Chapter 5
My heart was so full as I watched Ms. Stephanie and Mr. Aaron do their first dance. Their entire ceremony was so beautiful. I had to give Salima her props. My girl hooked them up with the best wedding planner in the city to bring their vision to life. This was the first event she hosted in her new spot, and it was a success.
“How are you feeling, babe?” I asked, bouncing my goddaughter on my knee.
“Very accomplished. I’m so happy everything went smoothly. I can’t wait until this place is booked up for other events.”
“Trust me, it’s coming.”
“Hey, I meant to ask if everything was okay last night. You and Maceo left before dessert.”
“Everything is fine. We just had a prior engagement that we totally forgot about.”
“Hmm.” She eyed me suspiciously. “You sure?”
“Yes, Salima. I’m positive.”
“You just didn’t look too happy to be leaving.”
“Because I knew we were going to miss an epic turnup later. You’ve celebrated with the Dillingers before. You know they be lit as hell.”
She nodded. “True.” She looked out onto the dance floor when Deuce was cutting in to dance with Ms. Stephanie. “That man loves his mama.”
“They all love that woman. Sometimes I think Maceo may like her more than his own mama.”
She giggled. “Well, she did say they all spent a lot of time at her house. Plus, she and Mr. Dillinger were together off and on the most out of all his baby mamas.”
“I was half expecting that man to cry and object today.”
“Oh, girl, Deuce had already laid down the law to him. He knew to come correct.”
“Your husband swears he’s the boss of everybody,” I said, turning Darlyn to face me. “Why is your daddy so bossy, pud?” I asked, kissing her chubby cheeks.
She made the cutest baby noises in response, and it just made me smile. I loved this little girl so much. She was such a light in a dark place.
“I can’t wait to have one of these,” I thought aloud.
“A baby?”
“Yes.”
“Girl, pregnancy is overrated. Imagine that big ol’ head coming out of your coochie, potentially ripping you open. It’s very ghetto.”
I laughed. “But look at this face!” I placed Darlyn cheek to cheek with me. “How could you not want another one?”
Salima smirked and rolled her eyes. “I do want another one, and her daddy has been actively trying to give it to me.”
“I bet. Speaking of which, my man owes me some money because he bet me that you would be pregnant at your six-week checkup.”
Salima’s mouth dropped. “No he didn’t!”
“He sure did. I told him, my girl has more restraint than that . ”
“That’s why you’re my girl. You believe in me.”
“Of course I do!”
“What are y’all over here gossiping about?”
We looked up to see Maceo strolling toward us. Damn, my man was looking good in his tux. With his locs hanging in long, rope twists, he was looking like I just wanted to take his fine ass up out of here.
“I heard you were making bets on my womb,” Salima answered.
He grinned. “Come on, sis. It was all in good fun.”
“Mm-hmm. Whatever.”
“DD, tell your mama not to act like that,” he said, pinching Darlyn’s cheek. “I came to steal my woman.”
“Why? You two going to fornicate?”
“See how you tried to play us? I just wanna dance with her sexy ass. Go on and hand my niece over and bring that ass here.”
Salima covered her mouth. “Oop! I guess you heard what daddy said.”
I kissed baby girl before handing her over. Maceo reached for my hand, and I happily slipped my palm in his. A few other guests had begun flooding the dance floor, so we joined them. The smooth sounds of Aaliyah’s “At Your Best” filled the air as he pulled me into his arms.
One thing I could say about this man, he would dance to anything with me. It could be rap, R&B, or country music. If we could vibe to it, we were gonna dance. I couldn’t help but smile up at him as we swayed from side to side.
“You look so damn good, baby,” he said, pulling me in closer. “I almost told you to meet me in Salima’s office.”
I giggled. “You want my girl to curse us both out, don’t you?”
He grinned. “Seriously, though. You look beautiful.”
He leaned in and kissed me. I loved when he was soft with me. Don’t get me wrong, the ruggish, thuggish side of him was forever my favorite, but I was in the era of just wanting to be loved on these days. I loved the cuddling, the lying on his chest and getting booty rubs, or taking baths together.
I loved cooking for him, and he’d come up and wrap his arms around my waist. I loved falling asleep with him still inside me after fucking like animals. All that shit.
“I love you,” I said, peering up at him.
“I love you too, mama. You know this is gonna be us one day, right?”
“I don’t know shit until I see a ring on this here finger.”
“Damn, bae. It’s like that?”
“Straight like that.”
He chuckled. “I hear you.”
His phone must have vibrated in his pocket because he pulled it out and checked it briefly before putting it away.
“Everything okay? Do we have to leave?”
“Nah, everything is good. That was just Zeno telling me that Detective Gates just left.”
We’d gotten up early this morning to check on the safe house since we knew we’d be busy with wedding business all day. Everybody seemed to be in better spirits except Charity. Zeno said she didn’t sleep last night. Instead, she sat on the back patio, staring out into the darkness for hours.
She was the only one up when we got there. She didn’t say anything to us, even when we spoke to her. She just kind of looked right through us. I didn’t trust that bitch. The sooner we could get her out of there, the better.
“Were they able to talk to their families?” I asked.
“The ones that had families, yes. The others spoke with a friend or someone who agreed to come get them. All except Charity. She’s gonna need arrangements to get back to wherever the hell she came from.”
“Hmmm.”
“What? You still on her being off?”
“Nope.”
I was absolutely still on that shit. He was convinced she was just in her head about the traumatic experience. I’d let him have that for now. Someway, somehow, I was going to figure out what she had going on.
The reception was well underway at this point. Maceo had gone off to smoke with his brothers, father, and uncle. Salima excused herself to go breastfeed Darlyn. That left me to fend for myself. As I looked around the event space, I spotted Jaeda and Mia sitting together, sipping on drinks and people watching.
I grabbed another drink and made my way over to them.
“Ladies.” I greeted them with a smile.
“Hey, boo,” Jaeda said, standing to hug me.
As I went to hug Mia, she gave me a quick one before gently shoving me aside.
“Girl, move, you’re blocking my view.” She peered around me at the crowd.
“What are you looking at?” I asked.
“Mr. Aaron’s fine ass nephew.”
She pointed, and my eyes followed her finger to this handsome, brown-skinned brother. He matched Maceo’s six- foot height and had his same complexion. His gaze met hers, and he smiled and waved. She gave a flirty smile and waved back.
“I’m definitely trying to jump on that tonight,” she mumbled.
“You better go before your brothers get back,” Jaeda said, rolling her eyes.
“Shit. You’re right.” She downed the rest of her drink and stood, smoothing her bridesmaid’s dress down. “How do I look?”
I giggled. “Like us.”
“Bitch, you know I look better.”
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and switched over to where her potential conquest stood with his other cousins.
I copped a seat next to Jaeda. “That’s your sister.”
“She’s every bit of her daddy. I would say her brothers, too, but Deuce and Maceo have turned it around since you and Salima came into the picture. Y’all are good for them, and I love you both for that.”
I offered a light smile. I wondered how good she would think I was for her brother if she knew I knew what he was doing.
“I love your brother. Does he get on my damn nerves at times? Hell yes. But I love him.”
“I hope one day I find someone to love me the way they love you and Salima. You know… without all the crazy.”
I laughed. “Girl, have you seen your life? You’re surrounded by crazy. I don’t think you’d be able to function without the chaos.”
“I promise I could. I love what I do. I love helping people in need. It’s just, sometimes, the way we do things fucks with me, Shar. I hate coming out of the tech aspect and having to get in the field. I’m trained, and I can handle myself. Sometimes it would be nice to come home to someone who gets me.”
“I get that.”
“Can I ask you for something?”
“Something like what?”
“This is embarrassing.”
Jaeda could be a little shy at times. When I first met her, she had an air of confidence, but the more I hung around her, I realized there were different versions of her. It was like she adapted based on where she was and who she was with.
The Jaeda in public settings appeared to have it all together. She was a bad bitch. The Jaeda I met in the intimate family setting was funny and talked shit with her brothers like the rest of us. Then there was the Jaeda I saw behind closed doors when it was just us. That Jaeda was shy, reserved, and held a little insecurity.
That was the version I was seeing now.
“I’m an open book, sis. You can ask me for anything.”
“Teach me how to attract the kind of man I want.”
I didn’t mean to laugh. “What?”
“You and Salima… you’re both beautiful girls. My brothers can be rude, ruthless, and once upon a time, they were straight up whores. Then you two came along, and they are like putty in your hands. Deuce is married… married , sis. Maceo is slow dancing with you in a room full of people and looking at you like it’s only you who exists. I want someone to look at me like that.”
I picked up my drink to take a sip. “Jae, you’re a total baddie and the smartest person I know.”
“I also haven’t had a boyfriend since high school. I’m twenty-four years old, Shar. I’m a… I’m a virgin.”
I damn near choked on my liquor. “You said what now?”
“Please don’t make me repeat it.”
“I’m sorry. I heard what you said. I just can’t believe it. You’re a virgin?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Look at who my family is. Niggas either want to get in where they fit in, or they are afraid of us. And let’s face it. They aren’t beating down my door to have guns pointed in their face while these men threaten their lives if they fuck me over. My daddy and my brothers don’t make this shit easy. Just look.”
She pointed in Mia’s direction. Maceo and the gang had just walked back in with their eyes low. When they spotted Mia talking to Aaron’s nephew, who was at least eight years older than her, Mr. Dillinger coolly walked over and pulled her away, with her protesting the entire time.
“Imagine that happening over and over again,” Jaeda said. “Men don’t wanna fuck with a woman when they have to date their family members too.”
“You got that right.” I took a long sip of my drink before turning to her. “Let me tell you something, girl. You don’t need my help attracting the men you want. A man that is worthy of you will come to you, and they won’t be intimidated by your father or your brothers. They won’t care about your family’s status or wealth. Real men make their own way in this world. They aren’t worried about what’s in the next man’s pockets because they are too busy counting their own coins. My daddy told me a man that can bring the table to the table, is the only man worth worrying about, sis.”
She giggled. “I like that. I need to see your father more often.”
“Girl, you don’t wanna be around that nutty ass man too long. He’s ignorant as hell sometimes.”
“But you love him.”
“Hell yeah, I do. Ain’t no man like my daddy.”
“I wish I could say that. Don’t get me wrong. I love Stanley Senior. He’s a great father, but he wasn’t the best example of a man, for obvious reasons. Neither is my uncle Blake.”
“Look at it this way. At least they showed you what you don’t want.”
“This is true.” She sighed. “Thank you, Shar. I see why Salima loves you. You’re a good friend.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
Just then, the DJ dropped the beat to “Salt Shaker” by The Ying Yang Twins.
“That’s my shit!” I exclaimed. I downed the rest of my drink and stood to my feet, pulling her along with me. “Come dance with me.”
“I can’t dance, Shar!”
“Oh my God, Jaeda. What am I gonna do with you? Do what your brother does. Stand there and let me throw this ass back at you. You can smack it if you want, I don’t mind.”
She fell into a fit of giggles as I pulled her out to the dance floor. I just wanted to get lit and have some fun, and that was exactly what I was about to do.