Chapter 6 Titan
“Would you stop touching shit!” Mia fussed as we waited in the exam room for her doctor.
I was just in here fucking with shit. I’d never been in an office like this, so all the diagrams were intriguing, to say the least. They had a life-sized replica of the birthing canal and I couldn’t stop fiddling with the pieces.
“Come sit your ass down,” Mia said, grabbing my shirt.
She pointed to the chair beside the exam table. Reluctantly, I took a seat.
“I can’t take you anywhere.”
“Imagine me in the delivery room. I’m coming with my camera to record everything.”
“No, the fuck you aren’t. I will have you escorted out.”
“And I’m putting bullets in any muthafucka that makes me miss the birth of my kid. You want me to go to jail, wifey?”
She rolled her eyes. “Please don’t do the most.”
“Have you met me?”
She smirked. “Whatever. You ready to see my coochie split open?”
“I mean, I was busting that muthafucka open on a regular before you dipped on me.”
She scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“I’m ready. Matter of fact, I’m delivering this baby.”
“Titan.”
“It can’t be that hard. Just push it out and let me catch it.
“That’s exactly why you won’t be delivering shit.”
I laughed as I reached out to rub her stomach. “What do you think we’re having?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t really care as long as it’s healthy. I can’t believe I let you knock me up. I never saw myself being anybody’s mother.”
“And now?”
She sighed, covering my hand with hers. “I’m scared. What if I can’t be nurturing or loving? What if all I have is coldness? I don’t know how to be soft and shit.”
“I’ve seen you with your nieces and nephews. It’s in you. It’s just a little different when you have your own kid. You’ll figure out what they need. You’ll learn the differences in their cries. Your motherly instincts will kick in and you’ll be fine.”
She squinted at me. “You got a secret baby somewhere, Titan? Am I gonna have to fuck you up?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “No, woman. I read and I pay attention when I’m with your brothers and their kids. Plus, Senior has a million fucking kids. He’s always giving unsolicited parenting advice, and it’s always solid. Y’all joke on him, but the man knows his shit.”
She sighed. “He does. He’s gonna kill us both.”
“I keep telling you, I ain’t scared of your daddy or your brothers.” I stood and cupped her face. “You and I are gonna figure this out together.”
“You know I’m not gonna be the type of wife my sisters are—”
“I don’t want you to be anybody but yourself. I know who you are, Mia. I’ve known that shit for years. All I want is you to be a little less defensive. Trust me when I say I stand ten toes behind you, beside you, and in front of you with my pistol at all times, baby.”
She smiled softly. “That’s so romantic. You know how horny I get when you pull your gun on niggas behind me?”
I chuckled. “Yeah, you’re a little touched.”
We shared a laugh as the door opened and her doctor walked in.
I’d completely vetted this woman once I found out she had indeed been seeing a doctor.
Quaid and Jaeda had to be sick of me by now because I’d been on their line the last two days asking for shit.
I just needed to make sure Mia was straight.
“Mrs. DeLuca, how are you?” she asked with a smile.
Hearing her refer to Mia with my last name made a smile spread across my face.
“I’m fine.”
She turned to me with a smile. “Dr. Reid.”
“Titan DeLuca.”
“Aaahhh! You must be daddy and the gentleman that insisted I fit you in today.”
“I am.” I reached in my pocket and handed her an envelope. “For your troubles.”
She didn’t miss a beat in sliding it into her pocket.
“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you. What brings you two in today?”
“He just wants to see the baby,” Mia answered.
“Is this your first ultrasound?” she asked me.
“It is.”
“Well, I’d be more than happy to catch you up. Give me a moment to grab the machine.”
She left us alone, returning about a minute later with the ultrasound machine.
My hands were sweaty as she prepared Mia.
A nigga had never been so nervous. The moment she flipped on that machine and my baby’s heartbeat filled the room, tears sprang to my eyes.
When the image populated, it took everything in me not to cry like a bitch.
“Fuck man…” I whispered. “That’s my baby.”
Dr. Reid smiled. “That’s your little one. Seventeen weeks. Strong heartbeat. Very healthy…. Oh! Somebody is showing all their business today! Would you like to know what you’re having?”
“Wait,” Mia said, looking at the screen. “You can tell now?”
“Yep. I just need a yes or a no.”
She looked at me, and I looked at her. I was dying to know. Mia must have sensed it because she nodded.
“You can tell us.”
“You’re having a baby girl!”
I stood and stepped closer to the monitor. “A baby girl, huh? You gon’ run my pockets heavy, aren’t you, lil’ mama?”
“And you’re gonna let her,” Mia answered.
I grinned. “She can bankrupt me.” Cupping her face, I kissed her lips. “Thank you, baby.”
“I can have these printed for you,” Dr. Reid said.
“Multiples,” I requested. “We have a lot of family to break the news to.”
“Of course.”
Dr. Reid checked a few more things before leaving us so Mia could get dressed.
I was already thinking of ways to break the news of our pregnancy to my parents.
Maybe the news of their impending grandparenthood would soften the blow of knowing that I got married without them being present.
My mother for sure was gonna get in my ass.
Tara DeLuca didn’t play that secrecy shit.
There were never any secrets in our family.
Everyone knew everything because, in some way, shape, or form, it involved us all.
She wasn’t going for being a grandmother and not knowing about it.
Just like Ms. Maddie, she was sure to pull out that belt and whip my ass.
After Mia got dressed, we headed up front to get the pictures.
While we were at it, we had her records sent over to the same doctor who had delivered the last couple of babies in the Dillinger family.
Since she was headed home in a few days, I wanted to make sure everything was set.
Hand in hand, we walked out the building and headed to my truck.
No sooner than we were inside did her phone go off. She turned the screen so I could see that it was JacQues. Mia sighed heavily before answering the call on speaker.
“Yes?”
JacQues came through speaker in frustrating tone. “Celeste? Where are you? We were supposed to meet this morning.”
“Something came up. My apologies.”
“This was an important meeting.”
“And I said something came up. Didn’t you run out on dinner the other night? I didn’t make a big deal about that.”
“That was business. I had something important to discuss with you. Some… interesting news landed on my desk.”
Mia frowned. “Oh?”
“Oui. I can come to you.”
“No. I’m not available right now.”
“Really? Because I just saw you get in the car with a gentleman. Looks like the same one that infiltrated our dinner the other night.”
Mia froze, and I immediately pulled out my gun.
Reaching into the glove box, I retrieved the other one, along with two ski masks, shoving them into her hands.
My tires squealed as I peeled out of the parking lot.
After concealing my plates, I shot off a group text to the team, letting them know to follow my location and get in place because we had action.
JacQues’ laugh came through the speaker. “Cat got your tongue, beloved? I’m really hurt by this, Celeste. I thought we could’ve had something special, but here you are just another fraud ass American bitch.”
Mia giggled as she pulled on the ski mask. “I’m no fraud, baby. I’m as real as they come.”
“Oh, you’re a fraud. I guess you really can’t trust a bitch that sells pussy. You have something that belongs to me and I want it back.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“My bitches!”
“If I remember correctly, you were paid for them fair and square. Once that cash touched your hands, they became mine to do with as I please.”
He laughed. “You think you’re cute, don’t you?”
“Actually, I’m very beautiful.”
“You’re a dead bitch when I catch you.”
“Not if I catch you first. Tell me, how did you find me out?”
“Loyalty, beloved. Miranda and I had a very close relationship. She might have been the face of the brothel, but I’m the big dawg around these parts.
You came out of nowhere and supposedly brought the place from her, now she’s nowhere to be found.
That’s suspicious. Imagine my surprise when I found out from my bottom bitch that you have been shipping my girls off.
I’ve been looking into you for a while now. ”
“Oh, yeah?” Mia asked, looking in the side mirror. That same blacked out SUV from the other night was right behind us. “What did you find?”
“You’re a ghost… almost like Celeste Coltrain doesn’t exist. Who are you?”
Mia giggled. “Awww, now it wouldn’t be any fun if I told you, would it?”
Behind us, the engine of the truck roared as they sped up.
“It doesn’t matter. Like I said, you’re a dead bitch. I got some niggas that are gonna fuck you real good before I do you in. Just for the hell of it, I might join them.”
“Enough of this shit,” I said, snatching the phone. “Listen up, fuck nigga. I don’t take kindly to a muthafucka threatening my wife.”
“Oh, she’s your wife? I’ll let you watch, then.”
“Watch this.”
I tossed the phone in the cup holder and swerved the car around so that I was facing the truck.
Throwing it in reverse, I stepped on the gas and maneuvered through traffic.
Mia took the wheel while I leaned out the window and fired three shots into the windshield.
The truck swerved, damn near hitting another car.
The sunroof opened and a nigga in a ski mask popped out the top with a semi-automatic.