Page 44 of Merci

“I love him that much,” I clarified, making Marz smile. “You risked it all for Heir, and Hammer risked it all for me.”

Sighing, Marz sat back in his seat with a shake of his head. “Alright, alright. He’s good. Just promise me?—”

“I won’t keep something like this from you again,” I assured him, tugging him up from his seat by his hand. “Come on. I’ma take you shopping. What do you want? A new watch? New instrument?”

“Un unh. I want you to go to the drive-thru zoo with me. Heir said she ain’t going with me again.”

I burst into a fit of laughter. “Oh yeah. She told me what happened when you took her. I wish you would have had a video. Was she really crying?”

Marz laughed. “Crying, snotting,andabout to throw up. She said it was so horrible she don’t want me to have my farm animals when we get married no more.”

We laughed as we headed out of the office in search of Neptune so we could take a quick little trip to the drive-thru zoo. I wondered if I should ask him about Casper, but I knew he’d just brush it off and tell me I was nosy. For now, I’d let it ride, but if he was doing what I thought he was doing, I couldn’twaitto get even and snitch to Daddy.

25

HAMMER

“You are absolutely insane!” Merci yelled as she laughed.

“Why you acting surprised? I told you I was going to get your name tatted. It just took longer than expected.”

Her head shook as she looked down at me with all the love in the world in her eyes. It was her first birthday gift from me—permanent proof that she had been and would always be my one. I was getting her name tatted on my rib and her lips on my neck now so they would have a little time to heal before we left for her birthday trip. She’d decided to go out of town and just enjoy herself for her birthday since she was so busy with work. Alia couldn’t be convinced not to throw a party so their people could celebrate her, and I loved that for my baby. Alia did, however, agree to throwing the party once Merci’s busy season was over so she could really enjoy herself.

Once Asia was done with the tattoo, I thought we’d head out. It was crazy how small the world could seem when you connected with people. Asia had done my last few tattoos, and I had no idea she and Merci were connected. Asia was Aspen and Malaysia’s oldest daughter, and Aspen was one of Merc’s close friends. They all grew up together, and I had no idea there was achance my baby could have been in the tattoo studio at the same time as me.

“I want one too,” Merci said, surprising me.

“What you gon’ get?” I asked as Asia wiped down her chair and sanitized her station.

“A hammer on my chest.” She pointed to the center of her chest, between her breasts. “Right here.”

“Aww that’s actually cute,” Asia said. “And if he fucks up, we can cover it up with a red heart.”

While they laughed, my eyes rolled toward the ceiling. “I’on know why y’all don’t believe me when I say this is my wife.”

“People get divorced every day, friend. But for real, I got faith in y’all. I know you’re a solid dude. Even before I knew you were messing around with my girl,” Asia replied.

“Do you have time to do it real quick?” Merci asked.

“For you? I got all the time in the world.”

I stepped out to pay after Asia refused to give me a price, and I included an extra couple hundred since we were technically running into her next client’s time. The whole time Merci got the tat, my dick was hard. Had my mama not been waiting for her, I would’ve fucked her as soon as we got in the car.

“I can’t believe you really got that shit,” I said, looking over at her as I drove.

“It’s so cute too. I love it, and I love you.”

“I love you too, Ms. Merci.”

I leaned against the center console and gave her a kiss, then took her hand into mine. Even if I didn’t want to, I smiled. For a while there, I thought I’d lost my baby. Now, I knew we were truly locked in for life.

Mama was in her feelings already because this was her first time meeting Merci, but when Ariel pulled up, she was really about to cry.

“The fuck is she doing here?” Cujo complained like an old-ass man.

“I told her you were here,” Merci said with a cheesy grin. “Go talk to her, Jojo.”

He released a long exhale as his head shook, but he stood and headed out of the living room. As much as I wanted to hear their conversation, I knew either Merci or Cujo would give me details later.