Lies You Tell (DE)

38.

" I don't want to hear shit you talkin bout, on Vito," Joseph said angrily.

" He raised us, what's wrong wit you? You put yo hands on our daddy we is family!" Dre yelled.

Knowing how Joseph is, Dre let him cool down for a few days before addressing what happened at Graces birthday party. The altercation came to a shock for Dre. Dre knew Joseph's temper and how he is, but he didn't understand the feud cultivating between Joseph and Max.

" I told you what he said to me at the club, that family shit out the window. He tryna treat us like we some random niggas on the street, tryna push up on me! He threatened us stop acting like you don't know what he meant by that!"

" That's our pops nigga, he mad at what we doin but he wouldn't never try and hurt us. Come on now," Dre said, pacing back and forth.

Little did both of them know what he did for the spot at the head of the organization in the first place. Max didn't care who got in his way, friends or family.

Joseph shook his head. Dre always had a veil over his eyes when it came to his dad but Joseph could see right through it. They'd seen him with their own eyes do sheisty shit to people comin up, but they never thought he would try and snake them. They were his boys.

But in Max's eyes, business was business, family or not.

" Babe," Grace called on Joseph softly who sat at the foot of the bed.

" Yea," He mumbled looking away from the tv and over his shoulder at her, scratching his head.

She crawled across the bed in nothing but one of his shirts and a pair of panties, standing onto her knees and wrapping her arms around his neck from behind, resting her head on his shoulder. He'd been very quiet since what happened at her birthday. Not towards her, but in a way that seemed like he had a lot on his mind.

" I love you," She said with a smile.

" I love you too," He replied, looking back at the tv.

She frowned lifting her head up.

" Joseph what's wrong with you?"

He just shook his head still looking at the tv prompting her to gently grab his face and make him look at her. He licked his lips staring at her.

" I'm talking to you,"

" My bad bae," He exhaled loudly.

Between the situation with Max and the club being set to open in four days he had a lot on his plate and mind.

" You're not telling me the truth, you can talk to me about anything you know that,"

He nodded wishing he could tell her but he couldn't.

" Do I scare you?" He asked after a moment of silence, thinking about what Max said to him at the club.

Grace furrowed her brows. " No," She said with a chuckle. " You probably scare other people but not me. You make me feel safe,"

He smiled a small smile. " You make me feel safe too," He said grabbing her hand.

" Is this because of what happened at my birthday?" She finally asked.

" Yea," He said with a pause remembering the look on her face when he choked Max. " You looked scared of me,"

" Well I was scared of what was happening but not of you. I know you would never hurt me. I just don't understand what happened between you and your uncle for that to happen,"

She searched his face seeing that there was a deeper issue than what he was letting on.

" Why were you guys fighting..?"