Chapter 12 #2
“There is no problem with her internet. It’s controlled by that name you just said.
According to the mainframe, every time it has ever gone down it’s been command controlled.
This Anthony character is doing a lot more than fixing Wi-Fi.
Shit, he’s tethering, editing video security footage, and doing a lot more.
I’m willing to bet you he’s the stalker.
I’ve even looked through all the other digital wiring of every other apartment and none of them are hardwired like hers.
It’s like it’s set up for viewing and control. ”
Lois didn’t have to say it for me to realize the little weasel ass motherfucker who had been claiming to fix my baby’s internet was indeed the nigga on that creepy shit with her.
When we got back to the restaurant, Lois said she’d get me an address and whatever I needed on ol’ boy as soon as possible.
I agreed, then hopped in my truck to leave.
I was picking up Aja, then Jade. While I was driving, my mind went to Wiley before I fished my phone from the cup holder and decided to dial my brother.
It took him a minute to answer, but when he did his ass sounded irritated and short tempered as always.
“Yeah.” He sighed into the phone.
“Yeah what? That ain’t how you answer, no phone fool.”
“Probably ain’t, but that’s how I answered this shit. What’s to you?” he huffed.
“Nothing besides your stank ass attitude. The fuck is wrong with you?”
He sucked his teeth before sounding like he nearly sneezed through the phone. A cough ensued. “Tryna figure out which one of these lil mfs got me sick.”
I chuckled almost immediately. “Nigga, you got three kids. What do you expect?”
He scoffed. “I know. I think it was when the twins went to school. Everybody else in this motherfucker is fine, but I think my fucking asthma is flaring up.” He coughed again.
“Damn. Feel better. I got Aja anyway; baby girl wants to stay with me now. She claimed you have too many babies and dogs.”
That earned a throaty laugh from him. “Damn. I’d talk some shit, but I see where she’s coming from. Are you ready for that?”
“I don’t know, but I won’t know until I try. Plus she was adamant about it. She believes Jade lives with me.” I laughed at the thought.
“Shit, don’t she?”
“Nah, it's temporary. But I didn’t call you about all of that. I called you because Wiley Ortega came to my restaurant with his nephew. Left me his card and told me he thought?—”
“You were his son? Shit me too and if Sora was still in Chicago, he probably would’ve popped up on him too. He came by the shop a few days ago.” Kinga laughed. “I've been doing business with his old ass for years and he ain’t never said shit.”
“What’s different now?” I asked, eyes on the road as I pulled up to Aja’s school.
“Hell if I know. And I don’t care to find out. I’m damn near thirty, the fuck I need a daddy for? Too damn old to be out here looking for a father, O, and you are too.” More coughing followed his statement.
“So you ain’t gonna talk to him?”
“Nah, I’ma let you do it, since I know it’s in your character traits to be the one who does,” he answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I threw my head back in confusion.
“You have great communication skills. I don’t, ’cause I ain’t never gave a fuck to communicate. You’ll go talk to him and come back to tell me. Nothing more nothing less. I do have something I need to discuss with you when you get the chance though.”
“So you already knew?” Everything he said, including his reaction, pointed to that. I watched the pickup line as I pulled into it.
“Partly, but I found out from that rotten ass fool Memphis that night. And before you get on my nerves asking why I didn’t tell you, I’ma remind you that you’re pushing forty. What the fuck you gonna walk around looking for a daddy for? Unc had us regardless of anything.”
“I ain’t pushing no fucking forty.”
“Yeah, right. You’re closer to forty than twenty, but it’s about whatever you believe, bro. Lemme hit you back in a little while. My wife finally made a nigga some soup.”
I laughed. “Aight get you some rest.”
“I am. Make sure you tell my niece she ain’t have to do us like that. And don’t let that lil nigga hug her at the door. Last time I swear he said some shit in her ear.”
“Okay, I’ma handle that.”
When we hung up, I got out and rounded the truck.
I leaned against the side of the car waiting and focusing on the kids coming out.
Aja wasn’t in the first two groups but was in the third and right next to her was Sabastian and another little girl.
I watched strictly as she hugged the little girl, then Sabastian goodbye before approaching me.
“Hey, Daddy,” she greeted, standing directly in front of me.
“What’s up, lil friendly ass girl.” I winked with a smile on my face. “I’on get a hug too?”
She laughed nervously and waved me off like I was embarrassing her. Embarrassment would have been me standing here and making her give me a hug in front of all her friends, but I let that shit slide and opened the door for her to get in the car.
After we left Aja’s school, we went straight to the mall to get Jade.
I called her when we were a few blocks away, so she could be close to the exit when I got there.
With the mall she had her second shop in, the parking situation was horrible.
You either found a park right in front or had to park in one of those tall ass garages with congestion coming out.
I hated parking in a garage, so I opted for the several blocks away option, which by the time we were leaving wasn’t the best idea.
“Dad, are we picking up Ms. Jade?” Aja asked, her small voice creeping into my eardrum.
“Yeah, then we’re going to dinner at her family’s house this evening.”
“Okay. I already did my homework at school,” she volunteered and I immediately felt like shit because wasn’t I supposed to have asked her about that? I was too caught up in my own bullshit to think about it and that needed to change because Aja was my priority.
About thirty seconds later, I watched Jade exit the double doors of the mall. So of course I hopped out to open the door for her. What type of man would I be if I didn’t.
“Good evening, handsome.” She hugged my waist before standing on her tippy toes to give me a kiss which I returned and watched her get into the car.
This life with Jade and my daughter was something I could get used to.
Nothing about it felt routine, but instead it was natural.
Everything felt like it was supposed to be this way.
“Hell nah, you know I’ma deal with my situations head on, so when she told me it was mine, I told her I wanted to be sure. How was I supposed to know that would have her running to the blogs lying on my name.”
We were all at Dimitri’s spot while Indiri explained how his name had found its way into the media months before his next fight.
Reminisce laughed. “I thought motherfuckers were supposed to sign NDAs and shit to be in your space.”
Indiri laughed. “Not all the time but believe it or not she did. She just didn’t care about the consequences because in her mind she has a valid gripe with me.” He shrugged.
“So, is it your kid?” Jade asked. I could feel her irritation from my lap. She was extremely protective of her family, so the thought of him being reckless had her face immediately drawn up from the moment Dimitri asked him about it.
“Nah. She has a man. Can’t be mine.”
The expression on his face was comical because he just knew that much.
“And how do you know, Indi?” Jade then asked.
“Because if she was pregnant by me, I’d know.
Besides the fact that I ain’t never not wrapped it up I also know I’m too young for a baby right now.
And judging from all the kids y’all got in the other room, and the couple in here, I don’t need to be thinking about it any time soon.
” He turned his face up and shook his head.
Beyah held her hand up to disagree. “Um there is nothing in here, well shit, besides Caya, you good over there, sis?”
Their family time reminded me of my own, family just being family, ragging on one another, cracking jokes, and eating. Something about big families made me feel comfortable, like somehow when my brothers or I died the lineage would live on.
“Hold up on that. Don’t put that on me. I don’t have kids and I damn sure ain’t had no scares. All of us in here ain’t on that motion.” Reminisce’s hand was over his mouth like somebody coughed or something. “You just wished a fucking plague on me.”
More laughter ensued because he was so serious. We had long since eaten in the kitchen and dining room. Now we were all in the living room chilling.
“Then it will be just my luck that I end up with twins. Hell nah. Not me at all.” He shook his head.
“You don’t want kids, Rem?” Rennix asked, apparently trying to be funny because the expression on his face already gave his answer.
“Hell nah. Wait, let me fix that. I want kids, I just don’t want babies. They look like a lot and I’m not up for the job, but when they are older I could handle that.”
“So you want to reap the benefits and not do any of the work?” Caya questioned.
“Exactly, sis,” he agreed with the straightest expression he could muster. “Not everybody wanna argue with toddlers about vegetables.”
I clued him in on the secret “Not gonna lie, bro, they do that type of shit at all ages. The arguments just get more in-depth when they get older.”.
He threw his head back in confusion, thinking about what I had just said before he shrugged. “Well shit, I don’t want anything then. I’ll be the best uncle of my being, but I’m cool on all that other stuff.”
“But what if you want your lineage to live on? You can’t do that as an uncle.” Beyah responded.
“I can. I’m a twin and my younger brother, your husband, looks like me.
That means y’all’s kids will look like me regardless, so hell yeah, my lineage is going to live on through y’all.
Now if y’all will excuse me, I have some business to tend to this evening before my flight. I’ll see y’all later.”
Not long after Reminisce slipped out, so did Indiri. Then the women found their way into the other room with the kids while me, Dimitri, and Rennix stayed in the kitchen.
“That motherfucker is still stalking her?” G asked out of nowhere.
I shook my head, because apparently, she hadn’t told them about the break in.
“Yeah, but I got an idea who it is. I hate it took for him to break in and vandalize her shit for it to be figured out.” I shook my head.
“Vandalize her shit? When did that happen?” Rennix looked confused and so did Dimitri. She damn sure hadn’t told them about that.
“Last week he broke into her place and trashed her car. I was there yesterday with a friend of mine. You remember something about her internet being down so often?” I asked both of them before my eyes went to the doorway.
I was determined not to bother her with shit.
I didn’t want her worrying about it anymore than she already did.
“Nah, but I remember Rem saying the lil creepy motherfucker was always at her spot,” G responded.
“Yeah, well from how it was explained to me, he has her spot set up for his viewing pleasure. I found it strange that he was only stalking her from there but besides the two flower arrangements to her shop he only had access to her place. Since she's been staying with me, there hasn’t been anything but that and a video sent to her by Ava.”
“She didn't tell me about that. She’s always on that independent shit.” Dimitri shook his head.
“So, it’s the IT nigga?” Rennix asked.
“Yeah, I’ll have all his information real soon. I'm going to talk to him.”
Laughter broke my thoughts of exactly what talk meant in my mind. “I thought you were the calm one between you and your brother.” Rennix had a grin on his face that had me shaking my head.
“Yeah, right. Just hit me up if you need something because I was damn sure going out of my mind trying to figure out where those cameras came from. When I had that trace run, they were purchased through a company, one with a private employee base.”
I nodded.
We talked about it for a while longer before Jade and Aja entered the living room letting me know they were ready to go.
It baffled me how easily my life had become theirs.
This wasn’t a forced change, but instead a gradual necessity I clung to because somehow it was the way I breathed easier with less darkness surrounding me.
My daughter and Jade were what kept me grounded when I felt the darkness surrounding me.
I had yet to feel even the slightest desire to use the code word Jade and I had established.
I didn’t feel like I needed it because I had her and a burning desire to stop living in a past that didn’t suit me.
I was now building a future that suited me in ways I found myself attempting to get used to.
“Why are you so quiet?” Jade’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Just thinking baby, you good?” I squeezed her hand.
“Yes, but you’re quiet. Do you want to talk about it?” I felt her eyes as I kept mine on the road.
“Somebody came by the restaurant this afternoon and told me he’s my father. Well, me and my brother’s father.”
“And how do you feel about that?” Jade was forever asking me how I felt about something. At first I didn’t understand, not until I realized it was how she deemed a subject or situation approachable or not.
“Like I’m too damn old to be looking for a father.” I found myself reiterating Kinga’s words. “But part of me wants to know.”
“Then find out. You are entitled to the truth regardless of how old you are when you get it. Ross didn’t tell Reminisce and Rennix about me and Dimitri until years ago. So don’t cheat yourself out of knowing who your father is, even if you don’t need anything from him.”
I squeezed her hand again, grateful for her words and her ability to ease my mind when I was clearly overthinking.
When we made it back to the house, I couldn’t get Aja to her room in bed fast enough before I had Jade pinned against the wall in my bedroom. My craving for this woman was abnormal; shit set my whole fucking soul on fire with the way I needed to be inside of her.