Chapter 32
My chest tightened as I got closer to my destination. A part of me wanted to turn right back around and leave, but I couldn’t. I didn’t even know why I was so nervous since we had been talking for months now. Dinero texted me, demanding that I relax and not to stress his daughter out. This little girl gave me enough hell, so I wasn’t thinking about Dinero or her.
Once I turned on the street, I smiled, seeing all these nice houses. If nothing else, Ciera had done well for herself, and it made me happy to see it. We went through hell as children, so the idea of her getting a happy ending filled me with happiness. I texted her to let her know I was here. When I looked up, I noticed her standing at the door. She was even prettier in person, and I was so happy to see her, tears sprung from my eyes.
After I made sure the car was locked properly, I headed her way. The closer I got to her, the more excited I became.
“Oh, look at you!” Her hands palmed my belly, and we were both a blubbering mess. When she wrapped her arms around me, I melted into her hold. We remained in the same position for a few minutes until a little boy peeked his head out to see what was going on.
“Mommy! Why are you crying?” Ciera and I both laughed as we tried to get ourselves together.
“Mommy is happy, Chance. Sometimes people cry when they’re happy or excited.” He nodded and then raced back into the house. He reminded me of my sons. They never missed a beat with me.
“We better get in the house before he rats me out to his father. Christian already bet me money that I would be crying the minute you stepped foot in the house, and I’ve already lost.” I giggled because her husband sounded much like Dinero. He packed a box of Kleenex and a few snacks in the car, and as much as I wanted to deny that I would need them, I thought better of it.
We held hands as I entered her home, which was even more beautiful on the inside. I removed my shoes at the door before venturing further into the house. The same little boy from earlier sat on the floor as he watched TV on the big screen in front of him. There were two other kids in there as well. One looked to be closer in age, while the other girl, from her tall, lanky frame, looked to be either a preteen or a teenager.
“Do you want some water or juice? I would offer you a glass of wine, but it looks like we’ll have to wait a few more months for that.”
“And when the time comes, I’ll be taking you up on that offer. I’ll take some water.” She handed me a bottle of water before the two of us ventured into the living room with the children.
“Don’t mind their toys on the floor. As soon as I put them away, they suddenly can’t live without them.” I laughed, thinking of how the boys were when they were little.
“Trust me, I know all about it.”
“Hey, baby. I think it’s time for baby girl’s feeding.” A tall, handsome man sauntered down the hall with a baby cradled in his arms.
“Of course it is. She would wait until I finally sit down to want to eat.” Ciera reached out for the bundle of cuteness.
“Baby, this is Charae, the sister I went to visit a few months ago. Charae, this is my husband, Christian.” My heart swelled at her introduction as he reached his hand out toward me.
“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you over the years. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name. I can tell by the makeup streaks that I won the bet, but I’ll be nice and let you pay up when the kids go to bed tonight.” He winked in her direction before heading to the kitchen. Ciera gave him the middle finger before tossing a pillow at him.
“Aww, how old is she?” I hadn’t been around a baby since the twins, and I could honestly say my baby fever had increased tremendously since they had grown up. I couldn’t wait until my baby girl got here so I could snuggle and love her all over.
“She just turned seven months last week. She was our surprise baby because I swore I was done having kids after Chance.”
“So, you have four kids?”
“Five, counting my bonus son. He lives with his mom during the school year and then stays with us for breaks and the summertime.”
“You went from saying you were never having kids to having a whole crew.”
“Girl, who are you telling? I never thought I would make a good mother, so it wasn’t in my plans to become one. God had other plans for me, though, and I have no complaints. My children are my everything, and I would honestly do it all over again if I had the chance to be their mother in another life.”
“I feel the same about mine. The timing couldn’t have been any worse, but they ended up being the greatest blessings I’ve ever had.”
“You have twins, right?”
“Yes, Cashmir and Cashynn. We call them Cash and Moolah. My best friend gave them those nicknames, and they grew on me.”
“Aww, that’s so cute. I tried to come up with cute names for my kids, but by the third one, I was starting to run out. I have China, Chance, Junior aka CJ, and my oldest, Charae Alise.” My heart skipped a beat, and my head whipped over to the young girl with her head buried in her phone.
“Wait, you named your daughter after me?” Again, the waterworks started because I was completely surprised.
“Hey, why don’t we go grab some ice cream while your mom talks to her sister?” Christian suggested. The boys jumped up and down with excitement. It reminded me of the days when I could bribe my boys with the promise of snacks. Now, they only accepted their bribes in money and clothing.
“Can I have some extra chocolate syrup and cookie dough on mine?” Charae asked. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she carried my name.
“You already know it. Go put your shoes on.”
She smiled brightly, racing in the same direction as her brothers. I wondered how long Ciera and Christian had been together because there seemed to be a large gap between Charae Alise and CJ.
They were all adorable, although only two of the four resembled Ciera. It made me wonder who my little girl would take after. The twins stole my whole face, but I had a feeling this little girl would come out looking like an exact replica of her father. I would love it, though, because he deserved to have his own twin.
“Do you want me to take her?” he asked, gesturing toward baby girl.
“No, I’m gonna feed her, and she’ll probably fall right to sleep. Thank you for asking.”
“No problem. I’ll try to keep them out for at least an hour so you can spend time alone. You don’t have to worry about cooking tonight. I’ll grab something on the way home.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you, baby.”
“Anything for you.” He leaned down to kiss Ciera on the forehead. We watched them until they headed out of the door.
Ciera got up and made a bottle for the baby. Of course, I offered to hold the precious princess. I’d only been around little boys, so holding her heightened my excitement to have a little girl of my own. Once she returned, I grabbed the bottle so I could feed her. The relief on her face let me know she appreciated the break.
“You have a beautiful family, and I can tell your husband doesn’t play about you.”
“Christian is protective over me, but he’s even more protective of our kids. When I first met him, I was so afraid to open up to him, especially with him being in the NBA. The last thing I wanted was to be with a man in the spotlight,” she expressed. The emotions in her tone were filled with love and admiration.
“When I found out I was pregnant with Charae, I thought my life was over. Dox was so excited to have a baby, but I was too young to be someone’s mother. Hell, I never had one to be an example of what they were even supposed to look like. He immediately made an appointment to see how far along I was, and I still remember the glare on his face after the doctor told us I was five months pregnant. We had only been having sex for three.” She scoffed, shaking her head as she told the story.
“I finally managed to escape that hell hole only to be stuck with a permanent reminder of what I left behind.” I gasped when the reality of her words set in.
“Oh, Cece no.”
“Yeah. Charae belongs to Mr. Dennis. Dox ended up breaking up with me, even after I explained what happened. In his eyes, I was tainted, damaged goods. He still let me work for him, though. I was able to keep some money in my pockets. I wanted to terminate the pregnancy, but I couldn’t, due to how far along I was. It was one of the darkest times of my life, but I told myself that I would be okay. I had survived much worse, and I made it through.
“Charae turned out to be my biggest blessing. Having her motivated me to work harder so I could give her a good life. I got a real job and continued to help package drugs for Dox on the side. Then, after I turned eighteen, I went to the strip club for a while. Once the money started rolling in, I got myself a place, found a sweet elderly neighbor to babysit my little girl at night while I danced, and I ended up quitting my day job.
“I cried so many nights because life became too much for me, but I kept pushing for her. She deserved to have the best life, and I refused to let her down. Christian and his teammates ended up coming to the club one night while I was dancing. It may sound corny, but our connection was instant. When I danced on that stage, it was as if only the two of us were in the club. He never took his eyes off me the entire night.”
“So, it was love at first sight. How romantic.” I grinned.
“Girl, no. It was lust at first sight. We hooked up that night, and he fucked me until my lace started lifting. That pretty pink wig didn’t stand a chance with the way he folded me like Origami. After we finished, I dipped out on him and never looked back. In my mind, it was nothing more than a random hookup, but Christian had other plans. He showed up at the club one night, tossed me over his shoulders, and carried me out of there. I never went back.”
“Cece!” I laughed so hard my stomach muscles grew tight. Baby girl kicked, letting me know she was not pleased.
“I’m so serious. He sat me down and told me I could never go back. Within three months, he gave me a fake ass job as his assistant and moved me out of my apartment. I was nervous because I had Charae, but he loved her as if she belonged to him. After a while, she was walking around the house calling for her ‘da-da,’ and he fell for it every time. Even now, their bond is incredibly close. When we got married, he asked if he could adopt her and change her last name.”
“Aww, that’s so beautiful. I’ve spent so many years praying and wondering where you were. Being able to see you live the life you’ve always deserved feels like an answered prayer.”
“I feel the same way. Then, when Christian and Money spoke, he explained how he wanted your birthday to be special, and it gave me so much peace. That man loves you, and it’s crazy because I remember the crush you used to have on him.” My mouth dropped in surprise. I hadn’t talked about that with anyone for such a long time.
“Oh my God. I can’t believe you remembered that. I used to dream about him rescuing me and falling madly in love.”
“Well, I would say your dreams came true.”
“In a way, they did. He rescued me when I had no one else. Dinero made me believe in the impossible.”
“I know a man in love when I see one. Regardless of your differences, you’re a priority for him. Before you showed up, he called Christian to make sure you were safe and that we had a proper security system. He even sent a list of foods that you can’t have because they make your feet swell.” The two of us giggled, although I could not believe Dinero was being so extra. Before I left, he set a bunch of ground rules of where I could and couldn’t go. I asked him if he was my father or something, and his answer was yes.
Baby China fell asleep in my arms, and my heart wanted to burst. I held her until Christian and the kids finally came back home. We ended up having pizza and wings for dinner. Since it was a family game night for them, they allowed me to play as well. Ciera and Christian played against each other, and the laughs were endless.
When it came time for bed, Ciera offered for me to stay with them for the night. Before I could even decline the offer, we heard a knock at the door. When Christian opened it, my eyes bulged in surprise. Standing at the door were Dinero, Cash, and Moolah.
“What are you doing here?” I inquired, kissing my boys on the cheek.
“We came to get our favorite lady. I know you didn’t think we were gonna let you spend the night away from home without us,” Moolah replied.
“Exactly. We wouldn’t have gotten any sleep with you being so far away,” Cash asserted.
“All of you are ridiculous. I’m a grown woman. I can handle myself, you know?” My arms were folded across my chest, although I was happy to see them.
“You might be, but you’re ours, and we weren’t having it,” Dinero voiced, sending shockwaves right to my middle.
“Sis, your men mean business. You heard them.” Ciera instigated while she stood next to Christian. Both of them were laughing at this display.
“I feel like I’m being bullied.”
“You are, and you have no say in it. I booked a suite for us at the Great Wolfe Lodge since the boys wanted to go swimming. I’ll bring you back here in the morning, and we can all have breakfast together before we take you home.” Dinero laid down the law without blinking an eye.
“What about my car? I drove here, remember?”
“Yeah, I know. Dreis came down with us. He wanted to make a few stops, so I’m letting him use your car and drive it back home.” The look he gave me told me that Dreis wasn’t visiting family. I rolled my eyes, allowing them to usher me to his truck.
“Alright, we’ll see y’all in the morning. I love you, Rae-Rae.” Ciera hugged me one last time, and we both cried.
“Why are y’all acting like this is the scene from The Color Purple ? You’re going to see each other in the morning and any other time you want.” Dinero teased us.
“I’m telling you. I’ve never seen my wife cry this much in my life. Had me thinking she was a thug this whole time.” Christian jested. Ciera wiped her face as she shoved him in the shoulder.
“Keep on laughing. You and your comedy show will be sleeping on the couch.”
“Yeah, right. Don’t act up in front of company. You’ll be begging me to come back in the room so you can sleep,” he shot back. It must have been true because Ciera buried her face into his chest.
“Yeah, y’all are definitely sisters. All talk and no action,” Dinero commented, garnering a glare from me.
“Whatever. I’m ready to go. I need something swee?—”
“We’ve already got your fat girl snacks in the truck, big mama. Let’s go.” Even though he got on my nerves, I felt loved. I never had to ask for anything more than once. All of them spoiled and took care of me like a queen.
As I lay in bed, I felt it dip. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw my boys.
“What are y’all doing in here? You finished swimming already?” After Dinero fed us, I took a shower before dozing off to sleep. I hadn’t even realized how tired I was until my head hit the pillow.
“We’re about to head to the game room downstairs. We met a couple of cuties who want us to teach them how to play foosball,” Moolah uttered.
“Sometimes I think you have forgotten I’m your mother.” I scoffed. The idea of my sons growing up stressed me out. They were babies, as far as I was concerned.
“Would you rather me lie or keep it real with you? I’m almost thirteen, Ma. I’mma be a man before you know it. Besides, your son is handsome, so it was only going to be a matter of time before the ladies started chasing me.”
“Is that how you feel too, Cash?” The goofy grin on his face told me everything I needed to know.
“I mean, I won’t lie. You and Pops definitely created greatness.”
“Unbelievable. You do have a point, although I wouldn’t give your dad too much credit. You are carbon copies of me,” I boasted.
“Get ya mind right. They may have your looks, but everything else came from me.” Dinero’s voice boomed through the room as he sauntered inside. A towel rested across his neck, but my eyes darted to my favorite part of him. His swim trunks hung low on his hips, but that print couldn’t be hidden no matter what fabric he wore.
“Aye, you don’t see our kids in here?” Dinero chuckled, tossing his towel at me. I pulled my comforter over me because my nipples were hard.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll remind you later.” He winked at me before heading to the shower. I swore I would never be one of those women, but Dinero had me throwing all my morals aside. In my mind, he belonged to me, and it was hard to turn that part of my brain off.
Cash and Moolah cleared their throats to get my attention. When I looked at my boys, I couldn’t help but observe them. Last year, they were shorter than me, and by summertime, they towered over me.
“How can I help you two?”
“We think you and Pops should be together,” Cash blurted out. I sat up in bed because I was unprepared for this type of conversation.
“Where is this coming from?”
“We don’t like that bougie bit?—”
“Cashynn!” I warned.
“Look, I’m sorry, but that’s what she is. I don’t even understand what Pops sees in her, but she isn’t good for him.”
“What do you mean by that?” It was obvious something happened while they were visiting, and I wanted all the details. Cash and Moolah gave each other a strange look before turning back to me.
“We weren’t going to bring it up because we weren’t sure if he would believe us or not. Then Moolah decided to record some of their conversation. Her parents came over for dinner last weekend. Moolah and I were sitting in the cabana, talking to two shorties on the phone.” I glared at them before allowing them to continue with the story.
“I think she’s using him for his money or something. She and her father were talking for a while, and she was freaking out about something. Here, I’mma play the recording.” My heart raced as Moolah pressed play on his phone. My head turned toward the bathroom, and I could hear Dinero singing in the shower.
“All you have to do is get down the aisle. You are worried for no reason.” I heard the voice of an older man, so I assumed it was her father.
“Daddy, it isn’t that simple. I think he’s gonna leave me. I can feel it. Ever since that homewrecking bitch came back into his life, everything has changed.”
“Trust me. I’ve had my fair share of mistresses, and no one has ever come close to taking your mother’s place. She is nothing more than a new toy for him. Money knows the consequences if he doesn’t go through with this. He isn’t dumb.” My eyes shot up to my boys, who wore the same face as me.
“Are you sure? Money has been so distant lately. He won’t touch me nor does he even look in my direction most days. I thought the pregnancy would be enough to keep him, but when I lost the baby, it seemed like his interest in marrying died right along with it.”
“I’m telling you that you have nothing to worry about. All you need to worry about is looking pretty on your wedding day. Money knows what he stands to lose if he doesn’t go through with this wedding. He may love her, but he’s no fool. I told you I would take care of it. Your daddy never breaks a promise.”
“I wish she and those bastards would disappear. I’ve worked too hard for them to come and take everything from me,” Harper stated.
That woman was truly out of her mind, and it was disgusting to hear. Her feelings toward me were irrelevant, but I was not going to let her mistreat my children. I didn’t care how Dinero felt about it. The more I listened to them speak, the angrier I became.
“What do we do? I can pour some Nair in her shampoo the next time we’re over there,” Moolah suggested.
“She drinks those green smoothies. We could pour a laxative in there. I mean, she’s already a shitty person.” Cash interjected. I was proud and ashamed at the same time.
“Yeah, we’re definitely going to church soon. Look, I don’t want the two of you getting in the middle of this. Your father will handle this; if he doesn’t, I will.” Moolah sent me the voice recording, and I sent them off to go hang out in the game room. Their father and I were overdue for a conversation, and this was the push I needed.
“Cash and Moolah left?” Dinero questioned before he stepped out of the bathroom.
“Yeah. They made some new friends and wanted to hang out with them. We need to talk.”
“Okay. What’s going on? I can tell by your tone that you’re upset,” Dinero pressed. My mind became distracted when he suddenly removed his towel from his waist. The third arm between his legs was semi-hard and swinging.
“Sunny!” I jumped when I heard his deep voice. “We have plenty of time for that. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about Harper.”
“Oh, hell no, Sunny. Of all the things to discuss while we’re in this room together, she is the last person that I wanna talk about,” he grumbled, moving toward his duffel bag to grab his clothes. I watched him slide his boxers on before I continued.
“It’s important; otherwise, I wouldn’t even bring it to you.”
“Say what’s on your mind, baby.” Instead of speaking, I pulled out the recording and pressed play. We both sat there and listened to the conversation while I studied his facial expression. He listened intently, but there wasn’t much of a reaction on his face. I guessed I shouldn’t have expected much because Dinero wasn’t quick to respond to anything unless it was about me or the kids. It honestly made me wonder why he was even considering marrying her when it was clear that she wasn’t where he wanted to be.
Silence loomed over us as we finished listening to the recording. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I decided to wait for him to speak first.
“Damn, that’s crazy.” That was not the response I expected.
“You don’t have anything else to say?” My patience was nonexistent, and it was clear in my tone.
“What else is there to say?” He shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn’t a big deal, which sent me over the edge.
“What kind of response is that? Did you not hear them? How can you stand here acting as if it’s no big deal after the way they talked about you and our children?”
“You’re emotional, and I understand why. However, I handle things differently. None of what I heard on that tape was surprising to me. There are a lot of things that you don’t understand, and I’m not in a place to tell you right now.” He was talking in riddles, and it pissed me off.
“What does that even mean?” My tone elevated, and his eyebrow raised as he stared at me.
“Let me ask you something, Sunny. Do I ever let anyone disrespect you?” I shook my head. “Do you think that I would allow someone to disrespect my children and not do anything about it?” This time, he moved closer to me. This was not the time, but I could feel my body temperature rising. I shook my head again. “Naw. Say that shit like you know the truth.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You’re wasting your energy being upset when you know who I am. The only reason why I’m not upset is because I’m here. The only people who have my attention are you and our family. I’ll deal with it when we get home.” There was a certain level of finality in his words that made me feel like this conversation was over.
“I don’t like the fact that you’re keeping secrets from me. You barely reacted to what you heard on the recording, which tells me that you’re keeping me out of the loop.”
“I already told you that there are some things I can’t discuss with you right now. When we had that talk outside your place, I meant what I said. I’ve got some things going on that I’m working through. It won’t affect you or my kids. All I need you to do is trust me. Can you do that?” His hand reached behind me as he removed my hair tie, causing my hair to fall to my face.
My breathing staggered as he stepped closer to me. With one hand around my throat and the other on the back of my head, Dinero tilted my head back as his tongue forced its way into my mouth. The guttural growl he released as he deepened the kiss caused my body to betray me. My pussy throbbed with desire, and I fully intended to allow him complete access to me.
“You’ve been testing me for a while now. I’ve been letting you make it because a lot of this is my fault. Let this be the last time you question me when it concerns my family. Nobody comes before y’all, and I mean nobody.”
“I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do it again, daddy.” The bulge in his boxers expanded, letting me know my words had gotten a rise out of him.
“You love to play with me. It’s all good because I’m gonna make you pay for it.”
“I look forward to it.” Dinero grabbed his phone from the dresser and began to type feverishly. For a moment, I grew upset, thinking he was texting Harper.
“Who are you texting?”
“Moolah. I wanted to make sure they had their room key so they wouldn’t have a reason to come back in here. His ass told me that it would cost me two hundred dollars. Your son is tryna extort me for money.”
“Did you send it?”
“Hell yeah. His mama’s pussy is worth more than that chump change.”
“Dinero!” I chortled, using my hands to cover my mouth.
“What? He honestly lowballed himself. I would have given them at least two bands a piece.” He casually shrugged his shoulders as if he wasn’t discussing him paying for my pussy.
“You and your sons are insane.”
“Yeah, maybe. Now that my debts have been paid, take your clothes off. I paid for eight hours. I don’t want to waste a second.” Dinero hopped his big ass on the bed before he snatched the comforter off me. Instead of waiting on me, he pulled my nightgown over my head.
“I can already taste that good ass pussy on my tongue. Come’re.” His back rested on the bed as his hands reached for me. I straddled his chest, but he lifted me up until his tongue made contact with my slit. My legs trembled as my hands gripped the headboard. I prayed there were no neighbors on the other side of the wall, because they wouldn’t get much sleep tonight.
For the rest of the night, we twisted and turned between the sheets. After countless orgasms, we eventually passed out together. Dinero held me in his arms as we drifted off to sleep.
“I love you, Sunny. I promise I’m gonna make this right.” His lips pressed against my shoulder blade, followed by the light sounds of his snoring. Despite everything we’d been through, my faith in him grew stronger. If nothing else, I trusted him to protect us, and that was enough for me. While our future was in limbo, I remained calm because things were going to work out. I could feel it.