Chapter 6
SIX
MYTHIC
“Why you not answering your phone for Maui? Where the hell are you?”
I was listening to Epic’s voicemail. I could tell he was nervous, especially after the conversation we had.
Adrian had hemmed my ass up last night. Muthafucka had pretty much held me hostage, saying that I owed him more money for what was confiscated.
That wasn’t my muthafucking fault. He could talk to his police buddies to get that shit back, or he could take it out on Seven’s ass.
I wasn’t giving him anymore of my fucking money.
He and his boys tried to scare me into giving him more money, but he should have known that shit wasn’t gon’ work.
I didn’t go back home, because I didn’t want them trying to get at Maui.
I would have been their way in. As I sat at the bridge, staring at the water, I saw Maui’s car fly by.
There were a ton of cars behind her. Aww fuck.
I checked my text messages to see that PJ had said that Maui texted him saying for me not to go home.
Evidently, they found some credibility to Seven’s story.
If they were coming for me, I needed to stay away like she said.
However, the nigga in me wanted to go home and dare them to try something.
I would go out shooting. I just wished I could see Maui one last time.
I knew it would only be a matter of time before she found out.
My phone rang and when I saw my dad’s number, I knew I had better answer. I already knew he was calling to chew me the fuck out. “Hello?”
“Tell me that shit ain’t true. You sent those feens for Seven, for real? Man, the Hendersons are like our family. What did Seven do to you? He younger than you, so y’all didn’t even really run in the same circles.”
“He ain’t do nothing to me. I just thought he would be an easy target. I underestimated him.”
He took an extremely deep breath and blew it out. “The more I try to understand you, the more you confuse me. I don’t understand that shit, Mythic. Where are you?”
I stared out at the water, knowing I’d fucked up and lost my baby .
. . both of them. There was no way I would be able to be in our baby’s life.
My heart was heavy as I looked at the email from Lamar Institute of Technology.
I was supposed to be starting school in a couple of weeks.
I didn’t even want to go anymore. I would have to withdraw.
“Mythic! Where the fuck are you?” my dad yelled, clearly irritated even more by my silence.
“At the bridge, man. That was over a year ago, prolly like two years ago when I first got paroled. I’m not the same person I was back then.”
“Mythic . . . shit. You in over your head. The Hendersons ain’t gon’ let that shit ride. You know that, right? How am I gon’ protect you from all them niggas?”
“No disrespect, but I ain’t ask for your protection. I ain’t never had that shit anyway. Just keep doing what you been doing. Don’t worry about me. I’d probably be better off dead anyway.”
I ended the call, not giving him a chance to respond.
What did I have to live for? I may as well go home and let them take me out.
Standing from the dirt, I went to my ride and decided to go to Vanessa’s house to finally see my son.
I wasn’t even excited about it. Vanessa wasn’t a ratchet ho, so I supposed that would make it easier.
She just wanted me to accept responsibility for the life I created.
I opened my console and saw I had a couple of bands in there that I could give to her.
When I turned on her street, I looked around, trying to make sure no one was following me, then turned in her driveway.
I sat there for a minute, trying to gather the nerve.
After taking a deep breath, I got out of the vehicle and headed to the door.
My head stayed on a swivel, checking my surroundings.
Those niggas had me fucked up if they thought they would get another dime out of me.
So, I knew I needed to be prepared to meet my maker.
PJ was the only nigga that cut for me hard, but I didn’t want him involved in this shit.
That had me without a crew. Me against the fucking world.
I rang the doorbell, then I heard a baby cry.
Lowering my head, I did my best to keep my heart hard.
I couldn’t allow him to penetrate my defenses.
I’d never been around a baby like I was about to be.
The door opened and Vanessa was standing there in some sweats and a T-shirt, holding our son.
Her eyes were wide, but she remained silent.
She stepped aside and allowed me to walk inside.
I turned to her once inside as she closed the door. When she turned to me, her shock had dissipated and was replaced by a frown, indicating her anger or irritation. “So you finally decided to accept responsibility, huh?”
“The DNA test said he was mine, so I’m here to make it right.”
“You know I didn’t sleep around like that, Mythic. If you are honest with yourself, you knew this was your baby.”
“What’s his name?”
She rolled her eyes. “Caleb Mystic Semien.”
I nodded as she came closer to me for me to see him. Lil man looked just like me. Damn. “Can I hold him?”
She didn’t respond verbally. She just handed him over.
When I turned him to me, he frowned. That shit made me smile.
His eyes went right to my grill. I suppose it sparkled, grabbing his attention.
His eyes then shifted to the diamond chain around my neck.
I could see Vanessa in my peripheral. She was smiling at us.
“What’s up, Caleb? I’m your daddy. You look just like me too.”
“Hell yeah,” she said and walked to the couch with a smirk on her lips.
I pulled him to me, and he immediately grabbed one of my braids as I walked to the couch. When I sat, I pried his little fingers from my hair, then reached in my pocket and dropped the bands on the coffee table. She frowned. “What’s that for?”
“That’s for Caleb. Vanessa, I don’t know how long I’m gon’ be alive.
I got a few people wanting my head. While it won’t make up for my absence, it’s something.
Plus, my parents and siblings know that he’s mine.
They will help you with him if something ever happens to me. You know where they live, right?”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “So why are you here, Mythic? What’s the point?”
“I wanted you to know that I was accepting responsibility. That I have your back and my son’s back. If nothing happens to me, I’ll be here. I just want you to be prepared for if something does. Okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, looking stunned.
This baby had me sensitive as fuck, just like Maui did. I took a deep breath and handed him back to her. “I gotta go. I’ll call you to check on y’all tomorrow.”
I stood from the couch, and she did too. Stepping close to me, she hugged me. “Be careful out there, Mythic. Just because you get on my fucking nerves doesn’t mean I want to see you killed or hurt in any way. I’m hoping for the best with that situation . . . one that won’t have me mourning you.”
I rubbed her back and kissed her forehead, then walked out the door without a look back.
Hopping in my truck, I peeled out and got the fuck away from her.
My phone started ringing, and I could see that it was my dad.
I couldn’t answer that shit right now. I knew he probably wanted to chew me out for my comments earlier, and I didn’t want to hear that shit.
The only attention I ever got from him was negative attention anyway.
Despite Maui’s advice, I headed to my house.
Fuck them. My lip was twitching. That was my fucking house.
I pulled my gun from the console and put my blade in my mouth.
I only lived a few minutes away. Maui didn’t have a lot of shit at my house, although she’d been with me for a good month or two.
I had bought her more clothes, because I knew if she went home to get her clothes, her dad wouldn’t have let her leave.
When I got there, they were still there.
Ace, PJ, Ryder J, and a few others were outside, I supposed looking out for if I showed up.
I didn’t give a fuck. They were all staring at my ride, waiting for me to get out.
A few more came from out of my house. I swore it was about twenty of those niggas now.
Not one to be intimidated, I got out and tucked my gun in my waistband.
When I got closer, I flipped my blade around in my mouth as they stared at me.
PJ was slowly shaking his head, like he couldn’t believe I showed up here anyway.
He should’ve known better. Had they been anywhere else, I wouldn’t have, but ain’t no muthafucka was gonna keep me from my fucking house.
I could clearly see the guns in their waistbands as well.
If they didn’t make any moves, I wouldn’t either.
Like my dad had said, we were cool with the Hendersons.
I’d fucked up. I knew that. It wasn’t shit I could do about it now though.
I walked past them and into the house. The minute I walked in, someone punched me right in the mouth, knocking the blade out, causing it to cut my lip.
Before I could reach for my gun, somebody kicked me in the ribs and took it from my waistband.
I looked up to see Seven and Royal, Ashanni’s brother.
When I was about to get up, Seven pulled a gun and aimed it right at me. I still stood and stared right at him.
“If you gon’ do it, do that shit. I ain’t scared to die. Do I regret what I did? Hell yeah. I ain’t that nigga no more though. You can thank your sister for that. Maui changed me for the better. Just before you do it, let me apologize to her.”
A smirk appeared on his lips. “You actually think I’m gon’ go get my sister for you to see and talk to her? What you did could have gotten me killed, nigga. Fuck outta here.”