18. Lennox
Lennox
a few days later…
It was finally the weekend, and I was taking Reiana and Rhyse to see my people.
The closer we got to Cannon Hills, the more questions Rhyse came up with.
He had been asking shit since we left their house this morning.
I didn’t mind it, though. If anything, I liked hearing him talk.
I had missed damn near eight years of his life, so if he wanted to ask me a million questions on the ride, I was going to answer all million and then some.
I reached over and rested my hand on Reiana’s thigh. “You good?” I asked as I glanced at her.
“I’m fine, Lennox,” she assured me. “I just want today to go smoothly.”
“And it will,” I told her.
That seemed to be enough for her and I was glad.
The rest of the ride was smooth until we pulled into my mama’s driveway. The second I saw Kree standing in front of the house, my smile disappeared. She was near the porch with her arms folded, and Lena was a few feet away looking like she was ready to rip her head off.
“Man, what the fuck?” I muttered as I slowed the truck.
Reiana followed my line of sight and immediately sat up straighter. “Is that Kree?”
I didn’t answer fast enough, but I didn’t have to. Reiana already had the answer to her question and was taking her seatbelt off before I even had the truck in park.
“Reiana,” I called out as I threw the truck in park and watched her little ass get out the truck like it was on fire..
“Ma?” Rhyse asked from the backseat, sounding confused.
“Stay in the truck,” I told him as I got out.
That lasted all of a few seconds because by the time I rounded the hood, I heard the back door open too. I looked back long enough to see Rhyse climbing out, but my attention snapped right back toward Reiana because she was already on Kree’s ass.
The first punch caught Kree clean across the face and knocked her sideways.
Kree barely got her balance back before Reiana grabbed a handful of her hair and hit her again.
Kree swung back, catching Reiana near the shoulder, but that only pissed Reiana off more.
She shoved Kree hard enough to send both of them stumbling into the grass.
“Beat her ass, Ree!” Lena yelled from the porch as Mama grabbed at her arm.
“Lena, hush!” Mama snapped while trying to keep her from jumping into it.
“I’m just saying!” Lena yelled back as she leaned around Mama to keep watching.
By the time I reached them, Reiana had Kree down on the ground and was swinging again while Kree tried to cover her face and fight back at the same time. I grabbed Reiana around the waist and pulled her up, but she immediately started fighting against my hold.
“Get the fuck off me, Lennox!” Reiana yelled as she tried to twist free. “Get the fuck off me!”
“Fuck no,” I told her as I tightened my arm around her waist. “Calm your little ass down,” I demanded.
Kree pushed herself up from the grass with her hair everywhere and blood at the corner of her mouth. She looked at Reiana like she wanted to rush her again, but one look at me kept her where she was.
“You crazy bitch!” Kree snapped as she wiped at her mouth.
“You ain’t seen crazy yet, bitch! Say one more fucking thing to me!” Reiana yelled in my arms, trying her best to get loose.
Kree laughed bitterly and pushed her hair out of her face. “You’ve always been a jealous-ass bitch. That’s why—”
“Jealous of what?” Reiana cut her off as her whole body shook with anger.
“You stole seven years from my son because you were jealous of me, hoe. You knew I was pregnant and still sat in my face like you ain’t do shit.
” Reiana huffed. “I’m gone beat your ass for every year my son missed with his father,” Reiana told her as she pointed toward her again.
“Seven years, bitch. You got seven ass whippings coming. I gave you this one for free,” Reiana spat.
“Say that shit, Ree!” Lena cheered from the porch.
“Bro,” I snapped.
“Lena, can shut the hell up?” Mama fussed.
Kree looked past Reiana and focused on me. “And you’re just gone let this bitch jump on me?”
“Be glad I stopped the shit when I did,” I grit.
“Let me go, Lennox.” Reiana tried to get loose again.
“Nah,” I told her as I held her in place. “You’ve made your point.”
“Nah, this bitch got a few more lessons to learn,” she argued.
I heard Rhyse laugh somewhere behind me, and that reminded me he was still standing there watching all this. I turned my head enough to look toward him.
“Rhyse, go stand with Queenie,” I told him.
He looked like he wanted to argue, but the look I gave him made him choose otherwise. “Aight,” he muttered as he headed toward the porch.
Kree watched him go before turning her attention back toward me. Her face twisted with anger as she folded her arms over her chest. “So this what we’re doing now? You got Reiana and her son, and now it’s fuck me and Lennyn?” She asked like she was disgusted.
“Nah, it’s just fuck you. My daughter ain’t got shit to do with this,” I warned as I finally released Reiana but kept myself between the two of them. “Whatever problem you got with me or Reiana don’t have shit to do with my daughter.”
“Your daughter?” Kree laughed like some shit was funny. “I can take Lennyn and leave Cannon Hills tonight. You’ll never see her again if I’on want you to. Then what you gone do?”
I stared at her for a long second before stepping closer. Kree tried to hold her ground, but I saw the confidence start slipping before I even opened my mouth.
“You ever threaten to take my daughter from me again,” I told her quietly, “the only place anybody gone be taking you is to the morgue.” I stepped closer until there wasn’t enough space between us for her to pretend she didn’t hear me clearly.
“Don’t ever let Lennyn’s name come out your mouth as a threat to me again.
Don’t tell me I can’t see her, and don’t even think about disappearing with my child. You know me better than that.”
Kree looked like she was scared as hell and was about to pass out.
I held her stare as I lowered my voice even more.
“I’on play about my kids. So if you ever make me choose between keeping my daughter safe and letting you breathe long enough to keep playing games with her life, you better pray you make the right decision before I have to do that shit for you,” I stated with finality.
All that hot shit she was talking earlier had dissipated as she looked toward Mama, then Lena, but neither one of them said anything. Even Reiana stayed quiet behind me. Kree knew I wasn’t talking just to hear myself speak, and I didn’t need to say anything else to make that shit clear.
“Now leave,” I told her as I stepped back.
Kree opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but nothing came out. She looked toward the front door where Lennyn had appeared sometime during the commotion, then looked back at me.
I followed her line of sight before looking at Kree again. “Lennyn stays.”
For a second, I thought she might argue. Instead, she walked toward her car without another word. She looked at Reiana as she passed, but whatever she saw on Reiana’s face must have reminded her of what had just happened because she kept moving.
I watched Kree get into her car and pull away before I finally exhaled. When I turned around, Reiana was standing a few feet away fixing her shirt and smoothing her hair.
“You feel better now?” I asked with a smirk.
“Hell no. The bitch got off easy,” Reiana replied as she adjusted her shirt again.
“See? That’s what I said,” Lena called out.
“Shut up, Lena… damn,” Mama fussed again.
“Mama you beat her ass.” Rhyse grinned.
“Rhyse! What did I tell you about your mouth?” Reiana fussed before I could even open my mouth.
“What?” Rhyse asked as he tried to look innocent. “You did.” He shrugged.
I rubbed my hand over my mouth trying to hide my smirk before putting my eyes on my baby girl.
Her eyes found me first before moving toward Rhyse, and everything that had just happened took a backseat for a second.
She looked confused, but mostly curious as she stared at the boy standing beside her grandmother.
“Come here, baby girl,” I said as I walked toward her.
Lennyn came down the steps and took my hand. She kept looking toward Rhyse, and he was looking right back at her with the same curiosity. I looked between my two kids and felt something settle in my chest that I couldn’t really put into words.
I kept hold of Lennyn’s hand as I looked between my two kids. “Baby girl, this is Rhyse. He’s your big brother.”
Lennyn looked up at me before turning her attention back toward him. Her little face scrunched up like she was trying to figure out how a whole brother had appeared out of nowhere. “My brother? Where he come from?” she asked with a frown.
“Yeah, your brother, and he came from his mama,” I confirmed, holding in my laughter.
She looked between me and Rhyse before she walked up to him and looked at him again before she spoke.
“I’m Lennyn, and I’m five,” she said proudly. “How old are you?” She asked.
“Seven,” Rhyse confirmed. “So, I gotta look out for you and stuff,” he confirmed with his chest out.
“Can you fight?” Lennyn asked.
“Yeah, but apparently your mama can’t.” Rhyse shrugged.
Lennyn stared at him for half a second before she started laughing and Rhyse followed suit.
“Boosie,” Reiana said as she gave him a look. “That was not nice.”
“I’m just saying,” Rhyse replied. “She can’t.”
“That’s still her mama,” Reiana reminded him before her eyes moved toward Lennyn. Her whole expression softened as she stepped closer. “And I’m sorry you had to see me fighting your mama. Grown people shouldn’t be doing that in front of y’all,” Reiana apologized.
“It’s okay. My Auntie Lena said my mama she need to be popped in the mouth,” she repeated like she was right.
I snapped my head at Lena and she just shrugged.
Reiana faced Rhyse and pulled him into her. “I owe you one too. I shouldn’t have been fighting in front of you either.”
“It’s okay, Ma. You won.” Rhyse grinned.
“Boy, get out my face,” Reiana laughed as Rhyse went back over to my mama.
When he got close, Mama pulled him into a hug that damn near swallowed him. Rhyse looked surprised for about two seconds before he hugged her back.
“Boy, you look just like your daddy,” she simpered.
“That’s a blessing, son.” I smirked, causing Reiana to roll her eyes.
Lena came down the porch steps next and pulled Rhyse into a hug before he even had time to prepare himself. “I’m Auntie Lena, and I’m your favorite aunt by default because I’m the only one.”
“I got two aunts back home,” Rhyse countered as he hugged her back.
“Well, I’m the one that don’t care what your mama and daddy say. How does that sound?” Lena countered with a grin.
“Sounds like you’re my favorite auntie in the whole wide world.” Rhyse cheesed with his bad ass.
By the time we made it in the house, Lennyn and Rhyse have been inseparable. I just looked on and beamed with pride watching my kids get along. They both went from being an only child to finding out they had a sibling. I thought the adjustment would be a lot, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I sat back on the couch and watched them from across the room while Reiana talked with Mama and Lena at the dining table.
I couldn’t hear everything they said at first, but every once in a while, my name carried over and made me glance in their direction.
Eventually, I got up and walked toward them.
Mama looked at me as I approached. “We were just hearing about everything we missed.”
“I was explaining that Rhyse has always done good in school. He’s never really given me any problems outside of that mouth,” Reiana explained.
“He definitely has his daddy’s mouth… Lennyn too,” Mama said.
“Y’all tripping,” I laughed.
I continued to enjoy my family while Mama cooked.
I knew that was coming and I wasn’t complaining.
A couple hours later, everybody had spread out between the living room and kitchen.
Rhyse and Lennyn were on the floor arguing over some game while Lena tried to coach Lennyn even though she clearly didn’t know what she was doing.
Reiana was in the kitchen with Mama. I had just walked back into the kitchen when my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I looked and saw that it was Cyrus calling.
I glanced toward the living room before answering and heading toward the back door.
“Wassup?” I answered.
“I found what I was looking for,” Cyrus said getting to the point. “Everything checks out, so you can continue with Pierce.”
“Aight. The shit was happening either way, though,” I mentioned. “The shit with Pierce ain’t just business anymore.”
“What does that mean?” Cyrus asked.
“It means what the fuck I just said. I’ll be in touch when the job is complete.” I hung up before he had a rebuttal and went back inside to join my family.
When I stepped back inside, Reiana looked up. Her eyes stayed on me as I slid my phone back into my pocket.
“What was that about?” she asked.
“Business,” I answered as I walked toward her.
“What kind of business?” She questioned.
“The kind you’on need to worry about,” I told her as I rested my hand against the back of the chair she was in.
Reiana stared at me for another second like she wanted to ask more, but Lennyn yelled for her attention before she got the chance.
I looked across the room at my son and daughter sitting together on Mama’s floor.
Mama made sure Rhyse felt welcomed and my boy was all smiles with his new family.
Now I just needed to end this shit with Pierce so I can focus on getting my family together.