Giving him a grin, I shake my head. Everyone knows my pops as Fury, a man not to fuck with but to his kids he’s always been what he was supposed to be, our parental unit who works side by side with my mamma. Hell, he even took on my cousins, Lynch and his sister Harlow.
I can’t help from cringing at the thought of Harlow, she’s more like a sister but after finding her in the park laying on the ground unmoving, I will always feel a sense of guilt none of us were able to protect her from her fate.
“She feeling any better?” I ask as I get close enough.
“Yeah, your mamma is feeling better,” he says, slapping a hand on my shoulder.
“That’s good so which one of my favorites did she make?” I quiz, wondering if it’s the favorite meal him and I share a love for or the one he hates eating.
“Shrimp creole.” He grins.
“Good thing I’m starving,” I chuckle, patting a hand on my stomach knowing if she made shrimp creole, she made enough to feed an army and I’ll end up taking some back to the clubhouse with me.
“Mon beau,” my mamma says in greeting as I enter the kitchen to find her standing at the stove. I have always been amazed at how small she is. Yet the air around her is larger than life.
“Mamma.” Making it to her, I swoop her in for a hug lifting her feet clear off the floor.
“Pit, put your mamma down,” my pops mutters as he enters the room behind me.
“Oh hush, Fury. I haven’t seen mon beau in well over a week,” Mamma says, swatting at his arm as I release her.
“Yeah and you’ve been chomping at the bit for him to come over to talk with him.”
Furrowing a brow, I’m back to wondering if it was a good idea to come over. “What did you want to talk to me about?” I ask, cautiously.
“Sit, eat and I’ll tell you,” she orders. I may be a big motherfucker but when Ela Corbin tells you to sit your ass down you do as she says.
Taking a seat at the table, I accept the plate she hands to me with a thanks and dive in while waiting for her and pops.
“What I’m going to tell you mon beau isn’t easy for me, I promised I’d never bring it up unless the time ever came. I didn’t think it would come, not after all this time.”
“Just spit it out, mamma,” I grumble, tensing at what she’s about to say.
“You remember when Angelina and you were dating and how you two were waiting until the day she was able to finally move in with you, I always said give it time it would all work out in the end?”
“Why are you bringing Angelina up?”
“Because Peirce, it’s time and the two of you need to heal the space keeping you apart.” At my mamma’s announcement, I drop the fork, slide my chair back, and stand.
“That isn’t going to happen, Mamma,” I snarl.
“Mon beau, listen to me,” she argues.
“Sorry, Mamma, on this I won’t listen to you,” I growl, turning on my heel and storming out the door.
Straddling my bike, I lift the kick stand up and hit the throttle. This day just keeps getting better and better. Fuckin’ Angelina swirling around me everywhere I go.
Pointing in the direction opposite of the clubhouse, I head for New Orleans and somewhere I can release my pent-up frustrations.
Chapter Four
Angelina
Throughout the rest of my three days off work, I spent lounging around the house, making sure to clean, and prepare for the next set of days on at work, meaning cooking enough meals for Carson to have that all Lyrica has to do is heat them up for him.
Lyrica, had thankfully moved in next door, before she did, I was having to ask Mrs. Wilson, an elderly woman who lived across the street. Once I met Lyrica, she and I hit it off. After she found out I was having to get Mrs. Wilson to watch my son she immediately offered to take over. I took her up on the offer and it’s worked out ever since. With Ly’s flexible hours the two of us were able to set up a schedule where she was working on the days I had off. She’s my only friend and I couldn’t be more thankful for her entering our lives.
Carson enjoys hanging out with Lyrica, says she’s flipping awesome. She’s teaching him how to draw and takes him to the park on the days I can’t to ride his skateboard.
For some reason I dread leaving Carson today. I don’t know what it is. The sense of someone watching us hasn’t let up and I wish I knew.
Knocking on the front door interrupts my thoughts. Frowning, I wonder who it could be. I was dropping Carson off with Lyrica at the tattoo shop and she was going to take him home with her when she got off.
“Mom, it’s a Mr. Ballard,” Carson calls out my name from the living room. He knows I prefer him not to open the door without me knowing who it is. Doesn’t matter if he asks them who it is through the door or not. I guess you can say I’m overprotective.
“I’m coming, buddy,” I say heading in his direction as I pull my hair up into a ponytail. “Go ahead and get your stuff together to head out.”
“Okay,” he nods and heads toward the back of the small house to get his stuff.
Opening the door, I instantly wish I didn’t as the door is shoved all the way open and a man I’d never seen before steps through. “You should have known to expect me,” Ballard sneers, slamming the door behind him.
“I have nothing for you or him,” I stammer stepping backwards,
