Page 32 of The Impossible

“Yeah no. Three max.” I laughed, maneuvering to lay on top of him.

Laughter erupted through his chest. “You wouldn’t give me five kids?”

I lifted my head. “Would you actually want five kids?”

“With you, yeah. Ain’t like we don’t have the space. Big fucking family and it would keep Alora busy.”

I laughed at the thought of his mother in bliss with five grandchildren. “She’d curse you out and you know it.”

“Nah. That lady is serious about grandchildren. Don’t be shocked if when we get home she’s dropping hints.”

I giggled nervously. “That’s wild. We just got married. Are we really expected to produce a baby that soon?”

“For my mama, hell yeah, and that also depends. You on something?”

I shook my head. “Before this I wasn’t sexually active, so I stopped taking my pills a while ago.”

His expression was blank and he just looked at me. He was paused and unreadable. His hands stopped rubbing my thighs and he was just there. I think I broke him.

“Are you okay?” I asked after he was still for too long.

His trance broke and he nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are you mad?”

“About what? We’re married, Nic.” He kissed my forehead.

“Because we haven’t talked about it. We’ve discussed pretty much everything else but children.”

He caressed my back, his hand moving up and down the length of my spine. “What is there to discuss? I’ll accept as many kids as you give me, even if we end up with about ten of them.”

“And that is where I’m drawing the line. Hopeful ass.”

CHAPTER 8

Hondo

We honeymooned for four days, then returned to the city. Instead of going back to my hideout space, I made sure we went home. That was the home I had gifted her for our marriage. The home I walked her through days after I knew I was giving her it and forever. She was completely unaware and aloof, probably wondering why the fuck I had brought her there, while it was the perfect moment for me. I didn’t miss how her eyes lit up with each room we explored, especially the shelved reading room. She loved the home and I did great. Therefore, while we were on our honeymoon, I had her entire condo packed up, and everything she owned was brought to our home, even the BMW that seemed like it had never been driven. Knowing her, it had only been driven once or twice. It was a pleasant surprise when we walked in and she saw all of the boxes, most of which were left over because Alysia had already begun taking out things like clothes and kitchen shit.

“Yo, earth to Hondo. Nigga, you been daydreaming since we came in here. Are you good?” Otto asked.

I blinked a few times then reached for the drink in front of me. “I’m straight, just thinking. That’s all.” I responded after swallowing the brown liquor.

He nodded. “You figure out who tried to run that hit on sis?”

“Nah, and that’s what’s pissing me off, because a motherfucker came at her on our territory. Had I not walked in that room, I woul—” I started, but my brother held up his hand.

“You know you can’t think about things like that. What could have happened didn’t happen because you handled it. Now we gotta see who it was and deal with it, Hon. Simple as that.”

I nodded. “You are the oldest, aren’t you?”

He laughed. “Yeah, even though you be acting like an old ass man.”

I joined in the laughter. “Fucking idiot. How has everything been in my absence anyway?”

“Copacetic. We just launched the new transports from pier to pier. Now I’m just waiting on word about the new development. You know Old Man Curr slows down all construction contracts when he feels like a motherfucker ain’t included him,” Otto responded, sitting back in his chair.

I nodded. “Don’t make that shit right. You opening a casino in Westvale doesn’t have shit to do with him. Motherfuckers don’t slow down the check when he needs something. He needs to step his old ass down. The regime ain’t the same no more.”