Chapter 4
“Damn,” I said, looking myself over in the mirror at Deuce’s house. “I look so good, I almost wanna get married my damn self.”
I’d come over to ride with him to the venue. Shar left my house with Salima this morning, to head to the venue early to ensure everything was set up.
Deuce slapped the back of my head as he approached me. “Shut your ass up. Here. Hold your niece so I can finish getting ready.”
He passed a grinning Darlyn Dream over to me.
“Hey, pretty girl,” I said, kissing her chubby cheeks as I went to sit on the bed.
She erupted in a fit of giggles. I couldn’t believe he was the first of us to have a kid. I mean, he was the oldest, but still. We were on the same type of time a few years ago, and now this nigga was a whole ass family man. I laughed every time I saw him doing cutesy shit with my niece, or every time I saw him wearing that damn baby harness to be hands free. I had to give it to him. He was a great father.
“Who’s the prettiest flower girl? You are! Yes, you are.” I gave her a sniff. “And your daddy got you smelling good. Yo, why do babies smell so damn good?”
“You expect her to stink? We wash her.”
“Nah, I mean they have this natural scent.”
Deuce chuckled. “That’s that baby fever sneaking up on your ass. You might as well join the team. My baby said she wants a cousin.”
“You better talk to your brothers and sisters. Me and Shar ain’t completely ready just yet.”
“Yeah, ’cause y’all out here on some other shit.”
Here we go.
“What the fuck are you doing, Maceo? I’ve been watching your black ass for a minute now. You never spoke on what you said you wanted to talk to me about. Yeah, I remember that shit. If I find out you on some bullshit, I’ma shoot your black ass.”
“I’m not on no bullshit, Deuce.”
“Then where the fuck do you and Shar be running off to? Every time you get a call on that burner, you two dip out. What’s up?”
“Look, I get you’re the oldest, but don’t forget, I’m a grown ass man, and I don’t answer to anyone.”
He turned from the mirror and came over to where I sat.
“Yeah, you grown. But you most definitely answer to me when it comes to this shit. Don’t ever forget your fucking position. You’re my right-hand for a reason, and I need you to have your head in the game. I know you better than you know yourself, and I know when you doing some shit. I’m telling you now, don’t get caught up in no fuckery, Maceo. You bring any heat to this family, I’m beating the black off yo’ ass.” He mushed my head with his finger. “Give me my damn daughter.”
He took Darlyn from my arms and kissed her cheek.
“Got me with all this negative energy around my baby on my mama’s wedding day. Get outta my face.”
I kissed my teeth and stood to my feet to leave his room. Just as I made it to the door, he called out.
“Aye!”
“What?”
“I love yo’ dumb ass. Remember that.”
“I know. I love you too, Deuce.”
I left the room and went to wait in the living room. I hated feeling like he punked me, but I knew how he was. Deuce was a fucking asshole, but he was a protective asshole, and he didn’t play about our family.
The shit I was doing was no more dangerous than the shit I did with my family. The only difference was the people I did it with. I really was out on a limb by myself. The crew could decide they wanted a bigger cut and turn on me at any moment, then I’d be fucked.
My plan was to finish out this mission and be done without anybody ever knowing. It had been a year of me working with this organization, and eight months since I took on this particular case. These muthafuckas showed no sign of letting up. The crew and I had been all over the fucking place, blowing up their spot. If they ever caught wind of who we were, shit was a wrap, and I was as good as dead.
I knew I needed to come clean, eventually, though. Secrets didn’t stay secrets for long.
“I’m ready to go,” Deuce said, breaking my thoughts.
I looked up to see him and Darlyn standing in front of me. I was so deep in my head that I hadn’t even heard them come downstairs.
“You straight?” he asked.
“I’m good. Let’s get to it.”
He eyed me suspiciously as I stood, but didn’t say anything. I was thankful for that. Today was supposed to be a happy day. Mama Stephanie was getting married, so there needed to be nothing but good vibes and good energy.
When he opened the door, there stood our father, looking casket sharp in his five-piece suit. A grin spread across Darlyn’s face when she recognized who he was. She reached for him, and he happily took her from my brother’s arms. The man was loving being somebody’s PaPa. Baby girl was obsessed with him.
“Hey, papa’s baby!”
He kissed all over her cheeks as she gripped his beard with her tiny fingers.
“So you’re going?” Deuce asked.
“I might as well.”
“You better act right, Pops. Don’t be in there objecting when the pastor gets to that part.
Dad chuckled. “I promise, I’m on my best behavior. I love your mama, and I should be happy for her. She deserves to be happy, even if it ain’t with me.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Pops or not, if you fuck up this day, it’s gon’ be me and you, old man.”
“Stanley, the day you think it’s wise to really square up against me is the day I hand you your ass. Don’t play with me, boy.”
“You heard what I said.”
“I heard you, but you heard me too.” Pops reached out and adjusted his collar before lightly patting his face. “You look good, both of you. You get that from me.”
Deuce and I kissed our teeth as we waved him off, causing him to laugh.
“I’m taking my grandbaby with me. We’ll see you at the venue.”
Deuce frowned. “How are you gonna come steal my baby?”
“Like this.”
Pops lifted the diaper bag from his shoulder before turning and walking back down the steps to his truck.
“How much you wanna bet he cries?” I asked, watching him strap Darlyn in the back of the truck.
“I’m not even gonna bet because I know he’s gonna cry in the car. Ol Ray J ‘One Wish’ singing ass nigga.”
We shared a laugh. Maybe it wasn’t funny that he was losing the one baby mama he would always love for good, but shit. If he liked it, he should’ve put a ring on it.
Damn, my baby was looking good in her bridesmaid’s dress. The wedding colors were brown, gold, and cream. The gold fabric against her skin was hitting on something different as the dress hugged her every curve.
She’d slicked her curls down into a low ponytail, accentuating her neckline. She knew what that shit did to me. When she winked at me and blew me a kiss, I swear my dick got hard. I didn’t even realize I was grinning until my mama nudged me.
“Look at your sprung ass,” she said, giggling. “Grinning and shit.”
“I can’t help myself, Ma. I love that girl.”
“I know you do, baby. I’m happy for you. Now if your brother could find him a nice girl?—”
Devin’s head whipped around. “Don’t start, Mama.”
He and I were exactly eleven months apart, with me being born in January and him in November. That was a ghetto ass time in our parents’ life. Deuce was already two when I was born, then to have two other babies born in the same year? Yeah, Pops was out here being reckless.
“What?” my mama asked. “I want you to be happy too.”
“Why do I need a woman to be happy? I have my family. I have my business and my health. I’m good right now. Whenever I decide to settle down, it’ll be when I’m ready, woman. Don’t worry. You’ll get your grandbabies, eventually. The way those two go at it, I bet it’s sooner rather than later.”
My fifteen-year-old little sister, Deja, elbowed me. “Are you gonna marry Ms. Shar?”
“Why? You want me to marry her?”
“I like her. She’s pretty, and it’ll be nice to have a sister. Don’t get me wrong. I love Aunt Jaeda and Aunt Mia, but they can be kinda bossy.”
I chuckled. “Shar is bossy too, lil’ bit.”
“She might boss you, but she doesn’t boss me.”
Devin laughed. “She definitely bosses him. Got the nigga by his balls.”
My mama smacked his arm. “Watch your mouth.”
Deja rolled her eyes. “Mama, I know what balls are.”
“You don’t need to know shit,” I said. “As far as I’m concerned, you need to be playing with Barbie dolls and having tea parties for the rest of your life.”
I didn’t play about Jaeda or Mia but really didn’t fuck around when it came to Deja. My sisters were grown enough to take care of themselves, but Deja was my baby. Devin and I spoiled her and then had to listen to our mother and stepfather fuss about that shit.
Deja scoffed. “You sound like my daddy.”
My mama shushed us. “Hush. Stephanie is about to come down.”
The pastor motioned for us to stand as the sounds of Rotimi’s “I Do” came through the speaker. The doors opened, and there stood Deuce and his mother. Mama Steph looked so beautiful in her cream-colored wedding dress. Her smile was wide and bright.
My brother looked proud to be walking her down the aisle. Considering the fact that he wasn’t Aaron’s biggest fan when he first met him, that said a lot. Aaron was cool people, though. He was very unbothered by Deuce’s initial dislike of him. After he proposed, they had a conversation.
Actually, all of my brothers and I sat in on that conversation. It wasn’t to intimidate him or anything. We all loved Mama Steph just as much as we loved our own mothers. She was family, and we didn’t play about her either. Anyway, during that conversation, he apologized for not asking for Deuce’s blessing to marry her.
My brother would never admit it, but he was more hurt than anything that he hadn’t been included. Mama Steph was one of the three women that made up his heart. He wouldn’t hand her off to just anybody.
They hashed it out without my brother’s trigger-happy ass having to pull his gun. These days, they were able to laugh and joke around. Darlyn loved him as much as she loved our father, so that made it a little easier.
Aaron was standing at the altar with the biggest smile on his face and tears in his eyes. That made me shift my gaze to my father. He was sitting on the opposite side, in the row directly across from us right at the end. He remained stone faced while holding Darlyn until Mama Steph reached him.
She stopped briefly to kiss her grandbaby. They locked gazes for a minute, and he smiled at her before giving her a reassuring nod. I guess that was his unspoken way of giving his blessing, not that she needed it.
She and Deuce made it to the altar. He turned to her and cupped her face. I couldn’t tell what he was saying to her, but it made her tear up. She mouthed the words I love you , before giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He placed her hand in Aaron’s and said something to him as well. Much to my surprise, they shared a warm embrace before my brother took his seat.
Again, my eyes locked in on my baby. She was teary-eyed, along with Salima. I’d been thinking long and hard about proposing to her. I just wasn’t sure of when and how to do it. I knew her ass would want a big spectacle with her family and friends around. Salima would have to help me pick the ring, even though I was more than capable of picking one myself.
I also knew I’d better ask Mr. Paul and Ms. Cicely for permission. She’d run the whole thing down to me one night in bed, and I made a mental note to store for when the time was right. As I listened to Mama Steph and Aaron recite their vows, I couldn’t help but think the time might be sooner rather than later.