He came to me for help when his father got mixed up with the Lords, and in exchange, we used his budding popularity in community activism and fast-rising political career to claim the city. He’s believed in what I’ve been working hard for years to do: clean up crime and corruption across the five boroughs.
“Please, call me Enzi,” he says to Sage, giving her a wink.
Sage brings my hand up to her lips and kisses the knuckles, as if anticipating my jealousy.
She knows me well.
“Congratulations on your new... business,” Enzi says, giving me a nod. It’s as if he knew not to shake my hand after that wink. Smart man. I might have broken it if he had. “The city thanks you for bringing down the Moonlight trafficking ring.”
Still a stupid fucking name.
“It was the least I could do,” I say, lost for words.
I hate networking, but it’s a necessity. I always feel awkward, but tonight’s a little bit easier with my wife by my side.
Sage is speaking with Enzi’s wife, Nia. The two are laughing, and my woman is absolutely glowing. I can’t help smiling, an ache forming behind my eyes and in the back of my throat at how normal this all feels.
I mean, sure, I still lead a crime syndicate, but it’s one that aims to do good. One that has to be the bad guy sometimes to take down the bad guys. I’m hoping that someday, I can leave it all behind and live the rest of my years with the woman I fell in love with.
“Are you ready for your speech?” Enzi asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
I nod, and we enter small talk for the next few minutes, talking about our honeymoon, which we delayed whiledealing with the aftermath of the trafficking ring bust. Next month I’m taking Sage to Aruba.
The mayor is eventually called away by a prominent businessman whose name I can’t remember. I breathe a sigh of relief when Enzi and his wife excuse themselves and walk off.
Sage and I make our way to the stage at the back of the room. It takes us about thirty minutes because we’re being stopped every few steps by people I know either through legal business connections or others who know who I truly am and want to be part of my trusted few.
Right before we get on stage, Sage turns to me.
“I want to tell you something. It’s kinda important so you can’t freak out.”
“And you feel right now is the best time to tell me?”
“Yes.”
She bites her lip, nearly jumping with anticipation.
“Go on then, brat.”
She giggles and takes my hands in hers.
“Remember all those times we fucked without a condom?”
“Yeah...”
“Well... I kept forgetting to take my birth control, and you can’t really blame me because things have been really fucking stressful, and the way you kept talking about marriage and babies and how you’d always put your cum back in me... well...”
My heart stops beating. The noise in the room fades, and all I hear and see is my wife.
“You’re pregnant?”
That’s what she’s trying to tell me?
She beams and nods enthusiastically.
I scoop her up in my arms and spin her around.
She squeals and laughs, slapping my back. “Put me down, I’m going to puke!”