He was feeling mighty low because all he was doing was putting food on the table and keeping the utilities on. Rent was two months behind and he was at his wits end, something had to shake. He had been robbing Peter to pay Paul. His landlord was being lenient but he had already told him that he needed at least one month’s rent by the weekend or he had to put him out. His desperation had made him weak enough to listen to Solitaire and now, his road dawg was dead, he had a price on his head and he still didn’t have the money to pay the rent.
He had always lived by the saying ‘Pride can’t save your face and your ass at the same time’ Khalil knew that he couldn’t hide from Black Sillk, but he also knew that he was doing what he had to do so that him and his four small kids could survive. He put his pride aside and after hiding out for two days, went to Black Sillk and apologized and told him that he would work off whatever debt that he owed him. Black Sillk didn’t take a loss because he had gotten the money back and gained a worker who ended up being like a son to him. That was over a decade and a half ago and now out of all the niggas to bring home, his daughter; the one that he knew without a doubt was his had come home with his only real best friend’s son.
“Thank you very much young man, please come on in.” Khalil hoped that his emotions were not showing on his face.
Loyalty wrapped her arm around her father and he squeezed her and leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. They went into the den and sat on the chocolate sectional. Loyalty was so nervous; she hadn’t bought a guy home to meet her dad since her twelfth grade year in high school. She hoped that her dad would like K.J. He had said that he was good with parents. She needed him to turn on the charm. Loyalty grabbed K.J.’s hand, not to give him support but more so to draw from his strength. His palm wasn’t sweating or anything. He was cool as a cucumber. The silence was thick so she started the introductions. Pop-Pop, this is K.J. and K.J. this is my father Khalil Rasheed.
“It is a pleasure sir. Thank you for welcoming me into your home. It is good to finally meet you. Loyalty talks about you endlessly.” K.J. said.
“I wish I could say the same, this girl is a trip so all I can say is that around this household all you are known by is ‘The Football Player’. If I would have known that it was you I would have been insisted on meeting you. I’m a very big fan of yours. You have done an awesome job during your football career; I have been following you since you were in high school. You are an outstanding role model for these young men in the inner city. You graduated at the top of your class in high school and college. By putting your academics first, you were able to become valedictorian of your graduating class. That shows them a lot, so many just focus on the ball and barely make the grades.” Khalil stood up; he was a ball of nerves. He didn’t know how long he was gonna be able to sit there and look in his face, a face that was identical to his fathers. He walked out of the den and went to the liquor cabinet. A drink would calm him down.
Loyalty followed behind him. “Pop-Pop you are really a know-it-all aren’t you? I bet the inside your head is like a computer, that’s where Reality gets it from. It’s a wonder that you didn’t start quoting game stats.”
K.J. was standing in the den, looking at the pictures on the table of the kids during various stages of their life. He looked over at Loyalty “You are right, you and your sisters all look totally different, but you and your brother look just alike. Mr. Rasheed you are a role model yourself. Loyalty told me how you raised the four of them by yourself without a woman. Most men wouldn’t have done it. Strong black men are so few and far between, that is why so many of our young men are dead or in jail. My father was murdered when I was young, but he struggled to take care of me and save money for my future. It is because of the trust fund he set up for me that I was able to focus on just school and didn’t have to worry about going out into the street to survive.”
Khalil felt his heart drop to his feet. He poured himself another drink and took it straight to the head.
“Pop-Pop, the reason why we came over here so late is because K.J. has to report to the training camp in the morning. He wants to know if I can go with him to Florida to visit for a week or two. I promise that I will not get in trouble.” Loyalty pleaded with her father.
“I promise that I will take care of her and let no harm come to her.” K.J. said as he laid his right hand over his heart.
Khalil had so many thoughts going through his head already. Now he had this. He was thinking about it. Maybe he should let Loyalty go to Florida; he wouldn’t be so worried about her if she was out of the city. He didn’t know K.J. personally, but he knew that he was raised right and that he had too much to lose if he did something wrong to his daughter. He looked at the both of them and exhaled loudly. “You can go. I appreciate the fact that you came and asked me like you got some sense instead of taking off into the sunset with Romeo. K.J. please do not make me regret this. My children are my world. The only reason Allah gives me breath is for them so if you can’t take care of her as well as I can or better, leave her here.” Khalil said looking K.J. in the eye.
“Sir, I promise she is in good hands” K.J. said as he shook Khalil’s hand.
Loyalty was ecstatic that she had her father’s blessing. She had a strong feeling that if he didn’t have all the other stuff going on that he would have said no.
“What part of Florida is the training camp in? Is it in the same city that you reside in?
“Well our training facility is right across the street from where we play our games. I live in Belleair Shore which is a suburban area in Clearwater. I will write down the addresses for you. I will make sure she calls and let you know when we arrive and that she talks to you every day.” K.J. was excited and nervous at the same time.
“One thing about it, as long as my baby is okay, I will talk to her each and every day. It’s when I don’t talk to her that I know that something is wrong.” Khalil walked them to the door. His stomach was in knots. He didn’t know if it was because his intuition was telling him that this situation was not good or if it was because of who K.J. was.
Reality walked down the stairs with her purse, “Pop-Pop you can’t hold us hostage forever. Can I please go get my laptops from Jaimes? Yours are too ancient for what I have to do. I promise I will be right back. I’m going in your truck; it has On Star on it so you will know where I’m at. Come on now, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease.” She whined.
“Girl whatever, with your rude behind; you see we have company. Act like I taught you something, or at least act like you picked up something hanging around me all these years. Go ahead but you better bring your butt back here tonight. I’m not playing with you Reality Skye.”
Reality looked at Honesty and then she looked at K.J. “Well don’t you guys look cute together? Hello, I’m Reality Skye. It is very nice to make your acquaintance.” She offered K.J. her hand and he pulled her to him and embraced her. “It’s that good, Daddy?” She chuckled looking at Khalil as she hugged K.J.
They were just standing at the door in an awkward silence. “Well I need to go home and pack me a bag for our trip. Daddy, I’m staying at his place tonight. He has a condo in the Twelve. We will be leaving first thing in the morning. I will call you before I board my flight and then I will call you again when I land.” Loyalty said.
“You don’t need to go to that building at all until after the repairs have been finished. Just buy new stuff when you get there. I will put some money in your account, although I know that you have your own money.” Khalil said firmly waiting for K.J. to say something.
“Mr. Rasheed, please keep your money. I will take her shopping as soon as I get out of practice, better yet I will hire a driver and just give her my Black card so she can shop while I’m at practice.”
Loyalty lit up when K.J. said something about his Black card and mentioned shopping. She looked at her father and could see the uneasiness in her father’s eyes. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He grabbed her and hugged her
tightly.
Khalil had people all over Florida; he would have someone down there keep an eye on Loyalty. She couldn’t take her gun with her because she was going on an airplane. He would have a gun delivered to her tomorrow as soon as she landed. It would just help him rest better knowing that she was armed. He already had Reality working on getting information on Jazmeir. He will just tell her that he needed everything on K.J. including all properties he owned and the architectural layout of his primary residence. There was no such thing as knowing too much about a person or having too much information. He watched them leave; it was too quiet now. Thoughts of everything was gonna keep him up tonight. He made himself another drink and headed upstairs to the study. He lifted his drink up to the sky and tears poured down his face as memories of his friend Khadafi flooded his mind. He finished it in one gulp. “This is for my homie.”
Chapter 20: Spend my life with you…
Reality couldn’t get out the door fast enough. She rushed past her sister and father, ran down the driveway and jumped into her dad’s Escalade. She wanted some syrup but she wasn’t even going to bring it up. She had been off if for almost a week now. She just really wanted to be with him. They had been texting on and off all day long. He thought that she was still mad at him. So it seemed like every hour or so he would text her and ask her what she was doing or if she needed something.
You would have thought that the truck had wings as it got down Georgia four hundred to two eighty-five in less than fifteen minutes. Thank God that Georgia state patrol wasn’t out in full force as they usually are. Pop-Pop would go through the roof if she got a ticket in his truck. She didn’t call D.J. and she didn’t respond the last time he texted her. Reality planned on jumping into his arms and kissing him like something out of the soap operas as soon as he opened the door.
D.J. didn’t like Reality being upset with him. She was like a little bomb, so easily set off. He had gone to the mall today because he wanted to buy her something to try and smooth things over. He knew that she had his head gone because he usually wouldn’t venture out to the mall like this. He really didn’t like being in public places if he didn’t have to. He ordered the majority of all his clothing and things he needed online. He left out of Lenox Square empty handed. He didn’t know what to get her. She had everything or at least access to everything that her heart desired. After all this is Coach K’s daughter.
He had to do something spectacular. He headed toward Best Buy. He could buy her another computer, since that was her favorite thing. But a computer wasn’t romantic and she already had two of them, so that was meaningless. He headed over to Phipps Plaza. He went into the Gucci store and bought himself some shoes and a belt. He didn’t get her anyhing from there because he remembered her saying that Gucci had become like Coach, it wasn’t exclusive anymore. D.J. was stuck, but he wanted to get her something.
D.J. went into to Sak’s Fifth Avenue and the first thing he saw as soon as he walked into the store was the Christian Louboutin display. He knew all the girls loved red bottoms even though he couldn’t recall seeing her in any because she didn’t wear heels. He knew her shoe size because he always made fun of her small feet. A pair caught his eye and as he was going to the register, he saw that they had handbags too. D.J. knew for a fact that Reality loved handbags so he got her a Louboutin handbag also and headed home proud of his purchases and the fact that he was in and out of the store in less than fifteen minutes. Now all he had to do was get her to come and see him. He missed her. She wasn’t talking to him, she only responded to his text messages.
Reality pulled into the parking deck and she didn’t see the Maserati parked next to his Silverado SS. She looked down at her watch and saw that it was almost ten p.m. Her cell started ringing. She decided to answer this time because she didn’t want to be waiting on him forever. Reality laughed to herself as she answered the phone with a fake attitude. She didn’t want him to know that she was at his place and wasn’t mad at him anymore.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Is that how you answer the phone for me? Don’t you think that you have made me suffer enough? You put me on punishment and wouldn’t let me hear your voice and the first thing that I hear from you is attitude. Girl, you are hell. What are you doing? Tell daddy to let you out for a little while. I miss you. I want to give you some sugar.” Jaimes said into his phone as he whipped the car through the gate at his building.
It was a black Escalade parked next to his truck. He got the bags out of the back and picked up his pistol off of the front seat.
“If I do come down there, you’re gonna have to give me more than a little sugar, you are going to have to taste the sugar. You got some making up to do baby boy. So what are you doing?” Reality asked as she peeped out of dark tint of the truck watching him as he looked at the truck suspiciously.
“I can do that, just see if you can sneak off from your dad. I just pulled up and I got some stuff in my hands baby, let me call you when I get in safely.” He hung up abruptly.
Reality wanted to jump out and scare him, but she knew that could get her killed. She watched him walk loaded down with bags through the glass double doors. She wanted to give him enough time to get to his floor before she got out of the truck. She got on the elevator five minutes after him and her phone started to ring. She ignored the call. Once she got off the elevator he called her again, this time she answered. “What do you have in all the bags?” she asked as she stood outside of his door.
“What bags are you talking about lil’ girl?” Jaimes opened his door and Reality was leaning against the door jamb. He picked her up and swung her around. She grabbed his face and started to kiss him passionately. “I see that you missed me too huh?”
“Yeah, I guess you can say that.” She watched him lock the door after he put her down. When he turned around she reached her arms up at him like a baby asking to be picked up. He picked her up again and she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. It was then that she noticed something. Ever since she had decided to be with Jaimes, she wasn’t feeling anxious all the time. She guessed he was her medicine. Not bad, she didn’t mind him being her drug of choice. She just prayed that it had fewer side effects. It felt so good being in his arms, she didn’t want him to put her down.
“You are too damn spoiled. Baby you have got to stop acting like that. Your family has ruined you. When something does not go your way, you just explode. Girl these few days without you have been killing me slowly but surely. I thought after I told you that I wanted to be with you, that we were going to be inseparable.” Jaimes sat on the sofa with her attached to him. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.
“As long as you give me what I want, when I want it, then you will not have a problem. If you can handle that, then I promise you, no more temper tantrums.” Reality said as she lifted her head up to look him in his eyes.
“What do you want lil’ girl?” He questioned her. His dick was getting hard with her straddling him. D.J. leaned down and kissed her softly on her lips. Right now he was like clay in her palms. She probably could get him to do anything. He knew that he had fallen for her, but he questioned his reason why. It is like once you have been hurt, you put your guard up and question everyone’s intentions. He didn’t want to fall in love with Reality just because she was the only one that treated him like he was just a regular guy. But then again the fact that she looked past his injuries and she didn’t see the dollar signs couldn’t do anything but make him fall in love with her. He was tired of being alone, he wanted somebody to share his life with and he thinking more and more every day that Reality was the one.
“I want you Jaimes Goren. I want the way that I feel right now to be the way that I feel each and every day. I want to know that once I give my heart to you completely that I do not have to worry about it getting hurt. I want you to always take me into consideration and I want you to always be honest with me regardless of if you think that i
t might hurt me.” She finished her statement by kissing him passionately. He parted his lips as her tongue controlled the slow dance of the two. She gyrated her hips as she felt his hard dick pressing against her. Reality didn’t know what she was doing; she just knew that she wanted Jaimes.
Jaimes broke their lip lock. “Whoa lil’ mama, you better slow down before you start something again that you are not going to be able to finish. There is no rush. I’m not going anywhere. We got the rest of our lives. I’m not pressuring you.”
Reality looked at him in his eyes and knew that he meant every word that he had just said.
“We might have the rest of our lives but I want you right now. Make love to me.”
The words were like music to his ears. He was happy and in shock at the same time. “So that means that you are staying with me tonight. You can stay until your dad is finished with everything at your place. You can stay forever!”
“Hold on big boy. Calm down, I am not going anywhere anytime soon. You do not have to handcuff me. I will stay willingly. I need to call my dad and tell him that I am staying here with you and also give him your address. He is so on the edge about everything that’s going on, he really do not want us out of his sight. No, on second thought, I think I better text him.” Reality got up from his lap and went to get her cell phone from her purse.
What Da Lick Read? The Triple Cross Page 12