“How?” I choked out the words.
He had this crooked smile, as he squeezed my hand gently. We danced slowly, as he looked down into my eyes. “I’m not dad, Zoya. I can’t be that man… I want to be, but I can’t. He taught me to always be my own man. The one thing I can do is something that he always told me he would do for us.”
“What?” I held onto his every word, wanting to know what my father said.
He looked away.
Maverick always avoided eye contact. To know my brother was to love him and all his weird quirks. “Protect you, Kora, and Landon. I’ll give my life so you can have breath in your body. Zoya Bean, it seems so fucking sad now, I know. There will come a time when our name means something… the Caselli name will mean everything.”
“Our last name is Eaton, Mav.”
He smiled. “I will always protect you. You may not always like me… but you and Landon will grow up to be powerful.”
“Yeah?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, Zoya Bean… always going to make it where you, Kora, and Landon don’t need me.”
I hugged him tightly with tears falling down my face, and he tensed up. I felt his hands rub my back, as I wet his shirt with tears, missing my parents desperately.
“I’ll always make sure they know … always make sure they know how proud you’re going to make us all.”
CHAPTER 9
GOON
“Remindme to never get in the fucking car with you… you drive like a fucking toddler in a hellcat,” I climbed out my brother’s whip and slammed the door.
Valet came and took his car while I checked over my body, making sure I didn’t piss on myself. I wasn’t the kind that drove the safest, but the way Khaos drove had me considering calling the department of motor vehicles to ask if they were sure he earned his license the right way.
“You too soft… I was driving safe as shit. Everybody does ninety in a thirty.”
I stared at my brother before crossing the street. Cappadonna, Capone, and Corleon were getting out his truck as I crossed the street.
King and Meer were standing near his bike, while Yasin was coming out the lounge. He nodded when he saw me, walking over toward me. We hit the IG shake, and he dapped Khaos up.
“The way you whipped that bitch in the middle of the street… I’m a fan,” Meer laughed, as he dapped Khaos up before hitting the shake with me.
Khaos laughed. “This bitch over here complaining about my fine driving… did you die?”
“Yeah, back there on fucking Saratoga Ave… think my blood clot heart is back there,” I looked between Meer and Khaos.
They both were typical little brothers. Made to keep me and Sim humbled and stress us both at the same time. In the same breath, they would turn this planet up behind their older brothers.
“The fuck going on, King?” I dapped him and leaned up on the truck he was parked beside.
He was looking down at his phone. “Ain’t shit… you straight?”
Whenever Sim asked that question, it was never for shits and giggles, or to make conversation. He was genuinely asking if you were good, and if you weren’t, he was there.
“Been over that shit.” I half lied, knowing that I wasn’t worried about that situation, but the shit was far from being over.
“Lying ass nigga,” he chuckled.
We both looked at each other, knowing the situation wasn’t over, but I was chilling tonight.
Tonight was about Havoc, and it had been a long time coming. He had been focused on making sure Sin’s strip club was straight. Always putting his time and energy into that, so his wants and needs were put on the back burner.
Typical elder son shit.
