Page 28 of Saint
“That’s none of you nigga’s concern, Sincere,” I grimaced. “Did we come here to discuss my wife or business? Because if Victoria is the topic, that shit is off limits,” I clipped, feeling insanely defensive and beyond ready to leave. I was missing out on my lunchtime quickie fooling with my family, and I wasn’t too pleased about it.
“Ooh. My wife. Aight. You got it, bruh,” Sincere teased.
“Victoria?” My dad chimed. “That’s a good old-fashioned name. Maybe you should bring her by for the cookout next month. She is family now, after all. I know your mom would love to meet her.”
Void of a response to offer him, my father cleared his throat and then said, “Anyway, let’s get down to business. Javier is gone. A new distributor has taken over, and the Miller family is free and clear of the drug trade. Legitimate men.”
“Who is the new distro?” I asked.
“Not us,” my dad responded. “That’s all that matters. I don’t want to hear shit about any of you doing anything drug-related behind my back,” he warned less to me and more to Supreme and Sincere. Those two were more involved than I was in all things concerning distribution. They’d gotten a fair monetary parting gift to step down from everything.
I’d never gotten involved with the family’s drug dealings. Heading off to the army didn’t exactly permit me such idle time. I knew how to kill a man, though. The army contracted me to do so on countless occasions. The closest I’d gotten to any illicit dealings with the family business was when I downed Javier.
“I brought you all here to discuss the expansion of our family’s name into the city. Now that we’re free and clear, it’s important,” he revealed, lifting his cigar again.
“Paramour needs to know we still run this town, albeit in a more positive way. So far, everyone has been doing a good job with the transition. Supreme is setting roots with the realty company. Sincere is doing music production, Serenity has the gallery, and you, Saint… Have you considered branching out?”
My father summarized everyone’s ‘accomplishments,’ making sure to diminish the fact that legitimacy wouldn’t even be on the table to discuss had it not been for me. Somehow, he still managed to single me out as if I weren’t doing enough.
“In what way?”
“A business. A lucrative venture that can be passed down from one generation to the next. Drug money will eventually dwindle, and we’ll all need to be secured in what we’ve decided to pursue,” he explained.
“Can I not just be a marine biologist?” I asked, my disdain evident on my face as I checked the time on my watch.
“What will you pass to your children with that, Saint?”
My face dipped into a scowl at the assumption. “What children? I –”
“Come on now, son. I haven’t seen you since that girl stepped foot off the plane. It’s only a matter of time before she’s knocked up, hauling around a belly for us all to marvel at.”
Tori and I had been fucking a lot. We’d long since discarded condoms and were putting it in whenever the opportunity presented, which was frequent as hell. The relationship was purely physical, though. We never discussed the prospect of kids, but I knew I didn’t want children. Not knowing whether I could pass autism down through my genes taunted me and further solidified my stance. Considering the marriage arrangement, I assumed Tori wasn’t interested in kids with me either. It wouldn’t make sense to bring a child into our bullshit. That would only further complicate things for no reason.
I hadn’t shared the financial part of my marriage agreement with my family, so they weren’t aware that my nuptials had an expiration date. When the time came, Tori would go her separate way as if we’d never known each other, and she’d be a million dollars richer. I could come up with an explanation for my family later on. Everything was simple and would remain so. That didn’t mean we couldn’t enjoy each other physically.
“I’ve been busy,” I tossed, feeling slightly cornered and overstimulated. My toes began curling to mitigate some of the anxiousness I felt. Again, we’d landed on the subject of me and Victoria. The fact that she and I were such a hot topic proved that my departure time was looming.
“Oh, we know, Saint. You’ve damn sure been busy. You missed the sibling dinner last night,” Supreme tossed.
Once a month, my siblings arranged dinner or an outing for us to reconnect with each other. The idea was birthed from Serenity, who’d begun to complain about feeling lonely and like she had no brothers after everyone moved out of the estate. With everyone enmeshed in their personal lives, it was easy for us to drift apart. Letting down our baby sister wasn’t an option. Forgetting our closeness was inconceivable. The sibling dinner ensured that it didn’t occur.
“That was last night? Are y’all sure the dates didn’t get mixed up?” I asked, checking the calendar on my phone. Sure enough, it was there in bold print. I distinctly remember silencing the alert as I indulged in my own dinner, greedily planting my face between Victoria’s legs.
“Damn. My bad, y’all,” I offered, palming the crown of my head in guilt.
My dad chuckled. “I’m happy for you, Saint. You come up in here looking freshly fucked without an ounce of stress in your body. Keep that pep in your step. Go back home to your wife. Think about bringing her to the cookout. The family would love to meet her.”
“Are we settled on the scores about Victoria?”
Since we’d returned to the potent discussion of my wife, I directed the question toward her safety with Javier’s people. The day we married confirmed her safety with my father’s people. There was no concern there.
Javier had a brother, Jorge, who’d worked alongside him. The likelihood of him seeking out vengeance for his brother’s demise was high. Victoria was one of the last people around Javier before I took his life. I didn’t need problems with his brother.
“Saint.” My father’s face crumpled into a dismaying frown. “As you stated earlier, that’s your wife. You should have settled that score.”
My eyes darted around the room to my brothers for support, but I located none. If what my father was telling me was the truth, I’d been sloppy in my endeavors. Victoria had a detail on her for her protection. Sam had maintained his distance, making sure not to alert her of his presence, but if there was a possible threat lurking amidst her comings and goings, it meant I would need to suit up and handle that shit myself.
“Why didn’t anyone contact me about any of this?” I fussed.