Page 104 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings
“You want me to put dinner on hold?”
“Nah, go ahead and feed them. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He paused to crush his lips against mine one last time.
“Okay.” I watched him leave, and the sound of something falling off a shelf nearby left me looking around.
I didn’t see anyone though, so I went to remove the lasagna rolls from the oven. The paper plates were in the pantry, so after sitting the dish on the stovetop to cool, I marched over to the door and pulled it open. Wall-to-wall shelves lined the room, with a middle island with a row of three drawers on each side for storage. It was chaos in this room when I first got here, but now it was something right off a Pinterest board. Everything had a place. Stepping inside, I located the paper plates quickly and the door to the pantry closed slowly like right out of a horror film. I started toward the door, listening as steady footsteps moved away.
“Are you kidding me?” I reached for the knob to turn, but it was locked. “Hey! Somebody come let me out of here!” I slapped my palm against the door a few times.
For at least five minutes, I yelled, but nobody came. It wasn’t until I was kicking and screaming at the top of my lungs did I hear the lock click and the knob turned. Rogue stood on the other side with confusion on his handsome little face.
“What you doing in there?” he asked, looking past me like there was someone else in here with me.
“Having a party,” I quipped with dry sarcasm. “Where are your brother and big sister?”
“Saga went outside. He’s sitting on the swing.” Rogue pointed to the sliding glass door.
There was no doubt in my mind who the culprit was. He was the ringleader of the crusade against me, and I was sick of him and his attitude like I’d done something to him. I was seen as competition against a woman I’d never even met because they had the notion that somehow their parents would eventually get back together.
“You know what… you and your little heathen siblings are really pushing me into that ‘I don’t give a fuck’ zone. I just want you to know that,” I addressed Saga as soon as I stepped outside.
Looking like his damn daddy, he sat on the swing, gripping one of the chain link handles and somberly peering up at me. That desolate glint left me pausing in my tracks regardless of what he put me through today. It was familiar. At the end of the day, him and his sister wanted what most kids did, for their parents to get together so they could be a family. It wasn’t always ideal, but they couldn’t see that right now. All they knew was that I was an obstacle that they had to defeat.
“You ain’t here for us.” Saga spat adamantly, looking me up and down before jumping to his feet. “You just like every other thirst-trapping thot. Walk in here acting cool, like you want to get to know us so you can get to our pops. Trust me, I’ve seen it all before. Y’all never last. We just left here for the next one to try to run the same game. Me and Tavi always end up doing everything.”
His analysis left me pausing and narrowing my eyes at him. I assumed he saw or overheard me with Staten. Instantly, the statement was a trigger because I didn’t move like that. It gave me a little more insight on why he and Tavi behaved the way that they did though. The two of them were the oldest, so I’m sure it was difficult for them to watch their father with other women. Especially women that were coming around under false pretenses. From the outside looking in, he was just another spoiled kid acting out. Something a little deeper resonated in Saga though. He didn’t do much talking, but when he did, much like his father, he made his point.
“I get it.” I moved closer to join him on the empty swing, and he sat back down on the one beside me. “My mama died when I was young. My daddy went through a few chicks after that. I didn’t like them either. The thing is, Saga… I came here becausemy daddy is sick, and I need this job to help take care of him. I’m all he has left. I think Staten is an amazing man for taking care of you and your brother and sisters the way he does, but that’s not why I decided to take the job.”
“Then why? You saw how bad Rogue was in the store. Who would sign up for that?”
Snickering, I tossed my head back while gripping both metal rope handles of the swing and kicking my legs up.
“Me. I love the chaos,” I confessed. “I didn’t have siblings, and that left me curious about people. So, I started studying them. We’re all the same. We have the same core needs. Did you know that?” I planted my feet in the little dirt space beneath my swing.
“Nah, what that mean?” he asked, leaning forward with interest.
“It means most of us want the same things. Love, friendship, security… loyalty,” I explained to him. “It’s all about nature versus nurture. At least that’s what I believe. When what you’re taught and what’s instilled in you surpasses what you think is genetically passed on to you. That’s another talk for another time.”
“But you do like Pops, right?” Saga queried.
“I do,” I admitted softly. “Your daddy is a very good man. I don’t think I’ve ever met one like him before.” Now I was in my own head, thinking about Staten and what came next with us. “But I’m not trying to take him from you or your siblings. Y’all drive me up every single wall, but I also feel like you kind of need me.”
“You mad annoying… always happy and hype all the time,” he chortled, tossing his head back.
It was the first time I’d seem him act like a kid instead of the stand-in adult that he was.
“The beauty of understanding the human mind.” I sighed. “Trust me, it’s a mask. It’s just easier for somebody like me to help other people than myself in the moment. The last thing I want to do is come between any of you and him. That man loves y’all in a way I have never seen. A bigger picture kind of way. But…I’m here for you too.”
The silent acknowledgment rattled my core. It had been a rocky road the last couple of weeks. Gaining Saga’s trust was a milestone. If he could come around, it gave me a little hope for his sister, but I wasn’t going to hold my breath. Something told me that girl was stubborn as hell.
“Why are you out here talking to her?” Tavi demanded from the doorway, arms crossed with attitude.
I cut my eyes toward Saga, and he sighed. I knew he loved his sister and was loyal to her. My intention wasn’t to come between them. I couldn’t see myself compromising with Tavi when I’d done nothing wrong though. I could be cordial and respect her feelings as Staten’s child, but that would be as far as it went. Until she could get past her own misconceptions of me and get to know me, that’s where we stood. Child or not, I wasn’t kissing ass. Lifting myself off the swing, I strolled toward her and glanced in his direction one last time.
“I’m about to make plates. Make sure you wash your hands. I’ll help Piaget set the table.”
Tavi side eyed me all the way into the house, but I wasn’t about to let her get to me. If there was anyone that could get through to her, it was her big brother. She might have got on every nerve he had, but she listened and followed his lead. Moments later, I arrived in the kitchen, and Rogue was already seated at the counter with Piaget beside him.
