Maneuver_Men of Inked_Southside

by Chelle Bliss

She nods with a smirk. “He knew if he wanted to keep his vital organs, he’d leave the broads in the past and learn to be a faithful partner. I wouldn’t leave him, but I wasn’t above torturing him. He knows my temper better than anyone, and he came to his senses after a little convincing.”

  “Convincing?” I swallow, almost choking on the word. I’m not sure I want to know the lengths Betty would go to in order to rein her man in.

  She pats my hand, still laughing. “It’s best if some things stay a secret, dear.”

  “I think you’re right,” I whisper. “You’re an amazing person, Betty.”

  “Delilah, if you want to go to California, we’ll understand,” she tells me, but while I feel she’s being sincere, I don’t hear the conviction in her voice.

  “You would?”

  “I wouldn’t be happy, but I’d let you go. I’d love to see you with my son and sitting around my dinner table with this bundle of joy every week. But you need to do what’s best for you and your little one.”

  “Betty,” I tell her, covering her hand with mine and squeezing. “To be honest, I’ve never felt more complete and content than I do here with Lucio, you, and the entire family.”

  My words bring the smile back to her face. “Does he know?”

  I shake my head, because I didn’t really know until I just said the words. “I don’t think so.”

  “If you want to love my son, love him fiercely, but don’t wait too long to tell him.”

  “Don’t you think it’s a little soon for me to love a man I barely know?”

  She laughs softly and shakes her head. “I knew Santino much of my life, but we were never more than acquaintances, growing up on the same block. He was older and I always knew he was a player, but after one kiss, he asked me to marry him.”

  “Really?”

  “I told him he was crazy, but every night, he’d come to my house, crawl onto the roof of my parents’ front porch, and knock on my window to ask me again.”

  “And you said yes?”

  “After thirty nights and not a single date, I said I’d move in with him.”

  “Move in with him?” My mouth falls open. “Why didn’t you marry him?”

  “I knew marriage wasn’t for me. I don’t know.” She shrugs.

  “But you have the last name Gallo.”

  “I went to court and had my last name changed. I wanted the same name as my children.”

  “Why not just marry him?”

  “His business was complicated. We knew he’d eventually get caught—everyone always does—and this was the best way for me to protect what’s mine.”

  “Will you ever marry him?”

  “Maybe. As we get older, I do regret not being his legal wife.”

  “Well, it’s not too late,” I tell her, trying to picture her in a wedding dress. “He sounds like he’s romantic. He swept you off your feet.”

  “I was young and stupid back then. But every day, I’d wait for the sun to set so Santino would come to my window. Nothing else mattered. I couldn’t even look at another man because I was so smitten.”

  “So, you kissed him, and that was enough?”

  “He was relentless in his pursuit of me. No one else went to the lengths he did. It didn’t matter how many times I said no, he wasn’t going to give up. He was foolish and so was I, but sometimes our heart wants what it wants. There’s no rhyme or reason to any of it. You can’t overthink love, baby. You just got to jump.”

  14

  Lucio

  “Please, Lucio.” Daphne begs me for permission like it’s mine to give.

  “Why are you asking me?”

  Although I hate the idea of Delilah going out to a bar with God knows who hitting on her, I have no right to say no. She could use a break from me and everything that’s happened.

  “Someone has to watch the baby,” Daphne says, batting her eyelashes at me because she knows I’m a sucker.

  I point to myself, drawing my eyebrows down. “You want me to babysit?”

  “Well, duh.” Daphne rolls her eyes. “Do it for Delilah,” she tells me, knowing I can’t say no when she puts it that way.

  “I don’t like this,” I tell her and rub the base of my hands into my eyes.

  “No strippers.” She uncrosses her fingers and shows them to me like the childish gesture means a damn thing. “I promise.”

  “I’m trusting you, Daphne.”

  “Come on now. I know you love this girl. I won’t do anything to mess that up.”

  “Fine, fine. I’ll watch the baby. Just don’t have too much fun.”

  Daphne throws her arms around me, peppering my face with sloppy kisses. She knows I hate when she does that, but she doesn’t stop. “You won’t regret this,” she tells me, but I already do.

  “You’re sure about this?” Delilah asks for the fifth time as she slips on the high heels Daphne let her borrow. She’s leaning over the couch with her cleavage on full display, but only because of her current position. Her outfit is tasteful, which is surprising because Daphne gave her the dress. I never would’ve thought my sister had something that didn’t reveal too much skin, but somehow, Delilah found the only such dress in my sister’s closet.

  “We’ll be fine,” I tell her, not really answering the question. I’m not sure about the entire thing. Spending the night with Lulu should be easy, but imagining what’s happening at the bar is a different story. “Go and have some fun.”

  At least she’s going with Daphne. My sister knows how I feel about Delilah and hopefully will have my back, not letting anything get out of control.

  Delilah gives me a quick kiss as she reaches for her purse, but I don’t let her get away so easily. I wrap my arm around her back, hauling her body against mine and crash my lips down against hers. I want her to feel my kiss all night, remembering who’s waiting at home for her.

  Maybe it’s a dick move, but in that moment, I don’t care. I’ve slept with dozens of women and never cared what they did afterward, but Delilah’s different. The thought of another man touching her makes my skin crawl and sends my temper into overdrive.

  When I pull away, her eyes are still closed, and her lips parted. “I’ll wait for you,” I say.

  She blinks slowly and licks her lips, making me want another taste. “I won’t be late.”

  Daphne walks into my place without so much as a knock. Much like she did when we were kids. She never cared much for boundaries or privacy, unless it was her own being stepped on. “Ready?” she asks in the most annoying and cheery voice. “Don’t want to keep the others waiting.”

  “Others?” I ask as my stomach knots.

  “Michelle’s coming and a few other girls from the neighborhood.”

  “Like who?”

  “Colleen and Carmen,” Daphne says, glancing around the room because she knows I’m not going to be happy.

  Fuck. More than half the women going out together I’ve slept with. This could be a complete shitshow and the end to Delilah and me. I wasn’t a saint. I never claimed to be, but no woman wants to come face-to-face with someone their partner has shared a bed with.

  “Maybe you should stay in.” I pull Delilah backward before she gets too close to the doorway.

  “Don’t be an asshole. She’s coming. She already knows about Colleen and Carmen.”

  “You do?” I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment and groan.

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Lucio. We all have a past,” Delilah says with an easy smile. “I don’t care what you did before I got here. I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

  Fun isn’t the word I’d use to describe the conversation that will no doubt be taking place tonight. I’ll be the main topic and won’t be there to defend myself. Although Colleen and Carmen are nice and hella good in bed, I didn’t give either of them the relationship they both begged for in the end.

  “Have fun, but not too much,” I tell her.

  “I’ve never been drunk, remember?” She places her h
and on my chest, peering up at me with her baby blue eyes. “Don’t worry so much.”

  I give her a soft kiss, and my sister grunts, practically gagging behind us. “Let’s go,” Daphne says, tapping her foot against the marble tile in the entryway. “We’re wasting precious time.”

  “Bye,” Delilah whispers, holding my hand as long as possible as Daphne starts to pull her out the door.

  When they’re gone, I look around the house, rubbing the back of my neck and wondering what I’m going to do with my night off. A few weeks ago, I would’ve called any number in my contacts, finding some hottie to spend a few hours with to pass the time, but with Delilah around, that’s a no go.

  I collapse onto the couch, keeping the volume low enough so I can hear Lulu in case she starts crying. I never thought this would be my life, at least not without doing the marriage thing first.

  I flip through the channels, surf the internet on my phone, and grow so freaking bored I text a few of the guys and invite them over for beer and pizza. They quickly remind me that they’re out for the night, busy living the life I’d been taking part in up until a week ago.

  My life before Delilah wasn’t better. I have already grown used to hearing her pad around the upstairs apartment and the tiny cries and giggles of Lulu I hear even from my bedroom. I never realized how empty my life was until she came into it.

  But I wouldn’t change a damn thing. That’s the funniest part. I loved my life before Delilah walked into the bar. There wasn’t a part I didn’t enjoy the fuck out of either. But now, all I want to do is spend the night eating pizza on the floor with Delilah and Lulu. Nothing sounds as perfect or as sweet as something that simple.

  Just when I start feeling the weight of the silence in the house, Lulu begins to cry in the other room. I rush in and pluck her tiny body from the crib.

  “Hey, doll,” I whisper, rocking her in my arms as I hold her tightly against my chest. “Don’t cry, baby girl. I got you.”

  I spend the next twenty minutes heating a bottle and watching Lulu as she sucks down every drop like she’s never eaten before. I don’t know where she puts it, but I’m quickly reminded when she spits up all over the back of my shirt.

  “I still haven’t learned.”

  Based on the smile on her face, she’s happy with the way the evening is turning out. There’s not much I can do with an infant, so I do the only thing I can think of, throw on some cartoons and stare at the clock.

  “Yo,” Angelo says, walking through the front door just like Daphne. “I was heading home from the bar and saw your light on. Thought I’d stop in and check on you.”

  “I don’t know how you did this alone, man.” I shake my head. I’ve been with Lulu for only a short time, and I can’t imagine handling two kids, nonstop, day after day, with no end in sight. My brother makes everything seem easy, and even through his grief, he’s never once complained.

  “There’s nothing easy about it, and without Marissa, everything is harder.” He plops down on my couch, in no hurry to leave. “But I thank God for the month in the summer when her parents take the kids. I need the time to recharge and feel human again.”

  “Have you thought about dating again?” I ask, still standing because I’m covered in Lulu’s sour milk. We’ve had the conversation more than once, and he’s always quick to change the subject.

  He rubs his forehead, clearly hating this conversation. “I don’t think it’s fair to the kids.”

  “Angelo, don’t be ridiculous. You can’t hide behind those kids forever.”

  He juts out his chin, and I know he’s about to say something shitty. “And what are you hiding behind?”

  Bingo. He’s always turning the tables, trying to draw the attention away from himself, but I won’t let him this time. “They deserve two parents.”

  “Lucio, I know you think you know best, but you don’t quite understand what it means to be a parent.”

  “Enlighten me, then.”

  He stands and takes Lulu from my arms. “Go shower. You smell like shit. And then we’ll talk.”

  I don’t argue. With Delilah gone and Lulu not on a regular schedule, I don’t know another time I’ll be able to shower without someone else to watch the little squirt. “I’ll be out in five.”

  “Take your time,” he calls out before I disappear into my bathroom and think about the question my brother asked me.

  What was I hiding behind?

  “Figure it out, Einstein?” Angelo asks as soon as I walk back into the room. “What are you hiding behind?”

  For a moment, I feel like I can conquer the world again with all remnants of baby vomit removed from my body. But it’s short-lived as soon as Angelo starts playing twenty questions.

  “I always thought you were a pussy,” he says with a cocky smirk on his face because he knows just what to say to get me going.

  “I’m not a pussy,” I tell him as I plop down on the couch next to him and pull Lulu from his arms. “You know Dad was an asshole when we were kids, and I don’t want to be like him.” I pause for a minute and look down at Lulu as she wraps her tiny hand around my finger. “Look at this kid. Am I really a father figure?”

  “Did you think I would be?” he replies quickly, raising a single eyebrow.

  “You know you’re a great dad.” Angelo’s like Super Dad. If there were a medal given out for that type of shit, he’d get first place. There isn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for his kids, and somehow, he’s managed to keep them alive and thriving even after losing Marissa. I’m not so sure I could’ve done the same in his shoes.

  “Maybe I should be with Delilah. We both have kids. We can make our own Brady Bunch-type family. It’ll be perfect.”

  I stand quickly, pointing toward the door with Lulu in my other arm. “Get the hell out!”

  Angelo laughs and shakes his head as he stands. “You got it bad, brother. Make her yours. Stop thinking, and just act for once. Let your heart do the talking.” He pats me on the chest before he steps away. “But don’t wait too long. I’m sure I won’t be the only guy to try to take her off your hands.”

  “Fuck off, Angelo,” I mumble as he walks out the front door. I can still hear his laughter as he jogs down the front steps and onto the sidewalk.

  “No one’s taking you,” I tell Lulu, and she smiles, pulling at my cheeks. “Your momma and you were meant to be with me.”

  15

  Delilah

  It’s after three a.m. by the time I stumble to the front of the house. I’m drunk. So drunk I’m almost seeing double and can barely feel my legs as I make my way up the stairs.

  I turn and wave at Daphne, Michelle, Carmen, and Colleen as they wait on the sidewalk, making sure I can actually make it inside on my own. They were taking bets on how many times I’d fall in my high heels because they had to hold me upright for the last two blocks.

  I want to hate them for laughing at me, but I like them, even if they didn’t warn me that a Long Island Iced Tea didn’t really have any tea in it at all.

  “Bye!” I yell, waving and leaning against the front door for a little support.

  “Bye, girl. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do!” Michelle yells back, and all the girls giggle.

  “Or haven’t done.” Carmen reminds me of the fact that she’s slept with Lucio. I can’t even hate her for it. She explained it was years ago, just after high school, and he wasn’t all that good, but she was sure he’d argue that point.

  “Jesus,” I mutter as I try to focus on the handle and take a deep breath. I can pull this off. I can pretend to be sober, right?

  I nearly trip over the threshold but catch myself on the doorframe, nearly slamming the door into the back wall. “Shh,” I tell it and hiccup through the laughter.

  I lean over, holding the door handle to stay as steady as possible, and pull off my high heels. The lights are off, but there’s enough of a glow from the television for me to make my way through the living room without knocking over any furnit
ure.

  Peeking over the back of the couch, I see Lucio asleep with Lulu sprawled out across his massive chest. Her tiny cheek is resting in between his pecs, drool running down the side of her face and pooling against his skin.

  Holding on to the arm of the couch, I make my way to the wooden coffee table and sit. I blink a few times and wait for the room to stop spinning as I rest my chin in my palm and my elbow on my knee.

  The way he’s holding her with his hand against her back, making sure she doesn’t slip or move, brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. I find it hard to believe Lucio doesn’t think he’d be a good father. He’s been more than amazing with Lulu, and tonight is proof.

  Her little leg twitches, and I hold my breath, trying hard not to wake either of them. I wish I had a camera to capture this moment forever, but I still haven’t replaced my cell phone. Lulu stills for a moment before her hands flatten and her tiny fingernails bite into his skin.

  He doesn’t open his eyes as he removes her claws from his chest with one hand and rubs her back in small, soft circles with the other. I can’t stop staring at the way he loves my daughter. I want that type of love for her. I want her to have something I never did, a man who will always put her first.

  Lucio could be that guy. He may not believe in himself, but I do. Daphne made it quite clear tonight that her brother has feelings for me, but she didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. She told me, no matter what I hear, to remember he’s the most loyal guy she knows. No one would fight harder or defend me stronger than her brother. Part of the night, I felt she was pitching me on all the reasons I should love her brother, but I didn’t need her input to know how I already felt.

  “You’re home,” he says softly as I wipe away my tears. “What’s wrong?” He reaches out and touches my knee, leaving Lulu balancing on his chest.

  I shake my head and bite my lip, wishing the tears would stop streaming down my face. I’m acting like a fool, and the alcohol isn’t helping. “Nothing,” I whisper and place my hand over his. “I’m just so…”