Where My Loyalties Lie 3

by K. C. Mills

  Trent said it was about his baby sister, but Gotti knew better. The two of them had gotten close since he and Najah had been together, and Gotti had made it his business to be a father to Trent. For Gotti, the reason that Trent gave him for wanting to call him dad wasn't important. If Trent was accepting him as his father, then that was what it was gonna be.

  “Hang on, I’m coming.” Gotti stood, kissed Najah, who was sitting in a chair next to him and rubbed her stomach before leaning down to kiss it.

  “You know he’s about to embarrass you, right?” Logic said and chuckled.

  “I’ll redeem myself later with some 2K, just don’t record this shit.” Gotti said over his shoulder as he took the stairs two at time to join Trent.

  “He’s that good?’ Nate asked, nodding toward the court where Trent was.

  “Hell yeah. That shit is crazy. I guess his bitch ass bio, did one thing right. Hell, that’s the only thing he did right,” Logic said.

  Najah held her head back and scrunched up her face to look at her brother. “Don't even mention him. That’s MY child and that’s his father.” She pointed to Gotti, who was now on the court with Trent. Kenyan was sitting on his basketball, on the side now watching the two of them play.

  “Your children are about to drive your mother crazy,” Joy said when she stepped out the back door and made her way over to Logic. He was leaning against the rail that surrounded the deck, so she positioned her body between his legs before connecting their lips and then turning so that her back was against his chest. Logic’s arms moved around her waist and stopped once his hands were resting on her stomach.

  “Why they gotta be my kids when they’re doing bad shit?” Logic asked with a grin.

  “Because you made them that way. You never tell them no, so they think they can do whatever they want.”

  “That's both of y'all,” Nova said, looking up from her Kindle just long enough to glance at Logic and Joy. She was in one of the lounge chairs next to Nate with her leg thrown across his while he rubbed her thigh.

  “Nope, that’s all him. Whatever they want, they get,” Joy said without hesitation.

  “Yeah, aight, and who do they run to every time I say no? You, because you let them do what they want.” Logic leaned over Joy so that he could see her face, which made her laugh because it was true. They were both suckers for their kids, but of the two, Joy was the weakest when it came to holding her ground with the twins.

  “That's what I thought,” Logic said just as Joy reached in the back pocket of her jeans and pulled her phone out. She hit ignore for the call and then frowned before sliding it back in her pocket.

  “Your mom again?” Logic asked, leaning over her shoulder and kissing the side of her face. It pissed him off that Marilyn had the nerve to even attempt to contact Joy after all the bullshit she had done.

  Joy nodded and covered his hands with hers. Joy and Logic had run into Joy’s parents at a restaurant while they were out with the twins about a week ago. It had turned into a whole big thing with Logic on the verge of being arrested because he had decked Lionel when he tried to reach for LJ. Ever since then, Marilyn had been calling nonstop, begging to see the twins. She had apologized over and over again, but Joy wasn't trying to hear it. Logic didn’t want Marilyn or Lionel anywhere near their kids, but even if he had been okay with it, it wouldn't have mattered anyway because Joy was over it. Her parents were dead to her and that wasn’t changing. At some point, enough is enough.

  “I’ll change your number tomorrow.” Logic whispered against her ear before kissing the side of her face again.

  “Y'all some lazy ass kids, got me in here doing all the work while y'all out here doing nothing. Come eat, damn,” Mini said, bursting through the back door.

  “That’s your fault. We tried to help, but you told us to get out of the kitchen,” Nova said and rolled her eyes.

  “That’s because you can't cook. I was talking to Joy and Najah,” Mini said and rolled her eyes, making Najah and Logic laugh.

  “Come on, Ms. Mini. Don't do it like that. My baby can cook.” Nate leaned toward Nova and kissed her cheek.

  “Putting something in the microwave and pushing buttons is not cooking, little boy. I bet y'all eat out a lot, don't you?”

  Nate laughed and Nova punched him in the arm, but it was true. Nova couldn’t cook to save her life, but Nate didn't care. He loved her anyway, and if loving her meant carry out and restaurants then he was cool with that.

  “Damn, Ma, that’s cold,” Logic said.

  Mini just shook her head and stepped back in the house right before Gotti walked back up the stairs and sat down next to Najah. He leaned in to kiss her but she shoved him away and scrunched up her face because he was sweaty from shooting around with Trent.

  “Would you move?” Najah looked up at him with a scowl.

  “Aight, just remember that shit later.” Gotti kissed her stomach and winked at her before he stood and leaned against the rail next to Logic. Najah shot him a bird.

  “Your mean ass needs to hurry up and have that damn baby.” Gotti returned the favor and shot her a bird.

  “Don't be like that because that’s all your fault with your nasty asses. I hate to even come to your house because I never know what I’m going to walk in on,” Nova said.

  “Yo, chill with all that. I damn sure don't want to hear that shit.” Logic cut his eyes at Nova first and then his sister and Gotti.

  “Man, whatever,” Nova said and laughed, which made Gotti chuckle.

  “You don't have no business at our house anyway. You need to have your ass at home in the kitchen trying to learn how to cook, so my man over there don't starve to death or go broke because of your non cooking ass.” Gotti said.

  “Kiss my ass, how about that?” Nova said.

  “Nate, I hope you making six figures because you’re gonna go broke just buying food and shit, fucking around with her.” Logic pointed at Nova.

  Nate chuckled and Nova grilled him with a murderous stare.

  “Oh, so that's funny?” Nova said.

  Now Nate was in full blown laughter.

  “Man, let's go eat before y'all fuck around and have me in one of the guest rooms tonight.”

  “Nah, don't blame them, you’re about to have yourself in one of the guest rooms with all that damn laughing you’re doing,” Nova said before she stood and pointed at Nate, who yanked her arm and pulled her into his lap.

  “Don't front, you know that shit ain't happening.” He kissed her on her on the neck, which made her smile.

  “Yo, let's go eat. All y'all doing the most with that shit,” Logic said, nudging Joy so he could move.

  She laughed and caught his hand as they moved toward that back door. The rest followed, and everyone headed inside to eat. Family dinner had officially begun.

  *****

  Joy was finishing the last of the dishes while Logic was in the living room on the floor with the twins coloring. Leia on one side with LJ on the other. The house was finally empty, and Logic was happy just to chill with Joy and the twins for a minute. He loved his family and was more than happy to send them all home, because moments like this, when it was just him, Joy, and the twins was what he lived for.

  Business was still going strong, but Logic and Gotti had finally gotten things to a point where they had good people in charge, so they spent very little time on the block. Although he still occasionally had a few late nights, it was rare. In fact, Logic had traded in time on the block for time with LJ and Leia. He had the them with him most of the time when they weren't with Mini, and he was perfectly content with that.

  “Mommy, look, it's a flower.” Leia held up the picture she had scribbled just as Joy positioned herself on Logic’s back, leaned into him and placed her chin on his shoulder.

  “That’s perfect baby. Can I have it?”

  Leia giggled and placed the paper back on the floor in front of her.

  “I have to finish it first.”

&nbs
p; “You know you’re heavy, right?” Logic teased, holding his head back just enough for Joy to plant a kiss on his lips.

  “Shut up, no I’m not.”

  “Man, yes you are. I think you just broke my damn back.”

  “Mommy, don't break daddy’s back, move.” LJ jumped up and used his little hands to try and shove Joy off Logic’s back, which made Logic laugh.

  “I’m good, LJ, I was just playing, man.”

  LJ stood there with his arms folded and a scowl on his little face, like he was trying to decide if he believed his father or not. Joy smiled because he looked so much like Logic that it was funny. Especially with the expression he was sporting. LJ looked at Joy first and then Logic, and then just like that, he let it go and was on the floor, next to his father again coloring.

  Joy shook her head and laughed. “That’s your child.”

  “What?” Logic said with a smirk.

  “You know what. You do no wrong in his eyes.”

  “Nah, that’s you,” Logic said, but he knew Joy was right.

  LJ took his side no matter what. It was supposed to be mothers and sons, but in their case, LJ stayed up under Logic 24/7. He idolized his father and tried his best to imitate any and everything that Logic did, down to the cuss words that Logic had a hard time trying not to say. Joy was constantly on him about his language because if Logic said it, so did LJ.

  “We both know better than that. I’m about to get them ready for bed. I’m tired and need to relax. Today was fun but exhausting.”

  “Nah, I got it. You go chill and I’ll be in there in a few,” Logic said.

  Joy kissed the side of his face and smiled. He didn't have to tell her twice.

  “That might have earned you some special privileges later.”

  “You know that’s mine, right? I don't need your permission to be up in that,” Logic said and pointed to her waist after she was on her feet again.

  Joy laughed and rolled her eyes. “Come give me a hug, lady bug.”

  She opened her arms and Leia jumped up and ran into them. After a hug and a kiss, Joy said goodnight to her daughter and then walked over to LJ, who stayed put by his father’s side. Joy leaned over and kissed him on the top of his head.

  “Night, LJ.”

  “Night, Mommy,” he said without moving or looking up at her. He was in the process of coloring the picture that Logic had in front of him. The two of them were in their own world, like they often were.

  Joy left Logic and the twins and headed to their bedroom in dire need of a hot shower and their bed. Her first stop was the bathroom where she turned on the shower to let the water run hot and then back to the bedroom to get what she needed. After she had what she needed, she was in the bathroom again staring at her image in the mirror as she shed her clothes.

  She smiled when her eyes scanned her stomach. Joy turned sideways, trying to get a better view, but there weren't any signs yet of their new addition. She had taken a pregnancy test earlier that morning after Mini had insisted yet again that she was pregnant. This time Joy had an idea she was, but Mini saying it forced her to take the test to be sure.

  Once she was done with her shower, she climbed in bed and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. Not realizing how tired she really was, she dozed off immediately. Joy didn't wake up again until she felt Logic’s body move next to hers and his kisses on her neck and shoulder.

  “I take it you didn't have willing participants for bedtime,” Joy said as she turned her body to face him.

  “Man, no. Daddy, read this, Daddy just lay with me, Daddy it's dark, Daddy I’m scared.” Logic went through the list of things that had held him up.

  Joy laughed, knowing from experience just how good the twins were about squeezing extra time out of them before bedtime.

  “You love it, though.” She watched the smile spread across his face.

  “Wouldn't trade it for the world,” he said and kissed her lips.

  “It’s gonna really suck when you have to get all three of them to go to sleep.”

  Logic lifted his head and held it back just a little. “Three?”

  Joy nodded and grinned.

  “Yo, you serious?”

  “You okay with that?” Joy asked.

  “Fuck yeah. Shit, you can have ten more if you want.”

  “How about just this one and then we’re done?” Joy said with a smug grin.

  “No promises on that. You know I love you, right?”

  “You better. I’m about to go through another nine months of torture because of you.”

  Logic offered up a cocky grin. “I didn't do that shit all by myself. You were there too, but you know I got you.”

  “You better. I hate this part,” Joy whined.

  “You’ll be fine, just take care of my shorty in there.”

  “See, you’re starting already. It's not even about me. It's all about the baby.”

  Logic burst out laughing. “Man, chill. It's always about you.”

  He grinned before he kissed Joy and pulled her into his body. It was true. It was all about her, and that baby was a part of her, so he had them both. Nothing was going to change that. Never in a million years would he have imagined his life to turn out the way it had. He was a husband and a father. Everything about his life began and ended with them. His family was his world and there was no question or doubt about where his loyalties lie.

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