Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
AHKEEM
There was yellow tape all around my baby’s club, and it was shut down until further notice.
The Feds wasn’t letting up since we dropped mad bodies that night and there was no explanation for it ‘cause none of us were cooperating with the Feds and Kaymen got rid of the footage. My wife had been down since the night of the white party. Shit was going great until it wasn’t.
Silas was like a fucking chihuahua that kept biting at my fucking ankles.
I was sick of this nigga, and I was ready to put him down once and for fucking all.
Sunday rolled around, and despite the shit we endured the previous night at the white party, Priest and Britain were still hosting dinner.
Priest and the guys really held it down for me last night.
I knew they were businessmen now and no longer wanted to be involved in the streets, but when push came to shove, they were knocking niggas’ heads off.
We were in the car, enduring the lengthy drive to Staten Island. Typically, my wife would’ve been yapping a mile a minute about various things, jumping from topic to topic, but today she was really quiet. I reached over and squeezed her thigh, garnering her attention.
“You alright?”
She nodded while tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “Yeah. I’m good.”
I glanced into the rearview mirror, ensuring that Saphir was occupied with his iPad and headphones. My son was sharp and nosy as hell, so certain conversations couldn’t be had around him.
“You lying to me now?”
“Ahkeem, I just have a lot on my mind right now.”
“Lay it out to me, Lovey. I thought we were in this shit together.”
She toyed with her wedding ring on her finger.
After being with her for as long as I had, I learned that my baby wasn’t much of a talker.
She liked to keep shit bottled up until she figured it out or exploded.
She never asked for anything twice, nor did she complain about getting things done.
I knew the club was weighing heavy on her mind.
Club Reign was her baby. She built it from the ground up to where it was now, and Silas’ bitch ass fucked it up for her by sending some niggas to shoot up her party.
She started to speak before opting against it and angling herself so she could look out the window at the passing scenery.
“It ain’t your problem to deal with,” she mumbled.
She spent all night assuring me that she wasn’t upset that my drama popped off at her club and was now costing her business, but now that the adrenaline had worn off, I couldn’t help but think she was a little mad.
I couldn’t blame her, though. When shit went left, there was always someone to blame.
In this case, all this shit landed on me.
“You’re my wife, Lovey. Your problems are my problems. Ain’t shit I can’t handle when it comes to you.”
“Eleven bodies, Ahkeem… eleven fucking bodies!” she gritted out while whipping around to face me again. I could see the frustration all over her face. “How the fuck are you gonna handle that? Huh? There ain’t enough damage control in the world that’ll get the club opened back up.”
“I’m sorry, Lovey.”
“Just stop… stop apologizing. I don’t need an apology. I know it’s not your fault, and you didn’t intentionally have him come target my club. I just need some time to figure out what I have to do for me.”
The hostility in her tone let me know it would be best to back off the conversation until she got in a better headspace. She was upset, lost, and hurt. Now wasn’t the time to assume she would give me a rational response to anything I said.
The rest of the ride was quiet. When we arrived, I got both her and Saphir out the car.
“Daddy, when will your arm get better?” my son asked as he eyed the bandages Brixton patched me up with.
“We getting there. I’m getting a little old, so I take a little while longer to heal,” I laughed off. He had questions about it, but I maneuvered around him like I was in The Matrix.
We were greeted by Britain and her belly when she answered the door. She was really chilling. She had her hair pulled up, sweats on, and her shirt rolled up so everyone could see her oiled-up stomach.
“Look at you!” Jazzlyn’s hands went straight to her belly. “You wasn’t playing about not doing anything today.”
Britain sent a message in our family group chat that she would not be cooking dinner today and dinner would be catered by her and Priest’s old chef, Talia. She catered each and every one of the parties we threw, so I wasn’t concerned about the food at all. We were guaranteed to eat good.
“This little girl is giving me a run for my money. She just kicks me all day,” she complained while stepping aside to let us in.
“‘Cause you always blaming stuff on her. Ain’t no reason you hitting my wife phone at three AM to plan an ice cream date ‘cause you claim that’s what the baby is craving.”
“That was one time!” She smacked her lips before opening her arms up to hug me. “You alright, Keemy? Brix took care of you?”
“This ain’t nothing I can’t shake back from. This just a little graze. Brix solid. Funny as fuck too.”
She rolled her eyes with a laugh. “Yeah, that boy will never grow up, even as a surgeon.”
“Auntie Brit, where’s Genesis?” Saphir cut right into our conversation while his eyes scanned around for his homeboy. He and Genesis were as thick as thieves. Whenever the two were together, they were always getting into some shit.
“Well, hey to you too, Blue.” She hugged him. “I just started that Spongebob movie in the theater for him and J’Ream. Run before you miss something!”
He didn’t waste no time sprinting off toward the theater. He had done enough sleepovers to know where every room in the house was.
“If yo husband yell at my son for running in his house, we gone have some problems,” Jazzlyn teased her, and she waved her right off with a laugh.
My wife and I made our rounds, greeting everyone. This Sunday, we had the usual people show up: J’Ru, Aja, Kaymen and Jadey, and we also had Cyro, Mirsad, Remy, and Tasha. It was a family affair. I was hoping being around everyone would cheer my wife up.
“The fuck happened to your arm, son?” Remy asked as soon as I came through the sliding door that led to the backyard. He had a blunt between his lips as he shot me a crazed look.
“What you think? That nigga got popped,” J’Ru cackled obnoxiously.
I cut my eyes in his direction before taking a seat across from Remy. “It’s a fucking graze. This nigga said he was gonna cover me.” I pointed my thumb in Priest’s direction.
“Nigga, I did cover you. Yo ass need to learn not to move in slow motion.”
I stuck my middle finger up at Priest before glancing off in the direction of the cabanas in the backyard near the pool. The ladies were enjoying the cool weather with glasses of wine and mocktails for the two pregnant ladies.
I peeped Jazzy was a little withdrawn, undoubtedly in her own head about what was happening with the club. “You must be in the doghouse?”
I let out a heavy breath, prompting all the men to laugh. “She doing that shit where she telling me she ain’t mad at me, but her actions say otherwise.”
“See that’s why I can’t get married.” Mirsad shook his head.
Priest smacked him upside the head. “Fuck up. Grown men talking.”
Our laughter intensified at the mean mug that Mirsad shot him.
Priest glanced in his sister’s direction, noticing the downcast look on her face.
“She ain’t mad at you. She just used to solving her problems with the snap of a finger.
You can blame me for that. This ain’t one of them problems that can just go away overnight or if we throw some paper at it.
Her club may be gone forever. Once she accepts that and moves on, she’ll be alright. ”
He knew his sister better than anybody, so he was speaking facts. I pulled at the hairs of my goatee while leaning back in my seat. “I can’t let them shut down my baby’s club. She eat, breathe, sleep Club Reign.”
Kaymen shrugged his shoulders. “Figure it out then.”
“Maybe if I do, she will finally give me my little one,” I chuckled.
I knew I told her I would lay up and give her time, but truth was a nigga was eager to be fruitful and multiply with her.
It didn’t make it no better that everyone around us was welcoming babies left and right.
Hell… Kaymen had twins on the way! In a perfect world, I was gonna get her her club back, and she would give me my baby.
Priest reached over and squeezed my shoulder. “Good luck with that, my boy.”
I excused myself from the guys and made my way toward the ladies. “What you giggling about?” I asked them, interrupting their laughter.
“Told you he was gonna come over here. His ass couldn’t keep his eyes off you for a second.” Jadey nudged Jazzlyn.
“Oh, y’all were talking smack ‘bout me?”
“Mhm,” they all hummed except my wife. She was back to looking distant, gazing at the blue waters of the pool.
“It’s so cute. You’re so in love, Keemy,” Britain gushed.
Her with these damn nicknames. She had one for everyone. Just last week, she was calling J’Ru Ruru and Kaymen Kay-Kay. I was clowning them a little too much and ended up getting one myself. The shit was corny as fuck.
“Here you go with all that soft shit, sis.” I shook my head with a chuckle. I averted my attention over to Jazzlyn and extended my hand to her. “Let me holla at you real quick.”
“Ahk, it can’t wait?”
“No. Now c’mon.” She saw the look in my eye and set her hand into mine.
“Oop! I know that’s right, Keemy,” Brit continued to egg me on as she rubbed her belly.
“Drink your mocktail and shut up, Brit,” Jazzlyn said over her shoulder while I was leading her back inside.
I took the first right down the hall, pulling her into a bathroom before locking the door behind us. “What’s up with you?”
An exasperated huff of air fled out of her as she rolled her eyes. “I told you I was fine. Stop pressing the issue.”
“You out there with a frown on your face… matter of fact, turn around,” I ordered her.
She shot me this crazed look as if I was talking gibberish. “Ahk?”
I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. “Turn around, Jazzlyn.”
My kisses trailed down to her jawline, and as soon as I hit her soft spot, a light moan aired out of her.
She folded and turned around so she was facing the mirror before us.
She had on this knitted dress that was perfect for the nice weather outside.
I lifted it up as she bent over the sink, exposing her ass in the thong she was wearing.
Anticipation flashed her eyes as I slid her panties down. I dropped my shorts and briefs, and my dick stood up. I slid into her from behind, her tightness and warmth the perfect remedy for the pain in my arm.
She gripped the sides of the sink as my strokes quickened. “You lying to me now?”
“N- no,” she stammered before she was cut off by another moan. The way her ass was recoiling against me had me ready to bust within seconds, but I held it in.
“So, cheer the fuck up then,” I grunted as my hands gripped some of her hair. I pulled it slightly, causing a hazy look to gloss over her eyes. She loved that shit, and from the way her mouth was hanging open, I was giving her exactly what she needed. “You hear me?”
“Yes… I hear you. Shit, I feel you too.” She threw her ass back on me.
We locked eyes in the mirror, and she lost it.
Her moans grew louder as she reached behind her in an attempt to push me back so she could gain some leverage.
With my free hand, I pushed her hand away and continued knocking her pussy out the frame.
She was so damn wet that we could hear it.
Her pussy sounded like that good ole mac and cheese Talia was making for us to grub on for dinner.
Dick wasn’t going to fix her problems; however, it was a quick stress reliever, and my baby needed it.
My hand went from her hair then wrapped around her neck. “Daddy said he’ll handle the club. When I tell you something, that’s what the fuck I mean, Lovey.”
“Shit… Daddy, I’m about to c-cum.” Her eyes clenched shut.
I tapped the side of her face, signaling her to open her eyes so we could maintain eye contact through the mirror. “You trust Daddy?”
Unable to get her words out, she nodded her head as tears brimmed her eyes. The pressure was building in the pit of her stomach and was due to bubble over at any second. I knew the look in her eye whenever she got antsy and was ready to cum for me. It was my favorite look.
“Let me fucking hear you say it,” I demanded through clenched teeth with my lips next to her ear.
Her hips bucked as she tossed her head back. “I trust you!” She came all over my dick, and I followed up and filled her up with my nut.
“I don’t wanna see that frown on your face no more.” I caressed her chin after we cleaned up.
She couldn’t contain the little smile that pulled onto her lips as she nodded. Together, we exited the bathroom, and I sent a smack to her ass as she led the way back to the backyard. Her spirit was lighter. I had given her my word. Now I had to figure some shit out.