Adored by a Brooklyn Drug Lord 3

by Tya Marie

  “We love you,” he said, and his simple explanation had me fanning my eyes before I ruined my makeup. “When I vowed to be your husband, I accepted all parts of you. My family sees you as one of us, and we don’t leave our own hanging. I know you, Briana, the real you, and if I could go back in time with the knowledge of today, I wouldn’t change a thing. Except being Kelsey’s boyfriend. I would definitely not do that…”

  The front door opened before we could knock. Kelsey appeared, dressed in a black, velvet, spaghetti strap dress, her hair a curly halo shaping her face. She lit up at the sight of us, her eyes resting on Morris Jr., who was peering at her with heavy lids.

  “Look at you,” Kelsey squealed, picking up Junior and peppering him with kisses. “You’re so handsome. My ovaries! Chunky is going to have so much fun playing with you…”

  Kelsey opened the door wider, balancing being a hostess and playing with Junior, who was happy to meet the person who spent hours with him on FaceTime. A year had passed since we last saw each other, and I wasn’t sure how awkward this meeting would be. Jamel’s secret spilling severed the budding relationship I had developed with Kelsey. There was no repairing it, and after being shot in the stomach, I was sure this was God paying me back for my ugly ways. Morris comforted me, reminding me that Kelsey needed time to process my betrayal. I was convinced she would never speak to me again, until I received a call from Mal saying he needed me to come to the hospital immediately. I rushed over, thinking he was sick, or suffering from a post-op infection. Kelsey arrived at the same time I did, chest heaving, hair a mess.

  “Now that I have the both of you here, I want you to talk this situation out like adults,” Mal said, motioning for us to take a seat on either side of his bed. “Who wants to start?”

  The conversation started stilted, with us going in this loop consisting of me apologizing while Kelsey shut down, refusing to listen. Somewhere around the first hour, we had a breakthrough. I spilled my emotional traumas, from losing my father to losing Ayanna, each loss chipping off pieces of my heart. Kelsey relented, breaking down as she revealed everything that happened the weekend of her sweet sixteen. Together, we sifted through years of hurt, pain, loneliness, and by the end of our talk we weren’t anywhere near being close, but the slate was cleaned. I returned to DC, caught up with my studies, took care of my baby, breathing free without the burden of secrets weighing me down, and was surprised by a phone call from Kelsey one night.

  “It’s Quill,” she cried. “He’s gone.”

  The past five years—the hurt, betrayal, and secrets—were extinguished. I was there for my cousin during the hardest time of her life. Death gave birth to a new bond, one stronger than the one we built as children. I was there for Kelsey whenever she needed to talk, even if it meant losing out on much-needed sleep. She did the same for me, offering me words of encouragement whenever I felt like being a mother and student was impossible. The best part was that it was never a chore; Kelsey was the first person I called with good news and she did the same. We were each other’s cheerleaders, sounding boards, and emotional sponges, which turned us into sisters. However, that still didn’t stop the jitters.

  “Look who I found outside,” Kelsey announced, stepping aside to give everyone a good look at us.

  My entire family, from the overjoyed Granny to the reserved Urban, celebrated my appearance. I was covered in kisses, hugs, well wishes, and so much love I could barely take it. Junior was passed around as well, eventually falling asleep on Urban, who swore he had the magic touch when it came to putting babies asleep. Normani remarked that it was his soft center, which he objected to. I asked if there was somewhere I could change his diaper before setting him down for the night.

  “My little man has an entire nursery he refuses to sleep in,” Urban said as he led me upstairs. “I wish we could get Chunky to bed around this time. All he does is eat and stay up late watching Curious George…”

  Urban hit the lights to a beautiful nursery decorated in various shades of blue. He invited me to use whatever I needed on Chunky’s fully stocked changing table. I thought he was being a good host by hanging behind, making small talk, but it wasn’t until he beckoned me to follow him to his office did I know something was up.

  “The last time you were here we had a conversation about you wanting to join The Trust,” he said, closing the door behind me. “I told you if you wanted Malone’s seat you had to prove yourself.”

  I shook my head. “I thought that’s what I wanted. In a year’s time, I’ve discovered there are more important things than a seat…”

  “I know,” he replied, rummaging through his desk. He came up with an envelope. “Which is why I think it’s time I give this to you. Regardless of my issues with Malone, I have always set aside resources to make sure you and your siblings are well taken care of. I just wanted to make sure you received this when the time was right.”

  Urban held out the envelope to me. I accepted, breaking the seal and digging inside, coming up with a check. I flipped it over, reading the numbers one, two, three times before asking, “Is this real?”

  “It is very real, and a piece of your trust fund. You’ll receive the rest on your twenty-fifth and thirtieth birthdays. I’ve set up the same funds for Mal, Precious, and Prince. They’re well taken care of for the rest of their lives,” Urban said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “That weight you placed on your shoulder to make sure everyone was good? There was never a need, but you had to see it for yourself.”

  “I don’t know what to say…”

  “Say you’ll take it and pay off whatever student loans you have. That you’ll pay off your house and buy another. Treat yourself, Briana; you’re more than deserving,” my uncle said, bringing me in for a hug. “If it makes you feel any better, half of the money in your funds came from Malone’s share of the profits if he were still alive. I’ve been growing it for all of you. That seat will forever remain vacant, Bri, but it will always take care of you guys.”

  “You did this for me even though I hated you,” I cried into his chest, letting go of the last bit of hurt I had been carrying around since my father’s death. “This is the love Morris was telling me about…”

  Urban smiled down at me. “Unconditional love, Bri. I’ve loved you since the day you were born. I held you in my arms, and the same promise I made to Kelsey two months later was the same one I made to you. I will always be here for you.”

  “I love you.”

  He kissed me on the forehead. “I love you too, baby girl.”

  Downstairs everyone was gathered in the kitchen, ready to sing happy birthday to Kelsey, who was nowhere to be found. While they were lighting the cake I went to find my cousin. She was standing out on the porch, staring up at the stars. I gave her a playful nudge.

  “You think he’s watching? Quill,” she added as an afterthought. “I hope he knows I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for spending the last two weeks of his freedom with someone else.”

  “He lives on inside of you, Kelsey. It’s up to you how you use his legacy to create memories,” I said, thinking of my father. “Malone would want me to make sure my siblings are good. I used to think that meant doing everything on my own. Now I see it’s the exact opposite. I can’t make sure they’re good unless our familial unit is intact. The only way that can happen is if I use the hate that fueled his bad decisions and I turn it into love.”

  Kelsey took my hand into hers, placing her head on my shoulder. “Welcome back, Bri.”

  “It’s good to be home.”

  Kelsey

  The kitchen was packed with so much of my family, they made the candles on my cake feel like an oven. My heart melted at the overwhelming amount of love surrounding me. Daddy and Normani, who showed me that it was never too late for love; Koi and Trish, serving as a reminder that most of the time what you need is right in front of you; Bri, showing me how important it is to hit the reset button for your sanity; Granny, my mentor and
best friend next to Nicole, the woman responsible for teaching me how to walk into any room with my head held high and self-aware of my worth. Even my mother took time out of her busy schedule to have breakfast with me before jetting off to close another high-profile case, gushing that I was going to love her gift. I was beyond blessed to have such a loving family, and I don’t think I ever told them how much I appreciated each and every one of them.

  I opened my mouth, ready to tell them as much, when KJ cut me off with an impatient, “Make a wish,” from Koi’s arms.

  Staring at the twenty-three candles flickering on the large, chocolate fudge cake, I thought, what did I want for my birthday? The wish popped a cork on the pain in my heart. I sucked it in, pictured what would make the happiest girl in the world, and blew out the candles. Applause erupted. Daddy flicked the lights on, announcing that I could open my gifts while he cut the cake. KJ volunteered to stay behind and help, his hazel eyes set on the chocolate cake.

  “I swear that boy is the greediest,” Trish said, shaking her head as she tugged me down the hall. “If I let him, he would eat chocolate cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He gets his sweet tooth from Koi…”

  I could tell Trish was trying to distract me, but I wasn’t sure why. She had been on edge the entire night, shooting furtive looks at Normani, who in exchange kept eyeing Daddy. There was a big pink elephant hiding somewhere in this house, which none of my family members wanted to claim. The coffee table in the living room was covered in presents, from gift bags to boxes from my favorite stores.

  “Open mine first,” Sam said, handing me a pink giftbox covered in dancing flamingos. “I got the box because it reminded me of how you look trying to twerk.”

  I swatted her with the box. “Heffa, move!” Popping the top, I squealed in surprise, holding up a beautiful white sundress made by one of my favorite clothing designers. “Sam, this is beautiful. I mean, I don’t know where I’m wearing it in this weather, but I love it. You shouldn’t have…”

  “Maybe you might find some use for it,” she replied with a wink.

  What was that supposed to mean? Another gift appeared in front of me, this one smaller, wrapped in gold giftwrap. Nicole gave it a little shake, setting it in my lap and returning to her spot in Greg’s arms. I kept telling her she didn’t need to give me presents; pulling through surgery was the best gift I would ever receive from her.

  “I know, I know, you don’t necessarily need it, but I want you to have it just in case,” Nicole said as I opened the gift box.

  Granny jumped in her seat as I whipped out a gold plated Beretta. She shot Nicole a disgruntled look. “Who the hell do you think she is, Nicole? James Bond?”

  “I love it,” I said, popping the magazine out and checking the chamber. “Is this real gold?”

  “You already know. See how grateful she is, Normani? I haven’t seen your gun since I gave it to you,” Nicole said, playfully rolling her eyes at Normani, who responded by giving her the hand. “That also comes with a lifetime membership to the range so you can work on your aim. Can’t have you getting rusty like your old man.”

  “Rusty?” Daddy exclaimed from the doorway. “Nicole, I can shoot an apple off your head from down the block. How much you wanna put on it?”

  Nicole dug in her pocket, talking smack, and was stopped by a pointed look from Greg. “Sorry, Urban. No more gunplay. I’m retired now, remember?” she said, and mouthed, “Later on when he’s asleep.”

  “I saw that,” Greg said, scandalized.

  Granny rose from her seat next to Albert, handing over their gift, a matte black envelope. She sat beside me, taking my hands into hers, smiling though it didn’t reach her eyes. “After I lost your great grandfather I was lost, broken, and sure I would never be able to love again. However, I was still the matriarch of my family. My boys, all of them, needed me more than anything. Every single day for five years I woke up in pain, hurting, picturing my Ulysses coming back to me. Would you like to know what I wished for every night?” I nodded, too choked up to reply. “I wished for the chance to get away, escape my heartache for a little while.”

  I opened the envelope, gasping at her gift. “Granny, you got me two unlimited flight passes? I thought they stopped making these…”

  “They’re symbolic, but that doesn’t mean your grandmother doesn’t have connections,” Granny said with a wink. “I want you to take one trip alone—anywhere—to get your mind right. After such a loss you need to fall in love with life again.”

  “I love it,” I choked out, hugging Granny, who broke the news of Quill’s death to me. She was also the only one able to get me out of bed a week later. “Where should I go first?”

  Granny tapped me on the nose. “Jamaica. The weed is good, and although they don’t like to admit it, those Jamaican men know how to eat the hell out of some—”

  “Kelsey!” Daddy said, cutting off an affronted Granny. “Let me show you my gift. It’s right outside.”

  Normani tied a blindfold over my eyes, whispering as she led me through the house. “He’s been working on these for quite some time. I want to hate them because they almost took him away from me, but he loves them so much.”

  Them? The chilly November air whipped around me as I was escorted down the steps. Normani pulled off my blindfold. Parked out front were five different sports cars, all painted black, each resembling varying levels of speed. Daddy brought me over to them, running down the specs of each one like the car aficionado he was. At first I thought the M embossed into the front of each car stood for Maclaren, but Normani’s words said otherwise.

  “Daddy, you invented these?”

  “I worked hard on them too. This is the project I was referring to that caused my Parkinsonism. I don’t regret it though; the Mackenzies are the future. Pick one, baby girl.”

  The cars were equally gorgeous, but I had my eye on the drop top. “That one.”

  “Let’s take it for a spin,” Daddy said, climbing in the driver’s seat. “First, I’ll give you a little tutorial on the features, then you can take over.”

  I waved to everyone as we sped down the street. Daddy turned on the radio, let the top back, and for the first time since Quill’s death, I felt like me again. We cruised through the Brooklyn streets rapping along to every song that played on the radio. I lost my mind, weak at my tough ass father belting out some Cardi B. He knew the words better than me, claiming that Normani woke him and Chunky up to ratchet music.

  “And you know she’ll bite your hands off if you even think about changing her Spotify playlist…” he finished, pulling to a stop in front of Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

  “What are we doing here?”

  Daddy killed the engine. “I have one last birthday gift to give you, this one from your mother and I,” he said, reaching over and taking my hand into his. “Alana and I were never in love. We thought we were, but as soon as shit got hard she bailed. From then on, I held the belief that young kids could never love. It was too complicated of an emotion for them to grasp. Then a year ago I bore witness to the ultimate act of love, and it has forever changed how I love.”

  “Me and Quill?”

  “You and Quill,” he said, staring at the beautiful Financial District Skyline. “I know you don’t feel it, but he gave you a gift very few are able to give their loved ones in a lifetime. Unconditional love. He never once wavered with his love for you. Even when you hated him he was still there, ready to make it work, trying his best to mend your wounds. He died for you.”

  This was news to me. “What?” I asked, blinking back tears.

  “I could have easily made the case with Adrian go away, but Quill saw an opportunity to give you one final gift. He died to rid you of the drama, pain, and transgressions of your past relationship to ready you for the next.”

  There was no swiping away the fat tears rolling down my eyes. “I don’t think there will ever be another relationship.”

  “Open your heart to the possibili
ty,” Daddy said, pointing at the skyline.

  Or at least I thought it was the skyline. Posted up against the railing was a man who wasn’t there five minutes ago. He was tall, broad shouldered, wearing a trench coat over an expensive suit. Recognition shot through me like a lightning bolt. I stumbled out of the car, my knees growing weaker with each passing step. No, I thought, this is a joke. Daddy is playing a joke on me. This isn’t funny. A gust of wind blew past my nose, the scent salty like the ocean…and a familiar cologne. I stopped right behind him, unable to do anything but drink him in. He was here. This was real.

  Quill turned around, wearing that signature smile that made my knees weak on the day we met, and said, “Happy Birthday.”

  “No,” I cried, shaking my head. “How? Why? This isn’t real…”

  Quill took me into his arms, kissing my hair. “I’m here, Kelsey. And I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Why wouldn’t you reach out to me? There were so many nights when I needed you, where I cried over you…”

  He held me at an arm’s length, using one of his thumbs to wipe away my tears. “I didn’t want you to know until I was ready physically, mentally, financially.”

  “Financially? Quill, it’s never been about money!”

  “Not for you; for me. I died in order to give you the life you deserve, to take care of you without the drama and bullshit of my past life. William Evans is dead. Quill doesn’t exist anymore.”

  “Then what am I supposed to call you?”

  “The streets know me as Wraith, you can call me Warwick. Warwick O’Day.”

  I kissed him, savoring every second. “I like it…War.”

  “I hope you like this too,” War said, reaching into his pocket. He dropped down on one knee, cracking open a black velvet box. “Two years ago I showed up to your twenty-first birthday party with an engagement ring. Your father roughed me up and told me to never come near you again. That was the best advice he ever gave me. I wasn’t fit to be your husband, to lead you. Now, I stand here ready to be everything you need: a provider, protector, your equal. Kelsey Mackenzie, will you marry me?”