12. Jeovanni
Chapter 12
Jeovanni
I took my eyes off the road long enough to glance over at Rainah as she sat on the passenger side of my Range Rover scrolling through her phone. At least thirty times a day, whenever Rainah was in my presence, I stole glances at her. At the moment, I was hungrily eyeing her thick chocolate thighs that were on display due to her rocking little red gym shorts. I was so in love with Rainah’s skin tone that I rubbed, licked, sucked, and kissed it every chance I got.
“I can’t believe you agreed to come get your ass beat on the court.”
Rainah looked over at me and rolled her eyes upward. “I agreed to play ball with you because it’s something we did as kids that I enjoyed. I’m here for the nostalgia. Not for you to be acting like you’re at NBA tryouts. Don’t get on this court and start doing too much.”
“Whatever you say. Just don’t start that pouting shit when I win. I have to be fair and play you the same way that I’d play anybody else.”
Rainah stuck her middle finger up making me chuckle with amusement. As far as I knew, any enemies that Jovani and I had, had been eliminated. We were out of the game, and my hope was that life was about to be real regular and boring. The fact that my grandmother killed Melissa’s father threw me for a loop. I knew Joanna was gangsta but got damn. That was one thing that I didn’t see coming, and it was the last thing I expected from her. I also didn’t expect for Melissa to step up to the plate and declare herself head of the mob either. I wasn’t sure what kind of time loop I’d been thrown into, but once I got past the shock, I decided that none of it concerned me.
I wished Melissa well in her mob activities, and I knew she had a thorough team behind her. Melissa had some of the best shooters in the game on her team. Deuce was starting a security company even though he really didn’t have to stress a job. Jovani and I had paid him well over the years and his house along with his cars were paid off. When I arrived at the basketball court around the corner from where Rainah and I grew up, she remained seated while I exited the car.
Patting my pockets to make sure everything was still in place, I grabbed my basketball from the backseat then opened her car door. When Rainah emerged from the car, I smiled and pecked her on the lips. “You know I love you, right?” Rather than answering me, Rainah’s brow hiked. “Don’t think this ass whooping is personal. On this court, I’m not your man. If you start losing don’t even start that trying to threaten me with sex stuff.”
“Jeovanni, shut up before I change my mind,” she groaned. “I don’t remember you even being that great on the court,” she jested.
“You got me all the way fucked up,” I frowned. It was my goal to keep Rainah occupied enough so that she wouldn’t turn around and face the court’s entrance. The entire court was fenced in, so the gap in the fence was the only way a person could enter or exit the court. I took it easy on her and let her score the first four points while my surprise guests crept onto the court.
When everyone was positioned, I smacked the ball out of her hand, cuffed it, and scored a three pointer. “There you go with that bullshit,” Rainah snapped making me grin.
“I’m on bullshit?” I dribbled the ball and studied her gorgeous face. Rainah was so sexy when she frowned. I had to remember the matter at hand and glance over her shoulder to keep my manhood from hardening. She always had been a sore loser, but I enjoyed playing with her anyway. When we were younger, Rainah and I bonded over basketball.
“Turn around and tell me if you think I’m on bullshit.”
With an intense glower, Rainah turned around and what she saw made her gasp. Her hands covered her mouth, and she turned to face me with huge, rounded eyes.
“Is that bullshit?” I grinned.
Tears filled Rainah’s eyes as she read the signs that Jason and Jordan were holding. My lil’ men were dressed in black tuxedo’s. Jordan’s sign said: Mommy, we’ve waited long enough.
Jason’s side read: Will you just marry dad already?
Ashton was there holding a large bouquet that consisted of three dozen roses. Ida Mae was present and so was my grandmother and Jovani. Even Girl and Voyage were in attendance. I eased a small, blue ring box out of my pocket and by the time she’d turned around to face me, the lid was flipped up. The thirty-carat pear shaped diamond glistened underneath the bright rays of sun. Rainah’s jaw slacked as her orbs darted from my face to the stunning diamond.
“I love you to death, but I can’t get down on this hard ass concrete with shorts on. I’ll get on my knees later on tonight though,” I promised in a tone that only she could hear. My comment made Rainah laugh through her tears.
“Real shit though,” I got serious. “We were supposed to do this shit along time ago. Better late than never though. Will you be Mrs. Jeovanni Bendetti?”
Rainah didn’t even speak. She just hopped into my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck. When she placed kisses all over my face, our family erupted into cheers because though she hadn’t given a verbal yes, her response told us all what her answer was.
I kissed her back and after placing her on the ground, I eased the rock onto her finger. “Where’s Deuce?” she joked. “I might need security with me when I’m out in public wearing this.”
“Let a nigga try you.” I was serious as a heart attack. Just the thought of someone attempting to rob Rainah for the massive diamond she was rocking had my finger trigger itching.
“Calm down, killer,” she smiled. “I’ll be fine.”
“I have one more surprise for you.”
Rainah’s head lifted. She hadn’t been able to stop admiring her engagement ring. Once we got married, and I slid the band on her finger, it was going to top the set off just right. The wedding band was made of diamonds. I pointed towards the entrance, and she spun around. All eyes were on Alisa as she walked onto the basketball court.
“Oh my God,” Ida Mae gasped as she stared at her daughter. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and Alisa rushed over to her mother and hugged her.
Alisa looked better than I’d ever seen her look in my life. Her brown skin was free of blemishes and word on everything, she actually looked like she was glowing. Her face was full due to her having put on at least twenty pounds. Her hair was cut into a short bob, and the orange sundress that she rocked fit loosely on her newfound curves. Her nails were done, and Alisa rocked classy, short nails with French tips.
Rainah stood frozen in place watching her mother and grandmother hug. The two embraced for what felt like five minutes. When they were finally done, Alisa wiped her tears and headed in Rainah’s direction.
“Thank you so much for paying for rehab for me. I feel so good, Rainah. I won’t ever stand here and act like I think this is going to be easy. It will be a fight for me every day not to use, but I’m committed to staying clean. I’m going to get a job and keep myself busy.”
Rainah and her mother hugged, and I decided to wait on offering Alisa a job at Jonah’s. I never had to battle addiction, but one thing I didn’t do was judge. Alisa witnessed her husband be murdered, and she was raped and left for dead. I’d never look down on her for coping however she chose to cope. I had never been in her shoes, and I couldn’t fathom what I would have done in a situation like that.
Jason and Jordan couldn’t wait any longer. They ran over to their mother, and wrapped their arms around her. I stood back with a proud simper on my face as she introduced her mother to her grandkids.
“Congratulations, twin.” Jovani held out his open palm for me to slap. “Now see, if you would have married balloon lips, you would have missed the opportunity to be with your soulmate.”
“Can you or Grams ever call anybody by their names? It’s always got to be some odd ass description or insult.”
“Do you care what I call plastic Barbie?” he frowned.
With a chuckle, I shook my head. “You are one silly ass nigga. Voyage and Atlantis will never be bored around your ignorant ass. You already have the baby calling her mother a yemon drop bish.”
Jovani’s shoulders hiked into a passive shrug. “Guess she calls it like she sees it, but anyway, Grams killed Melissa’s pops, and it seemed like those two could be in the same room without killing one another now. Why isn’t she here?”
“She’s in Colombia meeting with Augello. Melissa is determined to take her place on the throne and continue moving coke through Ausnor Beach. I can’t even blame her. If that’s what she wants to do, what can I say? Her ass is going to be filthy fuckin’ rich.” For just a split second, entertaining the game for just a little longer crossed my mind, but I was tripping. My ass was done selling drugs. Hopefully, I was done murdering niggas too unless someone came at anybody I loved the wrong way.
“You can say she needs to sit her old ass down somewhere, lay off the fillers, and be a grandmother since she was never a mother,” Grams chimed in. “We can take turns with babysitting. I might not be running a drug empire, but I have a few prospects on the team. Grams can’t be out here babysitting all the time. I be having appointments to go see a man about a horse. Shit.”
Jovani frowned. “I know the fuck yo”
“Who the hell are you cursing at?” Grams snapped as she smacked Jovani on the arm.
I was equally as disgusted as him. When Grams peeped the fact that I was frowning, she drew back. “Something you want to say? I watch you all swap spit and act all lovesick over Rainah and Voyage. I even caught this nasty one ass out on the beach. Y’all aren’t the only ones that like to get it in.”
“La la la la la la la,” Jovani sang as he put his hands over his ears and walked away.
“I need a drink,” I mumbled. Grams raised her son, and then she raised his sons. She ran a successful pool hall for years, and she even sold coke for a lil’ minute. She deserved to relax and do whatever it was that she wanted to do in life, but there were certain things that I damn sure didn’t care to hear about.
It was crazy how things had come full circle on the very basketball court that I was standing on. Many basketball games between Rainah and I had taken place on the court. It was where our friendship grew, and it was the place where we had our first argument causing her to walk out of my life for five years. Now, the basketball court symbolized something new and positive. It was the place where Rainah agreed to don my last name. Rainah Bendetti had a real nice ring to it. She was going to be busy as hell over the next few months planning a wedding and getting her practice started, so I was going to be patient. I was going to let her handle everything that she needed to handle before I pumped more babies in her ass. Hopefully, next time she would have triplets.
* * *
The next morning, I carefully carried the wooden tray with Rainah’s breakfast on it up the stairs. Jason and Jordan had helped me to prepare breakfast for their mother. It was our first Mother’s Day together as a family, and I had gone all out for her. She wasn’t the only one that was going to get some dope gifts. Jovani and I had also gone all out for Joanna and got her a five-bedroom house that we hoped she would actually agree to move into. The new house was closer to me and Von but after yesterday, I wasn’t sure that was such a good idea. If Jovani popped up on Grams and caught her getting it in, I’d hate to think about how he would react. His crazy ass didn’t need to be shooting senior citizens and shit. Jovani never liked to see men flirting with Grams. He attempted to shut it down anytime it happened around him at the pool hall. I tried to explain to that man that Grams was grown as hell, but the Lord only knew how Jovani might tweak out if he caught Grams actually having sex.
Jason and Jordan ran ahead of me into the bedroom and used the stairs on the side of the bed to climb up on it. My California King bed was huge and sat up high off the floor. After Rainah moved in, I got a new mattress, sheets, and comforters. “Mommy, wake up! We made you breakfast,” Jordan cupped Rainah’s face in his small hands. I had to smile at the loving way that he held his mother’s face.
Rainah’s eyes opened, and she smiled at Jordan. “I’m up, baby.”
“Happy Mother’s Day!” Jason stood up and started jumping on the bed making Rainah laugh. Of course, Jordan joined in, but I had to shut it down.
“Aight. Your mom can’t eat her food if you’re jumping on the bed.” The boys stopped jumping, and I walked over to the bed as Rainah sat up. “Happy Mother’s Day.” I set the tray down.
“Wow, you cooked all this?” Rainah eyed the plate of food hungrily. I’d whipped up pancakes, smoke sausage, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes with onions and peppers, and fresh fruit.
“I did.”
“You’ve been holding out. I didn’t know you could cook.”
“I cracked the eggs,” Jordan stated.
“And I added the cheese in the eggs,” Jason added.
“Well, let me taste those first.” Rainah scooped a forkful of eggs into her mouth. Her eyes closed while she chewed, and she groaned dramatically. “Oh my God, these are so good. Cracked just right with the right amount of cheese in them. Let me find out I have some little chefs in the making.”
That made the boys beam with pride. I knew they would talk her head off the entire tine she ate her breakfast. I had already fed them, so I went to clean the kitchen. As Jovani and I got older, we realized that every year on Mother’s Day, Grams got a little sad. We knew she loved us, and we always did something special for her, but we couldn’t blame her for missing the reason that she became a mother in the first place. I knew Grams thought of our father every day. I couldn’t imagine how good it felt for her to finally kill my bitch of a grandfather. There were times that she literally carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she never folded. Grams was the epitome of strength, and the crazy thing was, it wasn’t anything that she tried to be. She just was.
“ So, it’s just fuck me after all I did for you?!” Grams roared after we met with our mother, and we told her what was up. Melissa was proving to be about business because she had flown out to Colombia that morning to meet her connect, Augello. She wasn’t wasting any time, and Jovani and I made the decision to start selling coke for her.
“Grams, how are we saying fuck you? By using Melissa’s connections to get some coke from Colombia? The streets are dry as hell right now. She has federal connections. Jeovanni and I can get money without worrying about indictments. You should be happy for us. You can sit back and chill and let us do the work,” Jovani chimed in, but she wasn’t trying to hear it.
“Be happy for you?” She drew back. “Happy that you’ve let that weasel get in your head the same way she did your father, and it cost my baby his life! You believe that bullshit that you two are protected because you’re her blood?” My grandmother’s face contorted as if the mere thought repulsed her.
That day didn’t go well, and Joanna was pissed with us for a minute. Eventually, she got past it. Easing my cell phone from my pocket, I shot Melissa a Happy Mother’s Day text message. I had just turned on the dishwasher when I heard the twins coming down the stairs. I was positive that Rainah would be behind them because they were anxious for her to see all of her gifts. I walked into the living room as Rainah’s foot touched the last stair.
A wide grin inched across her face at the set up in the living room. There were five vases with roses in them. A dozen for every year that she’d been a mother. Lined up on the couch were five different Chanel bags, five pairs of Chanel sandals, a few pairs of shades, and some perfume. Rainah sat down on the couch and took her time opening each present. When she was done, she ran over to me and jumped in my arms.
“As soon as my grandmother takes the boys for the day, I’m going to eat that dick off the bone,” she whispered in my ear making my manhood stiffen instantly.
“Damn, I’m looking forward to that. But that’s not all your presents. Come on.”
With her legs locked around my waist, I walked outside with the twins hot on my heels. In the driveway was a custom burnt orange Bentley with a big red bow on it. Thankfully, the acres that my home sat on made it so I didn’t have neighbors close by because if there were, the scream that Rainah let out would have had them calling the police.
“Jovanni!” she shrieked as she jumped up and down before running to the car barefoot.
“I think she’s happy,” Jason said proudly.
“This is the best Mother’s Day ever,” Jordan was smiling as hard as his brother was. Seeing their mother happy truly made them happy. I loved the way Rainah loved the boys, and I damn sure loved the way they loved her in return.
I was ready for Rainah to make good on her promise, so while she admired the car, I ushered the boys inside, so I could get them ready for the day. Ms. Nixon wanted to take them to church with her, and Rainah and I were going to enjoy the alone time.
The boys hadn’t even been gone for ten minutes before Rainah had my dick in her mouth. She hummed as she sucked me off slowly. I was seated in a recliner in the living room, and she had come over and pulled my dick out the moment we were alone.
“Do that shit,” I moaned already knowing that thanks to her gifts, Rainah was going to get real nasty for a nigga.
Rainah’s gaze lifted, and she made eye contact as she slowly sucked me off. Relaxing her throat muscles, she took me in as far as she could take me while never taking her irises off my face. When she gagged and saliva dripped off her chin, my fuckin’ toes curled. I gripped a handful of her curls and watched her run her tongue up and down my shaft. Rainah eased downward and sucked my balls into her mouth while she twisted her hand in a circular motion and jacked me off.
“The head is amazing, babe,” I praised her in a gruff tone, “but I need you to sit on this dick.”
Rainah popped my balls out of her mouth and looked up at me with a devilish grin. If she wasn’t on birth control, there was no way she wouldn’t already be pregnant again. She stood up and removed her pajamas before straddling my lap. We both looked down as she positioned her pussy over my manhood. She moaned while easing slowly down on my fat mushroom tip. Her coochie had a vice grip on my member, and I gripped her waist moaning with her.
I sucked one of Rainah’s perky breasts into my mouth as she bounced up and down on my dick. “Fuck this shit is wet,” I smacked her cheek and mumbled with a mouth full of titty.
“Sucking your dick turned me on,” she moaned seductively.
I grabbed a handful of Rainah’s hair and tongued her down while she continued to ride me. I sucked her bottom lip, her tongue, and even her chin until she was trembling and coming all over my dick.
“Jeovanni, you feel so fucking good,” she whimpered with her eyes closed.
I stood up with my dick still inside her and took Rainah over to the couch. Good thing the furniture was leather because she was going to wet it up, and I gave zero fucks about it.
After putting her down, I nestled in between her legs, and sucked her juicy pussy until she was writhing on the couch and screaming out every obscenity known to man. I French kissed Rainah’s clit and had her convulsing through orgasm number two and wetting my beard in less than five minutes. I admired her pretty, pink pussy as I slid a finger inside of her still spasming walls.
“Jeovanni, oh my God.” Rainah’s pussy tightened around my finger as I watched her in awe.
“Fuck,” I marveled before kissing her pussy and shoving my dick back inside of her.
“Right there, baby, please don’t stop,” Rainah begged as I fucked her savagely.
“You ready to get this dick for the rest of your life?” I grunted into her ear.
“Yes, baby. Fuck yes,” she panted as I snaked my tongue into her mouth.
My heart felt as if it was going to jump out of my chest as Rainah and I came together. The orgasm had my back cracking and toes popping. Our sweaty bodies clung to one another as we came down from our orgasmic high.
“Shit,” I pulled out of her. “I almost don’t want to leave to meet Jovani.” We were going to meet at Grams’ house and take her out to her new house together.
“I know but we have to. I want to see the look on Joanna’s face when she sees the house, and I have to meet my mother and grandmother for lunch.”
“This Mother’s Day is special for a lot of reasons. How does it feel to finally be able to spend Mother’s Day with your mother again?” I held out my hand to help Rainah off the couch.
“It feels amazing. I know I should think positive, but I know there’s a real chance that she might relapse one day. I’m just so grateful that she’s even attempting to stay clean. I’m going to enjoy every moment with her that I can. I love everything you got me, but her being here and sober is the best present that I could have ever asked for.”
I grabbed her hands and held onto them. “I know that for sure. They never lied when they said the best things in life are free. Alisa is going to stay clean, watch. I have faith in her,” I winked at her.
Rainah and I took a shower together, and then we got dressed, so I could go meet Jovani. The fact that I already knew Rainah’s family, and she already knew mine made things even better. She had already decided on a wedding date, and I knew she would be consumed with planning the wedding. Especially since I told her there wasn’t a budget.
In just four months, Rainah and I would have a fall wedding since that was her favorite season. We had been engaged for less than twenty-four hours, and she had already looked at venues online as well as wedding dresses. She wanted Ashton to be the maid of honor of course, and she’d already asked Voyage to be a bridesmaid.
There was no doubt that Jovani would be my best man. Deuce was going to be a groomsman for sure, and that was as far as I’d gotten. I’d deal with the technicalities later. Whatever Rainah wanted she could get. I was simply along for the ride.
“She’s going to love the house,” Rainah assured me while I drove.
“I hope so. You know how stubborn she is. I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me it was a waste of money because she wasn’t going anywhere.”
“She just might surprise you. We didn’t think my grandmother would move, but she did, and she loves my building. Grams doesn’t want to seem like she’s running from the young niggas taking over the neighborhood, so she has to play tough just a tad. She’s going to fall in love with the house though. I’ll feel so much better with both our grandmothers being gone.”
“Yeah me too,” I agreed.
Joanna never ran from anybody, but I was trying to make her understand that it wasn’t about her running. Jovani and I didn’t want to have to make the streets of Ausnor Beach bleed if some shit popped off concerning young, goofy niggas, and our Grams. Some of the young niggas didn’t respect the street code the way OG’s did.
Jovani and I arrived at Grams’ house at the same time. When I saw Mr. Willie walking out the front door, my stomach instantly turned. Mr. Willie used to frequent my grandmother’s pool hall. He was about two or three years younger than my grandmother and appeared to be in good shape for his age. His wife had been dead for five years, and from what I could tell, he was cool. Mr. Willie nodded his head at me as I got out of the car, and he walked to his black pickup truck.
“Grams in there fucking?” Jovani’s dumb ass yelled loud enough for all the neighbors to hear.
“Jovani, shut your dumb ass up,” I hissed. “Grams is grown. Leave her alone.”
“That shit is nasty, bro.” Jovani truly looked disturbed. “That shit should be illegal. Don’t nobody want to clap no old ass cheeks.”
“So, when you get old, you’re just going to stop having sex?” I asked with an amused smirk.
“Man, whatever,” he mumbled. “That shit isn’t right.”
“I’m sure she felt the same way when she caught you and Voyage on the beach.”
Jovani looked me up and down while still frowning intensely. “Whose side are you on? You want some old ass nigga giving Grams worms?” As horrified as Jovani was, you’d think he walked in on Grams while she was in the act.
“I don’t think he can give her worms if they’re about the same age.”
Grams walked out onto the porch peering at my brother and I inquisitively. “Why didn’t you all come in?”
“We didn’t know if you were decent,” Jovani answered while pouting like a big ass kid.
“Come on, Grams. You can ride with either one of us. We have a surprise for you.”
“You know I love surprises. Hold on let me get my house keys.”
I was sure Grams didn’t want to hear Jovani’s mouth, so she chose to ride with me and Rainah. A nigga was happier than he’d been in a long time. Jonah’s was doing so well that I could live off the money I made monthly and not even touch any of the dope money I had stashed unless I wanted to splurge on some shit. As far as material things went, I had everything that I wanted. Including a woman that wanted to work and make her own bread.
Rainah never had to pay a bill as long as she was with me, but I liked knowing that if push came to shove and my back was against the wall for whatever reason, she could make some shit shake. The only thing that would have made life better than what it was at the moment would have been the chance to know my father, but lame ass racist muhfuckas took that from me.
It was all good though. The life that I’d live had shaped me into the man that I was. I gave Joanna Mitchell credit all day every day for raising me and instilling certain things in me but the more I got to know Melissa, one thing that I could never deny was the fact that I was indeed my mother’s son.