My Baby Is A West Coast King 4

by Shvonne Latrice

  “Ma! Nai!” I hollered a little frantically because I didn’t hear anything.

  “In here, Laine, with your surprise!” my grandmother yelled from the den.

  I calmed down and then started towards the den just as Mischief came down the stairs frowning. When I got to the den, my heart dropped seeing my grandmother, my mother, and some man that I’m sure was my mom’s boyfriend. The worst part was seeing my baby in my mother’s lap.

  “What the fuck is going on!” I hollered, almost running to my mother and snatching Lanai from her. “Why would you let her hold my baby!” I screamed at my grandmother whose smile faded instantly along with my mother’s. My mom’s boyfriend was astonished at the moment but I didn’t give a fuck.

  “Laine—”

  “Shut up!” I told my mother.

  “Baby, she wanted to see you and—”

  “I don’t care! Get out of my house. Get out!” I started to breathe heavily as tears welled up in my eyes.

  Seeing her hold my baby had me about to have a heart attack. How long had she been here and how long had she had access to my baby? All kinds of shit ran through my mind as I hugged Lanai into my chest as it heaved rapidly. This man she was next to was probably another pedophile since that seemed to be my mom’s type anyway.

  “What’s the problem?” Mischief entered the den, looking confused.

  My mom’s eyes scanned him repeatedly, and I could tell she was a little taken aback by his stature. He was intimidating as hell upon first glance because I remember when I first saw him in that liquor store parking lot.

  “I asked what the fuck the problem is,” he repeated with a little more anger in his tone.

  “I want them to leave. My mom and this man, I want them to go right now,” I sniffled as Lanai used her little hands to wipe my cheeks.

  “Shai, I—”

  “Aight so y’all gotta get the fuck up outta here,” he stated calmly, completely ignoring what my grandmother was about to say.

  “Honey let’s just go,” my mom’s man said, obviously wanting no problems with Mischief who was twice his size in weight and height.

  My mother shook her head and grabbed her purse as she stood up. She and her boyfriend left the den, and Mischief escorted them all the way to the door. I watched him push the boyfriend across the threshold, almost making him fall, before closing and locking the front door.

  “Laine—”

  “You leave me alone,” I told my grandma before leaving the den with my baby in hand.

  I met Mischief in the foyer, and he took Lanai before leading me out the door so we could go have breakfast out.

  I couldn’t believe my grandmother.

  Chapter Nine: Chaz

  That same morning…

  I was able to convince Louise, Chanel’s mother to meet up with me. I told her ass that I just wanted to talk and see if I could help her visit Chanel without getting into trouble. Of course, that shit was a muthafucking lie. I didn’t fuck with the police at all when it came to handling my shit, but this wasn’t my shit, it was Chanel’s. She deserved for her mama to pay and I was gonna help her do that.

  At the moment, I was in Chanel’s hospital room, just chilling with her before my meeting with her mom. Erynne usually came with me, but she wanted me to come alone today because she felt like I could get Chanel to finally say what the fuck happened and how all of this transpired. I liked to act like I ain’t give a fuck but I did. I’d never heard of someone doing this shit to their own child, and I was wondering how the hell I even got caught up in all of this shit.

  “Hey, so you feel like talking?” I questioned Chanel as she ate that nasty ass hospital yogurt. She looked much better though and had gained a considerable amount of weight over a short period of time.

  “Sure. What do you wanna talk about?” She smiled and sat up straighter than she had been before.

  “How did I get mixed up in this, Chanel? I just don’t understand what the hell happened.”

  “Uh,” she fidgeted after setting her yogurt down on the tray. “Well I am a big fan of yours, a really big one. And umm, my mom knew that too. I told her how badly I wanted to go to your concert and buy the meet and greet package, but by the time I tried it was sold out. So she told me to email your manager about meeting you and I did, but I never got a response. So some time passed, and after my mom had our family doctor come give me a flu shot, I started getting sick. I thought it was because people say you get the flu when you get the shot, but the symptoms weren’t of the flu.

  So she had him come back, and he told her I had cancer. Over the next couple months, my health started to decline pretty rapidly, and my father stopped coming around as much. My mom told me to email your manager again because she said I deserved to meet you before I passed, and so I did. But this time he answered and I met you. I swear I really thought I had cancer, Chaz, I didn’t know what she was doing.”

  “I believe you, I know you ain’t know what the fuck was going on.” I exhaled heavily and ran my hand down my face. “You didn’t ever think to go to another doctor? Like at a hospital?”

  “No. Dr. Forrester has been our doctor for the longest and he’s never steered me wrong in the past.”

  The police had been looking for Dr. Forrester’s ass right along with Louise. That nigga was a doctor, but he got his license taken away for malpractice some years back. He and Chanel’s mother went to college together and I guess they kept in touch through the years.

  As for Chanel’s father, his ass had disappeared a couple months ago, and I had a feeling Louise’s ass had something to do with it. I wasn’t delving into all of that shit though; I had my own fucking life and my own damn family problems to deal with; namely my mama trying to talk. All I wanted to do was get Louise’s hoe ass in trouble for scheming on me and trying to kill her fucking naive ass daughter.

  “Well, I guess the good in all of this is that my nosey ass wife figured this shit out and got you some help.”

  “No, you did.”

  “But only because she put shit in my head.”

  “Then I appreciate her.” She giggled.

  Looking down at my watch, I saw I had to meet with Louise in about half an hour, so I said goodbye to Chanel and left the hospital.

  I was meeting Louise in the parking lot of the Manhattan Beach, and I was praying her ass showed up. When I pulled up, I saw what looked like her sitting at one of the cement tables. I quickly parked a little ways down, and then approached the table slowly in case it wasn’t her.

  I was dressed in a black hoodie and black sweats, so I wasn’t trying to run up on a random person looking the way I did, especially being my size and black.

  “Chaz,” Louise whispered and tried to stand, but I put my hand up.

  I scanned the area behind her, and spotted the two niggas that were gonna arrest her ass when I gave them the go. I told them to wait until I said because there was shit I wanted to pump out of this bitch before they locked her up and threw away the key.

  “I’m so happy you called. How is Chanel?” She pushed her hair behind her ear, before hugging her purse into her chest.

  “You care? Last time I checked you were trying to kill her ass.”

  “I wasn’t! I was just trying to do something nice for her!”

  “Like meeting me? You almost killed yo’ fucking kid so she could meet me? What the fuck kind of sense does that make, huh?”

  I saw a group of girls about to approach me, I’m guessing for a picture or an autograph, but when they saw me lighting into Louise’s ass, they took a detour.

  “It did at the time! I knew what I was giving her and I knew it wouldn’t kill her! She would just be sick for a little while and then she’d be okay.”

  “Nah, you’re wrong. They told me if I hadn’t have gotten her to the hospital when I did, she probably would have died. So you didn’t know shit!”

  Her eyes widened as she listened to me explain the fact that she’d almost killed her daughter
in order for her to meet another fucking human being. I didn’t understand people, I really didn’t.

  At this point I was done and didn’t even know why I wanted to waste time talking to this delusional bitch anyway, so I waved them niggas over. Louise looked over her shoulder, and then hopped up to take off running. She tripped over some nigga’s surfboard though, and flew across the gravel like a baseball player trying to hit home. I tried with everything in me not to laugh but it was to no avail. The two detectives didn’t even help her stupid ass up before slapping them damn cuffs on her ass and taking her to the vehicle.

  Coming down from my laughter, I walked back to my car and as I did so my phone rang. I looked down to see it was Jade, which was odd because she never called me. Bitch barely called me when we were together, so if she was hitting my line right now it must have been important.

  “What?” I asked as I slid into the front seat of my Porsche.

  “Gnarly car, bro! Love your music!” some white guy with long ass stringy hair told me as he carried his surfboard on the sidewalk. I just nodded my head up in response.

  “I need you to help me,” Jade sniffled.

  “Help you with what?” I frowned. I didn’t know if I was confused on why she needed my help, or if I was alarmed hearing her tough ass cry.

  “I need you to help me pack some stuff so Jayde and I can leave to Adrian’s house or to a hotel or anywhere. I just need to go,” she ran off, crying harder.

  “Jade, Jade, chill. Where the fuck are you?”

  “I’m at my house. The house I have with Hudson. He left out to run errands or something. Chaz, this is the only time I can get away.”

  “Why me? Call Adrian.”

  “Please, Chaz. I never ask you for anything and I swear you won’t hear from me again. Just help me get myself and my baby away.”

  Only reason I even contemplated this shit was because of that little girl. If Jayde didn’t exist, Jade’s ass would be shit out of luck.

  “Text yo’ address.”

  “Thank you.”

  She quickly hung up, so I dropped my phone into the cup holder and sped out of the parking lot and up the incline of Manhattan Beach Boulevard. I plugged in Jade’s address at the red light, and then let Siri lead me to her crib in Bixby Knolls.

  When I pulled up in front of her house, I parked on the street leaving the driveway open. I text her to let her know I was here, and as I was stepping onto the sidewalk I saw her come to the door.

  Her usually luminous vanilla complexion was red as hell and her long dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She had on these little ass shorts showing her nice legs, and a short top that exposed her stomach, which looked like a baby hadn’t ever been in there. I don’t think Jade would ever lose her sex appeal.

  She half smiled upon seeing me, and when I got closer I gave her a very subtle hug.

  “What do we have to do?”

  “Just help me carry some of this stuff to my car. I don’t know when he’s coming back and I just need it done fast.”

  “Hi!” Jayde shouted, wearing a ponytail and looking just like her mother.

  “Hey, beautiful. You’re getting ready for a road trip?”

  “Mmm.” She shrugged and smiled.

  Jade and I chuckled in unison at her response as I picked up a box.

  I started carrying shit to her car, and she carried bags and things that weren’t too heavy. She seemed nervous as hell, which made me wonder what the fuck was going on between her and this nigga. I watched her squat down to try and pick up a box, and when she did the back of her top moved down a little to expose a deep ass bruise.

  “What the fuck happened to your back?”

  “Nothing, Chaz. Let me get by. I don’t have any time to waste.”

  Grabbing her arm as she tried to pass me, I asked, “This nigga is putting his hands on you?”

  Snatching from me she said, “It doesn’t matter because I’m getting the hell out of here! I already have my lawyer, and I’m fine.”

  “Jade, I—”

  “What the fuck is going on here?” Hudson stood in the doorway of the house looking like he was really about to do some shit.

  “She’s getting her shit and getting the fuck up out of here. Now move yo’ ass out the way before I fuck you up my nigga,” I stated calmly but sternly.

  I wasn’t fucking around with his ass. I didn’t care what Jade did, but I didn’t fuck with niggas that put their hands on women period. And he was lucky I didn’t break his shit as soon as he showed his face.

  “I thought you weren’t back with him you hoe,” Hudson shoulder checked Jade as he stepped into the house.

  “I’m not!” she yelled and grabbed Jayde from the couch.

  Laughing and shaking his head, he said to me, “I’m surprised you still want her after all the fucked up shit she’s done to you.”

  “I’m not gon’ tell you again my nigga. Don’t fucking address me and don’t even look at me. Find some shit to busy yaself with until we’re gone ‘cause in a minute, I’m gon’ knock you the fuck out and that’s on everything I love.”

  He threw his hands up in mock surrender and sat down on the couch for a millisecond before standing back up.

  “Jade, baby, don’t do this shit. I know shit ain’t been right but I can’t have you leaving me. Not right now. I got a lot of shit going on and—”

  “I don’t care, Hudson, I really don’t. I want a divorce and I’m leaving.” Jade continued grabbing her shit up as I lifted another heavy ass box.

  We both walked outside, and of course Hudson’s ass followed.

  “You know you would have like six kids with Jade by now?” Hudson looked to me as I put the box into Jade’s trunk.

  “Hudson!” Jade hollered to him after buckling Jayde into her car seat.

  “Yeah, six abortions, all yours. I got my baby though. RIP to yours.”

  I calmly closed the trunk of the car and Jade watched me with worried eyes because she knew me. I coolly walked in Hudson’s direction, not saying a word.

  WHAM!

  “Didn’t I say shut the fuck up talking to me nigga?” I hissed as he stumbled back and flipped over the banister. There was so much power behind that punch that I was surprised his neck didn’t snap.

  “Chaz, that’s enough!” Jade tried to convince me as I rounded the banister to continue to whoop his ass.

  “Stupid muthafucka!” I stomped on him hard as fuck, making him cry out and the neighbors come onto their porches. “I. Said. To. Stop. Fucking. Talking. To. Me. You. Bitch.” I stomped his ass out after every word. My teeth were sunken so deeply into my bottom lip that I swore I tasted blood. “But you just couldn’t shut the fuck up could you?”

  WHAM!

  I went across his face as he laid on the ground like he was paralyzed.

  “Chaz, please!” Jade cried.

  “You still wanna converse, nigga?” I kicked the shit out of him. “Huh?” Another kick but to his chest, making him cough erratically. I recognized he wasn’t worth shit, so I backed away panting heavily. “Don’t you ever talk to me like that again, nigga. I’ll take yo’ bitch and raise ya kid as my own muthafucka.” I walked back around the banister. “Hurry the fuck up and let’s get the rest of yo’ shit before I kill this nigga!” I barked at Jade who hurried her ass in the house and I followed.

  We finished getting all of Jade’s stuff out the house, as Hudson laid on the porch groaning. It killed me how no one over here called the police for his ass.

  “Chaz, I’m sorry,” Jade said after she locked the door.

  “Arrgghhh,” Hudson groaned, rocking back and forth on the ground.

  “For what? For getting all them abortions?” I laughed angrily.

  “Do you hate me?”

  “I should, huh?” I looked to her and she shrugged. “I’d have to care though to hate you. Couple years ago, when I still had it bad for you, I would’ve killed yo’ ass, you know that, right?”

  “
Yeah.” She nodded and chuckled awkwardly.

  Shrugging, I said, “Only reason his punk ass even came at me spilling that shit is because he knows I can hit you up and still fuck you. No matter who you with at the time I can fuck you. If I wanted.”

  “You’re so cocky, Chaz.” She flashed her pretty smile and shook her head.

  “Tell me I can’t.”

  She just shifted her weight from one hip to the other, basically confirming what I’d just said.

  Without another word, I hopped into my car and took my ass home to my real wife.

  Ishmael

  “You’re gonna take the baby to see your mother, right?” Kady questioned me. We were sitting in the den together as my son napped in her lap.

  “Yeah, that’s okay, right?”

  “Of course. I’m just happy you guys are on good terms. Not just because she can watch him when we both have to work, but also because you love your mother and you need her around you.”

  “Yeah, I do love her. But is it wrong that I see her differently? It’s been two years and I thought by now I would be over the shit but I’m not. Every time I see her face I think about how she lied to me for years. And worse, she lied to my damn father, the man she claimed to love.”

  “Yeah, that sounds out of character for her from what you’ve told me about her. And even when she and I met, she seemed so sweet and trustworthy.”

  “And she was, at least I thought she was. But the crazy part is I don’t even feel like Mel Benjamin is my dad. Like I never connected with that nigga. You know when you’re around your real parent y’all have this connection, but he and I weren’t like that. However, my Pops, we got that shit. Like when I’m around him, that’s my father.”

  “Because he is your father. But I know what you mean. Children have a bond with their birth parents.”

  “Exactly, but not Mel and I. Shit, my cousins hate that nigga but they had chemistry with him because of their biological connection. I don’t know. I don’t really like to think about the shit.” I sat up and leaned down into Kady’s lap to kiss my son on his head. “Ready to go man?”