Lynnia (13 page)

Dario smiled and dutifully followed. They were walking near a speaker so his cousin wouldn’t hear him if he attempted to speak to the man just then. The woman’s card was in his hand as he walked out the door of the bar. He read what she wrote out loud.

“Don’t forget, Brit, True Blue.”

Dario had many a woman comment on the color of his eyes in the time that he’d been dating. None of them had ever coined him “True Blue” before. Admittedly, he quite enjoyed the little name. All of his life he’d been questioned about the color of his eyes. Many people stereotyped his race, stating they had brown eyes and brown eyes only. He was one of the few that he knew of born of Cuban decent and having blue eyes. It was one of the many mysteries regarding his gene pool that he’d just willingly accepted about himself.

“Are you headed home? I am.”

Dario turned his attention from his thoughts to the man standing in next to his new toy. The custom paint job of the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR gleamed in the glow cast from the streetlight. The black and red had that bitch looking sexy as hell. It was so sexy that he felt the little pang of jealousy as Vic slid the door open. The two-tone color just screamed, “My owner paid a fortune. Be envious.” The spoiler had his and his wife’s initials on it. His cousin was blessed. He knew it and showcased that blessing every time he had an opportunity.

Tearing his green with envy eyes away from the hotness of the car, he waggled his eyebrows at his cousin while smirking. Before he could comment on the thought he knew that both he and Vic were having, his phone vibrated in his pocket. When he looked at the screen, he was confused to see who was sending him a text.

D’Oliver, your presence is requested @ my home in 25 min.

“That’s unexpected.”

“What? A skanky woman propositioning a seemingly single man?”

“Seemingly?”

“Yes, do gloss over the fact that the woman who’s card you pocketed jumped from one male lap to the next.”

“I’m going to ignore anything you just said and focus on my question to you.”

“Ah! We’re going to pretend as if you don’t know what I’m talking about?”

“Look, I’m going to go to that stand over there and get one of those cabbies to give me a ride to my unexpected date with a gorgeously, sophisticated woman. I wouldn’t want to be late.”

Victor gave him a sly grin, “Tell Momma Norton I said ‘hello.’ Brace yourself for what’s to come. A call from the matriarch is a serious thing.”

“Momma Norton is like sweet toffee, buttery and soft, when I’m around. I have nothing to worry about.”

“Oh okay, cuz. Just another piece of quick advice before I go. You should get rid of the one nighters and accept the fighters. You and Lynnia have been doing this really odd dance for long enough. Either grow a pair and do what’s necessary to get that woman to link herself to you or cut the shit and let go already. It’s probably what Momma Norton is going to say when she sees you.”

“I don’t think this request has anything to do with that. Besides her daughter isn’t even talking to me. It’s kind of what’s wrong with me now.”

“Your words, cuz, not mine. You’ve been around long enough to know that the issues that happen with one sister isn’t that sister’s alone. If it festers too long, one or more of the sisters will step in and have the situation dealt with. Where in the hell do you think they got the gene? Momma Norton is the ring leader. Think about Chris and Rayna, Zoie and me, James and Nye, even Zach and Chy, one or more of the sisters had a hand in making sure the guy was available for the sister when it was necessary. I’m surprised those women haven’t cooked something up already. I’m ready to do an intervention and it’s not even my style.”

Dario stood there, taking in what his cousin was saying. If he thought about it, then everything Vic was saying was correct. Could it be that Momma Norton had a plan to bring him what he’d wanted since he was thirteen years old? Or was she about to give him marching orders to finally let her daughter live without him being in her atmosphere? He would soon find out.

He nodded a goodbye to Vic and made his way to the cab station. Would he be able to walk away if he was asked? Would he be willing to fight to be able to have a more permanent place in Lynnia’s life? It was a fifteen minute ride to Momma Norton’s. Dario had a decision to make and he didn’t have long to come up with his answer. There was a force to be reckoned with waiting for his arrival. If he was venturing one way or the other, he needed an idea of which way in order to stand his own with Ella Jacobs-Norton. The choice that he made was going to spell out how his future played out. This wasn’t something he needed to leave up to chance. The choice was actually an easy one and boiled down to if he wanted to live his life in misery or filled with happiness and love.

Chapter 7