Chapter 25
It took me forever to introduce Romi, Korri, and Renay to everybody. I almost wanted to jump on the mic and do it all at once, but that would have been doing the damn most. Currently, Romi and Renay were sitting with all my sisters and a few of my female cousins. Korri was running around with the other kids, and I was sitting with my brothers and my cousin Jakobi.
They had let me live for the first thirty minutes, but now they were really laying into my ass.
“How you feeling, Big Papa?” Deuce asked, slapping my shoulder. “You done brought your lil’ family to meet the family.”
I shrugged him off. “Fuck you.”
“Don’t be so sensitive, little brother,” Maceo said, elbowing me. “You knew this shit was coming the moment you brought her short ass around. How is baby girl?”
“She’s doing good. She gained a pound. We went to see her this morning before we came here.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I thought about Juri. Deuce was right. That skin-to-skin attachment was a muthafucka. I thought it would have been awkward holding her, but it was becoming the most natural thing in the world for me. I looked forward to seeing her and getting updates on her like she was mine. Baby girl fucked around and stole my heart.
“Steel and Jakobi told us how y’all snatched up the baby daddy,” Deuce noted.
I chuckled. “Made target practice out of that bitch.”
“Let me guess. Roux’s ass shot him in the dick,” Maceo said.
“You know Roux is a crazy muthafucka,” I said, nodding. “Her ass wanted to play Roulette with him.”
Jakobi shook his head. “If it wasn’t Romi, I’d say you and Roux were perfect together. Two crazy ass people.”
I waved him off. “Me and Roux would have been toxic as fuck together at this age. The city would feel the wrath when we pissed each other off.”
“That’s one chick you wouldn’t have cheated on,” Deuce said, chuckling.
I laughed. “Hell no. I need my shit, and she would be crazy enough to shoot me, then cut it off.”
Jakobi took a pull from his blunt. “Nah, what’s crazy is dumping ol’ boy on his daddy’s front lawn.”
“Fuck that nigga,” I spat. “He’s next. I’ma let him bury his son so he has a chance to pick out his plot next.”
I meant that shit. It was only a matter of time before he picked up where his son left off or found some new way to torture Romi, and I wasn’t having that shit. I’d wipe out his entire bloodline before I let her suffer anymore.
“Aye,” Jakobi said, pulling from his blunt. “On some other shit, what’s good with Renay?”
Jakobi was my aunt Denise’s son. While he dabbled in my father’s organization when needed, he was mostly in the diamond mining business with his dad, my uncle Percy. My boy was a jeweler to the stars. He designed custom pieces for some of the biggest celebrities. The nigga was paid.
I gave him a side-eye. “You trying to hit that?”
“Man, I’d wife that. Shorty bad as fuck, and she thick.”
Steel snickered. “That’s all it takes for you to wife a female?”
“I mean, of course I’d get to know her. I’m pushing thirty, nigga. One by one, y’all niggas are settling down and shit. I need me a lil’ bussit baby that’s gon’ listen. I’d trick off on her like y’all niggas do.”
We all shared a laugh. Deuce and Maceo tricked on Shar and Salima real bad and were happy as hell to do so. Maceo claimed Shar swiping his card was a turn on. My sister didn’t mind running up a bag either. It was a wonder she wasn’t pregnant long before now.
“Mr. Devin!”
Korri’s voice broke me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see her running toward me, her beads bouncing behind her. Jakobi quickly outed his blunt.
“What’s up, lil’ bit?” I asked, leaning forward on my elbows.
“You promised I could see the horses,” she said, giving me the cutest pout.
“I did, didn’t I? You ready?”
“I’m so ready!”
My brothers and cousin chuckled at her eagerness. I stood to my feet and reached for her hand.
“Let’s go tell your mama, then we can go, okay?”
“Okay.”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of her mother.
“Have fun, Big Papa!” Steel called after me.
I shot him the bird and kept walking. Romi and the girls were laughing and talking like old friends as we approached them. When they saw me, they all stopped and waited to see what I wanted.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. Lil’ Bit just reminded me about the horses, so I’m gonna take her to go see them.”
She smiled. “Okay. Have fun, Korri. And listen to Mr. Devin.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Come here,” I said to her.
She blushed as she stood and came to me. I slid an arm around her waist and pulled her into me. She giggled as I leaned in to kiss her lips. If Korri hadn’t been standing there, I would have grabbed a hand full of her ass.
“You need anything?” I asked when I pulled away.
“I’m fine. The girls are taking good care of me.”
“A’ight. Don’t let them heathens corrupt you,” I said loud enough for my sisters and cousins to hear.
They all threw me dirty looks and muttered under their breath.
I grinned. “We’ll be back.”
I cupped her chin and kissed her again before leaving her be. With Korri at my side, I led her back through the house and off to the side where the horses were in the pasture. When she saw them, she gasped and let go of my hand, running up to the fence. I didn’t stop her because all the horses loved kids. There were five of them: Midnight, Meech, Jigsaw, Champ, and Blaze.
Meech was the first one to come up to her. She giggled as he sniffed her and ruffled her beads with his nose.
“Big Meech,” I said, giving him a pat. “What up, my boy?”
He pressed his head to mine like he always did when I greeted him.
“I want you to meet somebody, Meech. This is Korri. Korri, this is Meech. You wanna see something dope, KoKo?”
She nodded.
“Give him a bow.”
She was eager to follow instructions. Meech took a step back and bowed to her in return.
She clapped her hands excitedly. “Can he do other tricks?”
“He can dance. Wanna see?”
“Yes!”
“Wait right here.”
I climbed the fence and hopped over. Going into the barn, I grabbed a saddle and a set of reigns. By the time I came out, the rest of the horses had gathered at the fence to meet Korri. They were lined up, waiting for their turn as she rubbed their heads. Walking over, I called Meech to me and prepared him so I could climb on.
“You watching?” I called to Korri.
“Yes, Mr. Devin!”
As I mounted Meech, she climbed on the fence so she could see over the top.
“Alright, Big Meech. Don’t put me on my ass in front of your new friend.”
Pulling out my phone, I put on some salsa music, the same kind my grandfather used to train them. When the rest of the horses heard it, they came over. Meech started his series of trotting with my subtle commands and cues. Korri was all smiles watching him prance around. While I was the one controlling him, she didn’t need to know that. I was perfectly fine letting her think my boy was dancing on his own.
Korri clapped and cheered once the song ended, and I hopped off Meech.
“How did you teach him that?” she asked curiously.
“Lots of practice. You wanna ride?”
“Please!”
I lifted her over the fence and placed her on the saddle. Grabbing the reins, I gave Meech the signal and then started a slow walk.
“Mr. Devin?”
“Wassup?”
“I like having you around.”
I smiled. “I like having you around, too, baby.”
“Mommy’s not so sad with you, and I got to come home. I missed being home.”
“I know you did, lil’ bit. Mommy missed having you home.”
“Are you guys gonna get married?”
I chuckled. “Slow down,” I said, looking up at her. “Me and mommy have a very special relationship. We aren’t ready to get married yet, though.”
“But do you love her?”
“I… I have love for her, and I care about her very much. I care about you and Juri too. That’s why I wanted you to meet my family.”
“If you and Mommy get married, would your family be my family?”
“They would.”
“So I’ll have three families.” She held up three fingers. “Mommy’s family, Daddy’s family, and your family. That’s a lot of people!”
“It is.”
She looked sad for a moment. “I miss having a daddy. I thought Mr. Patrick was gonna be my new daddy, but Mommy said we can’t see him anymore. I don’t remember my daddy, but Mommy and Granny Sherry said he loved me. They always tell me stories about him, and Granny Sherry has a big picture book with lots of pictures of him. Mr. Devin, do you think he misses me?”
“I know he misses you because you’re the smartest, dopest kid I’ve ever met. I know he’s proud of the young lady you are, Korri. Shoot, I’m proud of you.”
She blushed. “You are?”
“Of course I am. You see all those honor roll awards you have? How helpful you are with your mom? How polite and respectful you are? I know you’re gonna grow into someone that changes the world, lil’ bit. I get to say I knew you first.”
Her smile widened, and it made a smile spread across my face. I meant what I said. In a short time, I’d grown attached to these kids and their mother. Me . The nigga who wasn’t looking for a commitment and for damn sure not a whole ass family, but here I was, willing to be somebody’s stepdaddy if it came to it.
Wasn’t that some shit?
I was finally able to steal my lady away from my sisters and cousins for a little bit.
Actually, I interrupted their conversation and scooped her up, carrying her off to a quiet area. Currently, she was sitting on my lap, asking me questions about my family. I’d fully explained my father’s organization to her, because some of the rumors about my family were insane. Now, I’d never been loose lipped with our business, but I felt like I could trust her, and she could trust me. Shit, I’d already killed four people on her behalf and was gearing up for number five.
“So your aunt Denise married a man in the diamond mining business, and your aunt April married a doctor?”
“Right.”
“Are either of them part of your father’s organization?”
“Nah. They live regular lives. Aunt April is a doctor too. Aunt Denise is a housewife. Their kids straddle the fence between Pops and Uncle Blake when need be.”
“I have a question.”
I chuckled. “You have a lot of questions, but I got answers. Shoot.”
“Your father and uncle… how do they coexist with being on different sides of right and wrong?”
“My pops was on the same side as my uncle at one point. Some shit went down, and he decided he couldn’t be a part of that life anymore. He wanted to focus on helping those who can’t help themselves. I guess to answer your question, they don’t preach to each other about what they do. Uncle Blake is always down to help out if we need him. My siblings and I just don’t cross over to that side of family business. The only illegal substance you’ll catch us with is weed.”
“Weed a plant, not a drug.”
I grinned as I looked at her. “You smoke? Get the fuck outta here! I can’t see your innocent looking ass getting high.”
Then again, I didn’t know she sucked dick like a porn star either.
“I’m not as innocent as you think I am, Devin. I’ve lived a little. Me and Renay?—”
“Say less. I know that heathen is the life of the party.”
Romi mushed my head. “Not too much on my sister.”
“Nah, look at her and Shar.”
I pointed them out as they twerked on each other to “Say I Yi Yi” by Ying Yang Twins. Maceo stood off to the side, shaking his head at his pregnant wife. I had to laugh because he knew who he married.
Romi laughed. “I can see her and Shar becoming the best of friends.”
“She’s already adopted her into the fold, I promise you that. My cousin Jakobi wants to holla at your sister.”
“Really!”
“Yeah, man. Talking about he would wife her and shit.”
“Well, what’s he like?”
“Kobi is a real chill nigga. He doesn’t do too much. He’s laid-back until you make him have to sit up and lean forward, if you know what I mean.”
“I don’t know… Renay is… extra as hell. She needs somebody to match her energy.”
“I don’t think that is always the case. I mean, look at me and you. We’re different in most ways, but I fuck with you. You bring out something different in me, Ro.”
She smiled. “Like what?”
“Being gentle and shit. I’m an aggressive nigga by nature. You have me cuddling and doing all this cutesy shit. I let you give me a facial the other day, woman. You went in the kitchen and whipped up that crack. My skin ain’t ever felt so smooth.”
She laughed. “You see why your brother comes to me? I know what I’m doing. I don’t play about skin care.”
“You should bottle that shit up and sell it.”
“I actually want to. I’ve been thinking about it for years now. I just have to get my money up?—”
I stone faced her ’cause who the fuck was she playing with?
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
“Romi.”
“Devin.”
“Do you need an investor?”
“What? No. I wouldn’t ask you to do that?—”
“I didn’t hear you ask me for shit. Now answer the question.”
“Devin. No. You’ve done more than enough for me already. I don’t want your money. I’m not gonna let you do that.”
“You wanna know something, baby?” I asked, cupping her chin. “Jaeda is a hacker. I mean, she can hack anything. It would be nothing to have her get your account information and wire you the funds.”
“You wouldn’t dare invade my privacy like that.”
“But I would. I’m your man, right?”
“Yes, but?—”
“If I’m your man, why wouldn’t I invest in your future? Why wouldn’t I make sure you and our girls are straight? And I don’t wanna hear shit about those ain’t my kids from you or anybody else. Those are my babies, point, blank, and the fucking period.”
She looked at me with tears in her eyes. “Why are you like this? You’re making it hard not to fall for you, Devin.”
I chuckled as I caressed her face. “Baby, you’re stuck with me. Know that shit.”
She palmed my cheek and leaned in to kiss me. Her lips parted, welcoming my tongue into the warmness of her mouth. My hand slid down her back to grip her ass. I gave it a hard slap, producing a moan from her.
I chuckled against her lips. “You moan like that for me, and you think you going somewhere? Don’t worry. Once you fully heal, I’ma show you something. While I’m stealing your heart, I’m gonna brand my name all over this pussy. She won’t act right, even for you, when I’m not around.”
She bit her lip as she looked at me, almost like she was daring me to prove a point. Our stare off continued until Renay came over and pulled her from my lap.
“You’ve hogged my sister long enough, sir. I want to dance with her.”
I grinned as I shook my head. “Go on. Have fun.”
Romi smiled softly as she leaned in and kissed me again. “I’ll be back.”
I nodded as she backed away. My eyes stayed trained on her until a little voice caused my gaze to shift.
“Mr. Devin,” Korri said, grinning at me. She was standing with her hands behind her back, twisting from side to side.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Come play tag with us.” She pointed to my little cousins.
“You can’t see me in tag, baby,” I said, standing. “I played football. You think you can outrun me?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she tapped my arm and ran off with my little cousins following suit. I gave them a head start as I came out of my shoes and socks. I guess I had to teach them a lesson.