Unlucky You

Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

Saniya.

Grand’s energy was off. When he picked me up, he barely said anything and the twenty-minute drive to his mother’s house where we were having dinner was about the same. I made casual conversation and he responded with one word replies or short sentences but wasn’t fully engaged.

Halfway there I was beginning to wonder if he second guessed the idea of me meeting his son. When we arrived at his mother’s house and he was about to get out, I grabbed his hand to stop him. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? You don’t have to rush or force anything. We’re good either way.”

He frowned and I could see his thoughts were weighted but then he dropped his head back against the seat and turned it toward me. “My mood is kinda fucked up but it’s not about you meeting Raiden.” He reached across the console and covered my hand with his, lacing our fingers together.

“Want to talk about it?”

He snorted, closing his eyes. “Not really but I also don’t want your mood fucked up because of mine.”

“It won’t be and I promise if this isn’t a good time to meet him…”

He opened his eyes and smiled lazily. “My mother has likely been in the kitchen for the past hour overthinking every fucking thing she’s doing to make sure tonight is perfect.” He lifted my hand and brought it to his mouth, placing a kiss on my fingers. “For you.”

I smiled at the thought.

“You really think I’m about to piss her off by telling her you’re not coming?”

“You could.”

“Not if I want to live to see another day.” He smiled sexily then was quiet for a minute. “Aleah’s father pulled up on me at work today.”

“About Raiden?”

He never discussed the relationship between her parents and Raiden. I wasn’t sure of their dynamic but I also prayed they weren’t trying to intervene and take him from Grand. That would destroy him.

“They don’t give a fuck about my son. As far as they’re concerned Aleah’s bastard child doesn’t exist.”

The reference sent fire through my veins. “Is that what they call him?”

“Yeah, they never acknowledged Raiden beyond how they feel he ruined Aleah’s life. Fucking assholes.” His tone was full of anger.

“What did he want?”

“For Walt to fire me. Said if Aleah can’t have a life, I won’t either.”

“Did he?” My eyes went wide thinking that might be part of why his day was so shitty. He was on parole and I couldn’t imagine they would accept him not working. Finding employment with his background had to be difficult.

Grand frowned and shook his head. “Nah, he didn’t. He sold me forty percent of his business for a dollar. Had the papers drawn up and everything. Told me if I didn’t sign them I couldn’t work tomorrow.”

“Wait, he…wow.” Grand often discussed how much he appreciated Walt and that he was a blessing.

“Yeah, I was fucking pissed. Didn’t want a handout which is how I ended up paying the asshole a dollar.” He grinned. “He hustled me into that too, but bottom line is he doesn’t have family and has spent the past twenty-six years building the business. He doesn’t want the legacy to end with him so he wants me in his place.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“If I want to stay employed I will.” He issued another lazy smile and turned his head back in my direction.

“From the way you talk about him, it sounds as if he just wants you to be okay. If he trusts you to do this then you should trust yourself too.”

“Yeah…” he said and lifted my hand, kissing the back of my fingers again. “Come on before they both pull up on us out here.”

I glanced at the house and smiled. As soon as we walked through the door, Raiden came barreling down the hallway and thrust himself at Grand. He caught him with perfect timing and I gushed, watching as Raiden hugged his father’s neck like he hadn’t seen him in years.

“Daddy, you’re here.”

“I promised you I would be.” He brushed a hand over his son's head.

“My nana is making a big dinner. She said your friend is coming too.” He peeked over Grand’s shoulder and his eyes locked on me.

“Is she your friend?”

The most adorable expression was on his face when his brows pinched.

“She is. You remember Saniya. The one who put the patches on your jacket.”

His brows moved in more when he peeked over Grand’s shoulder again, staring like he was trying to make sure I was the same person, but then he smiled. “I remember.”

He wiggled his way out of Grand’s arms and stepped up to me. “Did my Daddy teach you how to ride yet?”

Grand barked a laugh and I threw my hand over my mouth to contain the one I threatened to release. “He did actually.” I extended a hand. “It’s nice to meet you. You are very handsome.”

“Thank you.”

“My nana said I look just like my dad.”

I kneeled a little. “You do but I think you’re just a bit more handsome than he is. Don’t tell him though.”

His smile expanded before he was dragging me into the living room to show me some new game. We chatted away while Grand disappeared in the kitchen, spending time with his mother. Once dinner was ready, we ate in the living room. Grand and Raiden sat on the floor together while his mother and I shared a sofa.

The two of them existed in their own little world and I loved enjoying their connection. Raiden chatted away to all of us but mostly his father until it was time for him to get ready for bed. He hugged me and asked if I would come ride with him to which I agreed.

The promise meant I had to buy a bike because I didn’t currently own one. Grand took him upstairs to get him in bed and I sat in the kitchen with his mother while she cleaned after multiple attempts to help which she shot down, demanding I sit and keep her company.

“Grand hasn’t said anything about you before today,” she stated after refilling my empty glass with wine and joining me at the table once she was done.

I flinched. “We haven’t known each other long.”

She smiled softly and nodded. “Please don’t misinterpret my intent with mentioning that Grand hasn’t discussed you with me. I only brought it up because regardless of him telling me about you, you’re here. Whatever exists between the two of you is a good indication that you mean something to my son. I’m curious to know if this is just dinner or if he means something to you as well.”

“He does.”

She nodded. “Do you know about Raiden’s mother?”

“Yes, he told me.”

“And what happened because of that night?”

“If you mean the past five years, then yes, he told me that too. He’s been honest about his life. What it used to be and what it is now.”

She stared at me for a silent moment then spoke again. “My son is grown, can make his own decisions when it comes to how he spends his time and who he spends it with, but he’s still my baby. He’ll always be my baby. Grand has been through a lot. He’s constantly at war with whether or not he deserves to be happy. He possibly always will be. Losing someone you love is hard to move on from but it’s not impossible. I want my son to be happy. He’s a great man and an amazing father and deserves to have the love he gives us returned. Regardless of the things that have happened in his life or what he believes, he deserves love. I want that for him. You being here, meeting Raiden, is a huge deal.” She covered my hand with hers and squeezed lovingly. “Please don’t take that lightly.”

“I don’t. I know what it means for him to let me into this part of his life. I give you my word that I won’t abuse the privilege.”

“Thank you.” She smiled softly and walked away just in time for me to catch a pair of intense brown eyes burning over my face with concern.

“You ready?”

“Yes.”

He nodded and motioned for me to join him. After we said our goodbyes and I thanked his mother for dinner, we left her house with promises of something new lingering between us. Commitment.

From across the room, I wiggled into a pair of panties then jerked one of Grand’s T-shirts over my head, while I watched his fingers smoothly glide over the screen of his phone. He had a frown set in place and the muscles in his arms and shoulders flexed as his fingers moved.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just my mom doing too damn much.” He grinned but kept his eyes on the device until I crossed the room and climbed onto his lap. I slipped the phone from his hand and he leaned back, allowing his body to sink into the mattress. While his hands moved up and down my thighs, I grinned at the cluster of messages.

You should bring her back soon.

Oh and let me know what she likes and I’ll make something different next time. She picked all the mushrooms out the pasta.

She was good with Raiden too.

He asked about her this morning.

I like her, baby. Give her a chance. A real one.

I tossed the phone onto the bed and leaned over him until my arms framed his head. My mouth hovered over his and our eyes locked.

“She likes me.”

“Yeah a little too much apparently. I fucking hate mushrooms and she puts them in everything she makes. After meeting you once she decides she can live without them because you picked them out your food.”

I smiled slowly. “She’s just being nice because it was her first time meeting me.”

“She’s being intentional about last night not being the last time she sees you.”

His hands moved to my ass and he squeezed.

“Are you okay with your mother wanting to see me again?”

He smiled and nodded. “We work with or without her approval…” Grand lifted his head and brushed his lips over mine. “But knowing she fucks with you confirms what I already know.”

“Which is?” I smiled.

“That your stalker ass is worth the trouble.”

“I’m not a stalker?”

“Do I need to explain the definition of stalker to you?”

I smiled, rolling my eyes. “I wasn’t stalking. I was curious.”

“Curiously sitting your ass at The Pit, watching the door, hopeful that I would walk through it.”

“Stalkers are known to be highly intelligent, fiercely loyal, and incredibly dependable.”

He barked a laugh. “Are you seriously trying to glorify insane behavior?”

“I’m stating facts. All of the above are true.”

“And so is the fact that stalkers are obsessive, jealous, narcissistic, and detached from reality.”

“You don’t find an obsessive, jealous, narcissistic girlfriend endearing?”

“Fuck no.” He grinned and I shrugged.

“Too bad, that’s what you have. You’ve already sealed the deal, buddy.”

“How have I sealed the deal?”

“Three orgasms is a test drive. Ten or more is an official relationship. By my calculations we should officially be married.”

He smiled slowly. “So fuck a ring and commitment, it all comes down to how many times a day I can make you cum?”

“It’s girl math. Don’t try to break the code, you’ll never understand our methodology.”

“Because that shit is illogical as fuck and doesn’t make sense.”

“But we make sense. Illogical or not, girl math works.”

I kissed him and his hands moved up my back. The soothing movement of his fingers across my skin settled the anxiety that occasionally lingered when I overprocessed whether or not this was something solid or just a temporary fix for him.

“Yeah we work. I’m all in as long as you are.”

“And by all in you mean…?” I questioned, slowly grinding on his lap.

“That you tell me about your parents so I don’t fuck this up when I meet them.”

“My parents are easy. You can’t fuck it up.”

“I’m a thirty-three year old felon with a son. That damn sure isn’t a father’s dream pick for his daughter.” His voice was teasing but I sensed the underlying conflict he felt for his current situation.

“You don’t believe my father will think you’re good enough for me?”

His arms locked around my back and pulled me into his chest. “Nah, baby. I know I’m good enough. I have a lot to offer. When I care, I prove it daily with everything that I am. There’s nothing I won't do for the people who are important in my life. A real man will always respect the efforts of a real man.”

“Then why don’t you think my father would see that in you?”

“He will, just not right away. Seeing how I show up for you will take time. Truthfully, if he doesn’t want to give me the time to prove that no matter what my circumstances are I will give everything that I am to make you happy, then he will never fucking know the type of man I will be for you.”

My heart clenched and I blinked several times before my smile took over my face. Grand frowned in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. My father is going to love you.”

“You’re optimistic as hell but I fuck with it.” He laughed lightly, lifting his head to kiss me.

“You literally just said exactly what my father told me the last time we discussed my poor choices with men.”

“Basically you have a history of dating men your father doesn’t approve of.” He arched a brow and I shrugged.

“I’m a woman who was raised by a man who provided the standard of what a real man should be. I made it my sole purpose in life to date the opposite of that standard.”

He frowned, shaking his head. “Which basically means I’m fucked when it comes to your father.”

I smiled slowly. “No, you’re not. I have a feeling he’s going to love you.”

“How the fuck you come to that?”

“I told him he hates every guy I date and he said he doesn’t. He only hates how they treat me. If I meet a man who loves me the way I deserve to be loved and shows up for me, then he’ll fully support the relationship.”

“I feel like you’re setting me up but I’m gonna roll with it. Regardless, I meant what I said. I’m all in.”

“Technically…” I ground my hips on him again. “You’re not all in, but you can be.”

“Nah, no sex right now. I’ve given you more orgasms than conversation.”

“Talking is overrated. You should let your actions speak for you.” I rocked against his dick, which was hard and thick beneath me. My persistence brought a sexy smile to his face.

“Me not fucking you right now is a reflection of my actions speaking for me. Sex is temporary. Emotions and feelings are not. I’m too damn old to be involved with a woman I don’t see or want a future with beyond a physical connection.”

“You want a future with me.” I grinned like a child on Christmas morning.

“I want whatever you’re willing to give but I’m asking for a commitment that we’re in this for the long term.”

His fingers pushed through the hair at the nape of my neck and he brought my mouth down to his. The kiss was a promise of his commitment to the future he was asking for, leaving no room for me to question just how much he was invested in doing his part.

As much as my body was craving a physical connection, the need to tap in emotionally was just as strong, so I relaxed against his chest and absorbed the moment for what it was. His actions spoke to the man he wanted to be in my life.

I couldn’t believe I was doing this shit. That was the first thought I had when my sister pulled up in front of Clue’s place with me riding shotgun. She would have come without me and if anyone put their hands on Sameena that would be an entire problem, so here the fuck I was.

“You sure you want to do this?”

Sameena swung her eyes in my direction as she raked her fingers through her braids, twisting them into a bun on top of her head.

“Hell yeah I’m sure. No matter what was between us, I would never fuck with his money. She fucking fired me because his new bitch is pregnant. That’s messed up.”

I glanced at the townhouse and exhaled a sigh. “I told you this was going to happen. I’ve been telling you for months to find a new job, Meen.”

“I don’t want a new job. The money I make is crazy and I really don’t do shit to earn it.”

“Because it was a hook up. His cousin. Her loyalty is to him, not you. She just proved how loyal she is to him. Even if he fixes this, do you really want to work for her knowing she’ll choose Clue over you every single time? Also knowing that one phone call puts you back in the same position?”

“I want my fucking job until I figure out something else,” she sneered.

Clue’s cousin Jerrica was a real estate broker. She had three agents under her and not one of them touched a property—residential or commercial—unless it was a million plus. Jerrica hired Sameena a few months after my sister and Clue started dating.

The money was decent enough but what my sister loved more than the money was the freedom to move around like she wanted. Her main job was entering contracts. Occasionally she did viewings when one of the agents couldn’t make it, but outside of that, she was basically a personal assistant to Jerrica. The other plus was being given comps Jerrica didn’t want, like gift cards to spas, restaurants, and lavish hotel stays. Sameena loved the luxurious lifestyle and working for Jerrica offered this.

“And when he refuses, then what?”

“Then I’m beating his ass. You coming or not?”

I rolled my eyes. My sister knew the answer. She wouldn’t back down and I wouldn’t let her pull up on him alone.

“Let’s go.” I yanked the handle to get out and followed my sister to his door. Clue lived in a townhouse in a gated community. No access in or out without the owner's permission. Sameena’s code still worked, which was another issue. Clue knew my sister as well as I did and had to know she would pull up. This was about to be a shit show!

When we reached his door, I grabbed her hand before the crazy in her rose to an uncontrollable level.

“If she’s here, you do not put your hands on her. Assaulting a pregnant woman is a guaranteed charge, Meen. His stupid ass loves this shit and won’t do anything about you showing your ass but she might. Do not put your fucking hands on her.”

“I won’t as long as she keeps hers off me.” She shrugged and began banging on the door. I let her so we could get this over with while I prayed we both didn’t end up downtown.

“Why the fuck are you on my doorstep, Meen?” He spoke through the Ring doorbell, letting me know my prayers weren’t going to be answered. This would definitely go left.

“You know why. Open the fucking door, coward. If that bitch is in there, I promise not to beat her ass.”

“Go home.”

“Open the door or I’m going to break all these damn windows.” She kicked at the glass panel next to the door several times until he gave in and opened the door. As soon as his face was in view, my sister punched him as hard as she could and he grinned, unfazed, and shifted his eyes to me, wiping blood from his mouth.

“I’m surprised you’re encouraging this bullshit. You’re usually the levelheaded one.”

“Not when it comes to my sister.”

“Why the fuck would you get me fired?” Sameena shoved him in the chest. When he took a step back, she followed him inside.

“What is she doing here, Derek?”

My sister’s eyes narrowed and I grabbed her arm because she was prepared to lunge at the poor girl. “Not happening.”

“Go upstairs, Tee,” he stated calmly but his tone still delivered in a way that felt condescending.

“I’m not leaving until she does.” This simple hoe. Getting between Clue and my sister was not a safe place to be.

He glanced over his shoulder and her stupid ass shut up and did as she was told.

“It makes sense now why you’re with her. There is no way in hell I would sit and shit on command.” My sister rolled her eyes and shoved him again.

“Don’t worry about what we have going on.”

“I’m not. I’m only here because you had no right to get me fired.”

“I didn’t get you fired.”

“Yes the fuck you did.”

“Nah, I didn’t. That was her decision, not mine. Jerrica saw that shit you posted on your story, talking about fuck me and my new bitch. She wasn’t feeling it so she did what she had to do.”

Sameena shook her head, laughing arrogantly. “You really aren’t shit. Be a man, Derek . Got that hoe calling you by your government name like she’s special. Jerrica told me you called and asked why she was still loyal to a woman playing in your face.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t tell her to fire you, though.”

“You might as well have. You really ain’t shit.”

“Doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. Why would you want to work for my people anyway? You said you don’t want me in your life right? Working for my cousin means having me in your life.”

Sameena glared at him, not saying anything, so I grabbed her arm. “Meen, let’s go. This isn’t solving anything.”

She cut her eyes at me, nodded, then kneed him in the dick before turning to walk away. He buckled at the waist and released a string of curses before reaching for my sister. I stepped in the way. “You touch her, we will beat your ass. You deserve that and more but I’ll let it slide.”

He glared at me then my sister who was yanking her car door open. “Tell her crazy ass to stay the fuck away from me.”

“She will. You just make sure you keep that same energy too,” I warned before I turned to walk away.

When I got in the car, I stared at my sister who was rubbing the C she had tattooed on the side of her ring finger. I was mad as hell when she got it, but she was also grown and could do what she wanted.

“You done for real this time?”

She mindlessly brushed her fingers over the tattoo a few more times. “I have to be or I’m going to end up doing something stupid.”

“Like pulling up and punching him in the face.”

She grinned. “He deserved it.” Sameena frowned at her hand. “I need to get this covered up.”

“You need your ass beat for getting it in the first place.” I narrowed my eyes then added, “But I might have a solution for that.”

I lifted my phone from the side compartment on the door and sent a text. Grand had more tattoos than I could count and mentioned that the last two he got—Raiden’s name on his neck and shoulder—were done by his cousin. If he wasn’t busy, then we could go there.

Can you call Tali to see if he has an opening today?

I grinned when my phone illuminated with a call instead of a text.

“No the fuck I cannot.”

“It’s not for me.”

“Then who’s it for?”

“My sister. She needs a cover up for a finger tattoo.”

“When is she trying to go?”

I turned to my sister. “You want to do that now?”

“Yep, the longer I look at it, the more I’m going to want to slit his tires and cut off that dirty dick he’s slinging all over the city.”

“Now would be good.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I heard that. Who pissed her off?”

“An ex.”

“I’ll hit you right back. Let me see if he’s at the shop.”

“Thank you.”

By the time we exited Clue’s neighborhood, Grand called me back and said Tali was finishing up with a client but could see her in an hour after he moved some stuff around. We decided to grab lunch while we waited and Grand promised to meet us there after he was done with his PO visit. He sent the address to Tali’s shop and I cringed at the reality that I was about to officially introduce my sister to my man.