Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“Grandson,” Grandpa said proudly, raising both arms as if about to initiate an embrace. “So good to see you!” Lennox took another gulp of his water. “I’d like to speak to you privately, if you don’t mind.”
Lennox kept drinking, then belched. “…I mind.”
“Well, isn’t that a shame? Don’t tell me I’ve come all this way for nothin’?”
Lennox could feel the eyes turning his way as people began to eavesdrop and look on. An older man was standing there, fit as a fiddle, donning expensive, flashy clothes covered in jewels and gold. Grandpa Wilde plucked his hat from his head with a slightly shaky hand, and held it modestly against his stomach. Thick, long waves of silver hair with snow-white highlights fell across the man’s face, partially concealing one of his snake-like blue eyes. His silky white beard appeared more lustrous than usual as the bright gym lights hit it. What a conniving and contradicting sight to behold.
“I ’spose, since you’ve left me no choice, I’d hate to have to talk to you out here then, in front of all of these good folks about such a sensitive matter.” The old man dramatically sighed as he slowly moved his arm about the room, waving the marble cane with the gold tip about like some magician wand. He don’t even need that fucking cane. Just has it for show. A darkness flashed across his face as his faux frown stiffened while pretending to be wrought with sadness by being turned down.
“If you hate the idea of it so much, leave.”
“You know I can’t do that, Lennox. They’ll be an audience I guess for us to discuss private affairs. Like how your whore of a mama’s lovely, long Lebanese legs were spread wide fuckin’ open, exposing that black, hairy bush you came out of, but then it was for every Tom, definitely Dick, and Harry to slide into and—”
“Shut up.” Lennox barked, slamming his bottle down on a nearby counter. “In the back.”
Grandpa and the two-armed men followed him into a small storage area filled with yoga mats and dumbbells. Lennox closed the door behind them, then faced them, arms crossed. He and Grandpa stared each other down, eye to eye. He imagined they looked like two rival fighters right before the big brawl. In fact, they were.
Grandpa’s lips pursed, and his salt and pepper thick brows bunched as his icy stare intensified. His lips suddenly bowed in a warm smile, as if he were some robot and someone had flipped a switch. He then slapped Lennox’s shoulder hard.
“Look at you…” He scanned him from his face down to his feet. “You’ve grown up to be incredible. Strong. A fortress. I couldn’t take my eyes off you when you came to visit the other day.”
“You call that me comin’ to visit? You kidnapped me, and the rest of my cousins that you’ve labeled AWOL, at gunpoint.”
Grandpa ignored him and went on with his spiel. “You’ve grown into a strapping young man. You’ve got a ruggedness about you. You’re so damn robust.” Grandpa’s eyes narrowed as he looked him up and down. “…You don’t have any children, though. And you’re unmarried. Maybe you still like to play the field?” He could tell Grandpa was fishing, trying to elicit a response. He remained quiet. “You’ve endured. Lost your mama… got caught up in some legal tangles. Had no money. Cut off from the family. My grandbaby wants nothin’ to do with her big brother. Y’all used to be close. Silva… she’s doing just fine though. Grandpa’s precious baby girl.”
“What is this? A phony psychic reading? And Silva isn’t a baby anymore. She’s a grown woman, and you turned her against me.”
“I did no such thing. She just lost respect for you is all. That’s none of my business.” The old man rocked back on his heels. Smug as ever.
“You can ruin my relationship with my sister, cause all of the mayhem you want, but you can’t boss me around and run my life. I’m my own man.”
“See? That fight in you, that strength, both physical, emotional and mental, is what I love about you, Lennox. The problem is you need to understand that family, your blood,” Grandpa softly poked him in the chest, “are the only ones you can truly trust. That’s why I have only a handful of staff that I share no bloodline with. It ain’t worth the hassle, and it damn sure ain’t worth the risk.”
“But if someone doesn’t wanna work for you, you should respect that. Love is an action word. You don’t force folks to do stuff they don’t wanna do if you love ’em. That’s not love. That’s selfishness. Control.”
“Well,” Grandpa shrugged nonchalantly, “I strongly disagree. Parents have to tell children to do things they don’t wanna do all the time, boy.”