“Before I go, I need to check in on Kara. How is she?” Karrin questioned.
“She’s fine.” Frequency informed her. “I’ve got one of my people staying close to the facility so that he can keep an eye on her. It’s just a precaution.”
“So that’s it? You just love us from a distance? We don’t get to be a part of your life or your children’s lives?” Karmine questioned, sneering resentfully. “You can cut us off like that?”
“I have a family, one that I am the head of. My priority now is them,” Frequency declared sternly.
I wasn’t clear on the state of their relationship, but Free did seem closer to Knowledge than his very own brother. Maybe it was the age difference, but it reminded me of my own sister and myself. Sometimes, even with family, you had to handle them with a long-handled spoon. Keeping certain people close to you, even if they are related, could be detrimental too.
“Karmine, get my coat. Let’s get out of here. We don’t want to disrupt his perfect life any further,” Karrin implied, spinning so that she could observe her son one last time.
Tension thickly filled the room. Each glance was like daggers being aimed at one another. Misa grew even more fussy in my arms, probably picking up on the energy surrounding her. Not too much later, Maze started going off from upstairs. Frequency held the door open for his brother and mother while Karmine helped Karrin into her jacket and nudged her out. When he turned to me, I could tell that it wasn’t as simple or easy as he had made it all look just now.
“I’ll go get him and bring him down before I head out.” He started toward the steps, and I rounded them to go to the kitchen.
Free waltzed in, swaying sexily with our son in his arms. He was so intense, staring down into his little face. I was setting up Misa in her bouncer after feeding and burping her so that I could whip up something to eat.
“Look at my favorite guys,” I gushed, beaming like a thousand-watt bulb at how cute they were together.
Seeing Free in daddy mode was sexy as hell.
“He’s got a fresh diaper. I gotta go to this meeting, but I’ll see you later. Ivy is supposed to be getting dropped off today.” He eased Maze into his bouncer beside his sister on the counter top, and I stared at them in complete awe.
These days, Free hated leaving any of us. We were in the best part of life. Our nights were spent with Ivy and the twins, watching movies or playing board games. We would be in the middle of video games or a movie, and I would look around in amazement. I was on full. My heart was overloaded. Even with Ivana around, Free was proving to be solid. Part of me was still a little paranoid, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I kept that doubtful part of me buried as deep as it would go. I couldn’t allow it to submerge me unless it was coming to fruition.
“Okay. We will be fine,” I assured him, giving him a stern warning look.
His strong, defined arms found their way around me, drawing me closer to him as he brought his face closer to mine.
“I love you,” he said, kissing me gently.
“Mmm, I love you more,” I whispered, getting lost in his eyes.
He gave my ass a squeeze before taking my lips once again and giving me his tongue this time. I watched him kiss each baby on the cheek before he pecked my forehead and exited.
“Cause I heard that heaven ain’t easy to get to…”
Harold Lawson
Seatedin my living room with a glass of orange juice that I spiked with vodka, I listened to the stillness of my house. Chaya was gone. Lately, she’d been taking yoga classes at six in the fucking morning and leaving my son here with me. It was almost eleven a.m. now, and she hadn’t made it back. I took a gulp of my drink as Harmonie sauntered into the room with her brother on her hip. She’d gotten him dressed and everything for the day. She was good for something around here, even if she wasn’t bringing in her own cash flow. She was still hitting my pockets like she was in high school. I just wanted her to want somethingfor herself. Right now, she was coasting along with no goals, and it was frustrating as hell.
“Morning.” Harmonie greeted me, and Junior bounced in her arms when he saw me.
My son loved the hell out of me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Harmonie lowered herself into a chair, and Junior slid off her lap onto the floor. He could walk now, but he still liked doing that crawling shit every now and then.
“So what’s up?” she inquired.
“What do you mean? What’s up with you? You’ve been gone a lot lately,” I replied, and her gaze averted mine. “Got something you need to talk about?”
“Nothing that I can think of.” She shook her head, reeking of guilt and secrets.
“Harmonie, the fuck you doing sneaking around with Lock?” I demanded.
She wanted to play games and act like I was stupid. I knew that she was up to something, so I was having her tailed. This was nothing new to me. The first few mornings that Chaya left, I was watching her ass too. After everything that I had gone through with Halo and then Harbor, I was not about to let the women in my life to continue with the mind tricks.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m far from a fool, and you should know that by now. What are you getting out of messing around with your sister’s ex?”
