Page 155 of The Ninth

“AHHHHHH!”

My pussy throbbed on his dick as I came all over it. He grabbed me tightly, releasing into me. He started slamming his dick into me harder and harder than any point of the session. Each hit sent another orgasm blossoming all over my body. As soon as he pulled out, I felt the warmness he left behind seep down my thighs.

“Duke...” I whispered out. The flashbacks already started running through my head.

He pulled me into his chest, wrapping me in his arms while kissing my forehead. After a few moments, he pulled the blanket onto us. I smiled as he made sure it was tucked right under my chin. I smiled because I knew he would always make sure I’m okay. And I’ma allow him to.

We laid in silence for a while. I started wondering if he was even awake. The wind blowing caused the house to creak slightly. But I knew it creaked when the wind blew. The few times I’ve been here, I’ve made myself more than comfortable. Allowing myself to become part of Duke’s life. That’s why I just couldn’t let what we could be die.

“Tevin...” his low voice whispered. “I had an older brother named Tevin. It was me and him until our dad left our mama. They were together for a long ass time, but I guess it didn’t work out. Tevin was seven years old, they had me, and he dipped. I never felt the need to find that nigga or see if he was alive or not. Mainly because she met K2. Then Kenzo came. K2 and K3 completed our family like we never imagined. Sometimes...I forget he’s not my blood father. He’s been in my life since I was two, but I still used to wonder about the first man I vaguely remembered. K2 was loving, supportive, spoiled my mother. Even when we had nothing, the nigga would collect flowers around the neighborhood for her.

“He taught the three of us how to be men. He taught us how to fight. Morals. Integrity. Respect. How to treat a woman. How to treat each other. I feel like besides blood, it was K2 that made us love each other more. He made it seem like we weren’t shit without each other, and K3 and I still believe that to this day. When my brother popped up with a baby at sixteen? He didn’t yell or beat him. We never got beaten. Running miles and lifting weights? Hell yeah!” he laughed. “But never beaten. He taught him how to be a father. Tevin was the best father. Piper was the only other girl in our lives besides my mother. She came when Tevin was sixteen, I was nine, and K3 seven.

“K3 has always been that nigga. From eleven years old, he was doing what he had to, to help. K2 tried to steer him right and so did Tevin. But K3 told them niggas straight up there ain’t shit thy can do to stop him from putting on for us. So K2 taught him right from wrong and let him loose. Tevin made sure he was safe and helped when he wasn’t working his ass off. I wasn’t in the streets. Them two had it covered and my head was always elsewhere. I wasn’t worried about being followed when we were walking from school. I was drawing. However when niggas ran up on us? I was putting them in the dirt. Our little brother was the big brother in these streets, and neither Tevin nor I knocked him for that.

“K3 got locked up right when Tevin died. So I lost two brothers instead of one. Cassie knew Tevin before he left, and he loved her, always calling her “Lil Sis.” She would hear about me crashing out and tell K3 immediately. It took some time for me to calm the fuck down. I had to. Our family went from four men to just me and K2. And K2 old ass can’t do shit.

“I’m hood regardless, baby. That can’t be taken away from me. I tote guns. I shoot at niggas when it calls for. Temperatures never go unchecked if they need to be. And I don’t think twice before knocking a nigga head off his shoulders. But I’m just not a drug dealer. The money from selling drugs don’t excite me, my business does. K3 knows that and didn’t want me to be forced into some shit while he was gone, so he pulled his shit back off the streets while he was locked up. I’ve just been doing...maintenance. But I ain’t sold shit. K3 been a millionaire since a teenager, and he’s smart with his money. He didn’t lose out during five years but tripled it.

“So if a nigga fucking with my little sister that my brother loves to death then yeah. I’ma come see what he’s talking about. If my brother needs me to do this and that then yeah. I’ma do it. Because he helped get us out the mud and I’m not going to put us back there. And because I love him and he’s my last brother. So even with him being back, I’ma always and I mean ALWAYS step for my boy. That nigga mean the world to me. Just like my parents and niece. Just like you and Cassandra.

“I was wrong for not being up front with you and I’m sorry. To be honest...I could pick up that, that part of me wasn’t your speed. It was wrong to pursue you anyway, folks. Wrong to separate the two. I try to keep it away from my business completely which is why I’m Duke sometimes and Man-Man others. But I’m just one nigga. I draw and I handle business when I have to. I just don’t always have to. But the important part is, I will.”

I turned in bed, facing Duke. My hand cupped his face as I smiled softly, “You miss him, don’t you?”

He swallowed hard twice. I could tell he wanted to respond, but the emotions he was feeling didn’t allow him to. Instead of waiting, I leaned forward and pressed my lips into his.

“You were alone and here I was, out there bullshitting.”

He started cracking up laughing as one stubborn tear escaped and fell down his cheek. My hand swiped it away before his could get to it. At the same time, we leaned into each other, kissing passionately. My arms roped tightly around his neck. His hands pulled my body into his. It felt like I was at home in his arms.

I pulled away, kissing his bottom lip. “It seems like we both wanted each other and didn’t want to scare the other off. You were never judgmental. I was the one that was judgmental. Nobody is perfect, Duke. But we can be together. Take care of our relationship. Nurture and grow it. But also take care of your brother. Protect and love him. I’ma still feel the same.”

“And what do you feel?”

“Duke, I feel like I’m close to lo—”

DOGS ON THIS SIDE, DOGS OVER ON THIS SIDE...

I flinched in Duke’s arms as he gripped my body tightly, sliding up and turning me from the door. We listened for a second realizing...Jaded? by Drake was blasting through the house. And now all the lights were off. He sighed while chuckling a bit. After kissing my forehead, he tapped my thigh.

“Get cleaned up, baby.”

He hopped up, throwing his boxers and shorts on before walking out of the room. After sitting in confusion for a second, I hopped up as well, going into Duke’s bathroom. Quickly, I freshened up before coming out and throwing my clothes on. I walked down the hallway cautiously before I got to the theater.

This man K3 was sitting on the floor, smoking a blunt, blasting Drake with only a picture of Cassie on the screen. You would’ve thought the bitch died how he was acting. It lowkey caused me to panic. Duke wasn’t going to ask questions. He just stood with his arms folded, leaning against the wall. But once he seen my confusion, he leaned up, turning the music down some.

“What’s good, gang?”

“My shorty interrupted my proposal to tell me about Juan.”

I sucked my breath in sharply, patting my pants for my phone. Both Duke and K3 glanced at me briefly before looking at each other. Duke said nothing else and neither did K3. Duke just turned the music back up full blast before gently pushing me out of the theater.

“I’m sorry. Do you want to stay or—”

“No, I need to get to Cassandra.”

His face had a million questions on it. For some reason, it lacked confusion. He didn’t ask K3 who Juan was. He wasn’t shocked at the fact K3 was proposing. Maybe he was waiting to speak to him alone like brothers do. A simple nod from him was his only response after some time.