His ceasefire was all the go-ahead that the goons needed to proceed into the house, but as soon as the first guy stepped over the threshold . . .
Boom!
Miesha stuck her hand out and dropped him at point-blank range. The second shooter began spraying recklessly, but Miesha dropped to the floor and aimed at both of his knees.
Boom! Boom!
He fell to the floor, his weapon flying out of his grasp as he grabbed his knees in excruciation.
Chase stood, completely amazed at Miesha’s fearlessness. She was his exact ideal of the type of chick his lady should be. He knew that she had the hustle down and yes, he even knew that she knew how to shoot a gun. He had made sure that she and Trina were both excellent shots in case they needed to protect themselves. He had no clue that her gunplay was so efficient, however. She was nice with the hardware and he found her incredibly sexy in that moment. She hadn’t hesitated to put in work. Where most women would have frozen Miesha did what needed to be done. No wonder YaYa sent her inside to get at Leah, he thought. Chase ran up on the injured goon, enraged as he pulled the leaking man up by his collar.
“Who sent you?” Chase roared as he delivered a hard blow to the man’s face with the butt of his gun.
“Fuck you, you pussy!” the man roared.
“Pussy?” Chase asked with a chuckle as he pulled the man’s mask off.
“The Dominicans?” Miesha asked as she stood off to the side a bit shaken.
“Eduardo sent you? You bitch-ass nigga! Huh?” Chase chastised the man as he brought his gun up, only to smash it over his face at full force repeatedly.
The man was a blubbering pulp as he took the beating. Finally, he whimpered, “Please, no more . . . it was Señor Eduardo. He sent us. Indie killed his son.”
Chase staggered back, covered in the man’s blood as he realized what the man had just said. Trina and Miesha had murdered the only son of the Dominican mobster; now Eduardo was out for Indie’s blood. He didn’t know that Chase had taken over. He put the blame at the top. Chase had just gotten Indie a new beef. Chase extended his arm and . . .
Pop! Pop!
Two bullets to the face and the goon was silenced forever.
“We have to call Indie,” Miesha whispered, realizing what this meant. She and Trina had potentially started a war.
“No, we don’t. This is my beef. I’ll handle it,” Chase stated. He looked up at Miesha. Her eyes were wide and fear filled. He walked over to her and pressed her against the wall until she had nowhere to go. They stared at one another with aggression.
“Eduardo tried to rob us. We didn’t have a choice,” she defended.
“I know that, you know that, but Big Eduardo thinks his son was killed in cold blood and he’s blaming Indie. Don’t worry. I’ll fix it. You trust me?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Then keep this between us. The last thing I need is Indie thinking I can’t handle my new position. Go home, clean yourself up. I’ll swing by later to check on you, a’ight?” he asked.
She nodded and he leaned in to kiss her lips. Despite the dead bodies around them, sparks flew as she returned his passion. Yep, this was the beginning of a new Bonnie and Clyde. They could both feel something epic growing between them.
“What about the bodies?” she asked.
“I’ll clean it up. Go home. Don’t tell anybody. Not even Trina,” he reiterated. He pecked her lips one last time and then smacked her on her ass in reassurance as she walked out of the house.
“I can really get these? Mama never buys me Jordans!” King exclaimed as he placed his feet inside the pair of $150 kicks.
“Yeah, li’l man, you can get whatever you want,” Indie said.
“You’re going to spoil him,” Parker stated sternly.
“My little nigga got to be fly,” Indie replied. “None of this corny shit you got him in.”
Parker gave Indie the side eye and he chuckled as he pulled her close, throwing an arm around her shoulder. “No worries, ma, I’m not a knucklehead. I’m buying him all this, but I’ve also had my accountant set up a savings and college fund for him. He’s also been added to my life insurance. I told you, now that I’m around I got you. I’ve got you both. Now why don’t you wander into Neiman’s or something while we finish up here.” He passed her his black card and she smirked as she shook her head incredulously and walked away.
He watched her go, enjoying the view from behind before turning around to sit next to his son. “You like how those feel, King?” he asked.
“Yeah, these are dope,” King replied, excitedly. “Pick out a few more pairs. We’ll pick up some clothes next.”
“Really?” King asked. It wasn’t that he didn’t have clothes. Parker made sure that he was well cared for, but the fact that he was going shopping with his dad meant the world to him.
“Yeah, homie, whatever you want,” Indie confirmed. As he watched King browse through the store his mind drifted to Skylar. It had been two weeks since he had seen her and he missed the morning kisses that she would deliver each day. He wondered how she was. How was YaYa? They were constantly on his mental.
Life without YaYa was like living without oxygen. It was like everything around him was standing still and Indie ached for her companionship. Although he was going through the motions with Parker, it didn’t quite feel the same. The history between them made his presence feel obligatory instead of natural. Parker and King had already established a rhythm, an entire life that didn’t include him, so now that he was trying to be around it felt forced. Being the head of YaYa’s home was as natural as the air he breathed. He missed her. His core yearned to be near her, but he knew that right now he was the last person that she wanted to see. Indie had never meant to hurt anyone; he was simply in over his head. Before Parker had come back, Indie had never even fathomed the idea of stepping out on YaYa. His love for Parker had been so deep that when she left he had always pondered the what-ifs. Only the love of his life could make him cheat on the love of his life. Most people never found their other half, but here he was burdened with the possibility that two different women could possibly be “the one” for him. He had fallen in love twice; now he was being forced to choose between them. Indie wanted to call YaYa. He wanted to apologize, to explain his predicament. Perhaps even beg YaYa for her forgiveness, but he did none of those things. He had rehearsed what he would say to her in his mind a hundred times, but none of it sounded right. Instead he gave her space, partly because he knew that no words would excuse his actions. No “I’m sorry” would ever erase the pain that he had caused. A woman scorned never fully healed and he knew that YaYa would never love him the same again. Even if she accepted him back into her life, even if she said the words “I love you,” he knew that they it would all be a lie. The wall of resentment that she would build around her heart would be impenetrable. They would simply be going through the motions. So what was the point in calling? It seemed that he had taken his own options away because the only one left on the table was Parker and while he did feel something for her, it was becoming clear that it wasn’t the same as the love he had for Disaya.
The last thing he wanted was to end up alone, however, Parker had his seed. King was someone he desperately wanted to know. He owed that little boy the world and had so much lost time to make up for. He was just so unsure about making promises to another woman. Parker wanted a family. She wanted security . . . fidelity, companionship, and exclusivity. Indie had promised YaYa all those same things and when he had come up short, it hurt him just as much as it did her. He didn’t want to disappoint Parker, especially when his heart wasn’t 100 percent hers. Indie was slowly beginning to realize that he had become the type of man that he never wanted to be. He belonged to the money and whatever woman fit into his life at the moment was whom he chose. His actions had forced YaYa out, but was it now okay to let Parker in? His heart said no, but his logic told him that he owed Parker after his own mother chased her out of town. He h
ad to see what was in the cards for them.
“That’ll be six hundred dollars, sir.”
The sound of the cashier’s voice snapped him out of his reverie and he paid the balance, grabbed the bags and left, holding King’s hand.
As he met up with Parker he decided that if he was going to be with her then the two of them together would need to sit down with Elaine and air out the past. He had already lost YaYa; he refused to push his mother away as well. He would need her to help sort out his mixed emotions and to support whatever decision he made when it came to his life.
This is too soon. Why am I even here? I can’t feel what I’m feeling for this man. I don’t even know him. I haven’t even gotten closure with Indie yet. All of these things ran wild in YaYa’s mind as she held Skylar’s hand while walking through Central Park. She was meeting Ethic, at his request, but all of her internal warnings were sounding off. She had never been afraid to explore her emotions before, but this affair with Ethic was new territory for her. The fact that he was in business with Indie made her feel like what she was doing was wrong. This will lead to disaster. Just walk away. Turn around and leave and don’t think about him again. This cannot happen.
She was trying to convince herself to jump out of the fire before she got burnt, but when she saw him, standing so handsome before her, all of her protests were in vain. The single-breasted Margiela coat he wore bossed him out as he stood, oblivious to the fact that she was watching him. His stature, his presence, his aura was strong and she couldn’t stop the silly schoolgirl smile that graced her face. He stood watching kids as they ran frantically on the playground.
“Hi,” she greeted, when she finally approached.
“Hi,” he responded. He looked down at Skylar.
“This is Skylar,” she said. She bent down and picked up her daughter, holding her in her arms. “Sky, this is Ethic. This Mommy’s friend.”
Skylar blushed and held on to her neck tightly. “Can I go play?”
“Sure, baby,” YaYa said. “She’s shy,” she said to Ethic.
“I remember those days,” he said. He cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, “Bella!”
A beautiful young girl came running over to him. “Yes, Daddy?” she said.
“Come here, I want you to meet a special friend of mine. This is YaYa. YaYa, this is my daughter Bella,” he introduced.
YaYa was taken aback. She hadn’t expected this, but it was a pleasant surprise. “Nice to meet you, Bella. This is my daughter Sky.”
“Nice to meet you too, ma’am,” she replied.
YaYa chuckled. “Please just call me YaYa,” she responded.
Ethic pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet and handed it to Bella. “Why don’t you take Skylar to that ice cream truck and then show her around the playground, baby girl. Be careful. Keep a close eye out. She’s much younger than you.”
“Okay,” Bella agreed. She held out her arms and to YaYa’s surprise Skylar went to her without hesitation.
“How old is she?” YaYa asked.
“A very mature twelve,” he replied.
“She’s gorgeous,” YaYa complimented.
“She gets it from her mother,” Ethic replied, humbly.
“Raven, right?” YaYa asked.
Ethic shook his head. “No. Bella’s mother was before Raven. She died. My son Ezra,” he said as he pointed to the slide where his five-year-old played rambunctiously. “That’s him. He’s the gift that Raven gave me. Their nanny brought them to New York with me, seeing as how I don’t know how long I’m going to stay. I sent for them last night.”
“Wow, so you’re a family man and a gangster all at the same time,” she said as she nudged him jokingly.
“They come first,” he said. “The nanny, Ms. Gwen, she helps tremendously, but other than that I’m a single father. I have a teenager, she’s seventeen. She’s Raven’s sister. I adopted her after Raven died. She’s back in Flint, however. She’s my challenge.”
“I don’t know what to say,” YaYa replied honestly. “Your life seems so . . .” She paused.
“Complicated?” he asked.
“Yeah, a little,” she admitted.
“Did the kids scare you off?” he asked.
“Not even a little,” she replied.
It was so crazy to her how Ethic seemed to take away all the bad whenever she was in his presence. Her entire life hung in the balance at the moment. Just this morning she had cried her eyes out while staring at her own reflection. Thoughts of losing Indie and of what he might be doing with the next woman consumed her at all other times, except now, in this moment with Ethic, she had no worries. Ethic was like convenient amnesia. He made her entire body tingle and soothed her soul to the point of contentment.
“Good,” he said with a warm smile. They faced the playground as they stood side by side. “I understand your situation, ma, but I also understand my limitations. I’m not a secret keeping type of nigga. When I want to see your face, I want the freedom to come through. When I want to hear your voice, I want to be able to call. I don’t want to meet in hotel rooms or seedy restaurants. When I want to feel your body under mine, I want to be able to have you. You can’t give me that, can you?”
YaYa’s heart ached because she wanted to be able to tell him that she could. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and be his woman . . . only his woman, but wasn’t she still considered Indie’s woman? Not even she knew where she stood in her own relationship and she didn’t want to play games with a man like Ethic. He wouldn’t tolerate them and she knew that he was undeserving of her indecision.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I want to be able to give you all of those things. The way my body craves you is ridiculous. Like right now, I feel a pulse inside of me that I’ve never felt before. It makes me want to touch it. It makes me want to touch you, to love you. To just say fuck everybody who would want me without you. You make me feel different than any man ever has.”
He turned toward her. “I’m feeling you, YaYa, some people might even say I’m loving everything about you, but you’re not ready.”
“It doesn’t help that you’re in business with Indie,” she stated.
“Fuck business with Indie, ma. I’m good. My bank was large before I entered into business with him. I’m willing to cut that if necessary. You just have to tell me I’m not doing it all for nothing. I can’t be in it dolo. If your heart is with that man then walk away,” he said. “You can leave right now and I’ll respect it but if you stay, be sure that this is what you want.”
She held her head down as tears came to her eyes. She folded her hands across her chest and replied, “I’m not sure of anything right now. I do know the only time I’m not sad is when I’m with you.”
“I’m not putting pressure on you, YaYa. When you figure it out, you let me know. Until then maybe you just need to focus on you, ma. It flatters me that I make you smile. I love that because that smile definitely does something to me,” he said as he gave her a charming grin of his own and placed a hand over his heart as if he had been struck by Cupid’s bow. “But your happiness should depend on you, not me, or any other man. You understand?”
Lawd, why is this man so damn fine? she asked herself, completely smitten by Ethic. His words of wisdom were received with nothing but respect because she knew that he was right.
She nodded and leaned against him as she looped her hand through his arm. “You’re a good man, Ethic.”
“Not to everyone. There are a lot of people out there that would tell a different story.” He smirked.
“I could never believe that,” she said. As they stood in silence, watching their children play, for a brief moment it felt like a family. YaYa could be this man’s wife and these could be their children in some other life. Sadly, in this reality she was just a lonely girl in an even lonelier world. She pulled back and said, “We’re going to go okay?”
“I think that’s probably best,” he replied
. He leaned over and planted the softest kiss on her forehead. It was more intimate than any kiss that had ever been placed on her lips. “See you later, beautiful.”
She smiled as she walked over to Skylar and scooped her in her arms before departing. She hoped that when she turned back, Ethic would still be watching her. As she glanced subtly she smiled because he was eyeing her every move. I ain’t lost it, she thought in amusement as she disappeared out of his sight.
Chapter 20
“Why are we here? You know how Elaine feels about me,” Parker protested as a knot formed in her stomach.
“You’re going to be around,” Indie said. “We have to work this out. My mom is important to me and so are you. I need the two of you to respect one another. I also know that my father will want to meet his grandson.”
Indie climbed out of the car and Parker groaned reluctantly as she followed suit. King hopped out the back, his face buried in his handheld PlayStation as the threesome walked to the front door.
Indie knocked, deciding not the use his key. He wanted Elaine to answer the door and welcome Parker into her home. The smell of her Southern cooking permeated through the door and Parker said, “She’s probably poisoning my plate as we speak,” Parker cracked before laughing playfully.
Love & War Page 17