Chapter 17
“Nick, go to your room baby,” Nyelle spoke calmly even though her heart was pounding in her chest. She didn’t want her voice to alarm her son. His sleepy eyes were already focused on his father, causing a slight pout to appear.
“Daddy, why do you have a gun?”
Reese still had his eyes on Vega, not wanting to surrender his position, but his son was more important than the situation at hand. Lowering his gun, he replaced the safety and tucked it into his pants.
His actions prompted Vega to do the same. So while Reese moved past them to get to Nick, Vega secured his weapon and placed it on his body as well.
“Why you up, chief? It’s late.” Reese spoke softly to his son and attempted to lift him into his arms, but Nick bypassed him and went right for his mother, standing in front of her protectively. His anger was on a thousand, but he would never take that out on Nick.
“I heard you yelling at Mommy.” Nick looked up at his mother with his tiny face hard. His alpha was already kicking in at his young age because his instinct was to make sure she was good.
“I wasn’t yelling, chief. We were just—"
“Yes, you were. I heard you and you had a gun. He did too.” Nick’s little feet shuffled in Vega’s direction but Nyelle pulled her son back against her legs, draping her arm around his tiny body. “Mommy, who is he?”
Nick’s little face was still hard, and under any other circumstances Nyelle would have been amused, but her heart was shattered by the fact that her son felt the need to protect her because he witnessed his father and Vega in a standoff with guns drawn.
At this moment she could have murdered both of them.
“He’s my friend,” Nyelle explained, offering Vega sympathetic eyes.
She wasn’t sure what he was thinking with Reese showing up unannounced since she had presented to Vega that she and her ex were done.
Hell, they were, but that was not the picture Reese was currently painting.
Unfortunately, she didn’t care. Nick was her priority, so she wanted them both out.
“I don’t know him,” Nick was quick to throw out right after her.
Nyelle addressed Vega first. “I apologize for all of this, but can we talk tomorrow? I need to get Nick back to bed.” His line of sight went right to Reese who strongly considered removing his gun again. Had it not been for his son, it would have been a no brainer.
“Yeah we can do that but before I go, you sure you’re good?” Vega kept his eyes on Reese, which only further infuriated him.
“She’s more than good. You don’t have any input here.”
Vega released a cocky laugh before he looked at Nyelle, waiting for her to speak. He didn’t give a damn about Reese’s bruised ego. His only concern was that Nyelle was straight.
“I’m fine. He’s leaving, now!”
“Man, hell nah, we need to talk about that shit.”
“You’re right, we do, but not for the reasons you’re thinking. I told you already, I’m done. You don’t have any business here. Not like this.”
“And he does?” Reese’s voice raised more than he intended.
“Yes, actually he does. He’s here because I invited him here. You just showed up.”
“Oh, so you just got other men all up in the shit I pay for around my son and I’m supposed to be cool with that?”
Vega laughed again, amused by Reese’s reaction. He had no reason to doubt Nyelle and she said they were over. That’s what he was going with until she proved anything different.
“Something funny, muthafucker?”
“Yeah but that’s a story for another day.”
“Ny, I’m gon’ head out. Hit me up tomorrow and we can talk,” Vega moved closer to Nyelle, pressing a kiss to her cheek before he kneeled down to Nick.
“My name is Vega. I’m pleased to meet you.
I see you’re a real one, looking out for your mom.
I respect that. I apologize for my gun, but a real man protects the woman he cares about.
He doesn’t cause problems for her. It won’t happen again, aight?
” Vega lifted a hand to Nick who looked up at his mother for approval which she sent by way of a nod.
Nick accepted Vega’s hand with his tiny one, and after they shook, Vega was up on his way to the door.
When he reached it, he offered Reese a warning.
“Next time I see you, if you don’t find some respect, I’m gonna show you just how much of a mistake that can be to your health.” Without waiting for a response, Vega walked out the door and closed it behind him.
“This the type of shit you’re on!” Reese yelled, moving with angry, long strides toward Nyelle. He only stopped when he noticed Nick’s body flinch before he grabbed his mother’s leg.
“You are not about to do this right now. You can go.” Nyelle gave him a warning look so deadly Reese wasn’t sure he’d ever seen that side of her before.
“Nah, we can—"
“I said no. I’m about to put my son to bed then I’m going to bed. We can talk when I feel like it, but I promise it won’t be anytime soon.”
“Nah, we can do that now. I can’t wait. In fact, come on chief, let Daddy get you back in bed.”
Nick held tighter to his mother’s leg. His young mind wouldn’t allow him to process what was going on, but he had chosen his side and it was his mother. “I want Mommy to do it.”
Reese’s face tightened when he looked down at his son. Right after, his eyes rolled up to Nyelle, knowing she wasn’t about to offer him any help.
“Aight, chief, that’s cool. I’ll come see you this week. Can I get a hug?”
Nick nodded slowly, taking extra time to let go of his mother, but eventually making it to his dad. Reese lifted Nick into his arms and hugged him. Nick gave in and hugged him back. “Daddy apologizes for tonight. I’ll make it up to you, okay, chief?”
“Okay,” Nick’s little voice was muffled by his father’s shoulder.
“Look at me,” Reese demanded and when Nick lifted his head, Reese pressed his forehead to his son’s. “I love you, chief.”
“I love you too.”
Reese might have had his ways ’bout him, but he did truly love his son. Lately he hadn’t been the best father, so he was going to do what was right. That was the only reason he was going to leave.
After he lowered his son to the ground, Nick made his way back over to Nyelle who kneeled down toward him. “Go get in my bed. You can sleep with me.” She kissed the top of his head and watched as Nick took off down the hall yelling, “Bye, Daddy!” over his shoulder.
“You can go now.” The loving caring look she just shared with her son was over and Nyelle was back to her hostile self.
Reese glared at her, trying to decide if he wanted to snatch her up or leave.
“You really ain’t shit.”
Nyelle laughed hard and from the gut. “You had a whole baby but I’m not shit for going on a date with a man who really wants to be good to me?”
“He’s trying to be good to you. He wants to fuck you. Vega Orr, right?” Reese questioned after piecing it together. He didn’t know him personally, but he knew of him.
“Yeah and?”
“He just touched down, Ny. He’s trying to get as much pussy as he can from what he lost when he was locked up. If you believe he wants something serious then you’re not as smart as I give you credit for.”
It was a low blow, but Reese was angry and fighting dirty.
“Get the fuck out.”
He grinned and shrugged. “You mad now because you know I’m right.”
“No, I’m mad because I wasted so many years of my life with a weak man like you when I could have been with a real one like Vega.
Get the fuck out. If you want to see Nick, call or text me first. If you have a problem with that because you think this is your place then we’ll move because you won’t hold that over my head. I can promise you that.”
“I’m not trying to hold shit over your head, Nyelle. If I was, my name would be on the paperwork and not yours, but you won’t disrespect me like I didn’t build this shit for you.”
She shook her head and laughed. “I’ll start looking for a place. Obviously you’re not too smart either because you don’t understand what the fuck I just said. Lock my door when you leave.”
Without a second thought she left him there and started down the hall to her bedroom. All she wanted was to climb in bed with her son and sleep away the craziness of the past few hours.
“You need my help? It’s three-thirty in the morning, Joi. What’s wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen?”
“Yes…”
“Oh my God, Joi, what happened?” Ava threw the covers back and scooted to the side of the bed in no time.
If her niece needed her, she was there. No matter what.
Ava was already processing how fast she could catch a flight to Atlanta if for some reason she couldn’t utilize the jet readily at her disposal.
“It’s not me. I’m fine…” Joi paused and massaged her neck before she continued. “A friend of mine… A guy I’m friends with. He got arrested.”
“Arrested! Arrested for what? Lord. I knew that boy was no good for you. I hope you’re not calling to ask me to help him.”
Joi’s body stiffened as she sat in her car. After taking in a short breath, she shook the thought off and got down to the facts. “It’s not Reg. We’re done…”
“Then who and what did he do?”
“His name is East. It’s not about drugs and it’s not his fault.
It was just a misunderstanding. The cop that arrested him is dirty.
He didn’t have a reason to take him, but he did.
I don’t know all of the details, but I need your help getting him out because it’s kind of my fault. I didn’t know who else to call.”