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“Is it too loud in here?” my mom asked. “Should I make people leave?”
“I like being surrounded by my people.”
Yarrow’s wide eyes softened, and she smiled. “I want to tuck you into bed tonight.”
“You’re a good mom,” I said, sharing her smile.
As her agitation faded, she stroked Stevie’s head and then Cher’s. “Your mom loves you. She told me.”
My friends looked to Anise in the kitchen and waved. She gave them an exaggerated wave back. Everyone’s mood was mellowing as the sun lowered on one of the longest days of my fucking life.
YORK
If I had my way, I would find a seat and stare at Goldie for a few hours. I loved looking at her. I would often stare at her after we fucked. She sometimes stared at me before laughing and giving up.
Rather than embrace my obsessive neediness, I followed Exile outside to the back of the house and away from the others. My VP wore his usual cowboy hat over his dark hair. He looked grumpy after what I assumed was little sleep last night.
Before he spoke, I asked, “Where’s Lula?”
“At her office, dealing with legal issues from the attack. I’m heading over there after we talk to Zodiac. I assume you’re staying here.”
“For now, yeah.”
Exile offered a tight smile. “I doubt you’ll get Goldie alone until bedtime. The Rawlins people have descended on this town. It’ll be crowded for a while.”
Nodding, I admitted, “I’m not sure if I even want to know what happens next. Goldie and I kept things between us private for a reason. We no longer have that option. That’s why I’m focusing on this moment rather than an hour from now.”
I felt Exile wanting to lecture me. He had dropped everything to chase his feelings for Lula. That’s how he was wired. Lula immediately welcomed him into her life. Her daughter and parents accepted Exile. Nova and her girls quickly moved to Little Memphis. With a snap of their fingers, they became a big, happy family.
That wasn’t how Goldie and I were wired. We were stubborn, prickly people who lived our lives solely based on our specific needs. Shacking up immediately was never in the cards.
Rather than explain anything to Exile, I eyed him until he silenced the lecture he was dying to share. Instead, he dialed Zodiac, who answered with the sounds of dogs and kids in the background.
“How’s Junior?” I asked before he could start rattling off his issues.
“Your dog has an inferiority complex. He follows around Hobbs, who is the size of one of Junior’s shits.”
“Does that mean they’re getting along?”
“Yeah, they’re two peas in a fucking pod. For twenty minutes, the idiots barked at a bird sitting on the pool gate. It was embarrassing.”
“Can you keep him for a while longer?”
“Sure. Hobbs needs someone to baby him now that my boy is stealing Elle’s attention.”
When I fell silent, Exile asked Zodiac, “What did you want to discuss?”
“Wrecker called me,” Zodiac said, sounding amused about the former Black Rainbow president trying to make peace. “We talked for over thirty minutes. Hashed out a lot of shit.”
“What shit?”
“That I was right, and he was wrong.”
Exile and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. “What else?”
“He wasn’t happy about what happened yesterday. Not only because his friends’ kids died. I could tell the old fucker was mostly worried he might get killed over the behavior of people he doesn’t give a crap about.”
“Wrecker always was a selfish cunt.”
