Chapter 11
NAIJHEL
“It’s okay, little guy. Shhh . . .”
The baby whimpered a little bit and looked at me with wide, curious eyes.
I grabbed the bottle from the warmer and took a seat in the rocking chair on the side of his baby bed.
I held the bottle up to the baby’s mouth and rocked with him as he grew silent and content again.
He gradually took charge of holding his own bottle.
Those eyes remained on me as though he was assessing whether I could be trusted or not. Finally, deciding that I could be, he relaxed his little head in the crook of my arm and closed his eyes. I pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
“Little guy, I would never harm you. As long as I’m around, you’ll always be safe. Besides, you’re not the one I came for.”
He nestled closer to me and released a contented sigh.
I sang my version of “Hush Little Baby” to him as I rocked.
Hush, little G, don’t say a word.
If your daddy pays up, no one gets hurt.
If he decides to run a scheme,
He gon’ find out what torture means.
If I have to activate,
I’ma do some shit I know he gon’ hate.
He can try to run as fast as he can,
Gonna find out I’m worse than Homeland.
I’ll catch up with him ’cause I know where he be.
So maybe he’ll be smart and just call me.
When I finished my song, I dialed a number on LiveTime and then put the empty bottle back on the table beside the crib. I paced the nursery with the baby in my arms, bouncing him and trying to put him back to sleep. The phone continued ringing, and I wondered if he would answer at all.
“Hello?”
“Clayton. It’s good to see you again.”
“What do you want, Naijhel? I heard that you’ve been running around town with my ex. I’m sure you’ve come to find that she’s not as enticing as you might have thought she was. You do realize that you could lose your license over this. Do you really think she’s worth that?”
“I didn’t call to talk about Delaney. Not directly anyway. Someone was missing you, and I thought we might give you a call so that he can see your face.”
I angled the camera just a little bit so that he could see the baby in my arms.
“Hey, little guy. Say hi to your daddy.” The baby blew spit bubbles and babbled happily.
I kissed the baby on top of his head.
“What the fuck are you doing in my house? In my son’s nursery? Holding my son!”
“Don’t worry. I just wanted to drop by while you were out of town to make sure CJ and his mommy were safe.”
“Where is Gamani?”
“Oh, she’s getting a much-deserved rest. She had a cup of coffee this evening, and it was a little stronger than normal.
She obviously needed it because she’s been sleeping like a baby since,” I explained and walked across the hall with the baby, who was still babbling.
I stepped into the master bedroom where the baby’s mother was asleep.
I kissed the baby’s head again. “She’s a beautiful girl.
I can see how a man might be attracted to her, and her vitality will make an older man feel young again.
It’s the same feeling that I get with Delaney, so trust me, I understand.
What is she, twenty? Twenty-one?” I asked, turning the camera to Gamani who appeared to be sleeping peacefully and unaware there was an intruder in her home.
“She’s twenty-nine. Don’t you fucking lay a finger on her, Naijhel!”
“Why? Scared she’ll leave you after she has one taste of what I’m packing? Don’t worry. I’m not interested.”
“What do you want?”
“You know what I want, Clayton. I told you to make shit right. Nigga, you still haven’t made your apologies, created a video, or went live, and you haven’t sent her the money back yet.”
“Why do you give a fuck?”
“Let’s just say that I have a vested interest in her healing, and I don’t like being fucked with.
When you manipulated me by using your knowledge about my father’s demise and lied to me so that I could take your case and fight for you, you fucked me over.
I don’t take that shit lightly or easily.
You fucked with the wrong nigga, Clayton.
Make it right with Delaney. I can get to you, your woman, and your kid at any time. ”
“If you think that you can just scare me that easily, you can’t. Mess with my family and I’m coming for your livelihood. We both know that you could lose your license or be disbarred behind some shit like this.”
“Look at my face, nigga.” I mugged him hard as hell through the phone.
“I’m not one that you want to threaten like that, and if you think that me losing that little license is going to cause me to lose any sleep, think again.
I won’t be the one missing any sleep, but your ass will.
You’d better be sleeping with one eye open and looking over your shoulder, muthafucka, ’cause I’m coming for that ass. ”
I ended the call and laid a Black Dahlia beside Gamani before I returned the baby to his bed and patted him back to sleep.
Before I left, I placed a Black Dahlia on the baby’s changing table.
It represented betrayal and mourning, and it was the only reminder I would give Clayton about what was to come.
My phone buzzed, and I glanced at it.
FROST: He’s ten minutes out. Get out of there.
ME: Are you following him?
FROST: Yeah, nigga. What you think?
ME: Leaving now.
My big cousin had worked with me to make sure that I was able to slip in and out of Clayton’s little love nest undetected.
I had some dudes on him watching him for a while.
While I knew he lived here most of the time, there were other places he lived as well.
Surprisingly, the little apartment that he kept for his online classes wasn’t one of the places that he laid his head at to rest, but he did have a couple of little honeys he stayed with from time to time.
I set the alarm on the house again as I strolled out to my car whistling. I dialed Delaney to check on her.
“Hey, babe. Are you busy?”
“No. Just sitting here relaxing.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Okay, see you soon. Be safe, Naijhel.”
“Always.”
I ended the call and hopped inside of my car. After I started the ignition, I turned on the system and scanned it until I found the playlist that I was looking for. It was a combo playlist of hip-hop artists Mak D and Keith G.
I didn’t need to play the music too loud to feel the power behind their lyrics. After a few more minutes, I watched as Clayton pulled into the driveway. I saw Frost drive by slowly after several seconds, and he shook his head.
Clayton zoomed up the driveway and stormed toward my car. The minute he rolled up on me, I let my window down, dropped a Black Dahlia at his feet, and stared into his eyes.
“You’ve been warned, muthafucka.”
He backed up from my car and stared at the flower at his feet. Within seconds, fear etched itself on his face, and he ran into the house, presumably to check on his little family.
I slowly pulled down the driveway and drove in the direction that I saw Frost go. It was time to see Delany and ease the cares of my troubled day. She was always a bright ray of sunshine in my life.