Chapter 7
The Texas sun was trying to cook people like rotisserie birds. My AC was tapping out, blowing lukewarm air, but I made it to Little Legends Day Academy just in time to pick up my mini-me.
EJ’s backpack that I forgot earlier in the morning sat in the passenger seat with his little Black Panther lunchbox peeking out the top, and the leftover scent of Fruity Pebbles still clinging to his booster seat.
Miss Rhonda hit me with that usual tight smile like, “Yo’ son got jokes, but you fine, so I’m letting it slide.”
“Daddyyyyy!” EJ came sprinting full speed, shoelaces untied, and fruit snack residue all over his lips like he had been living his best kindergarten life.
I scooped him up mid-air and spun him once. “What up, lil’ man? You been good?”
“I ain’t even fight nobody today,” he said proudly. “Only a little push. But he was cheating in Uno.”
I kissed the top of his head and tried not to laugh too loud. “We’ll unpack that later.”
As I turned to head back to the truck, I spotted her.
Jonay.
She walked across the lot like a major plot twist. Her soft yellow sundress flowed in the breeze, and her skin was moisturized like a paid sponsor for Skin + Noir. She carried a lunch bag as if she were dropping off peace masquerading as a home-cooked meal.
“I brought y’all lunch as promised, cuties,” she said with a quiet smile that always made me want to kiss the corner of her mouth first.
Before I had the chance to tell my baby thanks, chaos erupted. The energy shifted, and that old fuckboy frequency slithered into the parking lot.
This clown Kam had on a beat-up graphic tee that said “Hustle or Starve” but was looking like he chose both.
His slides were dragging, breath probably smelling like Hennessy, and feelings hurt.
I will have to punish her with this dick later because there was no way my lady ever let this lame breathe on her, let alone get close enough to claim her fine ass.
He was walking toward us like he had a point to prove but couldn’t spell it.
I gently lifted EJ into my arms and handed him to Jonay, then cautiously guided my baby behind me because I didn’t know what type of time this bitch ass nigga was on.
“Ohhh, so this what we on now?” Kam barked. “You really out here playing step mama to this bitch-ass nigga son? But when I wanted a baby, you clutched your uterus like it was the last designer bag in stock. That’s why I cheated on yo’ dumb ass.”
I felt Jonay flinch. I saw EJ frown, confused. And I swore, the sun dimmed for a second.
I stepped up. “Watch your mouth, Kam.”
Kam zeroed in on me, laughed, and spat his venom. “What you gon’ do, Detective Edmonds? Write me a ticket? Arrest me for exposing the truth?”
“Nah, but I will make your jaw touch your spine if you disrespect her again.”
“Yo!” Kam barked, stepping in front of Jonay and pointing at me. “You couldn’t keep your bitch safe, so now you tryna take mine?”
I blinked… Reminding myself I was a public servant and couldn’t punch this nigga dead in his shit without repercussions. I let the words process. I let the rage marinate, trying to stay calm.
Jonay grabbed my forearm. “Elias. Please.”
Before I could respond, a teacher was already calling 9-1-1 from the front desk. Another ran to grab the director.
“Nah, I’m good,” I replied. Calm. Cold. Controlled. For now.
“My wife was murdered,” I said, my voice so low it sounded like gravel. “You gon’ wanna watch your mouth before it gets you fucked up.”
He smirked. “Oh, you mad now? You feeling something, piggy? You gon’ pull a gun like the rest of y’all coward ass badge boys?”
Then this goofy, dusty, pressed motherfucker did the unthinkable.
He mushed me, full palm to the forehead like I was a toddler needing correction, like my nigga Roland’s drunk ass did to Slim in The Wood. Then this clown went around me and grabbed my baby’s arm. I heard her scream.
That was it. I saw red. I blacked the fuck out. I hit him with a right hook so hard the air cracked. His jaw folded like a lawn chair in a windstorm. He hit the concrete with a thud that made Miss Rhonda scream, “Oh my lordt!”
Jonay screamed. EJ looked like he was watching an episode of Power live. “Did Daddy knock that man’s teefs out!”
Jonay stepped in front of me, chest heaving, eyes wide. “Elias, stop! Baby, please, not here!”
She was crying, panicked, holding EJ close like a mama lion, still trying to protect me while I was protecting her.
My heart was thumping like a war drum.
Kam rolled on the ground, bleeding out the corner of his mouth, talking about, “I’ma sue yo’ ass!” like he wasn’t the one who came on demon time and started all this shit.
Jonay turned to me, voice trembling and rambling. “I-I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I ain’t know he was gon’ pop up like this. Is he following me? I never wanted this kinda drama around you and your son. You don’t deserve this.”
I grabbed her chin gently and made her look at me. “Deputy Gorgeous, don’t say no dumb shit like that again.”
She blinked. “W-What?”
Just then, the cavalry pulled up. The first unit to pull up was my bro Chambers.
He hopped out of his cruiser laughing like this was a damn skit.
“Yo, I knew this had E Dub’s energy all over it.
I was down the block when dispatch said, ‘Fight at Little Legends.’ Said to myself, ‘My bro done finally crashed out over a woman worth protecting.’”
“Oh, shit,” he said, taking in Kam, who was laid out on the ground like a deflated blow-up doll. “E Dub, you got three modes: protect, provide, and throw hands like you back in the hood.”
He looked at Kam, who was still moaning. “Damn. What’d he do?”
Jonay looked at me. I looked at Chambers.
“Enough to make Jesus swing. Check the cameras,” I muttered.
Chambers nodded. “Cool. I’ll grab the daycare footage. This gon’ say ‘self-defense’ and ‘ass whupped with purpose.’ Internal Affairs ain’t touching it, but you know the drill. Gotta call it in, bro. You’ll be straight, though.”
I nodded, already knowing the drill.
Chambers pulled out his phone, already on the call with Internal Affairs.
“Yeah, this is Detective Chambers, Badge #2757. I got visual confirmation, as well as a witness that the offender, Kameron Sweets, swung first. Detective Edmonds neutralized the threat, using proper protocol and minimum force. Excuse the language, but this offender is a fucking menace.”
Chambers turned to the arriving internal affairs unit and laid it out when they arrived on scene.
“Elias was picking up his son. This man, who doesn’t have a restraining order yet, followed a detention deputy to a day care, made verbal threats, escalated, then initiated physical contact with the deputy and peace officer.
Detective Edmonds responded with minimum force. ”
Once the IA walked off, he turned toward me and winked at Jonay. “Textbook. Ya man is straight. No worries, sis. I see he still has that right hook from the block, huh?”
“That was my left I used then, but I always been ambidextrous when it came to beating somebody’s ass.”
Kam tried to explain, sputtering, blood spilling from his mouth.
Chambers raised a hand. “Shut yo’ dramatic-ass mouth. You entered a secured childcare facility without clearance, harassed a deputy, assaulted a peace officer, and got molly-whopped in the process. Sounds like a self-inflicted L to me, my guy.”
Our superior supervisor, Lieutenant Scott, pulled up afterward, and Chambers laid it out smoothly for her.
“Miss Rhonda, can you confirm the suspect escalated first?” Chambers asked.
“On God. He put hands on her and was screaming like a child. It’s all on this here camera,” she said and pointed to the live recording cameras in the facility.
Chambers nodded. “Good. My boy here acted in direct defense of a civilian and his child.”
IA and Lt. Scott turned to me.
“Elias, you got anything to add before we hold our formal hearing… It’s a formality,” she said for Jonay’s benefit as she glanced toward Jonay’s worried eyes.
I cracked my neck, nodding once. “Nah. I’ll let the evidence speak, LT. I appreciate you, ma’am.”
Kam was still holding his mouth, whimpering.
Jonay was shaking as she hugged EJ closely, but her eyes kept darting toward me. I knew that look: guilt. Shame and fear that her chaos would chase me away.
“Come here, baby,” I said lowly.
She stepped closer, still clutching EJ. I took him from her arms, kissed him on his head, and handed him to Ms. Rhonda before I pulled Jonay in close.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know he’d follow me here. I didn’t know he was capable of acting this crazy. I don’t know who he is anymore. I feel like all this drama gon’ scare you away…”
“First of all, you apologizing like you the problem. You ain’t bring no drama. He did. Ain’t nobody mad at you, Jonay. You hear me?”
“But—But what if—”
“Nah. Don’t ‘what if’ me, baby. Look at me.”
She did, hesitant, broken, but holding it together the best she could.
“I signed up for you. That includes your history, your trauma, your healing, and your crazy-ass ex. I ain’t scared of none of it.”
“But EJ—”
“My son loves you. He talks about you like you hung the moon. You think I’m walking away now? You got me fucked up, ma, respectfully.”
She smiled through her tears.
I kissed her forehead and whispered, “I got you. Ain’t no drama that’s gon’ make me forget why I wanted you in the first place.
You think I’d dip on you ’cause some punk-ass ex done lost his mind?
I’m not them other niggas you’ve known. I ain’t going nowhere.
You’re mine, Jonay. You hear me? You. Are.
Mine. That boy in there already loves you.
Let me worry about my badge, and whatever else you might be tripping on, aight? ”
Her eyes filled up, and I continued because she needed to get some shit understood real fucking fast.