Capone

21. Capone

21

capone

I thought by having CJ’s party in my backyard it would have cut the cost down. Leave it to Ella to know how to spend more money than having it at a venue. Ella made sure she hit me where it hurt. I didn’t care about the amount it costs as long as my son had fun and he was. He couldn’t stop going down the water slide with his friends and showing them all the Sonic characters, we paid to be there.

Ella was over there with her family trying to pretend like shit was smooth between us. She hated for anyone to think there was some beef between us. She wanted everyone to think there was a chance that we could get back together. I never used to put too much attention on it because I knew I didn’t want to be with Ella, but now I was more intentional with letting her know how I’m feeling.

Erin was important to me, and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable with me and Ella’s relationship. I watched as Erin sat on the edge of the pool with Capri and her brother’s girlfriend. They looked to be in a deep conversation with her. I prayed they got through to her that she needed to get rid of the baby so she could have a life.

Jaiden was doing cannon balls with my son and his friends. He had this tough exterior like he was too cool, but the minute they turned the water slide on, he turned into a kid right before our eyes. I laughed at CJ because he was trying to do everything that Jaiden was doing. He was so used to being the only child that when he got around older kids, he followed everything they did.

My mom came over and sat down in my cabana. There were six cabanas out here and I made sure everyone had their own space away from the kids where they could drink and chill. She crossed her legs and took a sip of her Banks beer, a beer native to Barbados.

It gave her a taste of home when she wasn’t there. My parents owned a house in Barbados, it was their anniversary gift from Cappadonna. Even behind the wall, he never missed important dates. They shared their time between here and then back there. I knew the reason they would never permanently move there was because of CJ. They loved being grandparents more than life and would never leave him.

“I can tell you like her, son.” She took another swig as her foot waved back and forth, comfortably.

“I do.”

“A mother knows, and I have always known that you didn’t feel the same way about Ella as she did about you. A woman is never supposed to love the man more… has to be the other way around.”

I snorted. “So, you don’t love pops as much as he loves you?”

“Not when we first got together. Your father chased me down like a rabid dog looking for someone to bite.” She let out her infectious laugh.

My mother’s laughs felt like a warm hug after coming in from playing in the snow. “When did it change?”

“When he proved himself to me and I saw his heart.” Moms was a good judge of character. She could take one look at somebody and tell you everything about them.

She was big on energy, and I could tell Erin was good in her book because she would have let her know the minute she opened the door. “She’s special.”

“Special enough to have some more grandchildren?”

“You gotta chill out, Ma… let me marry this one first, ight?”

“Uh huh. I like how she is with your sister. Capri hasn’t smiled at a family event in some time. Always has that beautiful face screwed up with her arms folded.”

Whenever Capri and Ella were in the same room you could count on Capri to have an attitude and she had every reason. Still, she showed up because she loved her nephew. I hated that it had to be this way with them, but I also knew that I had to step back and allow women to be women.

“Erin is good. I can feel how good she is.”

“And she knows?”

“She does.”

My mother nodded her head, pleased. “Aye Ma, I was looking for you.” Naheim came over and kissed my mother.

Naheim might as well be the third son because you couldn’t tell her nothing about him. “Hey son, I was wondering when you would join your wife.”

I peeped the dark ass passion mark on his neck. Shit was so deep it looked like a fucking bruise. “I had to wrap something up real quick.”

The thought of my sister giving him it made me sick, so I pushed it out of my head. Capri wasn’t a baby anymore; she was a whole wife out here and I needed to grow up and realize it. “Let me make you both a plate real quick.”

I didn’t object because she was going to bring me some food. “What’s good, boy?”

“Ain’t shit… how you?”

“Maintaining. I couldn’t miss my nephew’s birthday party. I had to pick up the dirt bike that Capri insisted on him having.”

“She spoils the fuck out of him.”

“We need somebody to spoil since she doesn’t want kids.”

I leaned up. This was the first time I had heard that my sister didn’t want any children. “What?”

“Yeah. She told me she doesn’t want to have any children. Something about children changing people and breaking up relationships.”

“You good with that?”

“Hell no. The fuck am I supposed to do? Hold her down and shoot a seed in her?”

“Ayo, chill the fuck out.”

Naheim laughed. “I’m saying… I gotta follow her lead.”

I kicked it with Naheim for a bit before I got up and took my phone out my swimming trunks. Erin was sitting on the edge of the pool with her drink, and I grabbed her face, kissing her. She kissed me back and smiled, as I grabbed her drink from her. I handed it to Capri, grabbed her up and jumped into the pool with her.

CJ started laughing and swimming over toward us as Erin was hitting me. “Are you crazy? I can’t even swim.”

She started flailing her arms and my smile dropped, grabbing her quickly. “My bad, baby.” I pulled her over toward the edge.

“See, that’s what you get for playing. I can swim better than you,” she splashed me, and I grabbed her ass. “You lucky this wig is secured all the way down.”

Kissing her on the lips, I said, “I’ll buy you another one.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Capone .”

I could feel the heat in my back from the way Ella and her family were staring at us. Some would say bringing Erin to the party was fucked up, but I did whatever the fuck I wanted. Nobody was going to tell me who I could or couldn’t have at my son’s party.

“Daddy is that your girlfriend?” CJ swam up over to us.

Erin looked at me. “Yeah, she is.” I kissed him on the head.

I watched as Erin blushed. “Are you okay with that?” She asked CJ, and I found that to be cute. It was the reason I was falling head over heels for her.

“Do you like Sonic?”

“Um, duh… I love Knuckles. He’s my favorite.”

CJ damn near had a stroke when she knew the characters. “Do you want to watch it in the theater tonight?”

“Only if it’s okay with your dad.”

“Daddy? Can we?”

I had seen this damn movie too many times to count. “Yeah, we can.”

CJ danced in the water excited that he found another sucker… I mean person to watch his favorite movie with. I shook my head as I kissed Erin on the forehead, and she hugged me. It had been a while since I felt this way about someone, and I didn’t want that feeling to go away. I was doubling down on how I felt about her, and I would do whatever I had to keep her safe. Her hurt was mine, and I needed to get that lick back for her. Trilla thought shit was quiet, and it was for now.

Jaiden bopped his head to the music as we drove through the streets. I picked him up from basketball camp and we had chilled for a bit and grabbed hot dogs from the vendor on that street. Erin wanted me to talk to him and I wanted to talk to him to let him know that Trilla was the wrong move.

“I can’t wait until I’m driving in something like this.” He clasped his hands together with excitement.

“Depends on which way you going to get it. The streets or through the NBA?”

He looked at me nervously and turned his attention back out the window. “What you mean?”

“I’m not your sister, kid. Been around longer than the both of you. That money you tossed out a few weeks ago, that blue on the end of the bill.”

“It’s something me and Timmy do to have fun.”

I clenched my jaw because I hated when people lied in my face. “I’m chill, Jaiden. Unless you lie to me… can’t fucking stand liars. My pops used to tell me that you can’t be a man of your word and lie… gotta choose one.”

“Timmy put us onto some dealer who we do favors for. He pays us… it’s not that serious.” He was tripping if he thought it wasn’t that serious. That was how I knew he had no place in the streets because everything was fucking serious.

“Trilla.”

His head snapped in my direction. “Ho…How did you know?”

“I fucking know everything. Your sister busts her ass to make sure you don’t have to be like your friend. You think his moms gives a fuck about him like Erin does you? I just had to bury one of my little niggas that isn’t too much older than you. Put a bullet in his chest and head.”

Jaiden looked terrified. He needed to hear what his sister was trying to tell his ass. Everybody had heart until they were being lowered into the ground or sitting behind a wall. Jaiden wasn’t about that life, and he needed to know that now.

“I know. I stopped hanging around Timmy so much since me and Erin had that fight.”

“Stop hanging out with him in general. That nigga doesn’t mean you no good. You got a future and niggas that don’t have one hate that shit.”

“Yeah. You right.”

“I live this shit and because of that I always got to have my head on a swivel. There ain’t no escaping this life, and I don’t take it lightly when I put someone on. Sometimes I fail at protecting, and I did with my little homie that just passed. This life ain’t you, Kid.”

He nodded as we turned onto the block where my trap was. “What the hell is she doing over here with him? She and her mom not even speaking so she doesn’t need to be over here.” Jaiden damn near jumped out the car when he spotted Joie talking to Timmy.

“Clue me in,” I told him as I double parked in front of my trap house.

“Joie lives in that house over there. She’s beefing with her mom so why would she be over here?”

Before I could say something, he was out the car. “Why you over this way?”

I didn’t sign up to be part of the teenage Jerry Springer. I hung back while sending Naheim a text to let him know I was here. Jaiden and Timmy were arguing while Joie tried to get in the middle of them.

Nah jogged down the steps and slid into the passenger seat. “The fuck is that about?”

“Hell if I know. I’m ‘bout to drop him home in a little while. I was trying to kill time before Erin got off from work.”

“You all in love and shit.”

“Yeah, whatever. I know you better not be in love or I’m gonna have to lay you the fuck out,” I threatened.

“Over Erin, you gonna turn your back on me?” Naheim faked like he was hurt.

“Without a second thou—"

POW! POW! POW!

I grabbed my shit from the back of me and hopped out the fucking car. Naheim had my follow up as we watched both Joie and Jaiden laying on the floor. Timmy shoved his gun into the back of his pants and tried to dip on his bike, but Naheim was already on his ass.

“Yo, I need a fucking ambulance right now. I need a fucking ambulance to Howard Ave… hurry the fuck up!” I hollered, not waiting for her to ask me a bunch of fucking questions.

“The baby,” Jaiden whimpered while trying to keep his eyes focused.

“Aye, keep your eyes open for me… keep them open for me, please, Jai,” I pleaded with him as I held his hand.

Joie was moaning beside him and then she passed out while I held her hand. The anger coursed through my fucking veins when I looked at the muthafucka Timmy. “Stay with them.” I told Naheim and snatched his ass up.

Soon the police would be all over this block and I wanted him for myself. I dragged him into the fucking house, and I shoved my gun into his mouth. “You played tough with the wrong one… I’m gonna make sure I leave your fucking body at the steps of Trilla’s daughter’s school.” I cocked my gun back and was about to pull the trigger when Tasha came out the back screaming.

“Nooo, Capo! Please, no! That’s your son! He’s your fucking son!” she screamed.

To Be Continued….