Chapter 1
Rome Betelli
I’d been sitting here for about twenty minutes and each time Summer opened her mouth, I wanted to spit bullets her fucking way. To her and her fellow commissioners, my community center was just another piece of property that sat in the way of their grandiose plans for Tuckerville.
To me though, it was home. Shit, more than home. It was literally who I am to my core, my entire being.
While I did enjoy working with numbers securing an accounting degree, over time I realized I enjoyed even more working with people. Blame my fraternity perhaps, but that shit made me a better person and a better man. I wanted to become another Bennett who was my stepfather, another black man making a difference and not behind a computer.
I made shit happen and while it may have required money, it most definitely required heart. A heart which Summer didn’t have as she hid behind this bullshit ass role as a some fake activist fighting for the people.
What people? Certainly not the ones she grew up around on the north side. What the fuck did Summer know about being a black kid in Tuckerville? Not a damn thing. That's what.
Once I almost shot up out of my seat, I felt my stepfather’s firm hand on my shoulder. That coupled with the look he gave me forced me to take a deep breath as he cleared his throat.
“Easy, Rome. Easy,” he whispered, applying a light squeeze. “Remember what I said, right?”
“Yeah,” I released, my fists tightly clenched as I slowly sat back in my chair. While I did remember, it didn’t mean I felt good about that shit. I didn’t need others to speak for me. I was a man. In fact, I was that man. The same one that used to have Summer on her fucking knees with my dick lodged deeply down her throat. I could see her now smiling up at me lovingly, spittle running down her jaws, chin and neck as I closed my eyes.
Fuck. I hate her.
“Good,” he replied, followed by a subtle nod at one of his closest friends. His name was Randolph Watts who also sat as one of the city’s commissioners. He was the one to put the bug in our ear about the proposal. It was to oust me and a few other business owners from the south side which came with a hefty check called city funding.
City funding my ass. I didn’t need shit to be funded. Between my brother Swoon and I along with several other generous donors and federal grants, my community center only needed Summer and the city sto stay out out of our way.
I would have initially blamed this initiative on her fiancé, Lester Seal. He was a retired baseball player turned celebrity food critic. I, however, actually felt he fucked her out of obligation and not because she was beautiful. Word on the street was that ole boy was gay and trust me, I’m not homophobic by any means. Still, nothing made me cringe more than a person pretending to be someone they’re not like his tight pants wearing ass.
They had history though long before she and I though. Apparently, they dated in middle and high school since their parents were longtime friends. Let Summer tell it, she never was interested in him back then, which was another reason why I felt ole boy was a placeholder until I took my girl back. Well, that’s if I wanted her and trust me, I didn’t with her disloyal ass.
“Coach B,” Summer greeted me, her eyes shifting around the room before she drew closer to me. “You know this can work in favor for all of us if a few of you would just get on board.” When I drew even closer, her eyes dropped, traveling from my face down my body.
What she meant was get on my dick. In fact, I know that’s exactly what she meant. Hell, I knew Summer better than she knew herself, watching her skin flush from embarrassment. It's crazy since I hadn’t even touched her yet let alone responded to her silly ass suggestion.
She was lucky I was sparing her feelings by keeping our past in the past. Before that shit went down with former best friend Jayla, she’d do anything for me when we were together. She’d lie, cheat and steal if I’d asked her once I had her heart. I'm serious. Summer Lei Knowles was the definition of loyalty… until that bitch wasn’t. I fucked up once by accident and instead of her hearing me out, she stomped on my fucking heart and ran back to Lester's gay ass.
For that reason alone, I needed her to move around and fast before we both landed up in trouble. The Rome I am now was not to be played with. Once she broke my heart, I broke bitches backs out.
End of story.
“Get the fuck from ‘round me, Lei,” I growled, my jaw twitching when her fragrance seeped into my nose. A scent I’d become addicted to over the years, Daisy by Marc Jacobs. Her mother loved it, sending a bottle with every care package when we were in college.
Watching her flinch as I called her by her middle name gave me nothing but joy, her Hershey colored complexion now a dark blush color. I won’t lie. That shit was so sexy. Before I could try my luck and proposition her for some head, I caught my stepfather looking our way. He was in the back of the town hall room on his cell phone. I sighed, realizing that before I would make him regret showing up for me, I’d rather shit on Summer first.
“Rome, please…” she released and paused, cautiously taking me by one of my hands. I could feel her shaking, her fingers once laced loosely were now tightly wrapped my hand as she begged me hear her out.
“Please what? Respect this shit you’re doing? Instead of trying to better Tuckerville, how about you put that same energy into your mother before she drinks her dumb ass into a coma,” I spewed. “Move the fuck on, Lei. I’m serious,” I added, causing her to gasp. I knew I shouldn't have came for her mother, but no one was off limits if they werent' a Betelli. No one.
The fuck she expected from me? This was all personal and she knew that shit too. Besides my community enter and an African American owned bookstore, the other businesses were eager to set up shop anywhere selling tea, pastries, shoes or other shit people could find anywhere else.
“Summer, baby? Everything alright over here?” her gay ass man Lester probed, looking my way. If he kept it up, I’d fuck his girl right here and not to piss him off. I’d do because I could, watching her skin pepper with sweat as she quickly looked his way once she wiggled her hand out of mine.
“Ye—yes,” she stammered, a tight smile quickly forming on her face. A face I used to enjoy resting between my thighs while she sucked me off, no gag action anywhere in site. Shit, Summer better stop trying to mind fuck me and take this nigger with her. “Rome and I were just discussing ways we can work together,” she added, her voice shaky. Yeah, she better be scared.
“Oh?” he said, the tone he delivered sounding more like a question. “Well, that’s refreshing,” he continued, then grinned as he looked in my direction. I don’t know why. I wasn’t a friendly motherfucker at all. “I’m glad you two can find some common ground. No reason why not when we’re all winners in this,” he said, before patting me on the back with his dick beaters.
Summer knew that was a wrong move as her eyes bucked. It's cool though. Since they both wanted to keep playing with my emotions, I wanted to prove to them that I could play harder and better.
“Good ole Lester is speaking my language.” I laughed. “You're right. Instead of us doing this now in front of everyone else, perhaps Summer and I have this conversation over dinner. Maybe one of our favorite restaurants?” I posed, slowly approaching her.
I was waiting for this pussy to show his skirt and tell me to move. I chuckled when I saw his chest tightened in that small ass buttoned up shirt he wore, yet his mouth remained closed. Good thing it did. Besides, I was confident the skirt he wore was tucked deeply underneath those tight ass pants.
“You know dinner sounds fantastic,” he finally agreed once he looked over to Summer who stood there with her mouth wide open. Ah, hell yeah. It was opened just the way I like it.
“Su—sure,” this pussy stammered, clearing his throat. “Most definitely. We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I noticed he kept saying "we" as if I were asking him out. Imagine that. I told you dude was gay.
“Alright then.” I was too amused. This shouldn’t even be this fun, but I was ready to mash the gas on them, so I did. “Summer send me the reservations. Tell them to select a spot that's quiet and secluded. You never know. I just might want you for dessert.”
If Summer could have blown up and flown away like a Good Year blimp, I’m sure she would while Lester started choking as if he had dick lodged down his throat.
There it was. I told you I came to win.
“Rome’s still so funny I see, honey,” she managed to release, staring at Lester as he caught his breath. He was sweating like a pig in blanket about to go in an oven. “What place are you referring to though? I can't seem to recall,” she said, silently begging me to behave while Lester wiped the sweat off his forehead before loosening his tie.
Too late for that. She knew not to reject anything I gave her in the past, so rejecting me what I had to offer now was no different.
Fuck her man.
"The one where I sucked you up until you passed out and had to carry you out. Remember that, Lei baby?"
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