it was hard when all I could think about was turning my father’s teeth to dust with the butt of my gun.
“Thanks, son. I knew you’d look out for me.”
Once he was out of earshot, I looked at Cecily and clenched my jaw so fucking hard I thought it would shatter like glass. “You don’t leave my goddamn sight, Cecily. Do you understand?” She nodded in response, her cognac eyes wide. I stood in front of her at the bottom of the steps like I was her personal guard while I made a phone call.
“Yeah, what’s good Bear?”
“Titan, I need you to come over soon as you get the chance.”
“Everything alright?”
“Nah. I’ll explain when you get here. Ivy and Sarah doing okay?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. I’m alone. I have some time. I’ll be there in a little while.” I ended the conversation and looked at Cecily.
“Tell Kareema to get over here as soon as she can. I need to mobilize people around you. People I trust. We walked into the living room and her sugar-sweet smell pissed me off. I knew it would attract my father like a moth to a goddamn flame.
I plucked her phone from the couch and handed it to her as I sat down. She settled on top of me and I locked my arms around her waist while she texted Kareema. The need to mark her flawless skin burned through me like magma from the earth’s core.
I composed myself though. I couldn’t fight with fire and brawn. I had to use my wits. I had to keep a cool head.
“She’ll be here tonight after Tito takes her out to eat,” she smirked at me and I groaned. Cecily told me that Kareema and Tito had been inseparable ever since that night at dinner. I didn’t know what kind of magic she worked on a man like him but he seemed to be into it.
“Listen to me, baby doll.” I turned her face toward mine. “My father can smell fear. Whatever you do, don’t show him you’re scared. Don’t show him you’re disgusted. Play with him like he’s one of these motherfuckers out here trying to get you into bed. Don’t let anything that comes out of his mouth shock you and don’t cling to me. The more you cling to me the harder he’s going to force you to be around him and that’s going to end badly before it’s time. Play it cool as you possibly can and know you have people watching you from all angles.” I tapped her nose and she nodded quickly.
“And never end up alone with him,” she said knowingly.
“Exactly.” I looked into her eyes and felt the immense need to protect her with my life. “I love you,” I told her quietly against her ear.
“I love you too, Bear.”
“Bear, what the fuck have you turned my damn house into?” Dad’s voice moved past the living room where I was with Cecily and toward the stairway. I moved her off my lap and followed him, signaling her to stay put. As long as I had eyes on him, I wasn’t worried about Cecily.
“You don’t like the renovations?” I chuckled, moving upstairs with him.
“There’s nothing wrong with them but they’re not me. This house has turned into your house and you already know that shit isn’t going to fly. You need to get an interior decorator in here because I want my house back. I don’t know where you’re going to stay but figure out some arrangements. Shit, Bear. What have you been doing since I told you I was getting out? Sitting on your fucking ass? You knew your grown-ass couldn’t stay here. This is my house.”
My muscles tensed again as I showed him to what used to be his room. It was the one thing I hadn’t touched in the house. I hated the feel of his room. Going inside made me feel violent and angry so I steered clear.
I’d turned that house into my own. He was right. It was home to me. It was where I felt comfortable. It was my castle. Hearing him make plans to get rid of my detailed work pissed me off to no end but I had to bottle that shit up and push it down deep. I couldn’t fly off the handle at every little thing.
“I have plans,” I told him simply. I said whatever I had to say to keep him placated. He was like a fucking toddler who wanted his way and I planned to make it look like I was giving it to him every step of the way.
“Good. At least you haven’t touched my room. Clearly, you have some kind of sense rattling around in that empty fucking head. You haven’t forgotten who really runs shit around here have you?” He turned to face me. Copper eyes on copper eyes. We stood at the same height. It wasn’t until he came out of his shoes that I saw I was indeed still two inches taller than him. Since he’d been in prison, he’d been hitting the weights so both of our frames were heavily muscled.
He might have spent his days working out like me but he was still older. I saw evidence of it in the fine lines around his smile and the gray inching in on his beard and around his hairline. I hadn’t seen him since he went in. That’s how he wanted it. He didn’t want any of the other guards thinking he was still in connection with the drug world through me.
“I know this is all yours, Dad. You gotta know it’s not exactly easy to hand everything over. It’s going to take a little bit of time.”
“Time? You better erase all that fucking time and get used to me being in control again real quick. You made sure all the important connects are going to be at the party, right?” He stripped out of his shirt and tossed it on the expertly made bed.
“Yeah, of course. Even the new Colombian connect, Tito, and his men will be there.”
“At least you’re not as fucking stupid as you look.” He walked over to the en suite bathroom and hit the shower. “Hey, is Luanne still sick?” He asked over his shoulder.
“No. Why?” I quizzed, folding my arms.
“I wanted to make sure she wasn’t on the decline. She didn’t look like herself. Since I’m home now, I’d kill her myself if I had to. Just to make it poetic, you know? Lu doesn’t deserve a bullet to the head. Maybe something easier like slipping something in her drink. That way once little Cecily is grieving I can be there to help her feel better by stroking that young pussy.” He flashed me a smile but I knew he was really watching my eyes. I had to tuck away the savage Bear inside of me that fed on rage and fury. He was rattling the cage and I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to keep him hidden.
