Tempted by Danger (The Danger Family, #1)

by Endiya Carter

For the last four years, I gave that company my blood, sweat, and tears, and I didn’t get one ‘I’m proud of you, son’ or none of that, but Declan wants to do some bullshit ass app, and he gets all the accolades for being mediocre.

“Mom. Dad. You see that! You see how he controls her! He controls her! And she lets him! That is not how you raised her!”

“What the hell is your problem, Derek! You have some nerve coming to my parents’ home, starting bullshit when you don’t even know what’s going on.” “What! I don’t know what’s going on? You damn right I have a problem. I begged you to come to New York! Begged you! Even proposed to you so you would know how serious I was about us, and you said no! So, of course, I have a problem with you moving to New York and jumping on the first man’s penis who paid you attention, let alone my boss! That is not the girl you are!” “Derek, you have a fiancée! And she’s pregnant! And you’re here trying to tell on me like I am not a grown damn woman. You are out of your mind. I’m sorry about the way things worked out between us, but I am not going to apologize for the relationship that I have with Mr. Dymon!” “And stop calling him that. You don’t mean shit to him! You ain’t nothing but a piece of pussy that he’s going to discard the minute he gets tired of you! Ask Kia!”

“What a name. I am JoAnn, but you can call me Granny Jo, Bern’s mom. And this is Anne, Quest Sr.’s mom. Your mother really chose the perfect name for you.” She really had my grown ass trying not to blush.

“I don’t like how Derek came over, trying to tell on me, while professing his love for me at the same time like…it’s been years, and he has a fiancée and a baby and how dare he do that? To me. I can take care of myself. And then I felt kinda mad at myself because he was right. I never gave us a chance because I never wanted to leave here. This is my home. I move to New York and take up with his boss. I can understand how it could make him feel, but he should be over that. He was acting like if I told him to break up with his fiancée, he would.”

“Your dad is leaving me.” “No, he’s not.” She handed me the helmet to her scooter, and I stared at it. “Now, I know you don’t expect me to get on that, let alone, put that on top of my waves.”

I sat up, staring at her in a Disney nightgown, much different than what she slept in at my house. “Your dad is going to kill me,” I whispered.

She rocked my throbbing head inside of her, sending me to another dimension, wishing we were home so I could verbally let her know what she was doing to me. The only thing I could do was grip the sheets so hard that my knuckles cracked.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw Dymon in the kitchen with an apron on with flour all over it.

“Good morning, Quinci. I was helping your mother with some of her pies.”

I turned to see Dymon in a pair of blue jeans and a Polo shirt that he wouldn’t be caught dead in. I laughed. “Why on earth, are you dressed that way?” “Your father took me…shopping. Said I needed to fit in.” “Oh my God. I know you about died when you went in The Dress Grove.” “There were so many rows of clothes. I thought they’d never end.” That made me laugh so hard.

“Oh, and this is my grandson, Demon. Um, something like that. Him and my grandbaby gonna get married.”

“Just know, I am never bringing you back here again. The women think you are the best thing since a two-sided toaster. And yes, I am very jealous.”

“Quinci, did your boyfriend tell you why he was here?” “Come on, Derek,” Fiona urged him. “Yeah, Derek, listen to your family.” “So, he didn’t tell you, did he? He’s buying your family’s grove! This is the nigga who you giving pussy to! The man who’s trying to steal your family’s land.” “What the hell are you talking about, Derek?” We’d started to grow a crowd, and I was already embarrassed. “Quinci, your parents are losing The Grove, and Dymon is going to buy it. I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth. I was going to apologize to your father for acting like I did yesterday, and I overheard them talking about it.” I shook my head, trying to blink back tears. Derek wouldn’t lie to me, and neither would Dymon. I turned and looked up at Dymon. “Is that true?” He didn’t say anything. “Think about it, Quinci. Denim shows up to your parents’ bed and breakfast, and suddenly, you move to New York, and he’s here now. Think about it.”

He had a grin on his face. “I’m sorry, Quinci, but you needed to know what kind of man you were—” I slapped him across his face as hard as I could. “That’s for using my family’s business as a gotcha instead of coming to me as a friend. You can’t still be in love with me and hurting me, trying to hurt someone else.” Both Justice and Fiona looked taken aback while I stomped toward my clothes.

Ironically, these licks came after I’d knocked Derek’s ass out, and Fiona pieced me up real fast.

When my hand touched the doorknob, Diesel called my name again. “Anything else?” “I just want to know why are you dressed like a hillbilly?”

“That boy finally whooped your ass for fucking with his girl,” he spoke, chuckling. “Now, you of all people know that’s not true.

“Can I speak to the young lady? Can she get you to come back?” I smirked. “That young lady could get me to tight-rope across the Hudson with no protection around me.”

I literally thought you let Derek beat your ass and run you out of town.”

“Kind of? Are you kidding me? You loved it there. And it’s what you’re good at. I now hope that your parents know that you are the chosen one and not him. Beijing pulled out, and he didn’t know what to do. You would have, though. You been at work all day. I bet you got them back, didn’t you?” I couldn’t help but to smile. “I did.” “Well, since we are going to be living in New York, I might have to apologize to…” She sighed in annoyance. “I’m going to have to apologize to Cruella De Vil and Scar for disrespecting them in their home.”

I love you, Dymon Danger. I just wanted to tell you that in case the plane crashed tomorrow or something.” “Princess.” “Sorry, I still have a fear of planes. Anyways. Call me in the car. Later.”

“Girl, I—” I pushed an ornament in his hand. “Here. Write your name on this, and be quiet. You’re going to like it by the time we go home today. The design team is going to come and decorate it so beautifully that you’re not going to know what to do with yourself.” He wrote his name on the ornament and handed it back to me. “This is going to come out of your check.” “I doubt it. See you upstairs. Oh, your schedule is already on your iPad, ready to go. I’ll be harassing everyone to sign their names on these ornaments for the Christmas lighting when we get off.” “Oh my God. I am going to fire you before next Christmas.” “Sure you are.”

Additionally, I have to thank you all for opening up and accepting me as the new assistant…even though y’all were calling me The Eagle’s Ass for about a month or two.”

For those of you who don’t know, Quinci was so stunned by my handsomeness that she introduced herself as the wrong name.”

“How? How did you get them here?” “Well…well, don’t be mad at me, but I wasn’t going to let your dad drive from Florida to New York, and his back is still not a hundred percent. So, I gave them some very good brownies with the help of Mr. Quest Jr. Don’t look at me like that. They know and were very appreciative once they landed.”

“Demon! Now, we get to get us some grandkids,” Granny Jo threw in there, making us laugh. She was never going to get his name right.

Mr. Dymon opened the envelope, scanned it, and then handed it to me. Scanning over the paper, my eyes widened when I realized what it was. “You guys bought it?” “Yes. Well, after you told us off, deservedly so, we looked into it. Both Denim and Diesel told us how important The Grove was to you and your family. It’s the least that we could do for you for taking care of our son, making us see the error in our ways. You deserve a lot more than we’d ever be able to repay you for.”