Chapter 16
R ennix
When my brother called me and told me he walked up on the police trying to intimidate Caya, I saw red.
I wanted to return to old habits and vent both of their skulls, but I couldn’t.
Not now, because for once in my life I was moving off emotion and that would make things worse than they were.
I didn’t need that, no matter how much easier I thought it would be to splatter their shit all over the concrete.
I looked up from my computer, finding my phone sitting on the desk.
If I called Caya and anything in her tone was fucked up, I’d commit murder.
I’d be behind bars, because in my eyes no man walked up on your woman, especially if his problem was with you.
There were very few things in this world I played about and a motherfucker had tried mine.
I was seething on the inside which made this shit ten times worse.
“Yo, you really gotta learn how to close that door. Anybody could come in here?”
“And catch weighted pressure.” I grimaced, unable to hide how pissed I was from my twin.
“Who pissed in your Jordans?”
I shook my head at my brother’s weird ass question. “Them fucking cops. Juleus and Nathan. You got any movement on either of them?” I knew my brother well enough to know he had been keeping tabs on them since they made that unnecessary ass trip to my club.
“I had them looked into last week. Why you ask? What did they do?” Reminisce looked up from his phone at me.
“G walked up on them trying to intimidate Caya. I’on like that.” I shook my head, wanting both of their heads, but I needed finesse.
“Intimidate her where?” Rem was on his feet, expression mirroring mine.
“At the house. They were looking for me.”
“Have you talked to her? She good?” he asked, immediately making me feel like shit for the fact that I didn’t call. I had a good reason though… shit, at least I told myself I did.
“G said she’s good. I didn’t call, ’cause if I hear her voice and it’s even an octave off, I’ma handle things the wrong way.”
My brother nodded. “I hear you.”
“But I don’t like that pulling up to my house shit, especially when you don’t know me or have anything on me.”
“Then let’s go have a chat with them. I know where they hang out.” He rubbed his hands together, ready to wreak heavy havoc.
I tilted my head to the side, peering at him. “And how the fuck you know that?”
“Since you been on your peace and love shit, I’ve been trying not to bother you. Plus there’s this lil cute ass shorty I like looking at.” He smirked, seeming pleased with what he said.
“And what does that have to do with you getting information?” I was trying to be patient, but he was confusing me.
“She’s a beast with computers and shit.”
“And you sure this ain’t somebody setting you up or anything?” I had to ask because Reminisce’s smile was too wide when he talked about her. That was unlike Reminisce.
“Nah. Her ties are deeper than mine. She’s stamped.”
“By whom?”
“Her people are the Ortegas. Her shit runs deep. Now you gonna keep questioning me or are we about to go see those fucking cops.”
“I’ma do both. How you meet her?” I was on my feet grabbing my phone and keys in seconds.
“Minding my fucking business. And you should really pay attention to who you let your sister bring to your fucking house, especially if you don’t know who they are.”
I was confused, my mind now traveling back to the party, because in actuality I paid attention to everybody who walked through that gate. Then it hit me and I smirked. “About five-six, brown skinned with crazy eyes? Curly hair and slim-thick than a motherfucker? Your sister’s friend?”
He stared at me, expression blank.
Now I was trying to remember her name because I knew it. That would be the icing on the cake to really piss him off. He loved to be in everybody else’s business, but as soon as a motherfucker remotely tiptoed into his, he got all tight lipped and narrow eyed.
We were halfway to my car when her name popped into my brain. “Karim.” I remembered thinking it was a nigga’s name when I learned it.
“Yo, fuck you, man.” My brother flipped me off, climbing into the passenger side.
“Don’t get bitchy with me. You showed up at Cay’s house and didn’t know shit about shorty when we first got together.
The least I could do is ask a few questions about your business.
You don’t want me pulling a you on you.” I pulled out of Donuts’ parking lot with no destination in sight because he had yet to tell me where we were going.
He laughed. “I did, didn’t I? But ain’t shit to tell. Besides the fact that you and Cay were talking that friends shit. Karim is just cool. Nothing funny there. She likes to hoe niggas and I’on got time to be putting some hot shit in her brother because I laid down law with her.”
I laughed. “Aight. But would you give me a fucking address?”
When he gave me the address, I immediately knew where we were going.
One night Caya and I were in the city having dinner and she said she knew who made the best donuts in the city.
I didn’t believe her and asked who. She said Voodoo.
In my opinion the donuts were subpar, but my baby thought those shits ate.
That was until she had one of the glazed ones from Donuts.
She was torn, even though she clung to the pink box place.
When we pulled up to Voodoo, I sat there for a minute in the slanted ass park before I glanced over at my brother. He was looking dead at me, facial expression mirroring mine.
“Gimme yo’ shit.”
I screwed up my face. “Why?”
“’Cause them niggas came at your girl. No amount of thinking straight will have you thinking straight. Especially since you on this love and fulfillment shit you been on.”
I laughed because he was serious. Then I shook my fucking head. “Nigga move around. Ain’t nobody about to touch them pigs. Lemme just have a conversation with them so I can go home.”
Reminisce wasn’t too trusting in my words, but he reluctantly agreed.
We were out of the car, moving toward the donut shop.
Once inside we were greeted by the worker behind the counter.
I nodded in her direction but looked off, eyes scanning every table until they landed on the two seated.
Nathan was looking directly at me while his partner was looking down at his phone.
I stalked over to the table and seconds later grabbed a chair from the table near them and pulled it up. Once I was seated, I heard my brother lean against the table behind me.
“Just the man we wanted to see.” Juleus smirked like he knew something I didn’t.
“Yeah, I heard. You went by my house, right?” Remaining calm at the thought of either of these slimy motherfuckers in Kay’s face was difficult.
Nathan smiled way too hard for my liking. “Yeah, we met your lady friend. We wanted to stay and chat, but it’s a shame your friend interrupted that moment.” Nathan was bold.
I laughed, because I had literally killed niggas for less.
“See, I came in here to clear the air and make sure there were no more pop-ups at my house or place of business, but that’s not the case anymore.
” I rose to my feet quickly, turning the chair to put it back under the other table.
I didn’t care too much to think about these cops, but in this moment, it dawned on me that the old nigga was the mouth piece the other day but wasn’t the leader nor alpha.
Juleus shook his head. “Scum bags like you are the reason I do the job. The reason I clock in every goddamn day for little to nothing to clean these streets. These are my streets and I refuse to allo?—"
“Hey, lemme stop you right there, old timer. I don’t give a fuck whose streets these are.” I helped him off his soapbox.
“You sure about that?” Nathan chimed in.
“Yeah, he’s sure, but a word of advice, if you don’t back the fuck up and keep these little fetish-filled moments to yourselves, you won’t have to worry about clocking in to work every day for little to nothing.
I’ll be sure to switch that lil routine up for you.
” Reminisce’s voice was so heavy, so fucking lethal that I felt electricity travel down my spine.
“Threatening officers of the law again, Mr. Blac, huh? You’re lucky I don’t haul your ass in.” Juleus tried to poke his chest out. “You don’t know us.”
“Take it how you want to. Just heed the warning.” I then went into my pockets and pulled out a couple bills. I tossed them on the table before turning my back. “Your next round of donuts is on me. Make sure you get the one with the sprinkles, I heard it’s divine.”
With that, I left.
“Not even gonna lie to you. They’re done. I’on think they intend to heed the warning, so I’ma teach the lesson.” Reminisce spoke so coolly I already knew his mind was made up.
I nodded. “I feel you.”
After I dropped Reminisce off at his car, I headed in the direction of the house.
I had called Cay twice, but she didn’t answer.
I figured she was asleep, seeing as how when I tracked my truck it was parked at the house.
Not only that but I knew she had spent most of her time today doing Beyah’s hair.
I grabbed a pizza from that deep dish spot Caya loved and headed home with truly on her in mind.
When I walked in the house it was pitch black, the only light coming from the appliances and windows. I set the pizza on the counter and moved toward the master bedroom. The closer I got, the louder I heard snoring coming from the room. My lil grizzly bear.
I smiled at the sight of her laid out in our bed on her stomach. She must’ve been tired as hell because she literally didn’t flinch when the light came on. I moved to the bed, then leaned over, kissing the exposed side of her face.
“Hmm,” she whined, moving a little as I stood up straight.
“Get up and come eat, thug. I know you’re hungry.”
“How long have I been out?” she groaned, stretching from her original position and turning over.
“Shit, I don’t know. Longer than two hours.
” I moved into the bathroom to take a piss when something caught my eye.
First, the Clear Blue box , then the pregnancy test sitting on the counter.
I almost fucking tripped trying to see what the results were.
When I saw the motherfucker said pregnant I nearly jumped from my skin.
She was pregnant and carrying my baby…our baby.
After taking the happiest piss of my life, I washed my hands and moved back to the bedroom. She was standing on the side of the bed at this point, eyes trained on her phone with a smile present.
“Yes, baby, I know. I’m sorry I didn’t answer. Mommy was sleep. Did you have fun with your auntie?”
“Yes. We saw the monkeys and the elephants. Te-Te’s friend bought me a glowy stick with bub?—”
“What friend does Te-Te have?”
“I don’t know, Mommy. He’s old like you and Rennix. His name is Drew. Where is Rennix?”
“Right here, Lil G. You ready to come home tomorrow, ain’t you?” I asked, moving into the camera. He had been gone for all of two days and I missed him. House was too quiet.
He laughed, then started making faces. “Yes. I’m ready to come home and work on my room like you said.”
I nodded. “Bet, tell yo’ auntie to bring you home early too or I’m coming to get you.”
“Okay. I gotta call you and Mommy back. I was watching TV.”
I laughed and handed the phone back to his mother who fussed at him before ultimately letting him hang up. The entire time I leaned against the dresser just staring at her… the woman carrying my whole fucking heart.
“You got something you wanna tell me, beautiful?” I asked, hands gripping the end of the dresser in anticipation.
“I know you saw the test. I was kind of banking on you seeing it.” She grinned in my direction, then moved past me into the washroom.
I watched her and everything she did, immediately brushing her teeth then grabbing a disposable towel to wash her face. Everything she did got a rise out of me.
“Are you happy, Cay?” I asked after she was done.
“Very. It took me a minute to proc?—”
“Because my whole fucking heart belongs to you. And I’m on some no take backsies type of shit like Adonis. So I’ma ask again, but use a different word. Are you fulfilled…with me?”
She just stood there, then a small smile filled her features.
“I have never been so full in my entire life. You love me in a way I’ve never known was possible.
You get me, even when I don’t even get myself.
You are my therapy in the most manic, uncommon, uncanny, overthinking moments.
Shit, I haven’t seen my therapist in months because I lay next to you.
You’re everything I didn’t know I needed, even when I met you in Donuts and told you that you were a hoe. ”
I laughed, pushing from the dresser toward her. When I had her in my arms, I lowered my head, mashing my lips against hers. When I pulled back, I just looked at her. “As long as you fucking know. Now come on and eat this fucking pizza.”
“Did you get jalapenos on it?”
“Yeah, even though you don’t fucking need them.”
When we finally made it to the kitchen, she hopped up on the island while I grabbed plates and water.
“What about you?” she asked from behind me.
I turned around, confused. “What about me, baby?”
“Are you absolutely fulfilled with me?” She had her legs wide open and shoulders squared, hands gripping the edge of the counter.
“Like a fat kid at the snowball stand with a twenty.”
She laughed. “Really? Can you be serious, please?”
“Absolute fucking fulfillment featuring you and me, baby. And I am being serious. It’s you, me, my daughter, and Lil G forever. Everything else we’ll figure out in time because none of that shit matters right now. Is that cool with you?” I glanced at her for the answer.
“Yes, perfect, that’s alright with me.”
Her smile was earth warming and the way she looked at me was world shattering.
Caya was everything to me and at first that scared me.
Then I leaned into it, letting shit rock, only for this woman to become the first thing I thought of in the morning and the last I thought of at night.
Cay was special, the type that only came once in a lifetime… The one meant only for me.
Absolute fucking fulfillment … and then some.
The End…*