29. Rico #2
“I don’t know how Wyn deals with you,” she rolls her eyes playfully, but I’m stuck on the name.
“Since when are y’all cool?”
Ju shrugs, but holds my gaze. “I’m cool with anyone who loves my son. But, she surprised me, after I showed my natural ass. I see how she got you. Don’t fuck it up! I won’t be accepting any other aunts for Marzy!”
I push her finger out my face and walk around her to her room.
She picked a two bedroom unit, the primary room big enough for all her furniture and an office nook for her job.
Mars’s room is a nice size, too, and has a window I’m sure he’ll love to look out of since he’s not afraid of heights, or much of anything.
I go straight to Ju’s nightstand and open it, taking out a plastic box.
“What’s that?” she asks, but judging by how her eyes round, she knows exactly what it is.
“Close and lock that door.”
She obeys me, and once I hear the lock engage, I open the box and pull out something I’m sure she hasn’t seen in years.
“This is Fredo’s piece. His favorite. A Beretta Px4 Storm. I cleaned it, and tested it, and loaded it with bullets, the ones in the box. The safety is here. This is how you turn it off. Then you just point and shoot. I know you know how to use a gun–”
“Rico. I don’t want any guns in my house.”
I turn the safety on and hold it out to her. “I don’t really give a fuck about what you want. You the one whose ex-nigga is a certified shooter, and believe me, that nigga will kill you just to get to Mars, and not think twice of it. You say you done with his ass–”
“I am done,” she stresses, taking the gun out of my hand.
“Okay. Well, then you should be able to shoot him and anyone else down that tries to come in between you and Mars. You just point and shoot. Anyone who isn’t me, Nan, Pooh, or Snow. You need to go to the range to practice?”
She places the gun into the box and shakes her head. “Fredo took me before.”
“Six years ago–”
“I remember. I’m a good shot.” She glares at me from under her lashes, and I’m sure she thinks that’s supposed to be intimidating.
I close the box and place it back in her nightstand. “Lock the nightstand but keep it close.”
“Can’t you just talk to him? Maybe I can… I dunno.” Soft knocks sound off on her door, pulling both of our attention.
“I’m trying to wait him out. Once my niggas get over it, they can rein him in. I’ma take Mars to Nut’s house today, and then Mars can come here weekends and shit. I’m thinking by the summer we can ask him if he wants to stay here full time, and if he says yes then that’ll be the move.”
I don’t wait for her to reply. Mars is at the door, poised to knock again, his smile turning sheepish as he grins at me.
“Who braided your hair? Miele?”
He nods as I gently pull on one of his plaits. They put some highlights in it, too, further sun bleached if I go by his tan.
“I’m finna take you somewhere. You’ll come back with your mom next weekend. Go say bye.”
He nods and pushes me to the side to jump on Ju. Something in my chest pulls, and I find myself rubbing it hard as I walk toward the front door.
I haven’t felt guilty for keeping them apart in years.
Ju was a kid herself, younger than even Haze and Turk when they had Deuce.
She had no business having a child, even if I was grateful a piece of Fredo was still here.
Postpartum depression and Nan’s manipulation was whooping her ass, and while I will never doubt she loves Mars, I do think she’s better having left him to grow up a little.
I hear his feet, so I exit the crib and keep the door open so he can run out, closing and locking it behind him.
He’s buzzing with excitement, and once we’re closer to Nut’s crib, I finally have enough balls to put him up on game.
“So, the guys I be telling you about, that were friends of mine and your dad, we’re gonna meet some today.”
“Really?” His eyes round. “Who?”
“Peanut. Casey will be there, too. I’m not sure who else. And there will be other kids, too.”
“Other kids?”
“Yes, which means you gotta be nice. Share toys. And Peanut’s daughter is your age, so remember she’s a girl and you can’t be all rough with her.”
“What if she’s rough with me?”
“Still, Mars. She’s family. They’re all family, but it takes time to build to that point. You remember how long it took for NiNi to tell you his real name.”
“Foreeeeeeeeever,” he drawls, turning as upside down as his seatbelt will allow.
“‘Zactly. I’m sure in time you can play fight, but for right now, scope the scene. Have manners. And if anyone asks about your mom–”
“Say it’s a secret. I know, Ricky. And no, it’s not a lie if it keeps her safe.”
“My guy.” I give him an air pound as we turn onto Nut’s street.
I guess part of me always knew shit would be like this. I’d been telling him that shit since he first began to ask questions.
Nut’s driveway isn’t as full as I thought it would be for his New Year’s Brunch. I figured Ty-Ty wouldn’t be here, but neither is Turk or Reem. I pull up behind Set’s car in case I gotta box him up, and give myself one second after I turn off my whip.
You couldn’t hide him forever, Rick.
I shake my head on the steering wheel, not voicing how I really feel about this before hopping out. It’s not like I wanted to. But I’ll never get used to this feeling. Not necessarily fear of the unknown, but something similar fasho.
Everyone would be outside in Nut’s yard, so I make a beeline for it after we enter his crib.
Sure enough, Ana?s and Denver are running around with water guns like it’s the summer instead of January, while the adults are eating at the cabanas.
I place my hand on Mars’s shoulder so he doesn’t run off, and drag him over to the cabanas for introductions.
Dallas, Brina, and Macy begin whispering immediately, even backing up from the group for their impromptu meeting. I’m sure Macy will be bold enough to take pictures, since she already has her phone out and conspicuously pointed at us.
We stop in front of Shad, Set, and Nut, who all stand. Mars leans into me, but I can tell he’s more excited than nervous. He’s been hearing about them all his life, and every phone call he made while in Belize during the holidays, he asked me about Set.
“Mars, You know Casey. That’s your uncle Peanut. And then that’s your uncle Shad.”
“You mean Set?” Mars asks, glancing up at me before grinning at him. “You told me your name is Casey, but Ricky always calls you Set when he tells me bedtime stories.”
“Awww shit. What you been telling my young bull about us?” Nut asks, shaking his head.
Mars just grins more. “Everything. Ricky tells me about Tryouts and–”
“Aight. Go play with the other kids.” I push him out the way, and he socks me in the hip before running off toward the playpen, where I’m sure Sadé and Mason are at with Set’s twins.
“So you kept him away from Foe Dub just to tell him about all the shit we’ve gotten up to? So what was the point?” Shad folds his arms and grills me.
“Even if Luney knew the answer to that himself, he wouldn’t say shit. Save your breath, bro.”
Brina steps up and Set pulls her into him.
“Wassup, mamita?” I ask, playing with my tongue ring.
“Unt, unt. I heard about you shooting at my baby daddy!”
My smile drops, and I grill Set as he curls his arms around her.
“You ain’t tell her you shot at me first?”
“See, I knew Rico wouldn’t just shoot at him. I told y’all!” Mace puts her phone away and comes to hug me, before cutting her eyes at Set. “All this inhouse fighting is tiresome and making me overeat. Y’all need to squash it, neow.”
“You overeating ‘cause you greedy–ow! She is, Choc! Why you think I hid my ice cream?!”
“Niggas know what they gotta do to keep my bullets in the clip,” Set shrugs.
Shad snorts. “Hell gon’ freeze over before this psycho nigga says sorry. I’ma go change Mason.”
I jab my finger at a retreating Shad. “I know the crybaby not calling me stubborn? Besides, y’all worried about the past. The present is now. Mars is here and my boy can talk anyone’s ear off. Just don’t ask him about his mama and we good.”
Nut’s face balls up. “Why? She dead or something?”
“Or something. It ain’t ya issue, and I’m fasho not elaborating around a nigga who tryna kill me.”
“Rico, no one is trying to kill you.”
I grab Dal’s hand, swatting Nut when he tries to swat mine. “You’d never, my chocolate goddess. Yo homie Set? Ask him who Slime is.”
Nut sighs before turning toward Set, who at least has the decency to look sheepish under the scrutiny of his big cousin.
Shad comes back with Mason, looking around. “What?”
“Who’s Slime, Shaddy?” Mace asks, making his eyes stretch.
“Yep. Go ahead and tell them, Case. Come introduce me to your nephew, Rico.” Brina pulls me away, leaving Set in the hot seat as we trek slowly toward the kids.
“I would have figured you chose up on me.”
Brina pinches my upper arm, making me grin.
“For your information, I’m on Wyn’s side, full stop.
Not only do I support women’s rights and wrongs, but both you and Casey aren’t doing shit but measuring whose dick is bigger, and whose aim is better.
Please put him out of his misery and just apologize, even if you don’t mean it. ”
“You and I both know that nigga won’t stop at that, and I’m not yielding. Let me ask you.” We stop just short of the kids. When I glance at them, Mars is in the sandbox, listening to Ana?s as she shows him how to draw something.
I turn back to Brina’s expectant stare. “You really think Set didn’t know about me and her before he got at her? No clue at all.”
A wry smile twists her lips. “If it were any other man, I would say no. But from what he’s told me about how things were when you all were kids, I just don’t even see him caring enough to be cognizant of things like that.
And Casey wouldn’t have crossed that line if he knew you had history with her.
Unlike you, he has no underlying beef with you. Or had.”
I roll my eyes, earning me a small push from her.
“You should have said something. He was owed that from you. Apologize.”