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CHAPTER8
Tati
“I needsomebody to start talking real fast,” I said, offering very little preamble or opportunity for bullshit as I breezed into the main office at thePredatorsclubhouse.
My gaze landed first on Brandon, who was already up out of his chair, pacing, then went to where both of our mothers were seated, looking distinctly like they’d been called into the principal’s office.
That deflated some of my indignation, for the simple fact that it was so outside of what I’d expected to see.
“What’s going on?” I asked, fully stepping into the room.
Keira had disappeared somewhere else, so when I closed the door, it was just us.
“I already told you what was going on,” Brandon griped. “I’m not sure what part you’re finding hard to understand.”
“We can start with the part where you got me all the way fucked up speaking to me like a subordinate,” I snapped. “We’re supposed to be ateam.”
“Don’t give me that shit, Tati,” he countered. “If you were on myteam, you wouldn’t be hitting me with this type of energy right now. You’re clearly more interested in siding with some nigga you don’t even know like that.”
“I know him well enough to know he’s your goddamn brother,” I tossed out, shifting the energy in the room as I crossed my arms. “And I get it Brandon, you’re upset because you’ve found out your father isn’t the man you thought he was, but that doesnotgive you license to speak to me any kind of way. And you really shouldn’t be acting as if Onyx is the one in the wrong.”
Brandon frowned. “Okay so who is? You’re real quick to throw the man responsible for the empire you get to be at the head of, the whole reason you havePredatorink, under the bus.For a nigga you don’t even know.That’s wild to me.”
“I’m not throwinganybodyunder the bus,” I huffed. “I’m laying out the facts as I know them. If you know something more,pleasefeel free to let me know, but from what I see? There’s no getting around the fact that there were some interesting dick decisions getting made before he met your mom.”
“It wasn’t before we met,” Randy spoke up, pulling our attention away from each other, onto her. “Jesse and I were inThe Gardentogether—me, him, Gerard, and Carmen,” Randy revealed. “And I’m not going to try to make it seem like what Jesse did to Saanvi was okay, because it wasn’t. But I still think a little context may be required here.”
My eyes narrowed and I held up a hand. “Hold up…The Garden? Like what Onyx was in? Y’all were in it… together?” I frowned as my head swirled, trying to process what she was saying. My brain kept rejecting the obvious, because there was no way…
“Yes,”mymother confirmed, finally speaking up. “But the rest of that is a conversation for another day. For now, just let Randy speak.”
Randy gestured at the remaining empty chairs in the room, then pointed at me and Brandon.
“Both of you. Have a seat.”
“Do I finally get to hear the story you made me wait on her for?” Brandon asked, sulking the whole way to the chair. “While she was probably out somewhere fraternizing with the enemy?”
“Enemy? Really ni—”
“Sit down, girl.I don’t want to hear another word out ofeither oneof you until I’m done speaking,” Randy said, raising a hand in front of her.
No, she wasn’tmymother, but I listened to her like she was, so I did what she said.
Especially when I was pretty sure she’d just told me she was a damn assassin.
I sat my ass down.
“There’s… no true way for me to explain what it means when I say we wereRosesandThorns.It doesn’t quite mean what it means for the… new generations,” Randy explained, looking to my mother, who nodded her agreement.
“The way it went with us let them know it wasn’t working,” she spoke, with a heavy sigh. “We got the hell outta there and I doubt they letthathappen again.”
“Y’all are talking in circles,” Brandon complained, and I rolled my eyes.
“You’d know, wouldn’t you, Mr.What’s Understood Don’t Nee—”
“Didn’t I sayhush?”
“Sorry,” I apologized, narrowing eyes at Brandon’s dumb ass. “Please go on. What do you mean it wasn’t working? What wasit?”
