“Beth was your motherfucking soldier. She wasn’t just ready to die. She did, all for you, for this thing. Now your son is facing that same world and guess what?
“He’s in love with a Black girl, his best friend is Danish American, but make no mistake, Jace will be his consigliere and, Ava, they’re going to find their way into a relationship just like yours.
“It’s been happening all their lives. Gio loves them both, and for them, he’s going to bend. He’s going to figure it out, but if you don’t finish this, he can’t have any of that.”
“But he’s so much like his father. It will never work.”
“Allow them to decide that. For now, we guide them into what you couldn’t have. Gio gets the crown, the girl, and the respect they all deserve.”
“He’s the one. My father said it the day Gio was born. He’s the change the families don’t know they need.”
“He is. I’m heading back, I can help Elijah and I’ll help Ny channel some of that anger,” Gwen says.
“Yes, she needs you. She’s making soldiers, Gwen. She’s just like her mother.”
“Yeah, I see that, but soldiers for what?”
“That’s what I need you to find out. She’s a smart girl. Something has triggered this, and I’ll put money on it connecting to my son.”
I look Jace in the eyes and we have a silent chat. I know why Ny is making soldiers. I left and she doesn’t think I’ll keep my promise.
I’m always a step ahead of everyone else, but Ny has always been a step ahead of me. I knew a long time ago my godmother was training an army for Ma. I once mentioned wanting an army of my own. This is Ny answering my thoughts.
I wave Jace to follow me back to our rooms. When we get out of earshot of the office, I look at him.
“She’s making them for you.”
“I know.”
“Matt was a message.”
“I know that too,” I snarl. I pause and turn to him. I hate what I’m about to do, but it needs to be done. “I think you should go back with Gwen. Ny needs you, but Jace, I still want her, and I plan to make this right. Don’t do anything to take her from me. Give her want she needs, nothing more.”
“I promise. You can trust me. All I’ve ever wanted was my own family. That’s you and Ny. I’ll never do anything to destroy that.”
This I know, which is why I’ve made peace with it. I tug my best friend into a hug. “You fuck her, I’ll kill you,” I whisper in his ear.
I release him, pat his cheek, and give a smile he understands. Like me, it’s innocent until it’s not. He returns the smile.
“You will give her to me. I’ll wait.”
“Fuck you,” I snort.
He shrugs. “Now, that’s not going to happen. You don’t need to ever worry about that.”
We laugh like nothing just happened and head for dinner.
CHAPTER 8
Left Behind
Nyla
Two weeks later…
“One, two,” I hiss at the punching bag in front of me. “One, two.”
The sound of the force of my punches echo through the basement. I blink back the tears I refuse to allow to fall. They left me. Everyone left me.
As if I have no value to them and I don’t matter, they left me behind. I’ve been left to figure it out all on my own. I thought breaking Matt’s arm would show Gio I needed him, but that didn’t work.
I’m still here alone. It’s been almost six months and it’s getting harder to breathe. Getting kicked out of school may not have been the best idea. At least, when I had school, I got to leave this house.
However, I was drowning there without Gio and Jace. If one more person would have asked me about them, I was going to lose the last of my mind I have left.
“One, two.”
“I hope it’s not my face you’re seeing.”
I freeze and gasp. Tears fill my eyes and I turn toward the sound of a voice I’ve needed to hear so bad.
“Jace,” I breathe as I run into his arms.
He lifts me off my feet as he holds me tightly. I bury my face in his neck as I try to pull my gloves off. He smells so good and comforting.
He places me back on my feet and I look around him for Gio. Disappointment hits hard. I wrap my middle with my gloves clenched tightly in my hands.
“He couldn’t return yet,” Jace says knowingly. “He sent me.”
“Oh…but…but… why won’t he talk to me?”
Jace tugs me back into him and kisses my forehead. “Everything is changing. He’s becoming someone else. We have to let him do that.”
“But doesn’t he see that I need him?”
“Yes, he does. That’s why I’m here. He wants me to take care of you.”