Chapter 18
I ’d been smiling like hell for five days now.
That night in Jaeda’s basement lived rent free in my head.
I woke up thinking about it. I thought about it during the day.
I went to sleep thinking about it. The shit was the product of my dreams. The way she wore that outfit paired with the way she rode my dick that night was an all-star performance.
That “Kitana wins” line almost took me out.
We fell into a fit of laughter after that.
Baby deserved her flowers, and I’d been sending them to her house daily since then.
I looked at the clock and saw it was about time for her to call me.
Every day after her delivery, she called me like clockwork.
Just as I looked up from my timepiece, my phone rang.
I smiled as her picture flashed across the screen.
“Hey, love.”
“Quaid, . . . you’re gonna have my house looking like a florist shop if you keep this up,” she said, amusement in her voice. “Thank you, baby.”
“You’re welcome. How’s your day going?”
“Good. We don’t have a case right now, so I’ve just been enjoying a me day. I’m about to go make my rounds to see these babies, though. I have to get my auntie time in with them.”
“I’m sure you’re a great auntie. That’s the downside of being an only child. I don’t get that uncle love.”
“I’m more than happy to share mine with you if you stick around long enough.”
“What have I told you?”
She giggled. “That you’re not going anywhere. I know, and I remember.”
“Good.”
“We do have to introduce you to the kids. They were all with their grandparents last week, but I promise they are a trip.”
“Are your brothers anything like your father as dads?”
She laughed loudly. “They are suckers. Those kids get anything they want out of them. Spoiled isn’t the word.”
“So you aren’t spoiled?”
“Not at all!”
“Baby, . . . at your big age, your father took you to the toy store and spent several hundred dollars on Legos.”
“It wasn’t just the toy store! We went to Best Buy too.”
“That doesn’t make it any better, love. You’re spoiled just as much as you’re protected.”
“In my defense, I was the only girl for a long time. It was my birthright.”
I chuckled. “I guess I have to get on board with spoiling you too, huh?”
“All I want from you is your time.”
“So no dick?”
“And time with your dick, . . . your fingers, . . . that mouth.”
“The freak in you is making more frequent appearances.”
“You shouldn’t have fucked me like that. Now I think about it all the time.”
“Do you now?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“What do you do when you think about it?”
“Well,” she said seductively, “sometimes I t—Daddy! Oh my God!”
“Am I interrupting something?” I heard her father ask as a door closed.
“Kinda, yeah!”
“That Quaid?”
“It is. What do you want, old man?”
“First of all, I’m not old. I’m seasoned. Second, I just came by to see if you wanted to have lunch.”
“Daddy, you must be bored.”
“Bored as a muthafucka. I’m not in the field. I don’t have a woman. Your sister went to visit her grandparents, and I’ve seen your brothers every day this week. I need a break from them niggas.”
I chuckled lightly into the phone. “Go hang with your pops, baby. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay. Thank you again for the flowers. I love them.”
“It’s no problem. Take care.”
“You too.”
“Bye, smart mouth ass lil nigga,” her father said.
“Daddy, leave my man alone.”
He laughed. “I’m just fucking with him. He’s all right.”
I smirked. “Tell him I said hey and bye.”
“I will. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, baby.”
We disconnected the call, and I settled back into my workload.
Talking to her seemed to give me a boost of energy.
I breezed through three of the five contracts I had to do today.
By the time I was done with the third one, my stomach was growling.
I decided to go out and pick up something from the diner around the corner.
After locking my computer, I grabbed my wallet and keys and headed for the door.
When I opened it, I was surprised to find my mother on the other side, preparing to knock.
This was only because she had barely spoken to me since I broke the news to her about who Jaeda was and my involvement in Titan’s business.
Even though she wasn’t speaking to me, I called as I always did, to check up on her and my father.
Even he was a little short with me, but he still answered the phone.
I hated things took a turn like this, but I could understand it.
They were upset, and they had every right to be.
I was their only child, and I was knowingly putting myself in danger.
If something happened, they could never get another me.
“Ma?”
“Quaid.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I think we need to have a conversation.”
“I agree. I was about to go grab some lunch from the diner. Would you like to join me?”
“I could eat.”
She stepped back and allowed me to leave the apartment.
Silently, we walked down the hall to the elevator.
The ride down was just as quiet and so was the walk to the diner.
Once we were seated, we ordered our drinks and food.
She remained quiet until after the drinks were delivered.
I watched her take a long sip of her water, wondering if she was going to say something or if I had to make the first move.
Just as I put my glass on my lips, she spoke.
“I want to apologize for giving you the silent treatment lately. It was petty, and I was wrong. If something ever happened to you and we weren’t on speaking terms, I would never forgive myself. So I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you, Ma.”
She offered me a warm smile, but I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that this was over. She had something, or several things to say, so we might as well have it out now.
“What made you come see me?” I repeated.
She cleared her throat and sat up straight.
“I just . . . I want to understand why you would take on working with Titan. I love that boy, I really do. But I don’t like what he does, Quaid. He has no right to play God.”
I sighed. “A few weeks ago, I had a client.
He seemed like a normal guy until I got into his computer.
You know what I found, Ma? Child pornography.
He was selling it. That made me sick to my stomach.
There are people out here hurting literal children for their own sick pleasure.
They take women and force them into prostitution.
There are so many dark and twisted things going on that we know nothing about, Ma. The dark web is a whole other world.
“I know you don’t like it and don’t understand, no matter the cause, but somebody has to help those that can’t help themselves.
I’ve been there. There were so many times growing up where I’ve felt helpless and alone.
Titan saved me from a lifetime of being bullied.
He taught me not to be weak and let people run all over me.
“I’m not saying I feel like I owe him, but that’s my brother. He puts his life on the line to save people, and if I can help keep him safe in the process, I will.”
She stared at me silently for a moment, her eyes searching mine. I wasn’t sure if she would ever accept or understand this, but it wouldn’t change if she didn’t.
“Okay,” she finally said. “I still don’t like it, but I hear you. Now, . . . this girl. The Dillinger. Tell me about her.”
A smile instantly spread across my face.
“That’s gonna be my wife. She’s one of a kind, Ma. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s smart, caring, and so down to earth. She finds pleasure in simple things, and we have so much in common. From the Lego obsession to cosplay to video games and books. I’ve never met a woman more like me.”
My mother’s face softened. “She sounds like a good match for you.”
“She is. I really want you and Dad to meet her.”
“Have you met her family?”
“I have. It was . . . interesting, but we have a mutual understanding.”
“Mutual understanding?”
“They are very protective of each other, Ma. They just wanted to know that I had good intentions for her.”
She eyed me skeptically, and I prayed she didn’t ask too many questions.
“So they like you?”
“For the most part.”
“Have they disrespected you? ’Cause you know I don’t play about anybody disrespecting my man or my baby. Mama will get in that ass.”
I laughed. “Calm down, woman. Rest assured that disrespect is met with disrespect. Your baby ain’t no punk.”
“Mm-hmm. That’s one thing I can thank that heathen for. I was this close to whupping those kids and their mama’s ass.”
I chuckled. “I know, Ma.”
That was the truth. My mother never played about me.
Every time I came home in a way other than she sent me to school, she was on my ass about who did it.
Some mornings, she’d take me to school early and wait in the parking lot for me to point out the bully so she could confront their mamas.
During conferences, my father had to keep a close eye on her because if the other parents said the wrong thing, she was ready to lay into their asses.
Lunch with Mom was good.
Once we got past the much-needed conversation, things were like they’d always been.
Before we parted ways, she told me to invite Jaeda for dinner and that she couldn’t wait to meet her.
I couldn’t wait for her and my father to meet her either.
As special as she was to me, I knew that once they got to know her, they would see exactly why.
“What’s your ETA?” I asked Titan as I pulled up everything I needed to assist him tonight.
“Ten minutes.”
“Y’all straight over there?”
“We good. Just put one in the air to get our heads together.”
I chuckled. “You’re a pothead if I ever saw one.”
“Weed is a plant. That’s nature, and nature is a gift from God himself. I’m smoking the Lord’s work while doing the Lord’s work.”
“Man, shut your dumb ass up!”