Chapter 11 Steel #2
Pops eyed me suspiciously. “You still have feelings for that girl, don’t you?”
“What?”
“What?” he mocked. “You heard me. You still have feelings for her?”
I didn’t answer right away. That was some shit I had to think about.
I’d buried my feelings for Neha deep in the back of my mind with my darkest secrets, in hopes that one day, she would come back.
Over the years, they hadn’t gone away. They were simply under lock and key along with my ability to love any woman the way I loved her.
Seeing her at the school before I knew the truth sent a rush of those feelings back to the forefront. When I had my sister look her up to see where she was, my first mind told me I was going to get my woman back. Now that was dead.
I hadn’t had another serious relationship since her.
I didn’t commit to anybody. I did what my brothers did and fucked around with different women to meet my sexual needs.
That was the only thing being met. Part of me always craved more, but I couldn’t give myself to another woman like that again.
We were young, but I loved her, and she ruined me for another.
Neha telling me she couldn’t love me hurt me to my fucking core.
I knew what she saw that night scared the hell outta her.
I mean, I hadn’t crashed out that bad on a nigga .
. . ever. The thought of someone trying to take advantage of her, and I wasn’t around to protect her, made me see red.
If I’d walked in on that shit, it would have been a murder that night.
Quiet as it was kept, she wasn’t the first girl he’d tried on campus.
He had a reputation for being a predator.
I waited until the heat from the fight died down before I handled him the way I wanted to.
Jaeda got me his information, and I took the trip, along with Deuce, to take care of that nigga once and for all.
He didn’t even see it coming. We followed him for two days, learning his habits.
When we found him that fatal night, he was at a bar, pushing up on another unsuspecting female.
I’d discreetly slipped something in his drink to lower his inhibitions.
When he came stumbling out of the bar about thirty minutes later, I was waiting on him in the alley.
He had to take a piss and never knew what hit him when I sent the bullet through the back of his head. He’d never prey on anybody else.
“I’m gonna take that as a yes,” Pops said, shifting KJ.
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. I know you, boy. Better than you know yourself.” He stood with KJ in his arms. “I’ll take him for the night. Get you some sleep. You look like shit.”
I waved him off. “Bye, Stanley.”
He chuckled as he came over to hug me. As usual, he kissed my temple.
“I love you, Son.”
“I love you, too, Pop.” I kissed KJ’s forehead. “I love you, Fat Man.”
“I want to meet my grandbaby. You need to tell the family and bring her over here. Tavia is gonna kick your ass.”
“She is.”
I didn’t even think about how my mom would react to all this. I couldn’t spring Nayelli on her with a visit because she was gonna want Neha’s head. As mad as I was at her, I couldn’t let my mama get her hands on her. Jaeda or Mia were different.
I walked them to the door and watched as he climbed into his truck with my son and headed back up the road to his house.
When I closed the door, my thoughts drifted back to Neha.
It was as though I could feel the mental wall I had surrounding my feelings for her, beginning to weaken at the foundation. I had to get that shit under control.
We could never have anything again, . . . could we?”
I’d gotten up early this morning to go check on my son.
Whatever juice my father had, I needed some of that.
He seemed to be feeling a little better and actually smiled at me today.
Nayelli had called me like clockwork when she woke up, so I spoke with her as I got ready for the day.
Her calls had been making my morning. They started my day off right.
I told her that I told her grandfather about her, and she couldn’t wait to meet him.
When I went over to his place after our call, I relayed the message, and he all but threatened me to move my ass on telling everybody else so he could meet her.
After loving on KJ for a beat, I made my rounds, picking up the little Dillingers to take them to school today before heading to pick up Jaiden.
I had to butter them up first before I put in my request.
I’d taken them to grab breakfast and slid them all a few dollars, which made them happy. As we pulled up to the school, I noticed Nayelli getting out of a car. In the driver’s seat was Neha. They spoke briefly before she drove off.
“Aye,” I said to my little cousins. “Y’all see that girl right there,” I said, pointing at Nayelli, who was talking to one of the women on drop-off duty.
They all nodded.
“She’s in my class,” Jaiden said.
“Word? Good. Look, I need y’all to do something for me.”
They all looked at me with questioning eyes.
“I want y’all to make friends with her. She’s being bullied, and if anybody messes with her, beat their ass.”
They all grinned.
“We get permission to fight?” Prince asked.
“Don’t hurt them, just let ’em know not to mess with her again. You know how y’all were taught to protect each other? Protect her like she’s one of you.”
“What if we get in trouble?” Kadence asked. “I’m telling my mama you told us to fight.”
I chuckled. “Girl, I ain’t scared of your mama. I’ll take the heat.”
“My daddy’s gonna get you, Steel,” Reagen told me.
“Boy, I used to whup your daddy’s ass. He ain’t getting nothing.”
“Mama’s gonna whup you if I get in trouble, KD,” Jaiden said.
I chuckled. “I ain’t scared of your mama, either.”
“She was your mama first. Daddy is gonna be mad.”
“I ain’t scared of your daddy either.”
“I bet you’re scared of Uncle Stanley.”
I waved him off. “Look, y’all just make sure nobody bothers her again.”
“But why?” Prince asked.
“She’s special to me, and soon, she’ll be special to y’all too. She’s been having a hard time here.”
Jaiden nodded. “The girls are really mean to her. I think they are jealous ’cause she’s pretty.”
Prince grinned. “Jaiden has a crush!”
“I do not!”
They started arguing, and I had to shut them up.
“Aye!” I snapped, causing the truck to fall silent. “I need y’all to focus on the task at hand.”
I almost forgot that I was talking to a bunch of kids with a limited attention span.
“Y’all go have a good day. Love y’all.”
“Love you too!”
They filed out of the truck, Jaiden being the last one.
“KD?” he said, looking back.
“What’s up, buddy?”
“I wouldn’t mind being real friends with Nayelli.”
I smiled. “Then be her real friend.”
“Okay. See you later!”
“See you later, dude.”
He hopped out of the truck and headed into the building.
I pulled off and headed to the academy. Maybe I was overstepping with Nayelli.
Shit, I knew I was, but she was my kid. If I couldn’t have my own eyes on her, her little cousins and uncle would have to do.
I was sure Neha would have something to say about it if she found out.
She’d probably curse me for everything but a child of God, but it was whatever.
The school wasn’t doing their job, and like always, a Dillinger had to make shit happen. If letting the kids loose didn’t work, I’d just handle it myself. If I had to beat their daddies asses to prove a point, I wasn’t above that.
The sound of my phone ringing broke me from my thoughts. I picked it up to see a call from Miss Anita. Swiping the screen, I answered.
“Good morning, Ms. Anita.”
“Good morning, Kerrion. Do you have a minute?”
“I’m on my way to work. What’s up?”
“Well, I was hoping . . . I was hoping I could get KJ for the weekend.”
My ears perked up. “The whole weekend?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a lot to handle. I mean, I know you can handle a kid, but are you sure you’re ready?”
“I’m ready. I miss my baby, and I need some part of her close to me. I hate that I haven’t been the best grandma, and I want to do better. Please let me keep him.”
“I’m okay with that. He has a respiratory infection right now, but if he’s better by the weekend, you can take him.”
“Does he need anything?”
“He’s currently being spoiled by his grandfather, so he’s okay.”
“Okay, well, can I call to check on him later?”
“Of course. If he’s feeling up to it, we can FaceTime.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your patience.”
“I love you, Ms. Anita. You were one of the most important people to one of my most important people. I got you.”
“Thank you, baby. Have a good day.”
“You too.”
We disconnected the call, and I took a deep breath.
I was nervous as fuck to let KJ out of my sight with someone he wasn’t extremely familiar with.
His whole little life, he’d only been around my family.
FaceTime calls and visits here and there were one thing, but spending the whole weekend with a practical stranger was another.
I’d never keep him away from Ms. Anita, so I had to suck it up. Hopefully, this visit went well, and she really was ready to be present.