Chi-Town Bosses & the Women That Love Em 3

by Anna Black

  It was crazy that all three of my parents’ sons had to go through a bit of hell for love, but we were all still standing strong and getting through whatever came our way.

  All I wanted to do was love on my Juicy baby because the idea of losing her the other night terrified me badly. I never wanted to be without her, and as soon as Rel would be back from his honeymoon, he agreed to come by and build up not only an art room for my baby but a she space for her, and her girls. I had an entire boxing ring, a nine-foot pool table, and a full bar with mounted screens in my play area, so she needed something feminine for her and her ladies to have when they were over to do their girl thang, and we’d make that happen for her.

  I went into the bathroom where Grace was in her favorite place, the tub. She had the jets going, and this time she had a few bubbles. I had on long shorts and no shirt. My wound was still bandaged, but there wasn’t a lot of pain. I had two glasses locked between my fingers and the champagne in an ice bucket for us. The ring was in my pocket. Rel had gotten two bottles of the bubbly for me earlier before we came home, along with the rose petals that I had thrown on the bed before I went into the bathroom. Pandora was playing Maxwell, but I had the volume lower than usual because I just wanted to talk to her.

  “Awww, babe, what is all of this?” she asked when she noticed me standing over the tub.

  “Something special for you, baby,” I said and sat the items down on the tile base of the tub. She sat up out of the water because she was laid all the way back. I got on my knees and looked her in the eyes.

  “I love you, Grace, and the other night when Silk had that gun pointed at you, it’s like I felt so helpless if anything would have happened to you, Grace. The thought of losing you hurt me so fucking bad and I just want to protect you baby and keep you safe. When I found out that you were the one who testified to put him behind bars, I should have been more careful.”

  “Malice, it’s not your fault. Please don’t do that. Don’t you dare blame yourself.”

  “I do, Grace because I am always preaching safety and to be careful and to be mindful of your surroundings, and with all of that, I just knew that Silk ass had disappeared. I mean there was a hit on that nigga’s head, and his ass knew it, so I let my guard down and didn’t think he’d ever come around here lurking. Hell, I didn’t even know that he knew we were together. I mean I dropped the ball. When you went to the hospital with me, it didn’t hit me until yesterday that I introduced you to his wife and if she was at the trial, I could guarantee that bitch recognized you, and she is the one who told him that I was with you.”

  “So is she now a threat?” she asked with panic in her voice.

  “Trust me, baby, if she knows what is best for her, she better stay under whatever rock she is hiding under. It’s some evil people that are eager to lay her ass to rest, just like Silky, so trust, I doubt if she will ever be an issue.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “One-hunnit and ten percent, but in the meantime, I’ll show you some moves to defend yourself and take you to the gun range. I am not saying you will ever be in another situation again, but if ever, you can protect yourself.”

  “Wow, wait until I tell my sisters about me getting a gun.”

  “They all should have one, but, baby, I wanted to make this night special and just try to set aside all the drama and the bullshit that we went through. We got CHAMPAGNE, smooth music and I just want to celebrate life and us.” I popped the bottle open and poured some for her first. I then filled my glass. I reached into my pocket and flipped the box open with one hand down by my side and then tapped her glass to mine. We both took a swallow. I held up the diamond. “And to marriage.”

  Her mouth dropped opened wide. “My ring, you got my ring.”

  “I wanted to surprise you with it the other night,” I said. She held out her finger, and I sat my glass down. I pulled the ring from the box, and after I put it on her finger, she came up out the tub, wetting my body and shorts with hers. She held my neck tightly as I planted kisses on her face. “I love you so much, Malice and I promise you a year and some change ago when we met, I never thought that this would ever be us.”

  “Well, it is babe. It took a long time for us to get here, but we made it, and I am a grateful, man. Grateful for our lives. God spared us, and I’m grateful that he allowed me to have a love this good. And I will spend the rest of my days doing whatever it takes to make you happy.”

  “Same here, cheers!” she said.

  “Cheers!”

  27

  Gabby

  We were at Chasity Rules the night before the wedding prepping for the next day. We had had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner the night before, and we didn’t do wild bridal showers. We just did our thing at Chas’ salon, and this time she wasn’t doing anyone’s hair. There were her regular favorite two stylists Carmen and Loren, and her girlfriend Legacy was there doing her thing at Chas’ station to help out. We talked about good sex, the worst sex, and in our cases with the Wilkerson men, the best sex. For the first time, Grace wasn’t the only one in the room without a story to tell. She was no longer a virgin, and according to her, she didn’t know a damn thing about bad sex, because her man was the best every single time they got it in, she bragged.

  “So, Grace Elaine, have you tried oral yet?” Gemma asked.

  “Yes,” she blushed. “At first, I wasn’t that great at it, and I could barely get that big muthafucka in my mouth, but now it’s getting better. I mean it was hard to keep from scraping it with my teeth, but you know what they say, practice makes perfect,” she said and stood. She did a little dance in place, and I could tell my sister had finally found her confidence. She didn’t hide away in the corner when we were out anymore.

  “Girl, look at your ass glowing,” Chas said.

  “Because I am the happiest I’ve ever been. I know I was attacked a couple of weeks ago, but Malice rescued me, and since that day, he has been doing everything to make me forget it. Girls, he has turned my life around. We go to SNAPS&LAUGHS a couple times a week, and I now feel good to get on that stage and share my energy, thoughts, and emotions.”

  “And now you finally rocking sexier clothes,” I said.

  “Stuff that I was always told that big girls shouldn’t wear, but I realize that that was a bunch of crap.”

  “And you know we not gon’ let you ever go out looking like a damn fool,” Gemma added, because we mostly shopped together.

  “Well the head must be good, he put a damn ring on it!” Chas declared and held up her glass.

  “Boom!” I said, and lifted my glass. We continued to chat, and after all of the facials and waxing, we were set in rollers and satin caps. Loren, Carmen, and Legacy confirmed the time to be at Chas’ house the next day to finish our hair and do our make-up. We filed out and went to Chas’ for our sleepover while the guys were at my house.

  We all got our showers in and were in our comfy pajamas. We continued with wine and girl talk.

  “So Gemma, what happened when Royal walked you to your car after the rehearsal dinner?” Chas asked.

  “Now, what now?” I said.

  Grace sat straight up. “Royal walked you to your car? Why am I just now hearing this news?”

  “Because there is nothing to tell.”

  “Gemma Renee Jackson,” I said mimicking Gloria Jean. “Tell another lie and watch me slap yo’ damn face,” I added, and the girls cracked up. That was the very first time I was spot on imitating my momma.

  “There isn’t. I mean maybe Malice getting shot made him soft, I don’t know, but since the other night in the ER, he’s been being nice. I mean at the hospital after everyone left, he came to the nurse's station to ask for me. I told him that it was my nightshift and I wouldn’t be off until seven a.m., and the next morning he showed up with coffee and a damn donut. Shit, I don’t like him being nice. The shit just feels weird, like he is faking the shit. And at the dinner rehearsal since y’all thought it was cute to sit hi
s ass with me, he was eyeing me down the entire dinner. I’ve been knowing his loudmouth ass for over a year, and I have never seen him this nice, so, just in case he trying to make me soft, I’m going to keep being mean to his ass until I figure out his motive.”

  I looked at her confused, “Gemma, you sure that momma didn’t put some kinda spell on you? I mean every word out of your mouth sounds like Gloria Jean got her hand up your damn back telling you word for word what to say,” I said.

  Everyone but Gemma laughed. “Like I said, he is up to something, and I’m nobody’s fool.”

  Chas stood. “Whatever Gemma. I am going to go to bed because I am a bride, and I will not have bags underneath my eyes on my special day.”

  “I am with Chas,” I said and stood. There were four bedrooms in their home, and even though I didn’t want to sleep in the bed that Chas and Rel got down in, she assured me the sheets were clean. Gemma chose the couch, and Crystal and Grace went to the other rooms. Stephanie was coming in the morning, so when I got into bed with my bestie, I made sure I was on her side of the bed and not, Rel’s. We turned down the covers and then she called my name.

  “Yes,” I said, wondering why she called my name when we were the only two in the room.

  “I have been wanting to ask you something, but I don’t know how to ask.”

  “Girl, what? You know you can ask me anything.”

  She climbed into bed, and I got in with her. “Did Gutta have anything to do with Trina’s death?”

  Shocked, I said. “What? No. No, why would you ask me that?”

  “Because Trina was a problem and now the problem is solved.”

  “I don’t know what other mess Trina had going on, or what other dealings Trina was into Chas, but no, my husband didn’t have anything to do with that.” My heart was racing that she even came to that conclusion. I mean they all knew that Trina had been killed and the news reported it as a robbery gone wrong. The police had come by to question us, but there was nothing to link my husband to that crime, so I wondered why Chas thought that, and that was the first time in over twenty years that I had lied to my best friend. Gutta was my husband, and it was just something more sacred than a friendship. Even though I knew in my heart that Chas would never say a word, that issue was between me, Gutta and the Lord.

  And if it ever came back that my husband was involved, I would pray that Chas would forgive me for lying to her, but that was something I’d die with.

  “I’m sorry, but it had been nagging my soul to ask and if you say no, I believe you best friend.”

  “Thank you, now get some damn sleep. Tomorrow is your damn wedding day!”

  To Be Continued