Page 20 of Devil's Last Dance

“Look, we can handle all the insulting shit. I get it. You don’t want to be told what to do. You never have. We’ll deal with the whole marriage thing. I promised you we’d sort this out together, but I can’t help you if you keep making enemies.”

“I’m not making enemies. I called ahead and canceled with Rafe. Trust me, I know my responsibilities.”

“Then where are you?”

“None of your business.”

“For fuck’s sake. You know we’ve had sightings of our enemies. We’ve got the Bratva wanting to take turf, not to mention our MC problem, and all the petty criminals that would love to take your place. You’re got no guards, no soldiers with you.”

“I don’t need them. You’re worrying too much, and even if I was to stay home or have dinner at Rafe’s, the same problems would still be there. Rafe is not exactly a happy man. His only interest is taking more power over the other capos, and if I was to marry his daughter, that’s exactly what he’d expect. It’s not going to happen. I expect he’d poison me for a chance at the top.”

Draven sighed. His brother knew he was right. In the last five years, they had to deal with a lot of shit. In fact, the whole time they had come to power, there had never been a dull moment. Antwone had known there never would be. The way his father acted when he was alive … there was always someone wanting to take their place.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” Draven said.

“Nothing is going to happen to me. I’m doing something, okay? Don’t worry about it.”

“And if you’re attacked?” Draven asked.

“I’ll handle it. I may have soldiers to keep me safe, but I also have myself. I know how to handle it. Don’t stress out. It won’t help with your looks.”

This did make Draven chuckle.

“How is Maria?” he asked.

“She’s doing good.”

“And the kids?”

“Maybe if you came and saw them, you’d see for yourself.”

He looked at the bar door, and saw it was open. Antwone had broken a lot of rules and he’d given Candice his personal cell phone number. The only other person to have that number was Draven. Everyone else had his business cell number. She had called him earlier that day to let him know the boss told her the bar would be open.

For the past few nights, he had been going to her apartment, and she cooked for him. The bar hadn’t been closed for long, but they hadn’t kissed again like the first night.

“I’ll come and see you this weekend.” He tried to see his family as much as possible, while also keeping the façade that Draven wasn’t his brother.

He didn’t give Draven a reason to keep talking as he hung up his cell phone and put it in silent mode. He knew it was going to piss Draven off, but he didn’t care.

Stepping into the bar, he saw it was once again a slow night. There were always a couple of men, sometimes women, but that was rare.

He walked up to the bar and saw there was already something different about Candice. In all the time he’d known her, she had never worn her hair down for work. The past couple of nights she had, and he loved the length of her blonde hair.

He sat at the bar, and she glanced over at him. There was a smile on her lips, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, or at least the one eye he could see.

She walked toward him, and he saw that she didn’t seem to move too fast.

“You came,” she said.

“You called.” He didn’t look away and kept staring at her, wondering what was going on.

“What can I get you? Water? Scotch?”

“Why are you hiding one side of your face?” he asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Water or scotch?”

“Candice…” He stopped himself from arguing with her as he suddenly remembered his mother. She would often try to hide bruises. It was the only time his father would permit her to wear her hair down. If he had beaten her too badly, she would stay in her room and pretend she didn’t feel well.

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