A weak smile wobbles across Python’s lips as he eases his muscled arms around my waist and buries his head in between my breasts.
Loving the warmth that’s surrounding me, I pepper the top of his head with kisses. “I’m going to be with you always. I promise you.You’re all I got. We’re in this shit together.”
Python squeezes me tight as his words chase themselves inside my head. “Two sons?”
His arms tighten to the point I can barely slip air into my lungs.
“Christopher is back with his grandparents and Yo-Yo—”
I shove him away from me. “Don’t you dare mention that bitch’s name to me.”
Python throws up his hands. “I know how you feel about Yo-Yo. Believe me that bitch don’t mean shit to me—not like that. I just want my fuckin’ seed, you feel me? She probably has given birth to him by now—somewhere.”
I look away guiltily.
“Look. I won’t mention the bitch’s name again. A’ight?” Python cocks his head and lowers his hands. “I just want my son.You feel me? I’ve had too many people taken away from me. Blood is blood.There’s nothing in this world more important than family. Momma Peaches taught me that much.” He hangs his head. “I should’ve listened to her a lot more than I did.”
I feel my man’s pain right now. He must be going through hell because I’ve never seen him torn up like this before. But at the same time, I’m grateful as fuck for this one silver lining in all of this. Lemonhead is dead—and so is that bastard that she was carrying. I wrap my arms around Python and pepper his head with kisses. He’s all mine now. No Officer Melanie Johnson or Lemonhead crowding my space.
As I sit next to Python, his words circle around in my head. “Baby?”
“Hmm?”
“You didn’t include Mason in that list.”
“What?”
I pull his head back so that I can look him in the eye. “You said that you lost two sons, Momma Peaches, and me. You didn’t say anything about losing your . . . brother.”
Python stares at me.
Dread skips up and down my spine. “You said that Fat Ace was alive when you pulled him out of the wreckage. He was dead when you left him?”
Python doesn’t answer.
I don’t give up. “Fat Ace is dead—right?”
41
Qiana
“What the fuck am I gonna do? My head has been scrambling for an excuse for the past hour and I haven’t come up with a damn thing despite my ass having months.
“I should have tossed that muthafucka in the trash a long time ago,” I mutter underneath my breath. The moment the words are out of my mouth, I regret them.
“Tossed who into the trash?” Diesel asks, interrupting my thoughts from behind the driver’s seat.
Cutting a quick glance at him, I see his attention is more on me than on what he should be doing. “Watch the road,” I bark.
Diesel cranks up a single brow. “How about I pull over and you walk your ass back to the projects?”
He ain’t playing. If it was any other nigga and I didn’t already have enough to deal with right now, I might have set it off up in here. Instead, I cross my arms and roll my eyes to emphasize he’s riding my last nerve. “Whatever.”
Diesel sucks in a deep breath and shakes his head with another warning. “Little girl . . .”
“Dammit. How many times do I have tell you that I ain’t no little girl?”
Bam!
Pain explodes across my face a few seconds before I realize that I’ve been hit. Hard.
“I’m tired of you talking to me like I’m one of your nappy-headed stick-up boys,” Diesel growls. “I’m a grown man and your ass needs to recognize that shit.”
I turn toward him, holding my jaw and staring at him like he’s done lost his damn mind. But this muthafucka has completely flipped the script on my ass.There are so many muscles twitching on his face that he looks like a beast spat out of hell.
Muthafucka, do you know who I am? Do you know that I can rock-a-bye your ass for this shit?
Despite these questions racing through my mind and the instant fantasy of my ramming my gat down his throat, the actual words that tumble out of my throat are, “I’m sorry.”
Only two muscles stop flexing against his temple. Diesel still looks pissed as shit. I have the distinct feeling that if and when he drops my ass off at my crib that it will be the last time that I see them.
That shit got my heart tripping up in my chest. It ain’t like I got a line of niggas that look at me the way he does or tryna get at me. Once he rolls out how long will it be before that curvy bitch be back cheesing in his face? Fuck him, then. I shift my attention out of the window and pretend that I don’t give a shit, but then I think about how good he straightened out my back and I get to missing his ass before he’s even gone.
“Look. Seriously,” I say, turning in my seat to try again. “I mean it. I shouldn’t have popped off like that. I—it’s just I got a lot of shit on my mind right now and it’s all fucked up. I shouldn’t have tried to take it out on you.” Inwardly, I cringe at hearing myself beg this nigga that I haven’t known for forty-eight hours to forgive me. Hell, I even hold my breath while waiting for his response.
“Look, little ma. I like a rude mouth from time to time, but I don’t like it when females take shit too far.”
“Does that mean that you don’t forgive me?” I give him my best puppy dog expression while I wait with my heart in my throat.
He shoots another look at me, but I see the muscles in his face have smoothed out before his sexy lips expand into a smile. “Get over here, Scar.”
I unlock my seatbelt without hesitation and scramble over into his lap, careful not to hit the gearshift or steering wheel. The second that I’m seated I’m thrilled to feel that his shit is rock hard.
“Don’t get any ideas,” he warns, but the corners of his lips are still quirked up. Wiggling my romp and winking at him, I realize that I’m fuckin’ sprung on this nigga, despite the sore jaw. Before I know it we roll through Ruby Cove with all the corner boys eyeballing Diesel’s shit with their hands on their weapons, ready for shit to pop off at any time. This isn’t the time or the atmosphere for unknown muthafuckas to come cruising down the wrong road.The second they peep me out, they relax and allow us to float on through.
“You stay out here?” Diesel asks.
“What? You ain’t never been to the hood before?” Even though I’m referring to his crib out in the suburbs, everything about him tells me that shit is a stupid question.
“What do you think?”
My goofy smile stretches even wider. “You gotta be hood or my ass wouldn’t be fuckin’ with you.”
He slaps me on my ass. “Smart girl. Now which one of these houses is yours?”
“Turn right here,” I tell him and then moan when we whip next to Charlie’s ride. “Shit.”
“Problem?”
“Nothing that I can’t handle.” I sigh and climb out of his lap. It’s time to face the music.
Diesel parks and shuts off the car.
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” He climbs out of the vehicle before I can get another word out. Fuck!
“Yo, Diesel. Wait up.” I shoot out of the passenger seat and rush around the SUV not sure what I’m going to say to stop this train wreck from happening. ”Uhm, you know, thanks for uh, bringing me home.”
“But?”
“But, uhm, I think I got it from here.” I attempt to hug him, but he gives me a look that shuts that shit down.
“Shoot straight with me, Scar.What’s the problem?”
“There’s no problem,” I lie—badly.
“Good.Then you won’t mind inviting me in.”
Fuck! I smile, but I’m pissed that I can’t think of anything.
“Scared to introduce me to your people?”
“No.”
“Then invite me in.”
I hes
itate.
“You know what? Never mind.You do you, girl. It’s been real.” He marches back to his ride.
I trip out of my heels tryna beat him back to his car door. “Where’re you going?”
Diesel licks his thick lips and rolls his eyes skyward as if praying for patience. “Clearly you think my ass is stupid.You’re tryna hide something and I don’t like being played.” He drops his gaze back on me.
Suddenly, I can’t get my mouth to work.
Diesel shrugs as if he’s tossing in the towel. “I thought I made it clear that I was feelin’ you back at my place. Don’t tell me that a nigga fell down on his job?”
I shake my head, still unable to think of the right words to get him to stay.
“Tell me now if there’s another nigga.”
I lick my dry lips and rasp, “There’s no one.” I can’t tell whether he believes me or not but his hand drops from my chin.
“Then invite me in.”
I nod and head back toward the house with Diesel right behind me. The minute I open the door, we’re assaulted by Jayson’s high-pitched wail.
“It’s about muthafuckin’ time,” Charlie barks, rounding a corner and thundering down the hallway. “You got a lot of fuckin’ explainin’ to do!” At the last minute, he pulls up when his gaze crashes into the brick wall walking into the house behind me. Instantly, Charlie puffs up his chest and rakes Diesel up and down. “Who is this muthafucka?”
“He’s cool. He’s with me,” I tell him. That shit does nothing to alleviate the tension.
Jayson’s screams grow louder and I rush to take him out of a frazzled-looking GG’s hands, but the minute the baby sees me, he turns away and starts kicking and punching the air.
“What the hell is wrong with him?”
“Yo, Q,” Charlie thunders. “You didn’t answer my fucking question. I don’t know this muthafucka, and any muthafucka I don’t know ain’t got no business rollin’ up in my crib.”
I physically try to pry the baby out of GG’s arms, but he ain’t having none of that shit.
“He’s been like this all day,” GG says. She looks exhausted with bloodshot eyes and rumpled clothes.
“I’ll ask again. WHO IS THIS MUTHAFUCKA?”
“Damn, Charlie, give it a rest,” I snap, twisting around with my hands on my hips. “You ain’t the only nigga that lives up in here.”
“I’m the only muthafucka that’s payin’ the bills up in here. That makes me the man of the house.” He eyeballs Diesel harder.
To my man’s credit, he looks more amused than threatened by Charlie’s chest pounding. As big as Charlie is, Diesel is at least two inches taller and has at least twenty more pounds of muscle.
“The last time I checked, I was the man of the house,” Nookie shouts, rolling down the hallway with the ho-of-the-day planted on his lap.
“I know that’s right,” this old bitch cosigns, giggling and then laying a fat kiss on his lips.
I nearly throw up in my mouth.
WHAAAAAAA! WHAAAAA!
“Will somebody please shut that kid up?” Nookie whines.
“I’m tryin’. I’m tryin’.” I reach for the baby again. I’ve been in the house for two minutes and my nerves are already shot.
“Here. Let me try.” Diesel walks around Charlie’s pumped up chest and Nookie’s wheelchair to approach the baby.
The lines in GG’s tired face iron out while she grins like a fool.
Diesel plucks the baby out of her arms and when he places the kid up against his chest, the crying stops.
My jaw drops in amazement. “What the fuck? Are you the baby whisperer or something?” I ain’t never seen no shit like that.
“Something like that.” He cocks a half smile that has GG sighing.
“Does the baby whisperer have a fuckin’ name?” Charlie barks exasperated.
“Who gives a fuck?” Nookie says.“Nigga is all right by me if he can keep that punk muthafucka quiet.”
“The name is Diesel.”
“Diesel,” GG echoes while twisting a lock of hair around her finger. “I’m GG. Nice to meet you.”
Is she shitting me?
Charlie marches over and grabs my arm. “I need to holler at you for a moment.”
“Oww.” That’s all I’m able to get out before I’m dragged down the hallway to my room.
“Where the fuck did you meet that muthafucka at?” he growls, slamming my door.
“That’s none of your fuckin’ business. Do I ask where you meet all the bitches you and Nookie parade up in this bitch?” I jab my hands onto my hips to prepare for this face-off. “I’m tired of you always acting like you’re my fuckin’ daddy. I already got one of those, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“Look, Q. Whether you like it or not, what the fuck you do does affect me—that includes you bringing niggas you smashing and rollin’ up in here on Ruby Cove on my rep. My name is giving the nigga a bullet-free pass on this block.”
“Your rep? Nigga, I’m just as much V-L family as your ass—probably more so since you got your nose so far up Lucifer’s ass that you can tell me what the bitch had for dinner.”
Charlie chest-bumps me so hard that I stumble over the corner of my bed and hit the floor with a loud thump!
“What the fuck?”
“Lower your damn voice,” he hisses.
I laugh. “What? You think that nobody knows?” I climb up from the floor. “Nigga, your nose has been wide-open since the bitch used to wear dresses to Sunday school. You ain’t foolin’ nobody—let alone GG’s ass. She knows if Lucifer ever gave you the fuckin’ time of day that your ass would forget she existed.”
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“Yeah.You keep telling yourself that.”
“Shut up.” He chest-bumps me again, but this time I remain on my feet.
“I’ll shut up when you get your fuckin’ nose out of my business.”
Charlie’s heated black gaze turns murderous. “Fine.” He turns and storms out of my room.When he slams the door, he busts the rusted door hinges and the whole thing comes crashing down.
I leap out of the way by just a couple of inches. “FUCK YOU, MUTHAFUCKA!” By the time I make my way back up to the living room, Charlie is jerking an apologetic GG out the front door.
I toss him the bird.
“One of these days, you and your brother is going to play nice,” Nookie says before planting his face back in between his bitch’s titties.
After another eye roll, I turn my attention to Diesel, who is still holding the baby. “Can I get you something to drink?” I ask, hoping he’d let my rude behavior slide this once.
Diesel’s green eyes shift to me. “You didn’t tell me that you had a kid.”
“She don’t,” Nookie butts in.
“Do you mind? This is an A and B conversation. C your way out of it.”
Nookie’s head bobs up for air, but I give him the brick wall before he gets started.
“C’mon, baby. Let’s go back to your room,” his bitch urges to break the tension. “I have some more homemade blackberry pie ready for you.”
The mere hint of pussy springs a new smile across Nookie’s face and I’m shoved to the back of his mind. “Mmm. I looove pie.” He hits the power button on his chair and he’s off.
“Interesting family you got,” Diesel comments from the peanut gallery once we’re alone with the sleeping baby on his chest.
“You like them, then you can have them.”
He cracks a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “So . . . no children, then who does this little man belong to?”
The hackles on the back of my neck stand at attention. This nigga really does ask a lot of fuckin’ questions. “I’m just babysitting for a friend.”
Diesel gives me that look again that calls me a liar. “Babysitting? Do you always go out clubbing when you’re babysitting?”
I buck. “What’s with the interrogation? You a
cop or some shit?”
Diesel holds up one of his hands and backs away. “Don’t even play like that. The last time I checked, niggas ask questions when they’re tryna get to know a chick they’re feelin’ but you know what? Your ass is startin’ to be too much damn work.” He walks to the sofa and lays the baby down.
“C’mon. Don’t be like that,” I beg him. “You know niggas get suspect when people ask a whole lot of a questions. I mean, you know more about me than I do about you.” I throw my arms around him and push my body up against him. I’m learning that this big nigga stays hard.
Diesel wavers. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
He mulls the shit over and then slaps me on my ass. “A’ight—but at another time. I gotta go. I got some business I gotta handle.”
“What kind of business?”
“Now who’s interrogating who?” He gives me a flat smile and another smack on the ass. “I’ll call you later.”
I don’t believe him. “You promise?”
“Promise. I’ve already put my number in your phone. Answer when I call.” He leans down and lands a long, hard kiss on me. I’m practically on cloud nine as I walk him to the door. From there I watch him climb into his car and even wave when he rolls out of the driveway. But my thoughts turn dark when I return to the living room and stare down Jayson.
What the fuck am I going to do with you? The kid being an insurance policy against LeShelle isn’t turning out the way I thought. In fact, getting caught with the kid doesn’t guarantee that LeShelle won’t flip the script. Why didn’t you listen to Tyneshia that night?
I plop down on the sofa next to the baby, thinking. Before long, I’m stroking his soft hair and brushing my finger against his chubby cheek. “Sorry, but you can’t stay here no more.” I choke up on the words, this shit is affecting me more than it should, especially since Jayson looks so innocent lying here.
My finger drifts down to his cheek and then stops abruptly at a horseshoe-shaped birthmark on his neck.
“What the fuck . . . ?”
42
LeShelle
“Fat Ace is dead, right?” I ask again, trying to ignore the flare of alarm sparking off inside of me.
Gangsta Divas Page 23
