Chapter 23
Raul
“Is she ok? What’s going on with the surgery?” Sariah asked in a panic.
She delivered my son a week and a half ago and Kateri was shot tonight. There was no way she’d be able to go up to the hospital. She could barely walk and with her breastfeeding, my son needed his mom to be around him.
I had Sariah move in with me two weeks before the delivery and brought her granny along. The plan was to move them into their own place but decided against it when Sariah kept being unsure about where and when to move.
Her grandmother was cool as hell and said she’d come for a short time but that staying with her granddaughter and family didn’t sit right with her.
She wanted her own freedom and felt Sariah was old enough to move on without her.
She wanted her own privacy and I agreed.
It took some persuading from me for Sariah to see it the same.
My girl had to respect her decision whether she wanted to or not.
“She’s going to be fine.” It’s crazy how you can say something and not really know for sure if it’ll be true.
The doctor told Ms. Coleman that Kateri would be fine and that there would be some complications afterwards. However, those problems she’ll have when it’s all said and done may affect her lifestyle. Her mom was concerned with her working, going places and overall, her everyday life.
I could care less about any of it but I’d be a fool to think Sariah wouldn’t have a hard time dealing with it.
They’re best friends and have been for years.
They were frick and frack and did everything together, including fighting.
The way those two had each other back was something hard to find when it came to friends.
There’s always some sort of jealousy or backstabbing, yet not with them.
I also knew the shooting affected Cairo in a different way.
He was in love with Kateri and we all knew it.
Once he spoke on having a kid with her and possibly going back on his oath not to get married, it was evident Kateri was the woman for him.
After his ex did that shit to him, he lost all faith in finding what his mom called his soulmate.
That was until Kateri and even though she survived the shooting, Cairo blamed himself because he knew the bullets were for him.
He didn’t send Kateri out there purposely knowing that would happen but in his mind, it was his fault.
The part that had us mind boggled was how anyone knew about that place. Cairo had plenty of houses spread out and that particular one was on a dead end street with maybe six other houses on it. He never had security watching because it wasn’t one he frequented until Kateri.
“Raul, I want to see her.” Sariah whined, handing me the baby.
“Give it a few days because you’re still healing. She’s going to be there for a while from what the doctor said.” Cairo wanted to move her to his house on the compound but Ms. Coleman begged him not to. She didn’t want to go through security checks constantly to see her.
“What if she dies before I see her?” Taking Raul Junior out the room because she was being dramatic as fuck, I heard her granny go in there and start telling her off. Maybe I should talk her into staying. A few minutes later I heard the upstairs door slam.
“Let me talk to you, Raul.” I turned around and saw her grandmother coming down the steps. She was in good shape for the most part.
“What’s up?” I put Raul Jr. in the swing and turned the knob for it to go and play music.
“Let me sit first.” She took a deep breath and started to talk.
“Raul, you are a good man to my granddaughter but I need you to think really hard if you want to be with her.”
“Huh?” I was confused on what she was trying to say.
“Sariah is a brat and wants everything to go her way. If it doesn’t, then she’ll find a way to piss the person off.” Sariah was definitely like that.
“All I’m saying is you deserve a good woman who would appreciate you trying to give her the good life and Sariah wants to be broke forever.” I laughed so hard at her grandmother.
“I’m serious. If she can’t say she purchased this or did that, then in her mind she owed the person who did.
She’s so used to having bragging rights on what she does have, that taking those away would be devastating.
” I already figured that out about Sariah but she was right, I did deserve someone better.
“Now if you want to live with a woman who wants to live off scraps and tell people she’s broke or can’t go because she doesn’t have enough money then be my guest.” I stood there listening to her go on and on about what she felt was best for me.
“Shit, take my great grandson and tell her he can’t live in poor conditions or something.
Maybe it will make her ass get it together.
” I couldn’t help but laugh and agree. They didn’t live in a broken down house or anything like that but why live as if you’re barely making it when your man can give you whatever you asked for.
“Granny, are you trying to make him leave me?” Sariah walked slowly down the steps.
“Yup because you don’t deserve him.” Both of them looked at me like I had to answer.
“Your grandmother wants what’s best for you and our son. However, she’s right about being with a woman who appreciates me and what I could do for her.”
“Raul, I don’t want to depend on you. What if we break up and you don’t want to be around us anymore?”
“If you ask me, he shouldn’t be around you now with your ungrateful ass.” Granny rose up off the couch holding on to the cane.
“Raul, I know some good church girls that would love to be upgraded and treated like a queen. I’m sure they’d have a million babies for you too.” She walked off, pushing past Sariah. I couldn’t help but get a kick out of them.
“You want church girls Raul?”
“I don’t know Sariah but your granny was right. This delusion of losing your independence because I’m helping you is ridiculous. You think I want you to stop working so you can get on my nerves all day?” She gasped.
“I want you to go on vacations with your friends or have shopping sprees on me and not worry if I’m going to ask how much did you spend. You wanna go out and party, that’s fine because I’ll be here with our son or kids when you get home.” I made my way over to her.
“We’re not gonna work if you refuse to let me in your world.” I wiped the few tears streaming down her face.
“Can I keep my job?”
“Yup but ain’t no working second jobs.” There was no need for that. She didn’t even have to work at all but it would be good for her to get out the house.
“Ok, one last thing.” She wrapped her arms around my neck.
“What’s that?” I kissed the side of her neck.
“Can I redecorate the bedroom and downstairs?” I shrugged.
“My mom had a decorator come in to design this place. You can do whatever pleases you.” We started kissing when her grandmother yelled out.
“You better get it together Sariah. Now go give him a happy hand job upstairs. I got my grandson.” Both of us laughed but you can bet we went upstairs and she gave me more than a hand job. Sex was off the table for at least another week or so but that mouth put me straight to sleep.
Arriving at a destination I should’ve came to a while ago, I waited for the person to get out the car. Grabbing what was needed, I stepped out and walked to the door. Checking my surroundings to see if any nosy neighbors were looking, I rang the doorbell.
“What’s up? I haven’t seen you in a while.” Sammy spoke with a devious look on her face. She opened the door and stepped aside for me to come in.
The house was pretty clean and from what I could tell looking around, no one was home. There weren’t any lights on or any movement coming from upstairs. Sammy lived by herself but she did have a man who stayed over from time to time.
“Where’s your man?” Not that I cared because what I came for was going to be done regardless.
“Standing in front of me.” Chuckling because that was her problem right there.
“Come here Sammy.” Following me into the living room, I sat on the couch. She plopped down next to me and immediately tried to kiss.
“Nah. I’m not here for that.” Moving her hand away, I turned to face her.
“How many times did I tell you to leave my girl alone?” She shrugged, rubbing my chest.
“What’s with all this touchy, feely shit? We haven’t fucked in years and you have a man.”
“Yea but he’s not you.”
“And you’re not my girl.” Removing the gun from my waist, I placed it on her forehead.
“Raul, what are you doing?” Panic plagued her face.
“I’m doing what should’ve been done a long time ago. Instead, I allowed you to harass my woman, lie about us being together and you flattening her tires.” She seemed shocked to know how much I knew.
Sariah told me about her lying and saying she got invited to my aunt’s party.
My uncle been planning that party for the last two years and she kept asking if she could go all the way up until I got with Sariah.
Like I said, we were always cool so she knew when we had parties.
She probably had the shit marked on a calendar or something.
“This is also because I can’t take the chance of you fucking with her while she has my son around.
” Remembering Rosalina saying that Sammy wouldn’t let another chick have my kid, made me realize she would do something to hurt Sariah and my son may have been there.
The best thing to do was get rid of her to avoid it.
“I can’t believe you went and let her have your kid.” Sammy acted delusional many times but she was really out of it thinking I wouldn’t ever have kids.
Standing up to move away because I didn’t want any blood on me, she had the nerve to start begging and pleading.
I’ll never understand how people could constantly terrorize someone on a daily basis and when it’s time to pay the piper, they are apologetic and wishing they could go back and make a change.
“Too late for regrets.” Her body slumped over and slid to the ground when the bullet pierced her skull. I blamed myself too for allowing it to not only go on for so long with Sariah but in general.
For years, Sammy would see me with someone, find out who the person was and just continue to harass the woman.
Because they meant nothing to me, I didn’t really think about how it affected those chicks until Sariah.
She was able to handle her own but as her man, it was my job to handle it and I did.
Now that it’s done, I no longer have to worry about her running into Sariah with my son and causing problems.