1. Blake
Eight Years Later
Luxury Nesting, Perfected . . .
The day that I woke up in the hospital and found out that my son was dead was the worst day of my life.
That day haunted me more than I’d like to admit.
A part of me didn’t believe the doctor when he told me.
I wanted to believe that my son, Travis Marlin Collins, was tucked away in the nursery, waiting for me to heal.
That wasn’t the case, though. Cory, the man that I loved, killed our fucking son. I couldn’t understand for the life of me why he took it to that extreme. Okay, he didn’t want to be a father. There were a lot of men who made that decision. The sensible bitches walked away.
On top of the loss of my son, I had to deal with the betrayal of my best friend.
It was compound pain all around. I loved Shana, and I couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t have told me that my man wanted her.
I knew that her man, Tron, wasn’t shit. I’d cussed him out a number of times because of the way he treated her.
Every time I told her to leave him, she wouldn’t.
The demon you know is safer than the demon you don’t.
I woke up three days after Shana confessed and Cory was confronted. That night, the plan was to kill him, but my father changed his mind. He wanted Cory to face me before he died.
For three weeks, Cory was held hostage at a warehouse that was run by Derrick’s crew. My mother wanted me to physically feel better before I saw Cory. I was happy that she made that suggestion. Had she not, I wouldn’t have been able to beat his ass the way I wanted to.
My son died at his father’s hands. Cory died at the hands of his son’s mother. Four bullets were his end. One to each hand, the heart, and the head. I felt like all of those parts of him violated my son and me.
That was the first of many bodies that would die by my hands. Those unfortunate events turned me into the person I was today. I was a complex woman who had a heart of stone toward much in life.
“Oh my God, Blakeney! This is gorgeous. Look what you did!” My client Kaycee’s high-pitched voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I hated it when I drifted into a semi-dark place in the middle of a client’s baby room reveal.
While she was in one of the brightest places of her life that I helped her experience, I was ready to leave.
This was my job, though. It was my business.
Contrary to my current feelings, it was my passion.
I gave her a warm smile. “Kaycee, all I did was bring your dream to reality. This is all you.”
Kaycee’s tears streamed down her face while her smile brightened up her daughter’s room. She was due in six weeks. Her husband, Grant, hired me a week after they found out that she was pregnant. He wanted her pregnancy to be stress-free.
That was the sole purpose of my business, Blakeney Collins Baby Concierge.
My business started when I was pregnant with my son, Travis, as Tiny Tots Curator.
After his death, I used the business to cope with his death.
I thought it would help me heal. Eight years later, the pain was still almost unbearable.
When I worked with and for my clients, it was the moments in the day that I felt a piece of happiness.
I loved babies and children so much. At thirty-two, I still desired to be a mother.
More and more, that seemed to be unlikely because these niggas out here were weird as fuck.
They were out here with OnlyFans pages when all they needed to do was look in a mirror to see a pussy.
If I wanted pussy, I would go get it. Until it was fit, if it was fit, I would enjoy my role as an auntie to my team and friends’ kids.
Kaycee lightly tapped my shoulder. “Blakeney, I could have never done this in my wildest dreams. Hell, this is my wildest dream. When Grant first told me that he hired you, I looked up your business. It was all so nice. Then I saw a photo of you.” Here comes the backward compliment.
Her hands left her huge belly to hang in the air.
She offered a high-key giggle. “Please don’t be offended.
I would never think that a woman that looked like you could do this.
Don’t get me wrong . . . You are gorgeous.
It’s just the facial and neck tattoos that threw me off. I’m so happy that I trusted my husband.
“I couldn’t believe him when he told me that Chelsa Warren was one of your clients. We are members of the same social club. I asked her about you, and she told me to look past your appearance because you were lovely.”
Her smile was big then dropped when she realized mine was nonexistent. Upper echelon, white women felt comfortable in their privilege to say whatever they wanted to say to anyone. I was used to it, but that didn’t mean I would laugh with their asses.
My appearance in this industry surprised many people.
What surprised them more was my client list. When I first started my business, my clients were the people around me.
Eventually, through social media and referrals, I was one of the top in the industry.
I had brand deals with baby product companies.
Blakeney Collins was a name you could trust in the baby industry.
If only they knew that this expertise came from pain and loss.
“I’m very happy that Grant trusted my talent as well. It’s my job and honor to take these things off your plate. All I want you to focus on is bringing your daughter into the world healthy.” My tone was soft and sincere, but my face said bitch, fuck you. There was a thin line with my clients.
I was a heavily tattooed woman with a full rose vine that started on my chest and stemmed all the way up my neck to the side of my face. My tattoos covered hurt and scars. My roses were beautiful.
Kaycee gave me a closed mouth smile. “Well, thank you, Blakeney. I’ve given your name to so many people, so I know you’re going to get some calls.”
The vibration of my phone in my left slack pocket saved me from a longer conversation. Had it been the phone in my right pocket, I would have continued for a few moments longer. That was just my Blakeney Co. business line. The other phone, however, was a different kind of business.
I pulled the phone out of my pocket and glanced at the screen before I offered my focus back to Kaycee. “I appreciate every referral and client. Thank you so much. I’m going to see myself out and allow you to enjoy your daughter’s new peaceful space.”
My feet moved before her mouth could respond.
Kaycee and her husband had a beautiful home on the north side of Charlotte.
She was a housewife, while Grant worked in finance.
He was a very nice man, but something told me that he wouldn’t be as attentive to his wife and daughter as Kaycee thought he would be.
In the same breath that he told me he wanted his wife to have a stress-free pregnancy, he also said that he didn’t want to be bothered with her. That was between him and me, though.
Once I was out of the room into the hallway, I answered.
Stitch allowed me a moment to get into my car.
If he called me during an appointment with a client, I knew it had to be important.
My business calendar was synced to his business calendar.
He owned a popular jewelry store. His store supplied the custom bangle bracelets that every client received from me as a gift when they used my services.
It took a few seconds after I started my car for the call to transfer to it. My car pulled out of Kaycee and Grant’s driveway before I spoke. “What’s going on?”
“My bad to call you at work. You know I wouldn’t do that shit if it wasn’t important.” Anger sat in his tone. This was about to be some bullshit.
My spirit adjusted for whatever this man was about to tell me. “I know, Stitch. What’s going on?”
“Man, we found Toyala. I know you said that you wanted me to call you when we found her. How you want to play it?”
I looked at my dash where his voice came from. He knew how I wanted to play it, so I wasn’t sure why he was asking that stupid ass question. “You know how I want to handle this shit. Send me the location and get off my line.”
The Devil is in the Details . . .
Toyala was slick as fuck. She was this little stripper and bagger turned dope head.
Shit really changed the game for her when she decided to put that shit up her nose the first time.
She went from the bitch that everyone wanted to the bitch that everyone wanted to get away from. The shit was sad as fuck.
When Stitch sent me the location, I was on my way. There was no time to stop at home to change or any of that shit. I usually kept extra clothes in my car. I recently had it detailed and forgot to put my go-bag back in. This bitch would have to see me in all my fine-ass glory.
The spot that they had her at was in Monroe, which further annoyed the hell out of me. It was out of my damn way. After a longer ride than I wanted to take, I arrived with all of my aggravation on my shoulders. From the cars outside of the building, I knew that Stitch, Seneca, and Jeff were there.
The door beeped after the code was put in to let me in.
The men sat on the couch in the living room while Toyala sat tied to one of the chairs in the dining room.
“I know like hell this bitch ain’t nodded off in here.
Where the hell did y’all find her thieving ass at?
” I asked after the front door closed behind me.
Seneca shook his head. “Damn! No hello? How is everyone doing on this glorious day that the Lord hath made?”
My eyes tightened as I looked at him. “Y’all are alive, have money in the bank, and pussy on your dicks.
I’m sure y’all are doing A-OK. If you’re having deep issues, seek a therapist or the Lord.
If it’s something that we can smoke, watch a movie, or drink our way through, then call me. Now, is this bitch nodded off?”