by Nikki Brown
Key pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and nibbled on it. She was trying hard not to give him what he wanted, but she was so close to showing her ass. As if on que, Cassidy began to make his way to where Key was.
“I didn’t put that gun in your hand, I didn’t make you take that shot. I didn’t force you to be a controlling asshole who threw hissy fits when you didn’t get your way. I’m sorry I wasn’t built to be submissive, it’s not in me. I should have left you long before I cheated, and I know that, and for that I’m sorry, but I won’t take responsibility for the rest of your baggage.” Key turned enough so that she was facing him, and his eyes went to her breast.
This time Cassidy saw him and stepped into view. “Eye problem nigga? Those belong to me. The only thing that you have with Key is Kane, so long as you know that shit can go smooth. Shit happened and you both were wrong, now you can get over it or we can end this shit now.” Cassidy’s tone was low so that only they could hear, but it held enough power to get his point across.
“This ain’t got anything to do with you.” Saque tried his best to sound confident, but it definitely didn’t come across as such.
“It has everything to do with me because while you walking around bitching about not knowing your son, I’m getting to know him and he’s a damn good kid. Maybe if you take some of the energy you using to point fingers and worrying about Key and direct it towards your son you would get somewhere with him.” Cassidy pointed to the field. “He ain’t a dumb kid and he loves his mother. You doing this bullshit ain’t gone win you over with him. He can sense his mother’s vibe change when you’re around and that makes him look at you like the enemy instead of like a part of him. You can keep on with the bullshit if you want to and lose out, but I can go ahead and let you know my patience is wearing really thin.” Cassidy turned around signaling that the conversation was over.
The smile that slowly spread on Key’s face couldn’t be missed. Everything heated up in her while Cassidy handled that situation and she couldn’t wait to show him how much she appreciated him stepping in like that. Cassidy was in a league of his own and she was happy that he was on her arm.
“Keep biting down on your lip like that and you gone start some shit.” Cassidy leaned over and said causing her to giggle. She really was starting to fall for this man, she just prayed he felt what his actions showed.
“You okay?” Piper leaned over and asked him. He was tense and with every word that Cassidy spoke he squeezed her hand a little more.
“Yeah I’m good.” He leaned over and kissed her lips relaxing some. What Cassidy said was right, he needed to put more energy into getting to know his son instead of worrying about him and Key. That was easier said than done, but he would try. Plus, Piper was a good girl and she loved him. Key wasn’t worth losing that, not for someone who cheated on him. Right?
“Go! Go! Cut back!” Cassidy cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled. “Yeah boy! Go! Just like that.” He jumped up and yelled until Kane hit the end zone. Cassidy threw his hands up and Kane turned around and pointed at him and pumped his fist in the air. Kane was his dude and he was proud to be a part of his life.
Maler
“Mawmaw when is Isis getting here?” Kahlil asked while he and Kane sat at the table playing the game operation. “Ah hah nigga you lost!”
“Ah hah nigga you ugly!” Kane countered and rolled his eyes. He had just come back from spending the day with his dad and Piper. He didn’t want to, but Cassidy thought it was a good idea, so he went with it.
Saque was trying to do better with co-parenting, but Kane could still feel the tension whenever he came around. He would do whatever made his mom happy, so he was giving it a try. Cassidy still promised to help him jump him if he didn’t follow through like he said.
“Y’all can’t get along for nothing.” Siya shook her head.
She got her cast off of her foot the prior week and she wanted to keep all of her grandkids. Isis and Kane weren’t biological, but that didn’t mean anything to her. They respected her as their grandmother, and she treated them as such. You would never be able to tell that Isis or Kane didn’t have Maler blood.
“He started it!” they said simultaneously causing Siya to laugh.
“Soon as Isis gets here, and Pawpaw gets back, we’ll start the cookies and popcorn.” They were having a Netflix night with cookies, popcorn, and pizza. She lived for moments like this because there was a time where she didn’t think that she would have it.
Just thinking about what she went through with Ziva made her skin crawl. She wanted to get her hands on Ziva in the worse way and she couldn’t wait til she got the chance. They had been looking for her everywhere and no one seemed to have a location on her. Not even Marlin, the last he heard she was back in Jamaica.
“And the pizza, I’m hungry,” Kane wined and rubbed his stomach.
“You didn’t eat over your dad’s?”
“No, I don’t trust Piper,” he said confidently causing Siya to snicker.
“Why not Kanaan?”
“Because she’s too nice, she tries way to hard.” Kane shook his head and Siya laughed harder.
“She just wants to build a relationship with you. If you and she don’t have a relationship it will be hard for her or your daddy to have a relationship. Do you understand?” Siya asked.
She never baby talked to her kids. She gave it to them straight up and she would always ask if they understood, and she didn’t plan on being any different with her grands. Kane looked her in the eyes, as he thought about what she said.
“Yeah I get it. If I don’t like her then he won’t like her.” He nodded his head.
“That’s exactly right.” Nodding, Siya smiled, amazed at how smart all three of them were. Sometimes she was shocked at what came out of their mouths. Not so much Kahlil, she was used to that, but definitely Isis and Kane. She couldn’t wait to meet the twins; her family was growing, and she was excited about it.
“Well what if I don’t like him?” Kane asked with the most serious face, not a hint of humor insight.
Ding Dong
“Saved by the bell,” Siya chuckled and left a confused Kane where he stood as she ran up the stairs to her room to get her purse for the Pizza guy. “Don’t y’all open the door!” she yelled out as she grabbed her purse. She meant to have it down there earlier, but she got to talking with the boys and that always threw her off track. “Did y’all hear me?”
When she didn’t get an answer, she snatched her purse and took off down the stairs. With everything that the family had been through, she wasn’t about to take the chance of someone being down there that could possibly harm them. Plus, the world wasn’t as safe as it used to be when she was a girl.
“Kane? Kahlil?” she yelled as she made her way down the stairs.
“Mawmaw?” she could hear the urgency in his tone and that frightened her. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she dropped her purse that was in her hand and moved quickly to the door but the gun in her face stopped her.
“Well if it isn’t Mrs. Maler, in the flesh.” Ziva laughed as she held Kane and Kahlil in one arm and held a gun to their heads with her free hand. “You should teach these little bastards to stay away from the door. It could be danger on the other side.” Again she laughed.
“You crazy bitch,” Kahlil said as he wiggled to get out of her hold.
“Keep talking you chucky doll,” Ziva gritted as she pressed the gun into Kahlil’s forehead. He didn’t even seem phased by what was going on, him or Kane, but Siya was freaking out. If it was just her, she wouldn’t care but these where her grandkids, her babies.
“How about you let them go and then you’ll have me,” Siya said looking at Kahlil and Kane who both wore scowls. They kept looking at each other and then at Siya. She hoped that they just remained still and let her handle it, but she had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen.
“Or how about I blow their little heads off and make you watch?” Zi
va was so tired of Siya always winning. She got the man, the house, the family, and she even got to keep her life after Ziva thought she snatched it away.
“When Mega gets his hands on you…”
“Then what?” Ziva threw her hand in the air and Kahlil and Kane both bit down on her arm so hard that they drew blood. Ziva screamed and went to move her arm but they had a grip on her. She was about to bring the gun down but Siya grabbed her arm and the two started to struggle with the gun.
“Run upstairs boys!” Siya yelled out as she struggled against Ziva, she was taller than Siya, and she was having a hard time getting the gun from her. “GO!” she yelled but they didn’t listen.
Kahlil ran to the hall closet where he kept his baseball bat and glove. He grabbed his slugger and swung, barely missing Siya but connecting with Ziva.
“Owww you little bastard!” That gave Siya the upper hand that she needed to get the gun out of her hand. The gun slid across the floor and Siya began to beat the shit out of Ziva, but she wasn’t alone.
“You stupid bitch!” Kahlil screamed as he continuously swung his bat against Ziva’s legs. Kane went to the kitchen and got the rolling pin that they were gonna use to do the cookies with and began his assault as well. They were all three beating the hell out of her.
“What the fuck?” Mega yelled as he walked through the door and threw the bags that he had down in his hands. He grabbed Ziva by her hair and lifted her off the ground. Siya slipped off, grabbed the boys, and backed away. “You’ve been a hard muthafucka to find!” Mega growled.
Siya scrambled over and picked up the gun that Ziva had and checked to see if it was loaded even though she knew that it was.
“Boys go upstairs, NOW!” she said, and they looked at her and headed up the stairs, but not before swinging their weapons at Ziva one more time. “Kahlil and Kanaan Maler!” They both smiled and took off up the stairs. Kane loved when she referred to him as a Maler because he felt like one. “It’s a shame you’re about to die with all that hate in your heart.” Siya shook her head.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Ziva smiled through bloody lips. Siya had done a number on her once again but she was going to have the last laugh. She would never underestimate a Maler, so she made sure that she wasn’t alone.
“Let har guh (Let her go)!” The minute he opened his mouth, he knew exactly who it was. He knew the minute he laid eyes on him that he was a snake and Marlin knew it too, so when he went missing, they knew exactly why.
“Or what bitch?” AD came around the corner and hit Messa over the head with his gun causing him to fall to the ground. “Bitch ass nigga,” AD hissed. He watched the unknown man walk up the sidewalk with his gun drawn and when he saw that he was heading to the place where his parents rested their head, he knew he needed to act and quick. “What’s up mommy dearest?” He smirked at Ziva who spit at his feet.
AD backed handed the hell out of her, blood flew out of her mouth and she moaned out in pain. “That’s no way to treat your one and only son,” he laughed again.
“Call your brothers and clean up. Where’s Icelynn?”
“She’s in the car,” AD said as he pulled out his phone and made a few calls. Mega still had Ziva by her hair in the air. She felt like she was being scalped but she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of begging for her life. She got caught slipping, so it is what it is.
Once the kids were gone, Siya walked into the kitchen and grabbed a steak knife, and the minute Ziva was in her sight she plunged the knife into her stomach. Ziva bent over in pain and Siya pulled the knife out and did it again.
“You fucked with my family.” She pulled the knife out and plunged it back in even deeper. Ziva cried out. Messa was starting to wake up but AD was standing right there waiting for him with a shot to the head. “I hope you burn in hell bitch.” Siya grabbed her throat and stabbed her repeatedly in her neck until she heard a gurgling noise and then nothing at all. She was covered in Ziva’s blood.
“Damn Ma, didn’t know you had it in you.” AD smiled as his mother dropped the knife. “Wait til I tell Cassidy.”
As horrible as the scene was, she had never felt so liberated and free. Her family could live in peace, they could go back to living their lives and she was happy about that. She turned and headed up the stairs. When she got in the bathroom she stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the shower.
Allowing the hot stream of water to pour down on her, she let the tears fall that were threatening to. She was releasing all the worry, the fear and the unknown out of her mind and heart.
“That shit was sexy as hell,” Mega said entering the bathroom.
“Well you know you bring out the hood in me.”
Epilogue
“Success!” Kahleno said as he toasted with his brothers by the bar. Tonight was the grand opening of their restaurant and they couldn’t be more happy.
They had been through so much crazy, that something good coming into their lives was warranted. Business was booming again; Vinny had moved up and he was working alongside Spiff and they were taking the state of North Carolina by storm. Proud was an understatement.
“This shit is fiyah,” Cassidy said looking around.
“Yeah thanks to AD and Icelynn.” Kahleno held up his glass of henny.
“Thank you bruh.” AD smiled at his accomplishments. He didn’t really think that he would be able to pull it off and truth be told they didn’t either, but here they were. “Feels good to be a fucking Maler.” AD smiled.
“Tell me bout it.” Kahleno licked his lips as Sutton twirled around on the floor with her round belly on full display. Words couldn’t describe how he felt for that woman and he wasn’t gonna try.
“I think I love her,” Cassidy said out of the blue and his other two brothers looked at him. Cassidy was always picky when it came to the women in his life. He wasn’t one to sleep around and he took his time getting to know the women he dealt with.
Key had come in and showed him things that he didn’t know about himself and it opened his eyes to the possibility of what could be with her. He was scared because he had never felt that way about a woman, but Key was perfect for him and he knew that he would be a fool to let her get away.
“Did you tell her that?” Kahleno asked with his eyebrow up.
“Nah not yet, but I will.” He smiled as he watched her dance with Kane in the middle of the floor with the rest of the girls. “Matter of fact, let me go do that right now.” He walked off from his brothers and headed in the direction of Key.
When she saw him her smile slowly spread across her face and she reached out for him. When he was close, Kane put his hand out and stood in between the two.
“What you want with my mama?” he asked Kane.
“I want to love her,” Cassidy said with his eyes on Key. Her eyes began to tear up, she knew that she loved Cassidy a long time ago. Granted they were still getting to know each other, but she already loved him. “I love your mom, is that okay my man?”
Kane looked back at his mom and then at Cassidy. He doesn’t remember a time when his mom had ever been this happy and he liked Cassidy. He treated him with respect and he actually made time for him. In Kane’s eyes that meant more than anything.
“Yeah I’m good with that.” The two dapped each other up and he walked over and joined the other kids.
“I guess you heard that Akiya Delaney. Your son said that he was good with me loving you.” Cassidy pulled her in his arms and placed a kiss on her lips. “Are you okay with that?” he asked her.
Key looked into the eyes of the man that had come into her life when she least expected it and turned it upside down, in a good way. He made her feel again, trust again. The way he cared for her and her son made it easy for her to return that love to him.
He even went with her to meet up with Saque. Piper was there and they all had a good conversation. They talked about what was good for Kane. Key introduced him to his father, and they had been taking sma
ll steps for them to get to know each other. She didn’t think any of that would have ever happened if it hadn’t been for Cassidy. She was thankful.
“Only if you are okay with me loving you back.”
“Sounds damn good to me.” His lips pressed against hers as the two slowly moved to the rhythm of the beat while their tongues got reacquainted with each other. They knew that things weren’t going to be perfect and that was okay. So long as they got through them together everything would be okay.
“Look at this nigga,” AD clowned. He was happy for his brother; he was happy for all of them. They all had been through it and they were moving up.
“Soft ass nigga,” Kahleno joked.
“Nigga, I know you ain’t talking.” AD nudged his brother.
“Well I’m about to make this shit worse.” He winked at AD and AD nodded. Kahleno had been waiting all night to figure out when the right time to do this was and now was as good a time as any. When he walked on the dance floor, he wrapped his arms around Sutton and placed his hands on her belly. “You know I love you, right?”
“More than anything in this world and I love you the same.” She turned around so that she was facing him. He stared into her eyes; she searched his for what he was thinking, but the second he got down on one knee she knew exactly what was on his mind.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and gave their attention to the couple in the middle of the room. Tears were flying down Sutton’s face as she looked into Kahleno’s. This was everything that she ever wanted.
“I love you more than anything and I’m so glad that you came into my life. God blessed me the day you walked into that barn. You are an amazing mother figure to my son, and I know that you’ll be an even more amazing mother to our kids. I can’t wait to meet Nova and Noah, and our lives will be complete. At least until I try and fill you up again,” he smirked.