Page 75 of Gang of Roses: Dice

This clown got all hyped up like he was a damn extended member of the gang.

“I’m sending Mrs. Monroe to clear this nigga out. He talks too fuckin’ much.”

“Ahhhh shit, now. If you like it, then you betta put a ring on it, or whateva the fuck Beyoncé said.”

I just shook my head.

“You know, every day I truly question how the hell you’re successful.”

“Because my black ass is the captain of the FAFO.”

I laughed.

“Where to now?” Wallie asked.

“Home, it’s a real nigga birthday.”

“No strip club?” Gwop groaned.

“Not fa’ me, big homie. Global got plans, catch you guys in a few days.”

He nodded with a genuine smile, and I headed to the jet while they stayed back to run through Vegas.

Epilogue

One Year Later...

Global “Dice” Jamerson

Itwisted the throttle, and Badass Bessie answered with a deep growl that echoed through the back roads of Magnolia Valley. I shifted up, rolled back into the throttle, and leaned into the next curve, feeling the bike hug the pavement like it was on rails. The farther I got from the city, the wider my smile became. These back roads had always been my favorite because they let a rider feel what her machine was really made of.

The wind whipped against my helmet and cut through my new leather riding suit while the scenery blurred into streaks of green and gray. Ritz had surprised me with it a few months back. Black with bold red panels running down the sides, it gave the illusion of a smaller waist. Not that my husband cared. That man loved every inch of me before the baby weight, after the baby weight, and every soft curve in between.

Pulling into the cemetery, I spotted the girls already standing there like we'd planned. No matter how busy life became, we never let this day pass us by. Every year on Rose's birthday, we rode together before meeting at her gravesite. Some traditions were simply bigger than us.

I threw my leg over my bike and climbed off. Although this was a newer model, every motorcycle I'd ever owned carried the same name.

Badass Bessie.

This one just happened to be a push gift.

Yeah… you heard that right.

Not only did I marry Ritz, but somewhere between learning how to become a family and falling deeper in love, we welcomed another little blessing into the world.

A beautiful baby girl we named Koasta.

The day Ritz went to check on the Vegas casino, I had the whole day planned. Balloons, gifts, dinner—the works. A bitch spared no expense. But that man couldn't have cared less about any of it. The only two things he kept picking up were the 14K yellow gold photo pendant with our picture inside and the white Clearblue test that read PREGNANT.

That was it for that man. He asked me to marry him and plan for a wedding within three months. He was serious because a dude named Tre hit me up. Normally, I would have a comeback. But, like I said before, an alpha female will submit to the right alpha male. I loved that man so much, I had the wedding ready in no time. My father was upset for two weeks because he was missing another milestone in my life. But like I told him, one of my greatest gifts from him was making sure my mother got her justice.

Accident or not, Coca and I grew up without our mothers, which was like a ripple effect because we lost Granny Day, too. I lost my father due to his drive for revenge. He was up for parole soon, so I was gonna do everything I could to make sure he got out.

I sent him a picture of our wedding, which was everything we hoped for. The special moment was beautiful—my girls, Revv bringing the rings, Coca’s tall ass being a damn overgrown flower girl, and Pop Pop walking me down the aisle. That old man thought he was slick, the damn fake pocket flower that was definitely a flask. We finally got to meet Carmen, his new girlfriend. Ritz pushing for three months was perfect because I didn’t want to be big as a house waddling down nobody’s aisle.

When we learned we were having a girl, Ritz wasn't sold on the name at first. Revv came from the sound of an engine revving, but Koasta came from my favorite part of riding. Sometimes I didn't need to race anybody or prove a damn thing. Sometimes I just wanted to coast with the wind in my face and enjoy the ride.

Revv came during the chaos, when life was all about acceleration, motion, and power.