Chapter 7
I smiled at the notification of a deposit with a text immediately following. Opening my messages, I read the one from my man.
Bae: Good morning, beautiful. I had to step out for a minute. I’ll probably be gone most of the day. I love you and I can’t wait to see your fine ass when I get home. P.S., buy yourself something nice and think about Daddy when you swipe that card.
I giggled as I pressed the call button. The line rang three times before he answered.
“What’s good, mama?”
“Hey, daddy. I miss you this morning.”
“I miss you too, love. I should be home by six, then I’m all yours.”
“What do you want for dinner?”
He chuckled. “You know what I want.”
I blushed. It was a good thing we had matching sex drives because this man never got tired of sliding between my legs.
“I meant food, fool.”
“Baby, that’s a full-course meal you packing. But anyway, you feel like making oxtails?”
“I got you. I’m not gonna hold you up. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“What do you have planned for the day?”
“I’m about to shower and go visit my goddaughter. Then I’ll probably go see my daddy at work. It’s his birthday.”
“Word? Tell my dude happy birthday. As a matter of fact, take him a bottle of that Louis XIII Cognac. It’s an unopened box on the bar. I have a jar of that good shit for him too.”
I rolled my eyes.
Maceo and my father were like two peas in a pod. I remembered the first time they met. He was chilling at my apartment while I cooked dinner for us. There I was, minding my business in the kitchen, when I heard the locks disengaging. I knew it had to be my dad because he was the only one that came in there like he owned the place.
“Sharina!” my dad yelled.
I sprinted around the corner to find him holding his gun at his side. Maceo was supposed to be rolling a blunt, but now he was looking at my father with daggers in his eyes and his own gun in his hand.
“Daddy! Oh my God! Put that away!”
At the sound of me calling him daddy, Maceo’s face relaxed. He placed his gun on the table and went back to rolling his blunt.
“Who this nigga?” my father asked, tucking his gun away.
“Daddy, this is my…”
I paused, not sure how I should introduce Maceo. We’d been hanging together heavily, and I really liked him. We hadn’t talked titles, saying we were just going with the flow. That was why it shocked me when he spoke up.
“Her boyfriend,” he finished for me.
“Her boyfriend! Sharina, when you get a nigga?”
“Daddy, please.” I walked over to hug him. “This is Maceo Dillinger. Maceo, this is my father, Paul Gladden.”
Maceo set his blunt down and stood to his feet, extending his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Gladden.”
My father was a little hesitant to shake his hand until I bumped him.
“Dillinger?” he asked. “Is Blake or Stanley your daddy?”
“Stanley. You know my uncle and pops?”
“From back in the day. I haven’t seen them in years, though. I used to buy my weed from your uncle.”
Maceo grinned. “You wanna hit this?”
My father pulled his own blunt from his pocket. “I can match you.” He went into his other pocket and pulled out a small wad of money. “Here you go, baby girl.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“You’re welcome.”
They both took a seat. Sensing that there was no longer a threat present, I went down the hall to use the bathroom. By the time I came out, they were acting like nothing had happened. I stood in the hall, watching for a second as they spoke.
“You prepared to spoil my princess?” my father asked. “You can’t hold back with my baby.”
Maceo chuckled. “I knew she was spoiled when I met her, so I got her.”
“She’s spoiled, but she’s a good girl. She loves a good gift, but you can’t buy my baby. Material shit is nice, but she needs time, love, attention, and affection too. Give her loyalty and honesty, and she’ll hold you down.”
I smiled to myself. This was why I loved that man.
“I hear you.” Maceo glanced over at me as I finally came into view. “She’s got me already.”
I blushed. “I’m going to finish cooking. I’ll leave you two to get to know each other.”
I’d gone back to the kitchen to finish our dinner. As they sparked their blunts, it didn’t take long for them to get comfortable with each other. They were in there laughing and talking all loud and shit. I’d FaceTimed my mama so she could see how her husband was acting. All she could do was laugh.
Since then, he and Maceo had become the best of friends, and I equally loved and hated that shit. My mama loved him, and so did my little brothers. I think they loved him because he broke them off for birthdays, holidays, or whenever he saw them. Kilow and Damaris couldn’t wait to run his pockets.
“You know you have that man spoiled, right?” I asked.
“I gotta get in good with my future in-laws,” he said, chuckling. “Nah, but for real. I love your people. They blessed me with you, so they can get whatever out of me.”
“Baby!” I poked my lip out. “That’s sweet. I love you.”
“I love you too. Listen, I gotta get back to business, but I’ll hit you later, okay?”
“Okay. Be safe.”
“Always.”
We disconnected the call, and I tossed back the covers, then got out of bed. After making it up, I stripped and headed into the bathroom to shower. With the sounds of my girl Glorilla blasting through the bathroom, I gave my body a full, deep cleanse and washed my hair. When I got out, I did my facial routine and moisturized my skin before blow-drying my hair.
I had an appointment to get it braided later this week, so I’d be rocking a blowout for a few days. After pulling my tresses into a messy bun, I left the bathroom and went into my huge walk-in closet in search of something to wear. I absolutely loved that when Papa Dillinger had this house built, he built it with a family in mind for each of his children.
I’d never pictured living on a family compound, mostly because my family was the type to be in my face every day if this was our living arrangement. Granted, the Dillingers made themselves at home at everybody’s house. I didn’t mind, though. They were like every other family… minus the illegal activities and vigilante organization.
I decided on a cute yet simple outfit of a white crop top, a black tennis skirt, and a black pair of Doc Martens. I accessorized the outfit with gold jewelry and did a light beat of makeup on my face. Deciding I looked good, I dumped my essentials into my crossbody and headed downstairs. After grabbing Maceo’s gifts for my dad, I left the house and took the short drive down to Deuce and Salima’s.
I didn’t bother to knock before I entered their front door.
“Hello, hello!” I sang, strutting in.
Deuce peeked his head from around the corner in the kitchen. “You know that’s how niggas get shot, just walking in people’s houses.”
“Remember that when you meet Bertha the next time you walk in mine.”
“The fuck that lil’ bitty gun gon’ do to me?”
“My bitch may be small, but she has a big bite.”
He grinned as he shook his head. “Good morning, Sharina.”
“Good morning. Where is my wifey?”
“Getting Darlyn ready. She’ll be down in a second.”
I headed into the kitchen to see what he was cooking. I loved that he made breakfast for my girls every morning. To know Deuce was to know he wasn’t a soft nigga. He didn’t care about much besides his business, his money, and his family. But for Salima and Darlyn… the man simped hard as hell.
“Are you gonna fix me a plate?” I asked.
“Yo’ hands don’t work?”
“I’m a guest.”
“Guest my ass. Did you not just walk into my house like you live here? Either fix your plate or starve, sis.”
I scoffed. “How rude. You just do me any kind of way.”
“Nah, that’s Maceo’s job.”
I playfully smacked the back of his head before grabbing myself a plate to make me something to eat. Just as I sat at the table, Salima came strolling in with Darlyn on her hip. She smiled as she came over to greet me.
“Hey, boo,” she said, kissing my cheek.
“Hey, love. Hi, TiTi baby!”
I reached for Darlyn, and she came straight to me with a wide grin. She erupted in a fit of giggles as I kissed all over her chubby cheeks. Salima went to Deuce and slid her arms around his waist. He smiled as he pulled her into his chest and slapped her ass so hard that it echoed. She giggled and tipped her head for a kiss. Watching them always made me want to go home to my man. They didn’t care where they were; it was always a public display of affection.
Right now, they were tonguing each other down like Darlyn and I weren’t in the room. I half expected him to bend her over the counter and take her right there in the kitchen.
“Damn, that’s enough!” I exclaimed as his hand slipped far enough to grip her pussy from behind. “Y’all act like y’all don’t see us sitting here.”
Salima giggled. “My bad, girl. We got a little carried away.”
“Just nasty.”
Deuce glanced at me. “Says the woman who left the table at the rehearsal dinner to go play tonsil hockey with my brother’s di?—”
“Stanley!” Salima said, covering his mouth. “Not in front of Darlyn.”
“My bad, princess. Your godmother almost got me out of character. I can be nasty with my wife. It’s you and my brother over there living in sin.”
I laughed out loud. “Deuce, please go to hell. You were fornicating with my wifey long before you asked for her hand in marriage.”
“Don’t bring me into y’all’s shit,” Salima said, grabbing a plate.
Deuce snatched it from her. “Go sit your ass down, woman. I got this.”
She rolled her eyes as she walked away. He slapped her ass again, causing a smirk to form on her face. She joined Darlyn and me at the table. Baby girl was trying her hardest to get to my grits. I scooped a tiny amount onto my spoon and blew on it until it cooled off before giving it to her. All we could hear was her smacking her gums.
“Daddy did that, didn’t he, princess?” Deuce asked, bringing Salima her plate. “That’s better than sucking on titties.”
“Says the man who loves to suck them,” Salima muttered.
“I sure do.”
He growled as he shoved his face between her breasts. Salima fell into a fit of giggles as she shooed him away.
“Y’all are adorable,” I said.
“Girl, I can’t do shit with him. What are you up to today?”
“Going to see my daddy. You know it’s his birthday.”
“Uncle Paul is getting up there.”
“Don’t tell him that. He still thinks he’s in his prime. I love that man, though. Maceo sent him liquor and weed as a gift.”
Deuce snorted. “Ghetto shit.”
“You know him and my daddy are besties. Anyway, I’m gonna stop and pick him up some lunch or something.”
“I’ll call him later.”
I sat and ate with them while Darlyn tried to bully me every time I lifted the spoon to my mouth. Salima and Deuce let her taste solids from time to time, but they didn’t want her to get used to it just yet. I finally left the house around eleven and drove out of the compound. Today was going to be a good day, and seeing my daddy would make it better.
I rolled my eyes at the whistles and cat calls I got as I strutted through the construction site with gift bags, balloons, lunch, and a mini birthday cake for my main man. My father had been a contractor for the last twenty years. His company was doing well before, but after I started dating Maceo, he hired him for a new project his family was working on in their legal ventures. The commission lined his pockets handsomely.
I spotted my dad barking orders with his unprofessional self.
“Aye, nigga! The fuck is you doing? Put that shit down.”
I shook my head. That was why he had to go into business for himself because nobody would tolerate him as an employee. He was damn good at his job; he just didn’t have the mouth to match. More whistles in my direction had him turning his head.
“Watch me twist the lips off your face if you whistle at my daughter again, muthafucka.” He frowned as he walked over to me. “Where is the rest of your skirt?”
“First, the skirt is the skirt. Second of all… Happy Birthday, old man!”
He smiled, and his gold tooth glistened against his pearly whites.
“Thank you, baby girl.”
He hugged me tightly before taking everything from my hands and leading me to the trailer that served as his office. Placing everything on a table, he pulled out a chair for me.
“You came all the way here to see your old man?”
“You know I couldn’t let my favorite guy’s birthday go by and not pull up on you.”
I pulled out my phone and went to my music. When the sounds of Nipsey Hustle’s “Grinding All My Life” came on, he started rapping along and doing his signature dance. Of course, I had to hype him up. We did this same song and dance every time we got together. It had been this way since I was a little girl.
“Okay, okay. Enough of that,” I said, turning off the music. “Sit down and open your gifts.”
He grinned as he took a seat. The first bag he grabbed was Maceo’s. He whistled as he pulled out the forty-eight-hundred-dollar bottle of liquor along with the weed.
“My nigga.”
I rolled my eyes. “He said to tell you happy birthday.”
“Oh, it’s gonna be happy as hell when I clock out. I’m sending Kilow and Damaris to your grandmother’s. Me and yo’ mama about to have a private party tonight.”
I pretended to gag. “Daddy, I don’t need to know you and Mama still bump uglies.”
“We don’t bump shit. We be fu?—”
“Daddy, please!”
He laughed obnoxiously loud. “My bad, baby.” He reached for the second bag. “Whatchu’ got me?”
“Open it and find out.”
He pulled the tissue paper out of the bag and set it aside before pulling out the gifts. I’d gotten him an engraved gold money clip, two pairs of J’s, a designer pair of jeans and a shirt, a watch that set me back a pretty penny, and two bottles of his favorite cologne.
“Look at you getting your old man right.” He looked closely at the watch. “Shar… Maceo gave you the money for this watch?”
“Technically… no.”
“Technically? Where the hell did you get money for this expensive ass watch then? I know CNAs don’t get paid that much.”
Shit. I’d put my foot in my mouth. I should have just said yes. He wouldn’t have questioned me then.
“I have a new job, Daddy,” I answered slowly.
“Doing what?”
“It’s kinda with the Dillinger’s organization.”
He eyed me skeptically. “You in some shit? It’s one thing to date a nigga in some shit, but don’t you get caught up in that life, Sharina. Don’t make me have to snatch your ass up.”
“Daddy, I promise I’m being safe.”
“See, now me and your man are gonna have to have a talk.”
“There’s no need for that.”
“Nah. I think I need to reaffirm the fact that I will die about mine.”
“Nobody needs to die. I’m good, and when I’m not good, I know my man has my back. Maceo won’t let anything happen to me.”
“If he values his life, he better not. We cool and all, but you’re my baby.” He cupped my chin. “You’re too pretty to be any nigga’s ride or die. You deserve a good, soft life. You don’t have to be a rider for a nigga to love you, Sharina.”
“I know, Daddy. Maceo is good to me. He loves me no matter what.”
“He may love you, but daddy will always love you more.”
He stood to his feet and pulled me into a hug. I closed my eyes and hugged him tighter. Paul Gladden could do the absolute most, but he was a damn good man and a hell of a father. Maceo possessed many of his qualities, and that was what made me fall in love with him.
My father pulled away, but not before kissing my forehead.
“Now… what did you bring me to eat? I hope you brought yourself some ’cause I ain’t sharing.”
I giggled. “I ate breakfast with Salima, so I’m good. Even if I didn’t, you were gonna share, ’cause I’m your favorite child.”
“All of y’all are my favorite.”
I waved him off. “Please. You don’t even like Kilow and Damaris like that. That’s why you had them last.”
He laughed. “What kind of shit is that?”
“I mean, look how long you waited to have them. You got perfection when you got me. You and Mommy tried to duplicate that and failed… twice.”
“You hell, man,” he said, pulling the container of food from the bag. “You’re too old to tease your brothers.”
I shrugged. “It’s a rite of passage.”
Kilow was sixteen, and Damaris was seventeen. I cracked jokes on them, but they were my babies. Kilow had the biggest crush on Mace’s little sister Deja. Every time he saw her, he got to blushing and stuttering and shit. It was adorable, considering he was a carbon copy of my dad. If he ever got her, I knew he would treat her right.
I ended up sitting with my dad for about an hour before I had to let him get back to work. He’d tried to pry more information out of me about my new job. I didn’t give him much because I’d said too much already. The conversation ended with him threatening to snatch me up once again. I knew he meant that, but he had nothing to worry about.
Maceo had my back, and I trusted him with my life.
What we were doing was, in fact, dangerous, but what was life without a little walk on the wild side?